Pakistan army confirms death sentences for 12 terrorists

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military says the country’s powerful army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, has confirmed death sentences awarded by military courts to 12 “hardcore terrorists” over their involvement in a series of attacks against security forces.
In a statement Thursday, the military said the men included a Pakistani Taliban militant, Muhammad Arbi, who abetted the 2012 attack on a jail in the northwestern district of Bannu. It says a large number of militants managed to escape when a group of gunmen attacked the jail.
Pakistan has hanged nearly 350 inmates, mostly routine criminals, since lifting a 2008 moratorium on executions in 2014 after a Taliban attack on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed 150 people, mostly children.

Gunman massacres 6 at education ministry office

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MADINAH: A teacher armed with an automatic weapon stormed a Ministry of Education office in the southern region of Jazan and shot dead at least six people on Thursday, local media reported.
Three other office staff were injured, online news site 3alyoum.com said, quoting Jazan police.
The office is located in Al Dayer governorate, eastern Jazan.
Police have cordoned off the office compound and were looking for the assailant, who is said to be teaching at a secondary school, the report said.

Russia proposes March 1 cease-fire in Syria; US wants it now

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MUNICH: Russia has proposed a March 1 cease-fire in Syria, US officials say, but Washington believes Moscow is giving itself and the Syrian government three weeks to try to crush moderate rebel groups.
The United States has countered with demands for the fighting to stop immediately, the officials said Wednesday. Peace talks are supposed to resume by Feb. 25.
The talk of new cease-fire plans comes as the US, Russia and more than a dozen other countries meet in Munich to try to halt five years of civil war in the Arab country. The conflict has killed more than a quarter-million people, created Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Daesh to carve out its own territory across parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.
Russia says it is supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government as part of a counterterrorism campaign. But the West says the majority of its strikes are targeting moderate groups that are opposed to Assad and the Daesh.
The most recent Russian-backed offensive, near Aleppo, prompted opposition groups to walk out of peace talks last month in Geneva, while forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee toward the Turkish border.
The US officials weren’t authorized to speak publicly about private diplomatic discussions in the run-up to the Munich conference and demanded anonymity. One said the US can’t accept Russia’s offer because opposition forces could suffer irreversible losses in northern and southern Syria before the cease-fire ever takes hold.
The officials said the US counterproposal is simple: A cease-fire that is effective immediately and is accompanied by full humanitarian access to Syria’s besieged civilian centers.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived in Germany Wednesday, had talks planned late in the evening with UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir.
The Obama administration has been trying for months to clinch a cease-fire and pave the way for a transition government in Syria that would allow parties to the conflict to concentrate on defeating the threat posed by the Daesh and the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
But after having long demanded Assad’s ouster, the shift in the US focus to combating terrorism has resulted in a confusing mix of priorities and a layered strategy in Syria that few understand, and even fewer see working. 
“We will approach this meeting in Munich with great hopes that this will be a telling moment,” Kerry said Tuesday in Washington. His peace push coincides with Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s attendance at a gathering in Brussels to hash out military options with NATO partners.

'Perverse effect'
Brett McGurk, the Obama administration’s point-man for defeating the Daesh, said Russia’s Aleppo offensive was having the perverse effect of helping the extremists by drawing local fighters away from the battle against Daesh and to the war against Syria’s government.
“What Russia’s doing is directly enabling ISIL,” McGurk told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington.
But the panel’s top Democrat echoed some of the frustration of his Republican colleagues with the larger US strategy.
“It seems as if we’re only halfheartedly going after ISIS, and halfheartedly helping the (rebel) Free Syria Army and others on the ground,” said Rep. Eliot Engel. He urged a “robust campaign, not a tentative one, not one that seems like we’re dragging ourselves in ... to destroy ISIS and get rid of Assad.”
Kerry emphasized Tuesday that US officials “are not blind to what is happening.” He said the Aleppo battle makes it “much more difficult to be able to come to the table and to be able to have a serious conversation.”
But the US has staked its hopes for an end to the five-year civil war in Syria on the peace talks and Assad’s eventual departure, saying the American public has no appetite for a military solution.
To that end, Washington has tempered its calls dating back to August 2011 for Assad to immediately leave power. And to get Russia on board, it now won’t even say that Assad should be barred from running for re-election if and when a new Syrian constitution is drafted.
The ambiguity has emboldened Assad’s supporters, Russia and Iran, while upsetting American allies in the Middle East, who are frustrated by a process that appears to lock the Syrian leader in place well into 2017 — and perhaps beyond.

Zeid's comments on Tamil political prisoners 'misconstrued'

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UNHRC spokesperson Rupert Colville says the media had 'slightly misconstrued' the high commissioner's comments on Tamil political prisoners.
Mr Colville, who accompanied High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein to Sri Lanka, said he did not want to 'interfere in the release of the detained alleged LTTE cadres and that he was 'non-committal'.
"What the High Commissioner said was that either charge the detained political prisoners if there was sufficient evidence that they committed crimes, and, if convicted, maybe expedite their release bearing in mind how much time they have already spent in detention. He added if that was not the case or, if there was not enough evidence to convict (and a confession alone is not sufficient evidence), then simply release them," he said.
Media had reported that Mr Zeid said a general amnesty should not be given to Tamil political prisoners.

Boat with 20 foreign tourists sinks in Indonesia, 15 missing

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Fifteen foreign tourists were missing on Sunday after a boat travelling between islands in eastern Indonesia sank, an Indonesian search-and-rescue official said.

Suryaman, based on the island of Lombok, told Reuters that 10 people had been rescued after the ship sank on its way from that island to Komodo Islands.

He said he did not know the fate of the other 15 people on the vessel, which had a crew of five Indonesians and was carrying 20 foreigners.

The vessel left Lombok on Thursday night and sank on Saturday about 7 pm local time “and we only received a report at 8 am (on Sunday),” said Suryaman, adding that poor communication caused a delay in deploying a search-and-rescue team.

Local fishermen rescued five people before the team arrived, he said.

The official said that of the 10 rescued people, the nationalities were known for five - two each from New Zealand and Spain, and one from Britain.

Tajudin Sam, who runs the tour company operating the boat, said it likely encountered stormy weather.

A boat ride from Lombok to Komodo can take three days.

Komodo is famous for its monitor lizards, which draw many tourists.

Indian businessman to invest Dh500m to build four new British schools

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Construction work on the new schools will begin later this year, with architectural plans already sent for approvals. Four more British schools will open in Dubai through 2016 to 2019, in line with the expectations of Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). Mohan Valrani, a prominent Indian entrepreneur in Dubai, will invest Dh500 million in building schools over the next five years in partnership with UK’s Gabbitas Educational Consultants. Speaking with Khaleej Times, Valrani said: “As far as education is concerned, there is no competition. We just need more schools. Where is the question of risk?” Valrani’s investment will be used in building schools in Al Furjan and Jumeirah Village Triangle. Two primary and two secondary schools will open in phases over a period of three years. Construction work on the new schools will begin later this year, with architectural plans already sent for approvals. All the schools will follow the British curriculum. “I could have made towers, buildings or hotels but I decided to invest in education because I share a passion for it. There is always place for new schools and I believe you succeed better by cooperating and not competing,” he said. The planned schools will cater to a premium market with fees expected to be higher than the average tuition charged in Dubai. Edward Hobart, UK Consul General to the UAE said: “There are eight branch campuses of UK universities in the UAE and nearly 3,000 Emirati students are studying at UK higher education institutions. So it is against this healthy backdrop that Gabbitas, a successful British business established over 100 years ago, expands its operations to the UAE.” Ian Hunt, managing director of Gabbitas Educational Consultants said: “Parents greatly value the impartial, expert advice that our consultants provide and we also plan to run free seminars for parents and pupils in Dubai, to help them better understand the education landscape and opportunities.”

Sharjah's Al Ghuwair Market fire leaves families homeless

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12 shops, 3 apartments gutted Sharjah Al Ghuwair Market blaze.

The massive fire which broke out on Saturday morning in Sharjah's Al Ghuwair Market gutted 12 shops and three apartments, causing huge financial loss and leaving five families homeless. The total loss is estimated to be over Dh5 million, according to the owners of various destroyed shops.Goods including garments, blanket, abayas and electronic equipment were destroyed in the blaze.
Five families who live in the first floor of the building were left homeless and all their possessions were destroyed, leaving them only with the clothes they wore while the fire erupted.One of the shop owners said he lost all he had, including savings and his only source of income. Many of them said they have been left empty-handed and don't know what to do as everything fell apart in one night.Speaking to Khaleej Times, Narindran Kumar, the owner of Rubee textiles, said he had two textile shops which stored garments of all types. "My goods worth Dh600,000 have all gone. The shops were insured for Dh200,000. "I can't start a new business because I don't have the capital and don't know what to do; this business was my only source of income."
Abdull Noushad, Owner of Novelty shops, said he had four shops selling abayas, blankets, electronic items and textiles, and nothing was left after the fire. His losses are estimated at more than Dh1 million and have no insurance to cover that loss. "I have been running this business for more than 20 years and depend on it to support my family. I have no way to restart my business."Kutabulddin Zahid, 30-year-old owner of Al Burhani Textiles, said he was born and brought up here and his father had been running the shop for last 35 years. He said his loss is estimated at Dh400,000.
"I couldn't believe that our family business for 35 years is gone in one night. Whole members of the family depend on the income from the shop and I don't know what to do now."
The owner of Noor Al Safa said all his goods including perfumes, garments and blankets worth 300,000 were gutted. He also had no insurance coverage.
A top official at the Sharjah Civil Defence said the Operations Room received a call at 3.30am on Saturday about the fire at Al Ghuwair market. The firefighters reached the scene immediately and brought the fire under control within minutes before it spread to nearby buildings. "It would have been a bigger tragedy if the fire had spread to nearby shops as all of them sold flammable materials."The Anjad patrols cordoned off the area to facilitate the entry of fire engines and firefighters. Brig Al Suwaidi said there were no deaths or injuries though the fire destroyed 12 shops and three apartments located above the shops.A Sharjah Police official said forensic experts suspected a short circuit in one of the shops had triggered the fire.

Dubai issued 65 million visas last year

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There has been an increase rate of 6.58 per cent in 2015 than 2014.

Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) processed over 65 million
transactions last year (2015), according to Brigadier Salah Saif bin Saloum, Assistant to Director-General of the Entry Permit Section, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai.
The number of transactions processed in 2015 is higher than the transactions processed in 2014, which came to over 61 million transactions, he said. Elaborating, Bin Saloum said the department managed to handle 65.35 million transactions in 2015 compared to61.32 million in 2014, constituting an increase rate of 6.58 per cent in 2015 than 2014.As for the entry permits (visa), he said the statistical figures showed a rise in the number of the entry visa transactions in 2015 with almost 13.02 million transactions than 12.77 million entry visas processed in 2014, up by 2.46 per cent.

UAE gets happiness, tolerance ministers

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(File photo)

These positions are just two of the sweeping changes announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Monday.

The UAE will soon have a Minister of State for Happiness with the mission to "channel policies and plans to achieve happier society". Another new position, the Minister of Tolerance, will "inculcate tolerance as a fundamental value in the UAE."
These positions are just two of the sweeping changes announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in a series of tweets on Monday's "Social Media Dialogue of the Future." The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, approved a large-scale restructuring of the federal government. Shaikh Mohammed said that "in the new structure of Federalgovernment, we will have a road map for outsourcing most of the government services to the private sector". "The new government is comprised of less ministries but more ministers handling national, strategic and dynamic files," Shaikh Mohammed explained. "The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education will be merged under one minister supported by two ministers of state."
"We will establish a new independent entity to manage public schools," he added. "UAE public schools will enjoy a great level of power and independence."Additionally, Shaikh Mohammed noted that the mandate of the Ministry of Education has been extended to supervise "all levels from nurseries to higher education.""We have also established a higher council of education and human resources to lead a comprehensive change for the future generation," he noted.
In another major change, the government has approved a restructure in the Ministry of Health - now called the Ministry of Health and Prevention - and "launched an independent entity to oversee and manage public hospitals".
"The role of the Ministry of Health will evolve to focus more on the prevention of diseases," he added. Shaikh Mohammed also noted that the Ministry of Labour will become the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Tanmia - the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority - will be attached to the new ministry.
Marriage Fund is now integrated into the Ministry of Social Affairs, which will henceforth be known as the Ministry of Community Development.
Other changes include the transformation of the Ministry of Culture to the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, and of the Ministry of Environment and Water to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
The National Council of Tourism and Antiquities will now be attached to the Ministry of Economy, and the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been expanded to oversee UAE aid abroad, and will now be called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The Ministry of International Cooperation and Development will now be a part of that ministry.
The Ministry of Cabinet Affairs is now known as the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, which "will be tasked with preparing UAE for post-oil future".
A new "UAE Youth Council" will bring together young men and women under the age of 22 to serve as government advisors on youth issues, while a new UAE Council of Scientists will "review national policy for science, technology and innovation."

India-UAE trade in key sectors to get 16 deals boost

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A major focus of the three-day visit by Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed, which comes around six months after Modi's trip to UAE, will be on stepping up economic ties.

At least 16 pacts in a range of sectors like nuclear energy, oil, IT, aerospace and railways, facilitating billions of dollars of investment by the UAE in India, are likely to be inked here during the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, beginning Wednesday.
Ways to contain radicalism, stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation and dealing with Daesh will figure prominently in talks Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed will have with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, UAE Ambassador Ahmed Al Banna said.
A major focus of the three-day visit by Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed, which comes around six months after Modi's trip to UAE, will be on stepping up economic ties.
"We have on hand around 16 agreements for cooperation between different ministries and authorities. Out of 16, almost 12 have been finalised and ready for signature. Hopefully all the 16 will be signed," said Al Banna.
The envoy said the agreements will lead to "huge investment portfolio" in diverse areas including renewable energy, oil and gas and some other major sectors.
The pact on nuclear cooperation will provide for peaceful use of atomic energy as research and development in the area. The UAE has similar pact with France and some other countries.
Al Banna said Modi's visit to the UAE, after a gap of 34 years by an Indian Prime Minister, has opened a new path in strengthening ties and Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed's trip will further build on it.
"It (the visit) will reinforce the ongoing relationship and will take us to the next (level) that both sides are looking at which is strategic cooperation, strategic coordination and strategic relationship," the envoy said.
Identifying terrorism as a major threat facing the world, the envoy said both India and UAE are increasing security and counter-terrorism cooperation to deal with the menace.
On the issue of checking radicalism, he said India and UAE will work "hand in hand to fight them. Yes, there will be some cooperation on this".
On containing Daesh, the envoy said both the countries will have cooperation while identifying the social media as a major platform being used by "fanatics" to radicalise people.
Al Banna said his government has already set up specialised centres to educate people about those who use the social media the "wrong way".
He said UAE's cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism with India and many other countries has increased in the last one year and will expand further.
On investment in India by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, he said things are moving fast and that many other private investors from the UAE are also looking at investing in India in a significant way.
He said the business delegation will go straight to Mumbai where they will have in-depth talks with their Indian counterparts.
Asked about the proposed free trade agreement between India and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Al Banna hoped it will be finalised soon. "We want it to be signed as soon as possible."
On Modi's possible visit to Israel, he said it was India's prerogative.
Asked whether the situation in Syria will figure in talks, the envoy said a number of pressing global and regional issues, including situation in the strife-torn country may be discussed.