Modi campaigns in Indian Kashmir after deadly attack



SRINAGAR, INDIA // Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to bring prosperity to Indian Kashmir and urged people not to be intimidated against voting, as he hit the campaign trail on Monday after a string of attacks in the region.

Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist party is making an unprecedented bid for power in the Muslim-majority region, where tensions are high following the killing of 11 soldiers and police in an attack last Friday.

Separatist groups called for a general strike to mark Mr Modi’s arrival in Srinagar, saying the people of Kashmir would “never relinquish their demand for self-determination”.

The BJP has taken an aggressive line on the separatists. A party hoarding at the 9,000-capacity stadium where the premier spoke promised that “separatism will be defeated”.

Mr Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been campaigning aggressively in staggered state elections that began last month, promising to bring security and development to a region that has suffered almost three decades of violence.

“Just look back at the last 30 years. What have you got? Nothing,” Mr Modi told a campaign rally in the main city Srinagar, which was under virtual lockdown with thousands of extra troops deployed.

“There is only one way ahead – development.”

Earlier, Mr Modi said voters should not be scared off by a recent upsurge in violence, which India blames on Pakistan-backed militant groups.

“Our soldiers have sacrificed their lives to safeguard democracy,” he said at an election rally in the southern Jammu area of the state.

“You must ensure that their sacrifices are safeguarded. The power of your finger is greater than the power of an AK 47.”

The BJP has traditionally had no base in the Kashmir Valley, where local resentment against Indian rule runs high.

But Mr Modi’s landslide win in national elections in May on a pledge to revive the economy, along with a meltdown in support for the Kashmir chief minister after deadly September floods, have raised the party’s hopes.

“When a natural calamity hits, people find themselves helpless. Our government will get you out of those miseries,” Mr Modi said in Srinagar, seeking to capitalise on huge resentment at the state government’s response to the disaster.

The prime minister also vowed to bring justice to Kashmir, where rights groups have long accused India’s army of acting with impunity.

In a symbolic move, Mr Modi spoke in Srinagar at the venue chosen by India’s only other BJP prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, for a 2003 speech pledging reconciliation with Pakistan and peace in Kashmir.

He said his party would develop Kashmir’s tourism and hydropower industries to bring much-needed economic development.

“Kashmir is economically sick and emotionally wounded,” said Hina Bhat, one of the party’s 32 candidates.

“The BJP wants to work for development first, the political issue of Kashmir comes later,” said Ms Bhat, referring to its longstanding pledge to scrap a constitutional provision which allows Kashmir to make its own laws.

“People here want employment and a few hours of clear water supply,” Ms Bhat said.

Analysts say the BJP is almost certain to fall short of an outright majority in the 87-member assembly.

But they also say it has drawn up a strategy to win big in the Hindu-majority Jammu area, and then cut a deal with one of the smaller Muslim parties to become the lead player in a coalition.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah accused the BJP of bussing in supporters from Jammu to swell the numbers at Mr Modi’s rally in Srinagar.

“Two trainloads of supporters are being brought in from Banihal in Jammu. Why not just have the rally there?” he tweeted.

Picturesque Kashmir – divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both – has seen a surge in violence during the staggered elections for the local legislature.

The first two rounds saw turnout reach more than 70 per cent as voters ignored calls for a boycott, but Tuesday’s voting will be the first since last week’s attacks.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir. About a dozen rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces for independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan since 1989.

* Agence France-Presse

Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

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The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Artist: Coldplay

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Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

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Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

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Abaya trends

The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

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Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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The specs: Macan Turbo

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The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

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Greatest Royal Rumble results

John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos

Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out

The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

  • 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
  • 150 tonnes to landfill
  • 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site