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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, march 27, 2019
Islamic State group: Syria’s Kurds call for international tribunal T he Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria has called for the creation of an international tribunal to try thousands of suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group. One official, Abdul Karim Omar, told the BBC they were struggling to cope with the thousands who emerged from the last IS enclave of Baghuz, in the east. Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the village last week. About 1,000 foreign fighters are among the thousands held by Kurds in prisons. The men are said to come from some 50 countries. US President Donald Trump hailed the capture of Baghuz although he said the US would “remain vigilant” as the group remains a threat. At its height, IS controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) across Syria and Iraq. While it no longer holds this territory, US officials believe IS may have 15,000 to 20,000 armed adherents active in the region, many of them in sleeper cells, and that it will return to its insurgent roots while attempting to rebuild. What did the Kurds say? In a statement, the Kurdish administration called for “a special international tribunal in north-east Syria to prosecute terrorists” to ensure that trials are “conducted fairly and in accordance with international law and human rights covenants and charters”. Speaking to the BBC, the administration’s head of foreign affairs, Abdul Karim Omar, said the
fact so few nations had repatriated their citizens who joined IS has added to their problems. Many Western governments have refused to repatriate their citizens amid concerns over the potential security risks they may pose, as well as the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. Thousands of IS supporters, including women and children, are now in displacement camps The US-backed SDF forces have reportedly captured more than 5,000 militants - from Syria and abroad - since January and put them in detention centres, while women and children are kept in camps for the displaced. According to one Kurdish official speaking to AFP news agency, more than 9,000 foreign relatives of IS members - many of them children are being held at the Kurdish-run alHol camp. The accommodation was built for about 20,000 people but is now housing more than 70,000. ‘Huge disappointment’ Meeting Kurdish officials, their frustration with Western countries becomes all too clear. The administration’s foreign affairs chief told me he felt the Kurds had been left to deal alone with the detention of IS members and their families with no plan in place as to what happens next. It has struggled to cope with even detaining the militants it has captured, let alone putting them on trial. He said he had been hugely disappointed in countries who had revoked the nationalities of their citizens who had joined IS, saying the Kurds had already suffered so
Thousands of IS supporters, including women and children, are now in displacement camps much loss in living under IS and then fighting the militant group. His warnings were stark; that leaving dangerous members of IS in an unstable region held by an administration ill-equipped to process them was asking for trouble; and leaving children to remain surrounded by the harmful ideology into which they were born was storing up profound problems for the future. What has been the reaction? US envoy for Syria James Jeffrey told reporters on Monday the focus was on repatriating militants, and “getting countries to take back their own foreign terrorist fighters”. Iraqis and Syrians should be sent home “for deradicalisation and reintegration or in some cases punishment”, while countries
around the world should be encouraged to “take back their own citizens”. However, some have pointed to the case of Hoda Muthana, a woman from Alabama who left the US in 2014 to join IS and has now been refused permission to return to the US by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a decision backed by President Trump. Mr Pompeo says she was never a US citizen, but her family disputes this. Asked if the US was considering an international tribunal, Mr Jeffrey said: “We’re not looking at that right now.” The Syrian Democratic Forces have been supported by the US military in their battle against IS Could an international tribunal work?
There have been several international tribunals in the past, including to try war crimes in the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s and after the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Since 2002, the International Criminal Court has served as a permanent international tribunal but the Rome Statute establishing it has not been ratified by Syria. But transitional justice expert Joel Hubrecht told AFP that it was “not realistic” to set up such a tribunal in north-east Syria as: • Syria’s Kurdish authorities are not internationally recognised • setting up such a tribunal usually takes time • ensuring witness protection is difficult in a war-torn country
Stolen Picasso portrait of Dora Maar found after 20 years
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Dutchman known as the “Indiana Jones of the art world” has found a Picasso painting that was stolen 20 years ago. Arthur Brand says the portrait was circulated in the Dutch criminal underworld for years after it was taken from a Saudi sheikh’s yacht in 1999. Buste de Femme (Dora Maar) was first painted in 1938, and is now thought to be worth €25m (£21m; $28m). Dora Maar was Pablo Picasso’s lover and muse for seven years. The painting hung in his home until his death in 1973. Mr Brand hit headlines last year after tracking down a Byzantine mosaic of Saint Mark. It had been taken from a church in Cyprus in the 1970s. He has previously recovered a Byzantine mosaic and a Nazi sculpture He also won international acclaim in 2015 when he found Hitler’s Horses - two bronze statues by Nazi sculptor Joseph Thorak. The Picasso painting, he told news agency AFP, was circulated
for years, “often being used as collateral, popping up in a drug deal here, four years later in an arms deal there”. “Everyone assumed it had been destroyed - that’s what happens with 90% of all stolen art, because it can’t be put on sale,” he told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, adding that after he recovered the painting, he hung it on his wall for the night “and thoroughly enjoyed it”. How did he find it? Mr Brand’s search for the stolen portrait began in 2015 after he heard that a “Picasso stolen from a ship” was being circulated among criminals in the Netherlands, although he did not know exactly which work it was. After several years of searching, Mr Brand worked out that the painting was Buste de Femme (Dora Maar) - also known as Portrait of Dora Maar. Dora Maar, who was born Theodora Markovitch in 1907, was a renowned photographer and artist in her own right. She was in a relationship with Picasso from 1936 to 1943. She died in 1997 at the age of 89.
Arthur Brand spent four years looking for the painting The painting had been stolen from Coral Island, a luxury yacht belonging to Saudi billionaire Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh, while it was anchored in Antibes for refurbishment. Once he knew exactly which artwork he was looking for, he was able to put out appeals to people who may have inadvertently bought it. Earlier this month, he
got a response. “Two representatives of a Dutch businessman contacted me, saying their client had the painting. He was at his wits’ end,” he told AFP. “He thought the Picasso was part of a legitimate deal. It turns out the deal was legitimate - the method of payment was not.” They then brought the
masterpiece to his flat in Amsterdam, wrapped in a sheet and some black rubbish bags. Police in France and the Netherlands have said that they will not prosecute the painting’s last owner. It is now being held by an insurance company, which will decide what to do next. Source: BBC
PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, march 27, 2019
PROPERTY
Self-build pioneers to star in Grand Designs
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raven Hill, described as one of the UK’s most innovative self and custom build villages, is set to appear on new Channel 4 series, Grand Designs: The Street. The six episodes will follow the stories of 10 ‘pioneers’ as they take part in the project being built on former Ministry of Defence land in Bicester, Oxfordshire. As well as homes, there are plans for commercial units, a pub, and a primary school. The 188 hectare site will see up to 1,900 homes built over the next decade with the aim of creating a unique community, where homes can be designed to accommodate individuals’ lifestyles. The new series, presented by Kevin McCloud, starts on o4 April at 9.00pm and will reveal the stories behind the 10 self-builders as they navigate the highs and lows of designing and constructing the home of their dreams. The pioneers come from all walks of life, ranging from those escaping the renting cycle of London and those who long to build an environmentally-friendly home, to first time buyers and downsizers. Each self-builder faces individual challenges along the way, but they all share the same desire to create the home they have always dreamt of. ‘The series will give viewers an insight into a bold and unique type of housing project, which has the potential to revolutionise the way that people approach both choosing, or building, a new home, and the environmental challenges the UK currently faces,’ said Karen Curtin, managing director at Graven Hill. ‘The platform gives us the opportunity to show viewers the options they have when it comes to self-builds, and that the process is far more accessible than they may think. We hope that the diverse range of homes on the street will inspire others to consider building their own grand design or custom home at Graven Hill,’ she added. Kevin McCloud, presenter of Grand Designs, explained that the idea is that ordinary people are taking part. ‘You take people who have got this slight glint of ambition and madness in their eye who say, ‘we can build a house, can’t we? How cool would that be?’ And before you know it, they’ve turned themselves into true radicals. I love that,’ he explained. Those taking part include Terry and Olwyn, aged 61 and 73, the oldest couple on the street, who have made the move to Graven Hill from a small village near Daventry. Terry has some building experience and wants to build his own home, whilst the couple are still able. They plan to build a bespoke, future proofed wedge house which Terry plans to project manage and build himself. They are joined by their old neighbour, Lynn, aged 61, who has made the move as well and will be moving in next door, aided in her build by Terry. Her new house is going to be ultra-modern, in stark contrast to her old home which was a 250 year old cottage. Chris and Roxie, aged 24, are one of the youngest couples on the street. Having met each other in their early teens, they have been living with their parents and saving up for their first home together. Priced out of Welwyn Garden City, they’ve opted to build their own ‘flat pack’ home at Graven Hill. Jack and Hannah are also aged 24. Jack, a quantity surveyor and Hannah, a primary school teacher, have moved to Bicester to live with Jack’s mum to save money whilst they build. After being priced out of the local housing market, self-build is the only way the pair can afford to get on the housing ladder. After firing their architect, Jack took the planning and design into his own hand and designed a house that would complement his existing skillset, including materials and processes that he can DIY himself, in order to save money. James and Shannon, are also young, aged 24 and 27. James, a quantity surveyor and Shannon, an administrator, live in a small new build house on a uniform estate in Coventry. They dream of living in the countryside and despite their urban surroundings, the pair keep chickens . Source : Property wire
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By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Fashola tasks top management team to view ministry service with national conscience Programme for all public buildings in the country, adding that this will open windows of employment and job creation for the teaming population of unemployed youths and Artisans such as Carpenters, Electricians, Welders among others. The theme of 2-day retreat “ Re-Inventing Governance for National Prosperity”, kicked off on the 22nd to 23rd March, 2019, witnessed 4 - paper presentations on topical issues such as Re-Inventing Governance for a Sustained Prosperous Nation, Enhancing Capacity Building Process in the Nigerian Power Sector for National Prosperity, Re-Inventing Governance for National Prosperity and Corruption: The Bane of Good Governance. Also at present at the 6th edition of the Top Management Retreat were the Permanent Secretaries (Works and Housing) Bukar Mohammed and Power, Engr. Lius Edochie who gave the welcome address.
Fashola By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
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he Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has tasked members of the top Management team and heads of parastatals under the Ministry to view Service a matter of propriety and national conscience for the nation to truly experience good governance and national prosperity. Fashola stated this, in his Keynote Address, at the 6th Edition of the Top Management Retreat for Directors, Chief Executives of Parastatals and Agencies, as well as Heads of Unit of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing holding at Owerri, Imo State. The minister who thanked members of the Top Management Team and other staff of the ministry for their commitment to the successes recorded during the 2018 Yuletide season in the provision of adequate palliative measures in both the road and power sectors at curtailing power outages and bad road conditions occasioned by excessive rainfall
and flooding leading to road washouts, numerous potholes, damaged transformers and felling of electric poles and power lines. He disclosed that their commitment to “safe passage” for road users and increased stable electric power supply contributed in easing the pains and difficulties experienced after the rainy season especially during the festive season and encouraged them to do more in order to enhance good governance, service delivery to the people which cumulates in essence a prosperous Nigeria. A statement signed by Principal Infomation Officer Olatunji John for: Director (Information) said the Minister further stated that Nigerians want energy, motorable roads and affordable houses across the nation and “we are privileged to providing these essential services”. He urged members of the Top Management Team to be proactive and ready to work harder as the raining season is already settling in. Fashola expressed gratitude to President Mohammed Buhari for his gracious approval of the National Infrastructure Maintenance
Engr. Prof Joseph O. Odigure, the newly appointed Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)
Canadian home sales fell sharply in February
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ales in Canada fell by 9.1% month in month in February and are 4.4% below where they were in the same month in 2018, the latest agent figures show. The data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) also shows that average house prices fell nationally by 5.2% to $468,350, while the number of newly listed homes were down by 3.2% on a monthly basis. The index report points out that the national average price is heavily skewed by sales in Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, two of Canada’s most active and expensive markets. Excluding these two markets the national average price was just under $371,000. It means that sales activity was almost 12% below the 10 year February average. In British Columbia, Alberta as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, sales were more than 20% below their 10 year average for the month. ‘February home sales declined across a broad swath of large and smaller Canadian cities. The housing sector is on track to
further reduce waning Canadian economic growth,’ said Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist. ‘Only time will tell whether successive changes to mortgage regulations went too far, since the impact of policy decisions becomes apparent only well after the fact. Hopefully policy makers are thinking about how to fine tune regulations to better keep housing affordability within reach while keeping lending risks in check,’ he added. The index also found that there were 5.7 months of inventory on a national basis at the end of February 2019, a three and a half year high and a little above its long term average of 5.3 months. That said, there are significant regional differences. The number of months of inventory has increased far above its long term average in Prairie Provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result, homebuyers there have an ample choice of listings available for purchase. By contrast, the measure remains well below its long term average in Ontario and the Maritimes. Trends continue to vary widely among
the 17 housing markets tracked by the index, a breakdown in the figures show. Results remain mixed in British Columbia, with prices down on a year on year basis in Greater Vancouver by 6.1% and the Fraser Valley by 2.8%. By contrast, prices increased by 3% in Victoria and were up 7.7% elsewhere on Vancouver Island. Prices were up from year ago levels in Guelph by 6.8%, in the Niagara Region by 6.5%, in Hamilton-Burlington by 5% and the Greater Toronto Area by 2.3%. By contrast, home prices were up by just 0.2% in OakvilleMilton, while in Barrie and District prices b=fell by 4.3%. Across the Prairies, supply is historically elevated relative to sales and home prices were down from year ago levels. Prices were down by 4.4% in Calgary, 4.5% in Edmonton, 5.1% in Regina and 3% in Saskatoon. The report says that the market it likely to remain weak in these cities until demand and supply come back into better balance. Home prices rose 7.4% year on year in Ottawa, by 6.2% in Greater Montreal and by 1.6% in Greater Moncton.