Al Arabiya loses UK licence over QNA hack QNA London

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1 INDEX QATAR ARAB WORLD INTERNATIONAL ISLAM 2, 3, COMMENT BUSINESS CLASSIFIED SPORTS , BUSINESS Page 1 Qatar s FX reserves rise to $37.6bn in December: QNB SPORT Page 1 Svitolina falls to old nemesis Kvitova again GULF TIMES www. DOW JONES QE NYMEX 25, % Latest Figures 9, % FRIDAY Vol. XXXVIII No February 16, 2018 Jumada I 30, 1439 AH gulf-times.com 2 Riyals % published in QATAR since 1978 In brief QATAR Official Emir arrives in Munich 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 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 to Germany Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-thani and members of the Qatari embassy. The Emir will deliver a speech today at the opening session of the conference which ends on February 18. QATAR Aid QRCS plans $2mn projects in Iraq The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has submitted a plan for the implementation of humanitarian projects in Iraq worth $2mn in QRCS said these projects will be funded through co-ordination with the stakeholders to mobilise community support at the level of institutions and individuals. In a statement issued yesterday, QRCS said its humanitarian support for Iraq, which was announced during the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI), hosted by Kuwait, would involve reconstruction efforts and building areas affected by the destruction over the years. QRCS said it has already implemented dozens of humanitarian projects for the benefit of those affected by the events in Iraq, ranging from shelter, healthcare, water, sanitation, food and non-food assistance. QRCS said the total value of these projects over the past three years was more than $13mn. QATAR Reaction Shooting at US school condemned Qatar yesterday expressed strong condemnation of the shooting incident at a high school in Florida, which killed at lest 17 people and injured many. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry reiterated Qatar s firm stance on rejecting violence and criminal acts regardless of motives and reasons. The statement expressed Qatar s condolences to the families of the victims and the government and people of the United States, and wished speedy recovery for the wounded. HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-thani, HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-sulaiti and HEC Paris in Qatar dean and CEO Nils Plambeck with some of the graduates of the QDGTP programme yesterday. PICTURE: Jayaram Qatar keeping pace with digital age, says minister By Ramesh Mathew Staff Reporter Qatar, under the wise leadership of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-thani, is keeping up with the digital age and progressing fast, HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-sulaiti said yesterday. He was speaking in the presence of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-thani to mark the first annual ceremony on Qatar Digital Government Training Programme (QDGTP) and the graduation of the first batch of students from Mada s (Qatar Assistive Technology Centre) Access to Employment programme. The advancement of the country is a shared responsibility of all citizens, HE al-sulaiti said and stressed Qatar spares no efforts in raising awareness about the needs of persons with disabilities and to make use of their abilities and potentials. The QDGTP, being implemented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, aims to build highly qualified management and boost leadership capabilities of technology personnel. It is also meant to enhance the technological and professional capabilities and skills of staff who will help government agencies implement digital transformation plans and the strategic goals of Qatar Digital Government 2020 Strategy. Executed in partnership with HEC Paris in Qatar, the QDGTP is one of several IT programmes to boost the professional capacity of government ICT professionals with specialised and accredited training programmes. The Access to Employment is a new programme from Mada, in association with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs. Mada works on enabling and enhancing the capacities of the disabled through information and communication technologies. It works to improve the digital inclusion for persons with disabilities (PwDs) across Qatar. It has identified three key domains education, employment and community to continue to fulfil its mission of removing the barriers that restrict PwDs from participating in society. These three domains are assisted through advisory services and policy recommendations. The Access to Employment programme works to qualify the disabled people to enter the job market to access real employment opportunities. Al-Sulaiti announced that the Prime Minister had given directives to appoint all 53 Access to Employment graduates at different state institutions from next week. Nils Plambeck, dean and CEO of HEC Paris in Qatar, said the participants can now play a major role in the Qatar Digital Government Strategy This collaboration with the MoTC underlines HEC Paris commitment, in partnership with Qatar Foundation, to help develop the region s leaders of today and tomorrow across the governmental and private sectors, he added. Page 2 Al Arabiya loses UK licence over QNA hack QNA London Al Arabiya News Channel, a Dubai-based satellite broadcaster owned by Saudi businessmen, has surrendered with immediate effect its licence with the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom, which received a complaint over the channel s involvement in covering the crime of hacking Qatar News Agency (QNA), British law firm Carter-Ruck said. QNA had hired Carter-Ruck to submit a complaint at Ofcom against Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia for broadcasting fabricated and false statements attributed to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-thani after QNA s website was hacked on May 24, 2017, a crime that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt used to justify the siege that they have been imposing on Qatar since June 5, Based on the complaint, Ofcom, which regulates the conduct and output of broadcasters who broadcast in the UK and elsewhere within the European Union (EU), had announced that it was taking measures to handle such issues. The surrendering of the licence by Al Arabiya was to avoid an investigation which could have resulted in the imposition of substantial fines and other penalties and even in the revocation of the licence due to previous violations. Al Arabiya had previously been heavily sanctioned by Ofcom in relation to a material broadcast in On that occasion, Ofcom found Al Arabiya to have breached its regulatory obligations to treat subjects fairly and justly and not to intrude upon privacy in unwarranted circumstances. Among other sanctions, Ofcom imposed a fine of 120,000. Following the surrender of its licence, Al Arabiya is no longer able to broadcast in the UK or elsewhere in the EU. In addition, it has placed itself outside the community of those responsible broadcasters who, by placing themselves within a reputable regulatory regime such as that administered by Ofcom, ensure that they comply with codified industry standards relating to bias and fairness. The move also confirms that Al Arabiya has been a vehicle for the propaganda of the four siege countries in terms of broadcasting fake news against Qatar, QNA added. US mulls GCC summit subject to Qatar progress By Nick Wadhams Washington/Bloomberg The Trump administration is moving towards hosting a summit with a bloc of six Arab nations later this year, but first wants to see signs of progress in ending a standoff between US allies in the Gulf, a person familiar with the matter said. Planning for a meeting with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) has been held up over concern that the conflict between Qatar and its neighbours led by Saudi Arabia may only be prolonged if the US lets the summit proceed without movement towards a resolution, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House is considering Camp David as a possible venue and the summit subject to some positive development in the form of a keen desire among the countries blockading Qatar to end the dispute. To Page 3 85 companies take part in Seasonal Dates Market A month-long Seasonal Dates Market was inaugurated by HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-thani yesterday. It is organised by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in co-operation with Souq Waqif. The largest event of its kind brings together around 85 local and foreign companies specialised in the production, supply and distribution of dates from Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Tunisia and Algeria among other countries. The exhibition will run until March 15. The opening ceremony was attended by Qatari Businessmen Association chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-thani, Qatar Chamber chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-thani, Hassad Food CEO Mohamed Badr al- Sada, and a number of ambassadors from participating countries. In his opening remarks, HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce thanked the participants in the market, stressing that the event is in line with the Ministry s efforts to support Qatar in its journey towards achieving self-sufficiency across all sectors, particularly in food. HE Sheikh Ahmed al-thani also highlighted the role that the market plays in promoting national date products and different kinds of date produce in addition to offering local and foreign companies the opportunity to directly sell their products to the public, which would reflect positively on their sales volume and support their efforts to expand production capacity. The Seasonal Dates Market presents an opportunity to promote trade and investment co-operation between local and foreign companies as well as to exchange expertise in date-related industries, thus enhancing the competitiveness of national products in local and global markets, he said. Hassad Food s executive vice-president Ali bin Hilal al-kuwari said the company s presence in the Seasonal Dates Market stems from its keenness to be one of the main participants. He said Hassad owns the largest dates packaging factory in the region, which has a capacity to process as much as 3,000 tonnes of dates. He said last year Hassad exported its first shipment of dates to India, drawing positive reactions from importers and consumers. There are new agreements to be signed soon and will be announced. Hassad Food, as a government company, strives to support local farmers without any conflict or competition with the private sector. The Seasonal Dates Market offers traders, entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises the opportunity to display and promote various date produce as well as dates-related food and industrial products. Within this framework, the Ministry had invited foreign companies to participate in the event, and enter into agreements and partnerships that will bolster bilateral trade and provide access to new markets. The Ministry also sought to empower local investors to market their products in foreign markets and gain insight into the expertise of participating countries in a bid to improve the quality of local date products and strengthen its position in the foreign markets. The Seasonal Dates Market is open to visitors daily from 8am to 12 noon and from 3pm to 10pm. HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-thani inaugurates the Seasonal Dates Market as Qatari Businessmen Association chairman HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-thani and other dignitaries look on.

2 2 QATAR OFFICIAL Labour Minister meets British parliamentarians HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-thani attending the graduation of the first batch of the QDGTP yesterday. Official hails digital govt training programmes The Qatar Digital Government Training Programme (QDGTP) has made remarkable achievements in the fields of training the IT personnel, stated Ministry of Transport and Communications assistant undersecretary for Digital Community Development Affairs Reem Mohamed al-mansouri. She was addressing the graduation of the first batch of the QDGTP yesterday under the patronage and presence of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-thani. The official said more than 1,150 staff have received the training and obtained 199 internationally recognised certifications in the field of information technology. The overall achievements, since the establishment of the QDGTP in 2016, has reached over 3200 and 266 international certificates, through 178 training courses. Al-Mansouri said the QDGTP has designed two specialised training programmes, the executive managers training (CTO) and the Talent Training Programme (IT Talent). A total of 25 executive IT officers representing 20 bodies joined the CTO programme. The programme also trained 32 staff in the first batch of IT Talent training programme, she added while explaining that after the success of the first batch, 25 staff members were registered for the second batch. Al-Mansouri also presented the training plan for the first quarter of 2018, where 38 training courses were introduced in co-operation with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs. While lauding the Ministry of Transport and Communications for launching programmes that HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-thani presenting a certificate to a graduate. Reem Mohamed al-mansouri speaking at the graduation programme yesterday. serve the e-government orientation, and facilitating the use of ICTs and integrate digital services in Qatar for all segments of society, she singled out for praise the role of Mada, the Qatar Assistive Technology Centre, for helping enhance the capacities and capabilities of persons with disabilities in accessing the labour market. Speaking later, Mada CEO Maha al-mansouri said many people with disabilities, who did not have access to suitable opportunities, have joined the Access to Employment programme, specially designed to meet the individual needs of its members with the help of specialised trainers and consultants. While highlighting the role of training programmes as a practical solution to narrow the gap between the educational system and effective employment, the Mada CEO said such programmes not only aim to find immediate solutions to address the issues of employment for persons with disabilities, but also identifies the challenges facing them and subsequently design programmes with the necessary partnerships to overcome these challenges. HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs 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 to develop them. Al-Rumaihi receives Irish minister HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-rumaihi met the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs 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. Qatar-Somalia ties reviewed HE the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-hammadi, met the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of Somalia, Ali Mohamed Ali. During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, means of boosting them, as well as matters of mutual interest. Defence Minister meets British parliamentarians Culture Minister hosts British parliamentarians at MIA QNA Doha HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-attiyah has met with the British parliamentary delegation visiting Qatar. The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest during the meeting, which was also attended by Yousef bin Ali al-khater, Qatar s ambassador to the UK. HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al- Ali met the British Parliamentary delegation, headed by MP Alistair Carmichael, at the Museum of Islamic Art yesterday. They discussed ways to strengthen cultural co-operation between Qatar and the UK, and to activate the role of museums in this regard. The meeting was attended by officials of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and representatives of the Youth Advisory Committee of the ministry. The minister spoke about the perspectives adopted by the ministry in realising its vision, and stressed the importance of the role of young people in building the state of Qatar and their contribution to leadership. He said that the Ministry of Culture and Sports pays great attention to youth, and that they are represented and have HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-ali with the visiting British Parliamentary delegation headed by MP Alistair Carmichael at the Museum of Islamic Art yesterday. an active role in the various programmes and projects of the ministry. The members of the British Parliamentary delegation expressed their admiration for the architectural design of the Museum of Islamic Art. The delegation commended the vision of the Ministry of Culture and Sport and expressed their hope for greater co-operation between Qatar and UK on cultural and youth affairs. Qatar Chamber discusses tourism co-operation with Turkish team QNA Doha Qatar Chamber yesterday held a meeting with a Turkish delegation representing the Federation of Travel and Tourism Agencies in the Middle East headed by Hussain Arif Kark, with both parties discussing ways to promote co-operation in the field of tourism and investment. Kark said the federation welcomes Qatari investments in the field of tourism in Turkey s Canakkale and other cities. He highlighted the promising opportunities for investment and the co-operation between both parties in the city, which is one of the biggest tourist spots in Turkey. He revealed the city has a population of 1mn people, with many European and Gulf tourists visiting every year. Kark invited Qatari businessmen to attend the opening of the longest suspension bridge, spanning the Dardanelles Strait, which will be launched in mid-march. the increase in the number of Qatari tourists in Turkey requires specialised companies in both countries to create new offers, products and destinations to enhance the turnout of Qatari tourists to Turkey Qatar Chamber Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Tawar al-kuwari said the tourism field is one the important sectors to Qatar and Turkey. He added that the bilateral relations in the field of tourism saw an important leap in the recent years where the number of Qataris annually visiting Turkey increased from 600 visitors, 15 years ago, to 46,000 visitors in the past year, 77 times more. Al-Kuwari said the increase in the number of Qatari tourists in Turkey requires specialised companies in both countries to create new offers, products and destinations to enhance the turnout of Qatari tourists to Turkey. He added that the tourism sector in Qatar is witnessing a continuous development, especially with the fast approaching World Cup in 2022, which will open new prospects in the field of tourism as Qatar will be the centre of attention. The Dardanelles Strait connects the Aegean Sea with the Marmara Sea, west of Turkey at a length of 61km. Qafco-Tamuq conference focuses on scientific solutions to global issues The conference in session yesterday. The tenth edition of the annual Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco) - Texas A&M University Conference was held yesterday at Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq) in Education City. The Qafco-sponsored event held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al- Sada and in partnership with the American Chemical Society (ACS) Qatar Candidate Chapter, hosted experts from around the world. The conference highlighted the pressing need for policymakers, industry and academia to work together to develop new knowledge and create scientific solutions that have direct impact on the world. HE Dr al-sada said, The series is significant because it places Qatar at the genesis of an expanding knowledge pipeline. This year s conference focused on the theme Emerging Frontiers in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The keynote speakers were Sir Fraser Stoddart, a 2016 Nobel laureate in chemistry and a faculty member at Northwestern University (US), and Dr Robert H Grubbs, 2005 Nobel laureate in chemistry and a faculty member at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech, US). Qafco CAO Dr Hamed al-marwani described the Qafco Texas A&M Conference 2018 as a confluence of ideas. I believe such conferences can help give better insights into issues wherein institutional learnings of industry and academia can mutually benefit. I hope the conference becomes the platform for sharing ideas to find solutions for short and long-term issues facing us. Tamuq dean Dr César O Malavé said, It is critical for industry and academia to work together to solve the real-world problems that will affect our future. For the past 10 years, Texas A&M at Qatar and Qafco have partnered to host the annual conference to encourage the exchange of knowledge, ideas and expertise that is essential to fuel innovation and new thinking. We are grateful to Qafco, our longtime friend and partner, for its visionary leadership in driving the success of this annual event. Qafco has been an exclusive sponsor of the conference series since Over the past decade, the conference has attracted a steadily increasing audience of chemists and engineers from all over the globe, covering a wide range of topics and discussions related to chemistry and chemical engineering.

3 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD 3 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 cruise season began on October 26 and continues until April 24. Pictures courtesy of Mwani Qatar Twitter page Egyptian politician held for Brotherhood links Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh is an ex-presidential candidate; Latest opposition figure held ahead of March election Cairo Egypt s state security prosecutor yesterday remanded for questioning a former presidential candidate who was arrested over alleged contacts with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, state news agency MENA said. Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh and several leaders of his Strong Egypt party were arrested on Wednesday, a day after he returned from London where he had given interviews critical of President Abdel Fattah al-sisi. Sisi is almost guaranteed to win a second term in a presidential election slated for March 26-28, but the vote has been panned by rights groups after a number of potential competitors called off their campaigns, citing intimidation, and a top challenger was arrested. Abol Fotouh was among several high-profile Egyptians to call last month for a boycott of the election. The state prosecutor ordered he be remanded in custody for 15 days and also instructed him to undergo medical checkups at the prison hospital after he complained of exhaustion and sudden fatigue. The other Strong Egypt party leaders were later released, one of them said. The Interior Ministry said Abol Fotouh held secret meetings with leaders of the international Muslim Brotherhood organisation during a visit to London earlier this month to implement a plot to stir unrest and instability in the country. The ministry said in a statement that authorities confiscated items some of which contained instructions to Abol Fotouh, including on how to gather crowds on the streets and how to create and inflame a crisis to undermine the state. Lawyers for Abol Fotouh were not immediately available to comment on the Interior Ministry s allegations. However earlier yesterday, one lawyer said prosecutors had accused him of holding a leadership post in a terrorist organisation and publishing false news both inside and outside the country that was likely to harm the national interest. He has not yet been charged. Abol Fotouh, a 67-year-old physician, quit the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011 to mount an Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh independent bid for the presidency in 2012, and has distanced himself from the group since then. Egypt banned the Brotherhood in 2013 after President Mohamed Mursi was ousted by the military following mass protests against his rule. The group has since been declared a terrorist organisation by the government. The Brotherhood maintains it seeks political change by peaceful means. The Strong Egypt party announced it was suspending activities and said the arrests marked a complete closure by the ruling regime of political life in Egypt. The party said it holds Egypt s government responsible for Abol Fotouh s safety. Egypt s electoral commission has vowed to conduct the vote according to principles of independence, transparency and objectivity. Abol Fotouh was detained days after an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, a Qatar-based channel banned in Egypt, in which he criticised what he called the menacing atmosphere of the election campaign. He also accused Sisi of pulling the army into politics, failing to curb deadly attacks by militants and mismanaging the economy. Any attempt from any president, whether Abdel Fattah al- Sisi or those before or after him, to push the army to be an actor in the political process, I consider this a crime. We will not accept this as Egyptians, he told Al Jazeera. He was referring to a stern warning last month from Sisi to anyone looking to challenge his rule. The repression in advance of Egypt s presidential election is a substantial escalation in a political environment that denies people s rights to political participation and to freedom of expression, a statement from 14 local and international rights groups said this week. GCC summit possible at Camp David From Page 1 Though Qatar has repeatedly asked for a dialogue to discuss the matter, the Saudi-led bloc has spurned the offer and refused to negotiate the crisis and find an amicable solution to the parties. Trump had offered to host a meeting of GCC leaders at Camp David last year but the proposal was not heeded by the countries that have launched a blockade of Qatar. The proposed meeting later this year would follow a summit last May in Riyadh, where President Donald Trump met with GCC leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain, and called for concerted Gulf action to combat terrorism. The following month, four of the countries severed diplomatic and transport links with Qatar, accusing it of backing Islamist groups and cozying up to Iran - claims Doha has repeatedly denied. Saudi Arabia also closed Qatar s only land border. While Trump initially said Qatar was supporting militants, he has moderated his tone as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has sought to mediate the standoff. In a call last month, Trump thanked His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-thani for action to counter terrorism and extremism in all forms. According to a readout of the call released by White House, the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen US-Qatar bilateral relations on security and economic issues and the American president reiterated his support for a unified GCC. President Trump reiterated his support for a strong, united Gulf Co-operation Council that is focused on countering regional threats. The president thanked the Emir for Qatari action to counter terrorism and extremism in all forms, including being one of the few countries to move forward on a bilateral memorandum of understanding. The leaders discussed areas in which the US and Qatar can partner to bring more stability to the region, counter Iranian influence, and defeat terrorism, the statement added. The Middle East has been a key foreign policy issue for the Trump administration. The White House has backed Saudi Arabia s anti-corruption campaign, which has ensnared top princes and billionaires once seen as US allies, it has provided support for the Saudis in their war in Yemen and it has been muted in criticism of the crisis sparked when Lebanon s prime minister briefly resigned last year while in Saudi Arabia. A GCC meeting held in Kuwait in December was overshadowed by the regional rift. It could not make any headway in solving the Gulf crisis that has now entered the ninth month. The Saudi-led bloc has demanded that Qatar agree to a 13-point list of demands that included shutting down Al Jazeera television, refraining from backing militant groups and scaling back relations with Tehran. Temperature expected to rise A noticeable rise in temperature is expected in different parts of the country from today until Sunday, the Qatar Met department has said. During this period, the maximum temperature is expected to reach the high-20c levels along the eastern coast and low-30cs elsewhere due to the prevalence of southeasterly winds, the weather office posted on social media yesterday. The temperature will return to its normal range, for this time of the year, on Monday as northerly winds will begin affecting Qatar, the department added. Meanwhile, today s forecast says poor visibility is expected in most places in the early hours of the day due to fog. A similar warning has been issued for offshore areas as well. The Met department said light fog and high relative humidity was observed at some places (including Doha 92%) last night and the conditions were favourable for misty to foggy conditions in most places around the country until the early hours today. These conditions may bring down visibility to 1km or less. After the foggy spell, moderate daytime temperature is expected in the country today along with some clouds. It will again become misty by late tonight, the forecast states. Offshore, misty to foggy conditions are likely in most areas and there could also be some clouds later. The weather office advised people to be cautious and follow latest updates through its official social media accounts. The Traffic Department, too, issued an advisory urging road users to take precautions during fog to ensure their safety. The minimum and maximum temperatures in Doha are expected to be 17C and 26C today. Oman minister in rare visit to Jerusalem An Omani minister made a rare visit by an Arab official to a Jerusalem holy site yesterday after holding talks with Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank. Yusuf bin Alawi, minister in charge of foreign affairs, visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Such a visit would usually require co-ordination with Israeli officials. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said he was unaware of the visit and could not immediately comment. Oman and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations, as is the case with most of the Arab world. QPO announces Kitajenko Conducts Shostakovich 10 Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) has announced that it is presenting a concert, Kitajenko Conducts Shostakovich 10, at Katara the Cultural Village s Opera House tomorrow. The concert will be held from 7.30pm, QPO has said in a press statement. Dmitrij Kitajenko is the conductor of honour at the event with Daniel Muller- Schott on the cello. The programme will feature Antonín Dvorak: Concerto in B Minor for violoncello and orchestra, Op 104, B 191, and Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No 10 in E Minor, Op 93, according to the statement. Seating begins 20 minutes before performances, QPO has said, and children aged six years and above are welcome at Philharmonic concerts. Widely regarded as the most distinguished of Czech composers, Dvorak produced attractive, vigorous, well-demarcated music, and his melodies are spontaneous-sounding yet memorable and his music colourful, abundant and varied. His nine symphonies are among his most widely appreciated works. A patriotic composer and among the most decorated of Soviet citizens, Shostakovich Dmitrij Kitajenko spent his life constructing his oeuvre between obedience and contestation. He was one of Russian culture s most acclaimed intellectuals and an internationally recognised composer whose music was in over 100 films, but his success fluctuated between honours and censorship. Kitajenko is described as one of the great conductors of our time. Equally esteemed in eastern and western Europe, he regularly conducts prestigious orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra London and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the statement notes.his complete recording of Shostakovich s symphonies with the Cologne Gürzenich Orchestra (2005) received, among others, the Echo Klassik Prize, one of the most sought-after awards in the classical field. In September 2015, Kitajenko was named conductor of honour of QPO. In addition to performances of the Daniel Muller-Schott great cello concertos, Müller- Schott has a special interest in discovering unknown works and extending the cello repertoire, for example with his own adaptations and through co-operation with contemporary composers. The new CD released in autumn 2017 with ORFEO fully reflects this passion. In collaboration with l arte del mondo, Müller-Schott processed works for cello by Haydn, CPE, JS Bach and Mozart for this recording. Müller-Schott plays the Ex Shapiro Matteo Goffriller cello, made in Venice in Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is a member of Qatar Foundation.

4 4 AFRICA Protesters face zero tolerance in Chad as 17 sentenced AFP N Djamena Fear rules over the city, said Mahamat, a resident of the Chadian capital N Djamena for more than 40 years who did not dare to reveal his real name. Although people are frustrated, they don t want to be arrested, kidnapped or tortured. In Chad, a large partly-desert nation straddling north and central Africa, taking discontent to the streets is a dangerous game under the stern rule of President Idriss Deby, in power for 27 years. Early in January, a public sector strike over pay and conditions garnered some backing, but once trade unions, students and the political opposition urged people to demonstrate against bad governance, security forces were deployed across the capital and few chose to protest. The regime, which is fighting the violent militant group Boko Haram based in neighbouring Nigeria but active across several borders, argues that the risk of attack is too high to allow marches and public gatherings. Terrorists, thugs, could infiltrate the march, Security Minister Ahmat Bachir recently warned. Among those who have risked public protest, several hundred people have been arrested since the end of January. Most were released after spending several hours in custody, but police on Wednesday said 17 people were sentenced to four months in prison for disturbing public order, destruction of property, holding an unauthorised gathering and injuring members of the police force. The prosecutor of Chad, Mahamat Saleh, warned protesters: There will be zero tolerance for troublemakers. Last week, the authorities also handed down two-month suspensions to ten opposition parties that called for a protest rally in N Djamena on the grounds that they were disturbing public order and inciting violence. In a report released last September, Amnesty International charged that since early 2016, the security forces have stepped up efforts to repress human rights, with a key role for the feared national intelligence agency (ANS). The report said the ANS s mandate was expanded in January 2017 allowing its agents to target and arrest human rights defenders on the grounds of national security. The ANS had already been illegally arresting people and detaining them in unofficial detention facilities, without allowing access to families and lawyers, Amnesty reported. Secret detention and arbitrary arrests marked a return to a dark past, said the human rights NGO, referring to the brutal methods of the infamous Directorate for Documentation and Security under former president Hissene Habre, who was ousted by Deby and sentenced by a special court in Dakar in 2016 to life in jail for crimes against humanity. For the past two weeks, we ve seen what happened under Habre, including arrests in bedrooms, Clement Abaifouta, chairman of an organisation representing Habre s many victims, told AFP. Ethiopian PM resigns in bid to end political crisis By Aaron Maasho/ Addis Ababa Ethiopia s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suddenly resigned yesterday in what he described as a bid to smooth reforms, following years of violent unrest that threatened the ruling party s hold on Africa s second most populous nation. The prime minister leads the nation under Ethiopia s political system and Hailemariam s decision to quit underscores the depth of division within the ruling coalition over how fast to pursue political openness. It was not clear who would replace Hailemariam, who also resigned as chairman of the ruling coalition that contains four parties representing Ethiopia s ethnic groups and has governed the country since it defeated a military regime in Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many, Hailemariam said in a televised speech. I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy. Hundreds of people died in Ethiopia s two most populous regions Oromiya and Amhara in 2015 and Opposition to an urban development plan for the capital Addis Ababa sparked public demonstrations against political restrictions, land grabbing and human rights abuses. Much of the public anger stems from the fact that the Tigryan ethnic group, representing 6% of the population, control key business interests, hold senior level positions in government and the military, and own significant land at the expense of other ethnic groups, wrote Ahmed Salim, vice president at Teneo global advisory firm in a briefing note. Some foreign-owned firms were attacked in the violence, which dented investor confidence in East Africa s largest and fastest growing economy and sparked divisions in the ruling coalition on how best to end the unrest. Hailemariam, a 52-yearold former university dean, said he would stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until the ruling Ethiopian People s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country s parliament named a new premier. The ruling coalition has accepted his resignation, stateaffiliated outlets said. It was not immediately clear when a new premier was to be announced. The party is scheduled to hold a congress next month. There is pressure for a member of the Oromo ethnic group to get the post, said a source close to a ruling party member and an analyst familiar with the region. Currently the foreign minister is the most senior Oromo in government. Hailemariam s resignation follows a reshuffle in ruling party that began in November and sidelined a number of senior members, including the widow of the former prime minister. Since January, the government has speeded up reforms, releasing more than 6,000 of political prisoners. Most of the released prisoners, which included high level opposition figures and journalists, were detained for alleged involvement in the mass protests. Cyril Ramaphosa addresses MPs after being elected president in parliament in Cape Town yesterday. New S African president vows to tackle corruption Agencies Cape Town South Africa s new President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday used his first speech in office to vow to fight government corruption, in a direct reference to accusations levelled against his predecessor Jacob Zuma. Issues to do with corruption, issues of how we can straighten out our state-owned enterprises and how we deal with state capture are issues that are on our radar screen, he told lawmakers in parliament. Those are issues we are going to be addressing and tomorrow we will also have an opportunity to outline some of the steps we are going to be taking, said Ramaphosa, who got a standing ovation at the end of the speech. Ramaphosa, a wealthy former businessman, will deliver his first State of the Nation address today. South African lawmakers formally named Ramaphosa, the only candidate, as new president yesterday after scandal-tainted Zuma resigned under intense pressure from the ruling ANC party. Zuma announced his resignation late Wednesday, and aimed barbs at the African National Congress (ANC) party for vowing to oust him via a no-confidence vote in parliament. After he was announced as leader members of parliament broke into celebration, dancing and singing Rise Ramaphosa. South Africa must come first in everything we do, Ramaphosa said in brief remarks afterwards. All of us should continue to improve the lives of our people. I will work hard not to disappoint the people of South Africa, he added. The two main opposition parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), both refused to vote for Ramaphosa, however, despite supporting Zuma s early departure. As parliament began to sit, EFF members became disruptive and eventually walked out. EFF leader Julius Malema said Zuma was headed to the dustbin of history, but he noted Ramaphosa had been Zuma s deputy. The EFF has repeatedly criticised the millionaire businessman for his role in a deadly crackdown on striking mine workers several years ago. DA leader Mmusi Maimane was also sceptical, telling parliament: We don t have a Jacob Zuma problem, we have an ANC problem. Many in South Africa hope that Ramaphosa, a trade-unionist turned-businessman, can turn the country around after endless corruption scandals that have diminished the popularity of Nelson Mandela s ANC. Among other things, Zuma is accused of allowing a wealthy Indian business family, the Guptas, to capture the state through lucrative business deals and possibly even by influencing ministerial appointments. State capture refers to alleged corruption of state institutions and state-owned businesses by private individuals seeking illegal profits. South African newspapers yesterday morning had welcomed the dawn of a new era after weeks of political crisis that saw Zuma refusing to step aside despite having lost the backing of his party. Finally! Zuma falls, the headline of The Sowetan read. Going Going Gone, said The Star s headline. A cartoon in the Daily Maverick read: End of an error. Ramaphosa faces many challenges. Twenty-three years after the end of the racist, repressive apartheid regime, South Africa remains a country with enormous resources and great wealth but also vast inequality and poverty. Though successive ANC governments have made huge efforts to build homes and supply basic services to millions of people, they have been unable to meet expectations. Many people live without electricity or sanitation. Schooling and healthcare are often rudimentary. One recent survey found eight out of 10 nine-year-olds in South Africa are functionally illiterate. Levels of violent crime are among the highest in the world, with poor South Africans suffering most. According to government statistics, the total number of people living with HIV increased from an estimated 4.72mn in 2002 to 7.03mn by 2016, though the rate of infection is declining. Unemployment remains at an historic high of 27.7% across the general population, and as high as 68% among young people. Economic growth has been limited in recent years, averaging little more than half the rate of population growth of 1.2%. Zuma s departure has sent the rand surging and will spur a rush of much-needed foreign investment. Kenyan court revokes deportation of lawyer Nairobi A Kenyan court yesterday revoked the deportation of a lawyer who swore in opposition leader Raila Odinga as the country s president, a ruling likely to worsen relations between the judiciary and President Uhuru Kenyatta s government. Miguna Miguna, who holds dual Kenyan and Canadian citizenship, is currently in Canada after being put on a flight to Toronto by the Kenyan government last week following several days in police detention. A High Court judge declared Miguna s deportation order illegal and ordered the government to surrender his Kenyan passport, which was seized when he was deported. The judge gave the government seven days to comply. The government said the ruling was not in the best interest of the country, adding it would appeal shortly. The government still holds its earlier stated view that the deportation of Mr Miguna Miguna was procedural and done in accordance with the law, Karanja Kibicho, the principal secretary in the ministry of interior said in a statement. Miguna s expulsion came after he was charged with treason over the swearing-in ceremony. The High Court in Nairobi had issued several orders that he be allowed to appear before it, which the government ignored. The case exposed a deepening rift between Kenyatta s government and the judiciary, which had nullified his initial re-election and ordered a repeat election, which Odinga then boycotted. Odinga justified his swearing in by saying he had won the initial August 8 election which was then invalidated by the Supreme Court. Last week, Raphael Tuju, the secretary general of Kenyatta s Jubilee party, wrote a letter to the Chief Justice David Maraga, accusing the judiciary of favouring the opposition whenever disputes are brought before it. He cited eight recent instances, which he called evidence of bias, double standards, impunity and poor leadership on the part of the judiciary, including Odinga s boycott of the repeat vote, which Maraga did not condemn. Last week, Maraga sharply criticised the government for failing to comply with court orders in relation to the Miguna case and others. The office of the chief justice declined to comment on the letter. But Miguna welcomed the court ruling, tweeting: (We) are fully committed to the rule of law. We shall use the constitution as the spear and the shield in the fight. Kenyan lawyers hold placards with yellow ribbons during a demonstration against impunity and disobedience of court orders by the government, in Nairobi, yesterday. Mnangagwa leads tributes to Tsvangirai Harare Zimbabwe s President Emmerson Mnangagwa led tributes to late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday, describing the long-time rival of recently ousted president Robert Mugabe as a dedicated defender of democracy. Arguably Zimbabwe s most popular politician, Tsvangirai died on Wednesday evening aged 65 after a long battle with cancer. His death in a South African hospital cast his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party into unknown territory less than six months before elections, the first in Zimbabwe that will not feature 93-year-old Mugabe. He remained a national figure who obdurately insisted on free, fair, credible and nonviolent elections as a way of strengthening our democracy, Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe in November after he was forced to stand down by the military, said in a statement. In political terms, the ruling ZANU-PF party and Mnangagwa, who paid a personal visit to Tsvangirai in January, stand to gain from the opposition leader s death, due to fighting within the MDC over who should succeed its founding father. The MDC s National Council announced the party s vice president, Nelson Chamisa, was taking the role of acting president following Tsvangirai s death. The MDC described Tsvangirai as a hero who had left his footprints on the sands of history, in large part through his tussles both literal and figurative with Mugabe. Tsvangirai suffered repeated abuse and harassment from Zimbabwe s security and intelligence services, including a 2007 beating in police custody that left him with a badly swollen face and a deep gash in his head.

5 AMERICAS 5 Court says Trump travel ban unlawfully discriminates against Muslims Washington President Donald Trump s travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries violates the US Constitution by discriminating on the basis of religion, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday in another legal setback for the policy. The Richmond-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, on a 9-4 vote, became the second federal appeals court to rule against the ban, finding that the Republican president s own words demonstrated that bias against Muslims was the basis of the policy. The US Supreme Court has allowed the ban, put in place by Trump with a presidential proclamation in September, to go into effect while litigation challenging it continues. The 4th Circuit ruling went further than the earlier decision by the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which found the ban violated federal immigration law but did not address the question of whether it also violated the Constitution. The Supreme Court already has said it will consider both issues in deciding the legality of the ban in the coming months. The justices are due in April to hear arguments over the ban and issue a ruling by the end of June. Examining official statements from President Trump and other executive branch officials, along with the proclamation itself, we conclude that the proclamation is unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam, 4th Circuit Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the ruling. The travel ban challengers offer undisputed evidence of such bias: the words of the President, Gregory wrote, noting Trump s disparaging comments and tweets regarding Muslims. As a candidate, Trump promised a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. The court also took note of the fact that Trump in November shared on Twitter anti-muslim videos posted by a far-right British political figure. In the main dissenting opinion, Judge Paul Niemeyer said the courts should be deferential to the president on matters of national security. Niemeyer criticized the majority, saying his colleagues applied a novel legal rule that provides for the use of campaign-trail statements to recast later official acts of the president. Trump s policy, the third version of the ban that he has issued since taking office in January 2017, blocks entry into the United States of most people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Trump has said the policy is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by militants. Yesterday s ruling upheld a Maryland-based district court judge s decision in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents several advocacy groups including the International Refugee Assistance Project. President Trump s third illegal attempt to denigrate and discriminate against Muslims through an immigration ban has failed in court yet again. It s no surprise, ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang said. White House rejects bipartisan Senate immigration plan Washington The White House yesterday stuck to its hard-line immigration approach and said advisers would recommend that President Donald Trump veto a bipartisan US Senate proposal to protect young Dreamer immigrants and tighten border security. The plan, which would protect from deportation 1.8mn young adults who were brought to the United States illegally as children, would weaken border security and undercut existing immigration law, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Preventing enforcement with respect to people who entered our country illegally before a date that is in the future would produce a flood of new illegal immigration in the coming months, she said. The proposal, which had been considered perhaps the most likely to succeed in the Senate, also includes a $25bn fund to strengthen border security and possibly even build segments of Trump s long-promised border wall with Mexico. White House opposition to the bipartisan plan appeared to focus on a provision that would direct the Oprah Winfrey confirms no plans to run for president Talk show icon Oprah Winfrey has again confirmed she has no intention of running for US president, despite revealing that would-be donors offered to raise $1bn for her to take on Donald Trump in The 64-year-old billionaire prompted a blaze of speculation last month that she might be nurturing political ambitions after a rousing speech at the Golden Globes, heralding a new day in the wake of the sexual harassment watershed. Hollywood s loathing of Trump and Democrats bafflement that a crasstalking reality star with no previous government experience could win the presidency have fuelled talk of, well, why not another television star, only one with the right politics? I am actually humbled by the fact that people think that I could be a leader of the free world, but it s just not in my spirit, Winfrey told CBS. It s not my DNA. She said her only goal had been to deliver a good speech and that she had been stunned by the reaction. I had a lot of wealthy men calling, telling me that they would run my campaign and raise $1bn for me, Winfrey told the television network. I think that when you have that many people whose opinions you value coming at you, it s worthy of thinking about. But if she had not heard a higher call to run for president, neither does she intend to sit on the sidelines. I do feel that I have a responsibility, as a person who has a big voice in this country, to use it to promote justice and kindness and goodwill in the world. But it never has felt to me that that was supposed to be political. In an interview with InStyle magazine s March issue, conducted before the Globes, Winfrey also said she lacked the disposition for a presidential run in A January NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist poll found that while 64% of Americans have a favourable view of Winfrey, only 35% wanted her to run in Trump s former White House strategist Steve Bannon is quoted in a book by journalist Joshua Green of calling Oprah an existential threat to the Trump presidency should she decide to campaign for the Democrats in Department of Homeland Security to focus enforcement efforts on undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes, are a threat to national security or arrived in the United States after June 30, The Senate is debating at least four immigration measures as lawmakers race to resolve the status of Dreamers, who were protected under an Obama-era programme. Trump has ordered that programme to end by March 5, telling Congress it should come up with an alternative plan by then. The Department of Homeland Security also opposed the bipartisan plan led by Republican Senator Susan Collins, saying it would prevent DHS officers from being able to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the country, and is an egregious violation of the four compromise pillars laid out by the President s immigration reform framework. Trump has said any immigration bill must include funds to build the border wall, end the visa lottery programme, impose curbs on visas for the families of legal immigrants and protect Dreamers. The Republican president has backed a measure by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley that embraces his wish list but is unlikely to win support from enough Democrats in the closely divided chamber. A narrower third bill focusing just on Dreamers and border security, by Republican John McCain and Democrat Chris Coons, has been dismissed by Trump. A fourth measure, which is not expected to pass, focuses on punishing sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Connell said votes on the four measures would be held possibly by today, ahead of a self-imposed Senate deadline of the end of the week. The bipartisan Collins bill got a slight boost yesterday when an influential group that advocates for immigrants, America s Voice, gave its reluctant support to the measure. The group opposes provisions allowing the construction of a border wall and moves to limit legal immigration, but said in a statement: We believe the chance to provide a permanent solution for Dreamers calls us to swallow these bitter pills. Despite backing from several Republicans for the Collins-led plan, it was unclear whether it would muster the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate, controlled by Republicans. A senior Senate Republican aide said the White House veto threat would scuttle some Republican support for the bipartisan bill. The prospect of all bills failing could even discourage some Republicans from voting for the Trumpbacked plan, the aide said. Trump is anxious to start on the border wall, which he made a central part of his 2016 election campaign and which Democrats have long opposed. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the wall would be an enormous waste of money, but both parties had to bend. We have to rise above our differences, admit that no one will get everything they want and accept painful compromises, Schumer said. In September, Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme to protect Dreamers from deportation and offer them work permits. Although the protections are due to start expiring on March 5, federal judges have blocked that from taking effect amid ongoing litigation. Even if one of the Senate measures passes, it must still win over the US House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a larger majority and are pushing a more conservative proposal that is more closely in line with Trump s framework. Massachusetts top court rejects police traffic stop challenge Boston Massachusetts top court ruled on Wednesday that police can carry out traffic stops for motor vehicle violations as a pretext to probe for other crimes, but the justices expressed concerns about how racial bias could influence such stops. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rejected arguments by a lawyer for a man convicted of cocaine possession that pretextual traffic stops violate defendants rights under the state s constitution to be protected from unreasonable seizures. Justice Elspeth Cypher said the fact that a traffic law has been violated is, generally speaking, a legally sufficient basis to justify stopping a vehicle, irrespective of any additional suspicions held by the officer(s) conducting the stop. But Cypher, writing for a 7-0 court, said Rogelio Buckley s attorney in arguing for banning pretextual traffic stops had raised considerable, legitimate concerns about the role racial profiling plays in police stopping vehicles. Justice Kimberly Budd, in a concurring opinion, said while Buckley, who is black, had not himself argued he was stopped for driving while black, concerns about bias were well founded. Further, recent tragic events have shown that the fear people of colour have of being stopped by police is justified: African-Americans have been killed during routine traffic stops, Budd wrote. The court left open the possibility of considering the issue in the future. Budd encouraged Massachusetts legislature to require data collection on traffic stops. The law firm that represented Buckley, Wood & Nathanson LLP, expressed disappointment, saying the decision gave short shrift to the real world difficulties faced by people who are subjected to pretextual stops. Rahsaan Hall, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts Racial Justice Program, called the ruling a setback for racial justice, for the police accountability movement and for the physical safety of people of colour in Massachusetts. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said he was committed to promoting fair procedures to guide the police in their interactions with the public. According to the ruling, Buckley was a passenger in a car that parked in 2013 near a Whitman, Massachusetts, apartment where police suspected drug activity was occurring. After police witnessed two people from the car go into the building and then drive off without its headlights on, police stopped the vehicle for speeding. Police found a firearm and cocaine in the car. Buckley was convicted in 2015 of a cocaine possession charge. He originally also faced firearm charges. Canada taxman signs Panama Papers search warrants Canadian tax authorities raided locations in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver on Wednesday as part of a criminal investigation prompted by the Panama Papers leak. The Canada Revenue Agency said 30 of its investigators, assisted by federal police, took part in the operation, executing search warrants to look for evidence of income tax and excise tax offences. The CRA s investigation identified a series of transactions involving foreign corporations and several transfers through offshore bank accounts used allegedly to evade taxes, it said in a statement. In 2016, the so-called Panama Papers revelations divulged how many of the world s wealthy including politicians, celebrities and some criminals stashed assets in offshore companies. The massive amount of data, which came from Panamanian legal firm Mossack Fonseca, included information on 350 Canadians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s government has said it hopes to recover C$2.6 bn (US$2.1bn) from tax evaders. The CRA said it is pursuing other criminal investigations related to the Panama Papers leak. In total, the agency has 42 international tax evasion probes open, which it said involve complex structures and potentially multimillion dollars in taxes evaded. Persons convicted of tax evasion can face fines of up to 200% of the evaded taxes and up to five years imprisonment. The penalty for tax fraud is up to 14 years in jail. The flag above the White House flies at half staff yesterday after an order by President Donald Trump following the Florida school shooting. Trump avoids talk of gun curbs after Florida school shooting AFP Washington President Donald Trump yesterday vowed to make mental health a priority after a disturbed teenager with a firearms obsession sowed carnage at a Florida high school, while avoiding any mention of gun curbs to stem America s scourge of mass shootings. Former student named Nikolas Cruz, 19, was to appear before a magistrate charged with the premeditated murder of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Announcing plans to travel to Florida to meet members of the shocked community, Trump delivered a somber televised address in response to the 18th school shooting to hit the country this year a terrifying pattern that US authorities have appeared powerless to stop. My fellow Americans, today I speak to a nation in grief, said Trump, calling on his fellow citizens to come together as one nation and answer hate with love, answer cruelty with kindness. But the president avoided all mention of the politically fraught issue of gun control, vowing instead to tackle the difficult issue of mental health. Trump had weighed in on the tragedy earlier yesterday by pointing to so many signs the shooter was mentally disturbed. Neighbours and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again! he tweeted. But US authorities were themselves under scrutiny as the FBI confirmed reports it was alerted last year to a message posted on YouTube by a user with Cruz s name, in which he vowed: I m going to be a professional school shooter. In a statement, the FBI said it had investigated, but was unable to confirm the identity of the poster. Wednesday s harrowing shooting spree saw terrified students hiding in closets and under desks as they texted for help, while the gunman stalked the school with a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle. Fifteen people were killed at the school itself, and two later died in hospital. One of those killed was Aaron Feis, a well-loved football coach in Parkland, a city of about 30,000 people located north of Miami. Of the people wounded in the attack, two remained hospitalised in critical but stable condition, while six others were on the way to a full recovery, officials told a news conference. Expelled for disciplinary reasons, Cruz was reportedly known to have firearms at home and had talked about using them. A teacher at the school said Cruz had been identified previously as a potential threat to his classmates. We were told last year that he wasn t allowed on campus with a backpack on him, math teacher Jim Gard said in a Miami Herald interview. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said authorities had begun to dissect his websites and things on social media that he was on and some of the things...are very, very disturbing. If a person is predisposed to commit such a horrific event by going to a school and shooting people...there s not anybody or not a lot law enforcement can do about it. The school shootings are part of a broader epidemic of gun violence in a country that loses 33,000 people to gunrelated deaths each year. While the latest mass shooting has reignited questions about America s permissive gun laws, Trump who is the first president to have addressed the NRA gun lobby is staunchly opposed to any additional gun control. Opponents of gun curbs have consistently sought to steer public debate away from the issue, and onto the behaviour and motives of people using the weapons. When questioned late on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott who described the massacre as just pure evil similarly declined to make a statement on gun control. Since January 2013, there have been at least 291 school shootings across the country an average of about one a week, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit group that advocates for gun control. It is pretty clear that we re failing our kids here, said Melissa Falkowski, a teacher who squeezed 19 students into a closet at the Parkland high school to shield them from harm.

6 6 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Thailand to scan eyes of workers in seafood industry AFP Bangkok Thailand is using optical scanning technology to keep track of who is working on its fishing boats, officials said yesterday, as the kingdom tries to curb slave labour and human trafficking that has riddled the low-paid industry. The lucrative fishing business is the fourth largest in the world and is heavily dependant on migrant labour from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, but documented abuses and forced labour have put the trade under pressure to clean up its act or face consequences. Thailand s junta, which took power in 2014, led the push to overhaul the industry in response to a European Union threat in 2015 to ban all Thai seafood products unless issues were addressed. But rights groups say abuses have continued despite widely publicised reforms while the US State Department s 2017 Trafficking in Persons report kept Thailand on its Tier 2 Watchlist for a second consecutive year. At a briefing in Bangkok to trumpet reforms in the industry, Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said tens of thousands of workers had been scanned but the roll out was still in the early stages. The ministry has done optical scanning to 70,000 people who work on fishing boats so that we can track their identity, he said. Also we re in the middle of creating a software to read the collected data from the scans. The programme, which captures data from the iris, started in October and is part of an overarching plan to register workers. The government is also adopting measures for facial and fingerprint scanning. Petcharat Sinauy, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Labour, said the purpose of the stepped up tech was to make sure workers were on the boat they were registered with and not farmed out to another vessel. It is to find out whether the fisherman is truly in the list of this ship and has not been sold and rotated to work for many ships all the time, she said. A report released by Human Rights Watch last month said forced labour and other rights abuses remained widespread and that little had been done to rein in worker exploitation. Thai police say a crackdown has led to the prosecution of some 100 trafficking suspects and the rescue of 160 victims since May 2015, when the EU issued its yellow card warning about seafood products. The government has also reduced the number of fishing fleets and created a hotline that resulted in the prosecution of 53 cases. Taiwan, China exchange warm new year greetings Two held in maid death case AFP Kupang, Indonesia Taipei Taiwan President Tsai Ingwen wished friends in China a happy Lunar New Year yesterday, drawing a surprisingly warm reaction from Chinese state media which is more used to disparaging her as a dangerous separatist. Taiwan is one of China s most sensitive issues and a potentially dangerous military flashpoint. China considers the self-ruled island its sacred territory and a wayward province and it has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. China has become increasingly hostile to Taiwan since Tsai, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won election in 2016, believing she wants to push for the island s formal independence, a red line for China. In a video message to mark Chinese New Year, which falls today, Tsai said the festival was an important one for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as they share many of the same traditions. Through peopleto-people exchanges and media broadcasts, this has narrowed the psychological gap between both sides, Tsai said. I want to use this opportunity to send new year s greetings to friends on the other side (of the Taiwan Strait) and ethnic Chinese in other parts of the world. China s state-run Global Times, known for its stridently nationalistic stance and which often calls the island s president provincial governor Tsai, said it would normally criticise her, but in this case would reciprocate the goodwill. If Tsai Ing-wen really wants to use the Spring Festival An empty shopping mall complex is seen in the centre of Beijing yesterday. to show goodwill, of course we welcome it, it said on its website, using another name for the holiday. Underscoring China s continued suspicion though, the Global Times also posted a screenshot of disparaging comments one extremely vulgar made by people on Facebook responding to Tsai s greeting. Facebook is blocked in China. Tsai, in her message, also expressed condolences to the families of nine Chinese tourists killed in an earthquake in Taiwan last week. As I have said, on humanitarian relief there is no distance between the two sides of the strait. However, the run-up to the new year was marked by more bickering between Beijing and Taipei. This week, Taiwan accused China of insensitivity by announcing that Papua New Guinea had downgraded its relations with the island while Taiwan was still dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. Taiwan and China have also traded accusations about China opening a new route for civil aircraft over the Taiwan Strait, which Taiwan says could affect flight safety. Two people have been arrested in Indonesia on human trafficking charges in connection with the death of a maid allegedly abused by her employer in Malaysia, police and a lawmaker said yesterday. Indonesian authorities said the employment recruiters an unidentified husband and wife used forged documents to send 20-year-old victim Adelina Sau to Malaysia in The woman s mother said she disappeared from their village in impoverished East Nusa Tenggara province after her family rebuffed a recruiter s job offer for their daughter. The domestic helper died at a Malaysian hospital on Sunday, a day after being rescued by a migrant workers protection group, according to local reports. Her head and face were swollen and she had raw wounds on her hand and legs, a police document and Malaysian lawmaker said. The doctors said the maid died of multiple organ failure, said Steven Sim, a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party. She was made to sleep in the car porch near a dog which was on a leash... It is a senseless loss of a life. The Indonesian recruiters were taken into custody Wednesday on trafficking charges, while another suspect is being pursued, police said. A brother and sister, as well as their mother, who employed Adelina, have been arrested in Malaysia. Some 2.5mn Indonesians work in neighbouring Malaysia, which is a magnet for migrant workers but salaries are low and employees are not protected by labour laws. In recent years the country has seen a series of cases involving mistreatment of domestic workers including deaths. Australia deputy PM s popularity wanes amid scandal over affair Berlin film fest slammed for Kim Ki-duk invite Sydney Deputy Australian Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will take a break next week rather than step in for the country s leader while he is away, as a poll shows his popularity plummeting since admitting to an extramarital affair with a former staffer. Joyce, a Catholic who campaigned on family values and been married for 24 years, is expecting a child with his former press secretary. The affair has thrown Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull s centre-right government into turmoil, straining the alliance between his Liberal Party and Joyce s National Party and sapping Joyce s public standing. Joyce has so far resisted calls to quit either his seat or his cabinet spot, including a motion that passed the Senate calling for his resignation, since leaving parliament would put the government s narrow one-seat majority at risk. The deputy prime minister will be taking leave from Monday... and accordingly will not be able to be acting prime minister while I m overseas, Turnbull said above loud heckling in parliament. Joyce s break, while Turnbull travels to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump, comes after an opinion poll showed support for the plain-spoken small-town accountant-turnedpolitician had tumbled in his rural electorate. Australia s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (right) looking at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a press conference in Sydney in a file picture. The percentage of voters backing him crashed to 43%, according to the ReachTEL poll published in Fairfax newspapers yesterday, down from the 63% margin he won at a by-election in December. His week off also comes as pressure intensifies over his failure to declare the relationship with his former press secretary, Vikki Campion, when she was hired for two highly-paid government positions outside his office. Australia s ministerial code of conduct requires lawmakers to declare relationships with any staff member of a cabinet minister. There are also questions about Joyce s acceptance, rent-free, of a townhouse belonging to a wealthy friend, Greg Maguire, and whether Joyce broke ministerial rules forbidding asking for gifts. Joyce denied asking for the townhouse. Most people would realise that at the time of a marriage break-up, it is not unusual for those who you are close to, to offer support, he told parliament. Mr Maguire approached me... he said: You re living out of a suitcase, and this is basically something that I should try and help you with. I took him up on the offer but I offered to pay for it. He has also said he did not break any rules over Campion s employment because she was not his partner at the time. Australia bans affairs between ministers and staff Australia s prime minister imposed a formal ban on affairs between ministers and their staff yesterday after his deputy made a shocking error of judgement by having an affair that left an aide pregnant and the government reeling. Malcolm Turnbull announced the amendment to the ministerial code of conduct at an extraordinary press conference during which he slammed deputy Barnaby Joyce for causing terrible hurt and humiliation to his wife and four children. Barnaby made a shocking error of judgement in having an affair with a young woman working in his office, he said. In doing so, he has set off a world of woe for those women and appalled all of us. Our hearts go out to them. It has been a dreadful thing for them to go through in the glare of publicity. Joyce, 50, has been under immense pressure since his affair with former media advisory Vikki Campion, 33, who is now pregnant with their child, became public last week. It has led to allegations that he breached ministerial rules, with the crisis dominating the front pages and parliament question time, with calls mounting for him to resign. Joyce, whose National Party is in a coalition with the prime minister s Liberals, will take leave next week, allowing him to sidestep the role of acting leader while Turnbull is on a visit to the United States. Turnbull departs for Washington next Wednesday for meetings with US President Donald Trump and is scheduled to be overseas for four days. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, as deputy Liberal leader, would normally step in if Joyce was unavailable. But she will also be travelling, which means Senate leader Mathias Cormann will take the position. Turnbull said the break would allow Joyce to consider his own position. The prime minister could sack him, but that risks fracturing the ruling coalition and could cause a rift between the Liberal and National parties. Joyce admitted to the affair after a picture of his pregnant lover was splashed across the front page of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, and has publicly apologised to his shattered wife of 24 years Natalie and their daughters. Turnbull said times had changed and people expected politicians to set an example. I am not here to moralise. But we must recognise that whatever may have been acceptable or to which a blind eye was turned in the past, today, in 2018, it is not acceptable for a minister to have a sexual relationship with somebody who works for them, he said. A coalition of more than 100 South Korean civic groups yesterday condemned the Berlin film festival for inviting director Kim Ki-duk, who assaulted an actress, despite its support for the #MeToo campaign against abuse of women. Kim, 57, is one of South Korea s top directors whose awards include the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Pieta in But an actress last year accused him of sexual and physical abuse, saying he forced her into unwanted, unscripted nude scenes and slapped her repeatedly while shooting his 2013 award-winning film Moebius before replacing her with another actress. Prosecutors dropped the abuse charge citing lack of evidence but fined Kim 5mn won ($4,600) for assault under a procedure to settle minor cases out of court. The actress who said she had quit acting due to trauma has appealed against the decision to dismiss the sex abuse allegation. Kim admitted slapping her as part of acting lessons. His latest work Human, Space, Time and Human will have its world premiere in the Panorama Special section of this year s Berlinale, which began yesterday. We are living in this unfair reality in which a physical assault offender is working and being welcomed everywhere as if nothing happened, while the victim who spoke out against the abuse is being isolated and marginalised, the alliance of about 140 civic groups said in a joint statement sent to AFP.

7 BRITAIN/IRELAND 7 CRISIS Dublin, London hoping to re-establish N Ireland talks JUSTICE LAW AND ORDER WILDLIFE WARNING Father jailed for hammer attack on children Police failing to record thousands of crimes Rare butterfly found breeding in Scotland Faulty appliances cause 60 house fires a week: Which? The Irish and British governments will seek a way to get talks on restoring Northern Ireland s powersharing government back on track and neither is contemplating a return of direct rule from London, Ireland s foreign minister said yesterday. Talks to end a political stalemate broke down yet again on Wednesday after the leader of the largest unionist party said there was no prospect of a deal and called on Britain to take further financial control of the region. The British province has been without a devolved executive for over a year since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the compulsory power-sharing government with their arch-rivals, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). A man has been jailed for life for trying to kill his three children and step-daughter by hitting them with a hammer then crashing a car into a wall. Owen Scott, 29, of Fawley, Hampshire, admitted four counts of attempted murder and dangerous driving at Sheffield Crown Court, after the crash near Penistone, South Yorkshire. Two girls, aged seven and eight, and two boys, aged 21 months and nine months, were seriously injured. Scott will serve at least 14 years. As a result of her injuries, one of his daughters will be wheelchairdependent for the rest of her life. She was left partially paralysed and remains in hospital, having lost a large section of her skull in the attack. Thousands of reported crimes including rape and domestic abuse are going unrecorded by police, a watchdog has warned. The shortcomings mean victims are being failed, inspectors said. Two forces Thames Valley and North Yorkshire were singled out for their inadequate crime recording by Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The assessment of Thames Valley found that nearly one in five offences (19.6%) were not being properly recorded, which equates to approximately 35,200 crimes a year. Crimes that are going unrecorded by the force include sexual offences, domestic abuse and rape. The microscopic eggs of an endangered butterfly have been found in Scotland, suggesting the insect has returned to breed in the country for the first time in more than 130 years. Lepidopterists discovered white-letter hairstreak eggs on wych elm trees at Lennel, Berwickshire, this month after an adult butterfly was spotted last summer 10 miles away the first sighting in Scotland since Last year was an impossible find, but this year s egg discovery is beyond anything we thought possible, said Iain Cowe, butterfly recorder for the Borders, who found the adult butterfly last summer. Faulty appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge freezers are causing more than 60 house fires a week in the UK a figure which has stayed stubbornly high in recent years according to a Which? investigation. Government action to remove potentially dangerous electrical white goods from homes is falling woefully short, the consumer group warns, as it challenges ministers to explain how the fledgling Office for Product Safety and Standards will tackle the problem. Its analysis reveals that the number of fires has stayed at a similar level for five years, with faulty kitchen appliances causing close to 16,000 blazes across the UK since April 1, Charles bans single-use plastic from estate shop Harry serves healthy lunches London Evening Standard London Prince Charles is banning all non-reusable plastics from his Highgrove estate shop. His move comes after his environmental commitment was called into question as it emerged that dozens of items made from or wrapped in plastic were for sale on his Wiltshire estate. Highgrove Enterprises announced that from the end of 2018 it will no longer use nonrecyclable, single-use plastic packaging in its products. Its statement yesterday said Prince Charles has led by example for more than 40 years with most product lines already free from plastic. It read: By the end of 2018, all non-recyclable single use plastics will be removed from product packaging to ensure the environmental impact is kept to a minimum. Highgrove products made entirely of plastic include wreaths and plates while items such as a pet bed, toffee, a silk pocket square and even notebooks are wrapped in the material. It comes days after the Queen cracked down on plastic at royal palaces. Staff have been told to ditch straws, eat from china plates and drink from glass bottles. The Queen is thought to have taken a personal interest in plastic since working on a wildlife conservation documentary with Sir David Attenborough. Christine Prescott, CEO at Highgrove Enterprises, said: As a business we have always strived to operate as sustainably as possible. Since opening our first Highgrove shop we have only ever used FSC approved paper shopping bags and have always kept packaging to a minimum. We are continuously making improvements to our environmental practices and this latest step is an important one in reducing our environmental impact still further. Unfortunately, the use of plastic to protect goods from damage is systemic in manufacturing, with products often delivered already pre-packaged by the manufacturer. We will be working closely with our suppliers over the course of the year to ensure we achieve our goals and eliminate the use of non-recyclable single use plastic packaging from our product ranges, she said. Highgrove Enterprises was established in 1988 to raise money for The Prince of Wales s Charitable Foundation. The organisation operates garden tours at The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall s private residence in Gloucestershire, as well as a retail operation which prides itself on supporting traditional crafts and artisan makers. Highgrove Enterprises has raised over 6.6mn for charitable causes. Julian Kirby, waste campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: The Prince of Wales has been championing the environment for decades and his recent speech highlighted the need for urgent action to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution. Bold government measures are essential for driving urgent change across the whole economy, but we also need companies and individuals to take action too. Prince Charles can further demonstrate his commitment to the environment by encouraging his outlets to ditch unnecessary plastic as soon as possible. Plastic pollution is killing and maiming marine life, and could pose a serious health risk to humans too. 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. Russia to blame for cyber-attack: minister AFP London The government yesterday accused the Russian military of being behind last year s NotPetya cyber-attack, which started in Ukraine and Russia before spreading globally, affecting thousands of computers. The government judges that the Russian government, specifically the Russian military, was responsible for the destructive NotPetya cyber-attack of June 2017, Foreign Office minister Tariq Ahmad said. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the attack was further evidence of a new era of warfare with a destructive and deadly mix of conventional military might and malicious cyberattacks. Russia is ripping up the rule book by undermining democracy, wrecking livelihoods by targeting critical infrastructure and weaponising information, he said. The accusation was immediately denied by the Kremlin. We categorically reject such accusations. We consider them unsubstantiated and groundless, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. This is nothing but a continuation of a Russophobic campaign that is not based on any evidence, he said. The attack contaminated thousands of computers worldwide, particularly affecting multinational companies and critical infrastructure, such as radiation monitors at the old Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the ports of Mumbai and Amsterdam. Companies hit included the Russian oil group Rosneft, Danish shipping company Maersk, US pharmaceutical giant Merck, French construction specialist Saint-Gobain and the British advertising firm WPP. Ukraine, which is battling Russia-backed rebels in the east in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people, was the worst affected country. Banking operations were compromised in what authorities said was an unprecedented attack, which even disrupted arrivals and departures information at the capital s main Boryspil airport. The virus, which demanded a payment worth $300 as it locked up files at companies and government agencies, was reminiscent of the WannaCry ransomware attack that swept the world a month earlier in May 2017, hitting more than 200,000 users in more than 150 countries. Britain and the US have blamed North Korea for the WannaCry attack, saying it may have been an attempt by the isolated communist regime to access foreign currency. The NotPetya attack appeared much smaller in scale, with global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab estimating there were thousands of victims. Comparing it to WannaCry, the director of European police agency Europol, Rob Wainwright, said at the time that Not- Petya showed indications of a more sophisticated attack capability intended to exploit a range of vulnerabilities. The British government yesterday said the attack masqueraded as a criminal enterprise but its purpose was principally to disrupt. The UK and its allies will not tolerate malicious cyber activity, it added. Corbyn can t be trusted after spy revelations: govt London Evening Standard London The defence secretary yesterday claimed Jeremy Corbyn cannot be trusted after a disclosure that he met a Czech diplomat three times at the height of the Cold War. Gavin Williamson alleged it was a betrayal of this country that Corbyn met with the envoy, said to have been a communist spy acting under cover. Corbyn strongly denies knowingly meeting a spy but confirmed that he had talks at the House of Commons with a diplomat in The furore erupted after The Sun newspaper revealed documents from a Soviet-era archive that described the meetings and revealed the future Labour leader was known to the Czechs under the codename of COB. According to the declassified papers there were at least three meetings, including two at the Commons. One lasted 90 minutes and was held, said the Czech agent, with the objective to strengthen mutual recognition and the deepening of trust. At a Nato meeting in Brussels, Williamson said: Jeremy Corbyn has never had Britain s interests at heart. Time and time again he has sided with those who want to destroy everything that is great about this country, whether it is sympathising with terrorists, backing rogue regimes, or cosying up to those who want to inflict pain and misery on the British people. That he met foreign spies is a betrayal of this country. He cannot be trusted. Keith Simpson, a Conservative member of the intelligence and security committee, said Corbyn should have assumed any Czech diplomat who sought a meeting to be a spy. The twitter feed Corbyn4PM, controlled by Corbyn s inner circle, tweeted: The scum getting desperate now! Their own story points out that the diplomat met Jeremy and conversation was limited to a general nature. The Scum s story is entirely bogus. Ex-foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind said: If these documents are genuine, which they appear to be, there is a serious case for Corbyn to answer. According to The Sun, the Czech records described Corbyn as negative towards USA but positive towards the Soviet bloc and that he backed the Soviet peace initiative. The records, unearthed from archives of the Czech secret police in Prague, suggested two hard-left activists introduced the Labour MP to Czech employee lieutenant Jan Dymic. Labour s official response said: The claim that he was an agent, asset or informer for any intelligence agency is entirely false and a ridiculous smear. Like other MPs, Jeremy has met diplomats from many countries. In the 1980s he met a Czech diplomat, who did not go by the name of Jan Dymic, for a cup of tea in the House of Commons. Jeremy neither had nor offered any privileged information to this or any other diplomat. Bomb detonated The World War II bomb found earlier this week in the River Thames was detonated in the sea off the Essex coast, by the Royal Navy bomb disposal team. Voting age to be cut to 16 soon: Top Tory London Evening Standard London A historic lowering of the voting age from 18 to 16 could be enacted before the next general election, a senior Conservative predicted yesterday. Sir Peter Bottomley said there was growing support among Tory MPs for the reform, which is currently opposed by Theresa May s government. It s a question of when rather than whether it is going to happen, the former minister told the Standard. Asked if there was enough backing for it to be made law in the current Parliament, the veteran MP said: I think it would probably carry. Labour would vote in favour of it, so would every minority party and a growing number of Conservatives support it. A number of senior Tories recently made public calls for voting at 16. But Theresa May s de facto deputy, David Lidington, ruled it out two weeks ago, implying 16 and 17-year-olds lacked the maturity to decide. Former education secretary Nicky Morgan announced on the Conservative Home website that she is backing a Private Members Bill tabled by Labour MP Peter Kyle to fix a new voting age. She said today s 18 and 19-yearolds, who were denied a vote in the 2016 EU referendum, were furious that their futures have been decided by those aged over 70. She added: Embracing votes at 16 would demonstrate to the next generation that the Conservative Party has something to offer them. Just as the Conservatives both delivered on and then fulfilled Votes for Women, it is time for us to take the next pragmatic leap forward and get on with Votes at 16. Putney MP Justine Greening, who left her post as education secretary last month, said she was open to the idea and urged May to consider it. Scottish Tory MP John Lamont said he would be pleased to see 16-year-olds vote: Having seen how 16 and 17-year-olds positively contributed to the Scottish independence referendum, the Scottish Conservatives came to a view that they should be allowed to participate in future votes.

8 8 EUROPE CLARIFICATION Ex-pope not suffering debilitating disease SCANDAL DECISION LEGAL FALLOUT French minister denies second sex abuse claims Far-right MP s case against prime minister rejected Former Greek premier sues Tsipras for slander Dance teacher sacked for skipping speech The Vatican yesterday denied a German magazine report that former Pope Benedict was suffering from a paralysing disease of the nervous system. A Vatican spokesman said a report in the German magazine Neue Post quoting Benedict s older brother was false. The magazine quoted Georg Ratzinger, 94, who is a priest, as saying: The greatest fear is that the paralysis could at some point spread to his heart. Then it could be over quickly. A Vatican statement said the presumed news of a paralysing degenerative disease are false. In two months, Benedict XVI will turn 91, and as he has said himself, feels the weight of his years, which is normal at that age. French Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin yesterday denied he had used his political position to ask for sexual favours, saying a second complaint from a woman this week was a slanderous accusation. Prosecutors in Paris opened a probe on Tuesday after a woman filed a complaint alleging that he had abused his powers while mayor of the northern town of Tourcoing in 2015 and Darmanin said he had heard about this new slanderous accusation against me on the website of Le Point magazine on Wednesday which broke the story of the second complaint against him. I don t know the person or what I m accused of, he told La Voix du Nord newspaper. Dutch public prosecutors yesterday threw out a bid by far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders to have the prime minister charged with discrimination against the Dutch people. Dismissing Wilders s complaint against Prime Minster Mark Rutte, the public prosecution (OM) said no criminal offences have been committed. Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), lodged the complaint with prosecutors in November accompanied by boxes full of statements in support of his action. We are treated like second class citizens in our own country. That s why I am seeking action against Mark Rutte, Wilders said on a website set up for his campaign. Greece s former prime minister Antonis Samaras filed a lawsuit against Alexis Tsipras yesterday, accusing the current head of government of slander and a villainous plot against him over a bribery case. The case involves alleged bribery of Greek doctors, politicians and officials by staff of Swiss drugmaker Novartis. Greek prosecutors last week referred the case to parliament, which under Greek law is the only institution that can investigate ministers. The house will soon decide whether to probe the roles of 10 socialist and conservative politicians mentioned in the file, including Samaras, former leader of the conservative New Democracy party, according to documents filed to parliament. A dance teacher in Tajikistan says she was sacked after failing to watch the end-of-year speech of long-reigning autocrat President Emomali Rakhmon. Rakhmon, who has led the ex-soviet country for more than a quarter of a century, tolerates little opposition and has presided over a leadership cult that has noticeably strengthened in recent years. Saida Rustamova, 45, said yesterday she lost her job after not attending a viewing of the president s speech in December at the state-run music school where she worked in the capital Dushanbe. When I went into the hall to attend, there were no empty seats in the room, Rustamova said. Oxfam s ex-director denies sex allegations Turkish premier meets Merkel Brussels The former Oxfam director at the heart of a sex abuse scandal yesterday said he made mistakes when working in Haiti but denied paying for sex with prostitutes or abusing minors. In his first response to allegations over his conduct, Roland Van Hauwermeiren said in an open letter to a broadcaster in his native Belgium he did not want to cast himself as a victim but feared that Oxfam, other aid workers and those they help would suffer from false accusations. In the four-page letter, seen by, he accused an unnamed former employee of being the source of reports that have shaken the global humanitarian community and prompted Britain and the EU to review funding for Oxfam. I am a man of flesh and blood and I have made mistakes (not easy to admit) and I am DEEPLY ASHAMED, the 68-year-old former soldier wrote in Dutch to broadcaster VTM. He said he resigned his post running the Oxfam operation after the 2010 Haiti earthquake because he had failed to exercise sufficient control over staff accused of sexual misconduct. But he denied any wrongdoing himself he never organised sex parties or visited brothels in the country. He acknowledged having had a brief sexual relationship at his Oxfam house with a local woman whom he met as a result of giving her younger sister milk powder and diapers for her child. He denied giving the woman money but said the liaison fuelled rumours and had left his leadership and Oxfam compromised. was not able to verify that account. The letter also dealt with allegations about his conduct in earlier operations: In Liberia in 2004, he acknowledged, he was fired after attending a party where two prostitutes were present although he said he had only danced and flirted with them. He said rumours of aid staff paying for sex in Chad in 2006 were complete nonsense. Complaining of slander, he said he believed reports were based on allegations by a man he had fired in Liberia for drunkenness and abusing staff. He did not name this person. I feel I have done wrong, but not in the way that some media are reporting, Van Hauwermeiren wrote, adding: these allegations are destroying me and I no longer dare to appear in public or speak to my family and children. Earlier, he spoke to reporters from De Standaard newspaper who had called at his apartment near the Belgian coast. He told them his account would make the media blush with shame. It is not that I deny everything, he told the paper. There are things which have been described correctly. But there are many lies and exaggerations. Parties every week? Fancy villas? Women paid with money from the organisation? could not reach Van Hauwermeiren for direct comment. A spokeswoman for Oxfam declined to comment on his letter or reported remarks. Oxfam has neither confirmed nor denied the accounts reported in the media but has said an internal investigation in 2011 confirmed sexual misconduct occurred and it has apologised. Haitian Justice Minister Heidi Fortune said on Wednesday he had asked Belgium for help in starting legal action against Van Hauwermeiren, without specifying which laws might have been broken. The Belgian justice ministry yesterday said it had not received such a request. 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 his trip that he and Merkel would discuss Turkey-EU relations, bilateral trade and the 3.5mn Turkish nationals living in Germany. EU split over expansion into Western Balkans Sofia European Union foreign ministers yesterday disagreed over a proposal by the bloc s executive to push for expansion into the Western Balkans, a region still scarred by ethnic wars fought in the 1990s and dogged by a reputation for lawlessness. Meeting in Bulgaria, the EU ministers discussed for the first time the plan by the European Commission that set out 2025 as a goal for Serbia and Montenegro to join the bloc. Hungary s Peter Szijjarto was very much disappointed by that target, saying the first two countries from the Western Balkan six should be admitted in I think 2025 is very late and they deserve a much quicker way to integration, Budapest s foreign minister told reporters, stressing that EU entry would help relieve tensions between neighbours in a region that sits on the bloc s doorstep. But Germany, the EU s leading power, is very reluctant, pointing to rule-of-law shortcomings in the newer member states from Romania and Bulgaria, to Poland and Hungary. I ve just come from Serbia and in Kosovo the situation is exceptionally difficult. We will speak frankly about this, said German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. Serbia s refusal to recognise the independence of its former province Kosovo something endorsed by most, though not all, EU states is just one example of intractable regional disputes that threaten the Western Balkans western integration. EU diplomats say that corruption and powerful criminal gangs that smuggle arms, drugs and migrants over European borders top a long list of problems the six Balkan hopefuls would have to crack down on if they are ever to be allowed into the EU. Poland, Italy and Austria are among other EU countries in favour of stepping up efforts to open the bloc to the region, which has seen growing Russian and Chinese influence. Who will be first in Belgrade China or the EU? It is that (which) we have to counteract, as it is our immediate neighbourhood, Austria s Karin Kneissl told reporters. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said he would host the heads of the Balkan states on March 1 for talks with European Commission chief Jean- Claude Juncker on building new highways and railways to improve links with the EU. But Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec thought that even 2025 was not realistic as a goal, saying the Western Balkan states would need more time to settle their disputes and meet criteria for EU entry. France s Jean-Yves Le Drian was also cautious. It s clear there are conditions and that those conditions are demanding. Murdered girl s mum lashes out at killer AFP Pont-de-Beauvoisin, France The mother of a murdered French girl whose remains were found this week said her child would haunt the exsoldier who has finally confessed to killing her after months of interrogation. The case of Maelys de Araujo, who vanished in August while attending a wedding near Chambery in the Alps with her parents, has gripped France. On Wednesday, chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, 34, admitted to killing the eight-year-old child and led investigators to her remains after police found a trace of her blood in his black Audi car. Lelandais, a former military dog-handler who is also charged with murdering a hitchhiking soldier last April, claimed he killed Maelys by mistake but has so far refused to give details of her death. In a Facebook post, the child s grief-stricken mother Jennifer Cleyet-Marrel called him a murderer and a monster and said he would be haunted by his deeds. I had to wait five-and-a-half months before this monster finally broke his silence, she said, adding: Maelys will haunt you night and day in prison until you die. Relatives of the dead soldier, 24-year-old Arthur Noyer, said they too were hoping to learn the truth about his death. Noyer was last seen in the early hours of April 12, 2017, hitchhiking in Chambery after leaving a nightclub. Parts of his skull were found on a hiking trail in Montmelian, near Chambery, in September. Telephone records place Noyer and Lelandais in the same area at the same time on the night of the dead man s disappearance. The Noyer family s lawyer Bernard Boulloud told France Info radio yesterday he hoped Lelandais would continue his confessions to the end. Investigators have also reopened a number of cases of people who vanished in the area between 2010 and 2016 to determine whether Lelandais played a part in their disappearance. His lawyer Alain Jakubowicz denied his client, who was found to have carried out internet searches on the decomposition of the human body after Noyer s disappearance, is a serial killer. There is not the slightest proof, he said. Lelandais, who is single, was a guest of the groom at the wedding and spent part of the evening playing with Maelys before she disappeared in the early hours of the morning. He was charged with her murder in November. The day after the wedding, as a massive search got under way for the little girl, Lelandais was seen scrubbing down his car inside and out. An initial search of the vehicle revealed a trace of Maelys s DNA on the dashboard which he argued she could have left while playing. CCTV images also showed a silhouette in a white dress, like the one Maelys was wearing, being driven away in Lelandais s car on the night of the wedding. A woman and her daughter stand in front of candles, toys and messages displayed in tribute to eight-year-old Maelys de Araujo in Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin, the place where the schoolgirl was seen for the last time. Russian leader s website blocked Moscow Russian authorities yesterday blocked opposition leader Alexei Navalny s website just over a month before a presidential election, a move Navalny said was unjustified and prompted by a dispute with a wealthy businessman. Navalny said on social media that Roskomnadzor, Russia s communications regulator, had warned him last week it would bar access to his site unless certain material was removed from it to comply with a court order reportedly obtained by billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Roskomnadzor confirmed in a statement yesterday it had ordered telecoms operators to block Navalny s site because the offending material was still there. It said Instagram had complied with a similar request to take down related material and that it was waiting for Google to delete a YouTube video. The material it wants removed relates to an investigation disclosed by Navalny, who has been barred from running in next month s election, which alleges that Deripaska met Sergei Prikhodko, Russia s deputy prime minister, on a yacht belonging to the businessman off the coast of Norway in Navalny questioned the ethics of the meeting in which he said the two men discussed US-Russian relations, and he posted what purported to be photographs of the encounter taken from the social media account of a young woman who was also on the boat. He also issued a YouTube video to accompany his investigation that has been watched over 5mn times. Deripaska, in a statement last week, accused Navalny and others of spreading lies about him and was reported to have obtained a court order in southern Russia to have the offending material removed. Outrageous false allegations appeared in social networks and mass media that I allegedly committed unlawful actions, the statement read.

9 INDIA 9 PEOPLE Goa chief minister suffers food poisoning TRAGEDY DECISION ACCIDENT CRIME Two air force pilots killed in Assam crash Punjab CM, ministers to pay own income tax Woman dies after hair gets entangled in go-kart wheel Kerala CPI-M worker kicks pregnant woman, arrested Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was yesterday rushed to the Lilavati hospital in Mumbai after being diagnosed with food poisoning, an official said. A formal statement issued by the chief minister s office said that Parrikar was in Mumbai for a routine check-up. A CMO functionary said that Parrikar was examined at the state government-run Goa Medical College near Panaji late on Wednesday night after complaining of stomach pain. He was examined at the Goa Medical College where doctors established the cause of his illness as food poisoning. He was rushed to Lilavati hospital yesterday for further treatment, the official disclosed. Two pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed yesterday when their microlight aircraft crashed on Assam s Majuli island, officials said. The microlight Virus SW-80 aircraft took off from Air Force Station Jorhat for a routine sortie around 12 noon and crashed shortly on the island, police and defence officials said. The pilots Wing Commanders J James and D Vats attempted an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed in a sand bar and went up in flames. Both died in the crash. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. More than 170 IAF pilots have lost their lives in accidents in the past three decades, with crashes blamed on its ageing fleet. All Punjab ministers, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, yesterday announced their decision to voluntarily pay their own income tax, which is currently being paid out of the government exchequer. The announcement came after a meeting of the state Cabinet in Chandigarh yesterday. Besides Amarinder Singh, there are nine ministers in the Punjab government. The development comes within days of the chief minister suggesting that elected representatives, including ministers and MLAs, should pay their own income tax. Punjab was probably the only state in the country to follow the system of government paying taxes for ministers, legislators. The Haryana Police yesterday booked the owner of a go-karting company after a woman died when her hair got entangled in the wheel of the go-kart. The accident took place at a mini-amusement park adjacent to the popular Yadavindra Gardens in Pinjore in Haryana s Panchkula district. Sushil Malik, the owner of the amusement park Aqua Village, was booked on charges of causing death by negligence. Thirty-year-old Puneet Kaur was seated beside her husband in the go-kart when her scalp was ripped out after her hair got entangled in the car wheel when her helmet fell off. She was rushed to a private hospital but died soon after admission. A local leader of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and five of his accomplices were arrested in Kozhikode, Kerala, yesterday for kicking a pregnant woman, resulting in her losing the baby, police said. All six were produced before a court and sent to judicial custody, a Kodanchery police officer said. All those involved in the assault have been identified. The incident took place on January 28 when the victim s husband Siby Chacko had an argument with the group of men following a property dispute. In the melee, Chacko s wife who was eight months pregnant, was kicked in the stomach and collapsed. She was taken to a hospital but the baby could not be saved. Verdict on Cauvery water row likely today Modi campaigns in Tripura IANS New Delhi The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on a batch of cross petitions by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry challenging the 2007 Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal award today. The bench of chief justice Dipak Misra, justice Amitava Roy and justice A M Khanwilkar had reserved the verdict on September 20, 2017, after hearing the matter for 29 days spread over eight months. Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had approached the top court soon after the 2007 award was announced, assailing it on several counts. The Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal was set up on June 2, 1990, and gave its final report on February 5, 2007, which was challenged before the top court by all the three states and the union territory The Centre had opposed the top court adjudicating over the Cauvery River Water Dispute Award, contending that the appeals by the three states and the union territory of Puducherry were not maintainable as under the Constitution s Article 262 read with Section 11 of the Inter- State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the top court was barred from hearing the appeals. However, the top court had said: Prima facie we feel that Article 262 does not say that (river water) tribunal award is so sacrosanct that Supreme Court can t look into it. The Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal was set up on June 2, 1990, and gave its final report on February 5, 2007, which was challenged before the top court by all the three states and the union territory. Karnataka had told the court that the 1924 agreement between the then British province of Madras and the princely State of Mysore could not be the basis of sharing Cauvery river water between the present day Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and present day needs must taken into account. It said that water sharing was decided on the basis of the 1890 and 1924 agreement without determining equitable share and its apportionment. However, Tamil Nadu on the other hand had contended that tribunal s award was erroneous as it allocated 192 TMC of water taking into account cultivation of just one crop as against the prevailing two crops in the state. Seeking more water than that was allocated by the tribunal, it had told the court that in the absence of Cauvery Water Management Board, it has never got its allocated share. Seeking to put in place a mechanism for the effective implementation of the Cauvery award including Cauvery Management Board, Tamil Nadu had, however, resisted the suggestion that the issue of framing a scheme for setting up of such a board be left to the wisdom of Parliament. It rejected Karnataka s stand that allocation of water could be determined only at the end of the crop season or at the end of the water year. Upon the conclusion of the hearing on November 20, the court had asked Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to submit written notes which would include the question of law by Karnataka, opposition to the proposition of question of law by Tamil Nadu, significant aspects of 2007 tribunal award and the principles that were invoked by the tribunal, the genesis of the issues and other dimensions. 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. Jeweller, family fled before lookout notice issued: CBI IANS New Delhi A lookout notice was issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation against jeweller Nirav Modi and his associates last month in the banking fraud case but by then they had escaped from the country, CBI sources said yesterday. According to the sources, a lookout circular was issued against Modi along with his wife Ami, brother Nishal Modi and Mehul Choksi in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case on January 31. The circular was issued to all airports, ports and exit points to stop them from escaping. However, according to the sources, Modi and his associates fled the country before the notices were issued. While Nirav and his brother Nishal left India on January 1, his wife Ami, a US citizen, and Choksi left on January 6, all before the CBI received a complaint from the PNB on January 29. The source added that around 150 Letters of Understanding were issued to Nirav Modi s firms by the PNB. In course of the probe, the CBI has finished examining computers seized during searches at Modi s properties on February 3, 4 and 21. Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government has taken the strictest and fastest action against Modi but the Congress was doing politics over national interest, Addressing a press conference, Prasad said that the scam started in 2011 when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power and is the latest in line in the legacy of corruption and fraudulence left by the Congress Party. He said that the agencies are already taking action against Modi who fled the country. The ED (enforcement directorate) and the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) are already in action against Modi. The ED has already raided nine properties associated with Modi, three in Surat, four in Mumbai and two in Delhi. Assets worth Rs13bn have been seized. Action has been taken to initiate revocation of his passport, Prasad said. He added the CBI was also raiding 20 locations associated with him and has seized his Mumbai residence. Prasad said that the CBI first received a complaint from PNB pertaining to Rs2.8bn on January 29 this year and a case was registered on January 31. The prime minister had said in the Lok Sabha that our government has not given any loans that have become NPA (nonperforming assets). The legacy of NPAs comes from the Congress, he said, claiming that it was a well known fact that Modi was close to the Nehru- Gandhi family. The genesis of the scam was in 2011 and interesting thing to note is that the total income of Geetanjali Jewels almost doubled within a span of two years between 2011 and Geetanjali Jewels a company owned by Mehul Choski who is also one of the partners along with Modi in the firms booked for fraud by PNB, Prasad said. Prasad also questioned Congress right to comment on the incident, claiming that their government allowed disgraced tycoon Vijay Mallya to run away with around Rs90bn which he had taken as loan from 17 Indian banks. Ratan Tata denies link to Netanyahu scam IANS Mumbai Hours after his name figured in the Israeli Police recommendations seeking to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for corruption, Indian businessman Ratan N Tata yesterday termed the reports factually incorrect and apparently motivated. Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan reportedly attempted to promote a free trade zone on the Israel-Jordan border as part of his partnership with Tata according to reports appearing in an Israeli news media outlet, Ynetnews. According to the police, the most glaring example of Netanyahu working against Israel s interests to benefit Milchan was his efforts (to) promote a free trade zone on the Israel-Jordan border, a project the Hollywood producer sought to promote as part of his partnership with Indian industrialist Ratan Naval Tata, Ynetnews reported. Tata, 80, contested the allegations in a statement here. He said: The reports in the media of a partnership with Arnon Milchan and the claim of a huge profit are both factually incorrect and appear to be motivated. The reports in the media of a partnership with Arnon Milchan and the claim of a huge profit are both factually incorrect and appear to be motivated The former chairman of Tata Sons, the salt-to-software conglomerate, added that the Tata project being referred to in the Israeli media was a proposal received by Tata in 2009 from the Israeli establishment. It sought the assistance of Tata organisation in preparing a concept plan, as part of a broader peace initiative with Palestine, for a low volume automotive assembly plant on the banks of the Jordan river, said the Tata statement. The intention was to provide skilled employment to Palestinians. To be viable, the plan envisaged the establishment of a free trade corridor to Haifa to facilitate exports and offset higher logistics costs in Israel. These discussions on the project were directly held between a Tata team and the Israeli authorities and not with Arnon Milchan as stated by the Israeli media. Tata wishes to clarify once again that there has never been any partnership in any such project with Milchan, it said. A broad concept plan for a low output automobile assembly plant was prepared by Tata Motors. It never reached the stage of detailed planning or costing as the peace initiative itself was not put in place. The car project died a natural death. During Tata s visit to Tel Aviv on November 1, 2017, to address a conference on Mobility, he met a team of Israeli investigators at their request and enunciated these facts to them. Rouhani in Hyderabad Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives with Iran Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamad Javad Zarief (left) at a meeting in Hyderabad yesterday. Rouhani addressed Muslims leaders and scholars at the event. The Iranian president is on a three-day official visit to India. Cash row settled: Binoy Balakrishnan IANS Thiruvananthapuram In relief to Kerala CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, his son Binoy Balakrishan yesterday told the media here that his financial dealings with a Middle East resident are now in the clear. Trouble began for Binoy and Kodiyeri after a threepage letter dated January 5 from H I A al-marzooqi, sponsor of a Dubai-based company, was made available last month to the media, stating that he had started legal proceedings against Binoy for an alleged fraud of Rs130mn. The Dubai authorities imposed a travel ban on Bionoy after Marzooqi filed a complaint over a Rs17.2mn dishonoured cheque. Speaking to a TV channel from Dubai yesterday evening, Binoy said that the controversy arose because of a misunderstanding. Al-Marzooqi is a nice gentleman and he was not aware of what exactly was the issue. When he was told of what happened, he agreed to withdraw the case. Since today is a holiday here, I will file a new application to lift the travel ban. Moreover, I also have a few programmes here, Binoy claimed. The issue has been raging for the past few weeks with the opposition Congress and the BJP taking up the matter both inside and outside the assembly. The controversy had also caused a huge dent in the image of both the CPI-M and Kodiyeri. It even saw party general secretary Sitaram Yechury coming under fire from the Kerala unit of the party over the manner in which the issue surfaced in the media. The latest development will certainly come as a major relief for Kodiyeri, as he is all set to get a second three-year term at the helm of the state unit of the ruling CPI-M. A state party conference is to be held at Thrissur from February

10 10 PAKISTAN Over 1,000 cops sacked over corrupt practices Internews Peshawar Artworks submitted for calligraphy contest A total of 309 calligraphers from across Pakistan have submitted their artworks to the National History and Literary Heritage (NH and LH) Division for participation in the up-coming National Calligraphy Competition and Exhibition. The jury members comprising over the expert calligraphers have started the scrutinising process to identify the best calligraphic artworks for the week-long national calligraphy competition and exhibition, to be held February Talking to APP yesterday, adviser to Prime Minister on NH and LH, Irfan Siddiqui said, it is a matter of great satisfaction that calligraphers from far flung areas of the country including FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have submitted their unique art pieces to the division for participating in the competition which reflect their enthusiasm and love for this ancient art, he said. He said national calligraphy competition and exhibition will help discover talented calligraphers from the remote corners of the country and play vital role in the revival of this Islamic art. The calligraphy competition and exhibition will be dedicated to Abdul Majeed Parveen Raqam who was a legendary calligrapher and rendered huge contribution in this field. This initiative will serve as catalyst toward promotion of glorious Islamic art of calligraphy in the country and motivate the young artists to get excellence in this ancient form of art, he said. A total of 15 awards will be given in three categories to the winners of the competitions on the concluding day of the exhibition on February 28. These categories include Nastaleeq, Thuluth and Modern style calligraphy. The cash prizes worth Rs75,000, Rs50,000, Rs40,000, Rs20,000 and Rs15,000 will be given to the best five calligraphers of each category. Young calligraphers, aged up to 35 years, from across the country including AJK, FATA and Gilgit- Baltistan have submitted their artworks to the division. The selection of best calligraphers will be made by the jury comprising over senior calligraphers in transparent manner. The calligraphers participating in the competition will also conduct training workshops during the calligraphy exhibition. This calligraphy competition along with an exhibition of selected art pieces will be held February at a local hotel. The calligraphy exhibition will be open for the general public during the whole week. More than 1,000 police officials were dismissed from service and 7,224 were awarded other punishments for alleged corruption, misuse of power and links with smugglers and criminals in Pakistan s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since October 2013, a source told The News. Not a single officer of grade-18 or above, however, is among the 8,232 policemen who were awarded different kinds of punishments for their wrongdoings during the last more than four years, the source said. Some officers were removed from their positions after numerous complaints but they had to be immediately compensated and given important assignments. The source said as many as 1,008 policemen have been dismissed from service or compulsorily retired all over the province since October They included 13 acting superintendents of police (SPs) or deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), eight inspectors, 54 sub-inspectors, 49 assistant sub-inspectors, 91 head constables and 793 constables. Apart from dismissals, 7,224 policemen from the rank of acting SP/DSP down to constables were awarded other punishments, including reversion. The 7,224 cops awarded different punishments included eight acting SPs/DSPs, 79 inspectors, 578 sub-inspectors, 704 ASIs, 986 head constables and 4,869 constables. Actions against policemen for corruption, links with criminals and misuse of power were accelerated after Nasir Khan Durrani was appointed Inspector General of Police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A significant decrease has been witnessed in actions against corrupt police officials during the last many months, giving a sort of relief to the bad cops. The ratio of the strictest penalty of dismissal from service is particularly on the decline since mid Another sources told The News that only two officers were removed from service or compulsorily retired during the second half of The rest of the 34 policemen sacked during the period were constables while four were head constables. A number of policemen dismissed from service were reinstated when they approached the Service Tribunal or the concerned courts. Some of these officers were said to be innocent and charges levelled against them were baseless. In other cases, the authorities couldn t prove the charges against those sacked. An overwhelming majority of those dismissed from service during the last over four years were constables. The sources said among the 1,008 dismissed policemen, 793 were constables. The ratio of officers of grade-17 sacked on the basis of corruption, misuse of power or links with criminals and smugglers is only 1.2%. Not a single officer of grade-18 or above was dismissed from service or awarded major punishment in the last four years. Nobody could conduct proper inquiry against seniors who allegedly made huge properties during service and remained under criticism for misuse of official funds and powers. The spokesman for the KP Police Waqar Ahmad said IGP Salahuddin Khan Mahsud has made it clear that corruption will not be tolerated at any level in the force and strictest action against those involved in any corrupt practice or misuse of power will continue. He added that 40 policemen have been dismissed from service while 510 were awarded other kind of punishments during the last six months of the previous year. There is no place for any corrupt officer or junior official in the KP Police. Dismissal of over 1,000 officials for corruption and misuse of power in the last over four years speaks volumes of the commitment of the KP Police administration about going after corrupt elements in the force, Waqar Ahmad added. PML-N s Zafarul Haq in the run for Senate chairmanship Internews Islamabad The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finalised the name of party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq as its candidate for the post of Senate chairman and has started lobbying in this regard. Haq is currently the Leader of the House in Senate whose 54 members are scheduled to be elected on March 3. Half of the upper house members are retiring on March 11. Following several rounds of consultation among PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior leaders, the party has decided to have Haq elevated as Senate chairman in case it attains maximum seats in the upper house. Haq is regarded as one of the Sharif s trusted confidantes who stood by him through thick and thin, especially when the party faced serious challenges during the Musharraf era. As leader of the house, Haq has been instrumental in getting some key bills sailed through the upper house including the Election Bill, 2017, which paved the way for Sharif s re-election as PML-N president after his disqualification by Supreme Court in the Panamagate case. When approached, Haq neither confirmed nor denied the reports. The time has not arrived yet. Once the Senate elections are held, our party attains majority and the stage arrives to elect the new chairman Senate then the party leadership will decide about it, he said. Recently, the outgoing Senate chairman Raza Rabbani submitted his nomination papers for re- election as Senator amidst reports that the PML- N may agree to Rabbani s re-election as Senate chairman in case he manages to retain his seat. However, sources in the PML-N said the party would resist if the Pakistan People Party (PPP) decided to field Rabbani or any other candidate for the upper house chairmanship. Asked if the PML-N would support Rabbani yet again, Haq said: We will see what to do if such a situation arises. Requesting anonymity, a PML-N senator said the party leadership agreed to Rabbani s re- election as Approval being sought for draft trade policy Internews Islamabad The Commerce Division of Pakistan is seeking approval of the federal cabinet on a draft trade policy for before the PML-N government completes its term. After approval from the cabinet, the draft policy will be placed before the next government s cabinet for its implementation. The next government, which will be formed after general election will have the full mandate whether to adopt this policy fully, partially or amend it. The division has already initiated seeking proposals from all stakeholders since October 2017 and is expected to complete the first draft of the fiveyear Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) up to April. The division has received more than 1,000 proposals so far. The new policy will revolved around eight pillars institutional strengthening, trade promotion and branding, trade facilitation, marketing access and regional connectivity, services strategy, product development, compliance and gender mainstreaming. As part of an outreach programme to finalise the draft, Secretary Commerce Younus Dagha said the proposed policy would now also include services, export competitiveness and investment linkages, particularly FDI in the export oriented sectors. He said integration of local industries into the global value chain will provide equal and better opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Small and medium enterprises will also be part of the new policy, he added. Dagha further claimed the policy will set the direction of exports on a path of continued recovery and sustainable development, capable of changing the socio-economic profile of the country and bringing positive changes in the living standards of the people. Since 2009, the government has announced three STPF but most part of these policies remained unimplemented. The export target announced in these policies was also not materialised. The current STPF will complete its term in June this year. Despite this hard fact, the new policy also comes up with a claim to increase exports to minimum $36.2bn by the chairman back in the year 2015 because the PPP was a majority party in the Senate then even though the PML-N had a majority in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Balochistan. Prior to Rabbani, it was Nayyar Bokhari and Farooq H Naek, all from the PPP, who served as Senate chairmen. Now, it s our turn. In the past, we took a decision, in principle, to support the PPP senators to head the upper house given that the PPP had a majority in the Senate, the source said. He said the PML-N leadership expected that Rabbani would not contest the Senate polls after staying as chairman for three years. The PML-N would contest him in case he was nominated by his party for chairmanship after the Senate polls, he added. Prior to this, reports were doing the rounds that PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari was bargaining with the PML-N for the elevation of his sister Faryal Talpur as Senate chairperson. In December 2017, the PML-N and the PPP were said to have reached a deal, according to which the PPP supported legislation on constituencies delimitation in the Senate and in return received concrete assurances from the PML-N for a few seats in the Senate from Punjab s quota and some seats in general elections from south Punjab. It is also believed that the PPP wanted the PML-N to agree on Talpur s elevation as chairperson. But Sharif did not agree to it after which the PPP reportedly lobbied to send the PML-N government in Balochistan Assembly packing in order to bring a favourable government setup in the province to win Senate seats from there. Sources said after the Balochistan Assembly debacle, it is unlikely that the reported deal between the two parties on Senate elections would be materialised. There had been an informal understanding between the PML-N and the PPP that both would not act to destabilise the governments of one another. The PPP broke this accord. There are no concessions for the PPP in the Senate polls from Punjab s quota or elsewhere now, said one of the close aides of Sharif, wishing to be kept unnamed. year 2023 and a maximum of $61bn. The proposed STPF will include three policy initiatives-short, medium and long terms. In short term, measures will be taken for recovering export loss by increasing competitiveness. In medium term, several measures will be taken for leveraging strength of existing sectors, attract export oriented investment, and encourage product sophistication. Since June 2017, exports have been witnessed on average 10% growth. For improving market access for exporters, negotiations are being pursued vigorously with China, Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey on revising terms of FTAs and PTAs. New PTAs are being initiated with African, South American, and some other countries as well, he said. Pakistan investigates investments in Dubai 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 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 questioning sources of investment from Pakistanis who have been identified for having ownership in Dubai real estate business. The official said five regional tax offices (RTOs) and two large taxpayers units (LTUs) in the Sindh Region have jointly served over 100 notices to individuals who have purchased properties in Dubai. Around 5,000 to 7,000 people have been identified with investment of around Rs1.1tn in Dubai real estate business, according to the latest information revealed by Geo TV. The list includes names of politicians, including members of parliament, retired generals, former judges, real estate tycoons, businessmen, bureaucrats, lawyers, actors, singers, and media personalities. The FBR officials said the notices have been sent in different categories to dig out the sources of investment. The notices have been sent to both filers and non-filers of income tax returns. In non-filers category, the individuals, who have not filed their return of any one or more years during the past five years, have been asked to comply with the law. Otherwise non-filers can file returns of past 10 years along with declaration of wealth statement, the official added. The official said the FBR will launch audit of the individuals, who have declared their investment. In case an individual is filer the FBR will obtain a statement under an oath, the official added. In the past the FBR and other investigative agencies approached Dubai authorities to provide details of Pakistanis regarding investment made in the real estate sector, but the Dubai authorities were constantly refusing to share the information. However, Dubai authorities agreed to share specific information where individual details are provided. Now, the FBR will be able to obtain specific information from Dubai authorities under avoidance of double taxation treaty, the official said. Pakistan has so far signed bilateral taxation treaties with at least 64 countries, according to the FBR s website. Besides, the country became signatory of a number of multilateral accords to improve the tax system s efficiency. The government stepped up efforts to finalise a national action plan to ensure transparency in tax matters and economic affairs to become member of global reform forum Open Government Partnership (OGP), a group of 64 nations to implement open government reforms around the world. Pakistan has already met the eligibility threshold for membership to OGP, achieving 15 out of the 16 criteria. In 2016, the country became a signatory to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development s multilateral convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters after signing the convention. The convention, which has been signed by more than 80 countries, would facilitate international cooperation on national tax laws and provide administrative co-operation among member countries to combat tax evasion. New UN report highlights worrying level of gender inequality in Pakistan Internews Islamabad The United Nations released a report on gender equality for its Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 with Pakistan being one of the main four countries in focus. The report identifies inequality among women and girls and paints a sorry picture for the country. Using data from a UN Demographic and Health Surveys report which takes into account variables such as wealth, location and ethnicity, the report reveals that 12% of women in Pakistan (4.9mn) aged are simultaneously deprived in four Sustainable Development Goalsrelated dimensions of child marriages, education, healthcare and employment. These women were not only married before the age of 18 and education-poor, they also reported no agency in health-care decisions and said they were not working at the time of the survey, the report adds. In all, 79.8% of the women in this cluster live in rural areas and households concentrated in the bottom 40% of the wealth distribution. The data highlights that women from marginalised ethnic groups living in poor rural households fare worse across a variety of well-being and empowerment. The most disadvantaged ethnic group oscillates between Sindhi, Saraiki and Pashtun. Sindhi women and girls from the poorest rural households fare far worse than any other group across all wealth and location parameters, the report notes. The report found that around 79.8% of the women lack access to clean cooking fuel while a quarter is deprived of sanitation services with seven per cent living more than 30 minutes from the closest water source. A unique disparity was found in employment with the richest more likely to lack employment as compared to the poorest at 86.8% and 53.3% respectively. While poverty pushed the poorest women into precarious, often informal and unpaid work, the rich face significant barriers including biased gender norms, discrimination in wages and limited job options. Child marriage, widespread across all socio-economic groups, encompasses 12% of all women aged (or 4.9mn). Almost 24% of women belonging to the richest households and a staggering 63% from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are married before age 18. While inequality is observed across all indicators, the largest disparity is seen in regards to education, where 98.8% of the women belonging to rural background and 29.3% belonging to the richest urban dwellers lack access to education. A total of 74% of women have an average of less than six years of education. The data reveals that poor, rural Pashtun women are the most disadvantaged in literacy. Looking at healthcare, women and girls from rural areas with high concentrations of poverty have less access to medical services. The difference between the most advantaged and most disadvantaged groups is significantly large (13.4% and 70.2%, respectively). The report stated, on average, 48.1% of women and girls aged 15 have no say in decisions relating to their own health care, however, percentages vary significantly by location, wealth and ethnicity. Food insecurity among women was a staggering 11% higher than among men. Only 32% of rural households have access to safely managed drinking water compared to the 41% of urban households. The large differences also exist across income and ethnic groups. When safe water is not available, women and girls from 80% of households are responsible for water collection, especially in rural areas. Almost 70% of the female urban population in Pakistan lives in slums where they lack at least one of the following: access to clean water, improved sanitation facilities, durable housing or sufficient living area.

11 PHILIPPINES 11 An F-18 Hornet fighter jet prepares to land on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on February 14, 2018, as the carrier strike group takes part in a routine deployment mission in the South China Sea, one hour away from Manila. US presence matters, says admiral on aircraft carrier in South China Sea AFP Manila With a deafening roar the fighter jets catapulted off the US aircraft carrier and soared above the disputed South China Sea, as its admiral vowed that the mighty ship s presence was proof America still had regional clout. US presence matters, Rear Admiral John Fuller told reporters on board the USS Carl Vinson. I think it s very clear that we are in the South China Sea. We are operating. The Carl Vinson, one of the US Navy s longest-serving active carriers, is currently conducting what officials say is a routine mission through the hotly contested waters where years of island reclamation and military construction by Beijing has rattled regional nerves. Following criticism that the Trump administration s commitment to the Asian region has been distracted by North Korea, reporters were flown onto the ship Wednesday as it sailed through the sea. In a rapid series of take-offs and landings, F18 fighter jets roared off the deck, travelling from zero to 290km per hour in a dizzying two seconds. Fuller, commander of the Carl Vinson Strike Group, said the 333m long ship s presence was a way to reassure allies. The nations in the Pacific are maritime nations, he said. They value stability... That s exactly what we are here for. This is a very visible and tangible presence. The United States is here again. But the location of the strike group which includes a carrier air wing and a guided-missile cruiser is also a very direct message to China, whether US officials admit it or not. Its voyage comes just a month after the Pentagon s national defence strategy labelled China a strategic competitor that bullies its neighbours while militarising features in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits and through which $5tn in trade passes annually and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims in the sea. Compared to the 11 active aircraft carriers in the US Navy, China currently boasts just one carrier. But the rising Asian superpower has made no secret of its desire to build up its naval forces and become much more regionally assertive. Last month Beijing said it had dispatched a warship to drive Sailors work next to F-18 Hornet fighter jets on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. away a US missile destroyer which had violated its sovereignty by sailing close to a shoal in the South China Sea. Major naval nations like the US, Britain and Australia are determined not to let China dictate who can enter the strategic waters. They have pushed freedom of navigation operations in which naval vessels sail close to Chinese-claimed militarised islets in the South China Sea. We will follow what international rule says and we will respect (it), even if there are disputes there, Fuller said. The nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson the ship that took Osama bin Laden s body for burial at sea began a regular deployment in the Western Pacific last month. The carrier is home to 5,300 sailors, pilots, and other crew members as well as 72 aircraft. Washington has announced plans for it to dock in Vietnam a first for the communist nation which is rattled by China s expansionism in the sea and has forged a growing alliance with its former foe the US. Britain said on Tuesday it will sail its own warship from Australia through the South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights in support of the US approach. But alliances are shifting. The Philippines, US Rear Admiral John Fuller, commander of the USS Carl Vinson Strike Group, during an interview with AFP aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, as the carrier strike group goes on a routine deployment mission in the South China Sea. a US treaty ally, was once the strongest critic of Beijing s expansionism in the South China Sea, successfully winning a tribunal case in The Hague over their claims. But it has changed course under President Rodrigo Duterte in a bid for billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment. Duterte last week said it was not time to fight China over the row, adding the Philippines should not meddle with Washington and Beijing s competition for superpower status. In Wednesday s trip, the USS Carl Vinson hosted top Duterte aides and key Philippine military officers. Duterte s communications secretary Martin Andanar described the carrier as very impressive and its equipment massive. Asked if Manila welcomed US patrols in the disputed area, Andanar told reporters: The United States has been a big brother of the Philippines, a military ally. Aklan blamed for Boracay troubles The local government unit (LGU) of Malay, Aklan is accountable for the environmental crisis in Boracay, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said yesterday. President Rodrigo Duterte last week called Boracay a cesspool and threatened to close down the island if the environmental problems are not addressed soon. Ano said the environmental degradation in Boracay, which had been voted as the best island in the world several times, would not have occurred had the local government been strict in implementing environmental and local government ordinances. The presence of commercial establishments even beyond the prescribed distance from the coastline would not be possible without building and construction permits issued by the LGU. It is their lookout, he said in a statement. Ano said the President s warning should serve as a wake-up call to local governments and business establishments. Kailangan pa bang masita bago umayos? Kailangan pa ba ng ultimatum galing pa sa Pangulo bago umaksiyon? (Do they have to get a scolding before doing what is right? Do they need an ultimatum before taking action?) The gradual ruin of our environment is already being felt as calamities devastate the country many times in a year, he said. Manila Times Speaker seeks first federal election in 2022 By Llanesca T Panti Manila Times Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte now wants the first elections under a federal government by 2022, when the president s term ends. Alvarez is leading the Duterte administration s push for Charter change to pave the way for a shift to a federal system of government that will divide the country into different regions with greater autonomy and taxation powers. The first federal elections should be set in 2022 because we can t terminate the President s contract with the people just because we have a new Constitution, Alvarez told reporters. He was referring to the constitutional six-year term limits of President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo, which end in We need to respect that six-year mandate. And regardless of the president s take on this, I don t think the vice president will also agree to (a shortened term because of the transition period to federalism), Alvarez added. The new constitution, he said, could include a transitory provision stating that those who will win in the senatorial elections in 2019 would only sit for three years or until The new senators term can be reduced to 2022 because we will have the first federal elections by then. As for the rest of elected officials, we won t have any problem because our term is really just up to three years, Alvarez said. The House leader assured the public that Congress, convening as a Constituent Assembly that will draft the new constitution, would consider the recommendations of the Consultative Committee appointed by President Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution. The Consultative Committee members include former chief justice Reynato Puno, former senator Aquilino Nene Pimentel, Jr, former La Salle dean Julio Teehankee, UST political science professor Edmund Soriano Tayao, and San Beda Graduate School of Law Dean Ranhilio Aquino. They took their oath of office on Tuesday, February 13. The (House) Committee (on Constitutional Amendments) are conducting hearings, but I have told them that hearings cannot be terminated just yet because the Consultative Committee would still submit its output. We will wait for the output of the Consultative Committee which will be for our consideration, Alvarez said. President Duterte said in December 2017 that Filipinos were not yet ready for federalism, and that the concept had yet to gain traction. Rep Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Jr of Camarines Sur said a wellorganised information drive on federalism should get going this year. We need enough time to educate our people both the benefits of federalism the next step to decentralisation and devolution which is in accordance with the implementing genuine autonomy as provided for under the 1987 Constitution and the 1991 Local Government Code, Villafuerte said in a statement on Wednesday. Pantaleon Alvarez. PICTURE: Saiph121 Pinoys warned of illegal recruiters The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has warned Filipinos looking for jobs in Macau to be wary of illegal recruiters who offer applicant high-paying jobs in mainland China. POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia yesterday said applicants should be extra careful even if the job offers come from fellow Filipinos. The POEA chief said the Department of Foreign Affairs has endorsed the case of a Filipina household service worker in Macau who was allegedly recruited by a Filipino named Pia Ciabacal. The report said the OFW went to Macau as a tourist. Ciabacal allegedly offered her a job in Beijing for a monthly salary of (yuan) RMB7,500 per month. The woman was able to work in China but her employer refused to pay her any salary and even confiscated her passport and cellular phone. Ciabacal and other Filipinos in Macau allegedly work as agents for a Chinese recruiter known only as Fancy, who allegedly owns an establishment called MMC Enterprises located at Beleno Shop, Red Market in Macau. The POEA earlier uncovered the so-called third country recruitment scheme, under which Filipinos in Hong Kong, Singapore and Cyprus were lured to transfer to another country. Some of the victims later found out that the jobs offered them were non-existent. Manila Times

12 12 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Sri Lanka central bank keeps rates steady, says growth below potential Nepal s newly-elected Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (right) is sworn in by President Bidhya Bhandari as Vice President Nanda Kishor Pun (second left), outgoing prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli look on at the President s House in Kathmandu. Oli takes oath as new Nepal PM Colombo Sri Lanka s central bank yesterday held interest rates steady, saying the economy is growing below potential, a widely expected decision that comes amid fresh political uncertainty after the ruling coalition government suffered a shock defeat in local elections. Policymaker emphasised the need to support an economy that has been beset by production disruptions due to massive intermittent floods and prolonged drought last year. Demand has also been crimped by earlier rate hikes. Some analysts expect the central bank will cut rates at some point this year to spur growth and investment. As widely expected, the central bank kept the standing deposit facility rate (SDFR) at 7.25% and standing lending facility rate (SLFR) at 8.75%. The Monetary Board also noted that the economy is currently operating at a level below its potential, the central bank said in a statement. Nevertheless, as per the available indicators, the economy is likely to recover from the effects of adverse weather conditions in the past two years and benefit from the expected boost in external demand and foreign direct investment inflows. The on-hold decision comes amid renewed political uncertainty after the ruling coalition government of President Maithripala Sirisena s Post-poll stance centre-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe s centreright United National Party (UNP) suffered telling defeats in a local election at the weekend. The results also have raised concerns over the future of the unity government amid pressure from the opposition parties to dissolve the parliament. Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy expects 5% to 5.5% economic growth this year, from the last year s around 4%, but warned of risks to growth from political instability. If you have prolong political instability, you can t have accelerated growth, he told reporters in Colombo at the post policy rate media briefing. The central bank has tightened monetary policy four times since December 2015 through March last year to fend off pressure on the fragile rupee and curb stubbornly high credit growth that stoked inflation. Capital Economics analysts said in an note to clients that there are growing signs the central bank might be able to cut rates given slowing inflation and credit growth. The previous rate increases have dragged on the $81bn economy, which grew at an annual pace of 3.7% in the first nine months of 2017, slowing from 4% growth in the same period of The central bank revised down last year s economic growth to 4%, from its original forecast of 5% as demand was curbed by tight monetary and fiscal policies in line with conditions by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $1.5bn loan. By Annabel Symington, AFP Kathmandu The leader of Nepal s largest Communist party was sworn in yesterday as prime minister, two months after leading his party to a thumping victory in landmark elections billed as a turning point for the Himalayan nation. K P Sharma Oli will head the first government elected under a new national constitution that cements Nepal s transformation from Hindu monarchy to a federal republic 11 years after the end of a brutal Maoist insurgency. An alliance of Oli s main Communist party and the former Maoist rebels trounced the incumbent Nepali Congress party in last year s polls, winning a strong majority in both houses of parliament and six of the seven provincial assemblies. The Communist leader was sworn in as prime minister by President Bidya Bhandari yesterday afternoon. Nepal s post-war charter sets out a sweeping overhaul of the political system, devolving significant power from the centre to the seven provinces. But the handover of power after last year s polls was delayed by disagreements over how the new election rules in the constitution should be implemented. The long delay has dampened the optimism that accompanied the polls, when many voters cast their ballots hoping a new government would bring much-needed stability and development. Nepal has cycled through 11 prime ministers since the civil war ended in 2006, allowing corruption to flourish and growth stagnate. Sher Bahadur Deuba, who resigned as prime minister earlier yesterday, spent just eight months in office. Rules under the new constitution make it harder to oust the premier, raising hopes that the next government could last a full five year term. During Oli s last term in office in 2015, relations between Kathmandu and its traditional ally Delhi soured after protests over the constitution led to a blockade of the Nepal-India border. The blockade caused a crippling shortage of goods in the landlocked Himalayan nation as it was still reeling from a devastating earthquake that hit earlier that year killing nearly 9,000 people. Oli blamed the blockade on Delhi and tilted Nepal s diplomatic relations towards China, stoking nationalistic sentiment. Beijing responded by pumping vast sums of money into Nepal in the form of large-scale infrastructure projects. Analysts say Oli will likely take a more pragmatic approach to balancing relations with Nepal s two giant neighbours this time around. He used the nationalistic platform for elections. Now he doesn t need to bait India to get support, said Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times newspaper. Both Oli and New Delhi appear keen to rebalance relations between the neighbours. India s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was recently in Kathmandu for meetings with the government-in-waiting and there has been talk of a visit to Nepal by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Where Oli makes his first overseas visit will be closely watched. He is expected to continue to court Beijing, with an eye on investment for a long-mooted Himalayan rail link and energystaved Nepal s hydropower system. The 65-year-old s health is a cause of concern within political circles. He had a kidney transplant about 10 years ago and regularly flies to Bangkok for health checkups. Some say he downplays the severity of his health problems. Sri Lanka s government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne takes part in a press conference yesterday at the first cabinet press briefing after the ruling coalition suffered a humiliating defeat at local elections in Colombo. Senaratne said the coalition managed to head off a threat to its stability after a junior partner threatened to withdraw support and the central government will continue with a cabinet reshuffle. Rohingya drug peddlers attack Coast Guard Two members of Bangladesh Coast Guard suffered injuries in an attack by Rohingya men at Noyapara Rohingya camp in Teknaf sub-district of southeastern Cox s Bazar district. The injured were identified as Mohamed Faruk, 30, and Mohamed Joynal, 28. Tipped off that Yaba tablets were being sold, a team of plainclothes Coast Guard went to the room of Sadek at block-h of the camp to arrest the drug traders, said Lt Commander Faizul Islam, commanding officer of Coast Guard s Teknaf station. Noticing their presence, the Rohingya men swooped on the Coast Guard men and stabbed them, leaving two of them injured. The injured were first taken to the Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Cox s Bazar Sadar Hospital. A deep injury mark was found in the chest of one of the injured while one ear of the other was almost severed, said duty doctor Shovan Das at the hospital. Meanwhile, Myanmar s interior minister Lt Gen Kyaw Swe arrived in Dhaka yesterday on a three-day visit when Bangladesh is expected to press for restoration of peace and stability in Rakhine State for sustainable return of Rohingyas. The Myanmar minister met President Abdul Hamid yesterday evening. Swe will hold a meeting today with his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan. Apart from the Rohingya crisis, the two sides will discuss halting smuggling of arms and drugs and full implementation of border agreement, officials said. Bangladesh is likely to ask Myanmar to take effective measures to stop narcotics production and smuggling and end drug trafficking across the border. Early release unlikely for Khaleda: minister By Mizan Rahman Dhaka BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is unlikely to be released from jail soon as the former premier is facing arrest warrants in five out of 37 cases filed against her in connection with various charges, including arson and graft. Talking to newsmen, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Khaleda Zia is facing a number of cases and arrest warrants have already been issued against her in some cases in the meantime. The lower court has sentenced her to five years imprisonment in connection with the Zia Orphanage Trust case while the trial proceedings of the Zia Charitable trust case are nearing completion. The lower courts have already issued an arrest warrant against her in the meantime. So, it is the matter of court as to whether or not she will come out of jail very soon, Kamal said. The home minister added that the government would not revive any case filed against her in the past in connection with various charges, including arson and corruption. Khaleda is yet to receive the certified copy of the verdict of the lower court that sentenced her to five years rigorous imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. After receiving the certified copy of the verdict, the BNP chief will file an appeal with the High Court (HC) seeking bail in the case. If she secures bail from the HC, the Anti-Corruption Commission may appeal to the Supreme Court against the HC order. So, the completion of all procedures will take time, which is why the BNP chief is unlikely to come out of jail very soon, as many lawyers explained about her bail on condition of anonymity. ACC lawyer Mosarraf Hossain Kajol said there is no specific timeframe for the court to provide the certified copy of the verdict. Bangladesh police stand guard in Dhaka yesterday. However, it is the right of the accused to secure a certified copy of the verdict within a short time. Khaleda may have prayed for a certified copy of the verdict. I hope she will receive the certified copy of the verdict very soon, Hossain added. Sanullah Miah, one of the counsels for the BNP chief, said they would file the appeal with the HC after receiving the certified copy of the lower court s verdict. We are yet to receive the copy of the lower court verdict. After receiving the copy, we will move the High Court, he said. Legal experts opined that the BNP chief may not come out of jail very soon, if, in the meantime, the government makes her shown arrested in five cases, in which she faced arrest warrants from the various lower courts. If the government does so, the BNP chief would have to secure bail in those cases, they opined. According to the pro-bnp lawyers data, the BNP chief is now facing a total of 37 cases, and police have submitted charges in a total of 17 cases. Of the cases, four were filed during the tenure of the Army-backed government that ruled between 2006 and The cases were filed with respect to corruption in cases related to Barapukuria Coal Mine, GATCO, NIKO and the Zia Orphanage Trust. Among the 37 cases, the lower court yesterday sent the BNP chief to jail after sentencing her to five years imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust case. The lower courts have also issued arrest warrants against her in five cases as she did not appear before the court in accordance with its orders. On October 9 last year, a Comilla court had issued an arrest warrant for Khaleda Zia and 45 others in the explosives case filed in connection with the 2015 arson attack on a bus in Chouddagram, which left eight people dead. On January 2 this year, another Comilla court issued an arrest warrant for the BNP chairperson in a murder case filed in connection with the 2015 arson attack on a bus in Chouddagram upazila that left eight people dead. Eight people were killed and at least 20 others injured when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus at Chouddagram s Jogmohanpur on February 3, 2015, during the BNP-led alliance s nationwide anti-government movement. Two cases one under the Explosive Substances Act and another for murder were started against 56 people, including Khaleda, over the incident. On August 30, 2016, Gazi Zahirul Islam, former joint general secretary of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, filed the case against Khaleda for allegedly celebrating a fake birthday on August 15 every year. A Dhaka court has earlier issued an arrest warrant against Khaleda in connection with the case. AB Siddique, president of the progovernment Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, filed the case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate s court on November 3, 2016, accusing Khaleda and her late husband and former president Ziaur Rahman of undermining the country s map and national flag. The court issued an arrest warrant against Khaleda in the meantime. On October 12 last year last year, a Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in a case filed for undermining the country s map and national flag. According to the case statement, Khaleda Zia had formed a coalition government with Jamaat-e-Islami in She appointed Jamaat leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohamed Mujahid as ministers and handed over the map and the national flag of independent Bangladesh to them even though they had fought against the country during the country s Liberation War in It will take a long time for the BNP chief to secure bail from the HC in all five cases if the government makes her shown arrested in all these cases, according to the lawyers who were consulted. No plan to shift Khaleda Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said the government has no plan right now to shift BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia elsewhere from the old Dhaka central jail of Nazimuddin Road. He came up with the remark replying to a query from reporters after attending a programme marking the 23rd raising day of Bangladesh Coast Guard at its Agargaon headquarters in the city. Brushing aside BNP s allegation of an unhygienic environment in the old prison, the minister said Khaleda Zia has been kept at a place which is former Dhaka Central Jail. There s no unhealthy environment. She has been kept in the daycare centre of a new building inside the prison. The atmosphere is not unsafe, unhealthy or risky either. He also said the BNP chief has been given all the facilities as per the jail code. Meanwhile, Khaleda s domestic help Fatema Begum has been allowed to serve her in the prison following a court order. Three days after the special court ordered the jail authorities to give the BNP chief division, Fatema on Wednesday started assisting her staying with her in the old Dhaka central jail. Earlier on February 11, the court directed the jail authorities to provide the facilities of first class division to Khaleda, who was sentenced to five years imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. According to the jail code, the 73-year-old leader can keep a domestic help to look after her round the clock, said BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. On February 8, when the BNP chairperson landed in jail, Fatema accompanied her inside the jail but had to leave within a few hours.

13 THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH 13 Knowledge of Allah is obligatory Allah raises the level of people in two ways: (a) Belief in Him and (b) Knowledge of Him. This is established in the following verse of the Qur an. Allah said (which means): Allah raises the level of those who believe and those who are endowed with knowledge. [Al-Qur an 58:11] Acquiring knowledge of Allah is the most important obligation on every Muslim because Allah ordered seeking knowledge (i.e. the knowledge of Himself) prior to declaration of the Shahadah. He said: And know that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah then seek forgiveness for your sins. [47:19] To emphasise seeking knowledge before doing any action, Imaam Al- Bukhari used the above verse as a basis for a chapter in his all famous Sahih. He entitles that chapter: Knowledge before speech and action. Book of Knowledge: [Sahih Bukhari Vol: 1 Ch 11] Excellence of knowledge Allah said: Allah (Himself) is witness that there is no deity worth of worship except Him, and the Angels and the men of learning (are also witnesses to this). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no god save Him, the Almighty, the Wise. [3:18] Notice that Allah in the Ayat (verse) started the witnessing to the fact that there is no deity worthy of worship but Himself with Himself, then He follows it saying that this is also the witness of His Angels and then He follows it by the people who possess knowledge. This verse definitely emphasises the position of the people who are endowed with knowledge above those who are without it. Allah said:... Are those who know equal with those who do not know? But only men of understanding will pay heed. [39:9] He said:... Indeed those who fear Allah from His servants they are the knowledgeable, Indeed Allah is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving. [35:28] He said: And these similitude We coin for mankind, but none will grasp their meaning except those of knowledge. [29.43] In all of the above verses we clearly see the very high rank that Allah Himself endowed on those who possess knowledge. [N.B. The knowledge above is only in reference to knowledge of Islam.] Allah said: Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know. This is because understanding Allah s Rulings is based upon the investigation and deductions of the learned. Abu Dardaa said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him) said: Those people endowed with knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets. [Hadith Hassan, Abu Dawood, ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi, ibn Habaan]. He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: Whosoever Allah wishes good for, He bestows upon him understanding of the Deen. [Bukhari and Muslim). He bestows upon him an understanding of Deen means that He will allow him to be taught the Qur an and the Sunnah. It is common knowledge that there is no higher position than that achieved by the prospects and that there is no greater honour than that of inheriting from that noble position [i.e inheriting from the prophets (on them be peace)]. To acquire this very coveted positions needs serious striving to acquire the knowledge they came with (i.e. the knowledge of Allah s Deen). He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: The superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like my superiority over the ordinary men from among any companions. [At-Tirmidhi. Hadith Hassan]. Looking at this Hadith you will observe (a) how he (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) linked knowledge with the position of prophethood, and (b) how Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil he lowered the level of the person who does action without knowledge. Any worship ( eebadah) that a worshipper perform must be based on knowledge, because if it is lacking then the action would not be eebadah but mere ritual. The messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: The superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon over the other stars. [This Hadith is Hassan]. Ali said to Kaamil: O Kaamil, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge protects you while you have to protect your wealth. Knowledge is a judge, while wealth has to be judged on. Wealth decreases when it is expended while knowledge purifies when it is given. The Excellence of Learning Allah said: And the believers should not all go out and fight. Of every troop of them, a party should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware. [9:122] And His saying:...ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know. [16:43] The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge therein, Allah directs him to a path leading to Al-Jannah (Paradise). [Hadith Hassan] He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: The quest for knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim. [Hadith Hassan] [N.B. The knowledge referred to above is knowledge in Deen because that is the only knowledge that is Waajib. The people who use this hadith to represent seeking after every type of knowledge are misusing it.] Abu Dardaa said: To learn of one issue (in Deen) is better for me than to pray the entire night He also said: The scholar and the seeker of knowledge are the partners in the sharing of good. Other men are hungry and there is no good in them. Fath Al Musilee (RA) said: Would the sick person who is not fed or given anything to drink or given any medicine, not die? The people replied: Surely! He said: It is the same with the heart, it would die if knowledge and wisdom is withheld from it. Indeed he spoke the truth because the nourishment and enlivening of the heart is through knowledge and wisdom, just as food is nourishment for the body. Whoever does not acquire knowledge of the deen of Islam, has a sick heart and its death is inevitable. However, he is not aware of it, because his love for this world destroys his perception. The Excellence of Teaching Allah said:... and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware. [9:122] What is implied here is teaching and guiding them. And the saying of Allah. And (remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who received the Scripture, (He said): You are to expound it to mankind and not to hide it..[3:187] This ayat demands that those who are endowed with knowledge should teach it. While the verses that follows show that it is Haram to conceal it. Allah said:... But verily, a party of them knowingly conceal the truth [2:146] And He also said:... He who hides it, verily his heart is sinful [2:283] Allah praises the one invites with knowledge. Allah said: And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does good works... [41:33] And the saying of Allah: Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and good exhortation, and reason with them in the better way... [16:125] Ali said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said to him: If Allah guides a man through your help, it is better (for you) than red camels. [Bukhari and Muslim] [N.B. Red camels at that time were from among the peoples most precious possession.[ He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: Whoever acquires knowledge and keep it concealed Allah will bridle him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection. [Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi] He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: Verily Allah, His angels, the inmates of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish in the sea send salutation on the one who teaches good to the people. [Its chain is Hassan] He (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: If the son of Adam dies, all his works are stopped except three. A charity that is continuous, useful knowledge or a righteous child who supplicates for him [Muslim] The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever guides or directs to good, then he gets the same amount of blessing as the one who does it. [Related by Muslim] And Allah censures those who speak on His behalf without any knowledge and some of the scholars consider it an even more heinous sin than shirk based on the following verse. Allah said: Say (O Muhammad): My Lord has only forbidden indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice, and that you associate with Allah in worship that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know. [7:33] Therefore, speaking on behalf of Allah without knowledge is the greatest sin with Allah and the one for which He will assign the severest punishment. Clarifying what aspect of knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim (Fard Ain). The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Seeking knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim. This Hadith is referring to the knowledge of that aspect of the Deen that will save someone from the Fire. Therefore, what is important for each one of us is to be certain that we know what Knowledge is compulsory for each person to save himself from the Fire. Before discussing this, however, it is important to know that we must keep on doing righteous deeds until death, otherwise if anyone changes then all the worship that he did before is going to be worthless. If a person fasts a long hot day and then breaks his fast a few minutes before Maghrib, then his fast is void. Likewise, if a person prays a long Salaat and before making Tasleem passes wind, his prayer is nullified. Life may look like a long journey, but if a person apostatises before the end, he loses everything, and all his deeds are rendered worthless and he would be subjecting himself to dwell in the Fire forever. Allah said: Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up rivals in worship with Him, but He forgives (sins) others than that to whom so ever He pleases... [4:116] This verse establishes that Allah does not forgive Shirk (i.e. setting up rivals in worship with Him), therefore the most important knowledge that a Muslim must seek is the knowledge of Shirk and all that relates to it, from Tawheed and Aqeedah (beliefs), etc. It is mandatory on every Muslim to learn these aspects before anything else and not listen to those who say: These are theoretical issues, instead keep busy with matters that have action. Our answer to them is that Aqeedah (matters relating to Eemaan) is the greatest of all matters in Islam because Eemaan comprises of the following three aspects (a) believing in the heart, (b) stating with the tongue and (c) acting with the limbs upon what is believed in and stated. Know, brothers and sisters in Islam, that all acts of worship would be rewarded based on what the heart intends for that particular action thus making it (the heart) the most important organ of the body. Belief is practical matter because it is the action of the heart. The proof of this statement is the saying of Allah:... But He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned... [2:225] This verse indicates what the heart earns. What is earned is the action and it is this that we will be called to account for. Therefore, we can conclude that the action of the heart, which is the beliefs present in it are the most serious action. Is there not a difference between two persons who say. Laa Illaha Illa Allah (there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah), while one has a heart filled with correct beliefs, and the other is a hypocrite who disbelieves in everything in Islam? Surely there is, the first will go to Al-Jannah (Heaven) and the other will be in the lowest depth of the Fire of Hell. Why is this so? Because of the beliefs in his heart, which are its action. The messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) stayed in Makkah for 13 years inviting people to Laa Illaha Illa Allah, and all those things that relates to it, from Tawheed, Aqeedah and Shirk. When the messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) sent Mu adh to Yemen he said to him: You are going to a people who possess a Book, so let the first thing you call them to be to testify to Laa Illaha Illah Allah, and if they acknowledge this, then tell them that Allah made obligatory on them five Salawaat every day... From the above examples we can conclude that knowing Allah and performing Tawheed of Allah is the most glorious knowledge in existence. Therefore, the most glorious action a person has to occupy and fill his heart with is knowing his Lord. The glory of any knowledge is based on the thing studied. Is there anything more glorious than Allah, the Glorified? Definitely not. Therefore, the knowledge that relates to the study of Allah, what are His rights on us His creation, what He loves and what He does not would therefore be the most glorious knowledge there is in this universe. Above we have proved what is compulsory knowledge for every Muslim, male or female to seek i.e. any knowledge that helps him or her to perfect their worship for Allah. The knowledge that is compulsory can be classified: (a) The first obligation on any Muslim who has reached the age of maturity is to learn about the Shahadah i.e. There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And to understand their meanings. That knowledge which helps us to know Allah and teaches us His rights on us. This includes the knowledge of the Tawheed of Allah in all its various forms i.e. Tawheed of Lordship, Tawheed of His Names and Characteristics and Tawheed of Eebadah. It also includes any knowledge that would help us to understand any thing that would negate any of the above aspects of Tawheed. This would fall under the category of Shirk. Every Muslim must learn about Tawheed and Shirk. (b) Knowledge of His Messenger, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). This includes understanding his purpose as a messenger, his rights on us, our relationship with him, This knowledge is important because through the messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) we learn how to worship Allah and perform His rights i.e. the messenger came to invite to Tawheed and to fight mankind to keep away from worship other than Him. Allah said: Verily we sent to each nation a messenger to invite to the worship of Allah and to avoid Taghoot. (c) Any knowledge which helps us to know about the other four fundamental principles of the religion namely, Salaat, Zakaat, Fasting and Hajj. These are pillars of Allah s deen and each Muslim must have knowledge about each one of them as soon as it becomes an obligation on him so that he can perform it as Allah wants him to. (d) that which is halal and that which is haram of social and business transactions that relates to anyone is also an obligation on him to know. (e) that knowledge which relates to the affairs of the heart, that which is praiseworthy and which every Muslim must try to develop and nurture, like patience, thankfulness, good character, truthfulness and sincerity, etc and from that which is blameworthy and which every Muslim must try to avoid because they are Haram and therefore can cause someone to be thrown into the Fire. Some examples of these are hatred, jealousy, pride, doing things for show, dishonesty, anger, enmity and miserliness, following the desires, etc. As for knowledge which is Fard Kifiyah; i.e. that which is a collective duty, meaning that it is not a duty on every individual, but it a group of individual undertakes to acquire this knowledge, all other individuals will be exempted from this duty, and the entire community will be free from negligence to acquire this branch of knowledge. If no one embarks on seeking this type of knowledge then the entire community is accountable. Examples of this type of knowledge are: * An in depth study of the Islamic Law. * Study of the basic sciences, industries and professions that are vital necessities for the welfare of the community like doctors of medicine, nurses, accountants, contractors, etc. The Muslims have definitely gone astray in their understanding of their priorities as to which knowledge they must concentrate on and as such we find them put a priority on a knowledge that is not compulsory on them to know about. The messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) warns us of this, he said: From among the portents of the Hour are (the following): (1) Religious knowledge will be taken away (by the death of the learned men) (2) Ignorance (of Religion) will prevail. (3) Drinking of alcoholic drinks (will be very common). (4) There will be prevalence of illegal sexual intercourse. [Al-Bukhari: Vol 1 No. 80] The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the heart of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men until when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they go astray and they will lead the people astray. [Al-Bukhari: Vol 1 No. 100]. The hardest form of patience There are two factors that influence the degree of difficulty in patience. First, is the degree of motivation when man wants to do something and secondly, how convenient is the intended action for man. If both factors exist, patience reaches its utmost difficulty and vice versa. While if on of the two factors disappears, it becomes difficult on one hand and considerably convenient on the other. Thus, if a man has no motive to kill, steal, drink wine, or commit atrocities, and these actions are inconvenient for him, then he is able to ward them off easily. Whereas for a man whose desires are powerful and finds it convenient to act accordingly, then he is hardly able to show constant perseverance. Hence, the ruler who abstains from injustice, the young man from indecency and the rich from worldly pleasures, command the highest status before Allah.[*] These categories rightly deserve Allah s protection on the Day of Resurrection so long as they bear hardships patiently. Therefore, the adulterous old man, the untruthful ruler and the haughty poor are severely punished because it would be more convenient for them to overcome such unlawful desires. Consequently, giving up patience in such situations sheds light on their insolence and rebellion against Allah. It requires constant perseverance to keep away from sins of the tongue and unchastity because their motives are powerful and easily accessible. Unfortunately, sins of the tongue provide delight for man, such as slander, telling lies, dispute, direct or indirect self-complacency, reporting people s utterances, defaming enemies and praising his votaries. It is narrated on the authority of Mu adh Ibn Jabal (radiallahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said, Keep control over your tongue. Muadh wondered, Are we held accountable for our utterances? The Messenger said, People are thrown down on their noses in the Hellfire only by the harvest of their tongues. This is true especially when offences of the tongue turn into a habit, thus becoming almost impossible to overcome. You may find a man who prays at night, fast during the daytime and refrain from resting on a silky pillow even for a single moment, but he likes to indulge in disparaging remarks about others. He may even cast aspersions about the righteous people who are sincere to Allah and their religion, without knowing exactly what he is speaking about. Therefore, there are many who abstain from the slightest unlawful thing, even a drop of wine, but they cannot avoid adultery. Abdullah Ibn Umar (radiallaahu anhumaa) was asked about the blood of a mosquito. He said: Behold, these men ask me about the blood of a mosquito while they killed the son of the Prophet s daughter! Hardship in patience, in respect of sins and their varieties, differs according to the strength and weakness of what motivates them respectively. Imam Ali (radiallahu anhu) said, Patience is of three categories, namely: a) to bear adversity with perseverance b) to perform obedience with constancy, and c) to ward off rebellion patiently. A man who endures an adversity calmly until Allah gives him relief, will receive 300 good deeds as his reward. A man who performs acts of obedience as Divinely prescribed receives 600, while he who keeps away from rebellion receives 900. Maimun Ibn Mahran (radiallau anhu) said, Patience is of two types, namely: a) to bear adversity calmly, which is commendable and b) to ward off disobedience is much better. [Excerpted from The Way to Patience and Gratitude (Uddat as- Sabirin wa Dhakirat ash-shakirin) By Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullah)] [*] On the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said, Seven are those whom Allah will place under His protection on a Day when there will be no protection but His, namely: The just ruler; the young man who is brought up in worship of His Lord; a man whose heart is constantly attached to mosques; two men who love one another for Allah s sake, he alone brings them together and separates them; a man who, summoned by a beautiful woman, says: I fear Allah ; a man who gives charity so much secretly that his left hand does not know not what his right hand has given, and a man who, remembering Allah in seclusion, and then sheds tears.

14 14 COMMENT CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-mudahka GULF America s fatal attraction to guns: at what cost? Another day, another mass shooting in America. Yesterday the world woke up to the shocking news of the killing of at least 17 people in a Florida high school overnight. In this instance, the gunman has been identified as 19-yearold Nikolas Cruz who was expelled from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland for disciplinary problems. He surrendered and was taken into custody shortly after the shooting at the school. This tragedy happened even as the memory of last October s killing of over 50 people at a country music concert in Las Vegas is fresh in the minds of so many. And who can forget the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre! On December 14 that year, 20-year-old Adam Lanza gunned down 20 first-graders and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The deranged man began his attack by killing his mother at their home and ended it by turning his gun on himself. Wednesday s tragedy was the 18th school shooting incident in the US this year, according to gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. For decades now, firearms-related violence has been occurring in America with sickening regularity, and the country s inexplicable Gun-related violence has been occurring in America with sickening regularity Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar editor@gulf-times.com (News), (Sport), (Home delivery) facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_qatar To Advertise advr@gulf-times.com Display Classified Subscription circulation@gulf-times.com TIMES obsession with guns has left the rest of the world baffled. According to available statistics, compared to 22 other high-income nations, the gun-related murder rate in the United States is 25 times higher. Although it has half the population of the other 22 nations combined, the US had 82% of all gun deaths. A New York Times report states that, according to a 2015 research conducted by Adam Lankford, a professor at the University of Alabama, Americans make up about 4.4% of the global population but own 42% of the world s guns. One is reminded of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg s remarks in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. Speaking on WOR Radio he said: I don t think there s any other developed country in the world that has remotely the problem we have. We have more guns than people in this country. And according to a 2012 report by StatsCan, Canada s national statistical agency the most recent year available the US suffered a total of 8,813 murders involving the use of firearms that year. Whereas its northern neighbour, Canada, in the same year, recorded just 172 firearms-related homicides. The Americans obsession with guns has for long ranked the US the number one on the list of gun-owning nations. There are more guns in private hands than anywhere else on earth. On a guns-per-capita basis (90 guns per 100 residents) it has the odious distinction of being ahead of Yemen (61 per 100) which ranks second, according to the Small Arms Survey issued by the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. America s gun laws are so bizarre that they defy belief. Membership in a terrorist organisation does not prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives under current federal law, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded in The right to bear arms in America is protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. And the pro-gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association (NRA), has time and again exploited this Statute provision to foil attempts by successive governments to tighten gun laws in the country. As expected, reacting to the latest incident President Donald Trump has conveyed his prayers and condolences to the families of victims of the terrible Florida shooting. besides calling the gunman mentally disturbed. While soothing words are fine, instead of sidestepping the real issue, it is high time President Trump and his administration decided to address the elephant in the room and bring in tougher gun laws, if for nothing else than to prevent more deaths of innocent students All rights reserved Drought-hit Cape Town learns lessons hard way Thomson Foundation Barcelona Every day, the drought-hit South African city of Cape Town takes to social media channels to exhort residents to save on water, giving practical tips such as only flushing the toilet once a day with water already used for showering or washing up. It appears citizens are largely heeding the call to beat Day Zero, the date reservoirs are expected to have shrunk so low authorities will have to shut off taps in the city s homes, forcing people to queue for water at 200 collection points. This week, Day Zero was pushed back again until June 4, providing some relief to worried residents. It had previously been predicted as early as April. Ian Neilson, the city s executive deputy mayor, said the postponement was due to falling water use for agriculture in the Western Cape region and Capetonians reducing their personal consumption in line with pleas by officials. At the start of February, the city asked residents to use only 50 litres or less each per day, and provided an online water calculator to help people work out how to do that. For example, a two-minute shower requires an average of 20 litres, but a sponge bath from a basin takes only 3 litres. The coastal city of about 4mn people has now cut its consumption to 526mn litres per day, about half the more than 1bn litres used two years ago, Neilson noted. If we continue to work as a team to lower our consumption to 450mn litres per day, as required, we will become known as one of the most resilient cities in the world, he said. We are fast becoming a leading example of a large city that is fundamentally changing its relationship with water, he added in a statement. Officials and experts agree the three-year drought that has hit South Africa s legislative capital the worst in Cape Town s recorded history has shocked the public into a new awareness of the need to conserve water as climate change brings more extreme dry spells. I think water restrictions are going to become a permanent part of our lives going forward, and the city doesn t intend on removing any water restrictions, at least in the forseeable future, said Cape Town Councillor Xanthea Limberg, the executive mayoral committee member for water and waste services. It is going be a part of what we term the new normal, she told the Thomson Foundation, adding that other municipalities in South Africa would need to conserve water too. Cape Town has used a range of measures to push individuals and businesses to save water, from lowering water pressure in its distribution system to introducing water audits for the private sector and hiking fees for big water users. The city has managed to hold the line on water consumption despite rapid population growth, Limberg noted. It has also kick-started projects to augment its water supply, including building desalination plants and tapping into underground aquifers. While those steps may help stave off the day the city s taps run dry, some analysts say more could have been done earlier. There has been poor planning and co-ordination, and...a lack of accurate assessment of the situation, said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director for Human Rights Watch. He urged Cape Town authorities to guarantee that, if Day Zero does come, water will still reach vulnerable people, including the elderly, disabled and sick. In the city s informal settlements, where most homes do not have taps, women and girls already struggle with access to water and sanitation, Mavhinga noted. We are at the stage where things could get much worse, he told the Thomson Foundation, speaking from Cape Town before Day Zero was delayed to June. Councillor Limberg said water was a basic human right, and local government had a responsibility to ensure access. If Day Zero happens, and the water allocation is halved to 25 litres per person a day, the city has prepared a disaster plan that includes water deliveries to those who cannot easily go and fetch it, in partnership with local groups, she added. Reggie Ferreira, director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy at Tulane University in New Orleans, said political infighting at the national, provincial and city levels had complicated Cape Town s response to the water crisis. He and others said the central government had been too slow to declare the water situation in the Western Cape a national disaster a move it finally made on Tuesday. Ferreira noted that the Western Cape is the only province not governed by the ruling African National Congress, which was caught up in efforts to remove President Jacob Zuma from power. Zuma resigned as President of South Africa on Wednesday. There is also political controversy in Cape Town itself. The Democratic Alliance, which runs the city, is due to vote on a motion of no confidence in Mayor Patricia de Lille this week, following charges of misconduct levelled at her team by her party. The political squabbling has resulted in paralysis of responses and planning to deal with the water crisis, said Mavhinga of Human Rights Watch. Ferreira said provincial disaster management officials had raised the alarm about the potential impacts of drought two to three years ago, but those warnings were not acted on. There is knowledge in South Africa on the ground level, but it comes down to politicians who have to put the stamp of approval on these things, he told the Thomson Foundation after visiting Cape Town. While there has been much talk of resilience in the city, it remains more of a buzzword than a reality, he said. Under its participation in the 100 Resilient Cities network, backed by The Rockefeller Foundation, the city is working on a strategy outlining new ways of dealing with the pressures it faces including water risks, crime and economic inequality. The plan is due to be finalised at the end of the year. Cape Town is also one of five cities recently selected to develop a global standard for urban areas that aim to strengthen their resilience to water challenges from droughts to floods in a partnership led by engineering firm Arup. Councillor Limberg said Cape Town had suffered from unreliable weather, which was out of line with predictions by the South African meteorological services and related to global warming. The rains normally start in May, she added. But in this new environment of uncertainty, it will be necessary to end South Africa s dependence on rainfall for its water and find additional sources, she said. She called for legal reform so that cities can take on more responsibility for the security of their water supply something that is now the job of the national government as well as receiving more financial support to do so. We can no longer be fully reliant on surface water in the form of rainfall to fill our dams, Limberg said. We definitely have to shift our approach. The future of economic convergence By Kemal Dervis Washington, DC The world is now facing what observers are calling a synchronised growth upswing. What does this mean for the economic convergence of developed and developing countries, a topic that lost salience after the Great Recession began a decade ago? In the 1990s, developing economies, taken as a whole, began to grow faster than their advanced counterparts (in per capita terms), inspiring optimism that the two groups output and income would converge. From 1990 to 2007, the developing economies average annual per capita growth was 2.5 percentage points higher than in the advanced economies. In , the gap widened, to 3.5 percentage points. Though not all countries made progress many small economies did not do well on an aggregate basis, the structure of the world economy was being transformed. Asian countries were catching up at a particularly rapid clip, driven by the large, dynamic economies of India and, even more so, China (which experienced nearly three decades of double-digit GDP growth). After the global financial crisis began in 2007, however, the dynamic changed. At first, it seemed that convergence was accelerating. With advanced-economy growth having ground to a halt, People collect drinking water from pipes fed by an underground spring, in St James, about 25km from the city centre, on January 19, 2018, in Cape Town. developing countries lead in per capita growth increased to four percentage points. By , however, growth slowed in many emerging economies particularly in Latin America, with Brazil experiencing negative growth in 2015 and 2016 while growth in the United States picked up. Are we, as some observers have claimed, witnessing the end of convergence? The answer will depend on developing economies ability to find and tap new, more advanced sources of growth. In the past, the key engine of convergence was manufacturing. Developing countries that had finally acquired the needed skills and institutions applied advanced-country technologies locally, benefiting from plentiful, low-cost labour. But, as Dani Rodrik has argued, that source of easy copycat catch-up has mostly been exhausted. The lowhanging fruit in manufacturing has already been picked. Technological catch-up is more difficult in the services sector, which now accounts for a larger share of total value-added. Moreover, today s cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and bioengineering are more complex than industrial machinery, and may be more difficult to copy. And, because intelligent machines can increasingly fill low-wage jobs, developing countries cost advantage may have been diminished significantly. Yet, as Daron Acemoglu and Pascual Restrepo show, the impact of such technologies in particular, automation and AI is more nuanced than that. According to them, aggregate output is a function of traditional labour, traditional capital, and capital involved in tasks that can be performed entirely without labor. Growth in traditional labour- and capitalaugmenting technological progress, or in labour-displacing progress, would increase output, but growth in the latter would also lead to reduced labour demand and lower wages. By contrast, productivity growth, the deepening of automation, or the creation of entirely new tasks would increase labour demand and push up wages. Of course, for robotics and AI to appear in developing-country value chains, including services that rely on frontier technologies, a minimum set of specific skills and infrastructure will be needed. But deploying some new technologies and tasks in the emerging economies may turn out to be no more difficult or costly than in advanced countries. Here, much will depend on what kind of complementary labour is required. It is often assumed that a pool of very highly skilled labour is crucial to deploy AI. That may be true in some cases, but the opposite may be true in others. For example, the new labour-displacing technologies could make feasible activities for which there had been insufficient skilled labour. Thus, complete automation can lead to a greater share of an economic activity being located in a developing country. Another factor that will shape the process of technological upgrading in developing countries is global firms willingness to invest. Global market structures and pricing will partly determine the distribution of benefits. But so will countries efficiency at learning regulatory lessons, including how to design rules that attract investors, capture important segments of value chains, and secure a sufficiently large share of the gains from innovation. Those countries that learn quickly may actually grow faster than advanced economies, even in high-tech sectors. Of course, for many countries and sectors, there remains considerable room for traditional catch-up a process that will likely continue to fuel growth. But it will not be enough to fuel true convergence. For that, developing countries will need to deploy new technologies relatively efficiently, taking into account the role of labour-market skills and regulations. This will not be easy, and we may never return to the golden age of convergence that preceded But new technologies should not be expected to stop convergence, even if, as is likely, they slow it down. Project Syndicate Kemal Dervis, former Minister of Economic Affairs of Turkey and former Administrator for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

15 QATAR 15 QTA hosts workshop to woo tourists from Italy In a bid to attract more visitors from the Bel Paese, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) recently led a delegation of Qatari tourism industry members to Milan for its firstever workshop in Italy. The event brought together nearly 100 of Italy s leading tour operators and travel agents to introduce Qatar s unique offerings as an attractive leisure tourism destination. The workshop s representatives from Qatar included Qatar Airways, Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli, Sharq Village & Spa, The Ritz- Carlton Doha, Radisson Blu Hotel Doha, Shangri-La Hotel Doha and Travel Designer. The workshop s agenda saw participants discuss promotional opportunities, exchange views on market trends and lay the foundations for continuous and fruitful collaboration. In addition, the workshop provided Italian travel agents with training that enables them to provide Italian travellers with the ideal Qatari holiday packages to suit their tastes. The interest we have seen in this workshop is testament to the belief we share with our Italian partners in the uniqueness of Qatar s tourism offering and its relevance to the Italian market, QTA s chief marketing and promotion officer Rashed al-qurese said. Italy s travel agents can offer their clients new and authentic experiences through visits to Qatar, and we are pleased to provide them with the support they need along the way, he added. 70% rise in tourists since 2011 Since 2011, visitor arrivals from Italy have increased by 70%. To build on that growth, QTA started operating a representative office in Milan in In 2017, Qatar welcomed more than 37,000 visitors from Italy, a 2% increase on the previous year. The award-winning national carrier Qatar Airways operates six daily flights This workshop follows on a widely successful mega familiarisation trip held last March, which saw 200 tour and travel operators visit Qatar for a firsthand experience of the destination. QTA s promotion efforts in Italy are primarily focused on attracting leisure visitors who wish to experience the country s rich cultural and artistic attractions. In 2017, the country recorded an impressive 74% increase in the country s leisure visitors. connecting Doha to the Italian cities of Rome, Milan, Venice and Pisa. Thanks to recent visa facilitation measures, Qatar has waived visa-upon-arrival requirements for Italian citizens granting them free access to the country and allowing them to spend up to 90 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. Oxy Qatar celebrates National Sport Day Occidental Petroleum of Qatar (Oxy Qatar) celebrated the National Sport Day at the Fire Station Artist in Residence Plaza. Employees and their families took part in 17 sports activities during the day. Oxy Qatar president and general manager Andrew Kershaw and deputy general manager Mohamed al-hajri were among those who attended the events. Many take part in Baladna competitions Participants discuss promotional opportunities and exchange views at the workshop. Baladna Food Industries, the largest Qatari dairy farm, celebrated National Sport Day at the Sheraton park and Al Arabi Sports Club on Tuesday. While groups of children participated in Zumba sessions and received free bottles of milk, the adults competed in plank exercise as part of a fitness competition. The winners of the competition were given free family access vouchers to the Baladna Park located within the farm. Baladna also gave away 20,000 free products including milk and yogurt to Sport Day enthusiasts. PAL now a global 4-star airline Nebras hosts bowling event Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been certified as a 4-star airline by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation, according to a statement the airlines released in Doha. PAL, joining 40 other wellrenowned airlines in this prestigious category, is the first and only airline in the Philippines to have a 4-star rating. In July 2017, the carrier launched its business class service between Doha and Manila, providing passengers with more options and several amenities on board its reconfigured A aircraft. PAL achieved the rating after Skytrax conducted a rigorous audit of the airline s inflight and on-ground service for both international and domestic flights and noted major enhancements on its end-to-end passenger experience and distinct wholehearted service called Buong Pusong Alaga. This 4-star airline rating is a mark of quality distinction that recognises excellent standards of product and staff service across different assessment categories for both the onboard and airport environments. Edward Plaisted, Skytrax CEO, said: This recognises the PAL chairman and CEO Dr Lucio C Tan and PAL president and COO Jaime J Bautista hold the award from Skytrax. Joining them are Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted and PAL Chief Customer Experience Officer Jessica Abaya. great improvements that the airline has introduced over the last two years, both in terms of product change and development and enhancement of the front-line staff service. This is a big win for the Philippines. We are elated by this recognition, which is a victory for the more than 7,000 members of the Philippine Airlines family. Our achievement is the country s achievement and we share this with all Filipinos around the globe, said PAL chairman and CEO Dr Lucio C Tan. Plaisted said: New and retrofitted aircraft have played an important part in the quality improvement process, and this looks set to develop further when Philippine Airlines introduces the A350 into their fleet. We look for consistency of quality in the 4-star rating, and we look to Philippine Airlines to ensure this is duly delivered to customers. The rating upgrade is a key result of a multi-year top-tobottom end-to-end enhancement of the Philippine flag carrier. Our Get That Star journey began in Our efforts over the last two years have borne fruit, said PAL president and COO Jaime J Bautista. We embarked on a journey of rolling out in-flight and onground innovations, opened new routes, increased connectivity across PAL s route network, added new aircraft to our fleet and importantly, invested in the Buong Pusong Alaga (whole-hearted) training of all our cabin crew, ground crew and service providers domestically and internationally in order to enhance the passenger travel experience and earn a higher Skytrax rating, added Bautista. PAL Chief Customer Experience Officer Jessica Abaya said: We want to place PAL at par with the world s best airlines. With this 4-star rating, we are inspired to work even harder. We will continue to delight our customers by giving them their desired experience, the best service in flight and on ground, across all phases of travel. Skytrax is the London-based international air transport rating organisation that carries out comprehensive airport and airline audits and ranks airlines worldwide for staff service standards and product quality. Nebras Power celebrated National Sport Day by hosting a corporate bowling competition at Qatar Bowling Centre. In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, we promote a work-life balance for our employees, and fully support them to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle, Nebras Power CEO Khalid Mohamed Jolo said.

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