Chelsea great John Terry to leave club

GWC records QR50.5m

net profit in Q1

Included with today’s edition

is a 12-page special supplement

The 7th edition of the Qatar Motor Show is here and offers automotive enthu-siasts and visitors exclusive regional and local reveals from 20 global brands organisers.

Held under the patronage of Prime Minis-ter and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the event opened its doors on April 18 and will end on April 22 at the Doha Exhibition and Conven-tion Center (DECC). True to its theme of “Driving to Innovation", Qatar Motor Show 2017 aims to take visitors on a thrill-filled ride to discover the latest hybrid and tech-advanced vehicles that are paving the way to the future of the automotive industry.

The show will unveil limited edition cars and some of the rarest classic cars in the world. Spread over the 12,000 sqm hall, exhibitors will include: Dodge, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, Chevrolet,

Genesis, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maser-ati, Mini, BMW, Mercedes- Benz,

Mitsubishi, BAIC and Harley Dav-idson. The Classic Car exhibition will showcase a line up of 20

classical cars provided by Sheikh Faisal Museum, Al

Fardan Group and Mawater.

“Qatar Motor Show’s long-term vision is to

become a platform and a hub for

industry

innovation and technol-ogy, while reinforcing Qatar’s position as a pre-mium business events destination,” said Ahmed Al Obaidli, Director of Exhibitions at Qatar Tour-ism Authority.

Interactive fan zones will be packed with per-formances and activities including the inaugural

XRebels extreme sports performance by Xtork at the ‘Xtreme Sports Park’, which will be open to the public at DECC. Skateboarding, BMX Best Runs and Longboard Sprint Race competitions will be running from April 19 until the end of the event. Visitors can register online in advance for these activities to eliminate waiting time. Additionally, the park will host fun games such as parkour, MTB and Aggressive Inline Skate.

To attract visitors from the region, Qatar Motor Show 2017 offers special promotions in collaboration with hotel, airline, and transpor-tation partners. Qatar Airways, the Official Airline, will offer visitors coming to see the show discounted fares which can be accessed by vis-iting the Qatar Airways website. Discounted bookings will also be available at Shangri-La, QMS’ Official Hotel. In addition, Careem, the Official Transportation Partner, will be offer-ing visitors 20% off rides to and from the event during the five days of the show.

“We are delighted to welcome Qatar Air-ways back and to join hands with new partners such as the Shangri-La Hotel and

Careem,” said Ahmed Al Mulla, Chief Operating Officer of Entertain-

ment at Elan Group. Doha will also experi-

ence a parade of unique and exciting cars in

West Bay at the DECC at 5pm daily. Social media competitions will be running throughout the show, giving visitors the chance to win mem-orable prizes including gadgets, branded merchandising and weekend test drives. Visitors are encour-aged to register online on http://www.qatarmotor-show.gov.qa/ and to follow the show’s social media channels on Twitter and instagram on @Qatarmo-torshow and on facebook on facebook/qatarmo-torshow for the latest updates and more information.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017

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ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

ADVERTISING MANAGERAli Wahba

CHAIRMANSheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid Al-Shafi

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Muhammad Shammas

DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

PRODUCTIONViswanath Sarma

Driving to Innovation

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BUSINESS | 21 SPORT | 28

Volume 22 | Number 7136 | 2 RiyalsWednesday 19 April 2017 | 22 Rajab 1438 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Sachin Kumar The Peninsula

IN A MAJOR milestone for Qatar’s water security, Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani launched the expansion of Ras Abu Fontas (RAF) A3 Water Desalination Station yesterday. The project, with a total cost of about QR1.75bn, has the capacity of generating 36 million gallons of potable water per day.

Increase of this additional pro-duction capacity will help RAF to cover around 60 percent of the country water requirement.

→ Continued on page 2

President of Uganda arrives

PRESIDENT of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Museveni arrived in Doha yesterday on an official visit. Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi and Ugan-da's Ambassador Yahya Rashid Ssemuddu received the President and his delegation at the Hamad Inter-national Airport. → See also page 3

New Corona Virus case

A 25-YEAR OLD expatriate has tested positive for MERS-CoV — Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus — in the second confirmed case of the virus this year. The patient has fever, cough, cold and body pain for few days and was initially treated at a primary healthcare centre and later transferred to the Hamad General Hospital, the Min-istry of Public Health (MOPH) said yesterday.

→ Continued on page 5

UNDER the auspices of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdul-lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Minister of Trans-port and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti opened the Qatar Motor Show 2017 in the presence of the Minister of Municipal-ity and Environment H E Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi and a number of officials and businessmen at Doha Exhibition and Con-vention Center.

→ See also page 4 & 7

Minister opens Qatar Motor Show

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani launching the expansion of Ras Abu Fontas A3 Water Desalination Station in Al Wakrah, yesterday.

PM launches Ras

Abu Fontas A3

Desalination Station

Vehicles older than 15 years require tests every 6 monthsSidi Mohamed The Peninsula

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has issued a circular to insurance companies asking them to com-

ply with a rule announced by the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior recently, making it mandatory for vehicles older than 15 years to have technical inspection every six months.

The Peninsula got a copy of the cir-cular which says that the instruction is

based on a letter sent by the Traffic Department. The circular says that vehi-cles which are older than 15 years must pass technical inspection every 6 months for five years. After this period, the inspection will be every four months for the next five years, and then every three months for the coming five years. This means that a 2001 model car, for instance, must undergo repeat techni-cal inspection every six months, while a 1996 model vehicle must go for inspection every four months.

→ Continued on page 2

The Peninsula

Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday issued Law No. 5 of 2017 which regu-

lates dealing in subsidised commodities. The law stipu-lates jail and hefty fine for dealing in subsidised commod-ities without a licence from the authorities concerned as per Article 3 of the law.

The law defines

subsidised commodities as food and fodder subsidised by the state. Dealing in sub-sidised commodities means selling, storing, filling, pack-aging, transferring or distributing these items.

According to Article 11, it

is prohibited for the beneficiar-ies of subsidised commodities to resell the products after buy-ing from authorized distribution centers, showcase for sale, or deal in any other way that vio-lates the provisions of this law.

Article 12 has banned export of subsidised commodities out of country for any reason. It is also prohibited to import any subsidised commodity without taking permission from the authority concerned.→ Continued on page 2

Emir issues law on subsidised items

Jail and hefty fine for dealing in subsidised commodities without a licence.

02 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017HOME

Sachin Kumar The Peninsula

Qatar’s electricity pro-duction will get a big boost with the open-ing Umm Al Houl power project. The

project is expected to start pro-duction during the second quarter of next year, said Min-ister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada yesterday.

Dr Sada said energy produc-tion in Qatar will increase from 8,600 megawatts (MW) to more than 11,000 MW in one year, and more than 530 million gallons of desalinated water daily, once the full production of Umm Al Houl station is counted during the second quarter of 2018.

He was speaking during the launch ceremony of the expan-sion of Ras Abu Fontas (RAF) A3 Water Desalination Station held

in Al Wakra. Umm Al Houl power project,

which is one among the biggest projects in the region, represents almost 25 percent of the total power and water requirement of Qatar.

Fahad bin Hamad Al Mohan-nadi, Managing Director and General Manager of QEWC said the current RAF A3 expansion is the last in the 40-year old sta-tion, and in the future the stations will be stopped or a study on the possibility of build-ing new stations, whether in the field of electricity or water desalination.

Al Mohannadi added that any water produced undergoes at least a 15-day testing period and three levels of quality con-trol. Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) owns a complete and interna-tionally approved device for testing drinking water as well as the Ministry of Health has an independent device for testing

water, in addition to an interna-tional third party that is assigned for this task. The water is pumped for use after approvals from all three entities.

Kahramaa President Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari said Kah-ramaa has made a plan to expand electricity and water power generation networks, where the new station Facility A will be launched this year.

Facility A is currently in the phase of preparing tender doc-uments, and QEWC is a main partner in the station, he added.

Al Kuwari said that con-struction documents for an electricity generating station and other accompanying private projects are currently being pre-pared, where the QEWC is also a main partner.

The Kahramaa president said there are plans to expand the water and electricity network in the country, adding that any new plants are followed by energy and water distribution grids.

The Peninsula

Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday issued Law No. 7 of 2017 on allow-ing Gulf companies in

GCC states to open branches in the country.

The Emir also issued Law No. 6 of 2017, amending some pro-visions of Law No. 7 of 1987 on the rules of practising commer-cial activity by GCC citizens in Qatar. The laws are effective and are to be published in the official gazette. The law allowing GCC citizens to practise commercial activities includes amendments to four articles.

Article 2 of the amended law states that without violating advantages stipulated in laws

and decisions applicable to prac-tising economic activities, GCC citizens as individuals or legal personalities are allowed to practise retail and wholesale trade in the country.

The law stipulated that the citizen concerned must be directly responsible for the activ-ity for which he/she has got licence, even if it is one or more branches, unless there are rea-sons preventing to do so. For legal personalities, the law said that the company must be fully owned by the GCC citizen.

For retail business, the licensed GCC citizens must do direct sale to customers through shop and those practising whole-sale trading are required to import and export the goods.

The Law No 7 on allowing Gulf companies in GCC to open branches in the country states that these branches will be treated equally like Qatari com-panies in accordance with the rules and regulations.

In order to open branches in Qatar, the Gulf companies must have commercial registration in one of the GCC States for at least three years, and the activities must be among those allowed for the GCC citizens to practise in the country. The company must be fully owned by GCC citizens and the manager of the company also needs to be a GCC citizen with exceptions approved by the department concerned at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.

In case the branch of the company failed to respect the above conditions, the Minister of Economy and Commerce has the right to cancel the commercial registration of the company.

Meawhile, Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

yesterday issued an instrument of ratification endorsing a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of protecting endangered wild-life and the conservation of its natural habitat between the gov-ernments of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which was signed in Doha on February 27, 2017.

Emir also issued an instru-ment of ratification endorsing an MoU on cooperation in the field of financial policy and budget affairs between the State of Qatar's Ministry of Finance and the Republic of Azerbaijan's Min-istry of Finance, which was signed in Baku on March 8, 2016.

Additionally, the Emir issued an instrument of ratification endorsing the ratification of an

agreement on waiving visa requirements for holders of dip-lomatic, special and official passports between the govern-ments of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Colombia, which was signed in Bogota on July 27, 2016.

Emir also issued an instru-ment of ratification endorsing a draft agreement on air services between the governments of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Montenegro, which was signed in Doha on Jan. 29, 2017.

Emir issued an instrument of ratification endorsing the ratifica-tion of an MoU on cooperation in the field of standardization between Qatar General Organization for Standardization (QS) and Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) in the Republic of Turkey, which was signed in Trabzon in 2016.

Emir issues law allowing Gulf firms to open branches

Project marks leap in quality of water production

→ Continued from page 1Speaking at the ceremony,

Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of Qatar Electric-ity and Water Company (QEWC) H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada said the project represents a leap in the quality of water pro-duction using Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology, which is distin-guished by its low cost and complete independence from the electricity generation process.

The Minister added that RO is environmentally friendly since it has no heat effect on sea water as oppose to the tradition proc-ess of water production, thermal distillers, the Minister added.

This is the first project in Qatar where Reverse Osmosis technology is being used for water desalination on this large scale.

Dr Al Sada added that when Umm Al Houl station becomes

functional mid of this year, the water production using RO tech-nology will reach 100 million gallons of desalinated water per day, making Qatar the highest water producer in the region using this technology.

The project also paid atten-tion to using the highest global

standards of safety and security, where the more than 2,000 labours and employees covered nearly 8 million hours of work with no accidents, the Minister added. Following the directives of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and in corre-spondence with the goals of

Qatar National Vision 2030, the governments always works towards securing the necessities of sustainable development in line with the rapid growth wit-nessed in the country, the Minister added.

Dr Al Sada said the opening and operation of the RAF A3

station in the given time and within the expected budget con-firms QEWC’s role in contributing in achieving water security in the country.

He added that the ministry works on supporting and devel-oping the water and electricity sectors by encouraging the

involvement of the private sec-tor; through establishing electricity generation and water desalination projects to provide the needs of economic develop-ments and infrastructure in the country, and to keep up with the growing demand of water and electricity.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada with other officials at the ceremony.

Umm Al Houl project to boost energy production

Scientific Conference concludesThe Peninsula

The second International Scientific Conference on Social Responsibility con-

cluded yesterday at Qatar National Convention Centre.

The conference was organ-ised by Al Faisal without Borders Foundation and Faisal Center for Community Responsibility under the theme “Security a Social Responsibility”.

The Ministry of Interior par-ticipated in the three-day conference in order to raise community awareness about the importance of the security sense as a collective responsibility between individuals and the

state. More than 45 researchers from 18 Arab, Gulf and European countries participated in the conference. The exhibition which was held on the sidelines

of the conference showcased a number of awareness booklets, police magazines, and many other booklets to raise aware-ness among drivers.

Amendments

The law allowing GCC citizens to practise commercial activities includes amendments to four articles.

To open branches, the companies must have commercial registration in the GCC for three years.

→ Continued from page 1When contacted by The

Peninsula yesterday, a source at the Traffic Department refused to give details about the circular but said that some "good" amend-ments in the decision would be announced shortly.

"People will be happy about the new changes," said

the source. A source at a lead-ing insurance company confirmed that the company received the QCB circular last month.

“Yes, we have received the circular from Qatar Central Bank and some vehicle owners have come to us to renew their insurance for six months period

(as mentioned in the circular)," he said.

He, however, said that there are not many old vehicles fall-ing in this category. “Only two or three such cases have come to us until now because the number of vehicles on the road that are older than 15 years is not high," he added.

Not many old vehicles on the roads

→ Continued from page 1Article 16 stipulates punish-

ment – jail for maximum one year or fine worth QR 500,000 or both, for violating any provi-sion of Articles 3, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the law.

In case of repetition of the violation mentioned in the above articles, the punishment will be tougher.

Article 20 stipulates that employees of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce armed with judicial powers will catch and probe the crimes that come under the provisions related to violation of this law, based on the decision of the Attorney General with approval of the Minister. Inspectors are allowed to enter in commercial outlets, stores and all non-residential places any time for

investigation.Employees armed with judi-

cial powers are allowed to confiscate the suspected prod-ucts that come under violations specified in Article 3, 9, 10, 11 and 12 or shift them to the stores of the authorities concerned till completion of the probe and the case will be referred to the Pub-lic Prosecution within a week at the maximum.

Article 9 prohibited certain activities for those holding licences for dealing in subsidised commodities. They are banned from selling such commodities in quantities weighing less than that specified by the relevant department. It is not allowed to replace them with commodities of lower quality to make profit from the difference in prices.

The law bans mixing them

with other products to change their composition with the intent of trading in them.

It is not allowed to refuse to sell the commodities or to sell them in quantities that exceeds the specified limits.

Hiding the commodities or shutting the store for the pur-pose of not selling them or promoting certain commodities are also banned.

The dealers are not permit-ted to associate their sale to that of another commodity, suspend their sale in a way that violates the provisions of the law or sell /store them outside the licensed place.

The law bans selling the commodities to non-benefici-ary segments unless licensed to do that as well as exporting them abroad.

Inspectors to conduct routine checks

A stall at the conference.

03WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 HOME

Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Museveni in Doha yesterday. Earlier, Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi and Uganda's Ambassador to Qatar Yahya Rashid Ssemuddu received the Ugandan President and his accompanying delegation at Hamad International Airport.

Foreign Minister meets President of Uganda

The Peninsula

Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the world to achieve compliance with the International Air

Transport Association (IATA) Res-olution 753 at its hub in Hamad International Airport (HIA).

The resolution requires the airline to track every piece of baggage from the start of the journey all the way through to its finish. The certification has been achieved thanks to the air-line’s Baggage Management System (“HAQIBA”) developed in-house, as well as its seamless real time integration with the Qatar Airways website and mobile app.

Qatar Airways offers real time updates on checked bag-gage through the “Track My Bags” feature on its website and mobile app, providing passen-gers with hassle-free baggage experience. The mobile app pro-vides real time notification to passengers with relevant updates on the bag, as well as the ability to retrieve the details on need basis using “My Trips”.

The information includes various stages of the baggage handling process such as check-in, transfer, arrival, as well as reference to bag tags and bag-gage belt. This information guides passengers during the journey and provides insight into any instance of delayed or lost baggage. The HAQIBA sys-tem enables Qatar Airways’ staff to proactively manage the delayed bags to provide an opti-mized handling process.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our careful attention to our

passengers’ baggage, from the beginning of their journey all the way through to its finish, is yet another indication of the impor-tance we place on customer experience. We have proactively taken steps to align our baggage management systems with IATA’s requirements. As a result, we are delighted that the asso-ciation has declared Qatar Airways the first airline world-wide to become certified for end-to-end tracking for our hub at HIA.”

Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger,

Cargo and Security for IATA, said: “Qatar Airways’ efforts over the past year to comply with IATA Resolution 753 on Baggage Track-ing have paid off. We congratulate the airline on becoming the first in the world to achieve full com-pliance of the resolution at their hub in Doha. Qatar Airways’ abil-ity to track baggage at every stage of its journey will allow the air-line full visibility to manage its baggage operations and to more easily trace, retrieve and deliver missing or delayed bags, leading to a better experience for passengers.”

Resolution 753 was devel-oped to reduce mishandling and baggage fraud, increase passen-ger satisfaction and enhance the overall baggage management landscape at airports around the world. The resolution was issued in 2016 and made mandatory for all IATA airlines, who have until June 1, 2018 to comply.

The certificate was pre-sented to Qatar Airways’ Doha hub HIA; once all its stations in the network are compliant with the resolution, IATA will award the airline a platinum certificate.

Qatar Airways bags honourfor baggage management

First in the world

QA is first in the world to achieve compliance with the IATA Resolution 753 at its hub in Hamad International Airport.

Airline offers real time updates on checked baggage through the “Track My Bags” feature.

Cairo

QNA

The 41st meeting of the committee of senior Arab officials in charge of the

issues of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruc-tion kicked off yesterday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

The State of Qatar is taking part in the meeting with a del-egation headed by Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatar's ambas-sador to Austria and the

permanent representative to the international organisations in Vienna. The delegation also includes Yousef bin Sultan Yousef Laram, the acting direc-tor of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations.

The three-day meeting will discuss the implementation of the recommendations of the 40th meeting of the committee and examine the recommenda-tions contained in the report of the secretary general on the out-comes of the panel of the wise

on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The meeting will also dis-cuss the preparations for the conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), due to be held in Vienna in May, as well as preparations for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference, scheduled for September and the evaluation of the UN nego-tiating conference on a binding instrument to ban nuclear weapons.

Qatar participates in Arab League meeting on nuclear weapons

Airline tracks every piece of baggage from start to finish.

04 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017HOME

The inspectors from the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in collaboration with the authorities concerned have rounded up 32 street vendors for violating rules in Musheirib. The vendors were caught in a surprise inspection drive launched in the area. They were referred to the security agency for further legal actions.

Crackdown on illegal street vendors

The Peninsula

Umm Slal Mohammed Interchange has been completely opened to

traffic as part of North Road Cor-ridor Enhancement project, the Public Works Authority, Ashghal, has said.

The new junction imple-mented by Ashghal serves as an access point for the local neigh-bourhoods of Jeryan Jenaihat, Umm Slal Mohammed and Umm Slal Ali, located east and west of Al Shamal Road.

The interchange is made up of two graded levels, with a main bridge comprising two or three lanes in each direction to cater for 3500 vehicles per hour. Four on-and-off ramps are provided, the southern ones already

opened in November 2016 whereas the northern slopes were just delivered in April 2017.

The main bridge has two light signals to help organise traf-fic in all directions and at the four ramps in particular, boosting safety as one of the main goals adopted by Ashghal. Ashghal had partially opening the junction in November 2016.

Umm Slal Mohammed Inter-change will help smoothen mobile local traffic for the inhab-itants of the crowded Umm Slal Mohammed area along with Umm Slal Ali, Jeryan Jenaihat and Al Kheesa as well. It will pro-vide free flowing traffic from and to Al Shamal Road apart from jams on Al Kheesa Interchange.

The new junction will bring in better access for commuters

coming from and to Doha and northern areas through the serv-ice roads connecting Al Shamal Road.

Also, it will create more con-nections for travellers heading from the North Road and west-ern side areas towards Jeryan Jenaihat and Al Kheesa along with Community College in Qatar, Qatar University and Al Khor Coastal Road.

The intersection will bring in new routes for travellers head-ing from North Road and eastern side areas towards Umm Slal Mohammed and Umm slal Ali along with Barzaan Market, Umm Slal Healthcare Centre, the new Umm Slal Wholesale Mar-ket and many other business and educational facilities around.

Umm Slal Interchange is part

of North Road Corridor Enhance-ment Project which is 95 percent complete since Ashghal is final-izing Al Kheesa Interchange and the 200 km service roads and cycling and foot paths.

Ashghal already opened the vital Al Kharaitiyat Interchange last March to serve areas of Al Kharaitiayt, Leabib, Al Ebb besides nearby highways and businesses as it creates several

alternative routes for travellers from and to the North Road.

Also, Ashghal opened late 2016 the Izghawa Interchange to bring in alternative routes from Lusail to Izaghawa and Al Shamal Road and businesses around and sharing more traffic with Duhail Interchange.

The bridge linking Al Huwaila Road and North Road, enhancing traffic to and from

Raas Laffan. The road linking Al Khor and North Road was also completed, a 5 km dual carriage-way with three lanes in each direction instead of two lanes in each direction. Ashghal delivered Umm Birkah Road, as well as Al Sakhama and Umm Al Amad Braiding Bridges to bring in eas-ier access to areas of Al Sakhama, Sanae Lehmaidi, Umm Al Amad and Umm Slal

110 cars on display at Qatar Motor Show

Winds to get strongerThe Peninsula

The prevailing north westerly winds are expected to get stronger

over the coming days, accord-ing to the Meteorology Department. The wind speed is expected to range between 15 to 25/30 knots today, with wave height between 6 to 8 Feet. With the stronger winds picking up dust, the visibility is expected to drop to 2km or less in some areas.

However, the weather charts show stronger north-westerly windy conditions over all areas on Thursday and Friday. The winds are expected to range between 20 to 30/38 knots and wave height between 8 to 10 feet reaching 13 ft in some areas.

Meanwhile, the northern winds have brought down the temperature back to the aver-age for the month. Today the weather would be hot during day with slight blowing dust at places with some clouds. Doha is expected to have tempera-tures ranging between 37 to 27 degrees Celsius.

Raynald C RiveraThe Peninsula

Thousands of car enthu-siasts are expected to throng the seventh edition of Qatar Motor Show which opened

yesterday at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC), said organisers.

“We expect thousands of people to visit the show which runs until Saturday. Twenty-seven brands and 110 cars are being displayed at this exciting edition which has a special sec-tion for classic cars and another for Ferrari car lovers,” Saif Al Kuwari, Director of PR & Com-munication at Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) told The Penin-sula at yesterday’s opening event.

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi officially opened the exhibition which witnessed the attendance of a number of heads of missions and other dignitaries.

Speaking to reporters, Al Sulaiti expressed satisfaction on the brands and newly launched exclusive models on show which are of international level as well as underlined the significance of the event towards helping the private sector in particular and the economy in general.

On the progress of road and other infrastructure projects, he said that projects are progress-ing as planned. He highlighted government efforts to further enhance public transport with more buses, taxis and the soon-to-be launched water taxis as part of efforts towards an inte-grated transport system to enable seamless mobility among the population.

Eight cars revealed for the first time in the region and 14 launched locally are among the vehicles displayed on an 12,000sqm exhibition space.

Leading international car-makers introduced top sports, luxury and mid-range automo-tive models and branded lifestyle goods. The show saw the launch

of the BAIC brand for the first time in Qatar, in addition the launch of Mercedes’s E-Coupe, E43 and SLC 43, Lexus’s Lexus LC 500, Chevrolet’s Tahoe Mid-night Edition, Trailblazer Z71, Camaro ZL1, Malibu Turbo, and Silverado Midnight Edition. The show also featured the launch of Ford’s Fiso Raptor, Lincoln’s Lin-coln Continental, Ram’s 1200 and 1500 limited editions, Hyundai’s

IONIQ Hybrid, and Genesis’s Genesis G90 and Genesis G80.

Twenty classic cars are dis-played in a 5,000sqm showroom. These cars are some of the rar-est and most iconic pieces in the world presented by the Sheikh Faisal Museum, Mawater and Al Fardan.

“After months of preparation, we are pleased to raise the curtain on the 2017 edition of the show,

an event that is proudly led by local talents and is contributing to cementing Qatar’s position as a premium destination for business events and shedding light on what our nation has to offer within the technology and automotive sector,”said Ahmed AlObaidli, Director of Exhibitions Depart-ment at QTA.

Mawater is holding daily parades at 3pm from the DECC

VIP parking including sedan classic cars parade today, sport muscle cars parade tomorrow, GCC mixed classics on Friday and pick-up classic trucks parade on Saturday.

Batabit will host a speed bikes parade this afternoon as well as a series of biking parades including a choppers parade, and a spiders parade, wrapping the show on Saturday with a stellar perform-ance on the Doha Corniche.

The show is also running five social media competitions every day with many valuable prizes for visitors to win by following the show’s social media channels.

Exciting event

Thousands of car enthusiasts expected to visit the show which runs until Saturday: Saif Al Kuwari.

Twenty classic cars are displayed in a 5,000sqm showroom.

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi with other officials during the opening of the Qatar Motor Show 2017 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, yesterday. Pic: Saim Matramkot / The Peninsula

Umm Slal Mohammed Interchange on North Road opens to traffic

The Umm Slal Mohammed Interchange which was opened to traffic.

Minister of Transport and Communication H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti highlighted government efforts to further enhance public transport with more buses, taxis and the soon-to-be launched water taxis as part of efforts towards an integrated transport system to enable seamless mobility among the population.

05WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 HOME

Ezdan Mall Gharaffa celebrates 4th anniversaryThe Peninsula

Ezdan Mall Company, a subsidiary of Ezdan Holding Group, has organised an array of events and celebrations

in honour of Ezdan Mall Gharaf-fa’s fourth anniversary. The celebration continued for one week from April 9 to 15 amid an interactive ambiance involving the public.

The mall’s fourth anniversary was marked by a remarkable cake cutting ceremony held at the main entrance of the mall, in the presence of Malik Awan, the Group General Manager of Ezdan Mall, Ezdan Holding Group rep-resentatives, retailers, guests, partners, as well as a group of prominent media figures, blog-gers, social media influencers and other officials of various minis-tries and embassies in Doha.

Activities involved three days ambush interviews by Khalifa Haroon known as Mr. Q with ran-dom mall guests as well as different type of people with dif-ferent nationalities in various tourist destinations in Qatar, such as Souq Waqif. These events included questions for the public and gifts distribution to the win-ners who manage to give four reasons that make them eager to visit Ezdan Mall.

A selfie video contest, entitled

"I Love Ezdan Mall” also took place during the week long cam-paign, and was held in two different locations within the mall, the first was at the main entrance and the second was opposite to Carrefour. The con-test participants took video clips, where they congratulated Ezdan Mall for its four year anniversary, and indicated four reasons why they are attracted to the mall, then they shared the clips on their social media pages with the hash-tag "#EzdanMall4”. Winners of the contest received Ezdan Mall shopping vouchers and special prizes from Ezdan Mall Retailers.

Malik said that since its inau-guration in 2013, Ezdan Mall

Gharaffa has proudly contributed to the growth of the retail sector in the country, by stimulating the shopping sector and meeting the needs of shoppers. The mall is home to a number of interna-tional brands that are first-of-its-kind in the Qatari market, in addition to its 5 star unparalleled services that enable visitors to enjoy a unique shop-ping experience and become loyal customers.

Malik pointed out to the rich experience of Ezdan Mall in the social responsibility sector, explaining that “the Green Dream 2022” is one of the most promis-ing environmental projects carried out by a shopping centre in Qatar, with the aim to educate the community about the impor-tance of adopting a greener lifestyle in their day to day living. The mall has also recently partic-ipated in “Earth Hour 2017” environmental event, in addition to its contribution in the “8th edi-tion of QIFF 2017” Qatar International Food Festival 2017, where it has introduced various types of fresh produce cultivated in its outdoor garden in front of Ezdan Mall’s Gate 4, which is allo-cated to organic farming.

Malik continued by saying: “the “Green Dream 2022 initia-tives” contributes to educating the public about methods of preserv-ing the environment and its

resources from contamination and damage, spreading the cul-ture of afforestation and awareness about the importance of sustainable development though interactive public lectures and workshops on methods of agriculture and horticulture”. He added: "The initiative has wit-nessed the participation of more than 2,200 students monthly from various schools in Qatar, while workshops and awareness lectures were attended by over 6,000 students every week”

Moreover, “Apparel Group”

has recently announced the open-ing of the first branch of the renowned brand “Tim Hortons” first of its 31 stores in Ezdan Mall Al Wakrah. In addition to that, Carrefour Hypermarket was also opened in the same mall last December. The inclusion of these well-known brands is part of Ezdan Mall preparations for the official opening of Ezdan Mall Al Wakrah, which will be the larg-est of its kind in the dynamic area of Al Wakrah.

In November 2016, Ezdan Mall was chosen as one of the finalists

under “cause Related Marketing category” in recognition of its efforts to promote the Green Dream 2022 initiatives, and its endeavours to create a culture of environment protection and sus-tainable development. Ezdan Mall also won the ‘Gold Award’ for the ‘Retail Professional of the Year 2016’, and ‘Silver Award’ in ‘Retail Excellence in Customer Service’ at the ‘2016 ICSC Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards’ held during ‘RECon 2016’ at Ritz-Carlton in Dubai UAE.

Malik Awan, the Group GM of Ezdan Mall, Ezdan Holding Group representatives, and other well-wishers join a cake cutting ceremony to celebrate Ezdan Mall Gharaffa’s fourth anniversary.

Celebration time

Ezdan Mall Company has organised an array of events and celebrations in honour of Ezdan Mall Gharaffa’s fourth anniversary.

The celebration continued for one week from April 9 to 15 amid an interactive ambiance involving the public.

Experts discuss UTI issues at HMC meetThe Peninsula

More than 250 healthcare professionals gathered in Doha to examine the

causes and treatment options for an increasingly common illness – Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).

The Challenges in Urinary Tract Infections Symposium, held by Hamad Medical Corpo-ration (HMC) on April 6, gathered physicians and healthcare workers from a range of specialities including gynaecology and urology.

During the symposium, held under the Chairmanship of Dr Khalid Al Rumaihi, Sen-ior Consultant and Head of Urology section, attendees examined the challenges in diagnosing, treating and pre-venting UTIs, especially difficult cases. Dr Al Rumaihi said: “UTIs, which can range from bladder infections to kidney infections, are among the most common and debilitating bac-terial infections, affecting more than 150 million people world-wide every year. Symptoms of a UTI include dysuria (also known as painful urination or a burning sensation when uri-nating), an urgent need to urinate as well as bladder pain and fever,” he said.

“UTIs are considered to be the most common bacterial infection and can affect men and women of all ages. In fact, more than half of women will

experience a UTI during their lifetime,” said Dr Hana’a Al Hothi, Consultant in the Urol-ogy Department at HMC and Head of Organizing Commit-tee. “The incidence of UTIs is also increased during preg-nancy, menopause and in patients with spinal cord inju-ries, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.”

The elderly are at greater risk for serious illness from UTIs because the condition is often further along before they are diagnosed and because they often have other health prob-lems that make them more vulnerable.

The symposium also focused on myths surrounding UTIs including hygiene and diet. Challenges in diagnosis and testing, as well as treatment of the infections in the elderly and new strategies for treatment of recurrent infections, were also discussed.

“Patients with acute UTIs are typically prescribed a short course of antibiotics. However, some patients do not respond to this treatment. If left unchecked, infections can become chronic and patients can end up in hospital,” said Dr Ahmed Hayati, Clinical Fellow at HMC. “This symposium was an opportunity to bring together experts and clinicians from a range of disciplines to tackle a common and potentially prob-lematic condition,” he added.

Prof Osamah Khalil during the lecture.

Lecture explores impact of US foreign policy on Mideast studiesThe Peninsula

How has the study of the Middle East been impacted by the United

States’ foreign policy decisions? Professor Osamah Khalil delved into the complexities of the US government’s relationship with the academic community at a recent public lecture at Georget-own University in Qatar.

Khalil, assistant professor of US and Middle East history at Syr-acuse University, provided the audience with a summary of key themes in his recently published book America’s Dream Palace: Middle East Expertise and the Rise of the National Security State.

The author explained how, after the Second World War, the state began funding Middle East-ern studies at prominent US universities, primarily to ensure the education of future govern-ment employees or businessmen that could support its security and political interests. Later, institu-tions which did not align their activities with government goals saw their funding reduced, while centres and think tanks which did flourished. This influenced the direction of research and the greater understanding of the Mid-dle East, as well as the experts who were called upon to provide guidance.

“When you start linking

security and education, that becomes a predominant ration-ale,” explained Khalil. “It’s not really about the region, is it?”

Khalil explained that even the term ‘Middle East’ and the coun-tries which are included in its scope were influenced by politi-cal ideas and interests. He said that, depending on the time period, countries as distant as Morocco, Afghanistan, and Paki-stan could be included under the umbrella term ‘Middle East.’

Khalil, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, is an expert in for-eign relations, the modern Middle East, the Cold War, and Arab-Israeli conflict.

Qatar recorded 20 confirmed cases of MERS since 2012→ Continued from page 1

After laboratory tests at the Hamad Medical Corpo-ration’s (HMC) laboratories and medical assessment sec-tion, the case was diagnosed and confirmed with MERS- COV infection.

Since the outbreak of the disease in 2012, Qatar has recorded 20 confirmed cases of MERS and seven of the vic-tims were reported dead.

“Despite his stable con-dition, the patient was admitted to hospital, to com-ply with the national infection prevention and control protocol for con-firmed and suspected MERS-CoV cases to ensure that the patient receives appropriate medical atten-tion,” the Ministry of Public Health said in a statement yesterday.

The emergency response team at the Health Promo-tion and Communicable Diseases Department at the Ministry of Public Health responded as soon it was alerted about the case.

It conducted elaborate tests to know the source of the illness.

Necessary tests have been conducted on all those who came into contact with the patient, who have been kept under observation for two weeks, said the ministry.

However, the patient didn’t have contacts with anyone infected with MERS virus nor travelled out of the country recently.

Meanwhile, the 62 year old patient who was tested positive for MERS-CoV last month has recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

The Ministry of Public Health has set up hotlines 66740948 and 66740951 for health protection and com-municable disease control. It is accessible 24/7 to respond to any notification or queries related to infectious diseases.

Qatar committed to preservation of cultural property: Al KubaisiQNA

Chief Archaeology Officer at Qatar Museums Ali Jas-sim Al Kubaisi said that the

state have made a number of achievements om the field of heritage and archaeology, the most prominent of which was the inclusion of Al Zubarah by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

Speaking exclusively to Qatar News Agency, Al Kubaisi said that Al Zubarah is one of the most historical sites in Qatar. It

was once a prosperous port filled with fishermen and traders. The site dates back to 1760. It con-sists of a fortified town that has an inner and an outer wall. The site also has a harbour, a sea canal, two screening walls, Murair fort, and Al Zubarah Fort.

Another achievement, Al Kubaisi added, was the launch of the Qatar-Sudan Archaeolog-ical Project four years ago. Today, the world celebrates the International Day For Monu-ments and Sites which was

decided upon by the Interna-tional Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and was approved by the Unesco in 1983.

Al Kubaisi said that Qatar Museums, based on directives by Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, is working on a comprehensive plan in cooperation with Qatar Tourism Authority to develop the site. He added that they are coor-dinating with ICOMOS and hope to begin implementing the plan

in 2017. The plan includes estab-lishing a centre for visitors that would reflect the historical and social value of the site.

He revealed that the Minis-try of Municipality and Environment is studying the pos-sibility of whether there were other sites eligible for becoming a world heritage sites. He high-lighted in particular Al Reem Reserve, Al Udeid area, and Salwa Bay as ones under consideration.

Al Kubaisi noted that there

was strong cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Qatar University (QU) to updating curriculums when it comes to subjects on museums and archaeological sites. He noted that there was also a joint committee formed with QU to establish a depart-ment on monuments and archaeology to prepare students for work in that field. He noted that such a specialization requires real skill and prepara-tion to excel at.

06 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017HOME

The Peninsula

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in col-

laboration with United Cars Almana, dealer of Dodge vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Dodge Durango mod-els and Jeep Grand Cherokee models of 2016 because the fuel rail crossover tube may have been damaged during the engine manufactur-ing process.

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce said the recall campaign comes within the frame-work of its ongoing efforts to protect con-sumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicles' defects and repair them.

The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.

The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations to its Con-sumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through various channels such as call centre : 16001 or through email at info@mec.gov.qa and social media accounts: Twitter: @MEC_Qatar Instagram: MEC_Qatar as well as the Ministry of Economy and Commerce mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar.

Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee 2016 models recalled

MADA to hold educational meet on ATThe Peninsula

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Qatar Assistive

Technology Center (MADA) announced that the Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology Conference (GREAT), that will take place from April 23 to 26, 2017, at the Qatar National Con-vention Center (QNCC) in Doha.

The Assistive Technology education conference is designed to provide attendees with the tools and knowledge they need to solve their tough-est challenges in education and learn the latest in Inclusive Computer Technology.

Part of GREAT 2017, educa-tion programmes will feature globally recognised experts delivering Master Classes and Keynotes. MADA is committed to spreading awareness about PWD in Qatar and helping them stay connected in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology.

A first of its kind, the GREAT 2017 conference is dedicated to focusing on education practices in Inclusive Computer Technol-ogy and Assistive Technology (AT) in the Gulf Region.

The conference, held in partnership with the Assistive Technology Industry Associa-tion, will feature renowned industry experts who will use this platform to educate and exchange information on best practices and current trends in the field of Inclusive Computer Technology and AT. The

conference is structured in two phases, the first phase taking place on April 23 and 24, con-sists of the pre-conference stage, which includes intensive all-day master classes for par-ticipants pertaining to various AT topics. The second phase, taking place on April 25 and 26, will involve an opening cere-mony, panel discussions and 60 – 90 minute educational work-shops for participants.

“The aim of our GREAT conference is to provide a knowledge-share forum for teachers, academicians, and professionals and promote ini-tiative technologies. At MADA, we want to educate more and more professionals on the importance of assistive technol-ogy for the lives of PWD in Qatar. This years’ event will look at best practices, imple-mentation strategies, research and education in AT for schools. We look forward to welcoming professionals from all over Qatar and the region to our first GREAT conference.” said Maha Al Mansouri, CEO of Mada.

The non-profit organisation announces the conference dedicated to focusing on education practices in Inclusive Computer Technology and Assistive Technology (AT) for the region.

Qatar Charity delegation headed by Sheikh Hamad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Thani at a function in Somalia.

Qatar Charity launches several relief projects in Somalia The Peninsula

A delegation from Qatar Charity (QC) headed by Sheikh Hamad bin Fahd

bin Abdulaziz Al Thani has vis-ited Somalia to observe the worsening humanitarian situa-tion there.

QC has launched several relief projects in Somalia and met with the Prime Minister of Soma-lia and other officials.

The delegation included: Jasem Aljasem, the adviser to the Executive Manager of QC, Man-sour Dafaa, an adviser of International Arbitration and a member of the General Assem-bly of QC, Ahmed Saleh Alali, QC’s Media Manager, Nayef Alanzy, and other media contributors including: Abdellah Anzy, Ahmed Abdellah, Sayed Hussam Rowhy, Abdullah Helali, and from Marsal Qatar network Yaseen Harsi.

After observing the Somalis’ difficult conditions of living, Qatar Charity’s delegation launched a number of important humanitar-ian projects including opening a kitchen that will serve

7,000 people and launching of an artesian well that will provide drinking water for about 4,000 in drought-devastated areas.

Sheikh Hamad bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Thani pointed out that the recent surge of drought has an effect on all aspects of life in Somalia. It has caused a loss of livestock that farmers relied on for daily needs, and people take refuge at shelters at cities so that they could find minimal safety and stay alive.

Detailing more on the humanitarian condition in Soma-lia, Aljasem said: “It is in fact a catastrophe, unbelievable thing. There is a gloomy and heart breaking situation, it is a fact. Nobody could imagine the exist-ence of people living in such situation. Somalians have been suffering for three years because of drought and this is what made the living conditions unbearable. Thousands of families had to take refuge at other areas so that they could have some food or a sip of water. Those who couldn’t make it are among the dead.”

Sayed Mansour Aldafe, the

international arbitrary adviser and the General Assembly mem-ber of Qatar Charity said, “We visited the place so that we could carry their massage and need to Qataris. After observation, we ask the good people of Qatar to help their brothers and sisters in Somalia, and to do it fast. Any-thing could help; excavating wells or provide food and medicine."

As the crisis continues in the midst of lack of basic needs, more help and efforts are needed. Qatar Charity calls for donors to con-tinue their support to save Somalia. People of Qatar can con-tinue their support through various contributions such as QR100 for providing water, QR300 for food basket and QR500 for providing medical services. One can also donate using SMS to the number 92632 to donate QR50, to the number 92642 to donate QR200, or to the number 92428 for QR500.

One can also donate via e-mail at qcharity.org, or via the hotline; 44667711, or through col-lection points and self-service machines of QC at malls.

Sudanese artist showcases 41 works at solo exhibition at KataraThe Peninsula

Sudanese artist Islam Kamel showcases 41 of his works at a solo exhibition entitled

‘Language of Silence’ which opened on Monday at Katara Art Centre.

The General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara, Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, launched the exhibition in the presence of Sudanese ambassador Dr Yasser Khalaf Allah Khadir and the media.

The opening event featured a Sudanese band playing African music, while the visitors admired the works which comprised mixed media and acrylic paint-ings reflecting the artist’s silence

over a period that lasted for six years. “My silence invaded every colour, every frame and across time. It’s the voice of silence which haunted me for a long time. Through it, I saw the depth of col-our and word. I sought tranquility, to both calm and inspire my senses,” said the artist.

Al Sulaiti exuded gratitude and appreciation to the Sudanese art-ist for providing a glimpse of rich Sudanese culture and tradition, noting that some of the drawings represent ancient times that dated back to 6,000 years.

The Sudanese envoy said, “Today as we inaugurate this heartwarming exhibition, it is a confirmation of the fact that K a t a r a s t r i v e s t o

combine diversified cultures under one cultural hub. In this exhibition Islam Kamel beautifully illustrates the Sudanese civilisation through the characters and the choice of colors used.”

Kamel is a member of the Qatar Fine Arts Association and the Sudanese Fine Arts Associa-tion. He has conducted many exhibitions around the globe, including in the Gulf region, and in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The artist expressed his grat-itude and appreciation to Katara for offering a platform to show-case talents, noting that Katara is a cultural hub for all regional, local, and international artists. The exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 10pm until May 5.

Sudanese artist Islam Kamel and Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti at the launch of ‘Language of Silence’ at Katara Art Centre.

Spectacular treat for stargazers as Lyrid meteor shower peaks on SaturdayThe Peninsula

A spectacular treat awaits stargaz-ers in Qatar as the Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Saturday, gen-

erating a visual extravaganza of fast-moving shooting stars. Qatar will experience the first meteor shower since January during the overnight hours on Saturday, according to experts.

A meteor shower happens when a number of meteors flash across the sky from roughly the same point. The annual Lyrid meteor shower takes places annu-ally between April 16 and April 25. This year, it will peak on April 22, with the greatest number of meteors falling dur-ing the few hours before dawn.

Stargazers would be able to see between 10 and 20 Lyrid meteors per

hour and sometimes going up to 100 Lyrids meteors per hour according to experts. The Lyrids shower occurs when the Earth slams into the dusty debris expelled by the ancient Comet Thatcher. Most of the meteors are specks not larger than a sand grain that plummet into earth’s atmosphere. The fragile debris grains disintegrate long before they reach the ground. However, as they travel at immense speeds, these tiny par-ticles put on an impressive show.

People here can observe the meteor shower with plain eyes, without any astronomical telescope. However, they must be away from the city and light. Enthusiasts can also take pictures of the Lyrids meteor by digital cameras, but must increase exposure time to take best photos.

“The best time for viewing and observing meteors is after midnight until dawn, while the best location is a dark location without light and environment pollutions,” said a statement issued yes-terday by Dr Mohammed Al Ansari and Dr Beshir Marzouk of the Qatar Calen-dar House.

This will be an excellent year for viewing the Lyrids as the moon will be in the crescent phase, thus reducing the light from the moon which would oth-erwise interfere with viewing conditions. However, despite the meteors originat-ing from the same point, they will appear in all areas of the sky as they streak away from the point in all directions. Hence, people simply need to look up at the open sky without having to focus on a single point.

Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Saturday.

07WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 HOME

Qatar Motor Show: NBK Automobiles in top gearThe Peninsula

Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, the authorised general distributor of Mer-cedes-Benz in Qatar,

presented their largest range of vehicles yet at the seventh edi-tion of Qatar Motor Show 2017. Following many years of partic-ipation at one of the most important automotive shows in the Gulf, Nasser Bin Khaled Auto-mobiles showcased a wide range of cars from the new collection of Mercedes- Benz, and revealed three new models that promise to capture the heart and mind of guests.

Welcoming visitors to the show’s largest pavilion, NBK’s luxurious exhibition space is dis-playing three new cars — Mercedes-Benz E Coupe, Mer-cedes-AMG E 43, Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 — NBK Automobiles also presented a range of cars that will appeal to all styles and choices, including the SUVs, sporty cars and the luxury series.

Khalid Sha’aban, General Manager, NBK Automobiles said: “NBK Automobiles continues its strong and effective participation at Qatar Motor Show, reflecting our values of luxury and excel-lence. As with previous editions, NBK Automobiles is proud to have the biggest stand in 2017 Qatar Motor Show. This year we are excited to bring visitors three new

models and a wide range of our cars from different segments. Our participation at this event reiter-ates NBK’s industy leading position and our commitment to our customers”.

NBK Automobiles has built its success by establishing solid, longstanding relationships with its customers, and its wide prod-uct offering which appeals to all. As a brand name, Nasser Bin Kha-led Automobiles is deeply associated with a history of pre-mium quality service and market leadership. The company prom-ises to not only meet customer expectations, but to exceed them. Established in 1957, NBK Auto-mobiles is Qatar’s exclusive distributor of three of the world’s most respected, iconic brands: May Bach, Mercedes-Benz and AMG. NBK Automobiles will reveal three new cars: Mercedes-Benz E Coupe, Mercedes-AMG E 43, Mercedes-AMG SLC 43.

Mercedes-Benz E Class CoupeWith its expressive

coupé-esque proportions, clear and sensual design and long-dis-tance comfort for four people, the new E-Class Coupé combines the beauty and classic virtues of a grand tourer with state-of-the-art technology. The new E-Class Coupé has sporty, luxurious inte-rior with refined details, and embodies the synthesis of sporty emotion and luxurious intelli-gence. As a member of the current E-Class family, the new Coupé is significantly more intelligent than its predecessor. It comes with all the features of the E-Class, the most intelligent executive saloon.

The significantly larger foot-print compared with the previous model is to the benefit of passen-gers with extra spaciousness and

comfort. They profit especially in terms of rear knee room, front and rear shoulder room as well as rear headroom. In each of the four fully fledged seats with coupé-specific individual seat character, the driver and passengers enjoy gen-uine comfort on long journeys as well as the classic virtues of a grand tourer.

Mercedes-AMG E 43The looks of the Mercedes-

AMG E 43 render it immediately recognisable as a member of the AMG family. Apart from under-scoring the powerful and self-assured appearance, three large openings in the front apron also ensure an optimum flow of air to the coolers. The interior

design of the car is sporty look with model-specific details. The interior reinforces the dynamic calibre of the new E 43 4MATIC with numerous individual details.

The V6 biturbo engine boasts a high power output combined with low fuel consumption and emissions. The high power out-put of 295 kW (401 hp) is attributable, among other things, to new, larger turbochargers and the higher charge-air pressure of 1.1 bar.

Mercedes-AMG SLC 43Celebrating its 20-year anni-

versary, the SLK compact roadster was relaunched last year in 2016 with a new name – the SLC – as well as significantly

optimised technology and an enhanced look.

The sporty range-topping Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 comes with 270 kW (367 hp).

As part of the facelift, the Mercedes-Benz designers have further honed the cult roadster's sporty look. The new front sec-tion, where the steeply raked radiator grille elongates the appearance of the arrow-shaped bonnet, is particularly striking. A feature that continues to be unique to the SLC is the pano-ramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL this glass roof is lightened or darkened at the touch of a button. Operating the electrohydraulic roof is now even more straightforward.

The exhibition’s largest stand revealed three new cars: Mercedes-Benz E Coupe, Mercedes-AMG E 43 and Mercedes-AMG SLC 43.

Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles displays their largest range of vehicles at the seventh edition of Qatar Motor Show 2017. Pic: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula

AAB unveils Toyota KIKAI concept at showThe Peninsula

Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. Co, sole agents for Toyota vehicles of Qatar

participated in the 7th Edition of Qatar Motor Show that took place at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

During a press conference held on the opening day Dr Nasser Abdulghani, AAB Board Chairman, said: “On behalf of Toyota, Abdullah Abdulghani & Brothers Company, I have great pleasure to welcome you all to the Toyota Booth that has been built under the “WAVE” concept which conveys a feeling of dynamic vibrancy."

Key highlight for the visitors to the Toyota Booth is Toyota KIKAI. As the products of human creativity, dedication, and knowledge, machines should be objects of admiration. Toyota KIKAI concept was designed to explore and emphasise the fun-damental appeal of machines: their fine craftsmanship, their beauty, simplicity, and their fas-cinating motion. As a true concept car, the Toyota KIKAI's appeal is simultaneously free from and reliant on the core concepts of automobiles. The Toyota KIKAI (KIKAI means machine in Japanese) aims to

highlight such elements as the beauty, precision and mechan-ical workings of a car by literally providing windows on action that’s normally out of view.

The look and feel of the booth is in line with the recently announced brand campaign “Go Share the Fun” with the All New 2017 Toyota.

The new campaign captures the sentiments of car owners and encourages them to Explore, Excite and Enjoy with their fam-ilies while driving Toyota. The visitors to the booth can explore more about Toyota’s most pop-ular models – Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Sporty Toyota 86 and Toyota Prius which is the largest sell-ing Hybrid Model in the world.

It’s said “Where the Road ends, Adventure Begins” and this is where Toyota Land Cruiser comes into action and is most popular in Qatar. Land Cruiser is called as the “King of All SUVs” by their fans. Visitors to the Toy-ota Booth can also look at three variants of Toyota Land Cruiser GX, GXR and top of the range VXS. Also on display is Toyota Fortuner 2017 which was awarded with the title of “Best Mid-size SUV” Middle East Car of the Year in the MECOTY 2017 Award recently in UAE.

Hybrid is going to be the technology of the future and guests can have a unique per-sonalised experience, allowing them to closely witness and experience the hybrid technol-ogy through various activities.

Toyota has always been striving to introduce various advanced technologies with class-leading performance and excellent fuel efficiency, enhanced refinement and com-fort for passengers.

Abdullah Abdulghani and Brothers Company always works under the guiding prin-ciples of Customer FIRST philosophy – Fairness, Integrity, Respect, Superior Performance & Teamwork. This has not only helped the company as well as Toyota to be the Number 1 brand in Qatar but also to enhance customer satisfaction of our large customer base. Abdullah Abdulghani & Brothers Com-pany on its part are fully committed to provide the best ownership experience to our valued customers and the best after sales support.

"We are also happy to announce that Abdullah Abdulghani and Brothers Com-pany have been awarded by Toyota Motor Corporation’s most prestigious awards, the

Diamond Award, Marketing Award for Excellence, Out-standing Customer Service Excellence Award and the “Out-standing Customer Service Leadership Award” for our exceptional per-formance in the year 2016. The Outstand-ing Customer Service Leadership Award” is in recog-nition for achieving the “Outstanding Customer Service Award” for 5 years in a row. We whole-heartedly thank our loyal customers for

your support in helping us to achieve this award.

The Peninsula

Lexus Qatar surprised the vis-itors at the Qatar Motor Show with the latest line-up

of the Lexus brand by showcas-ing various aspects of its brand, recent updates and latest prod-ucts in the region through a luxuries booth of 356 square meters.

During the press conference, Dr Nasser Abdulghani Al Abdulghani, Chairman at Abdul-lah Abdulghani & Bros Co, said: “As for the latest Lexus models, today we have the new Lexus LC500 Coupe. The attractive shape and contemporary style of the new LC500 Coupe which rep-resents the future design of the Lexus brand”

Yugo Miyamoto, Lexus Mid-dle East General Manager, said: “We would like to be a luxury life-style brand that doesn’t just provide cars but also appeals to human emotion stimulating the imagination and offering a sense of surprise.”

Lexus Qatar has dedicated a zone for the Hybrid vehicle where they displayed the RX 450h and GS 450h, which is characterised by smart technology and fuel-saving. Lexus Hybrid vehicles switches smoothly and automat-ically between the electric motor and gasoline engine. Lexus is a leading brand in the luxury cate-gory of the Hybrids, offering

technologies that include the best of innovation and luxury. Another zone was dedicated for the high performance vehicles, the eight cylinders, 5.0 litre F models, where they showcased the GS F & RC F.

The latest Lexus model, the LC 500, were also unveiled for the first time in Qatar during the Qatar Motor Show. The Lexus LC 500 is not just another Lexus car, not because it is a new car, nor because it is a sports coupe but because the LC 500 is not math-ematically designed in the traditional sense, but it is a futur-istic and unique design in which it is exciting and innovative through the use of cross-lines and sharp angles with a smooth body.

The design of the front lights is particularly prominent, but there are other details, such as the side air vents, the triangular rear lights, and the unique roof line that ends up unconnected to the rear of the car, which looks sporty with the crumpled exhaust holes on both sides. The overall car shape, especially when viewed sideways, seems to be heavily derived from the Lexus LFA. The LFA is definitely one of the coolest sports cars ever. Inside, there is a strange mix of luxury and sport-ing touches. All that your hands touch here is made of leather and luxurious materials, with a unique traditional touch. But alongside this luxury there is a sporting

elegance that is reflected in the design of the sports seats, and the small steering wheel that stands behind the gearbox ratios. Tech-nically, one look at the dashboard is enough to let you know that you are in a distinctive car. These counters seem to have been taken immediately from the LFA, with the same distinctive sports indi-cator in the middle.

And if the exterior is spectac-ular, underneath it will astound sports enthusiasts. The Lexus LC 500 features a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 471 horsepower. This engine takes its place in the centre of the car, behind the front axle and in front of the passenger compart-ment, to actually be a vehicle with a front-facing engine. This gave the LC 500 the perfect weight dis-tribution, with 52% front and 48% rear, which Lexus believes to be the perfect driving pleasure.

Lexus, known for its certified and high quality vehicles, has the best after sales services of 8 serv-ice centres distributed across Qatar were also some of the loca-tions operate seven days a week. Lexus service locations include: Lexus Main Service Station in Industrial area, Landmark Quick Service Center, Abou Hamour Quick Service Center, Al Nayef Quick Service Center, D Ring Quick Service Center, Wakrah Quick Service Center, Aziz Quick Service Center& Al Khor Quick Service Center.

Officials with the Lexus model at the Qatar Motor Show. Pic: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula

Lexus Qatar surprises visitors with latest brand line-up

Officials with the Toyota KIKAI model at the Qatar Motor Show. Pic: Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula

08 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (centre) reviews the guard of honour during the country's 37th Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, yesterday.

Zimbabwe marks Independence Day

Riyadh

Reuters

A political solution through UN-brokered negotiations is needed to resolve the conflict in Yemen, US Defence Secre-tary Jim Mattis said yesterday as he made his first trip in the role to Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, officials have said the United States is considering deepening its role in the Yemen conflict by more directly aiding its Gulf allies, who are fighting Iranian-sup-ported Houthi rebels.

At least 10,000 people have been killed and more than 3 million displaced in the war, now in its third year. Millions of people are also struggling to feed themselves.

The Houthis control the capital Sana'a and large swathes of territory. The United States backs the Saudi-led coa-lition which is trying to restore the Aden-based government of Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to power, including through a devastating aeriel bombing campaign.

“It has gone on for a long time, we see Iranian supplied missiles being fired by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia and this is something, with the number of innocent people dying inside Yemen, it has sim-ply got to be brought to an end,” Mattis told reporters on his way to Riyadh.

Seven ceasefires brokered between government and rebel forces by the United Nations have failed while UN-backed peace talks have repeatedly broken down.

“We will work with our allies, with our partners to try to get it to the UN-brokered negotiating table,” Mattis said.

Yemen war needs political solution: US

Ankara

AFP

TURKEY'S opposition yester-day demanded the annulment of a contentious referendum that approved sweeping con-stitutional changes boosting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers, claiming blatant vote-rigging.

The European Union also urged a probe into the poll fraud claims after interna-tional observers voiced concerns, but US President Donald Trump called his Turkish counterpart to offer his congratulations.

Critics fear the changes will lead to autocratic one-man rule under Erdogan, but supporters say they simply put Turkey in line with France and the United States and are needed for efficient government.

The 'Yes' camp won Sun-day's poll with just 51.41 percent of the vote but the result has been challenged, with opposition claims of vote rigging and angry protests staged in parts of the biggest city Istanbul.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader Bulent Tezcan formally requested that the Supreme Election Board (YSK) cancel the result.

Turkey oppn calls for vote to be cancelled

Dubai

Reuters

The number of travellers head-ing from the United States to Iran and the Indian Subcon-

tinent has dipped since January after Washington imposed restric-tions affecting some passengers on US-bound flights, an Emirates exec-utive said yesterday.

Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori did not give figures but said some passengers flying from some US cities were taking longer to decide on travel plans. “We see people waiting, especially (to) Iran,” he said in Dubai.

From March 25, the United States banned electronic gadgets larger than a mobile phone inside cabins on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in the Mid-dle East, North Africa and Turkey. Dubai, the Emirates hub, was included.

US President Donald Trump’s executive orders, signed in January

and March, to bar refugees and nationals of several Muslim-major-ity country in the Middle East and North Africa from travelling to the United States also disrupted travel plans of some passengers.

Iran along with Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen were banned under the January order. Iraq was dropped from the March order. Both bans were blocked by US judges.

Emirates said in March that

booking rates on US flights fell 35 percent after January’s ban.

Travel analysis company For-wardKeys said US bookings to the Middle East dropped 27 percent in the four weeks following Trump’s January travel order.

In his comments to reporters, Antinori declined to say whether the US restrictions would affect the airline’s expansion plans but said Emirates could “adapt to the future.”

Antinori had said in 2013 that Emirates would double its US net-work to 15 cities by 2018. It now has 12 US routes. However, Dubai Cor-poration for Tourism and Commerce Marketing Chief Exec-utive Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim said visits by US citizens to Dubai had increased so far this year. He did not give details.

He also said Dubai was also receiving more Chinese visitors since November, when Chinese passports holders were allowed to obtain a United Arab Emirates on arrival. He did not give numbers.

Tripoli

Reuters

Libyan fishermen found the bodies of 28 migrants who appeared to have died of thirst and hunger after their boat broke down off the coast of Sabratha city, a ministry of inte-

rior official said yesterday.Since Libya fell into chaos after Muammar Gaddafi’s fall in

2011, the North African country has become the main departure point for migrants hoping to reach Europe by sea. More than 150,000 have made the crossing to Italy annually over the past three years.

The 28 migrants, including four women, were found after sun-set by the fishermen, who towed the vessel to shore, Interior Ministry security unit commander Ahmaida Khalifa Amsalam said. The victims were buried together in a cemetery for illegal migrants, he said.

“Their boat stopped in the middle of the water because the engine was broken,” he said. He did not give details on any of the nationalities, but many illegal migrants are from sub-Saharan Africa.

Smugglers often pack migrants in flimsy inflatable dinghies, dispatching them to sea to get picked up by rescue ships and other vessels once they reach international waters. Some are intercepted and turned back by the Libyan coastguard.

Egypt arrests church bombings suspectCAIRO: Egyptian police yesterday arrested a man wanted for alleged involvement in twin church bombings this month claimed by the Islamic State group, an official said. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Ali Mahmoud Mohamed Hassan, one of 19 suspects whose names police made public after the Palm Sunday explosions, the official said. Hassan was arrested in the southern province of Qena, from where the two suicide bombers also came. The inte-rior ministry had raised a reward for information leading to the suspects' arrests to 500,000 pounds ($27,518).

669 dead in violent Ethiopia protestsADDIS ABABA: Months of violence that sparked Ethio-pia's current state of emergency left at least 669 people dead, the government-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said yesterday. The protests that began in November 2015 and spread throughout the country demanding wider political freedoms posed a challenge to one of Africa's fastest-growing economies and a gov-ernment accused by human rights groups of suppressing dissenting voices.

Abuja airport reopens after six weeksABUJA: Nigeria yesterday reopened its main Abuja air-port after six weeks of closure to enable the authorities to carry out long overdue work to resurface its potholed runway. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was closed to all domestic and international flights on March 8, forcing flights to divert to Kaduna, some 190km to the north. The airport re-opened a day ahead of schedule with an Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane touching down on the resurfaced runway just after midday.

Travellers from US to Iran and Indian Subcontinent dip: Emirates

Riyadh

AFP

TWELVE Saudi soldiers, including four officers, were killed yesterday when their helicopter went down in Yemen, the Arab coalition fighting Yemeni rebels said in a statement.

The Saudi Black Hawk "fell during operations in the province of Marib" east of Sana'a, the coalition said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency, without clarifying the reason. "The causes of the incident are being investigated," the state-ment added. Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri said it was "too early" to comment on the causes of the crash, which is one of the deadliest incidents involving coalition forces in Yemen.

The rebel-controlled Saba news agency said a helicop-ter crashed east of the provincial capital Marib with-out giving further details.

A Saudi-led coalition began air strikes over Yemen in March 2015 in support of President Abedrabbo Man-sour Hadi's internationally recognised government in its fight against Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

12 Saudi soldiers martyred as copter goes down in Yemen's Marib

Beirut

AFP

The US-backed Kurdish-Arab force leading the fight for the Islamic State

(IS) group's Syrian bastion Raqaa announced yesterday the crea-tion of a "civilian council" to administer the city after its capture.

"The civilian council of Raqaa will be charged with administering Raqaa and the surrounding province after lib-eration," the Syrian Democratic

Forces said in a statement. The council was announced during a meeting in Ain Issa, a former IS stronghold some 50 km north of Raqaa, in northern Syria.

The SDF launched an offen-sive to capture Raqaa, IS's de facto Syrian capital, in Novem-ber with support from the US-led coalition. But a key question has been who will administer the city after its capture.

"The council is made up of people originally from Raqaa province. (The SDF) will entrust it with the running of the city

once IS has been pushed out," said Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Raqaa campaign.

Several tribal chiefs and local dignitaries from Raqaa participated in the meeting establishing the council, which mirrors others set up in towns captured from IS by the Kurd-ish-Arab force.

A military council will also be formed "soon", according to SDF spokesman Talal Sello, and charged with security in the city after IS is expelled.

Syrians, who were injured in a suicide car bombing that targeted buses carrying evacuees from besieged government-held towns, sit in a tent on the Syrian-Turkish border in Idlib province, yesterday.

US-backed forces set up post-IS Raqaa council

Emirates said in March that booking rates on US flights fell 35% after January’s ban. Travel analysis company ForwardKeys said US bookings to the Middle East dropped 27% in the four weeks following Trump’s January travel order.

Failed ceasefires

Seven ceasefires brokered between government and rebel forces by the United Nations have failed while UN-backed peace talks have repeatedly broken down.

Libya fishermen find 28 dead migrants in boat offshore

Israel vows not to negotiate with hunger strikersJERUSALEM: Israel vowed not to negotiate with hun-dreds of Palestinian detainees on the second day of a hun-ger strike led by prominent prisoner and popular leader Marwan Barghouti.

More than 1,000 Palestin-ians in Israeli prisons launched the hunger strike on Monday, issuing a list of demands ranging from bet-ter medical services to access to telephones.

AIADMK ousts Sasikala & Dinakaran

Govt mulls online data protection law

09WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 ASIA

New Delhi IANS

The US yesterday reaf-firmed that India remained its "major

defence partner" as Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump's top security aide Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster met to discuss mili-tary and counter-terror ties between the two countries.

The visiting US National Security Adviser (NSA) called on Modi at his official residence, a day after he arrived here on the first visit by a senior White House official since President Trump took over in January.

The US embassy said McMaster in his meeting with Modi that was also attended by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval "emphasised the importance of US-India strategic relationship and reaf-firmed India's designation as a major defence partner".

"The two sides discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including their shared interest in increasing defence and counterterrorism cooperation," an embassy statement said.

McMaster also met sepa-rately with Doval and Jaishankar. The embassy noted that the meetings were "productive".

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "McMaster conveyed the greet-ings of President Trump" to Modi, who recalled "the impor-tance attached by both sides to

the strategic partnership and to stepping up India-US engage-ment across the board". The PMO statement said Modi and McMaster discussed peace and security in war-torn Afghani-stan and the extended region, including the Middle East.

"McMaster shared his per-spective with (the) Prime Minister on the security situa-tion in the extended region, including in Afghanistan, West Asia and the DPRK.

"During the conversation, they exchanged views on how both countries can work together to effectively address the challenge of terrorism and to advance regional peace, security and stability."

The US official's trip was part of his South Asian sojourn that began over the weekend.

On Monday, he visited Paki-stan where he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and the army chief, stressing "the need to confront terrorism in all its forms".

He also visited Afghanistan to review efforts at stabilizing the country.

"The visit was a part of regional consultations that included stops in Kabul and Islamabad," said the embassy statement. The trip assumes sig-nificance amid growing US concerns over terror threats emanating from a resurgent Taliban and rising Islamic State's influence in Afghanistan, where America has some 8,400 troops.

Mumbai

Reuters

Flamboyant business-man Vijay Mallya, pursued by Indian authorities over unpaid loans tied to

his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, was arrested in London yester-day and appeared in court for an extradition hearing.

A source close to Mallya said he attended a police station vol-untarily and the arrest was a technical procedure. Mallya, 61, was arrested on behalf of the Indian authorities over accusa-tions of fraud and appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, British police said.

Indian television channels said he was granted bail at the hearing. Mallya, in a message on Twitter, called the news of his arrest “usual Indian media hype”.

India had asked Britain to extradite Mallya to face trial after the liquor and aviation tycoon fled there last March after banks sued to recover about $1.4 billion that Indian authorities say Kingfisher owes.

Mallya has repeatedly dis-missed the charges against him and defended himself in mes-sages on Twitter. On Jan. 28 he said that “not one rupee was misused”.

A spokesman for India’s

foreign ministry said “the two governments are in touch” over India’s extradition request.

India and Britain have a mixed record on extradition, say legal experts. Some cases have col-lapsed when evidence fell short of the standard of “dual criminality”, or actions that amount to a crime in both countries.

“The court usually focuses on whether there is sufficient evidence of criminality to extra-dite someone,” said Andrew Smith, a partner at London law firm Corker Binning.

“India needs to show a prima facie evidential case against this man.”

Television channel CNN News18 said a team of Indian law enforcement officials would visit London to begin work on the extradition. India’s Central Bureau of Investigation did not immediately comment.

New Delhi IANS

Defence Minister Arun Jait-ley yesterday held talks with his Canadian coun-

terpart Harjit Singh Sajjan, discussing bilateral defence and security cooperation issues.

Sajjan, who is on a week long visit to India, was also given a Guard of Honour at South Block, which houses the Defence Ministry. He also laid a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate, which a memorial dedicated to unnamed soldiers.

Rejecting allegations that he supported Khalistan, Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan yesterday said: "I don't promote the breaking up of any country."

"I don't want to be sucked into the internal politics of a

province of a nation," he told the media when he was asked about allegations that he was a Kha-

listani supporter. "My goal is to build relation-

ships. I am proud of the fact that

I was born here."Sajjan arrived in India on

Monday on a week-long visit. He will visit Punjab too.

The Sikh politician was dubbed a Khalistan sympathizer by Punjab Chief Minister Ama-rinder Singh, who has said he would not meet the Canadian minister.

Sajjan spoke at an event organised by Observer Research Foundation.

Pressed about Amarinder Singh's allegation, Sajjan said: "I am not gonna get into petty pol-itics of one CM or anybody.

"My reason for going into Punjab is to pay respect to Har-minder Sahib... I want to pay respect to the village I was born. I am very very proud of my roots.

"Captain is Chief Minister and it is my responsibility to offer a meeting."

New Delhi

AFP

India's crucial monsoon rains are forecast to be normal this year, the

weather office said yesterday, bringing hope to the agricul-tural sector which employs 60 percent of the population and has been hit by drought in recent years.

Good monsoon rains are vital for Indian crops and a particularly dry season can reduce farm output, raising food prices which can be crippling for the tens of mil-lions of India's poor.

More than half of India's farms lack irrigation for their crops, meaning they rely almost entirely on the annual rains that fall between June and September.

"The country will receive 96 percent of the long period average," K J Ramesh, direc-tor general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said at a news confer-ence. The long period average refers to a 50-year average of 89 cm rainfall for the entire four-month season beginning June.

"We expect normal clima-tological distribution of rains and we also expect the trend of higher agricultural produc-tion and economic growth to continue."

Chennai

IANS

In a sudden turn of events, Tamil Nadu Finance Min-ister D Jayakumar

yesterday announced that ministers have decided to keep out jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, her nephew T T V Dinakaran and his family out of the party. Jayakumar also said a com-mittee will be formed to run the party when queried about the General Secretary's posi-tion. Sasikala was elected as

AIADMK's General Secretary last December.

Jayakumar, who made the announcement after meeting Chief Minister K Palaniswami, told reporters that the AIADMK was bowing to the wishes of party cadres, people, lawmak-ers, ministers and others to keep Dinakaran, the Deputy General Secretary, and his fam-ily members out of the party.

"We will run the party and the government," he said. "We want to save the party and the government from the clutches of one family." Reacting to

the announcement, Sasikala faction legislator Vetrivel told a television channel that Jay-akumar did not have the power to make such an announcement.

The AIADMK split into two after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death. One fac-tion is led by Sasikala and the other by former Chief Minis-ter O Panneerselvam. Both AIADMK factions are desper-ate for a unity because they realise they will find fighting the next elections tough against the DMK.

New Delhi IANS

The Centre yesterday told the Supreme Court that it was actively considering

to put in place a law to protect data and curb sharing of indi-vidual data on social networking sites and online messaging services.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a Constitution Bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A K Sikri, Justice Amitava Roy, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Mohan M Shantan-agouda that the government is mulling a framework for data protection like the one existing in the United Kingdom and the US.

Telling the court that data protection applies to a host of online platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Paytm, and Twitter, Rohatgi sought adjournment in the case till Diwali by which time, he said, something would emerge.

The court was hearing a plea by Karmanya Singh Sareen and others who have challenged a Delhi High Court September 23 order by which it allowed What-sApp to roll out its new privacy policy but said it cannot share the data of its users collected up to September 25, 2016, with Facebook or any other related company.

Appearing for Sareen, sen-ior counsel Harish Salve told the apex court that if a regulatory

framework is put in place it would be good and they can then focus on the specifics and argue the case.

He said he hoped both the petitioner and the social net-working site Facebook and online messaging service What-sApp may agree to the regulatory framework that the government is considering.

"If law comes and provide for regulation, then it is OK," the court was told. Even though the Centre sought an adjournment of the hearing so that it could undertake the exercise of putting in place the law for data protection, the court asked Salve to frame the questions that would be addressed to the court in the course of hearing.

Chennai

IANS

Petrol bunk dealers in seven states and Puduch-erry have decided to

down their shutters on Sundays from May 14 in a bid to save fuel and foreign exchange, it was announced yesterday.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged people to fol-low traffic rules and also save petrol and diesel. So we have decided to declare a holiday on Sundays as it will save fuel and foreign exchange," K P Murali, President of the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, said.

Murali said petrol bunks in

Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana and Maharashtra as well as Puducherry will down their shutters on Sundays start-ing from May 14.

He said there were around 4,850 outlets selling petrol and diesel in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry alone.

"On an average the per day sales of fuel is for around Rs 153 crore. While exact figures are not available on fuel sales on Sundays, it will be around 20 per cent less than what is sold on weekdays," Murali said.

He said the Sunday-holiday decision will save around 20 per cent fuel burned in the country.

Mallya granted bail after arrest in London

Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari pays a floral tribute at the memorial of Mahatama Gandhi.

Bhandari invites Indian investmentsNew Delhi IANS

Inviting Indian investors to her country, Nepal President Bid-hya Devi Bhandari yesterday

said that after political transfor-mation, socio-economic transformation is Nepal's top pri-ority and it is keen to benefit from India's tremendous progress.

"Nepal has undergone polit-ical transformation of historic proportion in recent years. Now socio-economic transformation is our topmost priority. If not backed by economic transfor-mation, political transformation cannot be sustainable," Bhandari said at an event here organised by industry chambers CII, Ficci and Assocham.

She said achievements made

by India in economic, social, sci-entific and other fields are remarkable and Nepal is keen to benefit from India's success.

"For Nepal, India remains the largest trading partner... We are closely engaged in SAARC, BIMSTEC and BBIN and these regional and sub-regional plat-forms could be made more effective in delivering results," she said.

Jaitley holds talks with Canada Defence Minister

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley shakes hands with Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan after his ceremonial reception, yesterday.

US reaffirms India as major defence partner

Normal monsoon forecast

Petrol bunks to shut on Sundays to save fuel

Extradition hearing

Mallya, 61, was arrested on behalf of the Indian authorities over accusations of fraud and appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, British police said.

More than a thousand Palestinians in Israeli jails have launched a hunger strike for justice led by prominent prisoner and popular leader Marwan Barghouti. The number of prisoners

participating in the strike is expected to swell and the fact that Barghouti, who is one of the most famous Palestinian leaders, is leading the strike has won it international attention.

This is an action the prisoners have been forced into by the repressive Israeli government. There are more than 6,500 Palestinians currently detained by Israel who are subjected to torture, inhumane and degrading treatment and medical negligence. And their crime? Fighting for their land, freedom and justice, all of which have been taken away from them in violation and defiance of all international laws. Some have been killed while in detention and according to a report from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, about 200 Palestinian prisoners have died since 1967 because of Israeli torture. Even women and children are arrested by the Israeli police for simple crimes like throwing stones and are held in detention indefinitely, subjecting them and their families to emotional torture. In an article published in The New York Times to explain the reasons for the strike, Barghouti wrote: “Decades of experience have proved that Israel’s inhumane system of colonial and military

occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation. In spite of such treatment, we will not surrender to it.”

The timing of the hunger strike is important. It coincides with Palestinian Prisoners Day,

with thousands of Palestinians demonstrating in support of the prisoners, and also comes ahead of commemorations marking the 50th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including now annexed east Jerusalem, in the Six-Day War.

Palestinian prisoners have launched hunger strikes several times before, but this is the first strike to be launched on a massive scale. Barghouti’s leadership has given it added credibility. There is no other leader who can speak so authentically about Israeli atrocities and torture. The 57-year-old Barghouti is serving five life sentences over his role in the second intifada or uprising. He was only 15 when he was first imprisoned.

The world must support this fight for justice and put pressure on Israel to mend its ways. Israel has threatened to break the will of the prisoners and punish them. Barghouti had been moved to another prison and placed in solitary confinement.

However hard Israel tries, its occupation and oppression will not go unpunished. Truth and justice will prevail.

10 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017VIEWS

E S T A B L I S H E D I N 1 9 9 6

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

msalim@pen.com.qa

Fight for justice

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We need a general election and we need one now. We have at this moment a one-off chance to get this done while the European Union agrees its negotiating position and before the detailed talks begin.

Theresa MayUK Prime Minister

More than a thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons are on a hunger strike. The world must support them.

On Thursday, the United States dropped a bomb in Afghanistan, near a place called Achin. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast blew up a cave complex used by

Islamic State fighters — and, shortly thereafter, the media. The coverage of the MOAB was an incredible mix of hysteria and hardware por-nography. “Fox & Friends” even soundtracked the gun-camera video of the explosion. Nearly 16 years after 9/11, we remain at war in Afghanistan. The US Air Force has already dropped 457 weapons there in 2017. Something about this one, though, made peo-ple a little crazy. Maybe it’s the nickname: Mother of All Bombs. Why so much attention to one bomb, and so little attention to the lin-gering war?

Yes, the bomb was big. The MOAB explodes with a force equivalent to about 11 tons of TNT. It is the most powerful conven-tional bomb in the US arsenal, although the Massive Ordnance Penetrator is heavier.

Different munitions are better for differ-ent missions, but the overall destructive power of the MOAB is similar to other bomber payloads, such as a fully loaded B-52 bomber carrying more than 50 750-pound bombs. The MOAB is, itself, a replacement for an older, only slightly less massive bomb popu-larly known as the Daisy Cutter, which the United States used to terrible effect in Viet-nam, Iraq and, yes, Afghanistan.

The MOAB certainly shocked and awed observers here. Several news organisa-tions reported that the GBU-43 had a yield comparable to the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. That is nonsense: The GBU-43 explodes with a force of about 11 tons of TNT. The atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima was about 1,000 times more powerful. Corrections were duly made, but the tone of the coverage did not change.

This was hardly the first bomb that the United States had dropped in Afghanistan. And it is surely not the last. This past June, then-President Barack Obama loosened restrictions on US airstrikes in support of Afghan forces. Not long after, B-52s began striking targets there for the first time in a decade. Yet this had been little remarked in the United States — at least until an Air Force MC-130 released the very first MOAB in a combat situation.

For whatever reason, people here reacted to the MOAB as though it was a nuclear weapon, although it clearly is not, either in how it works or in its destructive power. Part of this reaction probably reflects the moment in which we live.

After a long and bitter presidential cam-paign in which Donald Trump’s finger on the nuclear button was the dominant metaphor used to discuss his fitness — or lack thereof — for the awesome responsibility of the Oval Office, people are jumpy. The airstrikes in Syria and saber-rattling on the Korean

Why did the ‘Mother of All Bombs’ unsettle usJeffrey LewisThe Washington Post

Peninsula have unnerved many, perhaps more so than the facts warrant.

But there is a deeper phenomenon at play — the process by which we decide which weapons are taboo and which are not. Many of our fellow citizens were simply not clear on which side of that very fuzzy line the MOAB falls. And who can blame them? After all, we’ve decided that destroying Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons was terrible, but firebombing Tokyo was not.

And that Syria’s Bashar Assad must not murder innocent men, women and children with poison gas, but only with conventional bombs and rockets. These distinctions are arbitrary, but when a new bomb comes along, it’s hard to know how to accommodate it into our existing frameworks.

And yet, the process of constructing norms — however imperfect — is, by and large, how human beings have chosen to deal with the fact that states continue to

settle disputes with violence.

As our technological capacity to wreak destruction has grown

from machine guns to poison gas to nuclear weapons, more than a few peo-ple have observed that our species’ tendency to resort to violence may be our undoing.

Eliminating war, though, seems unlikely. And so, falling short of that lofty goal, we try to prohibit the worst weap-ons — those that cause unnecessary or gruesome suffering and, most important, those that do not discriminate among combatants and noncombatants.

If our lines are imperfect, we know they are better than no lines at all. If our restrictions are too narrow, we believe that others will come along who will try to broaden them.

But we draw these lines because we know that our capacity to create destructive weapons vastly exceeds the ability of our political and social institu-tions to manage them. This is what Martin Luther King Jr. meant, I think, when he spoke of living in an era of “guided missiles and unguided men.” Our technological prowess exceeds our wisdom.

Maybe that’s why so many of our fel-low citizens focused on the bomb, instead of the bleeding misery of Afghanistan: because we don’t know how to end that war any more than we know how to end all wars.

So instead we wait, hopeful that our political leaders will find solutions to the dangers we face, while fearing that before they do, a weapon we cannot control will come along — the one that will get us in the end.

The writer is a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

The MOAB explodes with a force equivalent to about 11 tonness of TNT. It is the most powerful conventional bomb in the US arsenal, although the Massive Ordnance Penetrator is heavier.

ED ITOR IAL

US soldiers patrol near the site of a US bombing during an operation against Islamic State (IS) militants in the Achin district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.

11WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 OPINION

also lonely and afraid, so when we found each other, we decided to stay together.

As the days past, we found ways to take care of each other. We found ways to remember Sarajevo and our parents. We kept each other company, so we didn’t feel so alone. We found ways to not cry all the time. But even when we were together, our lives as refugees were not simple. There were days when we were hungry, days we were afraid and most of the time we felt lost and desperate. Like refugees in Greece today, we were waiting.

Back then the international community employed the same rhetoric on human rights and humane treat-ment of refugees that they do today. The same international organisations were pleading for funding to alleviate the “refugee crisis”. But we, the refugees, saw no sign of human rights or humane treatment. We also did not receive anything from the major international humanitarian players.

We survived by supporting each other.When we needed food, advice on

how to find a doctor, or just a little comfort, we turned to each other — because we didn’t have any other

Venezuela and the eclipse of US leadership

Venezuela’s steady descent into chaos has repeatedly prompted pundits like me to predict that the authoritarian populist regime founded by Hugo Chávez was doomed to collapse, or be ousted. That it

hasn’t happened yet says a lot about how this Latin American meltdown is different and worse than any other in the past century. And it may be even more telling about the change in global role of the United States.

Last week, Caracas was again looking like a capi-tal on the verge of revolution. Clouds of tear gas and volleys of rubber bullets filled normally jammed expressways as tens of thousands took to the streets to challenge the government now led by Nicolás Maduro. The causes for popular anger were legion: Not just Maduro’s blatant rupture of democratic norms, but shortages so severe that three-quarters of Venezuelans say they have lost weight because of a lack of food; not just brutal repression, but the world’s worst rates of inflation and homicide.

Once again observers were predicting that Madu-ro’s days in power were numbered — that he would be forced to agree to the opposition’s demand for

elections, or a group of patriotic generals would remove him in the name of restoring order. Perhaps this time they will finally be right. But Venezuela has proved remarkably resistant to the fail-safe mecha-nisms that usually break the fall of a middle-income country. Instead, it is looking more and more like the Zimbabwe of the Western hemisphere - a depraved dictatorship where no amount of misery seems suffi-cient to bring about a breaking point.

Why would that be? In large part, this is the story of a uniquely corrupt and isolated regime. Senior gov-ernment and military officials are up to their necks in international drug trafficking and the looting of oil revenue; a few, including the vice president, have already been designated as “narcotics kingpins” by the U.S. treasury. Giving up power would likely mean going to prison. Meanwhile, the intelligence and secu-rity services are seeded with overseers from Cuba, which has managed to convert an OPEC nation with

three times its population into a client state. In the logic of the Castro regime, international pariah status is always preferable to domestic political concessions.

Still, Venezuela also tells a story of the eclipse of American leadership. For at least the past 100 years, the United States’ conception of its international mis-sion included a determination not to allow another state in the Western hemisphere to fail. That sometimes motivated acts of ugly and misguided imperialism, such as encouraging military coups or directly dispatching Marines — the last invasion, of Haiti, happened just 23 years ago. More often in recent years, it has meant using economic and military leverage to force demo-cratic change - as in Nicaragua and El Salvador in the late 1980s - or to save a failing democracy, as in Colombia after 2000. Venezuelans — starting with Chávez — have always half-expected that Washington would intervene in the faux-socialist mess he made after 1998. To this day Maduro incessantly claims that a

On a cold Friday evening in February, I met Karima, an Afghan physiotherapist, in Athens. We sat down in a cafe drinking tea and she told me

about herself, her family and their ordeal as refugees in Greece.

She, her husband and their four chil-dren had arrived on a boat from Turkey to the Greek island of Samos 10 months ear-lier. They were accommodated in a small tent where they spent eight months, eating the same food — plain pasta for lunch and dinner, and croissant and juice in the morning for adults, and watery milk for the children. They had nothing to do but wait there. For months, immigration offi-cials collected evidence to verify that they are indeed in a vulnerable position and qualify for asylum.

They were eventually transferred to the mainland, where they realised that they had only escaped one nightmare to find themselves in another. They now live in a three-room apartment with 13 other people — three families in total. “It is still better than the camp,” Karima told me.

They recently started receiving monthly cash cards with which they buy food. “It is not enough”, she said. She explained that they still rely on donations from volunteers to meet other family needs. Big NGOs do not really help.

She is slowly losing hope that her liv-ing conditions will improve or that she will be able to leave Greece one day. “I am not that lucky,” she said. For now, the only thing Karima and her family can do is to sit and wait. For the past few months, I’ve heard many stories like hers. Every time I sit with refugees and I listen to them speak of their misery and hopelessness, I feel like I’m listening to my own story.

More than 20 years ago, I too was a refugee, fleeing the war in Bosnia. I hated, and still hate, every day of my life as a ref-ugee. I lived in the basement of a house in Zagreb for several months. I was living there with three other girls, sisters, that I knew from Bosnia. The oldest one was 19 and the youngest 13 years old.

Just like me, they were sent away from Sarajevo by their parents who believed that they would be safer if they stayed far away from the war. Maybe we were safer, but as refugees in a foreign land, we were

I listen to refugees and I hear my own story

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US invasion is imminent. But just the opposite has been true. Through three administrations — four, if you count the still-coalescing Trump team — US policy has been to avoid the faintest hint of meddling in Ven-ezuela, on the grounds that it would only serve the Chavistas, by allowing them to portray Washington as a foil.

Chávez and Maduro used “the imperium” as an excuse for repres-sion anyway - and in the meantime, the United States did nothing to pro-tect Venezuelans from political and economic catastrophe. Not just no military action — that never was a possibility. There were no serious economic sanctions, even when Ven-ezuelan generals took to shipping planeloads of cocaine to the United States.

“For the past decade or more we’ve worked under the theory that a conscious effort to take a more laissez-faire approach would encourage others to fill a void in regional leadership,” says Eric Farnsworth of the Council of the Americas and Americas Society. “But a hemisphere that prioritized the principle of sovereignty over all else had no desire to weigh in on Venezuela . . . except to try to keep the United States out of the political mix.”

The void of US leadership has been partly filled, at last, by the energetic new secretary general of the Organisation of American States, Luis Almagro, who since taking office in 2015 has cam-paigned hard to bring pressure to bear on Maduro. But the OAS is unlikely to save Venezuela.

Jackson Diehl The Washington Post

The causes for popular anger were legion: Not just Maduro’s blatant rupture of democratic norms, but shortages so severe that three-quarters of Venezuelans say they have lost weight because of a lack of food; not just brutal repression, but the world’s worst rates of inflation and homicide.

Nidzara AhmetasevicAl Jazeera

Demonstrators rally against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.

options.Sometimes we were simply

too afraid to ask people for help, but most times we did not know how to get help. We knew there was no one that we could rely on, since nobody really understood what it was like to be a refugee. This was the reality for many ref-ugees that I knew back then. After living as a refugee for a year and a half, I decided to go back to my hometown, Sarajevo, which was still under siege. I felt better living under siege than living in humili-ation as a refugee.

Today there’s a lot of talk from the international commu-nity on the Geneva Convention and there are many fund-raising campaigns for refugees by major international organisations. But European governments are not changing the way they mistreat refugees and international organ-

isations are not actually providing any meaningful help on the ground.

Most of the 66,000 refugees and migrants in Greece have been living in inhuman conditions for more than two years. Meanwhile, the number of refugees in the country is increasing every day. According to UNHCR data, from January to mid-March, more than 3,300 new arrivals were registered in the country. Different organisations and government entities spent billions, but the situation has not improved significantly. People are becoming desperate: The rate of suicide attempts and drug addiction among refugees has skyrocketed.

So far, Greece is the single biggest recipient of EU Home Affairs funding, with $1bn made available over two years in financial support. Greece has also received more than $330m from the UN’s Inter-Agency Appeal.

Part of the money has gone to big nongovernmental or inter-governmental organisations and part to the government institutions. But none of these organisations - according to volun-teers and refugees — managed to do what is expected of them in order to make people’s lives bearable. NGOs and the Greek gov-ernment have traded blame over the worsening situation in the camps, but both are doing too little to change it.. The truth is that there is no political will in Europe, not just Greece, to improve the situation. The situation in France or Italy, as well in many other EU member states, is also unbelievably desperate.

As I talk to refugees in Greece and remember my own expe-riences, it feels like we are part of one big story of the failure of the international community to respond to the crises they create. I do not see any solutions to the current crises. Currently, the volunteers and activists working with refugees are providing help and services in an effective way, but they cannot continue handling a humanitarian crisis of this scale on their own. They are constantly speaking out on how the current system is not working, that change is needed, and that the world should learn from past mistakes. But those with the money, big organisations and governmental and intergovernmental bodies, are the ones making decisions and they have the power to shape the crisis. It looks like they do not listen.

A refugee reads a book outside his tent at the Souda municipality-run refugee camp on the island of Chios.

Currently, the volunteers and activists working with refugees are providing help and services in an effective way, but they cannot continue handling a humanitarian crisis of this scale on their own. They are constantly speaking out on how the current system is not working, that change is needed, and that the world should learn from past mistakes.

12 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017ASIA

Australia to toughen working visa policySydney

Reuters

Australia will abolish a temporary work visa popular with foreigners and replace it with a new

programme requiring better English-language and job skills, Prime Minister Malcolm Turn-bull said yesterday.

Turnbull, struggling with poor voter approval ratings, rejected suggestions the visa pol-icy change was in response to far-right wing political parties, such as One Nation, demanding more nationalistic policies.

But in a Facebook announce-ment Turnbull said: "Our reforms

will have a simple focus: Austral-ian jobs and Australian values."

In a similar vein, US Presi-dent Donald Trump will sign an executive order yesterday direct-ing changes to a temporary visa programme used to bring for-eign workers to the United States to fill highly skilled jobs.

The order is an attempt by Trump to carry out his "America First" election campaign pledges.

Turnbull said the visa change would attract better skilled workers and see Australians employed over cheap foreign workers brought in under the old 457 visa programme.

"We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains- Australian workers must have

priority for Australian jobs," he said. "We'll no longer allow 457 visas to be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians."

The 457 visa was introduced in the 1990s to expedite the entry of business professionals and highly skilled migrants but over time it was opened up to include a broad suite of workers.

The programme has become mired in controversy with alle-gations the visa was being misused by employers to import workers on the cheap, not to fill genuine skill shortages.

"We are bringing the 457 visa class to an end. It's lost its cred-ibility," Turnbull said.

Anyone now in Australia on

a 457 visa will not be affected by the new arrangements.

The 457 visa, now used by about 95,000 foreign workers, will be replaced by a new tem-porary visa and the list of occupations that qualify for a visa will be reduced from more than 200.

The new visa will be limited to a two-year period and a sec-ond four-year visa will require a higher standard of English language.

From 1901 to around 1973, Australia restricted non-white immigration under a White Aus-tralia policy, which required an English language test.

The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), which

represents more than 60,000 businesses, said the changes would improve the integrity of Australia's visa programme.

"The temporary skilled visa programme should now be con-sidered as settled without the need for further reviews and dis-ruptive policy change," said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox.

Some experts said the gov-ernment should focus on boosting education and training systems to address Australia's skills needs.

The opposition was not impressed though. Labour leader Bill Shorten tweeted "the only job Malcolm Turnbull cares about saving is his own."

Islamabad & Kabul ease travel rulesIslamabad

Internews

The Frontier Corps officials said yesterday that further relaxation was granted to

Pakistanis stranded in Afghan-istan to utilise their Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) till April 18 for their entry into Pakistan via Torkham border.

The local journalists were told during a briefing at Michni check post that the relaxation would apply to only those Paki-stanis, who had been stuck in different cities of Afghanistan in connection with their occupations.

The officials said that entry to Afghanistan would only be allowed on possession of Paki-stani passport as the CNIC and Rahdari card relaxation had

been completely withdrawn on April 15.

They urged all Pakistanis, especially local transporters and traders, to immediately apply for their passports to avoid any inconvenience at Torkham for their cross-border movement.

The officials said that efforts were underway to develop Torkham border in accordance with international standards by providing all the required facil-ities to both Afghan and Pakistani nationals for their cross-border movement.

“It is the stated policy of the government that citizens of both the neighbouring countries travel in accordance with inter-national rules and obligations,” said the officials.

They added that same travel procedures were applied between two neighbouring

countries throughout the world as it was aimed at saving the fre-quent travellers from any hindrance and inconvenience.

Also, the political adminis-tration again imposed a ban on firing in the air and sale on items of fireworks.

Political Tehsildar Irshad Mohmand said yesterday that elders and influential persons of the area were called to his office to convey them the orders regarding the renewed ban.

He said that banners and posters inscribed with the orders regarding ban were displayed at prominent locations at Landi Kotal Bazaar for local residents.

Mohmand said that at least two persons were arrested on charges of selling items of fire-works. He said that strict action would be taken against the vio-lators of the ban.

Facebook blocks 152 pages over blasphemous contentIslamabad

Internews

THE interior ministry of Paki-stan informed the National Assembly yesterday that 152 Facebook pages have been blocked for featuring blas-phemous content.

The written reply came to the question asked by MNA Sahibzada Tariq Ullah regard-ing action taken by the government against those involved in the posting of blasphemous content on social media.

The ministry said two FIRs were also registered against individuals thought to have been uploading blas-phemous content.

One of these was regis-tered last month by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle Rawalpindi last month and the second was also regis-tered last month at the Ramna police station.

The ministry said relevant US authorities have been asked to help close down the social media sites which fea-ture blasphemous content and track down those involved.

Three suspects have been arrested by the FIA and eight were places on the Exit Con-trol List, the minister’s written reply said.

The reply goes on to say that the interior minister had met with ambassadors from Muslim countries for orches-trating an effective, collaborative response against the social media sites which feature blasphemous content.

Yangon

Anatolia

Nearly 300 people were killed during New Year water festival, official

media said yesterday.The state-run newspaper

yesterday reported 285 peo-ple were killed and 1,073 others injured as 1,200 crimes and accidents occurred across the country during the four-day annual Thingyan Water Festival.

“Compared to last year’s

figures of 967 crimes, 272 deaths and 1,086 injured cases, 233 more cases and 13 more deaths occurred in this year’s water festival,” said the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

Yangon had 44 fatalities, followed by the Bago region with 37 and the country’s sec-ond city, Mandalay, had 36 deaths.

Eight people died the first day of the festival, after a wooden boat carrying 61 Bud-dhist pilgrims sank.

Manila

AFP

At least 26 people were killed and 21 injured when a passenger bus

crashed into a deep ravine in the mountainous northern Phil-ippines yesterday, authorities said.

The bus plunged about 24 metres in the upland province of Nueva Ecija before noon after its brakes failed while travelling on a winding road, police and local officials said.

"The vehicle is totally wrecked," said senior inspec-tor Robert De Guzman, police chief of the town of Carranglan where the accident occurred. "The impact appeared to have ripped the top off the vehicle".

"Almost all of the passen-gers, both dead and injured, were found outside the bus."

Authorities were still inves-tigating the cause of the

accident but Carranglan Mayor Mary Abad told ABS-CBN tele-vision there were 60 passengers onboard although the bus had a capacity of only 45.

Abad added the wounded, some of whom sustained criti-cal injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals.

"The road is really risky. There are many ravines along that road going to Abra," Abad said, referring to the province where the bus was headed.

Dr Arlene Jara, chief of the nearby provincial hospital treating the wounded, said chil-dren were among those injured.

President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said those responsible would be held accountable.

Road accidents are com-mon in the Philippines, where old, badly maintained buses often drive on poorly lit roads.

Manila

AFP

Seven people were injured when two bomb explosions rocked a petrol station in a

southern Philippine city near rebel enclaves, police said yesterday.

An improvised explosive was thrown on Monday night on the roof of the gasoline station in Tacurong City on Mindanao island, which has been plagued by a decades-old insurgency.

"Two soldiers, three police-men and two civilians were wounded when a second blast went off minutes later as secu-rity forces were about to cordon off the area," said regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo.

Two suspects have been arrested but their identities and the motive for the attack were still under investigation, Galgo added.

"We cannot conclude yet that this is an act of terrorism.

We are looking at all angles as there are threat groups in sur-rounding areas," Galgo said yesterday, referring to rebels in the strife-torn province of Maguindanao.

Nearby towns are also home to communist rebels waging one

of Asia's longest insurgencies and the incident could have been linked to extortion, Galgo added.

The blasts occurred in a sec-tion of Mindanao that had been troubled by the insurgency and high crime.

Reform

Australia Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull said the visa change would attract better skilled workers and see Australians employed over cheap foreign workers brought in under the old 457 visa programme.

Anyone now in Australia on a 457 visa will not be affected by the new arrangements.

US & Australia to begin combat drillsDarwin

Reuters

US Marines began arriving in Australia's tropical north yesterday for a six-

month deployment during which they will conduct exer-cises with Australian and visiting Chinese forces.

The 25-year annual deploy-ment programme started by former US President Barack Obama in 2011 is part of the US "pivot" to Asia at a time of increased assertiveness by China.

"I think that the commit-ment that we've taken to put a task force here with a

conversation to get larger over the years says that we do think this is an important region," Marines' commander Lieuten-ant Colonel Brian Middleton said.

"Being close to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, the Indo Pacific position has always been important."

Middleton said the marines would conduct an "important exercise alongside our Chinese partners" and Australia.

The strength of this year's deployment at 1,250 troops lags well behind the initial plan for the deployment to reach 2,500 Marines this year, but it will see the largest US aircraft

contingent to Australia in peace-time history.

Middleton said the 13 aircraft, including tilt-rotor Ospreys, Super Cobra helicopters and Huey helicopters, triple the four aircraft in past deployments, was a "tangible kind of sign of our commitment to the region and to this partnership".

He said the decision to send the aircraft pre-dated the recent escalation in tensions over North Korea. "Regardless, I think it is just a good move any time we can strengthen the long standing partnership and alli-ance between our two countries. We stand ready to fight and win the night always."

Hundreds dead during Myanmar’s water festival

7 hurt in Mindanao twin blasts26 dead as bus plungesin Nueva Ecija ravine

US Marines arrive at Darwin in northern Australia for the sixth annual Marines deployment, yesterday.

A police forensic investigator points to the site where two bombs exploded in Tacurong town, Sultan Kudarat, yesterday.

13WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 ASIA

296 N Koreans surrender in Malaysia for repatriationKuala Lumpur Reuters

MALAYSIA said yesterday 296 North Koreans had surren-dered to authorities over the last week, as it enforces new visa requirements following a dispute over the murder of the half-brother of North Korea's leader.

Malaysia revoked visa-free entry for North Koreans after the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 this year.

"All of those who surren-dered had over-stayed their visas, including 113 who had been on work permits and 183 on social visit passes," Malay-sia's Immigration Department said in a statement.

"All 296 North Koreans have or will leave Malaysia in stages," the department added.

All had been in Sarawak, a Malaysian state in Borneo.

The department said there were still four North Koreans who had overstayed their work permits who had not surrendered, but their employers had said they would be handed over to authorities.

South Korea can match North's provocationSeoul

Anatolia

South Korea's interim leader Hwang Kyo-ahn (pictured) issued another warning to North Korea yesterday,

as Seoul braces for a possible nuclear test by its reclusive neighbour.

Prime Minister Hwang addressed a Cabinet meeting a day after discussing Pyongyang's rogue weapons development with US Vice President Mike Pence.

With the US already con-sidering "all options," Hwang said a North Korean violation of its UN commitments would be met with "a corresponding consequence".

"Our government and the international community will not condone North Korea's reckless provocations," Hwang said.

Pyongyang watchers have been expecting a sixth nuclear test by the North in line with key anniversaries this month.

The authoritarian state also paraded suspected interconti-nental ballistic missiles during a massive military parade last weekend.

Hwang, however, appeared to distance Seoul from talk of an American pre-emptive strike on North Korea, insisting the allies would maintain their defensive position while hop-ing for support from China in hitting Pyongyang with stronger sanctions.

Hanoi land protesters free some hostages

Thai PM reacts against protest over missing plaqueBangkok

AFP

Thailand's junta yesterday warned democracy activ-ists against protesting over

the removal of a plaque mark-ing the abolition of the country's absolute monarchy, fuelling fears of official whitewashing of history.

Authorities say they have no idea what happened to the memorial in the capital Bang-kok which marked the spot in

1932 where a group of revolu-tionaries declared an end to absolute powers of the then monarch Rama VII.

The date was pivotal in Thai history, leading to country's first constitution among other polit-ical reforms. The plaque was reported missing last Friday.

The disappearance of the small but symbolic memorial has rekindled fears among democ-racy campaigners that ascendant arch-royalists are trying to rewrite Thai history.

Official denials over the plaque's whereabouts have stretched credulity given the cir-cular bronze memorial was embedded in the road of the well-policed Royal Plaza.

It was also replaced by a new plaque calling on Thais to be loyal to Buddhism, the state, family and the monarchy -- core values of conservatives.

"I don't want this to become an issue," Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, an ultra-monar-chist who seized power three

years ago, said yesterday.Warning democracy activ-

ists from ramping up the issue he said it was "useless to ask for its return".

His comments came as sol-diers detained a prominent activist as he tried to file a com-plaint with the government over the missing plaque.

There was a heavy police presence around the replace-ment memorial and officers refused to let journalists photo-graph it.

Chinese asylum seeker detained in TaiwanTaipei

Reuters

TAIWAN said yesterday it had apprehended a Chinese activist who had slipped away from his tour group last week, and authorities were deciding whether to deport him or risk fraying relations with Beijing by granting him sanctuary as a political refugee.

Officials declined to say whether 48-year-old Zhang Xiangzhong had formally requested asylum.Taiwan's immigration authorities said Zhang was picked up on the street on Monday evening.

'Drug kingpin' denies smuggling chargesBangkok

AFP

An alleged Laos drug lord linked to some of Thai-land's rich and famous

denied being a major player in the regional narcotics trade when he appeared in a Bang-kok court yesterday.

Xaysana Keopimpha, 42, was nabbed by Thai police on his way through Bangkok's main airport in January,

shining a rare spotlight on communist Laos' shadowy role in the Southeast Asian pill trade.

Narcotics cops alleged he was an "international drug kingpin" and trumpeted his capture in a part of the world where major cartel figures are not big names in criminal folk-lore and are rarely caught.

The heavy-set Xaysana faces a string of charges including drug smuggling and

possession -- mainly of meth-amphetamine, which is known in Thai as "yaba" or crazy med-icine for its effect on addicts.

"He denies all the charges," said his lawyer Vorakon Phongtanakul, adding his cli-ent had also backtracked on a confession he allegedly signed in police custody.

"He didn't understand Thai laws and officials told him he could change his plea at court," Vorakon said.

Bangkok to ban street food stallsBangkok

AFP

Street food stalls will be banned from all of Bang-kok's main roads in a

sweeping clean-up crusade, a city hall official said yesterday, prompting outcry and anguish in a food-obsessed capital famed for its roadside cuisine.

For months city officials have hemmed in hawkers of all kinds across the metropolis, where hitting the pavement for everything from late-night

noodles to fried insects is the closest Thailand has to a national pastime.

"All types of stalls including clothes, counterfeit goods and food stalls will be banned from main city roads," Wanlop Suwandee, a chief advisor to Bangkok's governor, said.

"They will not be allowed for order and hygiene reasons," he said, justifying the ongoing crackdown after complaints from the public.

Officials say nearly two-thirds of the city's 30,000 street

vendors of all kinds have already been removed or relocated for clogging the pavements, leaving little space for pedestrians and aggravating traffic.

"I don't think there will be any stalls on major roads... we have nullified their permission (to operate)," he added, without giving a deadline for the sellers to clear out.

"Authorities won't listen to us. They just want the city to be beautiful... they will not think about the poor and how this affects us," she said.

To hit back

With the US already considering "all options," Hwang said a North Korean violation of its United Nations commitments would be met with "a corresponding consequence: Official

US & Japan reaffirm security allianceTokyo

AFP

US Vice-President Mike Pence reiterated his country's commitment to

the security of Japan yesterday, as North Korea intensified con-cerns over its weapons programme with a vow to launch missile tests "every week".

Arriving in Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Pence hailed the two countries' longstanding security ties.

"The alliance between the United States and Japan is the cornerstone of peace and secu-rity in Northeast Asia," he told Abe.

The Japanese leader called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korea tensions but did not rule out the need for tough measures.

"It is a matter of paramount importance for us to seek dip-lomatic efforts as well as peaceable settlements of the issue," he said.

"At the same time dialogue for the sake of dialogue is

valueless and it is necessary for us to exercise pressure."

North Korea could react to a potential US strike by target-ing South Korea or Japan, and officials in both countries have been ill at ease with the more bellicose language deployed by President Donald Trump's administration.

Pence pointed to Trump's recent strikes on a Syrian air-base and an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan as a warning to Pyongyang not to underestimate the administra-tion's resolve.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) and US Vice-President Mike Pence shake hands prior to a luncheon hosted at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, yesterday.

A woman arranges fried snacks on street food cart at Pratunam district of Bangkok, yesterday.

Hanoi

Reuters

Vietnam land protesters in the capital Hanoi have released about half the

30 officials, including police officers, they took hostage on Saturday when a land dispute escalated, a lawyer involved in negotiations said.

The residents of My Duc, on the outskirts of Hanoi, accused the local authority of taking over land for a telecommuni-cations project without paying appropriate compensation.

The local government said that the people did not own the land and were breaking the law

by protesting. Four of the resi-dents were arrested, including the 83-year-old local leader Kinh.

The residents of My Duc took police and other officials hostage to demand the release of those arrested.

Residents' lawyer Tran Vu Hai said all local people had now been released and that half those held by residents had been freed.

Land disputes are common in Vietnam and the one in My Duc has lasted for years, but it is rare for residents to take offi-cials hostage in the communist state where there is little toler-ance of dissent.

A street is seen blocked at the gate of Dong Tam during a land dispute protest outside Hanoi, yesterday.

14 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017EUROPE

Competitors take part in the Men's Race at the annual World Coal Carrying Championships in the village of Gawthorpe, near Wakefield, northern England.

Hauling the coal

Germany's FDP dithers on post-poll support

Berlin

Reuters

Germany’s liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) hopes to reclaim its tradi-tional role as

kingmaker after September’s national election, but its leader proved coy yesterday over which of the two main parties it might join in coalition.

The business-friendly FDP was the junior partner in Chan-cellor Angela Merkel’s 2009-13 conservative-led coalition but failed to clear the 5 percent threshold to win seats in the cur-rent lower house Bundestag. Media reports suggest it is now being courted by the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) as a possible alternative partner to the far-left Linke.

Opinion polls suggest six party groups, including the FDP, will enter parliament after the

September 24 election, up from four now. Neither Merkel’s con-servatives nor the SPD would be able to govern alone, open-ing the way for talks with smaller parties in their efforts to forge a stable coalition government.

FDP leader Christian Lind-ner appeared to play down the possibility of a tie-up with Mar-tin Schulz’s SPD, which he accused of wanting to strangle German business with red tape, but he also ruled nothing out.

“Schulz wants redistribution (of incomes), for the state to command the economy, more bureaucracy,” Lindner told broadcaster n-tv. “Merkel basi-cally wants to change nothing in Germany ... At least she doesn’t want to go backwards.”

Pressed on which party would be his preferred coalition partner, Lindner said: “That depends on the (policy) content. If it is not possible to implement (our policy) content in a govern-ment, then we will go into opposition.”

An Emnid poll on Saturday showed Merkel’s conservative bloc winning 35 percent, the SPD 31 percent, the Linke and the anti-immigration Alterna-tive for Germany (AfD) both on 9 percent, the Greens on 7 per-cent and the FDP on 6 percent.

“GOOD CONSTELLATION”Merkel’s conservatives now

rule in a ‘grand coalition’ with the SPD, though neither is keen to repeat the right-left partner-ship. A re-run would be “not

ideal”, senior conservative Jens Spahn told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Underlining the FDP’s cre-dentials as a potential ally, Spahn said the liberals were closest on policy to the conservatives.

“That would be a good con-stellation with regard to economic developments as well,” he said in pre-released comments to run in the paper’s edition today, adding: “We could finally lower taxes together.”

The FDP wants to cut taxes while also increasing investment in education and digital infra-structure by privatising state assets. The FDP has more often joined conservative-led federal governments in the past, though it served in SPD-led coalitions from 1969 to 1982 and more recently has governed with the Social Democrats at the regional level.

Schulz has led a revival in the SPD’s poll ratings since being nominated in January to chal-lenge Merkel in her bid for a fourth term as chancellor.

But his party stumbled in a regional election in the western state of Saarland late last month, with voters flocking to Merkel’s conservatives for fear of the SPD joining forces with the Linke to form a left-wing alliance.

The prospect of a coalition with the FDP might prove more popular with centrist-minded voters, but Lindner described reports of the SPD scoping out such a tie-up as “tactical, a diversion from the Linke party option”.

Russian anti-aircraft rockets fuel tensions in the BalkansBelgrade

AP

Serbia is seeking a Russian air defence system in addi-tion to fighter jets and

battle tanks, Serbian officials say, in what could fuel tensions in the Balkans.

Serbian Prime Minister Ale-ksandar Vucic has said he negotiated the purchase of the S-300 anti-aircraft rockets dur-ing talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko last month.

European Union officials

have voiced alarm over increas-ing Russian influence in the western Balkans, which expe-rienced a bloody civil war in the 1990s. Although Serbia claims it wants to be part of the EU, it has been strengthening military, economic and political ties with Slavic ally Russia.

But the planned purchase of the anti-aircraft system has been overshadowed in Serbia by reports from rival Croatia that Russia supplied Croatia with the same system during the 1990s war for independence from Serb-led Yugoslavia, a likely breach of a United Nations

arms embargo in effect at the time. Russia's Defence Ministry alleged yesterday that the Croatian reports were aimed at undermining Moscow's relations with Serbia. The ministry said if Russian military hardware was given to Croatia during the war, it was done without government approval.

"According to our knowl-edge, dishonest Croatian moneymakers took advantage of this to supply Zagreb," the ministry said, referring to the Croatian capital. "Of course, the Russian Federation has never had anything to do with this."

Metro bombing suspect says was unwitting accompliceMoscow

Reuters

The man Russian investiga-tors say orchestrated a suicide bombing on the St

Petersburg metro told a court yesterday he was an unwitting accomplice in the attack, in which 14 people were killed and scores injured.

Russian investigators said that before the April 3 attack, the suspected suicide bomber, Akbarzhon Jalilov, had spoken by telephone with Abror Azimov (pictured), who the investigators said was helping mastermind the attack from a Moscow suburb.

At a preliminary court

hearing in Moscow, the suspect, Azimov, said he had participated in the preparation of the attack but only indirectly.

“I did not realise that I was helping with this act,” he said, referring to the April 3 blast. “I was being given instructions.” Dressed in a black jacket and checked shirt, he spoke from a metal cage in the courtroom.

Earlier in the court hearing, a state investigator told the court that Azimov had confessed to having taking part in prepara-tions for the attack, but the suspect said he had not con-fessed to that.

Since the attack, Russian authorities have detained nine

people suspected of involve-ment. All are originally from Central Asia, a region of five mainly Muslim states that bor-der Afghanistan, Iran and China.

Abror Azimov is originally

from the city of Jalal-Abad, in the Central Asian state of Kyr-gyzstan. His wife said yesterday that Azimov and his brother, Akrom, had been working in a sushi restaurant in the Moscow region. He had been due to return home to Kyrgyzstan in April, but did not make the trip.

Her husband was “calm and well-adjusted”, the wife, her head covered by a scarf, said in Jalal-Abad.

She said his brother Akrom had returned home from Mos-cow because he was sick, adding that he had been taken from hos-pital for questioning by Kyrgyz state security.

Russia’s Ren TV broadcaster,

citing law enforcement agencies, reported that Azimov, along with the St Petersburg suicide bomber, had attended a radical Islamist training camp. It did not say where the camp was located.

Azimov’s wife and another brother, Bilol, told Reuters he had travelled to Turkey but was only in transit there on his way home after an abortive attempt to find work in South Korea. The family, though Muslims, rarely went to the mosque, Bilol said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which happened on a day that Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting St Petersburg, his native city.

September vote

Lawmakers in Merkel’s conservative bloc say privately they believe the FDP is hungry for power after four years in the political wilderness and believe the party could join a left-leaning coalition to get back into government.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with people during his visit to Veliky Novgorod, Russia, yesterday.

French 'hen' artist hatches first chickParis

AFP

A French artist who has spent three weeks sitting on 10 eggs hatched his

first chick yesterday.Abraham Poincheval —

who made headlines last month after spending a week entombed inside an egg-shaped rock — has hardly slept since he stepped inside a glass vitrine in a Paris modern art museum to sit on the eggs on March 29.

But late yesterday after-noon the first of the eggs began to hatch, forcing the artist to temporarily rise from his nest for fear of crushing the new-born.

Up until then Poincheval was only allowed a half-hour break every 24 hours to keep him from cracking — although he never once left the glass case in the Palais de Tokyo.

"It has been really tough for him. He has slept sitting on the eggs. It's been a lot harder than being shut inside the rock," a spokeswoman for the museum said.

What is more the 44-year-old has had to contend with the heat, having to keep the eggs at a minimum of 37 degrees Cel-sius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). He has also been all but cut off from the outside world. "His voice is quite muffled through the glass," the spokeswoman added. "It is quite frustrating to communicate sometimes."

Cooped up in one corner of the vitrine in a heavy traditional Korean cape on a specially designed "laying table", the usually amiable artist avoided the gaze of gallery goers and retreated into himself.

However, as cracks appeared in the first of the eggs, his spirits lifted.

EU urged to save more migrants at seaRome

Reuters

EU patrol vessels in the Mediterranean are putting lives at risk by

operating too far from the Libyan coast where migrants are embarking on the peril-ous voyage to Europe, the head of a rescue charity said yesterday.

Growing numbers of migrants are attempting the crossing in flimsy, over-crowded boats as the spring weather improves. Nearly 9,000, mostly Africans, were rescued over the long Easter weekend, UN aid agencies said. “Europe needs to res-cue people because it cannot allow them to die at its own back door,” said Chris Cat-rambone, an American businessman who co-founded the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), with his Italian wife Regina in 2014.

He was speaking by tele-phone from the MOAS rescue vessel Phoenix, which after a frantic weekend’s activity was heading slowly towards Sic-ily with 463 migrants on board, including 170 women and children, and seven dead bodies recovered from the sea.

The crossing from Libya to Italy is now the main migrant route into Europe. More than 181,000 came to shore in Italy last year, and arrivals this year are up about a third on the same period of 2016.

Some 850 are estimated to have died so far in 2017.

15WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 EUROPE

May calls for snap election in June

What's next and what is at stakeLondon

AP

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called a general election for June

8. Here's a brief look at what happens now, and what's at stake.

WHY DID MAY MAKE HER MOVE?

A new ballot offers her the chance to seek her own man-date and to increase the Conservative Party's narrow majority in the House of Com-mons, where it holds 330 of 650 seats. Britain formally triggered the process for leaving the EU last month, but more turmoil is in store as the country negoti-ates a divorce that will affect every aspect of life in the U.K.

IS IT A DONE DEAL?British prime ministers used

to have the power to call elec-tions at will, but the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, passed in 2011, makes things more compli-cated. Under the act, national elections are held every five years, in May. The prime min-ister can call an early election

if two-thirds of lawmakers sup-port it. May will ask the House of Commons to vote on the snap election today.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?Negotiations to leave the EU

will be arduous. The talks will deal with money, trade, defence, to name but a few key topics. If May were to gain more seats, she would be able to have more freedom to pursue her own agenda, and to neutralise those inside and outside her own party who disagree with her positions.

HOW DOES IT WORK?Britain has 650 constituen-

cies from which voters select a local lawmaker. The party with the most lawmakers wins a working majority and is allowed to install its leader as prime minister.

WHO COULD WIN?Elections are always unpre-

dictable, but bookmakers consider May's Conservative Party a strong favourite to win. Opinion polls released last weekend showed the Conserv-atives with a double-digit lead.

Sturgeon seesopportunity for ScotlandEdinburgh

Reuters

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to seek an early election

on June 8 gives Scotland a chance to reinforce its dem-ocratic mandate to hold an independence referendum, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggested yesterday.

“It will once again give people the opportunity to reject the (Conservative gov-ernment’s) narrow, divisive agenda, as well as reinforc-ing the democratic mandate which already exists for giv-ing the people of Scotland a choice on their future,” said Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party (SNP) is seek-ing a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom which May opposes.

Sturgeon has called for an independence vote in late 2018 or early 2019, before Brexit takes effect, but May has said it was not the right time to revisit the independ-ence issue.

Stiff upper lip can damage mental health: Prince William London

Reuters

Prince William (pictured) has warned British men that keeping a “stiff upper lip”

by bottling up emotions was det-rimental to mental health, stepping up an awareness cam-paign that includes a video chat with Lady Gaga.

The comments by Queen Elizabeth’s grandson came a day

after his younger brother Prince Harry spoke about his struggles coping with the loss of his mother Diana in an unusually revealing interview.

The princes, together with William’s wife Kate, are spear-heading a campaign called Heads Together that encourages people to open up about mental illness and seek help.

“There may be a time and a place for the ‘stiff upper lip’, but

not at the expense of your health,” William said in an inter-view with the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a char-ity dedicated to preventing male suicide.

The British phrase “stiff upper lip” describes an ability to keep emotions under control whatever the circumstances.

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in Britain, and Wil-liam said seeing the impact of

suicide through his work as an air ambulance helicopter pilot had been a “tipping point” in his decision to campaign on mental health issues.

Heads Together released a short film showing William dis-cussing mental health issues with the US popstar Lady Gaga, who has gone public with her own struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she was raped aged 19.

The four-minute video shows the prince sitting at a desk at Kensington Palace, his London home, and talking via a laptop computer screen with Lady Gaga, who is in the kitchen of her home in the American city of Los Angeles.

The pair discussed the impor-tance of talking about emotions and not feeling judged for open-ing up about mental health difficulties.

London

Reuters

British Prime Minister Theresa May called yesterday for an early election on June 8, say-ing she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with

the European Union by bolstering sup-port for her Brexit plan.

Standing outside her Downing Street office, May said she had been reluctant to ask parliament to back her move to bring forward the poll from 2020. But, after thinking “long and hard” during a walking holiday in Wales, she decided it was necessary to try to stop the oppo-sition “jeopardising” her work on Brexit.

Some were surprised by her move — she has repeatedly said she does not want to be distracted by campaigning — but opinion polls give her a strong lead and the British economy has so far defied predictions of a slowdown.

Growth is faster than expected, con-sumer confidence is high and unemployment low, but the economy may be poised to pass its peak as con-sumers start to feel the strain from rising prices.

Sterling rose to a four-month high against the US dollar after the market bet that May would strengthen her par-liamentary majority, which Deutsche Bank said would be a “game-changer” for the pound.

But the stronger pound helped push Britain’s main share index to close down

2.3 percent, its biggest one-day loss since June 27, days after Britain voted to leave the EU.

“It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond,” May said.

“Before Easter I spent a few days walking in Wales with my husband, thought about this long and hard, and came to the decision that to provide that stability and certainty for the future that this was the way to do it, to have an elec-tion,” she told ITV news.

Britain joins a list of western Euro-pean countries scheduled to hold elections this year. Votes in France in April and May, and in Germany in Sep-tember, have the potential to reshape

the political landscape around the two years of Brexit talks with the EU expected to start in earnest in June.

May is capitalising on her runaway lead in the opinion polls. The Conserv-ative Party is around 20 points ahead of the main opposition Labour Party and could win around 100 additional seats in parliament.

The prime minister’s own personal ratings also dwarf those of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with 50 percent of those asked saying she would make the best prime minister. Corbyn wins only 14 percent, according to pollster YouGov.

May, a former interior minister, was appointed prime minister after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union forced the resignation of her predecessor David Cameron.

The election will be a vote on her performance so far.

She is counting on winning the sup-port of British voters, who backed Brexit by 52-48 percent, but some Britons on social media questioned whether they wanted to cast yet another ballot less than a year after the June referendum and two years after they voted in the last parliamentary poll.

Her spokesman said she had the back-ing of her top team of ministers and had informed Queen Eliza-beth of her plans on

Monday. Business groups largely wel-comed the move, while expressing concern that the government’s focus may stray away from the economy, which May said had defied “predictions of immedi-ate financial and economic danger”.

Underlining divisions the vote is unlikely to mend, however, Nicola Stur-geon, first minister of the Scottish government, described the decision as a “huge political miscalculation” that could help her efforts to hold a new independence referendum.

In Brussels, European Council Presi-dent Donald Tusk, who is running the negotiations with Britain, said the elec-tion was a Brexit plot twist worthy of master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock. Before holding the early election, May must win the support of two-thirds of the

parliament in a vote today, which looked certain after Labour and the Liberal Dem-ocrats said they would vote in favour.

Labour’s Corbyn welcomed the elec-tion plan, but some of his lawmakers doubted whether it was a good move, fearing they could lose their seats. At least two said they would not run.

If the opinion polls are right, May will win a new mandate for a series of reforms she wants to introduce in Brit-ain and also a vote of confidence in a vision for Brexit which sees the coun-try outside the EU’s single market.

“The decision facing the country will be all about leadership,” May said. “What they are doing jeopardises the work we must do to prepare for Brexit at home, and it weakens the government’s nego-tiating position in Europe.”

“I spent a few days walking in Wales with my husband, thought about this long and hard, and came to the decision that to provide that stability and certainty for the future this was the way to do it.— Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May addressing the media outside 10 Downing Street yesterday.

British Prime Minister stuns the nation by seeking early elections in a move seen to roil the polity reeling under Brexit and a second referendum demand by Scotland.

A woman displays a bookies chalk board marked with odds, beside the Houses of Parliament, in central London, yesterday.

16 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017EUROPE

A member of the "Yenisei walruses" winter swimming club Alexander Alexandrov, 39, swims during an ice drift on the Yenisei River in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, yesterday.

Chill gives thrill!

France nabs two men over attack plot before voteParis

AFP

French security services yester-day swooped on two men accused of plotting an attack just five days before the first round of the presidential election.

The men were arrested in the south-ern city of Marseille by agents from France's domestic intelligence agency.

Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said the attack was to be carried out in the "next few days" by the two men, aged 23 and 29, who are known to be "radicalised".

He gave no further details on the nature of the plot.

More than 230 people have been killed in terror attacks in France since January 2015.

Candidates have been heavily guarded during the election campaign, but so far there have been few security scares.

"Everything will be done to ensure security" for the election, Fekl said.

The race was narrowing ahead of Sun-day's vote, with the pack closing behind frontrunners Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, while a quarter of voters remained undecided.

For weeks, centrist former banker Macron and National Front (FN) leader Le

Pen have been out in front but opinion polls now show there is a very real chance that any of the four leading candidates could reach the second-round runoff on May 7.

Scandal-plagued conservative Fran-cois Fillon and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon have closed the gap substan-tially in the last two weeks.

"We have never seen a four-way con-test like this in the first round of a presidential election," Frederic Dabi of the Ifop polling institute said.

"There has been a real tightening of the race with four candidates between 19 percent and 23 percent," he added.

Macron and Le Pen are tied on 22-23 percent, with Fillon improving to around 21 percent and Melenchon surging as high as 20 percent in some polls.

EU fears With Le Pen expected to reach the sec-

ond round, polls continue to indicate that whoever faces her will win, although after Brexit and Donald Trump's US election win, no one is taking anything for granted.

Melenchon has made the most remark-able breakthrough in recent weeks, surging as high as 20 percent in some polls with a far-left programme that involves huge public spending and a pledge to re-nego-tiate all European Union treaties.

Le Pen wants to pull France out of the eurozone and also foresees a mass re-negotiation of EU treaties, sparking fears in Brussels that a victory for the far-right coming hot on the heels of Brexit could be fatal for the European bloc.

In contrast to Le Pen, Macron on Sun-day told 20,000 people in Paris that France's future lay firmly in Europe, albeit one that suited French interests.

"We need Europe, so we will remake it," Macron told the crowd. "I will be the president of the awakening of our Euro-pean ambitions."

In a reference to Le Pen, Macron said voters had the choice of "hope and cour-age over resignation".

Paris

Reuters

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen sought yesterday to turn the debate in the final week of

France’s presidential election to immi-gration as she looked to reverse a dip in polls.

Surveys of voting intentions have for months shown Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron qualifying on Sun-day for the May 7 run-off, but the National Front leader has been under pressure since the start of April as con-servative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon close the gap on the favourites.

Speaking to a rally in Paris on Monday she vowed to suspend all i m m i g r a t i o n w i t h a n

immediate moratorium, shield voters from globalisation and strengthen security, subjects that have won her core backing and that she hopes can give her boost with about 30 percent of voters still undecided.

“For several weeks, we will need to assess the situation. The reality is that immigration is massive in our country and that migration flood that we are experiencing is not a fantasy,” Le Pen told RTL radio yesterday - fleshing out details of the moratorium announcement.

The measure has not been part of her programme, although she has put on record that she wants to limit annual immigration to just 10,000 people a year.

“I will carry out this moratorium for the exact purpose of implement-

ing this 10,000 figure,” she said.Until now, Le Pen has struggled to

entice her opponents in the presiden-tial race to debate her party’s trademark tough security and immi-gration stance. She, by contrast, has been put on the defensive over her position on leaving the euro zone, a proposal that lacks wide support.

Two polls yesterday showed Fil-lon and Melenchon still a few percentage points away from Le Pen and Macron. She would be beaten by any of the three others in a run-off, polls have repeatedly shown.

Le Pen’s stance on immigration mainly competes with that of former prime minister Fillon, who despite being plagued by a financial scandal is slowly recovering in the polls, and has also targeted far-right voters.

Paris

AFP

"We're going to win! We're going to win!" thundered thousands of supporters of

French centrist Emmanuel Macron at his mega-rally in Paris six days before voting. In private, many sounded less confident.

Victory for the 39-year-old looked the most likely outcome of France's presidential election a month ago, but the race has tightened as the first round of voting looms on Sunday.

Polls now show a close four-way race developing between Macron, Marine Le Pen, Fran-cois Fillon and the surprise c h a l l e n g e r , J e a n - L u c Melenchon.

"We're a bit worried by Melenchon's breakthrough," Dominique Dusart, 57, who heads En Marche in the Yonne area south of Paris, acknowl-edged before the meeting.

"It has been a bit of a slap in the face because we weren't expecting it."

Le Pen vows to suspend immigration

Low voter turnout could increase uncertainty Paris

Reuters

High noon on Sunday will bring the first hard sign of just how close France’s

presidential race really is with the release of early turnout fig-ures for the first round eight hours before expected results.

With indecision also a major factor, polls show the race is so tight between the top four can-didates that each has a chance of making the two-person run-off vote — therefore presenting no fewer than six second round

scenarios. Reuters research into past elections shows that the lower the first-round turnout, the greater the uncertainty about which two candidates will con-test that run-off on May 7.

Investors are poring over the arithmetic of past votes for clues about the likelihood of an unex-pected result this time.

Judging from history, turn-out will be the key variable. In past elections, the higher the abstention rate in the first round of voting, the lower the hurdle candidates had to clear in order to qualify.

French bond yields have risen in recent months and equity investors have massively hedged positions in the options market to reduce exposure to the risk of a market-unsettling sur-prise vote.

The Interior Ministry will publish a first turnout estimate at midday (1000 GMT) on Sun-day followed by an update at 5pm, three hours before the last polling stations close at 8pm.

Anything lower than rates seen in 2002 when turnout hit record low levels could raise the chances of a surprise result.

Turnout was only 21 percent at midday then and 58 percent at 5pm.

Polls have consistently sug-gested centrist Emmanuel Macron and far right leader Marine Le Pen will score high-est in the first round with about 22-24 percent of the vote each - and thereby qualify for the runoff.

But conservative Francois Fillon and hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon are not far behind, touching 20 percent in some polls, putting both in strik-ing distance of qualifying when

taking margins of error into account.

“This (closeness) creates a risk of surprise because it sub-stantially lowers the vote required to make it to the sec-ond round,” Swiss fund managers Unigestion, with ¤23 bn ($24.5bn) under management, said in a research note.

In French presidential elec-tions since 1965, the lowest scoring of the two candidates to qualify for the runoffs has had a vote of 25 percent on average.

Polls have consistently sug-gested a low turnout.

Members of the French RAID police unit leave after searching a home in Marseille, yesterday.

Russian tycoon to sell media firm that irked KremlinMoscow

Reuters

Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov is in talks to sell his RBC media

holding, which angered some in the Kremlin with its report-ing on the business interests of people close to President Vladimir Putin, according to people briefed on the discussions.

The talks come a year after Russian law enforce-ment conducted searches of Prokhorov’s offices. At the time, sources close to the media group said the searches were prompted by Kremlin anger at the revelations it published, though the Krem-lin has denied this link.

The searches sparked market speculation—denied by Prokhorov’s holding com-pany Onexim—that he was considering selling some of his Russian assets.

The other assets include stakes in aluminium giant Rusal, power generator Quadra and financial busi-nesses Renaissance Credit, Renaissance Capital and IFC Bank. Russian businessman Grigory Berezkin, who has stakes in utility companies, is in talks to buy the RBC media holding from Prokhorov, Marianna Belousova, a spokeswoman for Berezkin, said yesterday.

Tightening race rattles Macron camp

Court summons Spain PM to testify in graft trialMadrid

AFP

One of Spain's top crimi-nal courts yesterday summoned Mariano

Rajoy to testify as a witness in a major corruption trial, a first for the conservative prime minister.

"They have called him as witness," a spokesman for the National Court that deals with major corruption cases said, adding no date had been set yet for the hearing.

Rajoy will take the stand as part of the so-called Gurtel trial, which centres on a vast net-work that allegedly saw companies shower former law-makers and civil servants from his ruling Popular Party (PP)

with bribes in exchange for contracts.

Altogether, 37 defendants face justice including two former party treasurers and businessman Francisco Correa, the alleged head of the network.

The PP itself is on the stand via a legal representative, though unlike most other defendants who face criminal charges, the party is accused only of having benefitted from funds obtained illegally, mak-ing it liable to civil penalties.

Rajoy's former health min-ister Ana Mato, who was forced to resign in November 2014 over the scandal, is also on the stand though like the PP she is suspected only of having ben-efitted from illegal funds.

‘Viagra’ and other code names in Brazil’s corruption scandal

17WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 AMERICAS

Demonstrators gathering in front of the Internal Revenue Service building in Manhattan to protest tax being spent on US wars and the military in New York, yesterday.

Taxed by taxes

Washington

Reuters

President Donald Trump will order federal agencies to look at tightening a temporary visa programme used

to bring high-skilled foreign workers to the United States, as he tries to carry out his campaign pledges to put “America First.”

Trump will sign an executive order on enforcing and review-ing the H-1B visa, popular in the technology industry, on a visit to the headquarters of Snap-On Inc, a tool manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, senior administration officials said.

He will also use what the White House called the “Buy American and Hire American” order to seek changes in govern-ment procurement that would boost purchases of American products in federal contracts, with one aim being to help US steelmakers.

The moves will show Trump once again using his power to issue executive orders to try to fulfill promises he made last year in his election campaign, in this case to reform US immigration policies and encourage pur-chases of American products.

Senior officials gave few details on implementation of the

order but Trump aides have expressed concern that most H-1B visas are awarded for lower-paid jobs at outsourcing firms, many based in India, which they say takes work away from Americans. They seek a more merit-based way to give the visas to highly-skilled workers.

As he nears the 100-day benchmark of his presidency, Trump still has no major legis-lative achievements. With his attempts to overhaul healthcare and tax law not bearing fruit so

far in a Congress controlled by his fellow Republicans, Trump has leaned heavily on executive orders to seek changes to the US economy.

The venue for Trump’s visit is a nod to his voter base in the manufacturing centres of the American heartland. Wisconsin unexpectedly voted for the Republican last year, partly due to his promises to bring back industrial jobs.

His order will call for “strict enforcement of all laws govern-ing entry into the United States of labor from abroad for the stated purpose of creating higher wages and higher employment rates for workers in the United States”, a senior official said.

It will call on the depart-ments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security and State to crack down on what the official called “fraud and abuse” in the US immigration system, in order to protect American workers.

Instead of directly ordering a change to the H-1B visa pro-gram, Trump is taking a more cautious route that will likely take some time to produce actual results. He will ask those federal departments to propose reforms to ensure those visas are awarded to the most skilled or highest paid applicant.

H-1B visas are intended for

foreign nationals in occupations that generally require higher education, including science, engineering or computer pro-gramming. The government uses a lottery to award 65,000 visas every year and randomly distrib-utes another 20,000 to graduate student workers.

Companies say they use the visas to recruit top talent. More than 15 percent of Facebook Inc’s US employees in 2016 used a temporary work visa, according to a Reuters analysis of US Labour Department filings. Face-book, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc were not immediately avail-able for a comment.

Most H-1B visas are awarded to outsourcing firms, sparking criticism by skeptics who say those companies use the visas to fill lower-level information tech-nology jobs. Critics say the lottery benefits outsourcing firms that flood the system with mass applications.

The senior official said that under the current system foreign workers are often brought in at less pay to replace American workers, “violating the principle of the program”. Indian nation-als are by far the largest group of recipients of the H-1B visas issued each year to new applicants. Nasscom, the Indian IT service industry’s main lobby group, said

it supports efforts to root out any abuses occurring in the H-1B sys-tem, but said the idea that H-1B visa holders are cheap labor is inaccurate and a campaign to dis-credit the sector.

It warned that any onerous additional restrictions to the visa program would “hurt thousands of US businesses and their efforts to be more competitive”, by hin-dering access to needed talent.

The Indian commerce min-istry, which has been liaising with the United States on the visa issue, declined to comment. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Washington in Feb-ruary to be open minded on admitting skilled Indian workers.

India’s No. 2 IT Services firm, Infosys, has said it is ramping up work on on-site development centers in the United States to train local talent in an effort to address the visa regulation changes under consideration. Infosys also warned last week that onerous changes to US visa rules could affect its earnings.

Before Trump’s January 20 inauguration, his transition team discussed the possibility of scrapping the H-1B lottery and replacing it with a system to favor visa petitions for jobs that pay the highest salaries, in an effort to curb visas given to lower

skilled tech workers.“We hope the goal of Presi-

dent Trump’s executive order on the H-1B program is ‘mend it, don’t end it,’” Robert Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation professional associ-ation, said in a statement.

He said replacing the H-1B lottery with a more merit-based system could advance the pro-gram’s goals of attracting people with advanced science and tech-nology skills. The number of H-1B visa applications for this year actually fell to 199,000 from 236,000 received for 2016, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Trump’s order will also ask federal agencies to look at how to get rid of loopholes in the gov-ernment procurement process.

Specifically, the review will take into account whether waiv-ers in free-trade agreements are leading to unfair trade by allow-ing foreign companies to undercut American companies in the global government pro-curement market.

“If it turns out America is a net loser because of those free-trade agreement waivers, which apply to almost 60 countries, these waivers may be promptly renegotiated or revoked,” the second official said.

Washington

AFP

The US Supreme Court denied a last-minute request from Arkansas

state authorities for permission to carry out its first execution in more than a decade. The US high court decision is the latest in a flurry of legal setbacks to the southeastern state’s original plan to carry out eight execu-tions between April 17 and 27, an unprecedented pace.

Justices declined an appeal from the state’s attorney gen-eral to lift a stay barring the execution of Don Davis, who was slated to be the first of sev-eral inmates to die this month.

The Arkansas Supreme Court kate on Monday had blocked the executions of Davis and one other inmate, after law-yers had requested the executions be delayed until the US Supreme Court hears a sep-arate case concerning prisoners’ access to mental health experts who are independent of the prosecution.

But Arkansas Attorney Gen-eral Leslie Rutledge swiftly filed an application with the US

Supreme Court to obtain per-mission to proceed with the execution of just Davis. As he awaited the court to decide his fate Davis ate fried chicken, mashed potatoes and straw-berry cake — what could have been his last meal.

The US Supreme court’s denial of the state’s request came minutes before Davis’s execution warrant expired at 12 noon local time, wrapping up a day of legal wrangling among state and federal courts over the state’s accelerated execution plan. The legal roadblock con-stitutes yet another setback for Arkansas’s Republican gover-nor, Asa Hutchinson, who had pushed for the accelerated exe-cutions as the expiration of the state’s supply of midazolam drew near.

“While this has been an exhausting day for all involved, tomorrow we will continue to fight back on last minute appeals and efforts to block justice for the victims’ families,” Hutchinson said. He said the state would con-tinue towards carrying out the executions of the other inmates.

Hours prior to the US Supreme Court decision, state

courts had lifted obstacles to con-tinuing those plans. The US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Monday reversed a federal judge’s broader stay on the executions, clearing the path for deaths scheduled to take place later this month to proceed.

The state’s Supreme Court on Monday also vacated an order blocking the use of the drug vecuronium bromide as part of a lethal-injection protocol.

The drugs used in lethal injections by some American states -- 19 of the 50 no longer execute prisoners — have become increasingly difficult to obtain. Many pharmaceutical companies, particularly in Europe, ban their use for executions.

While lethal injection was meant to be painless, death-penalty opponents say the risk of badly botched executions, with inmates writhing in agony for long minutes, is unaccepta-bly high. Arkansas’s plan to reduce the number of its death-row prisoners by some 20 percent in the space of a week and a half has drawn sharp pro-tests around the world.

Los Angeles AFP

A California woman was sentenced to six months in prison for running a

fake marriage scam with her father to enable Chinese nation-als to obtain immigration visas.

Federal officials said Lynn Leung, 44, and her 67-year-old father, Jason Shiao, over nearly a decade organized more than 70 phony marriages for Chinese nationals who paid up to $50,000 for their services in order to obtain a permanent resident visa, or “green card.”

Shiao, who posed as an immi-gration attorney, and his daughter — both of whom have pleaded guilty in the case — paired cus-tomers with US nationals who were in need of money and in some cases even homeless, fed-eral investigators said.

The pair went to great length to deceive authorities, staging wedding photo shoots and organizing fake honey-moons, authorities said. They also coached couples on how to avoid detection by immigra-tion authorities.

The US citizen recruited for the scheme would be promised up to $10,000 but many told

investigators that they never received payment.

Investigators said Leung and her father netted up to $3.5m from the scheme that allowed them to enjoy a lavish lifestyle. In addition to her prison term, Leung on Monday was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and will be on supervised release for three years. Shiao is set to be sentenced in the case on April 24.

Earlier this month, federal agents raided a Los Angeles-area business suspected of being connected to a $50m visa fraud scheme involving more than 100 Chinese investors. The investors obtained green cards through the so-called EB-5 visa program.

The program offers foreign nationals permanent US resi-dency in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs.

In this case, however, the investors proposed projects that were never built and some of their money was refunded to them by the key suspects — Vic-toria Chan, a California attorney, and her father, Tat Chan.

Brasília

AFP

The politicians caught up in Brazil’s biggest ever corruption scandal are

well known to the public. But their alter egos, like “Viagra” and “BMW,” less so.

Odebrecht, the massive engineering company that admits to systematic bribery of politicians, has revealed that code names were given to its long list of alleged bribe-takers.

The graft was so wide-spread that Odebrecht set up a whole department to han-dle payments.

However, given the illegal nature of the business, they referred to politicians with an

imaginative series of handles, published in full on Monday by G1 news site.

Some congressmen were given wholesome sounding labels, like “Cowboy” and “Fisherman.”

Others got more fanciful treatment: “Princess” for a deputy state governor called Cida Borghetti or “Muse” for the state lawmaker Ana Paula Lima.

“BMW” was the name given to congressman Beto Mansur, while “Viagra” was another deputy, Jarbas Vasconcelos.

Some nicknames invented by Odebrecht indicated little love lost, apart from the love of illicit money making, of course.

Pennsylvania

Reuters

The man suspected of killing a Cleveland man and posting a video of

the murder on Facebook fatally shot himself after a “brief pursuit” by Pennsylva-nia State Police officers yesterday, police said.

Steve Stephens was accused of shooting Robert Godwin Sr, 74, on a sidewalk in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sun-day before fleeing in a car and uploading a video of the mur-der to Facebook, becoming the subject of a nationwide manhunt.

Pennsylvania State Police officers found Stephens in Erie County, Pennsylvania, after getting a tip from the public that his white Ford Fusion was parked outside a McDonald’s fast-food restau-rant, Calvin Williams, the Cleveland police chief, told a news conference.

After a brief chase, Stephens stopped his vehicle, Williams said. “As the officers approached that vehicle Steve Stephens took his own life,” Williams said. “We would have preferred that it had not ended this way,” he added, saying he and the community would have had “a lot of ques-tions” for Stephens.

Stephens, who had no prior criminal record, was not suspected in any other kill-ings, Cleveland officials said. Stephens said in a separate video on Facebook on Sun-day that he had already killed a dozen others.

The shooting marked the latest video clip of a violent crime to turn up on Facebook, raising questions about how the world’s biggest social media network moderates content.

The company on Monday said it would review how it monitors violent footage and other objectionable material in response to the killing. The shooting video was visible on Facebook for nearly two hours before it was reported.

Trump orders review of H-1B visa programme'America First'

The number of H-1B visa applications for this year actually fell to 199,000 from 236,000 received for 2016, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Trump will also use what the White House called the “Buy American and Hire American” order to seek changes in government procurement.

Supreme Court rejects Arkansas request to allow execution

Suspect in FB video murder kills self in Pennsylvania

California woman jailed over fake Chinese weddings

18 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017AMERICAS

NEWS BYTESUnited won’t fire anyone over manhandled passengerNEW YORK: United’s widely-condemned violent removal of a passenger from a flight was a “system failure” and no employ-ees will lose their jobs as a result, United Continental chief Oscar Munoz said yesterday. “It was a system failure across various areas, so there was never a consideration for firing an employee or anyone around it,” Munoz said on a confer-ence call. United has been under fire since video went viral showing security personnel dragging battered and blood-ied passenger David Dao off an overbooked Chicago flight to make room for an airline employee. Munoz again apolo-gized for the incident as he opened the quarterly earnings conference call with investors.

Gunman in US mall shooting found dead in jail cellLOS ANGELES: A man accused of shooting five people dead at a shopping mall in the US state of Washington last year was found hanging in his jail cell, officials said. Arcan Cetin, 20, who was awaiting trial in the case, apparently committed suicide and was discovered in his cell late on Sunday. The Turk-ish-born Cetin was charged with five counts of first-degree murder after the September 23, 2016 killings that left a teen-age girl, three women and a man dead. The FBI at the time said there was no evidence the shooting was terror-related and Cetin’s father told media that his son had mental health issues. Cetin admitted in interviews with investigators to the killing spree at the Cascade shopping mall but gave no motive..

US military helicopter crashes in Maryland; one deadWASHINGTON: A crewmember was killed and two others injured when a US Army helicopter crashed at a golf course in the US state of Maryland on Monday, officials said. The UH-60 Blackhawk was conducting a routine training flight when it crashed onto the golf course in St Mary’s County in southern Maryland outside Washington. The military ini-tially described the incident as a “hard landing” but photos posted on social media showed the aircraft had been totally destroyed. Three crew members were on board.

Paraguay President backs off re-election bidASUNCION: Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes said he will no longer seek re-election next year, after his bid to change the constitution triggered deadly riots. Cartes said he will “in no event” try to run in the April 2018 vote, seeking to end a political crisis unleashed by his push to remain in power another five years. Presidential re-election has been taboo in the South American country since the 35-year dictatorship of General Alfredo Stroessner ended in 1989. After senators passed an amendment last month to change that, opposition activists stormed Congress, ransacking lawmakers’ offices and setting them on fire.

Washington

AFP

President Donald Trump yesterday blamed — without proof — his

predecessor Barack Obama for allowing the MS-13 crim-inal gang to take root in US cities.

The MS-13, also known as the Mara Salvatrucha, is one of the criminal groups behind a wave of violence in Guate-mala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The gang was formed in Los Angeles by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war in the 1980s. The gang, how-ever, remains active in the United States.

US officials deported sev-eral gang members in the early 2000s to their countries of origin — contributing to the explosive spread of crime in the region.

Domestic crime blamed on MS-13 include the murder of four Hispanic youths last week in New York state, as well as 11 people killed in Suf-folk County, New York last year, including two teens murdered with machetes and baseball bats. “The weak ille-gal immigration policies of the Obama Admin. allowed bad MS 13 gangs to form in cities across US. We are removing them fast!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Washington

AFP

Voters went to the polls yesterday in a special election in the US state of Geor-gia in which a young

political novice is carrying the hopes of Democrats seeking to jumpstart a resistance move-ment against President Donald Trump.

Jon Ossoff, 30, hopes to cap-italise on Trump’s lacklustre popularity and make the race for a congressional seat long held by Republicans a litmus test of the president’s first 100 days. “We are certainly going for an outright win here today. But a special election is special. It is difficult to predict,” he said on CNN.

“It will come down to turn-out. Because it’s all about turnout — the most important thing peo-ple can do is get to the polls.” Ossoff, who is leading the field of 18 candidates, stressed that the race is about local economic issues “before it is about the national political circus”. “Eve-ryone is looking for national implications, but all politics is local,” he said.

But a first round win for Ossoff would be the first blow in what is shaping up to be a bitter, 18-month battle for control of the US Congress in the 2018 elec-tions that come halfway through Trump’s presidential term.

Should he secure an upset, it would mark a stunning

embarrassment for the president and signal that next year’s mid-term elections are essentially up for grabs. But the documentary filmmaker and former congres-sional aide must upset history first.

Georgia’s 6th District is in the relatively affluent and conserv-ative suburbs of Atlanta. It has remained a Republican fortress since 1978 when it was won by Newt Gingrich, the future speaker of the House of Representatives who led a Republican revolution in the 1990s.

Ossoff is running in a special election there to replace Tom Price, who gave up his seat to become Trump’s health secretary. “This election is about deciding the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us,” Ossoff tweeted on Monday.

Trump weighed in yesterday , urging Republicans to get to the polls, and tweeting: “Democrat Jon Ossoff would be a disaster in Congress.”

Under normal circumstances, a Republican win would be in lit-tle doubt. But Trump’s approval rating lags at around 40 percent in a Gallup tracking poll — a record low for an incoming president.

A new Gallup poll shows just 45 percent of Americans think Trump will keep his campaign promises, down from 62 percent who believed he would in early February. First-time candidate Ossoff leads the race, polling at 42.5 percent — far ahead of the top four Republican candidates, none of whom is drawing more

than 17 percent.If nobody finishes above 50

percent, the race goes to a June 20 run-off that is expected to pit Ossoff against one of the Repub-lican hopefuls. A run-off would likely be close, and should Repub-licans regroup and coalesce strongly around their candidate they could keep the seat.

So Democrats see yesterday as their best chance for victory. Ossoff has marshalled an army of volunteers, and reportedly amassed millions of dollars in out-of-state contributions by Democratic groups.

Part of what is fueling Dem-ocratic excitement about the race is that while Trump won Georgia by six percentage points, the dis-trict that Ossoff seeks to win supported Trump by barely one point over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

It has a large proportion of well-educated voters who are reliably Republican but frustrated by Trump. The race has quickly gained national attention, becom-ing the 11th most expensive election in House history, accord-ing to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Litmus test for Trump in Georgia

New York Reuters

A nonprofit watchdog expanded a lawsuit accusing US President

Donald Trump of violating the Constitution by letting his hotels and restaurants accept payments from foreign governments.

The amended complaint filed yesterday in the US Dis-trict Court in Manhattan adds a restaurant trade group, whose members include nationally known chefs Tom Colicchio and Alice Waters, and a hotel events booker in Washington, DC as plaintiffs.

It is intended to address concern over whether the watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, was itself harmed by Trump and had standing to sue at all. Trump is expected to respond by April 21, and had said the original lawsuit filed on Jan. 23 had no merit.

Spokesmen for the US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment yesterday.

The amended complaint said Trump violates the Con-stitution’s “emoluments” clause, which bars him from accepting various gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval, by maintaining ownership over his business empire despite ceding day-to-day control to his sons, Eric and Donald Jr.

It said members of Res-taurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United Inc, which rep-resents more than 200 restaurants and nearly 25,000 workers, have improperly lost business,

Caracas

AFP

Venezuela’s defence min-ister declared the army’s loyalty to President Nico-

las Maduro, who ordered troops into the streets ahead of a major protest by opponents trying to oust him.

Venezuela is bracing for what Maduro’s opponents vow will be the “mother of all pro-tests” today, after two weeks of clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against moves by the leftist leader and his allies to tighten their grip on power.

The center-right opposition has called on the military — a pillar of Maduro’s power — to turn on the president amid an economic and political crisis that has triggered severe food shortages, riots and looting. But Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the army “confirms its unconditional loy-alty to the president”.

He made the comment before thousands of

rifle-carrying members of the pro-Maduro “Bolivarian mili-tia,” who cheered with fists raised at a rally outside the Pres-idential Palace.

Maduro thanked the army and the militia for their support and announced he planned to expand the latter civilian force to half a million armed mem-bers. “Loyalty is repaid with loyalty,” he said.

The rally came hours after Maduro ordered the military into the streets to defend the leftist “Bolivarian revolution” launched by his late mentor Hugo Chavez in 1999.

“From the first reveille (on Monday morning), from the first rooster crow, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will be in the streets... saying, ‘Long live the Bolivarian revolution,’” he said Sunday night in a televised address.

He called for the militia to be in “permanent training” and “permanent deployment” to defend Venezuela against “any imperialist aggression” — a thinly veiled reference to the

United States. Senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles dis-m i s s e d M a d u r o ’ s announcement. “The old fogey has announced one rifle for every militia member. He is more desperate than ever,” Capriles wrote on Twitter. “Ven-ezuela does not want rifles, it wants food and medicine!”

Venezuela has been rocked by unrest since March 30, when Maduro’s camp moved to con-solidate its control with a Supreme Court decision quash-ing the power of the opposition-majority legislature. The court partly backtracked after an international outcry, but tension only rose further when authorities slapped a political ban on Capriles.

Five people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the ensuing protests as demonstra-tors clashed with riot police firing tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. Non-govern-ment groups have accused the authorities of repression of pro-testers and of using firearms to put down the rallies.

The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, Julio Borges (centre), accompanied by opposition deputies, reading a statement in Caracas, yesterday.

Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff speaking to volunteers and supporters at a campaign office in Marietta, Georgia, yesterday.

Army declares loyalty to Maduro as Venezuela braces for giant demo

Lawsuit against Trump expands

Trump blames Obama for formation of MS-13 gangSpecial election

Jon Ossoff, 30, hopes to capitalise on Trump’s lacklustre popularity and make the race for a congressional seat long held by Republicans a litmus test of the president’s first 100 days.

19WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017 HOME

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Hot daytime and slight dust to blow-

ing dust at places with some clouds.

WEATHER TODAY

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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App tracks athletes in extreme raceThe Peninsula

Samla race is an extreme sports event, meant for athletes with an adventurous spirit, willing to endure along the 200km trek that comprises running,

swimming kayaking, shooting. Around 200 Qatari athletes joined the adven-ture, vying for the QR500,000 first prize.

The race was held in the desert and started from the Sealine area and ended in Al Jamiliyah town, with a time limit of 96 hours. Every 10km there was a check point that included referees, medics and water supplies and about every 50km a main camp to provide athletes with replacements and rest areas.

For the first time ever, all athletes were monitored thanks to the joint effort of Aspire Foundation (AZF) and Ooredoo, by providing an app that tracked automatically all the runners, specifying their exact position, speed, heart rate and other vitals. The app also offered the possibility to send automat-ically an ambulance in case the vitals of a runner were detected to be reach-ing dangerous levels.

Athletes also had the possibility to request for support of any kind (medi-cal assistance, water etc). A fleet of ambulances and water supply vehicles were constantly moving along the track, and thanks to the GPS, constantly updated about each athlete, they were able to get to the exact location of the runner in no time to provide assistance.

The organising committee CEO, Azzam Abdulaziz Al Mannai, said, “The technology support extended by Aspire Zone Foundation and Ooredoo has played a significant role in the success

of this year’s Samla Race and we thank both organisations for their relentless support. With the help of the Samla Race App and the Command Center support solutions, the organising com-mittee members in coordination with the emergency support team were able to ensure that any health risks to the participants were avoided by closely monitoring their heart rate and

location in real time and appropriate response measures taken in timely manner as required". He also empha-sised the security and safety of the contestants as a top priority.

The App fully developed in-house by Aspire Zone Foundation IT Team showcased Qatar’s ability to deploy world class technology solutions for sports and was an extension of the technical capabilities being utilised in Aspire Academy, member organisa-tion of AZF, for athlete performance monitoring and analysis.

Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, the CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, said “We are excited to see AZF’s technical capabilities being extended to support such sporting events in the country as our commitment to become the refer-ence for sports excellence world-wide and as a testimony to the emergence of Qatar as a sporting nation.” Al

Suwaidi added: “Our joint efforts with Ooredoo are a clear demonstration of our Aspire Way Values represented in innovation, professionalism and team work. We look forward to further fruit-ful cooperation towards utilising latest technologies to support sports development.”

Cellular coverage along the track was provided by the Ooredoo Supernet. Given the difficulty of the terrain and the remoteness, new infrastructure had to be deployed in little time. In addition to that, the app and the data from all ath-letes were safely kept and managed at Ooredoo’s advanced Data Centre in Doha.

Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Oore-doo worked hard to provide the most reliable and strongest network pos-sible, to help keep participants safe and connect them to the services they need in real-time. Once again, we’ve demonstrated that we have the best solutions and network to help con-nect Qatar’s sporting events and we hope to work with Aspire Zone Foun-dation again to develop more innovative technology to aid sports in Qatar.”

This is another example of the innovation developed in Qatar, and the prominent role the country is playing in the sports industry. Never before athletes were tracked with such an innovative system, that not only pro-vided support and comfort, but also guaranteed the security of all the par-ticipants. In a joint statement issued by Aspire Zone Foundation and Ooredoo, both entities expressed their commit-ment to work together and bring the best of the two organisations techni-cal capabilities to support the growth of the country’s sports sector.

Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar.

Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, the CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation.

All athletes were monitored thanks to the joint effort of Aspire Foundation (AZF) and Ooredoo, by providing an app that tracked automatically all the runners, specifying their exact position, speed, heart rate and other vitals.

20 WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2017HOME