ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2015

19INTERNATIONAL

A Syrian family arrives with other migrants and refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey on Nov 14. EU leaders on Nov 12 struck an aid-for-cooperation dealwith Africa and proposed a summit this year with Turkey in a two-front push with wary partners to tackle an unprecedented migrant crisis. (AFP)

Polish President Andrzej Duda (left),is handing over documents and flow-ers to Law and Justice party’s BeataSzydlo as he appointed her as PolishPrime Minister at a ceremony in thePresidential Palace, Warsaw, Poland

on Nov 13. (AP)

Asia

Seoul gripped by rally: Tens of thou-sands of people took to the streets of cen-tral Seoul Saturday in a massive protestagainst the conservative government’sdrive for labour reform and state-issuedhistory textbooks.

Police sprayed water on the crowd,estimated to number about 50,000, assome protesters attempted to push throughbarricades at the rally outside City Hall incentral Seoul.

Ahead of the rally, labour unionistsscuffled with scores of plainclothespolicemen to prevent the arrest of thehead of the militant Korean Confederationof Trade Unions (KCTU), who showed upfor a press conference near the protestsite.

Labour activists successfully blockedpolice from arrestingKCTU President HanSang-Kyun, who hasbeen sought for lead-ing outlawed labourstrikes last year andMay Day protests thisyear.

“Down with(President) ParkGeun-Hye”, theunionists chanted fol-lowing the scuffles,calling her conservative government “fas-cist”, an AFP journalist on the scene said.(AFP)

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Landslide kills 4: A torrent of mud androcks unleashed by heavy rains has buriednearly 20 homes at a village in easternChina, killing at least four people and leav-ing 33 others missing, officials and statemedia said Saturday.

The city of Lishui in the easternprovince of Zhejiang says on its offi-cial microblog that the landslide strucka village within the city’s jurisdictionlate Friday night, burying nearly 20homes.

As of Saturday morning, rescuers foundfour bodies and brought one injured sur-vivor to a hospital, the official XinhuaNews Agency said. Rescuers were search-ing for 33 people still missing, Xinhuasaid.

Phone calls to Lishui government andpropaganda offices, and the local town-ship government, rang unanswered.(AP)

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Drug lord gets death: An Indonesiancourt late on Friday sentenced a HongKong drug lord to death for smuggling860 kilograms (1,900 pounds) of crystalmethamphetamine into Indonesia earlierthis year.

Wong Chi-ping was caught with severalothers in January as they coordinated thetrafficking of the drugs from Malaysiainto Indonesia.

Indonesian authorities had been moni-toring Wong, believed to be the kingpinbehind the deal, for three years and saidthat he was part of a major global drugring.

“Indonesia must fight drugs whole-heartedly and one way to do that is bygiving strong punishments,” said presid-ing judge M. Arifin as he delivered thedeath sentence in the West Jakarta court.(AFP)

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Crash probe results on Nov 25:Indonesia will on Nov 25 announce theresults of an investigation into theAirAsia crash last year that killed 162people, the committee probing the casesaid Saturday.

The Airbus A320-200 went down in theJava Sea on Dec 28 in stormy weatherduring what was supposed to be a shorttrip from the Indonesian city of Surabayato Singapore.

“We plan to announce the report on Nov25,” Soerjanto Tjahjono, head ofIndonesia’s National Transportation SafetyCommittee, told AFP.

In the preliminary report in January,investigators who went through the blackboxes discovered that prior to the crashthe jet had climbed fast through largestorm clouds and that the stall alarmsstarted going off. (AFP)

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‘Drop political case’: HumanRights Watch on Saturday urgedCambodian authorities to drop the “polit-ically motivated” case against oppositionleader Sam Rainsy as tensions betweenhim and strongman Prime Minister HunSen spike.

A court issued an arrest warrant forRainsy on Friday over an unserveddefamation sentence from 2011, a dayafter Hun Sen threatened him with legalaction for comments urging the premierto move towards a peaceful exit fromoffice.

Hun Sen — who has ruled Cambodiafor more than three decades — is routine-ly accused of stifling the opposition andRainsy has accused his ruling CambodianPeople’s Party of stealing the last electionin 2013 with widespread vote-rigging.(AFP)

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Aussie donating to UNICEF: AnAustralian Muslim woman has donatedclose to A$1,000 ($700) to charity afterpledging to give one dollar every time shereceives a hate-filled Tweet.

Susan Carland, who teaches at MonashUniversity in Melbourne, tweeted onOctober 22 that she was donating toUNICEF for every nasty comment fromtrolls.

“Nearly at $1,000 in donations. Theneedy children thank you, haters!,” shesaid at the time.

Carland said she had previously beenblocking, muting, ignoring or occasionallyengaging with trolls but decided somemonths ago to turn it around based on theKoran’s injunction of “driving off dark-ness with light”.

“I felt I should be actively generat-ing good in the world for every uglyverbal bullet sent my way,” she wrotein a column for Fairfax Media onFriday.

Carland said any Muslim seemed toattract a lot of hate online, and abusedirected at her ranged from wishing herdead, to insults about her dress sense andaccusations that she was a “stealthjihadist”. (AFP)

Biden Poroshenko

Europe

Putin, Maduro discuss ties:Russian President Vladimir Putin had atelephone conversation with hisVenezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro,the Kremlin said on Friday.

The two leaders discussed bilateralrelations including in the energy sector,the Kremlin said.

They agreed to meet on Nov 23 at sum-mit of gas-exporting countries in Teheran,Maduro said on state television later onFriday. (RTRS)

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Church wants more tests: TheRussian Orthodox Church has called formore tests on the remains of Russia’s lastczar and his family to determine whetherbody parts unearthed eight years ago arethose of two of their children.

Nicholas II, Alexandra and their fivechildren were executed in 1918 by theBolsheviks. Remains identified as the par-ents and three children were interred in1998. Remains identified as the other twochildren were found in 2007, but plans tobury them this year were put on hold atthe request of the church.

The church has canonized the family,so worshipping false relics would be sac-rilege.

Vladimir Legoyda, a spokesman for theMoscow Patriarchate, said Friday that thechurch was insisting on more genetic test-ing but also wanted the assessments ofhistorians and anthropologists. (AP)

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3 killed in clashes: One Ukrainiansoldier and two civilians were killed ineastern Ukraine, officials said on Friday,as clashes between government forces andpro-Russian separatists intensified aftertwo months of relative calm.

One soldier was killed by separatistsarmed with heavy machine guns near thevillage of Zaitseve, some 50 kilometres(30 miles) north of the de facto rebel capi-tal Donetsk, Ukrainian militaryspokesman Andriy Lysenko told journal-ists.

Three more servicemen were wounded,he added.

In a separate incident, two men werekilled when their car hit a landmine nearthe government-held town of Mariinkaclose to the frontline, the interior ministrysaid in a statement.

After the latest truce took hold inSeptember, fighting dipped to its lowestlevel since the start of the 19-month con-flict but a recent uptick in violence hascaused concerns it could unravel.

On Wednesday, Ukraine reported thedeath of another soldier — the first fatali-ty over the past two weeks — highlightingthe fragile nature of a ceasefire inEurope’s deadliest conflict since theBalkan crisis of the 1990s.

The head of the OSCE’s special monitor-ing mission in Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan,urged both parties to respect a Western-bro-kered peace agreement signed in theBelarussian capital Minsk in February.

The Ukraine conflict has killed some8,000 people and wounded nearly 18,000since April 2014, according to the UnitedNations. (AFP)

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‘Accept restructuring debt’: TheUnited States on Friday urged Russia toaccept a partial loan write-off for Ukraineafter Moscow held out on a vital debtrestructuring agreement.

In mid-October, Ukraine reached a dealwith its private creditors to write down$3.6 billion and restructure future debtworth $8.5 billion.

The crisis-torn nation also offeredMoscow the same 20-percent debt cutcondition regarding its $3.0 billion (2.6 bneuros) loan given to former Ukraine presi-dent Viktor Yanukovych just monthsbefore his ousting in February 2014.

“We strongly have urged Russia to par-ticipate along with other bondholders inthat agreement,” US Treasury SecretaryJacob Lew said at a joint press conferencein Kiev with Ukrainian Prime MinisterArseniy Yatsenyuk and Minister ofFinance Natalie Jaresko.

“It was done on the basis that treatedall bondholders equally,” Lew said.

“I think that the challenge of how todeal with the situation is really going todepend a lot on how Russia responds.”

But Russia views the bond as a sover-eign loan that is not subject to the com-mercial terms agreed with Western fundsand it has even threatened to file a lawsuitagainst Kiev.

On Friday, Yatsenyuk reiterated thatKiev will not pay up if Moscow continuesto reject its offer of a deal.

“The Russian Federation will not havebetter conditions. If Russia does not agree,the government will impose a moratoriumon the repayment of the debt,” he said.

A default on the Russian debt couldcomplicate the release of further assis-tance of $17.5 billion granted to Kiev bythe International Monetary Fund.

The IMF is expected to rule in the com-ing months on whether Kiev or Moscowis right about the commercial or sovereignnature of the disputed loan. (AFP)

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Club fire toll 55: Romanian authori-ties say two more people have died ofburns suffered in a nightclub fire whichbrought down the government, bringingthe death toll to 55.

The health ministry said LoredanaDarescu, 29, died Friday at the BG Clinicin Ludwigshafen, Germany, where she

Russian President Vladimir Putin (center), chairs a meeting on the develop-ment of Russia’s armed forces at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in

Sochi on Nov 13. (AFP)

had been transferred for treatment.Darescu was with friends at the

Colectiv nightclub on Oct 30 when aspark ignited foam decor during a heavy-

metal concert, causing a panicked stam-pede to the single exit door. A Facebookpage was created this week to raise moneyfor Darescu’s treatment.

Mircea Carantino, spokesman ofBagdasar-Arseni hospital, said anotherburn victim, Claudiu Bogdan Istrate, 22,died Thursday. (AP)

Migrants

Park

EU countries reintroduce border checks

Crisis threatens Schengen systemPARIS, Nov 14, (Agencies): SeveralEU countries have reintroduced bor-der checks as Europe struggles underthe strain of its worst migrant crisissince World War II, threatening toundermine the bloc’s cherished pass-port-free Schengen zone.

EU President Donald Tusk warnedon Thursday Europe faces a “raceagainst time” to save the 20-year-oldsystem, which is seen as one of theunion’s most concrete achievements.

Under the Schengen agreementpeople can travel without showingtheir passports at the zone’s internalborders, barring exceptional circum-stances.

Temporary border controls areallowed for reasons of “public policyor internal security”.

Here is the state of play forSchengen, which includes 22 of theEU’s 28 member states — all exceptBritain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,Ireland and Romania — plus non-EUmembers Iceland, Liechtenstein,Norway and Switzerland:

Germany: Berlin, which onSeptember 13 introduced temporaryborder checks amid a massive influxof migrants mainly through Austria,has extended controls to mid-February 2016.

The Czech Republic And Slovakia:These two transit countries, fearing aninflux of migrants after Germany’smove, have adopted similar measuresat their borders.

Austria: While giving migrantstransport facilities to the German bor-der, Austria on September 14 reinstat-ed controls on the border withHungary. The measure has beenextended to February.

ManageOn Friday Austria announced it

would erect a 3.7-km (2.3-mile) metalfence along its border with Sloveniato better manage the influx. It will bethe first fence between two membersof the passport-free zone.

The Netherlands: Dutch authori-ties have carried out selective borderchecks, including at airports, sincemid-September.

Sweden: Long a preferred destina-tion for people fleeing war and pover-ty, Sweden reinstated border controlson November 12.

Initially planned for 10 days, the

controls may be extended for a maxi-mum of six months and are concen-trated on the Oresund bridge, whichlinks Sweden with Denmark, and fer-ries from Denmark and Germany onthe Baltic Sea.

France: On Friday, France reintro-duced border checks as it tightenssecurity ahead of UN climate talks inParis starting November 30.

On the Schengen zone’s externalborders, Hungary and Slovenia haveset up barriers with countries whichare not members of the agreement.

Hungary: Budapest set up a 175-km (108-mile) barrier with Serbia andsealed border crossing points onSeptember 15.

In mid-October Budapest alsoclosed its border with Croatia afterrolling out barbed wire along the partof the frontier not bordered by theDrava river.

The two crossings at Beremend andLetenji are open for those with validtravel documents, but are closed tothose without visas.

Slovenia: Slovenia last monthfound itself on the so-called Balkanmigrant route after Hungary sealed itsborders with Croatia and Serbia.

It announced on Nov 11 it waserecting razor-wire fence along theborder with fellow EU memberCroatia.

Meanwhile, a three-year-oldrefugee boy drowned early Saturdaynear the Greek island of Chios afterthe engine of the boat his group wassailing in exploded, the Greek coast-guard said.

The explosion threw the boat occu-pants into the water as it lay immo-bilised in shallows east of the island,the coastguard said.

Fifteen other people were rescued,including two that required hospitali-sation, it said.

An 18-year-old was arrested as asuspected trafficker.

Greece has been overwhelmed thisyear by a migration crisis unseen inEurope since World War II.

The United Nations on Friday saidover 800,000 people have crossedthe Mediterranean to Europe thisyear, with over 3,400 dying in theprocess.

Chancellor Angela Merkel put up aspirited defence of her leadership onFriday, vowing to “fight for my

vision” of how to deal with therefugee crisis that has stretchedGermany’s resources and damagedher standing.

Infighting in Merkel’s rulingcoalition and a unilateral decision byher interior minister on asylum poli-cy have raised questions about thechancellor’s leadership, thoughcoalition sources have dismissedspeculation of a “putsch” againsther.

A poll for television station ZDF onFriday showed a narrow majority ofGermans believed Merkel was doinga bad job of handling the refugee cri-sis.

Critics say her accommodatingmessage in August that “we can dothis” — responding to wrenchingscenes of refugees faced with borderclosures and popular hostility in try-ing to enter some EU states — havespurred migrants to pour intoGermany in ever larger numbers,overwhelming the resources of localauthorities.

DefiantThe 61-year-old chancellor struck a

defiant tone when interviewed for aZDF programme headlined ‘Whatnow Frau Merkel?’

“The chancellor has the situationunder control ... I have my vision andI will fight for it,” she said, addingthat she wanted to address the rootcauses of the refugees’ flight and tobetter protect the European Union’souter borders.

Asked if she was ready to risk heroffice over her policy on the refugeecrisis, Merkel replied: “No, I haveso much to do at the moment,”adding a slight laugh. “I am avail-able for voters for this legislativeperiod.”

Merkel will complete 10 years inoffice later this month.

Subject to rapid-fire questions bytwo interviewers over half an hour,Merkel insisted: “I am not the firstchancellor who had to fight for some-thing.”

Germany has taken in the greatmajority of migrants in a record-breaking flood into Europe ofmigrants escaping wars and depriva-tion in the Middle East, Africa andAsia that is likely to exceed 1 millionpeople by year-end.

STAVANGER, Norway, Nov 14,(AP): Norwegian police are lay-ing down their arms.

After carrying guns for abouta year, police in the Nordiccountry will go back to patrollingthe streets unarmed next week,the National Police Directoratesaid Friday.

Norwegian police were armedas a temporary measure afterthe country’s security serviceraised the terror alert level.

It has since been downgradedand the police directorate said“there are no grounds to contin-ue the temporary armament.”

No more guns forNorwegian police

Biden to visit UkraineUS Vice-President Joe Biden will visitUkraine early next month for meet-ings with the country’s president,prime minister and members of par-liament.

The White House says Biden alsoplans meetings with civic leaderswhen he visits the week of Dec 7.

The trip will be Biden’s fifth toUkraine as vice president.

Biden has met and spoken by tele-phone regularly with President PetroPoroshenko and Prime MinisterArseniy Yatsenuk following Russia’sannexation of the Crimean Peninsulain 2014 and the unrest between theUkrainian government and Russian-backed separatists that followed.

Progress toward implementing apeace deal will be on the table nextweek when President Barack Obamameets with the leaders of Britain,Germany and Italy during a globaleconomic summit in Turkey. (AP)