CHALLENGES

More documents

Recommendations

Info

8 ASIA OMANDAILYOBSERVER SATURDAY l JANUARY 28 l 2017 QUEST FOR HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY Nepalese Hindu devotees wait to fill pots with water from the Bagmati River at the Pashupatinath Temple during the month-long Swasthani festival in Kathmandu on Friday. Scores of married and unmarried women in the Himalayan nation are marking the month-long fast in the hope of a prosperous life and conjugal happiness. — AFP Pakistan experts see closer US-India ties ISLAMABAD: Political and foreign affairs experts in Pakistan do not expect major changes in the US policies under President Donald Trump, but some anticipate a tough time ahead as Washington may develop close relations with New Delhi. Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand said he does not expect any major change in the US policies under Trump towards Pakistan and Afghanistan, but there are “indications the US could come much closer to India”. “The US needs a major partner and New Delhi could be fit for it,” Xinhua news agency quoted Mohmand as saying. “As the US goes closer to India, this policy would widen gulf between Pakistan and the US,” he said. The Pakistan-US ties had been tense during former President Barak Obama’s tenure and last year Washington stopped a $300 million military aid to Pakistan and suspended the sale of F-16 fighters at subsidised rate. The US cited Pakistan’s “lack of cooperation” in taking action against the Taliban-linked Haqqani network and bringing Afghan Taliban to the negotiations table as major reasons behind the shift in its policies, Xinhua news agency reported. “I think the US will keep on exerting pressure on Pakistan to take action against those who pose threat to its forces in Afghanistan. The country is likely to urge Pakistan either to bring the Afghan Taliban to the table or take action against them,” Sarfaraz Khan, director at Area Study Centre in the Peshawar University, told Xinhua. The Pakistan-US ties had been tense during former President Barak Obama’s tenure and last year Washington stopped a $300 million military aid to Pakistan and suspended the sale of F-16 fighters at subsidised rate The Pakistani side insists the Haqqani network has been expelled from the North Waziristan tribal region as the result of major military offensive in 2014. However, the US seemed dissatisfied and pressed Pakistan to “do more”. A senior Pakistani official, dealing with Afghanistan and part of many meetings with the American officials, said it was, in fact, the US that has harmed diplomatic efforts for peace process in Afghanistan. The official referred to the killing of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike in May last year. The strike came just three days after a quadrilateral group meeting here of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US called for political negotiations to solve the Afghan problem. Pakistani lawmakers are urging Islamabad to adopt independent foreign policies and protect own interests like the US. “Pakistan has suffered a lot because of the nature of relationship with the US. We should review our policies even if Trump, Obama or Bush rules the US or any other leader,” said Sajid Nawaz, an opposition member of Parliament. “We should adopt independent and aggressive policies rather than looking to others. We should focus on own policies and interests,” Nawaz from Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party told Xinhua. Rahimullah Yousafzai, a senior Pakistani journalist who writes on security and foreign affairs, said the whole world has serious concerns about Trump’s approach as spelt out during his election campaign. “Trump will mainly focus on internal matters. I think, like his predecessors, he would also have complaints about Pakistan regarding Afghanistan,” Yousafzai opined. — IANS Ban Ki-moon meets former South Korean oppn leader SEOUL: Former UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon met a former opposition leader on Friday, multiple sources familiar with the meeting said, the latest in a series of his efforts to join forces with the opposition bloc for his presidential bid. Ban held a closed-door meeting with former Democratic Party (DP) chief Sohn Hak-kyu for about an hour in Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported. The two are believed to have shared the need for revising the Constitution, though they were reportedly at odds over details. Ban recently called for a constitutional revision before the presidential election in a way that would empower the prime minister to be in charge of domestic affairs. In South Korea, the prime minister is the second highest position after the president, but the job has been a largely ceremonial as power is concentrated heavily in the president. South Korea has revised the Constitution nine times since 1948 when it came into being. South Korea introduced the single five-year term presidency in 1987 after decades of autocratic rule by military-backed presidents. The system was primarily aimed at keeping the president from attempting to hold on to power through illicit means. Sohn is said to have called for a transfer of power led by reformists in a clear signal that he would not join hands with Ban in case the former UN chief works with the ruling Saenuri Party or other conservative party. “We should stand on the side of reform,” Sohn said, noting that the era of a conservative government is gone. Sohn, who currently does not hold any party affiliation, said that he told Ban that the former UN chief should be more clear about his political line and policy. Ban also met with police officers and firefighters on Friday in an apparent move to give them pep talks and promote his presidential bid. —IANS 4 Indian-origin persons honoured in Australia CANBERRA: Australia has honoured four Indian-origin persons here with its civilian awards for their contributions in the field of medicine and work towards the community, a media report said. Purushottam Sawrikar, a Sydneybased medical practitioner, received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for the year 2017 announced on the Australia Day for his service to medicine and to the Indian community, reported the community newspaper Indian Link on Friday. Sawrikar, who arrived in Sydney in 1972 from Hyderabad, India, is a social work enthusiast and has reached out to the community here on health-related issues through radio, print, TV and audio CDs. He has also organised several free health check-ups on blood pressure and diabetes. He is former President of Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA) and has advocated on behalf of India-trained doctors who find it hard to qualify for registration. Sawrikar also founded a community radio called Akashwani Sydney. He was also instrumental in organising overseas conferences and seminars for AIMGA, especially the one with the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) in 2014. Melbourne-based doctor Ranjana Srivastava received the OAM award for service to medicine, particularly in the field of doctor-patient communication. “I’m very humbled, and a little thrilled,” Srivastava said after she received the Order of Australia medal. Professor Mark (Makhan Singh) Khangure from Perth received Member of the Order of Australia (AM) award for his significant service to medicine in the field of neuroradiology, to education, and to a range of professional medical associations. “I was delighted when I heard the news,” he said. He has also served on the boards of a number of medical organisations, including Australian and New Zealand Society of Neuroradiology, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and the Australian Medical Association. Sydney-based radiopharmaceutical scientist Dr Vijay Kumar got the AM award for significant service to medical research in the disciplines of nuclear medicine and biology, to professional organisations, and to the community. “I feel very honoured by this recognition. What makes me particularly happy is the fact that this will bring recognition to the discipline and hopefully encourage aspiring scientists to take it up seriously,” Kumar said. Kumar, a founding member of Sydney Tamil Sangam Association, was also awarded Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Award in 2007 and 2014. Over 950 Australians were named in the Australia Day Honours this year with former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victoria’s Governor Linda Dessau, organic scientist Andrew Holmes and former Liberal MP David Kemp receiving the nation’s top Australia Day medal, the Companion of the Order of Australia. — IANS China gearing up for ‘Year of Rooster’ BEIJING: As China gets ready to bid farewell to the Year of the Monkey and usher in the Year of the Rooster, it’s time for family reunions, fireworks and feasts, a media report said on Friday. During this period, millions return to their hometowns to ring in the New Year with their families, and this year the authorities expect up to three billion trips to take place during the famous 40-day-long Spring Festival, between January 13 and February 21, Efe news reported. However, not everyone can spend the holiday with their families. “My mother and I have to stay in Beijing this year,” Lei Yueying, 22, who could not go to her grandparents’ house in Hubei to meet her family, told Efe news. Lei added they have put up pictures of a fire rooster (depicting the New Year that begins on Saturday) on their windows and a sticker in Chinese reading “fu”, or the character of fortune, on the door of their Beijing home. Back in their hometown, during this period, Lei’s grandparents prepare little rice cakes called “nian gao”, meaning “each year more prosperous” in Chinese. For those who could not go to their hometowns, and especially those who live in Beijing, celebrations would include attending fairs and parades, especially the one at the Temple of the Earth. Members of police swat patrol with their dog at the Beijing Railway Station in central Beijing on Friday as China gears up for Lunar New Year, when hundreds of millions of people head home. — Reuters The temple, also known as the Ditan Park, will come alive with numerous red-coloured lamps and images of roosters, and will hold a traditional ceremony that attracts huge crowds of people from different parts of the city. Besides temples, there are other places that will record a large footfall, including Daoxiaocun, a traditional confectionery that offers time-tested delicacies such as “babaofan”, a popular sweet pudding associated with good health. Cleaning the house is one among the many popular and symbolic traditions associated with the Chinese New Year as the Chinese believe it drives out bad experiences of the past and symbolises bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new. However, New Year family reunions can often be stressful for many, including family pressure on youngsters to look for a partner. All of China looks forward to these holidays for its warm family gatherings, fireworks, and the traditional gala of the Chinese central television. — IANS
ANALYSIS SS 9 SATURDAY l JANUARY 28 l 2017 OMANDAILYOBSERVER By migrants for migrants: The new faces of media K CLAUDIO ACCHERI ilap Gueye and Abdellatif Yakoubou arrived in Italy at two very different moments in history. Gueye left Senegal and reached Sardinia in the early 2000s, where he established himself as a teacher and writer. Yakoubou, from Benin, landed on the island in 2014, at the start of what became Europe’s biggest migrant crisis since World War Two. Their paths crossed when they joined ‘Nois’, a television news show set up by theatre company Sardegna Teatro and local online TV channel Eja TV, to be hosted by migrants and to explore the challenges they face. Nois, from the Sardinian word ‘us’, is the first video news show in Italy to be developed by migrants, and one of a growing number of migrant-led media projects across Europe. “Italian mainstream media outlets usually offer a distorted image of the migration, feeding xenophobia, and putting distance between people,” said 46-year-old Gueye. “This project gives us a chance to also show the positive side of things. People need information, not misinformation.” The Nois editorial team includes reporters from Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, Senegal, Benin, China and India. The team is coordinated by two Italian journalists, Valentina Bifulco and Guido Garau, who provide training and guidance. The news team is based in Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital on the south coast that the novelist D H Lawrence compared to Jerusalem for its steep streets and golden domes: “strange and rather wonderful, not a bit like Italy”. “Cagliari is geographically closer to Africa than mainland Italy,” said Massimo Mancini, Sardegna Teatro’s director. “The majority of migrants who reach Sardinia don’t really want to be here. It’s interesting to see their faces when they realise that they are on an island, and that they still need to cross the sea to reach their family and friends.” For the new arrivals, Nois offers essential information. “How to enrol for a free language course, find a soup kitchen or a free Internet connection is vital knowledge for someone who does not have any guidance,” Mancini said. Nois also showcases the culture and traditions of Sardinia’s newly diverse communities, among the population of around 1.6 million. Foreign-born residents make up around 3 per cent of the population, and 6 per cent of local businesses are owned by migrants, according to a This project gives us a chance to also show the positive side of things. People need information, not misinformation study by Italian research centre Idos, quoted in the local media. Diversity is not new to Sardinia, an island whose unique cultural identity merged with other civilisations, from the Phoenicians to the Romans to the Spanish empire. “I think it’s important to show the differences and similarities between communities, as there’s always some sort of fear to meet the other,” said Nadine Naseredine, a Lebanese reporter who moved to Sardinia about five years ago. “This is another way to break the ice and allow people to get to know each other.” Like other media projects developed by migrant and refugee communities across Europe, such as Calais’ Jungala Radio, and Austria’s Refugee TV, the Nois team regards the venture as a way of regaining control of their narrative. “It’s important to help people understand, to give them a first-hand account of the everyday life of a migrant,” said 18-year-old Yakoubou. “The people who can best explain this kind of situation are the ones who had to leave their countries to come here to Italy.” “The chance to show the reality of a migrant’s everyday life is also key to curbing the misconception of many young economic migrants who see Europe as the new Eldorado,” said Gueye. “When we get back home we don’t like to talk about the challenges, the sacrifices and the difficulties. Many migrants convey a distorted image of themselves to their community,” he said. “If we want to break this cycle we need to... show the reality,” he said. The platform is active on social media, producing special editions during cultural events such as literature and film festivals. Nearly 1.5 million migrants reached Europe in 2015 and 2016, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). As the number of newcomers grows, migrant-led media outlets are flourishing across the continent. — Reuters Right to spank a child Miss Universe contestants pose for photos with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a courtesy call at Malacanang Palace in Manila. — AFP Philippines’ obsession with beauty pageants T GIRLIE LINAO he suspense over who will be the next Miss Universe has people on edge in the Philippines, a country obsessed with beauty pageants, ahead of Monday’s coronation. Filipinos have been in a frenzy for the past two weeks, thronging events attended by the 86 contestants. Even the acerbic and tactless Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was tongue-tied when the women visited the Malacanang presidential palace days before the finale. “I wish this day will never end,” Duterte said. Outside the venue of the international competition, where a huge replica of the Miss Universe crown is on display, excited Filipinos have been taking photographs every day. “It’s such a great honour that the pageant is being held here in our country,” said Regina Sanchez, who dropped by with friends during their lunch break. “We’re not just celebrating beauty that is skin-deep, but beauty that comes from the heart, which Filipinos are known for,” she added. Some of the spectators wore sashes with the countries of the beauty queens they support. Most were wearing a Miss Philippines sash, but others had Miss Thailand, Miss Venezuela or Miss Indonesia. Fans have also expressed their support for the candidates on Twitter and Facebook. A Facebook page dedicated to beauty pageants in the Philippines had updates, memes and trivia. Three women from the Philippines have won the Miss Universe title since 1969, including the reigning Pia Wurtzbach who won in December 2015. Many are hoping for a back-to-back win, but former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz lamented that Philippine candidate Maxine Medina might not be successful. “The host country cannot win,” Diaz, the first Filipino to be crowned Miss Universe, said during a television interview. Diaz likened winning the title to taking for yourself a popular dish usually served at special occasions instead of sharing it with guests. President Duterte says beauty pageants such as Miss Universe advance women’s empowerment “I hope I’m proven wrong for the first time in my life,” she added. “I want her to win. I want us to be so proud, but you know, that’s life.” Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said the Philippines stands to gain from hosting the 65th Miss Universe pageant, the third time the South-East Asian country of more than 100 million people has become the venue of the contest. “Everybody will be looking at us because during the contest, all the beautiful places, the destinations will be featured,” she said. More than half a million people were expected to tune in to watch the coronation, which will be broadcast on Sunday night in the United States. Donald Trump, now US President, has dabbled in entertainment and media investments, including the Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants. Security has been tightened at the venue, the Mall of Asia Arena, where hundreds of police officers have been deployed and several checkpoints set up. “There is no direct threat to the staging of Miss Universe, but we are not complacent,” said Oscar Albayalde, a regional police chief. On Thursday evening, the 86 contestants showcased their national costumes in the preliminary competition. Only six contestants will move on to the final question round. Judges will then choose the Top 3, who will be ranked after a “final look.” Gabriela, a women’s rights group, has criticised the hosting of the Miss Universe pageant as “yet another attempt to package the Philippines as a lurid tourist destination for cheap, easily exploitable women.” “Gabriela opposes pageants and other festivals that exploit women as these are tools to commodify women,” said Congresswoman Arlene Brosas, a representative of the women’s group. But Duterte, who has banned swimsuit competitions in his home city of Davao where he was mayor for more than 23 years, said he believed beauty pageants such as Miss Universe advance women’s empowerment. “More importantly, this is chance for you to make an impact, to inspire change, and even be the change that you wish to see in the world,” he told the contestants who visited the presidential palace. — dpa A HEAD OFFICE Tel: 24649444, 24649450, 24649451, 24604563, 24699437 Fax: 24699643 SALALAH OFFICE Tel: 23292633 Fax: 23293909 NIZWA OFFICE Tel: 25411099 P.O. Box 955, P.C. 611 French law condemning the smacking of children has been struck down by the Constitutional Council, dismaying opponents of a practice for which France has been rapped by the UN. The Constitutional Council, which vets legislation, on Thursday rejected on technical grounds a law that asked parents to swear off hitting their children. Ruling on a challenge brought by a group of conservative senators, the court said the article, which was inserted into a law on equality and citizenship adopted by parliament in December, had “no connection” to the original bill and therefore violated parliamentary rules. The article had not constituted an actual ban on smacking and did not provide for any punishment of “la fessée” — a practice that still has widespread support in France, to the dismay of many of its European neighbours. The article only expanded the definition of parental authority in the Civil Code to include rejecting “all cruel, degrading and humiliating treatment, including all recourse to corporal violence”. The rule, which was welcomed by children’s rights groups, was intended to be read out to couples when taking their wedding vows. Reacting to the Constitutional Council’s decision, Laurence Rossignol, minister for families, children and women’s rights in President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government, expressed “great disappointment”. Rossignol said on Friday she was particularly “shocked” that senators from the main right-wing opposition party, the Republicans, had gone to the Constitutional Council to have it overturned. “In a way they are insisting on the right to smack children,” she said. “They have nothing to be proud of.” In March 2015, the Council of Europe singled out France for failing to ban smacking, unlike most other European countries. In February 2016, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called on France to “explicitly prohibit” all forms of corporal punishment for children. — AFP Website: omanobserver.om ESTABLISHED ON 15 NOVEMBER 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili ADVERTISING AL OMANEYA ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS, P.O. Box 3303, P.C. 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman Tel: SWITCHBOARD: 24649444 DIRECT: 24649430/24649437/24649401 Fax: 24649434 DISTRIBUTION AGENT The French law condemning the smacking of children, which was welcomed by children’s rights groups, was intended to be read out to couples when taking their wedding vows Al OMANEYA for Distribution & Marketing, P.O. Box 974, P.C. 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Tel: 24649351/24649360 Fax: 24649379 e-mail: editor@omanobserver.om PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising P.O. Box 974, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman subscribe@omanobserver.om Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.
Page 1 and 2: SATURDAY | JANUARY 28, 2017 | RABEE
Page 3 and 4: muscat festival OMANDAILYOBSERVER 3
Page 5 and 6: REVIEWS 5 SATURDAY l JANURAY 28 l 2
Page 7: INDIA 7 SATURDAY l JANUARY 28 l 201
Page 11 and 12: EUROPE 11 SATURDAY l JANUARY 28 l 2
Page 13 and 14: INTERNATIONAL 13 SATURDAY l JANUARY
Page 15 and 16: SATURDAY | JANUARY 28, 2017 | RABEE
Page 17 and 18: GOLF 17 SATURDAY l JANUARY 28 l 201
Page 19 and 20: 19 TENNISSPORTS SATURDAY I JANUARY

CHALLENGES

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?