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SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 • 23 Rabia I 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6664 the peninsula newspaper @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

OPINION Rainbow over Gaza Emir and Sudan president Partitioned villas hold telephone talks

DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a telephone conversation with Presi- thrive despite dent of Sudan, Omar Hassan Al Bashir on bilateral relations and means to enhance them in addition to topics of mutual interest, reports QNA. crackdown Saudi-led coalition ends Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi Acting Editor-in-Chief Yemen ceasefire do not insist on having a contract. Increasing rents, In the absence of a rent contract Relaunch towards we can increase the rent when- RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed single workers spur ever we want. The property owner rebels in Yemen announced the end yesterday of more professional, demand demands only a fixed amount every a ceasefire that had been violated on a daily basis month, so the extra money is ours,” he since it was declared last month. in-depth journalism confesses. “We prefer to rent out the The “coalition leadership announces the end of units to single workers because three the truce in Yemen starting from 1400” (1100GMT) The Peninsula or four people can stay together and on Saturday, the alliance said in a statement car- nder the wise lead- can share the rent among themselves. ried by the official Saudi Press Agency. ership of the Emir We can increase rent easily in The ceasefire announced on December 15 had Uof Qatar, H H Sheikh this case. When the owner demands A rainbow is seen over the former Gaza been ended due to continuous rebel “attacks on Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, DOHA: Illegally partitioned vil- increased amount of let us say, International airport that was destroyed by Israeli the kingdom’s territories by firing ballistic missiles freedom of speech and opin- las and apartments that mostly QR2,000 for every room from me as air strikes, during a rainy day in Gaza yesterday. towards Saudi cities, targeting Saudi border posts, ion remains the cornerstone house limited-income expatri- rent, I will increase QR 300 to 500 in and hampering aid operations,” it said. of the Qatari media in gen- ate families and single workers as each room and no one would object.” eral and the print media in “tenants of sub-tenants” have been Mohamed said as a matter of fact. particular. mushrooming all over the coun- Sometimes families and single This highly-upheld value try despite crackdowns by various workers live together in separate units serves as an encourage- municipalities. This is particularly in illegally partitioned villas. Espe- ment and motivation for true to Doha and its sprawling sub- cially in the case of families, they want Saudi executes Shia cleric, 46 others the media to exert further urbs in the neighbouring Al Rayyan only one room, a toilet and kitchen. efforts in highlighting the and Al Wakra municipalities where Tariq, a self-proclaimed real genuine mission of journalism most expatriates live. estate broker, said that he is taking AFP announced by the Saudi Interior “terrorist organisations” and imple- in professionally reporting The Ministry of Municipality and villas and apartments on rent from Ministry. It prompted calls for dem- menting various “criminal plots”. the world and providing a Urban Planning has been urging peo- owners directly and then renting onstrations, with the brother of the A list published by the official Saudi meaningful perspective of ple not to live in such housing units them out to sub-tenants to make RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday exe- 56-year-old cleric warning it could Press Agency included Sunni Muslims Qatar’s benevolence and as also to bring to its notice villas and money. It is difficult for owners to cuted a prominent Shia cleric behind stir more trouble in oil-rich Eastern convicted of involvement in Al Qaeda speedy developments. apartments that have been partitioned directly rent out their property (a villa anti-government protests along with Province where Shias complain of mar- attacks that killed Saudi and foreign- The Peninsula team is and rented out illegally. or an apartment) to so many peo- 46 other men, drawing angry condem- ginalisation. “This action will spark ers in the kingdom in 2003 and 2004. dedicated to always look Mohamed, a supervisor of some ple and collect rent from them every nation from Iran and Iraq. anger of (Shia) youths” in Saudi Ara- One of those executed was Fares forward to excellence in illegally partitioned villas and apart- month. But for me it is easy because The execution of Nimr Al Nimr bia, said Mohammed Al Nimr. Al Shuwail, reportedly Al Qaeda’s top journalism work. We never ments, brazenly admits in remarks to this is my job,” said Tariq. and the others, including Shia activists The Interior Ministry said the 47 religious leader in the kingdom. claimed to own the results of The Peninsula that the aim is to make and Sunnis accused of involvement men had been convicted of adopting concerted efforts and gener- more money, especially as the tenants → Continued on page 4 in deadly Al Qaeda attacks, was the radical “takfiri” ideology, joining → See also page 7 ous guidance of those who put trust in us and those ini- tiatives carried out by our former editors-in-chief. But we do capitalise on their legacy to build the future Vegetable prices plunge success of the newspaper. In this new-look of The Peninsula, changes are not at farmers’ market cosmetic, ie not merely lim- ited to style and design but to content and substance. By Sanaullah Ataullah Improvements in con- The Peninsula tent include attention to local, regional and interna- tional issues with in-depth DOHA: The prices of vegetables fell further at Al Mazrouh farmers’ mar- approach. ket last week as compared to the previous week as supplies increased Our esteemed readers due to rising local farm productions. will find much more in con- For example, a seven-kg box of cucumber that was sold for QR34 in tent, style, exclusive stories, the week from December 24 to 26, 2015 fell to QR26 last week. community coverage, new Al Mazrouh as and the other two farmers’ markets (Al Wakra and Al design, and more pages in Khor/Al Dhakheera) are open three days a week— Thursdays through various sections in addition Saturdays during the winter season only. to contributions by prom- Tomatoes that are in high demand during winter due to their wide- inent local, regional and spread use in curries have also become cheaper due to increased local global columnists. production. Tomato prices fell from QR35 for a seven-kg box earlier to These major changes QR30 These are the tomatoes that are produced in local green houses. follow on from seven years As for tomatoes produced in traditional open farms, their rate fell since the last re-launch of from QR30 for a seven-kg box to QR24. the newspaper, and aim to → Continued on page 5 provide a new impetus to our staff to maintain The Peninsula’s leading position in national English-speaking press. These changes are also not of a coincidence or out Environment Ministry to of a sudden. They constitute the result of a thorough, well- set up five organic farms studied plan implemented during three months with input from all staff, keeping in The Peninsula the ministry at three locations across mind the newspaper’s future the country. In addition to promot- prospects. ing organic farming, the ministry has Finally this new re-launch DOHA: The Ministry of Environment approved agricultural loans to set up of our paper further aims has converted an agricultural farm six green houses and irrigation net- to enable us to cope with into an organic one and is in the proc- works in the country, in collaboration the comprehensive develop- ess of setting up another five organic with the Qatar Development Bank ments the state of Qatar is farms, says its 2015 annual report. (QDB), says the report. witnessing in all fields. In this Organic farming ,which is becom- This year’s plans of the ministry regard, The Peninsula’s team ing increasingly popular the world include distribution of 73 green houses do very much appreciate your over due to its health benefits, relies to the existing farms to encourage constructive feedback and on traditional techniques such as crop them to use latest technology. suggestions to help enhance rotation, green manure, compost and The ministry will also distribute its output, hence the national biological pest control. 500 honey bees to 50 farms to pro- media scene in this country. Organic products from local farms mote honey production. are available in limited quantities at the winter vegetable markets set up by → Continued on page 5 02 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 HOME

HMC Continuing Care Group accredited by JCI

The Peninsula of the country. involves months of hard work and and appraised the services. Facilities within CCG now cooperation from various departments. JCI has specific standards for long- Sudan minister JCI-accredited include the Enaya “This is a great illustration of excel- term care facilities and the survey Specialised Care Centre, the Enaya lent teamwork and commitment to involved a week of inspection with DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation’s Continuing Care Centre (Muaither 1 and quality, and provides evidence of the two surveyors, according to Al Raisi. praises Qatar’s (HMC) Continuing Care Group has (CCG) 2), the Rehabilitation Services and Psy- maturity of our healthcare services,” The CCG is not the first of HMC’s been accredited by Joint Commission chiatry Department under Rumailah Al Raisi added. services to receive the accreditation. role in Darfur International (JCI) for long-term care, Hospital, and HMC’s Home Health- “I am proud of our team who works All of HMC’s hospitals are JCI-accred- following an intensive certification care Services. hard every day to ensure our long-term ited, a certification process renewed Khartoum: Sudanese process. Mahmoud Al Raisi (pictured), Chief, patients receive the highest standards on a three-year basis. Minister of Tourism, The accreditation recognises CCG, said the accreditation marked a of care and we are delighted with this JCI surveys and certifies hospi- Antiquities and Wild- the high-quality healthcare services milestone for the specialised services accreditation,” he added. tals and healthcare facilities around life Mohammed Abu Zaid offered by the CCG and highlights ongo- offered by HMC. The final certificate was issued the world. Mustafa yesterday said ing development of a world-class public “The accreditation process is rig- last week following a survey in Octo- There are over 800 JCI-accredited the Doha peace agree- healthcare system for the population orous and achieving accreditation ber where JCI representatives visited organisations in 90 countries. ment opened the door for many opportunities for the tourism sector. He praised Qatar’s role in Darfur which focused on establishing devel- opmental projects that provide necessary sta- QRCS organises bility to the region and attracts investors in the tourism sector. He stressed that Darfur has a lot of potential for the courses for Syria tourism sector that will enhance peace if devel- oped properly. relief workers Ministry recalls 2004-2007 rights in the International Humani- Nissan models Courses aimed to tarian Law and Shariah. In coordination with the food building workers’ cluster in northern Syria, led by Doha: The Ministry of capacity in the field the Office for the Coordination of Economy and Commerce Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), QRCS has announced the recall of child malnutrition mission in Turkey held a course of Nissan Patrol (Y61), treatment and for trainers on Community-based Pathfinder (R50), XTrail human rights in Management of Acute Malnutrition (T30), Sunny (N16) and (CMAM). Pick-up (D22) models of the International It was attended by 30 coordina- 2004-2007 to ensure Humanitarian Law tors, project managers, and medics Participants attend one of the courses. the effectiveness of front from 17 humanitarian agencies in passenger air bags and Shariah northern Syria. They were trained The ministry, in col- in methods and techniques of treat- CMAM trainers, which is crucial to Law, and their link with the teach- Humanitarian Law and Islamic Sha- laboration with Saleh Al ing children with acute malnutrition, treating child malnutrition at QRCS ings of Shariah. The two-day course riah Promotion Project, Dr Osama Hamad Al Mana, dealer of and how to make an effective medi- centres. The trainers will later share was attended by 20 trainees from Al Shorbagi, and Malik Nasser from Nissan vehicles, said the The Peninsula cal intervention on the ground. their skills and knowledge with field QRCS and Syrian NGOs working in Afaq Academy. recall aims to ensure the The five-day course was held practitioners, including types, factors, Gaziantep. Certificates of participation and effectiveness of the air at the headquarters of Awraq Com- clinical symptoms and classification The participants received basic course material were shared with the bags. The ministry said munity Development Organisation, of acute malnutrition. information about the International attendees. The courses were part of the recall is within the DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Soci- Gaziantep, with funding from QRCS. In parallel, the other course was Humanitarian Law, the International QRCS efforts to support the Syrian framework of its ongo- ety (QRCS) organised two courses to It was held in Arabic and English and organised in coordination with Afaq Human Rights Law, and the Islamic people in their protracted calamity, ing efforts to protect build the capacity of relief workers certificates and material were shared Academy, and included nine lectures perspective on both. The lectures whether in terms of relief, develop- consumers and ensure involved in Syria, in the field of child with participants. on the International Humanitarian were delivered by Dr Saad Ros- ment or humanitarian diplomacy dealers follow up on vehi- malnutrition treatment and human The course aimed to prepare Law, the International Human Rights tom, Manager of the International and advocacy. cle defects and repairs. The ministry said it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on maintenance and repairs and communicate with Woqod names customers to ensure repairs are carried out. auditorium It urged customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and after Al Attiyah Anti-Commercial Fraud Department through hot- line: 16000; email: info@ mec.gov.qa; Twitter: @ The Peninsula MEC_Qatar; Instagram: MEC_Qatar; and the ministry’s mobile app for Android and IOS: DOHA: Qatar Fuel (Woqod) has MEC_Qatar named its multi-purpose audito- rium inside its tower in Al Dafna after former minister of energy and Ministry plans industry H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah. to set up more This is in honour of his serv- public parks ices to Qatar’s oil and gas industry in general and Woqod in partic- ular and his involvement in the DOHA: Mohammed Ali international area in the field of Al Khouri, Director of environment and energy. Public Parks at the Min- During his tenure as minister, Al istry of Municipality and Attiyah played a vital role in estab- Urban Planning, has lishing Woqod in 2002 from the stressed that there are erstwhile Nodco. some projects to estab- Participants at one of the events last year. He was keen to implement the lish public parks in areas vision of Father Emir H H Sheikh including Umm Salal Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who Mohamed, Umm Salal Ali, was Emir at the time, to encourage Umm Abirieh and Saneea all Qataris to become sharehold- Book discussion among programmes Qatar Lahmeidi. ers of Woqod. Al Khouri said they are Al Attiyah fully supported coordinating with con- Woqod to become the leading cerned authorities to company in the region in terms of allocate one park in Umm National Library lines up for January Al Amad. His remarks distribution, storage and transpor- tation of all petroleum products and were in response to a related services, including bitumen proposal by Hamad Hadi supplies and vehicles inspection for The Peninsula to shape history. It takes the reader on January 19, from 9am to 2pm at the Administration and Planning, QNL, Al Bareedi, member of the entire country, Woqod said in a journey through the Prophet’s era, Student Centre. said: “Following on from an incred- the Central Municipal a statement yesterday. the successive caliphate states, Anda- QNL will organise a specialised ibly successful year, we are pleased Council who represents Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrah- lusia and the Americas. workshop on conducting research for to be entering 2016 with regular and constituency No. 19. man Al Thani, Chairman, Woqod, DOHA: The Qatar National Library The book discussion is the first of undergraduate students to enhance new monthly events. Al Khouri earlier in said, “Woqod, under the guidance (QNL) will organise a discussion on a series of informative, educational their research skills to better utilise its The library aims to engage under- a statement said the of H E Al Attiyah during 2003 -2014 the book ‘One hundred great persons and social activities planned by QNL databases and other learning resources graduate students in Qatar through department will take over as chairman has shown a tremen- from the Islamic nation who changed this month to engage members of the available online. a specialised research workshop to the Onaiza Park for fam- dous growth and success which will history’ authored by Jihad Al Turbani, community. The workshop will consist of four enhance the research culture at the ilies. He said the cost be sustainable for years to come. on January 13. QNL will also host a session on research modules covering the research university level. of the park is QR20m “In recognising H E Al Attiyah’s It will take place at the TV Room at ‘Selected engineering and technology process from searching for informa- “We welcome the people of Qatar and located on an area contribution and his whole-heated Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) online resources’, offering hands-on tion to writing a research paper. to join us for the events to help create of about 23,173 square support, Woqod’s Board of Direc- Student Centre in Education City from training in the effective use of the ASTM The first two modules will be held an engaging and knowledge-based metres. The park includes tors and the executive management 7pm to 8.30pm. International, ASME Digital Collec- on January 27 from 9am to noon at society.” space for children’s have the pleasure to commemo- The book chronicles the extraor- tion and IEEE Xplore Digital Library the Student Centre and the other two Details about QNL’s upcoming games, cafeteria and rate the auditorium by his name,” dinary stories of inspiring individuals databases. in February. events and programmes can be had fountain. he added. from the Islamic nation who went on The session will take place on Engineer Saadi Al Said, Director, from its website:www.qnl.qa. HOME SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 03

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs revises job categories

The Peninsula structure and key services it provides. restructured and the remaining ones and developments at the Ministry and The departments and centres run The Ministry has finalized will be revised soon, said Al Malki. the departments working under it. directly by the Ministry are inter- restructuring of supervisory level job The Ministry is working to prepare The guidelines include 10 key nal audit, legal affairs, planning and categories, said Mohammad Hasan a five-year strategic plan (2017-22) services provided by the Ministry. quality, public relations, Zakat Fund, DOHA: The Ministry of Awqaf and Al Malki, Head of Human Resource in collaboration with the Ministry They are religious call and guid- endowment, religious call and guid- Islamic Affairs has revised some Department and Acting Head of Qual- of Administrative Development, he ance, introducing Islamic teaching ance and mosque management. job categories and released guide- ity and Planning Departments at the added. The vision of the Ministry is to and spreading Islamic values among The departments and centres also lines about its services and vision Ministry build a contemporary Islamic com- non-Arabic speaking expatriate include Islamic affairs, Islamic stud- in collaboration with the Ministry of The revised draft has been munity based on Islamic law and local communities. ies and research, Hajj and Umra, IT, Administrative Development. approved by Minister of Awqaf and culture and traditions, Qatar News The Ministry is also providing cop- human resource, finance and admin- The guidelines have been issued Islamic Affairs H E Dr Ghaith bin Agency reports. ies of the Holy Quran and Islamic istration, and Sheikh Abdullah bin for the first time by the Ministry, which Mubarak Al Kuwari (pictured). Regarding the guidelines, Al Malki books free of cost to people, among Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural explain its vision, administrative Other job categories are being said: “They will explain the activities other services. Centre. QC project benefits over 145,000 Syrian refugees

families took refuge — about 850 ben- The project is an addition to relief The QR1.3m project efit from it monthly — and Shebaa initiatives implemented by QC during Medical Centre which provides serv- the Syrian crisis in Syria and Lebanon. supports eight health ices to about 150 monthly. These projects cost QR14m (about organisations for Many medical points inside Syria $3.9m) and include the ‘Medical Fund’ also benefited from the project such project that covers all Lebanese terri- displaced, sick and as Qarah, Jerud Assal Al Ward, Al tories; ‘Healing Touch’ project which wounded Syrians in Zabadani, and Beit Jann. Over 4,570 supports ‘Akkar’ medical centre in sick and injured benefit from these Al Obada village; ‘Sponsoring the Lebanon points, mostly homeless or displaced. Wounded’ project in the ‘24 Medi- Implemented in cooperation with cal Centre’ in Tripoli and supporting relief and development associations the relief of the wounded in Beirut, in Lebanon, the project guarantees villages of Akkar, Aramoun, and The Peninsula treatment of Syrian refugees in Leb- Bechamounat. anon and some regions in Syria by QC also implemented a project to supporting and preparing medical provide a station for generating and points and health centres. filling compressed medical oxygen DOHA: More than 145,000 wounded The step came in response to the for hospitals in the western region of and sick Syrian people benefited from difficult humanitarian circumstances Hauran in Syria. a project funded by Qatar Charity (QC) the Syrian people suffer due to the The station covers the daily needs to support and equip medical points recent tragic events and the worsen- of 12 field hospitals in the region by and healthcare centres for the people ing of the health status of the sick and providing 20 gas cylinders of 50 litres who took refuge in Lebanon or were injured Syrians among the refugees. each of compressed medical oxygen A volunteer attends to a wounded Syrian refugee at one of the health centres in Lebanon. displaced in Syria. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Kaaby, daily. The total cost of the project was The QR1.3m project supported Head, Relief Department, QC, said QR755,500 and it is expected to serve eight health organisations. Among the project saved the lives of many about 4,000 patients monthly. these is Arsal Medical Centre which injured and sick. QC joined an international stra- contains emergency, paediatric, oper- Al Kaaby pointed to the defi- tegic partnership with International ations, orthopaedic, radiology and CT ciencies in medical services, and Medical Corps and Qatar Foundation departments in addition to a labora- difficulties in providing primary International at the end of last year. tory and rooms for patients. healthcare and performing surgi- The partnership allows both organ- More than 90,000 people benefit cal operations on the wounded, as isations to extend humanitarian acts from the centre every year, QC said well as the deterioration of the med- to the regions that need them the most, in a statement yesterday. ical field’s infrastructure, and the help the people affected by the strug- Other facilities include Al Tufail scarcity of medications and other gle in Syria and the displaced Syrian Medical Centre in which many Syrian medical requirements in Syria. children with medical needs.

Clean-up after drizzle

Workers sweeping the centre court of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex after the drizzle yesterday afternoon.Pic: Salim/The Peninsula

30pc off for Hala customers on food orders

The Peninsula customers’ money per order. Hala customers will receive a promotional code with all top-ups of QR50 and above or a data recharge of QR60 and above via SMS. DOHA: Ooredoo yesterday announced a new promotion The code can be redeemed via the Talabat.com web- with Talabat.com, the Middle East’s largest online food site or mobile application to receive the discount on all delivery portal that will see Hala customers receive a dis- food ordered. count for topping up. Talabat.com is one of the most popular food order- The promotion until January 28 will enable Hala cus- ing and delivery services in Qatar and has partnerships tomers to receive a 30 percent discount off their online with major food chains and restaurants. All promotional orders with the portal for topping up QR50, or making a codes are valid until January 28. Voucher codes can be data recharge of QR60 or above. used only once and are not valid for multiple food orders. The partnership is a first of its kind for Hala custom- For details, please visit the Ooredoo website at www. ers as the company works to reward users and will save ooredoo.qa or www.talabat.com/qa/en/food-delivery. 04 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 HOME

Cloudy and misty

A cloudy view from Doha Corniche and mist over the country yesterday. The weather bureau has forecast high winds inland and high seas and high winds offshore for today as well. Northwesterly wind may move from the colder regions of Europe across to the region at speeds of up to 18 to 28 and even 35 knots at places, with temperatures varying between 20 degrees C (daytime) to 16 degrees (at night). In Doha, the temperatures today are likely at around 20 and 17 degrees. In Al Ruwais in the north, the bureau has forecast 19 degrees as the maximum and 16 as the minimum temperatures today. Pics: Salim and Abdul/The Peninsula HMC to expand health and care services for elderly patients

Dementia is caused by loss of certain brain The Department of cells during certain diseases and Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. Geriatrics will open two The department provides services at Hamad new outpatient clinics this General Hospital (HGH), Rumailah Hospital and One of the partitioned villas. year and train physicians the Enaya Specialised Care Centre. “Most of our patients with complex medical and other staff to improve problems are admitted to Rumailah Hospital’s Call to stop renting out partitioned villas their skills in providing long-term care wards and adult ventilator units,” said Dr Al Hamad. services to patients “We see more than 150 patients in our out- patient unit in Rumailah Hospital. At HGH, we Continued from page 1 lives at risk.” They lead to shortage of car have an acute geriatrics unit for elderly patients parking space, he added. suffering from functional decline or an acute Khalifa Al Muslamani, another promi- By Fazeena Saleem illness or injury that has provoked a decrease A tenant from a partitioned villa said: nent real estate expert, agrees with Al Arouqi The Peninsula in their functional abilities,” she added. “I prefer bed space in a partitioned villas about the shortage on parking space due to The Enaya Specialised Care Centre opened because my salary is not enough to help illegal housing. For instance: two or three in 2015 at Hamad Medical City has 158 beds of me have one room to myself. My salary parking slots allocated for one apartment which some 148 are occupied as the number of is less than QR4,000, so how can I take a can be used for 10 cars owned by illegal DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) patients varies, said Dr Al Hamad. room on a rent of QR2,500?”. sub-tenants, he said in remarks to this will expand its services for the health and care Majority of patients at the Enaya centre are “I have to share a room with my friends newspaper. of old people, including introducing new out- elderly, however some are young people with in an apartment. We are four people in one It also against human rights. How can patient clinics, according to a senior official. Dr Hanadi Al Hamad, Acting Chair of acute problems following traffic accidents. room, Although it is not easy to live with a person take rest from work when he is The Department of Geriatrics will open two Elderly Geriatrics, HMC. “After a patient is admitted to hospital for four persons, I have no choice,” said a man sharing a room with many people? new outpatient clinics this year and train phy- acute care and is stabilised, they will be sta- refusing to disclose his identity. In addition, such housing puts undue sicians and other staff to improve their skills ble but would need more care or rehabilitation. Ahmed Al Arouqi, a real estate analyst pressure on electricity, water and sanita- in providing services to patients, Dr Hanadi Such patients are transferred to the Enaya cen- and general manager of real estate com- tion, Al Muslamani said. Al Hamad, Acting Chair of Elderly Geriatrics, them a high quality of life and functional ability. tre,” said Dr Al Hamad. pany Roots, told this daily that illegally “I’m surprised… How the owners accept HMC, told this newspaper. “Presently we have eight outpatient clinics With individualised treatment programmes partitioned villas violate the law, and puts because mass sharing can reduce the age of Many geriatric patients suffer from medi- and we are looking forward to opening clin- for each patient, the dedicated team of special- extra burden on basic services like elec- a villa or apartment. “My advice to owners is cal problems, including decline in memory and ics this year to treat patients with osteoporosis ised professionals provides medical care and tricity and water. “They also put people’s to avoid such renting out of their properties.” new problems such as confusion, falls, incon- and Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr Al Hamad. looks to enhance patients’ ability to function tinence, weight loss or depression. The department will also bring interna- independently. The department treats such patients who tional experts next month to train physicians The department covers HMC’s Home Health need long-term care, address their physical, on how to more efficiently identify and treat Care Services which enables visits to more than emotional and social needs and focus on giving patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. 1,000 patients at their homes. RAF to launch ‘Ship of Hope’ with 4,000 tonnes of relief material for Yemen people

The Peninsula

DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) in collabo- ration with Eid Charity is preparing to launch the “Ship of Hope” with 4,000 tonnes of basic relief supplies for people in Yemen hit by the ongoing war. About 340,000 people are expected to ben- efit from the project costing a total QR10m. The two charities will bear 50 percent of the cost each under an agreement signed on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Ali bin Hamid Al Hajri, executive director for external projects at Eid Charity thanked people in Qatar for sup- porting the project through their donations. He said, according to latest data, more than 2.5 million people in Yemen are affected by the war and have been displaced in addition to millions under siege without food or water. There is a pressing need for food, medicine Officials at the agreement signing ceremony. and clothes with around 80 per cent of the peo- ple living under poverty line. Eid Charity has so far provided aid worth which required coordination with the relief like Eden and surrounding localities where the QR43m to support people in Yemen benefit- teams on the ground to decide the priorities security situation allows distribution of aid. ting 1.4 million people. and list of beneficiaries,” he said. Dr Mohammed Salah Ibrahim, executive The ‘Ship of Hope’ is expected to reach Yemen Poor families will get priority in distribution, director of RAF thanked Eid Charity for their by the end of this month, he said. Each tonne in followed by families of teachers and students, request to join hands in the initiative. the shipment will cost QR2,500 and can pro- internally displaced people and refugees in RAF has already implemented a number of vide support to 85 people for one month. Yemen from Syria, Somalia and Eritrea. relief projects in Yemen benefitting thousands “ We took a long time to prepare this shipment The focus will be on the worst affected areas of people, he added. HOME / MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 05 Terrified families emerge from Ramadi battle rubble

the advancing Iraqi column. The provincial capital “We thank our security forces, from the soldiers to the generals. They west of Baghdad is saved us,” the man said before break- the biggest city to ing into tears. have been recaptured Another man said the fighters had killed seven people who refused to from IS and the first come with them to another district retaken by Iraq’s army where they were making a stand. Major Salam Hussein said the mil- since it collapsed itants were using families as human in the path of the shields. More than 52 families had been rescued so far in the city, he said. militants’ advance 18 Another military officer, reached months ago by telephone from the battlefield, said security forces were using loudspeak- ers to urge civilians to head towards the advancing troops, before calling air RAMADI: Terrified families waved strikes from a US-led coalition on resi- white flags as they emerged from homes dential blocks still held by the militants. reduced to rubble in the Iraqi city of The presence of civilians was delay- Ramadi, where government troops were ing the advance of the troops eastward still battling Islamic State (IS) fighters from the central district they captured holed up on Friday, five days after the on Sunday, where the provincial gov- army recaptured the city centre. ernment is located, the officer said. The provincial capital in the fertile “Warplanes do not strike any tar- Euphrates River valley west of Baghdad get in central Ramadi unless they are is the biggest city to have been recap- sure there are no civilians nearby,” tured from IS and the first retaken by said the officer. Iraq’s army since it collapsed in the path The victory in Ramadi, which was of the militants’ advance 18 months ago. captured by IS fighters in May, was by The victory has been hailed as a far the biggest success for Iraq’s army turning point by the Iraqi government, since it fled in the face of the fight- which says its rebuilt army will soon ers’ lightning advance across a third Iraqi pro-government forces battle Islamic State (IS) jihadists as they try to secure all neighbourhoods of Ramadi, the capitalof Iraq’s Anbar march on IS’s main Iraqi stronghold of Iraq in 2014, abandoning its Amer- province, about 110km west of the capital Baghdad on Friday. Mosul further north, and defeat the ican armour. IS, also known by the group in Iraq in 2016. English acronyms ISIS or ISIL or the As an Iraqi army column advanced Arabic acronym Daesh, has declared a European countries and major Arab echo of the 2006-2007 “surge” cam- people,” Rizaiyj said. tribes to be enlisted to prevent IS fight- through the ruined city, an elderly “caliphate” to rule over all Muslims from states that has been striking IS targets paign by US forces at the height of the “If we can prove that a civilian had ers from returning to recaptured areas. woman emerged from a home wav- territory it controls in Iraq and Syria. from the air, but a central challenge has 2003-2011 US war in Iraq, in which a brother fighting with Daesh and he “Bringing home the displaced ing a white flag on the end of a stick. The fighters have imposed an been rebuilding the Iraqi army into a Washington secured the help of Sunni helped him with information or some- people should be done according to Soon, she was followed by children, ultra-hardline version of Sunni Islam force capable of capturing and hold- tribes against a precursor of IS. thing similar, then we keep him with a mechanism,” said a sermon read out a wounded woman being pushed in a disavowed by all major Sunni authori- ing territory on the ground. Provincial Police Chief Brigadier us” before turning them over to the by Al Sistani’s representative Sheikh wheelbarrow and men carrying small ties, and carried out mass killings and Previous battles were fought with Hadi Rizaiyj said police were inves- judiciary on terrorism charges, he said. Abdul Mahdi Al Karbalai in the holy children in their arms. They flinched rapes. Most regional and world pow- the army playing a supporting role tigating males who remained behind Some four million people have fled Shia city of Kerbala. as explosions could be heard in the ers have joined the battle against them, behind Iranian-backed Shia militia in Ramadi to determine whether they IS-held territory in Iraq, mostly Sunni “Security forces, together with the distance. often backing rival groups in complex, fighters, although this risked alien- had links with IS. Muslims. Iraq’s most senior Shia cleric residents of these areas and the tribes, “They (IS) are not Muslims, they multi-sided civil wars in Iraq and Syria ating Sunni residents in IS-held areas. “The counter-terrorism forces are Ali Al Sistani, whose strong backing for should coordinate to ensure that the are beasts,” one of the men rescued that make it difficult to achieve inter- A key part of the strategy for the freeing civilians in distress and deliver- the campaign against IS has helped rally terrorist gangs cannot return again from the central district told a Reu- national unity. government is to put Ramadi in the ing them to the Anbar province police; Shias behind Prime Minister Haider Al and form sleeper cells that constitute ters TV cameraman accompanying The US is leading a coalition with hands of local Sunni tribal figures, an the police then have names of wanted Abadi’s government, called for local a danger.” Raids on outlets Ministry to set up in Al Khor, Al Shamal find 42 one hospital, nine violations veterinary centres The Peninsula Continued from page 1 issued 14,341 ownership certificates. DOHA: Inspectors from the Min- The ministry also issued licences to istry of Economy and Commerce The ministry has plans to set up five livestock projects, taking the total yesterday conducted raids on differ- nine veterinary centres and a hospi- number of such projects to 13, includ- ent outlets in Al Khor and Al Shamal tal specialising in camel diseases this ing 11 poultry projects. areas which resulted in register- year. It will establish two veterinary Plans for this year include res- ing several violations of consumer quarantines at Hamad International toration of some green areas and rights law (Law No. 8/2008). Airport and the new Doha Port each reproduction of saplings and seeds Raids on shops and food outlets to check imported animals and birds. of endangered desert plants. and commercial activity centres The ministry has finalised a date The proposed Markhiyat Mesaieed ended in registering 42 violations, palm tree developing project and plantation project aims to restore green the ministry said in release yester- another project to increase production areas and prevent desertification. day. Inspector caught 32 violations of desert plants and their breeding During last year , the ministry in Al Khor City and 10 in Al Shamal. to combat desertification. launched the Qatar Construction The campaigns covered fish The ministry provided veteri- Specifications (QCS) and estab- outlets, fishing instrument shops, nary services to a number of farms lished a committee for developing a restaurants and computer and and treated more than one million green building code in Qatar in col- electricity equipment shops. The livestock and horses and vaccinated laboration with a number of bodies nature of violations varied from 95,000 goats cows, sheep, camels and concerned. Forty percent of the work lack of price list or label displays, gazelle and around 28,000 cats and on the project has already been com- selling items at higher prices (at dogs during last year. pleted, said the report. prices different from what have The ministry team conducted Work on Ras Abu Fantas marine been announced or the actual medical check up on 1.3m livestock, research centre is expected to com- price) to not using Arabic language 1,700 horses and 300,000 birds that plete by the end of this year and it on price lists and not issuing bills were imported and exported through will go fully operational next year. after sales. According to the state- different entry points. There is also a plan to develop fish- ment, punishments ranged from full Under its registration process, the ing ports in Al Wakrah and Al Khor or partial closure of the errant shops ministry issued numbers to 238,000 and set up a fish farming plant, said to fines from QR3,000 to QR1m. animals owned by 3337 people and the report. Local farms achieve 80pc production target

Continued from page 1 However, some local farmers are vegetables at Al Mazrouh Yard, Iqbal still waiting for some seasonal pro- said, this week “We sold a total of 2,000 The green beans have also wit- duce for harvesting. boxes of vegetables at the rate of 700 nessed a remarkable fall in prices, from “We targeted to produce some boxes per day. The remaining 1,100 QR36 to QR26 per box. Likewise, the 2,000 boxes of vegetables per day boxes are being taken to the Central prices of eggplants have come down this season. Our current production Market for sale as our total produce from QR10 to QR7 per box. level has reached some 1,800 boxes per are 1,800 boxes per day” Pumpkin and radish prices have, day,” said Mohammad Iqbal, a sales- “We are happy with the prices our on the other hand, become stable at man of a farm in Semaisima area which produce are sold at Al Mazrouh. It is far QR20 and QR16 for a box, respectively. is represented at Al Mazrouh Yard. better than what we get at the Central Good quality of sweet melon “Our production will increase fur- Market,” said Mohammad Ahmad, a (shammam) was available for QR50 ther as we are expecting some new salesman from another farm. for a box of 12kg and for QR25 was products like tomatoes, carrots and Regarding the produce, Ahmad the rate for a small box. radish by the end of this month,” he said: “We planned to double our pro- According to reliable sources, local said. “We will achieve our target of duce from 4,000 boxes per day at peak farms have achieved a high of 80 per- 2,000 boxes per day soon,” said Iqbal. season last year to 8,000 boxes per day cent production target for this year. However these produce are available this season. We hope to reach our target Several produce have begun coming at other outlets. by end of this month or the beginning on the local markets. Regarding the demand for of next month,” said Ahmad. 06 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 GULF / MIDDLE EAST Thousands attend Hebron funeral Suicide bomber The funerals of the rest of the Palestinians Israel handed over the handed over by Israel were to take place Sat- kills three in urday throughout the West Bank. bodies of 23 Palestinians Since a wave of violence erupted at the start Somali capital on Friday in an apparent of October, 138 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, according to an AFP count, most MOGADISHU: A sui- bid to ease tensions, of while carrying out attacks on Israelis. cide bomber attacked which 14 were from the Israel does not always immediately return a popular restaurant in the bodies of slain attackers. Mogadishu, the Somali southern West Bank city. A military spokeswoman said that, after capital, yesterday, killing Friday’s handovers, the army would have himself and at least three returned a total of 76 bodies and was still others, Somali police said. AFP & Agencies holding two. The attacker, dressed Police could also be holding more bodies, in a business suit over a she said. suicide vest, detonated HEBRON: Thousands of Palestinians gathered Palestinian sources said the Israelis were the bomb after entering yesterday in Hebron to bury 14 men whose bod- still holding a total of 17 bodies, including at the Village Restaurant, ies had been held by Israel after being killed least 15 of Palestinians from East Jerusalem. which is opposite Soma- carrying out attacks. Twenty Israelis, an American and an Eri- lia’s National Theatre, Israel handed over the bodies of 23 Pal- trean have also been killed in the unrest. police said. estinians on Friday in an apparent bid to ease Meanwhile, Israeli jets have launched air “So far, three civilians tensions, of which 14 were from the southern strikes in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security are dead,” Major Nur Ali, West Bank city. sources said, just hours after rockets from the a senior police officer, The Al Hussein mosque was overflow- enclave hit southern Israel. said. ing with people, where the 14 bodies were The air raids on Saturday morning tar- In comments on state on display before prayers, wrapped in Pal- geted four empty facilities belonging to radio, Somalia’s informa- estinian flags. the Hamas movement, ranging from Beit tion minister, Mohamed Relatives kissed the foreheads of the Hanoun in the north to Rafah in the south, Abdi Hayir, blamed the deceased, some of which were covered with the sources said. attack on al Shabaab, the flags of the Islamist Hamas and Islamic Jihad The attacks caused damage but no Al Qaeda-aligned Islam- groups. casualties. ist militants who wage Prayers were also held in Hebron’s only The Israeli army said its “aircraft targeted frequent attacks in the stadium next to Al Hussein, while hundreds two Hamas military training facilities and two capital as part of a cam- of others waited outside the mosque in the military sites in the Gaza Strip”. paign to bring down the cold. “The IDF [Israeli army] holds Hamas respon- Western-backed Somali Heavy rain began as the bodies were carried sible and accountable for all attacks emanating government. out of the mosque and those attending began from the Gaza Strip,” a statement read. “The al Shabaab sui- chanting “There is no god but God”. Late on Friday, two rockets fired from Gaza cide bomber did not Some could not hold back their tears, while hit southern Israel, without causing casualties cause many casualties,” others held up the flags of various Palestin- or damage. he said, adding that most ian factions. Since the end of Israel’s 50-day war on Gaza of the people in the res- Basel Sadr, 20, was among those buried. in the summer of 2014, nearly 30 projectiles taurant were able to He had been shot dead on October 14 near fired from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian escape before the bomb Jerusalem’s Old City after police said he was enclave have hit Israel, according to Israeli mil- was detonated. about to stab security forces. itary data. A spokesman for Shortly before the funeral, women gath- The past few months have witnessed vio- the group could not be ered at Sadr’s home to read verses from the lence in Israel and the Palestinian territories reached for comment. Koran over his body wrapped in a Palestinian that has claimed the lives more than 130 Pal- Saturday’s attack flag, while his mother and sister silently wept estinians and 21 Israelis. marked the third time and hugged him. On Friday, two Palestinians were slightly suicide bombers have Mourners attend the funeral of fourteen Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces, “Bassel was the first martyr (from Hebron) wounded by Israeli gunfire after they stormed attacked the restaurant, a day after Israel handed over the bodies of twenty-three Palestinians to their families, whose body was detained by Israel” for 80 days, the border fence in northern Gaza, the Israeli On Friday, Al Shabaab in the West Bank city of Hebron, yesterday. his father Bassem said outside his home. army and Gaza medics said. militants attacked a police station in the capital, and police said that three of them were killed. Police showed journal- Turkey places ists pictures of the dead, Turkey needs Israel, says Erdogan but al Shabaab denied under arrest IS they had lost anyone in the attack. suicide bombing’ Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, Indicating possible progress on Israel is in need of a bound for Gaza. the blockade, Erdogan said Israel had suspects Erdogan further raised hackles in suggested it would allow goods and Counter-terrorism country like Turkey in Israel with his sometimes inflamma- construction materials into Gaza if the region and we too tory rhetoric towards the Jewish State. they came via Turkey. move discussed AFP But the atmosphere has trans- “We need to see a written text to must accept that we formed following the revelation last ensure there is no deviation from the Amman:- Jordanian need Israel. This is a month the two sides were making agreement,” he said. Prime Minister Abdullah ANKARA: An Ankara court yester- progress in secret talks to seek a rap- Analysts have suggested that Ensour met with French day remanded in custody pending reality in the region, prochement, says Turkey’s rapprochement with Israel Minister of Defence trial two Turkish men suspected of says Erdogan. “Israel is in need of a country like has been accelerated by the need for Jean-Yves Le Drian, belonging to the Islamic State (IS) Turkey in the region,” Erdogan said in Ankara to make up for its crisis in ties who is currently visiting group and planning a double sui- remarks to Turkish reporters published with Moscow after the shooting down Jordan. cide bombing in the capital on New AFP in leading dailies yesterday. of a Russian warplane. They discussed bilat- Year’s Eve. “And we too must accept that we Erdogan last month held closed- eral relations and focused on enhancing cooperation Musa Canoz, 28, and Adnan need Israel. This is a reality in the Recep Tayyip Erdogan door talks with Hamas chief Khaled Yildirim, 40, who were detained ISTANBUL: Turkey must accept that it region,” said Erdogan. Meshaal but it was never disclosed in the military fields. The in a raid on Wednesday, were placed needs Israel, President Recep Tayyip “If mutual steps are implemented what the president discussed with the ministers also discussed under arrest on charges of “pos- Erdogan said yesterday, as the two based on sincerity, then normalisa- for the Mavi Marmara victims and an leader of the the Palestinian Islamist international efforts in sessing explosive materials” and countries seek to thrash out a deal tion will follow.” apology for the incident. movement. combatting terrorist “membership of a terrorist organ- on normalising ties. Ambassadors were withdrawn in Israel has already apologised and Israel also wants Turkey to pre- organisation like Islamic isation”, the Anatolia news agency NATO member Turkey was a key the wake of the 2010 crisis and Erdogan negotiations appear to have made vent senior Hamas operative Salah State (IS) group. reported. They were sent to the Sin- regional ally of Israel until the two said Turkey’s three conditions for a progress on compensation, leaving Aruri from entering its territory and can prison in Ankara, it added. It countries fell out over the deadly storm- normalisation were clear — a lifting the blockade on the Hamas-ruled Gaza acting from there. Ankara has never was not clear when a trial may start. ing by Israeli commandos in 2010 of a of the Gaza blockade, compensation Strip the main hurdle. confirmed his presence in Turkey. Turkish officials said the pair were planning to strike an area in the centre of the city that was expected to be packed with revellers on the Historic Vatican accord night of December 31. In the end, Snow covers refugee camp the celebrations passed peacefully. Turkey is on a high security with Palestine takes effect alert after 103 people were killed on October 10 when two suicide AFP “The agreement... regards essen- bombers ripped through a crowd tial aspects of the life and activity of of peace activists in Ankara in the the Church in Palestine, while at the worst attack in modern Turkey’s VATICAN City: The Vatican’s first same time reaffirming the support for history. accord with the Palestinians — an a negotiated and peaceful solution to The Hurriyet daily reported that agreement that Israel has attacked the conflict in the region.” the pair had left Ankara in 2013 as counter-productive to the Middle In June, the Vatican hailed the to join up with IS forces in Syria, East peace process — has come into agreement, which includes provisions where they received bomb-mak- force yesterday. to protect the rights of Christians, as ing training. They then crossed back The accord was signed in June, a model for other Arab and Muslim into Turkey in September this year, just over two years after the Roman states in their relations with Christian renting an apartment in the Mamak Catholic Church recognised the Pales- minorities facing increasing perse- district of Ankara where they were tinian territories as a sovereign state cution in the Middle East. detained. in February 2013. Israel attacked the accord as It said they had been given final The accord covers the operation of premature and counterproductive instructions over the Internet by an the Church in areas of the Holy Land to efforts to get the Palestinians to IS handler, an Arab with the code- under Palestinian control but its sig- resume direct negotiations with the name Ebu Enes, on the day they were nificance has been seen in broader Jewish state. The Vatican’s recognition detained. A third suspect, named terms as a symbol of growing interna- of the state of Palestine — joining doz- as Z.A., has been detained on sus- tional backing for a Palestinian state. ens of others — followed a November picion of providing logistical and “With reference to the Compre- 2012 vote in favour of recognition by transport support, it added. hensive Agreement between the Holy the UN General Assembly. The suspected bombers are See and the State of Palestine, signed The Church has had diplomatic believed by investigators to have on 26 June 2015, the Holy See and the relations with Israel since 1993 but been acting on the orders of IS A Syrian refugee woman removes snow in front her makeshift shelter in the Barelias refugee camp in State of Palestine have notified each has yet to conclude an agreement on headquarters in their self-declared the Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, yesterday. Ongoing snowstorms over the last two days have led other that the procedural require- Christian rights there. Negotiations capital in Raqa, Syria, rather than to mountain roads in the Bekaa Valley to be closed. ments for its entry into force have been on the subject have been running independently, it added. fulfilled,” a Vatican statement said. since 1999. GULF / MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 07 Coalition announces Execution of cleric sparks outrage

AFP end of Yemen truce TEHRAN/MANAMA: Saudi Arabia’s execu- tion yesterday of a prominent Shia cleric and 46 other men prompted outrage in parts of the coalition to threaten severe reprisals. the Middle East, with Iran warning Riyadh The announcement came The statement comes after the coalition would pay a “high price”. announced that Saudi air defence forces had But several Saudi allies offered their after the Saudi air defencae intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen support after Riyadh implemented death forces intercepted a missile towards the kingdom’s city of Abha late on Friday. sentences against cleric Nimr Al Nimr, Shia The “launcher was located and destroyed activists and Sunnis accused of involvement fired from Yemen towards in Yemen,” it said. in Al Qaeda attacks. the kingdom’s city of Abha. The Saudis have deployed Patriot missile The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, batteries designed to counter attacks and have members of a Saudi-led coalition battling recently been intercepting missiles fired from Iran-backed Shia rebels in Yemen, praised Yemen on an almost-daily basis. the executions. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh AFP More than 80 people, most of them soldiers Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called them a and border guards, have been killed in shelling “clear message against terrorism and those and cross-border skirmishes in the kingdom’s who call for and incite sedition and unrest RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition battling Iran- south since coalition operations began in Yemen. to tear apart the society’s unity and threaten backed rebels in Yemen announced the end of On Thursday, three civilians including two social peace in the kingdom”. a ceasefire that had been violated on a daily children were killed in cross-border missile Bahrain, which has itself faced unrest from basis since it was declared last month. attacks from Yemen on a residential area in its Shia majority population, also backed Riy- Women shout slogans during a demonstration after Saudi Arabia executed The “coalition leadership announces the end the southwestern Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. adh in “all deterrent and needed measures it prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr, in Manama, Bahrain, yesterday. of the truce in Yemen starting from 1400 (1100 Eleven others were wounded, among them takes to confront violence and extremism”. GMT) yesterday, the alliance said in a state- nine children, according to the Saudi civil defence. Police used tear gas to disperse small “The execution of a figure like Sheikh Al “instigator of sedition”. His execution also ment carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Fighting has escalated in Yemen since the demonstrations condemning the executions. Nimr, who had no means to follow his politi- drew fire in Iraq, where the head of the Shi- The ceasefire announced on December 15 had coalition entered the war to support President The European Union raised serious cal and religious goals but through speaking ite Dawa party’s parliamentary bloc urged been ended due to continuous rebel “attacks on Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s internationally- concerns over Saudi Arabia’s execution of out, merely shows the extent of irresponsi- Baghdad to close the Saudi embassy.” the kingdom’s territories by firing ballistic missiles recognised government in March. prominent Shia cleric, warning it could have bility and imprudence.” Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi towards Saudi cities, targeting Saudi border posts, The UN Security Council last month urged “dangerous consequences” for a region already Parliament speaker Ali Larijani also con- and his predecessor Nouri Al Maliki both and hampering aid operations,” it said. Yemen’s warring parties to respect the ceasefire fraught with sectarian tensions. demned Nimr’s death, saying Riyadh would belong to the Dawa party. The rebels have also “continued to shell res- and to resume their inconclusive peace talks. “The specific case of Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr not emerge “easily from the quagmire they In Lebanon, the powerful Shia movement idents and kill and detain Yemeni civilians in The ceasefire was declared as talks between raises serious concerns regarding freedom of created by the martyrdom of this great sheikh”. Hezbollah accused Riyadh of “assassinating” cities under their control,” said the coalition. the government and rebel representatives opened expression and the respect of basic civil and All Iran’s seminaries will be closed today Nimr. It accused Washington of “direct and “All this shows how unserious the militias in Switzerland, and it was later extended by political rights, to be safeguarded in all cases, to protest Nimr’s execution, with a demon- moral responsibility for this crime” because and their allies are and their disregard for the a week. also in the framework of the fight against stration expected in the Grand Mosque of of its longstanding alliance with Riyadh. lives of civilians, and how they have clearly But the fighting never stopped on ground terrorism,” EU foreign policy chief Feder- Qom, the Isna news agency said. Rights group Amnesty International said exploited this truce to make gains.” and coalition air strikes had continued while ica Mogherini said in a statement. The Basij student militia connected to it appeared the kingdom was “using execu- However, the coalition “was and is still eager the talks ended with no major breakthrough six “This case has also the potential of enflam- Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards called for tion to settle political scores”. on creating the suitable circumstances to find days after they had started with both sides say- ing further the sectarian tensions that already a demonstration this afternoon in front of Middle East and north Africa director a peaceful solution in Yemen,” it said. ing they would meet again in January. bring so much damage to the entire region, the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Philip Luther said the kingdom was using “the Saudi Arabia is leading a military coali- In May a five-day pause in fighting pro- with dangerous consequences,” she said. Nimr was a driving force of the protests guise of counter-terrorism” to clamp down tion that has been battling Iran-backed rebels posed by Saudi Arabia allowed some aid into Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Hos- that broke out in 2011 in Eastern Province, on dissent. The trials of Nimr and the others in neighbouring Yemen since March. Yemen before the coalition resumed air strikes, sein Jaber Ansari strongly condemned Riyadh where the Shia minority complains of mar- “were politicised on the one hand and grossly The rebels intensified their rocket attacks blaming the rebels and their allies for violat- for executing Nimr despite repeated Iranian ginalisation. He was arrested in 2012, with unfair, because the international standards across the Saudi border in recent days, prompting ing the ceasefire. requests for clemency. the interior ministry describing him as an for fair trial were grossly flouted. Dubai blaze raises questions over skyscraper design

Hundreds of gleaming towers rose up in 250 high-rise buildings use cladding panels a medic at the scene said over 60 people were cladding. In November 2012, a 34-storey resi- After Dubai’s latest blaze, Gulf Arab states, especially the United Arab with thermoplastic cores, the newspaper said. treated for mild smoke inhalation and other dential building was partially gutted by a fire. Emirates, during the past decade’s economic Panels can consist of plastic or polyurethane complaints. An investigation blamed a discarded cigarette experts are asking if the boom. Ultra-modern, flamboyant designs often fillings sandwiched between aluminium sheets. Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar butt that fell on a pile of waste; the blaze swept layers may in some cases involved heavy use of cladding - layers fixed to Such cladding is not necessarily hazardous, Properties, which owns the hotel, said it had through cladding panels on the tower. the outside of buildings for decoration, insu- but it can be flammable under certain circum- been built to the highest quality standards and The UAE revised its building safety code in make buildings more lation or protection. stances and, depending on a skyscraper’s design, following international best practice. 2013 to require that cladding on all new build- vulnerable to fire. After Dubai’s latest blaze, which secu- may channel fires through windows into the “We are determined to restore it to all its ings over 15 metres (50 feet) tall be fire-resistant. rity officials said spread up the outside of the interiors of buildings, said Phil Barry, founder glory, and even surpass the splendid architec- But the new rules do not apply to buildings 63-storey Address Downtown luxury hotel and of Britain’s CWB Fire Safety Consultants Ltd. tural standards,” Alabbar said in a statement. erected before that year, and Barry noted that Reuters residential tower, experts are asking if the lay- Barry said that, working as a consultant He did not discuss the reason for the blaze or the vast majority of the country’s skyscrap- ers may in some cases make buildings more in the Gulf in 2012, he had identified “a gen- the financial impact on Emaar, or say when ers fell outside the regulations; the Address vulnerable to fire. eral trend of fires in high-rises”, which in some the hotel might reopen. Downtown was completed in 2008. DUBAI: A blaze that engulfed a Dubai sky- “The fires that have erupted in Dubai land- places indicated a need for stronger regula- In February last year, hundreds of people In an article published soon after last year’s scraper on New Year’s Eve - the emirate’s third marks have raised concerns about the quality tion and tougher building codes. were evacuated from one of the world’s tall- Torch fire, Barry Greenberg and Michael Kort- high-rise fire in three years - has raised fresh of material used to clad the emirate’s build- On Saturday, authorities were still inves- est residential buildings when fire broke out bawi at UAE law firm Bin Shabib & Associates questions about the safety of materials used ings,” The National, a leading UAE newspaper, tigating the cause of the fire at the Address at the Torch, a 79-storey skyscraper in Dubai. said the cost of replacing cladding on skyscrap- on the exteriors of tall buildings across the reported on Saturday. Downtown. Dubai police said 14 people were An investigation by the building’s management ers with safer materials would be “prohibitive”. wealthy region. Experts say most of Dubai’s approximately lightly injured as the building was evacuated; found most of the damage was to the exterior

Police hunt for gunman after Tel Aviv attack

AFP

TEL AVIV: Israeli security forces pressed a manhunt yesterday for the gunman who killed two people and wounded seven others at a Tel Aviv cafeteria, with the motive for the attack still a mystery. The New Year’s Day shooting on busy Dizengoff Street came amid a wave of Palestinian attacks on Israelis and days after the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group threatened the Jewish state with violence. Police partially lifted a gag order on Saturday evening, naming the suspected shooter as Nashaat Melhem, 31, from the Arab village of Arara in northern Israel. “Police are continuing to search for suspect who murdered two Israelis in central Tel Aviv,” spokes- man Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that road blocks had been set up in different parts of the city. In the hours after the attack, hundreds of police scoured the area as police helicopters buzzed overhead. Earlier yesterday, Arara’s council condemned the shooting in a statement, saying residents “fiercely object to any act of violence”. “This is the act of one individual who does not rep- resent any of the town’s residents,” the statement said, stressing that the attack was “foreign to our culture”. Rosenfeld said there was a “strong possibility that this was a terrorist attack but we haven’t ruled out criminal motives”. He did not elaborate. Members of his family told media Melhem had been suffering mental issues, and had been impris- oned for attacking an Israeli soldier in what he said was an attempt at revenge over the death of a relative shot by police in 2006. Security camera footage from a nearby store showed a bespectacled young man with a backpack calmly pretending to shop before going to the exit, placing the backpack on a trolley, removing what looked like a submachine gun and opening fire in the street. 08 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 ASIA

Yangtze ship China to modernise military disaster: Victims’ families bitter

professional certification of the The whole report ship’s captain, Zhang Shunwen, be revoked and that legal authorities is a lie and they investigate whether he should face made it to escape criminal charges. But relatives of several victims responsibility, said said the report appeared to ignore a man, whose wife the criminal responsibility of vari- ous people for allowing a ship they drowned. described as unsafe to ply the river. “This report has obviously played up the role of weather but hidden the The Washington Post responsibilities of the administration and business,” said a woman whose mother died in the sinking. “The real reasons for the accident BEIJING: Relatives of those who died were not shown until the end of the aboard a cruise ship that sank on the report,” she said, citing references to Yangtze River expressed bitterness unsafe modifications to the ship, as and dismay after the Chinese gov- well as a lack of maintenance, inade- ernment issued an official report this quate crew training and preparation week principally blaming bad weather for emergencies. “Nobody has been for a disaster that killed 442 people. charged with any crimes.” Although the government also Other relatives complained that recommended that the captain and the report appeared to ignore the ques- 43 other people face punishment for tion of whether the captain and crew their role in the sinking of the Eastern members had abandoned ship too Star, relatives said the government early. “If they had time to escape, why New soldiers exercise during a patrol along the border river with Russia, for their first time, in Heihe in northeast China’s Heilongjiang appeared to be playing down human didn’t they inform the passengers?” province. China has created three new military bodies — a general command for the People’s Liberation Army, a missile force and a error to avoid embarrassment. said Zheng Qian, whose husband’s strategic support force as part of restructuring to modernise its military, state media said. “The whole report is a lie, and they parents died on the vessel. made it up to escape responsibility,” Zheng said relatives had been said a 63-year-old man whose wife contacted by the government to ask drowned in the sinking. He spoke on whether they had questions about the the condition of anonymity to avoid report. “We have a lot of questions,” she Missing HK bookseller ‘assisting in investigation’ harassment by police. “There was no said, adding that she and her husband transparency in the investigation.” wanted to see the evidence and data The ship’s captain was among 12 that led investigators to their conclu- who survived China’s worst peacetime sion. “We don’t trust the report. We AFP referring to. “I asked him if it was related to the case warehouse, which he is in charge of. Hong Kong maritime disaster, which occurred on think the problem is the ship. It was all before. He said ‘yes’, regarding that case where a was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and the evening of June 1 last year. because of the ship and the captain.” few others had gone missing,” Choi said. enjoys liberties not seen on the mainland, but there The cabinet’s investigative Victims’ relatives have long com- Police said in a statement they were investi- are fears these are under threat. team concluded that the disaster plained of a lack of information HONG KONG: A missing Hong Kong employee from gating the disappearance of Lee and three of the The publishing company’s general manager was “caused by strong winds and during the investigation and about a publisher of books critical of China was “assisting other missing men. It made no comment on the Lui Bo, an employee Cheung Jiping and bookstore heavy rains resulting from a squall being asked to sign away their right to in an investigation”, his wife said yesterday, as police fifth man. Deputy leader Carrie Lam tried to reas- manager Lam Wing-kei are also missing after dis- line accompanied by a downburst, a ask questions in return for compensa- also probe the disappearance of his colleagues. sure the public. “The Hong Kong government cares appearing in southern China in October. very rare weather phenomenon,” the tion. Their efforts to get information Lee Bo went missing Wednesday night and is the about its people’s wellbeing... police are working on Local media said Gui Minhai, a Swedish national Xinhua News Agency said. have been met with obstruction, har- fifth employee of Hong Kong-based publisher Mighty this case,” she told reporters. and co-owner of Mighty Current, failed to return Xinhua said the investigators “sug- assment and surveillance, they say. Current to disappear. The incident adds to grow- Choi previously told media she started looking from a holiday in Thailand in October. gested” that 43 people — including “The investigative team has never ing unease that freedoms in city are being eroded, for Lee on Wednesday night after he failed to return Hong Kong police are investigating the disap- local government and Communist allowed an independent investiga- with fears the five men may have been detained by home for dinner and she reported him missing to pearance of Lui, Cheung, Lam and Lee—they gave Party officials, maritime regulators tive organisation in,” the 63-year-old Chinese authorities. police on Friday. He later called to say “everything no information on Gui. and shipping company executives man said. “They closed the door and “He said he wouldn’t be back so soon and he was alright” from a number that did not belong to Sweden’s embassies in Bangkok and Beijing — be given administrative punish- investigated themselves. How can we was assisting in an investigation,” Lee’s wife Sophie him and originated from the neighbouring main- are reportedly investigating Gui’s disappearance. ments, which could include demotions trust their report? It’s like the person Choi told Hong Kong’s Cable Television, describing land Chinese city of Shenzhen, Choi had said. The Hong Kong Journalists Association sent a let- and firings. who makes mistakes scrutinised him- a call she had with Lee the night he failed to return Another source said that Lee, 65, was last seen ter to the Chinese Liaison Office urging authorities It also recommended that the self and cleared himself.” home. It was not clear what investigation Lee was in Hong Kong on Wednesday at the publisher’s to reveal whether the men are in the mainland.

Fire displaces 3,000 families in Manila N Korean leader Chinese artist to create opens ‘Sci-Tech Complex’ in refugee memorial

Pyongyang AFP he said. The artist earlier this week paid a holiday visit to refugees and AFP migrants flocking to the Greek island of Lesbos, tweeting out photos and ATHENS: Chinese dissident artist Ai videos that bore witness to their plight. Weiwei announced plans to create a He posted a video on Monday SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim memorial on the Greek island of Les- showing the arrival of a rubber din- Jong-Un has opened a science and bos to the plight of refugees, many ghy carrying desperate people to the technology complex in Pyongyang, of whom have lost their lives trying island’s shores from nearby Turkey. the North’s state media said yester- to reach Europe. “It’s very important to come and be day, adding another ostentatious “A lot of people have lost their part of it,” Ai said. building to the impoverished coun- lives under the waves... we need a The 58-year-old also retweeted try’s showcase capital. memorial,” Ai told after a news con- photos, including one of him posing His attendance at the ceremony ference on the project. with Norwegian humanitarian work- marked his first public appearance “I already set up a studio in Lesbos. ers from the group Drop in the Ocean. since his New Year address, when Next year we are going to be involved Another shows him on a beach he vowed to raise living standards with different projects,” said Ai, add- holding a child’s life vest, an object in the struggling one-party Stalin- ing that his workshops in China and that has come to symbolise the human ist state. Inspecting the complex, he Germany as well as a number of his cost of the migrant flight, with over said it was “a great centre” open to students would be involved. 700 people having drowned in the everybody for study and “for dis- “This is a very historical moment Aegean Sea between Turkey and Residents salvage household items at their burned houses in Tondo, Metro Manila, yesterday. About seminating [the] latest science and from any perspective. As an artist I Greece this year. 3,000 families were displaced after a fire erupted, burning down around 1,000 houses during New technology in which the party’s plan want to be more involved, I want to The outspoken critic of the Chi- Year celebrations in Manila. has been materialised”. . (create) artworks in relation to the nese regime has made ample use of He said the completion of the crisis and also create some kind of his passport since he got it back in July, complex was testimony to the great consciousness about the situation,” four years after it was confiscated. importance the Worker’s Party of Korea attaches to the development Vietnam flays China for violating sovereignty of science and technology. “It is the party’s firm determina- tion to ... advance the establishment Reuters between Vietnam and China”. Vietnam handed a protest of a rich and powerful fatherland note to China’s embassy and asked China not to repeat through the locomotive of science the action, Binh said. and technology”, Kim said. The two communist-led states’ competing claims in The complex is located on a HANOI: Vietnam formally accused China of violating its the South China Sea came to a head in 2014 when Bei- “propitious site” near the Taedong sovereignty and a recent confidence-building pact yes- jing parked an oil rig off the Vietnamese coast, leading River in the capital, Prime Minister terday by landing a plane on an airstrip Beijing has built to anti-China riots. Pak Pong-Ju said during a speech in a contested part of the South China Sea. Late last year, China completed an airfield on Fiery at its opening ceremony. Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said China Cross Reef that security experts say could accommodate Pyongyang’s Korean Central TV had conducted a test-flight to the airfield, “built illegally most Chinese military aircraft. broadcast footage of Kim cutting on Fiery Cross Reef, which is part of Vietnam’s Spratlys”. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hanoi in Novem- the ribbon to the gleaming struc- In a statement, he called it “a serious infringement ber, at a time of uncertainty over what kind of leader will ture amid applause from thousands of the sovereignty of Vietnam on the Spratly archipel- emerge from this month’s five-yearly congress of the Viet- of participants gathered in front of Chinese artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei (left) uses his ago, contrary to the common perception of high-ranking namese communist party, traditionally close to Beijing but the building, as balloons floated leaders of the two countries and (to) an agreement on now getting intense Western attention, from the United into the air and a band struck up a phone to take a photo as Greek Minister for Migration Ioannis the basic principles for directly solving maritime issues States in particular. tune, “Happy Tomorrow”. Mouzalas looks on during a conference in Athens, Greece. ASIA / AFRICA SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 09

Swimmer mauled Former premier in suspected Australia of CAR leads in shark attack presidential vote AFP

SYDNEY: A swimmer suffered Authorities repeatedly delayed wounds to his arms and legs yes- Wednesday’s election, not least due terday after he was mauled in a Thirty candidates to violence in the capital Bangui in suspected shark attack off Queens- are competing in the September, and the new president land state on Australia’s east coast. will face the challenge of disarming The latest reported attack comes presidential election, militias and convincing their lead- during the busy summer season, which is seen as key ers to cede territory. and as authorities in neighbour- The Seleka withdrew from Ban- ing New South Wales implement a for a transition to gui after their leader Michel Djotodia range of shark-prevention measures democracy. stepped down from the presidency to reduce encounters after a spate in 2014 and the group’s factions have of maulings in the state last year. entrenched themselves in the north- The 30-year-old man was Reuters east, leaving the country effectively swimming off Rosslyn Bay some partitioned. Thirty candidates are 670 kilometres north of Brisbane just Japan’s Emperor Akihito (left) and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers through a bullet-proof glass from competing in the presidential election, a balcony during the New Year’s public appearance at the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. before 12pm when he was believed which is seen as key for a transition to have been bitten by a shark, the BANGUI: A former prime minister of to democracy. All the seats in the state’s ambulance service said. Central African Republic held a slim National Assembly seats are also “(He has) lacerations to the arms lead in a presidential election many being contested. and legs,” an ambulance spokes- voters hope will end years of violence Bilal Nzanga-Kolingba, son of Japan’s emperor calls for world man said. between Muslims and Christians, ini- a former president, was third with “He is still being assessed. He’s tial results showed yesterday. 25,055 votes while Jean Serge Bokassa, just arrived to the shore now and With all votes from the capital son of former dictator Jean-Bedel peace, to visit Philippines will be transferred to Rockhamp- counted, the National Election Author- Bokassa had 10,672. ton Hospital shortly.” ity said Faustin Archange Touadera, A third former prime minister The swimmer was in a stable prime minister from 2008 to 2013, Martin Ziguele was fifth with 9,946 condition and would be transferred had 30,999 votes followed by another votes, electoral authority’s spokesman AP & Agencies the start, he has stood for peace. Filipino war dead and then a monu- to another hospital in Brisbane later former prime minister, Anicet Georges Julius Ngouade Baba said, adding that His role is symbolic and he holds ment for the Japanese war dead. The tomorrow, a Rockhampton Hospi- Dologuele, with 28,162. the national turnout was 72.2 percent. no political power, but he is relatively schedule has been arranged in con- tal spokesman said. Mainly Muslim rebels from a group Interim President Catherine popular with the people. Michiko was sideration of the Philippines, which The man was believed to have called the Seleka seized power in the Samba-Panza, who has held office TOKYO: Japan’s Emperor Akihito the first commoner to marry into the was forced to sacrifice so many lives, been snorkelling off Miall Island majority Christian nation in early 2013, since May 2014, is barred from stand- expressed his hopes for world peace Japanese royal family, and she also has sources said. near Rosslyn Bay, a local coast guard forcing President Francois Bozize to ing. It was unclear whether Bangui’s as he appeared yesterday with his wife, at times suffered from stress, like the The Imperial couple is scheduled officer told Brisbane’s Courier Mail flee and provoking reprisals from results represented national senti- Empress Michiko, sons and grand- Harvard-educated Masako, a former to attend a welcoming ceremony at newspaper. Christian anti-balaka militias. ment. A second round will be held on children behind bullet-proof glass diplomat. Rizal Park in Manila the day after they “From what I understand he was Leaders have since fuelled a cycle January 31 if needed. The country’s before thousands of well-wishers “From the start of this New Year, I arrive in the country. They will meet snorkelling a bit off the beach and of religious and inter-communal vio- economy is struggling, with uranium waving flags. pray for peace for our nation and for President Benigno Aquino at Malaca- said he saw a lot of fish and then lence that has killed thousands and deposits undeveloped, the cotton sec- The 82-year-old Akihito, who was the world,” Akihito told the crowd. nang Palace before attending a banquet the shark came out of nowhere,” forced a fifth of the country’s five mil- tor in trouble and gold and diamond scheduled to make five such appear- Meanwhile, the Emperor and that night, according to the schedule. Yeppoon Coast Guard flotilla com- lion people to flee their homes. mines under the control of militias. ances at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace, also Empress will visit memorial sites In addition, the Emperor and mander Arthur Hunt said. released a New Year’s statement in for Filipino and Japanese war dead Empress will offer flowers to the statue “It’s the first shark attack we’ve which he expressed his sympathy for during their stay in the Philippines of Jose Rizal, a national hero in the had up here in a while—I’ve been people displaced from their homes and in late January, the Yomiuri Shimbun country’s independent movement, (with the coast guard) for seven still living in temporary housing after has learned. in Manila. They will also place flow- years and this is my first.” the March 2011 tsunami and nuclear This will be the first time for the ers at the Heroes Cemetery in Taguig, There were 14 attacks in New disaster in northeastern Japan. Imperial couple to pay tribute in the which is dedicated mainly to soldiers South Wales last year—includes the Michiko, waved to the crowd, esti- Philippines to people from the two who died during Second World War fatal mauling of a Japanese surfer— mated by public broadcaster NHK at countries who died there during the and the Vietnam War. compared to three in 2014, according 44,000 in the morning. . Second World War, according to the The Emperor mentioned the loss to data compiled by Sydney’s Tar- Masako, wife of the crown prince schedule for their stay. The visits have of Filipino lives during a banquet for onga Zoo. who has made rare public appearances been arranged in accordance with Aquino at the Imperial Palace when In Queensland, there were four because of a stress-related illness, also their wishes. Aquino visited Japan in June. “This attacks in 2015, compared to one joined this year’s New Year’s greet- During the five-day official visit is something we Japanese must long in 2014, taking last year’s national ing, with smiling. starting on January 26, the Emperor remember with a profound sense of toll to 22, it said. Akihito is the son of Hirohito and Empress will attend events to mark remorse,” he said. During the upcoming Experts say attacks are increas- under whose name Japan waged the 60th anniversary of normalis- visit, the Imperial couple will express ing as water sports become more United Nations peacekeepers patrol outside a vote-counting centre the Second World War and surren- ing diplomatic relations, while also condolences anew by visiting the popular and bait fish move closer for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Bangui, yesterday. dered seven decades ago. But from visiting a national cemetery for the memorials, sources said. to shore, but fatalities remain rare.

Baga a ghost town a year after Boko Haram massacre Cultural parade

AFP raid and Amnesty International released satellite to get people back home and restore peace to the images showing the ravaged town. battered northeast region. With its charred houses and shuttered busi- In June, destitute residents of Baga and sur- KANO, Nigeria: One year after a massive attack nesses, it is hard to believe Baga used to be a lively rounding villages started trickling back to fish, ranked among the worst in Boko Haram’s six-year trading centre of 200,000 people, where merchants encouraged by military victories winning terri- insurgency, the residents of Baga in northeast Nigeria would travel to sell cattle, leather goods and trade tory back from the jihadists. say their home is a ghost town. fresh produce. The fisherman would sell their catch of catfish The jihadists razed the fishing hub on the shores “Baga is still deserted, we are all living in camps and African bonytongue in the key northeast city of Lake Chad in a four-day assault beginning Janu- and homes of friends and relatives in Maiduguri of Maiduguri, the spiritual home of the insurgency ary 3 last year, forcing thousands from their homes because we are scared of returning home,” Muham- and the restive capital of Borno state. and killing hundreds of others. mad Alhaji Bukar, a displaced Baga resident, said. . In the window of calm, about 5,000 residents Unlike other Boko Haram attacks, which often The Nigerian military reclaimed Baga in March returned to Baga. But the peace did not last long. go virtually unnoticed outside Nigeria, the Baga and troops patrol its dusty streets today. But the In July, Boko Haram ambushed a lorry carrying massacre made headlines around the world after town’s enduring emptiness—under 1,000 people people returning home, killing eight Baga residents. it was reported 2,000 people lost their lives in the are living there now—highlights how difficult it is In the days that followed, the militants slit the throats of several fishermen and killed farmers who had returned to harvest their melons. The Nigerian army and forces from neighbour- ing countries, have over the past year been able to flush Boko Haram out from captured towns, but is not able to stop the jihadists from regrouping in the surrounding villages and bush. Spurned not crushed, the militants had found cover near Baga in the little islands lined with tall grass that dot the freshwater lake. As Bukar Kori, head of the Baga’s traders union, put it: “We can’t return to Baga yet, it is still not safe, with Boko Haram lurking on nearby islands.” Today, an estimated 700 people are living in Baga, with the majority the town’s former residents staying in Maiduguri. Its population has almost doubled from two mil- lion since 2009, when Boko Haram embarked on its bloody quest to establish an independent Islamic state in Nigeria. The extremist insurgency has forced over 2.5 million people to flee from their homes, according to a December report issued by USAID, a United States government humanitarian agency. While the Nigerian government insists that Boko Haram has been “largely” defeated going into 2016, the jihadist group continues to wreak havoc by send- ing out suicide bombers, sometimes in droves. Last Sunday in an attack lasting 48 hours, the militants invaded Maiduguri unleashing “dozens” of suicide bombers, killing 22 people. This handout satellite image released by Human Rights Watch, shows evidence of large-scale The Nigerian government has acknowledged Dancers from Agban cultural troupe from Kagoro seen during the destruction following attacks since January 3, 2015, by the Boko Haram Islamist militants, of the monumental task of getting displaced people the area surrounding Baga particularly in the town of Doro Gowon, on the shores of Lake Chad, like those in Baga back home, but has not yet given new year cultural parade in Kaduna, Nigeria, yesterday. in the far north of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. a concrete plan on how to tackle the issue. 10 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 VIEWS

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI k.alshafi@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

Death of truce Russia and Ukraine, joined HE tenuous ceasefire in Yemen has finally unravelled. The Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthi rebels announced the end of the truce yesterday citing repeated violations by the at the hip no more Houthis on a daily basis since the ceasefire was declared last month. A continuation of the truce would have benefited only Tthe rebels who have been flagrantly violating it while the coalition forces US dollar this year, and the hry- probably as much to blame for have been abiding by its terms. The annulment now paves the way for vnia lost 34 percent), the decline this as cheap oil. This year, the last vestiges of mutual in exports and imports between It has hastened the end of heavy fighting between the two sides, making any solution to the Yemeni dependence between Ukraine and Russia the two countries has been the consumption-driven growth crisis very remote and cumbersome. more pronounced than with model that sustained Russia The coalition cannot be blamed for its decision because the rebels will probably be destroyed by Moscow’s the rest of the world. For exam- through the last decade. had no intention of honouring their commitments in the first place. “The decision to scrap the free trade ple, Ukraine’s exports to Russia Ukraine, for its part, has lost stood at 44 percent of the 2014 about 3 million residents com- ceasefire announced on December 15 had been ended due to continuous area with Kiev. rebel attacks on the kingdom’s territories by firing ballistic missiles level in the first 10 months of this pared with 2013; despite one year, while total exports were at of the worst natural popula- towards Saudi cities, targeting Saudi border posts, and hampering aid 67 percent. tion growth rates in the world, operations,” the alliance said in a statement, adding that the rebels have Ukrainian businesses have the Crimea annexation is mainly “continued to shell residents and kill and detain Yemeni civilians in cities By Leonid Bershidsky Everything, from bureaucratic fought to maintain sales to Rus- to blame. Ukraine also saw a under their control. “All this shows how unserious the militias and their Bloomberg procedures to the pervasive cor- sia, using a free economic zone 20 percent decline in indus- allies are and their disregard for the lives of civilians, and how they have ruption that made a mockery of in Crimea that the two countries trial production, largely because clearly exploited this truce to make them, was largely the same in quietly maintained as a window the factories in the east stopped gains,” it said. the two countries. for cheap Ukrainian food. In the working. ussia and Ukraine have Economically, Ukraine fall of 2015, though, Crimean Russia, of course, is far More than 80 people, most of The Saudi-led spent most of their post- remained Russia’s colony. In Tatar and right-wing Ukrainian from a lost cause: It has rebuilt them soldiers and border guards, RSoviet history as Siamese 2013, its trade turnover with activists cut off the traffic, and itself after worse crises. Neither coalition had no have been killed in shelling and cross- twins, but for the last two years Russia, at $31.8bn according to Kiev decided against interfer- is Ukraine a likely big win- option but to call border fighting in Saudi’s south since they’ve been undergoing polit- the official Ukrainian statistics ing. On the import side, Russian ner: Its political and economic off a ceasefire with coalition operations began in Yemen. ical and economic separation agency, reached 28 percent of its natural gas supplies have shrunk fabric may be too rotten for The rebels have been ruthlessly firing surgery. It will probably be more total trade. For Moscow, Ukraine because much of Ukraine’s redemption. In 2016, however, the Houthis. or less complete in 2016, and wasn’t as important, but it was energy-intensive industry is in Ukrainians have more to look missiles at Saudi, whose air defence though both twins are in for a still its fifth biggest trading part- the war-torn east, the winter has forward to than Russians. forces intercepted a ballistic missile grim period, the weaker one, ner with a 5 percent share of been mild and the government This, of course, is a disas- fired towards the city of Abha late on Ukraine, has the better pros- turnover. That last peaceful year, has managed to secure alterna- ter for a country that was poor Friday. On Thursday, three civilians, including two children, were killed pects in some ways. 6.1 million Ukrainians, out of a tive supplies from Europe. to start with and that is now the in missile attacks on a residential area in the southwestern Jazan region. Ever since Ukraine declared total population of 45.5 million, This year, the last vestiges poorest in Europe. Yet there is The coalition realises that it will be foolish to stick to the truce under such independence in August 1991, visited Russia, about two-thirds of mutual dependence between one good reason to believe the grave provocations and killings of innocent civilians. it sought to establish an iden- of them to work. Only Poland, Ukraine and Russia will prob- steep fall has bottomed out: Rus- Ukraine’s entry point to the EU, ably be destroyed by Moscow’s sia has no appetite for further The Houthis are on the retreat in several areas in Yemen due to a received slightly more visitors. decision to scrap the free trade military adventures in Ukraine. powerful onslaught by the coalition forces, and the firing of missiles at Russian rulers got used area with Kiev in response to Recent month-on-month Saudi is a ploy to deflect attention and inflict some damage on coalition to this. Even this year, Rus- the removal of trade barri- indicators show a cautious forces. The Houthis seized Sanaa in September 2014 and then moved Economically, sian President Vladimir Putin ers between Ukraine and the rebound is already under way. south to the second city of Aden, forcing President Abedrabbo Mansour Russia suffered contended that “Russians and EU. The two countries will keep Though this year, the Bloomb- Hadi, whose government was internationally recognised, to flee to Saudi. Ukrainians are one nation.” fighting about the annexed terri- erg consensus forecast is for a It’s no longer true: The last two tory, the status of the rebel-held 10.7 percent economic decline, But following huge advances by the loyalists, aided by the Gulf forces, much more from a years, since Ukraine’s “Revo- regions and the $3bn debt to economists believe Ukraine will Hadi returned to Aden in November after six months in exile. The rebels low oil price than lution of Dignity,” the Russian Russia that Ukraine recently grow 1.4 percent next year. For are now desperately trying to recover the lost ground but have been from the economic annexation of Crimea and the refused to honour, but these Russia, a 0.2 percent decline is unsuccessful so far. Russian-backed insurgency festering disputes are just the forecast. The unravelling of the truce would further complicate the Yemeni sanctions imposed in eastern Ukraine, have seen anticlimactic aftermath of a For Russia, the economic crisis and would hit the delivery of aid to tens of thousands who have for its treatment of perhaps the biggest break-up process that has been more bottom is still nowhere in sight, been hit hard by the fighting. The onus is now on the UN to initiate between neighbouring, closely drastic than any divorce. and the government has no good Ukraine — those have interconnected countries in Both have been painfully ideas on how to fix the economy measures to force the Houthis to quit Sanaa and agree to the comeback post-World War II history. depleted by the surgery. during a commodities down- of Hadi. mainly forced its In 2014, only 4.6 million Economically, Russia suf- turn. Isolation and repression Ukrainians travelled to Rus- fered much more from a low oil will remain the key words of mammoth state firms sia — less than two-thirds as price than from the economic 2016, as Russians’ patience is to deleverage and cut many as to Poland. This year’s sanctions imposed for its treat- further tested with the decline of statistics are not in yet, but ment of Ukraine — those have the consumer economy they’ve useless projects. another drop in travel to Rus- mainly forced its mammoth grown used to. Quote of the day sia is highly likely, because state firms to deleverage and cut While Russia will remain Moscow has been tightening useless projects. Yet in response a much wealthier, stronger regulations to make it harder to the sanctions, the Putin gov- country than Ukraine in 2016, for Ukrainian migrant workers ernment shot itself in the foot, Ukraine will be on a rela- The strengthening of tity that would set it apart from to stay indefinitely and because, imposing a food embargo on tive upswing even if it fails to Russia happens against the Russia. Its second president, as of last summer, there are no Western countries. The decision do anything about its stifling Leonid Kuchma, even pub- more direct flights between the has been a disaster: Import sub- corruption and incompetent background of new threats to lished a book called “Ukraine two countries. Besides, start- stitution has failed to materialise governance. It still has support the national security, which Is Not Russia” in 2003. In prac- ing in mid-2016, Ukrainians because of an oppressive busi- from the International Monetary tice, however, Ukraine kept will be able to travel visa-free ness climate, and the restrictions Fund, despite recent squabbles has complex and interrelated following its bigger neighbour to the European Union, which on imports have crushed the over the 2016 budget and new nature. even through its failed Western- will likely make travel to Europe retail sector. Retail sales were tax laws, and it has agreed debt isation period of 2005 to 2010. vastly more popular. down 13 percent year-on-year in reductions and delays with most It inherited the same basis for As for bilateral trade, it has November. of its creditors. The abolition of its legal system and govern- plummeted. Though both Rus- Russia’s GDP will go down European visas will also provide ment — the Soviet bureaucracy sia and Ukraine have suffered by 3.8 percent this year, accord- a much-needed morale boost. Vladimir Putin — and even attempted reforms declines in international trade ing to the Bloomberg consensus Russian President often imitated Moscow’s moves. because of sharply devalued forecast, and the Kremlin’s Leonid Bershidsky, a When I moved from Moscow to currencies (the ruble has lost 20 ham-handed response to Bloomberg View contributor, is a Kiev in 2011, I felt no discomfort: percent of its value against the Ukraine-related ostracism is Berlin-based writer.

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(Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People) is by far the most extensive study done on Hollywood movies. Shaheen ana- lysed over 900 films with the main objective of finding out the way in which the world’s biggest media industry portrays Arabs and Arab culture. Part of his findings were that what is consistent in most of these films is that the Arab world is seen through dis- torted lenses. Something being repeated in action films, drama or children cartoons, he writes in Reel Bad Arabs, is that ‘Arabs look different and threatening’ and are demoted along racial and religious lines. Ethnic minorities, terrorism, jihad, Sha- riah and hijab are words that have played an Dr Noureddine Miladi essential part in the historical development and representation as a ‘rhetoric of civiliza- tion’. Various newspapers as well as broadcast ONALD Trump, a front-running media have been criticized for the repetitive candidate for the Republican Party, stereotypical frames which tend to associ- A file picture of participants holding German national flags during a demonstration called by anti-immigration group in America’s upcoming National ate Muslims with fanaticism and violence PEGIDA, a German abbreviation for “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West”, in Dresden. elections, called for a ‘total and and their faith to a backward religion not fit Dcomplete shutdown of Muslims entering for the modern age. Referring to the French the United States until our country’s rep- Philosopher, Pierre Bourdieu’s post-mod- resentatives can figure out what the hell is ernism, as a framework for understanding following: consumption on American and European going on’. He also said that, “Until we are this historical representation, labeling can Firstly, few political campaigners seem TV screens have been blamed for the con- able to determine and understand this prob- be considered not merely a neutral proc- to capitalize on the strategies of fear-mon- tinuous false representation of Arabs and lem and the dangerous threat it poses, our ess of classification that social scientists gering in order to attract the electorate. The Muslims. As a consequence, there exists a country cannot be the victims of horren- perform, but rather an act of power, often Republican presidential front-runner Don- blurring of the boundaries between what dous attacks by people that believe only in politically connoted, in relation to the studied ald Trump’s suggestion, that the US should is real and what is imaginary. The obvious jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect minorities and ‘others’. In that process, the place a blanket control on all Muslims enter- scarcity of alternative sources of informa- for human life.” media as well as political discourse tend to ing its soil, has been globally condemned tion about the Arab world which Americans be powerful in producing and disseminat- as racist and stigmatizing considering that can access on mainstream media is partly ing representation about minority groups in Muslims constitute no more than 1pc out of responsible for the misconception about society. They often categorise, classify and the total American population and that they Islam and Muslims. evaluate individuals and communities in a are overwhelmingly peaceful and law-abid- Thirdly, Donald Trump’s statement way which leads to producing new hegem- ing citizens. Trump further added insult to surely amounts to hate speech. It not only Jack Shaheen’s book (Reel Bad onic meanings. injury by his denigrating comments that stigmatises Muslims as an alien other but Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a Similar to the black community in US and “Until we are able to determine and under- it classifies them as a potential danger to People Europe which has been historically subject stand this problem and the dangerous threat American society. The repercussions of ) is by far the most extensive to discrimination and at times institutional it poses, our country cannot be the victims such statements are not hard to find. Mus- study done on Hollywood movies. racism, European Muslims have also been of horrendous attacks by people that believe lim families have been recently denied entry Shaheen analysed over 900 films facing recurrent Islamophobic cases dur- only in jihad, and have no sense of reason to the US although they had valid entry visas. ing the last few decades. The Runnymede or respect for human life.” Attacks on Muslim individuals, mosques and with the main objective of finding Trust (1997) and scores of other studies So his key message is to warn of an imag- other properties have also been on the rise. out the way in which the world’s have so far accounted for several exam- inary Islamic threat rather than call for social One wonders what would happen if such a ples of racial abuse against Muslims that harmony and multi-ethnic co-existence. comment from a high profile politician was biggest media industry portrays should be categorized as ‘Islamophobia’. Creating the Muslim ‘other’ is what seems made about another religious group or an Arabs and Arab culture. Part of his This trend of hatred towards Muslims and to drive his programme and those of few influential minority in the American soci- findings were that what is consistent Islam has been on the increase during the right-wing politicians in Europe, instead ety. Donald Trump seems to be sure he will Trump added last few decades starting with the Rushdie of convincing the public on how to bridge get away with such attitude given that Mus- in most of these films is that the affair in the 1980s, to September 11, 2001 the gap between the rich and poor, how to lims are currently the ‘weakest link’ in the insult to injury Arab world is seen through distorted attacks and 7/7 2005 London Bombings and introduce a more equal health service, how American society! with denigrating lenses. what is currently known as the War on Ter- to tackle crime and the drug culture or how On a final note, one should highlight ror/Daesh. The publication of the Danish to establish a just society, unsurprisingly the fact that Trump’s statement has faced comments that cartoons defaming Prophet Mohammed to many considering that he is himself a waves of criticism from inside the US and “Until we are able (peace be upon him) as a ‘terrorist’ and the proudly declared Billionaire. the rest of the world. Worthy of a mention is As American writers are saying, this is later murder of eleven journalists from the Secondly, it is rather shocking to learn the robust condemnations he has received to determine and not the only Islamophobic statement made French newspaper Charlie Hebdo further that ‘Some 30 percent of US Republican pri- from Hilary Clinton and scores of other pol- understand this during the run up to the American elections, opened the door for the blanket stigmati- mary voters and 19 percent of Democrats iticians and scholars that have attempted by would be politicians and the corporate zation of Islam and Muslims. Since then, the said they would support bombing Agrabah, to set the record straight. Also, responses problem and the controlled media, and these comments are mission of scores of western media outlets a fictional nation in Disney’s Aladdin ani- in the social media have been enormous, dangerous threat it not the first time that American and Euro- can be seen as significant in further con- mation feature’ (Aljazeera.com). Although whereby minority groups have been able poses, our country pean Muslims have experienced Islamophobic structing a negative public perception about they cannot be excused for their ignorance, to challenge Trump’s discourse and those statements that amount to hate speech. With Islam, hence the increase of racial hatred American people who answered the survey of other centres of power in American soci- cannot be the victim few exceptions, and for the last few decades, towards the Muslim minority communi- can be considered victims of the constant ety. Discussions on Facebook, Twitter and of horrendous Western media have been generating recur- ties in the West. stereotypical messages that such politicians other social media networks have been of rent stereotypes about women, culture and However what seems different in the and parts of the media have kept on pumping global nature. Such networks have proven attacks by people society in the Arab and Muslim world. Edward Donald Trump’s recent statement and the them with during the last few years. In spite to be the new battleground for ideological, that believe only in Said and John Esposito, among many other subsequent survey done by his supporters of the information revolution that is shaping cultural and even religious arguments and scholars, described the systematic misrepre- about the cartoon programme Aladdin is the world, television nowadays remains a where cultural and social relations of power jihad, and have no sentation that Muslims and Arabs have been that this derogatory statement comes from key window on how societies develop and can be negotiated, won and maintained. sense of reason or subject to. They argued that a close look at a high profile American politician (Presi- how social relations, traditions, public opin- . respect for the media portrayal, works of arts and liter- dential front-runner) and not an ordinary ion and manners in any society change. ature about Muslims reveals a long history person. Among the many other connotations Various programme genres produced for The writer is Professor of Media and human life.” of misrepresentation. Jack Shaheen’s book it suggests, this event certainly signifies the radio and television and tailored for mass Communication. [email protected] Why we should develop the country for non-Saudis!

be announced within the coming few ago- that the expatriate population in the deprived stay ignorant. The vast workers, taking into account the weeks. In his article about the expected Saudi should not exceed 20 percent of majority of the expat workers come importance of benefitting from for- plan, he raised the important question, the population , then we could make to the county unskilled but over time, eign experience and skills, as the US “Why is there the need to pay 8000 sound changes in the subsidies policy. through initiative, intelligence and hard and European counties do. Expatriates Riyal for a Saudi employee while there The plan then would be dealing with work, they acquire experience and cre- consisting of one third of the population is an Asian employee who is ready to 24 million people rather than the cur- ate their own businesses. Every Saudi is still high compared to the propor- do the job for 2000 Riyals?”. rent 30 million. However, instead, day manager has an expatriate assistant tion of migrants in the US and Europe, As the aim of the plan is to reduce by day our country is receiving more who knows everything about the job, which is still below 12 percent. dependency on oil, achieve a reduc- and more expatriate workers. and gradually he becomes an expert I know it is long and tough battle, tion in subsidies, increase the GDP Economic policy makers have and a decision maker. but we should realize that any econ- and create six million job opportu- to consider the impact of increasing Policy makers should be able to omy that fully depends on foreigners nities for nationals, the answer to the prices, when the vast majority of these say: we don’t need any factory not is not a healthy economy. We should above question will determine one revenues goes to expatriate workers, designed to employ Saudis, and that face this fact otherwise we are going of the options raised in the question. through small and medium service depends on subsidized energy. For to develop Saudi for foreigners. By Jamal Khashoggi In a country where expatriates con- companies, and very little to Saudi bro- farmers who say, “From where will stitute one third of its population; the kers. The majority of these companies we get a Saudi who will accept working Jamal Khashoggi is a Saudi jour- question has imposed itself with the are owned by expatriates under Saudi for 1000 Riyals?”, I say that we must nalist, columnist, and author, and the announcement of the Budget last Mon- names, who are renting their IDs, com- have no need for farms which do not General Manager and Editor-in-Chief y friend Fahad Al Dakthari day. The Budget and the associated mercial registrations and thus their depend on Saudi workers, and farms of Al Arab News Channel. attended a ‘National Transfor- decisions, which include the incre- share in the GDP. These will clearly should also stop using underground Mmation Workshop’ launched ment of fuel prices, and the cost of have an effect when we come to com- water that is supposed to be reserved recently to update the Saudi society electricity and water, were aimed at pare the country’s remittances of 2015 for the coming generations. For those about a development plan expected to reducing “subsidies”. Of course these and 2016. However, some will say that who talk about food security, we see The vast majority of the expat increments are going to affect Saudis we cannot increase production and that no one has yet monopolized one workers come to the county unskilled and expatriates together because it is double our GDP without depending commodity under the current inter- but over time, through initiative, not possible to differentiate between on the expatriate workers, produc- national free trade agreement. This Economic policy makers have to them in this regard. ing a real dilemma! issue must be at the top of the plan for intelligence and hard work, they consider the impact of increasing There is no choice for economic Of course increasing factories, agri- national transformation regardless of acquire experience and create their policy makers at the Saudi’s Minis- culture projects and services in order to its sensitivities and political interfer- prices, when the vast majority of try of Planning except to deal with the raise production will need more man- ences, and must be a national concern, own businesses. Every Saudi manager these revenues goes to expatriate figure of a 30 million population of power, but the fact is that expatriates disregarding the anger of influential has an expatriate assistant who workers, through small and expatriates when they calculate the are not only taking Saudis job oppor- businessmen who will say “this will knows everything about the job, and cost of all services, infrastructure, util- tunities but also preventing them from end Saudi’s industry”. medium service companies, and ities, and subsidies of commodities acquiring necessary job skills. The job There must be national plan to gradually he becomes an expert and very little to Saudi brokers. and housing. If we had implemented market is like school- the one who joins gradually liberate the Saudi market a decision maker. the cabinet decision issued ten years it learns and becomes educated, and from the domination of expatriate 12 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN Pakistan issues new policy on deportation

However, many Pakistani nation- als in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Under the new policy, Malaysia suffered due to it after which the foreign ministry these powers were transferred to the no longer has the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar powers to issue Ali Khan yesterday directed Nadra to emergency travel computerise the Pakistani visa proc- ess and its previous record. documents. Chairing a high-level meeting here, he directed the Nadra authorities to continue the process of develop- ing a data bank of international NGOs Internews and continue updating the process. He said that this process would help facilitate the registered INGOs and make their working easy. ISLAMABAD: The federal government The meeting, attended by chair- of Pakistan has issued the notifica- man of Nadra, senior officers of the tion of a new deportation policy under National Counter Terrorism Author- which several important responsi- ity (Nacta) and FIA and minister for bilities have been taken back from interior, reviewed various issues the foreign ministry. including SOPs for deportee from Under the new deportation pol- different countries, registration on icy, the foreign ministry no longer has INGOs process, computerised visa A damaged bed is seen inside a house after a suicide attack on French restaurant ‘Le Jardin’, in Kabul, yesterday. the powers to issue emergency travel regime and evolving a mechanism for documents. The notification says the rewarding police and FIA offices for National Database and Registration showing good performance. Authority (Nadra) and passport offi- The minister directed the offi- Shock, anger after attack on Kabul French eatery cials in the embassies will now be cials to finalise the SOPs on deportees empowered to issue emergency iden- by keeping in view their nature. The tity cards or passports. meeting also revived in detail the steps According to the Interior Ministry, taken to make the Nacta effective. The AFP detonated his suicide vest when he Le Jardin — a popular hangout for for- a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul that if a Pakistani national abroad doesn’t minister directed FIA to continue its stopped to frisk him. eigners and wealthy Afghans — but left 21 people dead. The raid on Tav- possess Pakistani identity card or operation against human smugglers The intensity of the blast blew out the bombing at the entrance left the erna du Liban saw gunmen mowing passport or his ID card or passport and was briefed about legal proc- windows and left a 12-year-old Afghan working-class neighbourhood of Qala- down diners and staff, including 13 expires, then the Nadra and pass- ess adopted against arrested human KABUL: Emotions ran high yesterday boy dead on the doorstep of an adja- e-Fathullah reeling in shock. foreigners enjoying an evening out port officers in the embassies will traffickers. in a Kabul neighbourhood where a Tal- cent grocery shop. “High-ranking officials came to at a low-key social venue. directly write to the Interior Minis- The minister also directed the iban suicide bomber struck a French “I saw a huge flame and was the restaurant in their big cars with The latest bombing comes despite try in this regard. officials to prepare a comprehensive restaurant popular with expats, kill- knocked unconscious for a few min- body guards in tow,” fumed 40-year- a renewed international push to revive The Interior Ministry will issue policy and mechanism so as to give cash ing two people including a 12-year-old utes,” said Massoud, 21, pointing at a old taxi driver Mohammed Haidar. peace talks with the Taliban. emergency passports to applicants reward to those performing outstand- boy hit by flying shrapnel. pool of dried blood on the floor. “The blast devastated my taxi, left President Ashraf Ghani on Thurs- after verification from different ing duties. He said that those officers Friday’s powerful bombing of Le “Everyone in this neighbourhood my house badly damaged and my wife day announced a first round of dialogue departments. showing good performance would be Jardin, the second Taliban attack in knew this restaurant was a high-value and daughter are injured. Now where between Afghanistan, Pakistan, US A team of the Federal Investiga- encouraged through rewards. Kabul in a week, reduced a building to target. And we paid a huge price for it.” should I go? If Le Jardin’s owner was and China on January 11 to lay out a tion Agency (FIA) will interrogate such Meanwhile, Ambassador-desig- smouldering rubble and left the res- The Taliban, who vowed to safe- here I would grab him by his collar and comprehensive roadmap for peace. people on return to Pakistan as to nate to Bahrain, Javed Malik, called idential neighbourhood strewn with guard lives of ordinary Afghans before demand an answer.” The owner of Le Pakistan hosted a milestone first whether they went abroad legally or on Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar debris and wrecked cars. launching their annual summer offen- Jardin is said to be Hamid Akram, the round of talks in July but the nego- illegally. The powers of issuing emer- at the Punjab House here yesterday. Shopkeeper Ahmed Massoud’s sive last year, typically attack places powerful governor of Kabul. tiations stalled when the insurgents gency travel documents previously The minister felicitated the ambas- cousin, a guard at the Afghan-owned with a high density of civilians. The bombing evokes painful mem- belatedly confirmed the death of long- rested with the Foreign Ministry. sador on his new assignment. restaurant, was killed as the bomber The Taliban were unable to breach ories of an attack in January 2014 on time leader Mullah Omar.

Insurgents detained in Herat Sindh has slowest Pakistan’s elderly population growth in Human likely to double by 2025 Development Index Internews Internews

KARACHI: The percentage of Pakistan’s population over 65 years of age is LAHORE: The Institute for Pol- likely to double by 2025 and expose the country to various new social chal- icy Reforms (IPR) has prepared a lenges, warns a report compiled by researchers associated with the Dow province-wise Human Development University of Health Sciences in collaboration with World Health Organ- Index (HDI) in order to provide an isation (WHO). insight into the country’s progress At present, 4.2 percent of Pakistan’s population is over 65 years of age, in the area. This has been done for it says, stressing the “immediate need to recognise and take comprehensive the first time since 2008, when the timely action to address population ageing.” Pakistan Bureau of Statistics cal- “This must be done through systematic integrated health care and social culated the provincial HDI. services complemented with continued family support,” the report adds. IPR has made the estimates in It warns that emerging social and cultural transformations due to the line with the methodology followed decline in traditional family values and extended family systems will fur- by the United Nations Development ther compromise the elderly and have significant health and socio-economic Programme for the global HDI. implications on the country as a whole. Looking at the trend, Sindh The report also points out that life expectancy in Pakistan will increase has had the slowest growth rate from the current 65.99 years of age to around 72 years by 2023. for HDI — which has three equal “[As such] the government, society and communities as a whole, need components of health, education to act now and plan together responsibly for health services and supportive and income - for the period 2001-14. environments favourable to graceful and healthy ageing.” Suspected Taliban insurgents and drug traffickers stand handcuffed near seized weapons in Herat Balochistan and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa were the fastest yesterday. Afghan police forces, in three separate operations in the last two days, have detained nine growing provinces at 1.78 per cent terrorists, seven drug traffickers and five armed Taliban insurgents in Herat, western Afghanistan. each. Punjab grew at an average annual rate of 1.45 percent. Taliban factions agree on truce

Reuters most foreign combat troops last year. On Friday, representatives of 59 prisoners freed from Taliban jail in South a splinter group headed by Mullah Mohammad Rasool Akhund call- PESHAWAR: Rival factions of the ing itself the ulema, which rejects Afghan Taliban agreed to stop deadly Mansour’s authority, travelled to Reuters revive a stalled peace process. entirely but said government forces been killed or wounded, although the infighting, officials said, but tensions an undisclosed location to meet the Afghan Defence Ministry spokes- faced a serious battle against insur- Islamist group often exaggerates cas- remained over the status of new leader exiled insurgency leadership headed man Dawlat Waziri said 37 of the gents who have grown in strength ualty figures in attacks on foreign or Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who has not by Mansour, according to two sen- captives freed from the jail, which was since foreign troops ended most com- government targets. been seen since reportedly being shot ior officials from both camps. KABUL: Afghan special forces freed just to the north of the Helmand pro- bat operations a year ago. That attack, and an all-night bat- last month. “We agreed on ceasefire and 59 prisoners from a Taliban jail in vincial capital of Lashkar Gah, were “We have to accept that there is tle at a Spanish embassy guest house Leadership of the Taliban has prisoners’ swap, but the ulema were Helmand, officials said yesterday, soldiers. Another seven were police- a fight going on in Afghanistan,” he in Kabul last month, highlighted the been in dispute since the confirmation not given access to Mansour,” Mul- as government troops redouble their men and the rest civilians. told reporters in Kabul. Taliban’s strategy of seeking high-pro- last July of the death of the hard-line lah Abdul Manan Niazi, Rasool’s efforts to drive back the insurgents The operation to free the prisoners The Helmand operation unfolded file targets in the capital while at the Islamist insurgency’s founder, Mul- deputy, said. who have seized large parts of the vol- followed months of fighting in which late on Friday night, just as a Taliban same time stepping up its campaign lah Mohammad Omar, nearly two Abdul Manan Niazi said the atile southern province. the Taliban has seized several district suicide bomber attacked a French to seize district centres in provinces years previously. delegation was only able to meet Islamist militants have launched a centres in Helmand, a major centre of restaurant in Kabul popular with such as Helmand. Despite leadership disputes, the Mansour’s deputy, Haibatullah series of attacks in the capital, Kabul, opium cultivation and one of its tra- foreigners and government officials, It is also a stark reminder of the Taliban have made big advances this Akhund, who told the represent- in recent weeks and a tough fight is ditional strongholds. killing two people and wounding 18. difficulty Afghan officials face in their year, inflicting heavy casualties on atives that from now on, Mullah underway in key districts in the south, Waziri dismissed suggestions that The Taliban claimed in a state- attempts to revive the stalled peace Afghan forces fighting largely on Mansour would not meet people just as attempts have been made to Helmand could fall to the Taliban ment that “dozens of foreigners” had process, which broke down in July. their own since the withdrawal of because of security issues. INDIA SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 13 Terror attack at Pathankot air base in Punjab

these were stationed, IAF sources said. (ADGP) Hardeep Singh Dhillon said Five terrorists Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejri- that the counter attack was in progress. and two security wal condemned the attack, while the “Though firing is over but the complete Congress said incidents of terrorism area is not sanitised. There is always personnels were are on a rise in Punjab. possibility of one terrorist hiding and killed in the attack. “Why has Punjab suddenly become waiting in a different area. Keeping the hotbed of terror activities in the that in mind operations continue till Terrorists’ attempt last few months? The state has been complete area is sanitised,” an army to destroy valuable calm for the the last 20 years,” Congress official said. spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. Two IAF helicopter gunships assets foiled. National Security Guards (NSG) and UAVs could be seen assisting commandos, who had been rushed security forces in combing opera- in here on Friday evening follow- tions. The security forces repulsed IANS ing apprehension of an attack, IAF’s a major attack by the terrorists who Garuda commandos and army had planned to damage the frontier commandos led the counter-attack air force base where fighter squad- yesterday against the terrorists who rons were stationed. PUNJAB: In a major security breach, are suspected to have crossed into “The terrorists were contained in terrorists entered a frontline Indian India from Pakistan through the bor- one area of the air force station. They Air Force (IAF) base near Pathankot der area, 30 km from here. could not reach near the technical area Town in northern Punjab early yester- Punjab Police and its elite SWAT of the air force station where IAF air- day and engaged the security forces in commando units provided the outer craft and other assets are located,” a a fierce gunfight. At least five terrorists cordon to the counter operations Punjab Police official stationed near were killed by commandos following to ensure that no terrorist is able to the IAF station said. the attack, police said. escape. There were intelligence reports Security personnel stand alert outside an Air Force base at Pathankot in Punjab yesterday. Police sources said that at least two Intelligence officials said that the that terrorists could attack defence IAF security personnel were killed and terrorists involved in the fidayeen installations in the region around the four others were injured in the terror attack could be from Pakistan-based New Year. The Pathankot-Jammu high- attack that started around 3 30am. terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM). way was put on high alert. The entire Though the firing stopped around The Defence Minister Manohar area near the IAF station was sealed. Security beefed up in Kolkata 8am after the four terrorists were neu- Parrikar, who is in Goa, was moni- Security forces were put on high tralised, sounds of firing and grenade toring the situation and was in touch alert in Pathankot in Punjab’s fron- explosions were heard again around with Air Force Chief Air Chief Mar- tier district Gurdaspur on Friday after IANS including the airport and railway sta- the Victoria Memorial, the Howrah 1130am, making it clear that security shal Arup Raha and other officers. a senior police official said he and tions,” said a police officer. Police were Bridge, Vidya Sagar Setu and the Kolk- agencies were still engaged in a gun National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit his associates were kidnapped by conducting checks at vital installa- ata Metro. battle with one or two more terror- Doval was also monitoring the terror five armed men in army fatigues but KOLKATA: Security was beefed up tions like the airport and the Howrah In a major security breach, ter- ists who could still be hiding inside. attack from New Delhi, sources said. released later. across the West Bengal capital, in the and Sealdah railway stations. Secu- rorists entered the Pathankot Indian The MIG-21 Bison fighter jets, hel- The IAF base is around 250 km Terrorists from Pakistan had wake of yesterday’s terror attack at rity arrangements were also enhanced Air Force (IAF) base and engaged the icopters, missiles and other critical Chandigarh.The terrorists, who were launched a terror attack on Dinana- the Pathankot air base in Punjab, at the Bagdogra airport in Darjeeling security forces in a fierce gunfight. At assets of the IAF at the base were secure in army fatigues, were reported to gar town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district police said. district. Security personnel were also least five terrorists were killed and at and the terrorists were not allowed be around four to six. Punjab Police on July 27, 2015, leaving seven people “Security has been enhanced keeping a vigil on important land- least two security personnel lost their to get near the technical area where Additional Director General of Police dead, including a senior police official. in all major installations in the city marks including the state secretariat, lives in the attack Terrorists were Will give befitting detected soon reply: Rajnath NEWDELHI: The terrorists who attacked an Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot were detected IANS the casualties suffered by India. by aerial surveillance platforms “I cannot cite any figures because as soon as they entered the station, the operation has not ended as yet. an official statement said, adding It would not be appropriate to com- that the attempt to destroy “valu- NEWDELHI: India is committed to ment on it before the operation is able assets” was foiled. peace but will give a “befitting reply” over,” he said. The IAF statement, issued even to terror, Home Minister Rajnath Singh Police sources said that at least as the combing operations were on said yesterday after a terror attack at two IAF security personnel were killed in and around the air base, said the a frontline base in northern Punjab. and four terrorists were killed in the terrorists’ plan was “foiled” due to Singh said the nation wants good and terror attack. Brushing aside the crit- “effective preparations” and “coor- friendly relations with every coun- icism by some Congress leaders, the dinated efforts”. try, including Pakistan. home minister said the opposition’s The statement said intelligence “Pakistan is our neighbour, we job was to raise questions but the gov- inputs had been received of a likely want peace, but any terror attack on ernment’s policy was clear. attempt by terrorists to infiltrate India will get a befitting response,” “Let them (opposition) say what- into the military installation in the he said. Commending the quick and ever they like, but our policy is clear. Pathankot area and preparatory appropriate action by Indian secu- We want peace. But we would not tol- actions had been taken to thwart rity forces at the Pathankot Air Force erate any terrorist activity on our soil any such attempt. Base, the home minister said that it and would give a befitting response,” The Western Air Command might have turned out to be worse Singh said. chief, Air Marshal S.B. Deo, is on had it not been for the quick action Pakistan has condemned the ter- location and personally super- by security personnel. ror attack. Pakistan’s foreign office vising and coordinating with the “It could have been worse. I con- extended heartfelt condolences to Army, NSG and local civil police gratulate my security forces for their the government, people of India and for exchange of information and valour and the way they tackled the bereaved families. It also wished operational activities, the state- the terrorists,” he said. However, he the injured people speedy recovery, Policemen stop a bike rider as part of security checks in Punjab yesterday. ment said. refused to give any figures regarding Radio Pakistan reported.

Kochi Metro Mulayam revokes first test run 18 Telangana and Andhra expulsion of two on Jan 23 students sent back from US IANS

Akhilesh proteges KOCHI: The first test run of IANS interrogation. They said the officials a series of incidents in recent months the Rs5,180 crore Kochi Metro threatened to bar their entry into US in which students from the two Tel- project, expected to resolve for five years, if they fail to withdraw ugu states were sent back either after travel woes in Kerala’s commer- and return home. landing in the US or from destinations IANS Mahotsava, baring in open the sim- cial capital, will be conducted HYDERABAD: Eighteen more stu- The students claimed that no rea- enroute like Abu Dhabi and Dubai. mering differences between Mulayam on January 23, officials said dents from Telangana and Andhra son was given for not sending them About 90 students, who had Singh Yadav and Akhilesh. yesterday. Pradesh returned to Hyderabad yes- back, though they gave satisfactory left after completing all formalities The sources said that some fam- Officials took possession of terday after being deported by the reply to all the questions asked and including admission letters from the LUCKNOW: Yielding to sulking Chief ily members, mainly the young the first batch of three coaches American authorities. despite possessing all valid documents. universities, were sent back during Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi leaders, communicated to the chief from the manufacturers, Alstom The students, who had gone to the “One officer said he was doing last three to four months. Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh has minister that the two need to seek India yesterday morning. US to join various universities, were this on the boss’ order,” said a stu- As many as 14 students, who had revoked the expulsion of two of his forgiveness from Mulayam Singh and Andhra Pradesh, union sent back from New York airport after dent, who did not wish to be named. taken admission at two California uni- close proteges, Sunil Singh Sajan and then the SP chief would be cajoled Urban Development Minister M cancelling their visas. They returned Another student who had gone to versities, were sent back from San Anand Bhadauria, an official spokes- into bringing them back into the Venkaiah Naidu handed over the to Hyderabad airport by three differ- join Northwestern Polytechnic Uni- Francisco on December 19. The next man said. party fold. keys of the coaches to a team of ent airlines. versity, California said the officers day Air India stopped another batch The two were booted out of the Following the plan, while Akhilesh Kerala officials led by state Power They complained of interrogation told him that there is a problem with of 15 students from boarding the San party last week following complaints went to the Saifai Mahotsava after six Minister Aryadan Mohammed. and ill-treatment by the officials of his visa. “They asked me if I bought Francisco flight at Hyderabad airport. that they had opposed official party days of absence, Mulayam also turned The three coaches will be trans- US Customs and Border Protection at the visa,” he said. With their dreams of getting higher candidates in the polls for ‘zila pan- ‘soft’ at the persuasion of senior lead- ported by road, and reach Kochi John F. Kennedy Airport International The student was told that if he education in US shattered and their chayat’ chairmen. ers that the incident was sending a on January 10. Airport, though all their documents wanted he could apply again for admis- parents suffering huge financial loss, The expulsion had stunned the wrong message to the people and the The first test run of over were valid. The students said they were sion into another university and come they have urged the government of party cadres as the two were con- party rank and file, especially since 1km would be flagged by Chief detained for several hours without back. Students, who had taken admis- India to intervene and save their future. sidered the closest associates of the the state assembly elections were just Minister Oommen Chandy. It drinking water and food. sions in other universities, were also Parents of the students expressed chief minister. a year away. will initially cover a distance One of the students said though sent back. their concerns over their future and After the action was announced Finally, Shivpal Singh Yadav of 25km from Alwaye to Petta. it was freezing temperature, the offi- The officials were not convinced the enormous amounts spent for the by PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, announced the revoking of Sunil The project was entrusted to cials did not heed to their request to when students pointed out that the studies. Parents also requested the the chief minister went into a sulk and Singh Sajan and Anand Bhadauria’s the Delhi Metro Rail Corpora- switch off the fans. He said the offic- institutions were not blacklisted by government to intervene into the issue for the first time skipped the Saifai expulsion late Friday. tion (DMRC). ers carrying guns subjected them to the US authorities. This is the latest in at the earliest for a solution. 14 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 INDIA

Unhappy officials can Ancient martial art leave Delhi: Kejriwal

this... If you indulge in corruption, then anonymity. “He should be the one IAS officers who you’ll go to jail,” Kejriwal said. who should go. He was an Indian Rev- “If you don’t agree with cabinet enue Service officer and he quit. The have problem with decisions, then you’ll be suspended. kind of statements he is making are the government All those IAS officers who have prob- very bad,” he said. lem with our government should leave “He should not run roughshod over should leave Delhi, Delhi,” he added. officials,” another officer said. says Kejriwal The chief minister said that Subhash Chandra, special sec- never in the country’s history had retary (prisons), and Yashpal Garg, IAS officers gone on mass casual special secretary (prosecution), were leave. “They have gone on a strike suspended by the Delhi government IANS for the first time. Those who have for allegedly refusing to sign two cab- problem with us should give us their inet notes related to hike in salaries of names. I’ll write to the (union) home public prosecutors and prison staff. minister to send them out of Delhi Following the order, officers NEWDELHI: Delhi Chief Minister or they should join the central gov- belonging to DANICS (Delhi, Anda- Arvind Kejriwal yesterday sent out a ernment,” he added. man and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) stern message to senior bureaucrats, The Indian Administrative Serv- cadre - to which Chandra and Garg saying IAS officers who had issues ice Association did not comment on belong - decided to go on a strike. working with his government were the remark, though one officer said if The central government, however, welcome to join the central govern- Kejriwal had issues regarding admin- declared the suspensions as invalid. ment. istrative control over senior officers, The Delhi government earlier sus- “No hooliganism by bureaucrats he should sort it out with the Centre. pended three officers after they failed Sikh devotees perform ‘Gatka’, an ancient form of Sikh martial art, during a religious procession ahead will be tolerated in Delhi. The IAS offic- “Why embroil officers?” a bureau- to provide relief material to slum dwell- of the birth anniversary of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, in Jammu, yesterday. ers played politics... we will not tolerate crat told IANS on the condition of ers in Shakur Basti. CPI leader A B Bardhan dies HP court orders Rs2m damages to parents IANS his demise, not only the Communist Party of India but the entire nation has lost a leader who championed 12 killed in NEWDELHI: Veteran Communist the cause of the dispossessed & the IANS said the state electricity board that Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bard- marginalized throughout his life,” runs the Larji hydropower project, road crash in han died at a hospital here yesterday, said Gandhi. responsible for the release of water a doctor said. He was 92. Expressing his grief and condo- into the river, would share 60 per- Uttar Pradesh “The CPI leader died at 820pm lences, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High cent of the compensation, while the Our team tried hard but could not save Kumar tweeted: “Deeply saddened Court yesterday ordered compensa- college and the hill state will pay 30 him. His condition was very critical,” to hear of Veteran CPI leader A B tion of Rs20 lakh each to the families and 10 percent, respectively. said Dr. Vinod, who led the medi- Bardhan ji’s death. He was a leading of 24 students of a Hyderabad engi- The high court on June 25 had LUCKNOW: At least 12 peo- cal team at G B Pant Hospital here. figure of the trade union movement neering college who were washed ordered interim compensation of Rs.5 ple were killed and 10 injured Bardhan had suffered a para- & a voice of the poor.” away in the Beas river last year, to lakh each to the families of each stu- yesterday when a bus carry- lytic stroke on December 7, following Communist Party of India (CPI) be paid within eight weeks. dent who were washed away. ing tourists, including Chinese which he was admitted to the hospital. national secretary D. Raja said: “It’s A division bench of Chief Justice The 24 students of V N R Vignana nationals, rammed into a jeep Prime Minister Narendra Modi a great loss not only for CPI but for Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tar- Jyothi Institute of Engineering and in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur expressed his condolences on Twit- entire communist movement of Condolences.RIP.” Mukhtar Abbas lok Singh Chauhan directed that the Technology in Hyderabad and a tour district, police said. ter, saying: “Will always remember country.” Naqvi, minister of state for parlia- compensation amount, including the operator were swept away on June 8 The accident apparently Shri A B Bardhan as a passionate Railway Minister Suresh Pra- mentary affairs, tweeted: “Demise interim compensation of Rs.5 lakh last year near Mandi town. occurred due to dense fog in Communist, fully committed to his bhu expressed his condolences on of CPI leader A B Bardhan huge loss will be paid with interest at the rate The judges, who reserved the judg- the morning. A police official ideology & principles. May his soul Twitter, saying: “A B Bardhan, com- to Indian politics. My deep condo- of 7.5 percent per annum from Satur- ment on December 14, observed that said that the tourist bus had rest in peace.” munist leader, Trade Unionist passed lences to his family & well wishers.” day till its final realisation is awarded. the news about the incident was so more than two dozen Chinese Congress president Sonia Gandhi away. Will always remember our Various other prominent leaders The bench, which treated a media shocking and pricking that it shat- tourists who were travelling to also expressed her condolences. “In personal bond & warm friendship. expressed condolences on his death. report as a public interest litigation, tered everyone. Sarnath, a city 13km from Var- anasi, for a day on the Buddhist circuit. Except the bus driver, who suffered some injuries, all passengers were safe. Never ending pollution woes Though none of the bus Left Front plans passengers suffered serious injuries, 11 people travelling in the jeep died on the spot. One person died while being taken to hospital. strike in Bengal In separate incidents, dense fog and poor visibility also led to two other accidents in different parts of the state, IANS state’s industrial scenario, promis- leaving three people dead. ing to set up industries from Salboni Police have urged people to Singur -- from where a massive to drive slowly on highways KOLKATA: Gearing up for the 2016 anti-acquisition movement by the as poor visibility is fraught assembly polls in West Bengal, the Trinamool forced Tata Motors to relo- with risks. CPI-M led Left Front has lined up a cate its proposed car manufacturing series of state-wide agitations in its bid unit to Gujarat. to build up a mass movement against The protest march, to be led by the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Left Front chairman Biman Bose and Car hits man, Congress government. Mishra, will culminate on January 22. Declaring its resolve, at the The Left also announced organis- travels 5km with Brigade Parade Grounds rally on ing similar agitations in North Bengal December 27 as well as its recently highlighting the plight of tea garden body on roof! concluded organisational plenum, of workers. ousting the “authoritarian” Mamata A large number of tea gardens Smoke from a chimney covers the sun early in the morning near Dinanagar in Punjab. Banerjee regime, the Marxists and have closed down or are in a state HYDERABAD: In a shocking their mass organisations will be hit- of limbo and several workers have incident, a speeding car that hit ting the streets on the issues of the died allegedly due to malnutrition an elderly pedestrian in Telan- Saradha chit fund scam, the dismal and starvation. gana yesterday continued to industrial scenario as well as the plight On January 28, Left leaders and travel for nearly five kilome- of tea garden workers. activists will stage a demonstration Ex-Jharkhand CM alleges phone tres with the body on its roof. Demanding the prosecution of all at the administrative headquarters The incident occurred on those involved in the Saradha scam at all its headquarters. Hyderabad-Vijayawada high- as well as indemnifying the poor In a recent development, the West way in Telangana’s Nalgonda investors, the Left Front will stage a Bengal Congress Unit has written to tapping, seeks investigation district, police said. demonstration at the CGO Complex the party chief Sonia Gandhi seek- The speeding car knocked which houses the offices of the Cen- ing consent to join with the CPI (M) down the 65—year—old man tral Bureau of Investigation and the in the fight to oust the ruling Trina- IANS “Phone calls of over 3,000 peo- The report said two Maoists, in near Katangur when he was Enforcement Directorate -- the two mool Congress. The Congress party ple across sections of the society are touch with central intelligence offi- crossing the road. Such was central agencies probing the multi- was also planning to reach a consen- being tapped by the state government cials, were forced to surrender before the impact that the man flung crore-rupee scandal. sus with the CPI (M) in seat sharing. in violation of people’s privacy. I sus- the state police. into air and fell on top of the Left leaders will also be cam- With the victory of grand alliance in RANCHI: Former Jharkhand chief pect even my phone calls are tapped,” According to sources, the phone vehicle. paigning about the January 12 Bihar against the BJP led NDA this minister Babulal Marandi yesterday Marandi told reporters after meet- tapping is also done of the IAS, IPS Instead of stopping the car, demonstration across the state dur- move gained momentum. demanded a SIT probe into phone ing Governor. and other officials. It is being done to the driver sped away. Some ing January 8-12. Under the banner of Amidst talk of an alliance between tapping of 3,000 people, including “The sitting judge of the High Court tame the officials who do not fall in people, who noticed the body Bengal Platform of Mass Organisations the Marxists and the Congress in ensu- politicians, lawyers, journalists and should probe the issue. This is seri- line with the Jharkhand government. on the vehicle, forced it to stop (BPMO), a host of Left organisations ing Assembly election in West Bengal, businessmen allegedly by the state ous issue,” he said. The sources also revealed that near Aitipamula, about five kil- will undertake a march from Sin- the CPI-M and the Left Front seemed government. Some local newspapers have also phone calls of some journalists ometres from the accident site. gur in Hooghly district to Salboni in to be divided on the electoral tactical A delegation of Jharkhand Vikas carried news of phone tapping of the writing against the state govern- The driver said he did not West Midnapore district, beginning line in Bengal. However, talks have Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) led by officials including of central agen- ment were also tapped by the state realize that the man flung on January 16. been going on in full pace to reach a Marandi met Governor Droupadi cies officials. A local newspaper had government. to the vehicle. Police arrested Addressing the Brigade rally, consensus and both the parties are Murmu to apprise her about the devel- published news about phone tapping As per provisions phone tapping the driver and another person CPI-M state secretary Surjy Kanta trying its level best to become a grand opment and demanded probe by a of central intelligence agencies offi- could be done in special cases with sitting in the car. Mishra had assured of reviving the alliance against Trinamool Congress. Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. cials by the state police. permission of the State government. EUROPE SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 15

British troops may face Turbulent weather Iraq prosecution

whole range of Ihat investigations, factors together and trying to con- Sufficient evidence which incorporates homicide, where I duct ethical investigations,” he told feel there is significant evidence to be The Independent. to justify criminal obtained to put a strong case before “Over the next 12 to 18 months, we charges, says former the Service Prosecuting Authority to will review all the caseload to bet- prosecute and charge,” he said. ter understand the picture and then I police detective. Ihat, which was set up by Ministry think we can say whether 2019 seems of Defence in 2010 and is independent realistic,” Warwick said. of the military for its investigations, A Ministry of Defence spokes- has received cases relating to more woman said it took all allegations of Reuters than 1,500 alleged victims of mistreat- abuse or unlawful killing extremely ment and unlawful killings, according seriously. to the British government’s website. “The vast majority of UK serv- LONDON: British soldiers may be put It is due to complete its investiga- ice personnel deployed on military on trial for alleged crimes committed tions by the end of 2019, more than 10 operations conduct themselves pro- in Iraq including murder, the head of a years after Britain withdrew its last fessionally and in accordance with government unit investigating claims combat troops from Iraq following the law,” she said. “Where there is of torture and unlawful killing said its participation in the US-led inva- sufficient evidence, members of Her in an interview published yesterday. sion in 2003. Majesty’s Forces can be prosecuted.” Mark Warwick, a former police The process has not yet resulted In 2014, the International Crim- detective who is in charge of the Iraq in any recommendations for a pros- inal Court in The Hague reopened a Historic Allegations Team (Ihat), was ecution and it has been criticised by preliminary examination of allega- quoted as saying by The Independ- rights campaigners for moving too tions of “systematic detainee abuse” ent newspaper that he believed there slowly. Warwick appealed for patience. by British troops in Iraq between 2003 would be sufficient evidence to jus- “I think people need to understand and 2008. tify criminal charges. the complexity, the volume and the A wide-ranging British public A wave crashes against a breakwater during high winds in Brittany’s Atlantic coast at Esquibien, “There are serious allegations geography aspects of this, and you inquiry into the Iraq War is likely to France, yesterday. that we are investigating across the can’t underestimate putting those three be published in mid-2016.

As Ukraine enters 2016, peace US is threat to new Russian security strategy: Putin remains elusive Reuters heightened role has caused a reaction West reached a low after Russian forces “anti-constitutional coup d’etat in by the West, it says. annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine”, which led to a deep divide The Washington Post “The strengthening of Russia hap- Ukraine in March 2014, after protests in in Ukrainian society and a military MOSCOW: A new appraisal names the pens against the background of new Ukraine forced its pro-Moscow pres- conflict. It also names the expansion United States as one of the threats to threats to the national security, which ident to flee to Russia. of Nato as a threat to Russia’s national Russia’s national security for the first has complex and interrelated nature,” Since then, the West has accused security and said that the United States KIEV: Despite a ceasefire signed in time, a sign of how relations with the the document says. Russia of aiding insurgents in east- has expanded its network of military- February that was supposed to have west have deteriorated in recent years. Conducting an independent pol- ern Ukraine. Moscow denies actively biological laboratories in neighbouring been completely implemented by the The document, “About the Strat- icy, “both international and domestic” assisting the rebels. to Russia countries. start of 2016, the prospect of peace egy of National Security of Russian has caused “counteraction from the The United States and the European The document, which serves as a in Ukraine remains elusive. The Federation”, was signed by President USA and its allies, which are striving Union have since imposed wide- basis for planning strategy related to war in the country’s east between Vladimir Putin (pictured) on New to retain their dominance in global ranging sanctions against Russian national security by different state bodies, government troops and Russian — Year’s Eve. It replaces a 2009 version, affairs.” That in turn is likely to lead individuals and companies. Moscow does not mention Syria. On Septem- backed separatists — periodic lulls endorsed by then-President Dmitry to “political, economical, military and has reacted by restricting food and ber 30, Russia began air strikes against in the fighting notwithstanding — Medvedev, the current prime minister, It says Russia has managed to informational pressure” on Russia, the other goods from the EU. anti-government rebels opposed to the has remained largely unchanged which mentioned neither the United heighten its role in solving global prob- document says.” The document says that the United government of Syrian President Bashar since earlier this year. States not Nato. lems and international conflicts. That Relations between Russia and the States and the EU have supported an Al-Assad, a Russian ally. While some heavy weapons, such as tanks and artillery, have been removed from the front lines, both sides still clash daily. On Wednesday, the leaders Attack threat not diminished: German minister of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine agreed to extend the cur- rent ceasefire — known as the Minsk Reuters Agreements — into 2016, accord- ing to a statement released by the France to buy four French government. The first Minsk BERLIN: German Interior Minister peace deal, signed in September Thomas de Maiziere said yesterday C130 military jets 2014 collapsed almost immediately. that closer cooperation with foreign The second, implemented in Feb- security services was needed after a ruary, has dampened some of the New Year’s Eve security alert in Munich Paris: France said it would fighting and allowed the implemen- highlighted fears about an attack on buy four C130 Hercules mili- tation of some parts of the ceasefire. German soil. tary transport planes from US The four leaders also discussed Shortly before midnight on Decem- weapons maker Lockheed- upcoming local elections in Donetsk ber 31, police cleared two stations in Martin due to problems with and Luhansk, the two regions of the Bavarian capital after a tip-off that European planemaker Airbus’s eastern Ukraine that broke away militants from Iraq and Syria were A400M. from the country following pro- planning attacks. A Defence Ministry source tests in the spring of 2014. The local Police re-opened the stations a had said in May that France elections hope to normalise rela- few hours later and have said they do had pencilled several hun- tions between the restive east and not know if the suspects even exist. dreds of millions of euros into the government in Kiev. De Maiziere said the threat of an its latest defence budget for The multinational watch- attack had not diminished. the possible purchase of those dog group, the Organisation for “In the new year the situation will Policemen deployed at a railway station in Munich, yesterday. four planes and would make a Security Co-operation in Europe remain very serious,” de Maiziere told decision by year-end. has been largely responsible for daily newspaper Bild. Several cities, including Brussels, Paris local services. passport revoked. “I confirmed the purchase monitoring both sides of the con- “In future, we will depend more and Moscow, scaled back their New Merkel’s conservative allies in The CSU resolutions do not bind a few days ago,” Defence Min- flict since the signing of the last intensively than before on close coop- Year celebrations. Bavaria, the Christian Social Union Merkel’s government in Berlin but ister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. Minsk agreement. On Thursday eration with security services from Some politicians have criticised (CSU), which has long wanted to put they do raise the pressure on her over The delivery of the C130s the OSCE’s chief monitor for its other countries and the exchange of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s a cap on refugee numbers, is calling national security. could start in 2017, a French mission to Ukraine, Ambassador information.” open-door refugee policy, saying it for tougher security measures. CSU boss Horst Seehofer told Bild military source said. Ertugrul Apakan, expressed hope German media have reported that makes it easier for Islamist militants It will next week propose making am Sonntag the attack threat issue for peace, but reiterated that a true authorities received the tip-off from to enter Europe undetected. individuals convicted of being a threat should be kept separate from Ger- ceasefire is a way off. a friendly intelligence service, pos- Germany last year registered just to public safety wear an electronic many’s refugee policy, though “it is Commuters in UK “The fact that the number of sibly France. over 1 million migrants, many from tag, the Rheinische Post newspaper true that the opaque nature of the ceasefire violations in the last Much of Europe has been on high Syria and other conflict zones in the reported. It also wants people with refugee influx is being exploited for get free ride weeks of December had increased alert since Islamist militants killed Middle East and Africa, according to dual nationality who have fought for criminal ends.” again in eastern Ukraine reflects a 130 people in Paris on November 13. a media report, putting a strain on a militia abroad to have their German London: Thousands of pas- worrying development as the year sengers using London’s train, ends,” Apakan said in a statement. buses and Underground sys- In December, there was a tem travelled for free on marked increase in fighting, espe- Saturday after a technical cially around the city of Donetsk. In Europe’s winter warmth puts nature in tailspin glitch brought down its Oyster addition to heavy machine guns and card network. mortars, there have been multiple Staff opened barriers at reports regarding the use of BM-21 AFP well into December, the famous Royal Dornoch links later in the year due to the absence of a sustained rail and tube stations and bus Grad multiple launch rocket sys- put the traditional switch to winter greens on hold winter cold spell to kill them off. drivers waved on passen- tems, a weapon explicitly banned and kept its mowers buzzing into the final days of “It is strange to see how certain plants are already gers after the card ‘reader’ by the Minsk ceasefire. ROME: The daffodils are out in London, plum trees 2015. But alongside the serendipitous consequences flowering crazily,” said Hans-Jurgen Packheiser, machines used by commut- Last week, Ukrainian forces are blossoming in Milan and asparagus tips are for gourmets and golfers, unusual climatic condi- a 76-year-old beekeper from Halver in Germany. ers to register their journeys reported separatist troops, along pushing through the soil in eastern France. tions have also been linked to more unsettling trends. “Some of the bees in my hives are already out failed. “We’re experienc- with tanks entered the town of Across Europe, unseasonably warm winter Scientists and gardeners alike fret over whether and about looking for nectar. They think winter is ing technical issues with our Kominternovo near Mariupol. weather has left the natural world in a spin with this year reflects a worrying new normal created by already finished.” Oyster Card readers where The small village is in a gray plants, insects and animals convinced Spring must global climate change. More than 2,000 wildfires In the Dordogne region of France, strawberry customers are unable to touch zone between government and be just around the corner. have ravaged swaths of northern Spain in recent producers were surprised to see plants that would in or out,” said a message on separatist forces. A spokesman The disruption of established weather patterns weeks thanks to a combination of unusually warm normally have to be protected from frost from mid- Transport for London’s official for the Ukrainian troops, Anton has put strawberries on festive menus in France, weather and high winds. November, continue to bear fruit right up to Christmas. Twitter page. Myronovych called the move a ensured an abundance of game in Germany’s wood- Farmers across Europe meanwhile are grappling “Even my father-in-law, who has been produc- “We’re working on a fix “large-scale provocation,” dur- lands and seen tomatoes ripen for an exceptional with the hard-to-predict implications of conditions ing strawberries since 1956, has never seen anything and customers are being ing an interview with a Ukrainian third time this year on Italian balconies. which, while boosting the production of some crops, like it,” said Patricia Rebillou, the president of the allowed to travel across Tube/ television station. With grass still growing in the north of Scotland may reduce yields of others and allow pests to thrive local producers’ association. Bus/Rail networks,” it added. 16 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 EUROPE

Millions face Europe braces for more waves of migrants hunger threat due to weather, 3,800 people are estimated to have problem is compounded by the reluc- Mohammed Abusaid is one of them. International Organisation for Migra- At dawn of 2016, drowned in the Mediterranean last tance of many migrants’ countries of A baby-faced 27-year-old Moroc- tion and are heading home this month. year, making the journey to Greece or origin, such as Pakistan, to accept for- can electrician, Abusaid left home with Abusaid says he’s pondering follow- war this year refugee and migrant Italy in unseaworthy vessels packed cible returns. dreams of finding work in Germany ing suit. flows into Europe look far beyond capacity. “If measures are not taken to stop or even the United States. But he still hopes to make it to The European Union has pledged the flows from Turkey and if Europe Like tens of thousands before him, northern Europe for a better life, and Reuters set to continue, but to bolster patrols on its external bor- doesn’t solve the problems of the returns he made his way with a group of friends dreams of America. “I wish I could fly response patchy. ders and quickly deport economic as a whole, it will be a very difficult to Turkey and then braved the short like a bird and go there.” migrants, while Turkey has agreed year,” Mouzalas warned. but perilous sea crossing to the Greek Nearly all new arrivals are aiming LONDON: Millions more people glo- to crack down on smugglers operat- Along the Balkan migrant route, island of Lesbos in early November. for wealthy northern European coun- bally are facing the threat of severe ing from its coastline. But those on the an undetermined number of men, From there, they headed north only tries, with Germany and Sweden the food and water shortages in early AP front lines of the crisis say the com- women and children considered eco- to discover the Macedonian border favorites. Both stood out for trying to 2016 as droughts and flood dev- ing year promises to be difficult unless nomic migrants have found themselves was open only to those from war- maintain a generous welcome even astate crops already struggling to there is a dramatic change. stranded, their hopes of reaching pros- wracked Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq. as numbers swelled, with German meet needs, aid agencies warned. Greece has borne the brunt of the perous northern EU countries dashed The young Moroccans now spend their Chancellor Angela Merkel famously The weather disturbances ATHENS: Bitter cold, biting winds and exodus, with more than 850,000 people by recent border closures. nights huddling for warmth in a tent proclaiming “we will manage it”. caused by this year’s El Niño, rough winter seas have done little to reaching the country’s shores, nearly Greece, with thousands of miles beneath a straggly tree outside Ath- Germany received about 1 million described by the United Nations stem the seemingly endless flow of des- all arriving on Greek islands from the of coastline, is the only country that ens’ old airport. asylum-seekers this year and Sweden as the worst in nearly two decades, perate people fleeing war or poverty for nearby Turkish coast. cannot feasibly block people from “I’m living here like a tramp. But more than 150,000. come as conflict and persecution what they hope will be a brighter, safer “The (migrant) flows continue entering without breaking interna- I’m not a tramp,” Abusaid said quietly. However, toward the end of the drive the number of people forced future in Europe. As 2016 dawns, boat- unabated. And on good days, on days tional laws about rescuing those in “I’m single, my parents are old. I want year even those two shifted course. to flee their homes to a record of loads continue to reach Greek shores when the weather isn’t bad, they are distress at sea. to look for work. We don’t cause trou- Germany introduced border checks in more than 60 million. and thousands trudge across Balkan increased,” Ioannis Mouzalas, Greece’s “It’s a bad sign, this unabated flow ble, we just want to work.” September and Sweden in November. Agencies including Oxfam, fields and country roads heading north. minister responsible for migration that continues,” Mouzalas said. “It cre- But Abusaid finds himself trapped Sweden is now taking steps to keep the United Nations World Food More than a million people reached issues, said. ates difficulties for us, as the borders in a country battered by a five-year people from even reaching the border Programme (WFP) and Care Europe in 2015 in the continent’s largest Europe’s response to the crisis has have closed for particular categories financial crisis that has left unem- and as of Monday will require passen- International said the double hit refugee influx since the end of Second been fractured, with individual coun- of people and there is a danger they ployment hovering around 25 percent. gers boarding Sweden-bound trains in of extreme weather and war had World War — a crisis that has tested tries, concerned about the sheer scale will be trapped here.” Desperate, cold and hungry, two of his neighbouring Denmark to show ID. The increased the need for assistance European unity and threatened the of the influx, introducing new border The number of those estimated to be friends have opted for the voluntary crisis has strained relations between and funding and it was critical to vision of a borderless continent. Nearly controls aimed at limiting the flow. The stuck in Greece runs in the thousands. repatriation scheme offered by the the Scandinavian neighbours. get help to vulnerable communi- ties. In Ethiopia, the government estimates 10.2 million people in a population of 94 million will need humanitarian aid in 2016 due to drought exacerbated by El Niño, Aid groups create huge while Papua New Guinea’s gov- ernment estimates three in seven people are drought-affected. “Millions of people in Ethiopia, peace sign of life jackets Haiti and Papua New Guinea are feeling the effects of drought and crop failure,” Jane Cocking, Oxfam AFP it there. “We had no permission for the GB’s Humanitarian Director, said. . sign to stay in the hills so we dismantled “Aid agencies are stretched it and cleaned up the dump,” Schulz said. responding to the crises in Syria, ATHENS: Rights groups briefly trans- UN figures show that more than half South Sudan and Yemen. We can- formed a mountain of discarded life a million people have crossed Aegean not afford to allow other large-scale jackets used by refugees who crossed Sea to Lesbos alone over the past year, emergencies to develop elsewhere. If the Aegean Sea into a huge peace sign accounting for nearly 60 percent of the the world waits to respond to emerg- on the hills of the Greek island of Lesbos. 850,000 who reached Greece by boat ing crises in southern Africa and The giant symbol, which was made in 2015. Latin America, we will not be able out of around 3,000 flourescent orange The vast majority were refugees flee- to cope.” life jackets, was created on a hillside ing war and violence in Syria, Afghanistan The WFP estimated that in 2015 overlooking the 10km stretch of water and Iraq, with the life jackets they used about 795 million people were going between the island’s northern shores left at a dump near the village of Moly- hungry, 98 percent in developing and the Turkish coastline, the Green- vos, Greenpeace said. countries. The United Nation’s Food peace website said. “The dump site stands as a statue, a and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) It was formed on New Year’s Day by silent reminder of the risks and that so said it warned in March that the cur- around 100 volunteers from Greenpeace, many more still hold out hope of a safe rent El Niño would be strong and it Doctors Without Borders, Sea-Watch crossing. It also includes the life jack- now appeared to be the strongest and the Dutch Refugee Boat Foundation ets of those who never made it, of those episode that would peak at the start as well as the local community group, who lost their lives at sea and can never of 2016 - before the usual harvest Starfish. return home or continue their journey time for farmers in southern Africa. The groups created the peace sign north,” it said. “The likelihood of another poor “on New Year’s Day to bring in 2016 with More than one million migrants season is troublesome as it comes a message of hope,” with Greenpeace’s and refugees have entered Europe this on the heels of a poor one that Florian Schulz saying that it took three- year, four out of five of whom reached has already depleted inventories, to-four hours to create the giant symbol, the continent via the Greek islands. tightened supplies and pushed up which measured 10 metres from side- Although the arrivals has declined since Volunteers from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) arrange more than 2,500 local prices,” the FAO’s Deputy to-side. But it was later removed as the the autumn, around 60,000 arrived on discarded life jackets, used by refugees and migrants, in the shape of the peace symbol on the Strategic Programme Leader of group did not have permission to leave Lesbos in December, UN figures show. Greek island of Lesbos. Resilience, Shukri Ahmed, said in a statement. UK in ‘one of great reforming decades’: Cameron France debates revoking

IANS “For me, there are no new year’s believe we are in the middle of one of into murderous extremists, I want us resolutions, just the resolve to continue the great reforming decades in our to be very clear: you will not defeat citizenship of terrorists delivering what we promised in our history -- what I would call a ‘turna- us,” he said. manifesto,” the prime minister said. round decade’, where we can use the Cameron has promised to hold an AP Paris attacks are dual nationals. LONDON: British Prime Minister David “If we really get to grips with these platform of our renewed economic “in or out” referendum on British mem- Prominent Socialist Party figures, Cameron in his New Year message for problems this year, we won’t just be strength to go for real social renewal.” bership in the EU by 2017. including former Prime Minister Jean- 2016, said his country was in “one of a richer nation, but a stronger, more Cameron also said he wanted to He said he was fighting hard to PARIS: The push by France’s Socialist Marc Ayrault and Paris Mayor Anne the great reforming decades in history”. unified, more secure one,” he said. tackle the extremism and hatred which negotiate a better deal for Britain’s government to revoke the citizenship of Hidalgo, have publicly expressed their In his New Year message, Cameron “It won’t be easy. These problems led some Britons to “turn against their membership of the EU. convicted terrorists with dual nation- disapproval, but Hollande has stuck outlined plan for the government in have been generations in the mak- country.” “In the end, you will decide whether ality after the Paris attacks has turned to his guns. 2016, setting out his priorities, includ- ing. And many of them are tangled “When our national security is we are stronger and better off with into a harsh political dispute, with the “France must take the good ing low home ownership, poverty, poor together.” threatened by a seething hatred of the our European neighbours as part of far right applauding the move while decisions beyond traditional party social mobility and extremism, Xin- In an article published by Down- West, one that turns people against the European Union, or on our own,” some on the left express indignation divisions,” the president said in his hua reported. ing Street, Cameron said: “I genuinely their country and can even turn them he said. at what they call a divisive measure. New Year’s Eve speech. French President Francois Hol- While the left is divided, Hollande lande submitted the proposal three is getting unusual support from the days after the November 13 attacks right. The far-right National Front has in Paris that left 130 dead, in a shift claimed it is at the origin of the idea. ‘Man driving car Rain in Milan toward a hard line on security. The “Terrorists don’t deserve French cit- idea appears to have strong support in izenship, because French citizenship at troops not a French public opinion. Several polls is an honour”, vice president of the over the past week suggest that 80 party Florian Philippot said. . to 90 percent of the French are in Members of the conservative terrorist’ favour of the measure. opposition, including former President Under current French law, citizen- Nicolas Sarkozy, have also supported Reuters ship revocation can only be applied the proposal — while also calling for to people who have been natural- more security measures. The govern- ised, not if they are French-born, and ment says the new measure would VALENCE: French investigators have the procedure is rarely implemented. apply to a very small number of people. found no evidence that a man who drove The new rules would extend it to all The issue remains highly sensitive his car into troops guarding a mosque dual nationals, but cannot be applied in France as some have compared it to in southern France on New Year’s Day to people who are only French citi- the revocation of citizenship of Jews was liked to a terrorist group, a local zens, as France’s obligations under and members of the French Resist- prosecutor said yesterday. “We have no international law prevent it from leav- ance during World War II, when the evidence that could indicate an act of ing a person stateless. government led by Philippe Petain terrorism,” Valence prosecutor Alex Per- Opponents of the measure con- collaborated with German author- rin said, saying the Frenchman seemed sider it would create two classes of ities. The Vichy regime revoked the to have acted alone. “He reportedly citizens — dual nationals who could citizenship of more than 15,000 nat- shouted “Allah is great”, which sug- lose their citizenship and others who uralised and 500 French-born people gests some sort of religious element.” cannot — in opposition to the prin- — including General Charles de Gaulle. “When he was apprehended, he ciple of equality set out in France’s “It’s dangerous because you start mentioned the fact that he wanted to Tourists and citizens with umbrellas take shelter from the rain in downtown of Milan, northern constitution. wanting to revoke the citizenship of kill troops because troops killed peo- Italy, yesterday. French authorities have not said some people, then take a step further,” ple,” the prosecutor added. how many of those arrested over the said Socialist senator Samia Ghali. AMERICAS SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 17 Hillary raises $55m in latest fundraising quarter

in the fourth quarter, racing through Election Commission by January 31. For the first time nearly $33m — almost 86 percent of Clinton has prided herself on rais- the $37m she raised over the past three ing funds from women and donors since she entered the months for her campaign. That’s up of small amounts. In the most recent 2016 race last April, from the more than $25m she spent quarter, 94 percent of donations in the third quarter of the year, when received were $100 or less, her cam- Clinton raised money she raised $29.4m and spent 86 per- paign said. for a general-election cent of it. Overall, Clinton spent more The most recent filing comes just than $76m last year, with huge invest- weeks before the first-in-the-nation contest as well. ments in digital technology and an ballots will be cast in the Democratic on-the-ground network of organisers. nominating contest, and Clinton’s latest It remains to be seen how her grab provides a much-needed cushion resources compare with those of of support as she battles for support Reuters & Agencies Sanders, who nearly matched her in key early voter states. fundraising in the fall, bringing in Clinton’s deep-pocketed repository $26.2m. His campaign’s burn rate in reflects a heightened confidence in the the third quarter was half of Clinton’s. Democratic front-runner’s electabil- WASHINGTON: Hillary Clinton’s For the first time since she entered ity, having spent the summer months campaign announced yesterday that the 2016 race last April, Clinton raised dogged by controversy surrounding it raised $55m in the final fundraising money for a general-election con- her use of a private email server dur- period of 2015 and $112m in primary- test as well, bringing in $1m for her ing her time as US secretary of state election funds for the year. Clinton own campaign’s use and $18m for the under Obama. brought in $37m in money specifi- Democratic Party in the fourth quar- Clinton, who has led the Demo- cally for use in the primary during ter. Most of that came from a single cratic pack with little interruption since the fourth quarter of 2015. big-dollar fundraising event in New her announcement of candidacy in The flooded overpass intersection of Interstate 44 and Highway 141 in Valley Park, Missouri. Interstate 44 Clinton also raised $3m for the York last month. April, spent the summer months bat- reopened yesterday as the water began to recede. general election. Her annual total is “Thanks to the hundreds of thou- tling accusations of inappropriate use the most for any non-incumbent in a sands of Americans who have joined of a personal email server during her non-election year and roughly equal to together and powered this historic time as secretary of state, throwing what President Barack Obama raised campaign, we are now heading into an unexpected wrench in what was Soldiers hit streets; floods toll mounts as a sitting president ahead of the 2012 Iowa and New Hampshire with the initially seen as a clear path to the election, the campaign said. resources we need to be successful,” nomination. The totals are further evidence of said Clinton campaign manager Robby But following a marathon, 11-hour AFP record-breaking and relentless del- in determining its location,” it said. the Democratic front-runner’s fund- Mook. hearing on the national security ram- uge in the past week. There were growing fears too for raising muscle, despite public fretting Supporters are limited to dona- ifications of her personal server use, The death toll from the flooding residents in southern Illinois, where from her campaign that the numbers tions of $2,700 apiece for the primary Clinton emerged from the scandal in the Midwest rose to 23, CNN said. the rising Mississippi River report- might slip or that challenger Sena- period, and most of the fundraising relatively unscathed, and her cam- CHICAGO: The Illinois National Guard Fifteen of the dead were in Missouri edly topped a levee, putting several tor Bernie Sanders (Vermont) might parties Clinton attends are geared to paign reported their most lucrative was ordered into action and hundreds and eight in Illinois. But the toll could towns and rural communities at risk. out-raise her. bringing in that maximum contribu- fundraising hour in the hour after of people urged to flee rising flood- rise, with increasing concerns about Hundreds of people were urged The campaign had set a 2015 goal tion from each attendee. The Clinton the hearing. waters, as the death toll from days of the fate of two missing Illinois teenag- to evacuate. Illinois Governor Bruce of $100m for use during the primary campaign said, however, that 94 per- According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey heavy rain in the US Midwest mounted. ers last seen several days ago. Rauner, who toured some of the period. The campaign exceeded that, cent of donations in the fourth quarter that ended on December 24, Clinton Swathes of the United States have One of them, Delia Ann Stacey, 18, affected communities, tweeted: “I leaving about $38m in the bank. The arrived in increments of $100 or less. leads the Democratic pack with 60 been buffeted in the last week by torna- was last heard of on Monday, when have ordered Illinois National Guard Iowa caucuses are a month away, The campaign also said that more than percent of possible support in the nom- does, storms and torrential rain, while she sent a text message to her fam- soldiers into active duty to aid local meaning heavier travel and more 60 percent of donors for the year were inating contest. Sanders received 28 the US East Coast has seen unseason- ily saying simply “Help,” the Herrin efforts to save lives and mitigate flood expensive advertising and other costs women. percent support and former Maryland ably warm weather over the holiday Police Department said. damage in Southern IL.” as the primary fight with Sanders nears The figures released by the cam- Governor Martin O’Malley finished season. “Further contact with Stacey via Forecasters warned that southern its first test. paign will be included in a more third with less than 4 percent pos- Missouri and Illinois have been her phone has been unsuccessful, as US states were in increasing danger Clinton kept up a steep burn rate detailed report due to the Federal sible support. particularly hard hit from the has the use of all resources available in the days to come.

Skywriters over Rose Parade In Maryland, homicide death count on the rise plead: ‘Anybody The Washington Post 22 percent, according to initial figures. One man died after arguing with Excluding 2002, last year’s total is the In court papers, detectives have con- Prince George’s reported nearly 4,000 another over a lawn mower. Another highest in two decades, going back nected three killings to a resurgence but Trump’ fewer crime victims last year, with a 17 was killed after a fight over a parking to the nation’s crack epidemic, when of the MS-13 gang: one man found in a percent combined drop in the number space. And another man was fatally Montgomery had 34 slayings in 1992. shallow grave in August, another man MARYLAND: Killings in Montgomery of property and violent crimes. shot after a spitting incident. Capt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery found shot to death in woods next to his Reuters and Prince George’s counties increased Cities nationwide noted similar “They’re not the kinds of things police spokesman, called all the homi- bicycle and an 18-year-old found float- last year, reflecting trends in homicide increases in homicides for 2015 — that you can anticipate,” Stawinski cides tragedies — leaving behind layers ing in a creek after assailants stabbed figures for the District of Columbia and a trend so concerning that chiefs of said. “Before people would have cross of affected family and friends. “There’s and threw heavy rocks at him. The sus- other large cities across the country. some of the largest police departments words and get into a fistfight, but now a hole in these people’s lives. There’s pects arrested in gang-related cases PASADENA, California: Five planes In 2015, Montgomery experienced gathered for a summit in the district it is escalating to a point where peo- holes in their hearts,” he said. so far range in age from 15 to 19. flew over the annual Rose Parade one of its deadliest years in two dec- to discuss the violence. The District ple are pulling out a gun and killing Brian Shefferman, who runs the pub- The county’s top prosecutor, John writing messages in the sky that ades with 30 homicides, and Prince logged 162 homicides in 2015, com- each other.” lic defender’s office in Montgomery, said McCarthy, said two more homicides included “America is great! Trump George’s ended a three-year streak of pared with 105 in 2014 — an increase Montgomery County officials saw he has not seen any underlying trends are likely to be linked to MS-13, as will is disgusting. Anybody but Trump, declines with 81 killings. of more than 54 percent. Baltimore — similar behaviour. “The disturbing that explain the increase in homicides. be evident when all arrests and trials US,” as onlookers craned their necks The number of homicides remained with nearly 350 slayings — saw one aspect of many cases is that the esca- And even as someone who constantly are concluded. for a view. low in the Northern Virginia jurisdic- of the bloodiest years in its history, lation to taking another human’s life reads reports of crimes — some horri- In addition to 77 homicide cases CBS News said an Alabama busi- tions adjacent to the District. with a more than 60 percent increase. was done with seemingly little effort,” bly violent — Shefferman said he feels investigated by Prince George’s police nessman, Stan Pate, was behind the Officials in Montgomery and Prince New York, Chicago and Milwaukee also said Montgomery police Capt. Darren pretty safe living in the county. in 2015, four more slayings occurred airborne protest targeting Repub- George’s said no singular explanation noted an increase in killings. Francke, head of the major crimes unit. “Let’s face it,” he said, “with a pop- in the county but were handled by lican presidential front-runner has emerged to account for the increase. Prince George’s interim police chief In 2015, Montgomery recorded its ulation of more than 1 million people, other law enforcement agencies: one Donald Trump, over the heads of They noted that other categories of Hank Stawinski said many county cases highest homicide total since 2002, the 30 is not an alarming murder rate.” by Greenbelt police, two by U.S. Park the hundreds of thousands of vis- crime that tend to have an impact on involved “long-standing interpersonal year that six people in the county were What is alarming, according to Police and one by a federal agency in itors at the New Year’s Day event. people —such as burglaries —were disputes” or “disputes that precipitated killed by Beltway snipers John Allen Montgomery officials, is a subset of the fatal shooting of a security guard A CBS reporter interviewed Pate down. In Montgomery, burglaries fell immediate violence.” Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. the homicides linked to gang violence. on the U.S. Census Bureau campus. on the air after the parade. Pate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But he told CBS News in the interview that he considered the billionaire Central America deal brings candidate to be despicable, and that “this is just the start”. Pate said he had paid for anti-Trump messages at hope for Cuban migrants the recent Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl football games. CBS reported that Pate, who likes Trump is a real estate developer, has AFP money was spent in Colombia, on “coyotes”, or donated to Democratic and Repub- people smugglers, and corrupt police milking lican candidates in the past. In the them for bribes. The couple had to leave their current primary campaign leading two children, an 11-year-old daughter and nine- up to the November 2016 presiden- LIBERIA: Cubans risking all to reach the United year-old son, with their parents in Cuba while tial election, he has contributed to States are cheering a deal this week between they made the perilous trip. the campaign of Republican White Central American nations to start flying them The husband, Rene Marti, said there were House hopeful Marco Rubio. out of Costa Rica, where they have been stranded kidnap gangs in Colombia and Guatemala that Critics have called Trump a for weeks. abducted migrant children to demand ransoms, racist following his comments Officials are cautiously describing the oper- and water crossings were especially dangerous. describing Mexican immigrants as ation—due to start next week—as a “pilot plan” “A river, or a sea, needed to be crossed between rapists, and his suggestion to ban involving just 50-200 of the up to 8,000 migrants Panama and Colombia. In this sea, some Cubans all Muslims from entering the US. who are currently in northern Costa Rica. have lost their lives, including a woman who just More than a half million spec- But the Cubans, and the Costa Rican govern- a short time ago, her child fell in and she lost him tators thronged the 9km route of the ment, believe the scheme to fly the Cubans to El immediately,” he said. Sousa said that once they 127th tournament of Roses Parade, Salvador, then put them on buses to cross Gua- made it to America they planned to work hard followed by the 102nd Rose Bowl temala and Mexico to the US border, will soon to be able fly their children over to join them. college football game. be broadened to take most, if not all, of them. Like many others, they said their pitiful wages Spurred by last month’s shoot- “There was a lot of happiness. Everyone went in Cuba —$20-$40 a month—did not cover basic ing in nearby San Bernardino, more running to try to call Cuba, to say ‘We’re going! necessities and the journey was for economic than two dozen federal agencies We’ll be getting there (to the US) soon!’,” said survival. Sousa said the tough life at home was joined forces with police, the larg- Yaniuska Sousa, one of dozens of Cubans being “the direct results of the politics in Cuba.” est security operation in the history. put up in a Methodist church in the Costa Rican With help from churches and the Red Cross, Many of those in the crowd city of Liberia, said of the deal. the Cubans are getting by in the shelters. And looked skyward as the aircraft left She and her husband sold their home in Cuba life goes on. Sousa and others interrupted a meal their short-lived statements against Cuban flags fly near US flag beside the US embassy in Havana. for $8,000, a quarter of which they spent on they were preparing for the migrants to race out- a deep blue backdrop. air tickets to Ecuador. Almost all the rest of the side when a cheer went up. 18 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 AMERICAS

Canadian Kids shot people 5 times PM to visit Washington a week on average in ’15 on March 10

The Washington Post at the victim’s house, 31 more hap- accidental shooting deaths of children. pened at a friend’s house, and another Smart regulation can help. At least 265 children 28 happened at the home of a fam- “Twenty-eight states and the District under the age of 18 ily member. of Columbia have some laws on the OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Min- The shooters tend to be toddlers books that, to varying degrees, hold ister Justin Trudeau and his wife picked up a firearm or young kids firing guns completely gun owners criminally liable if chil- will come to Washington for a state and accidentally on accident or teens playing with dren access their guns,” Everytown visit on March 10, the White House shot themselves or guns recklessly, as data from Eve- reported last year. announced, a sign of the deepening rytown shows. And research suggests these laws ties between President Obama and someone else with it It’s unclear whether these num- work: A 2005 study found that child his Canadian counterpart. in 2015. bers are going up or down, because access prevention (CAP) laws in 10 White House press secretary this is the first time these figures have states prevented 829 injuries in 2001, Josh Earnest said that the visit by been tallied. “This is the first attempt saving $37 million in medical costs. A Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gré- at making an account at this scale and study in the Journal of the American goire-Trudeau, will include a state this degree, and we as an organiza- Medical Association in 2004 found dinner as well as working meetings. The Washington Post tion started doing it this year,” said Ted that CAP laws prevented 333 teen sui- It will mark the first state visit by a Alcorn, Everytown’s research direc- cides between 1989 and 2001. Canadian prime minister since 1997. tor, in an interview. Even more important than the “The visit will be an opportunity Alcorn stresses that this number is legislation, though, is the change in for the United States and Canada to NEW YORK: Last week the four-year- an undercount. They spend time ver- societal norms that comes with it. deepen their bilateral relationship, old son of an Alaska state trooper had ifying each shooting via news reports “In the end, it’s much more impor- which is one of the closest and most just returned home from sledding. He and follow-ups with law enforcement. tant that communities, parents, and extensive in the world and is based was playing by himself in the living There are about 30 more shooting cases gun owners just adopt a slightly dif- on a shared history, common values, room. His mom and grandmother were that they’re still working on verify- ferent perspective around how they and a vast and intricate network of not far away, in the kitchen, But some- ing for the year, he said. store firearms to make sure they’re cultural, familial, and commercial how the boy, William Anderson, found The CDC does tally uninten- safe,” Alcorn said. ties,” Earnest said recently. “The visit a gun belonging to his father. The gun tional gun deaths among children, Finally, Alcorn points out that data also is intended to advance coop- went off and killed William. for instance. But investigations by the are limited on these shootings because eration on important bilateral and This type of thing happens more New York Times and other groups of a Congressional rule that restricts multilateral issues, such as energy than it should. At least 265 children have found that these numbers are the CDC from conducting research and climate change, security, and under the age of 18 picked up a firearm typically undercounted, sometimes that can be construed as advocating the economy.” and accidentally shot themselves or drastically, due to idiosyncrasies in for gun control. The 43-year-old leader of Cana- someone else with it in 2015, according how coroners and medical examin- Up until 2004, for instance, the dian’s Liberal Party, who ousted to numbers compiled by the gun con- ers keep their records. CDC’s Behavioural Risk Factor Sur- Canada’s Conservative prime min- trol advocacy group Everytown USA. “We wanted to look more deeply veillance survey asked people about ister Stephen Harper in October, That works out to about five acci- at what happens when children get whether they kept firearms at home has already garnered international dental shootings by children each week access to firearms, and then harm and if they were locked up. attention for his telegenic looks and this year. Of those, 83 ended in death: someone unintentionally,” Alcorn But now, “the CDC no longer tracks exuberant approach to governing. The underage shooters killed them- said. “If a child gets harmed with a that. As part of the fallout of the attacks In November, when Trudeau selves 41 times and other people 42 gun and gets medical care and sur- on CDC by Congress, they ultimately and Obama met for the first time times. It’s important to note that this vives, we should be just as concerned withdrew those questions and have at the Asia-Pacific Economic Coop- tally only includes accidental shoot- with that as with one that is fatal.” not asked them in the last 10 years,” eration summit in Manila, the US ings. It doesn’t include homicides by As the title of Everytown’s report Alcorn said. president told him “I know Canadi- teens and suicides. implies, these shootings and inju- “This is a continued blind spot on ans are incredibly inspired by your The shootings usually seem to hap- ries aren’t complete accidents. Prior the most important way to reduce message of hope and change,” but pen when a kid finds an unsecured gun research by the group found that these injuries and deaths — which A file picture of a view of a table of weapons at One Police Plaza in Trudeau would have to take precau- at home, like William did. One hundred proper gun storage — locked up and is to change the norms around how New York. US President Barack Obama, in his weekly address, called on tions if he wanted to preserve his forty-eight of the shootings happened unloaded — could prevent 70 percent of people store firearms.” everyone to join him in the fight to reduce gun violence. youthful appearance. At the time, Trudeau had earned the nickname #APEChottie on Twitter. “I just want to point out that I had no gray hair when I was in your shoes seven years ago,” the presi- From where do guns used in crimes come from? dent said. “So if you don’t want to have gray hair like me, you have to start dying it soon.” While Obama developed a The Washington Post commit crimes in a state other than country’s biggest population, also has per-capita basis. It bears repeating that firearms after they’re sold by a licensed good working relationship with the one they were purchased in. The a high number of crime guns. But it’s the majority of crime guns in ATF’s dealer. How does a gun lawfully pur- Harper, especially when it came map here shows which states these bor- also clear that the prevalence of crime data — 72 percent of them — were chased in Mississippi end up being used to countering terrorism overseas, der-crossing crime guns came from. guns isn’t just due to population. New purchased in-state. in a homicide in Chicago a decade later? he is ideologically closer to Tru- NEW YORK: At the state level, more In 2014, over 3,200 firearms origi- York, for instance, has the fourth-high- So most bad guys are getting their That’s the type of question better fire- deau. Trudeau and Obama worked guns typically means more crime and nally purchased in Georgia where used est population in the country, but it’s guns closer to home. But the relatively arms research could answer. together in recent weeks to help more death, researchers have con- to commit crimes in other states, mak- not even close to the biggest crime gun high numbers of firearms moving But Congress has explicitly made it forge a new international pact on sistently found. So some states have ing it the biggest exporter of crime guns exporter. Georgia is the 8th-biggest across state borders represent a chal- difficult, if not impossible, for research- climate change, a subject which enacted stricter laws to limit gun pur- in the US Texas, Virginia and Florida state but is number 1 when it comes lenge for lawmakers. ers to answer these questions. A budget was a source of tension between chases and to keep firearms from weren’t far behind with over 2,500 to crime guns. One important thing to note is that rider known as the Tiahrt Amendment, the two countries under Harper’s falling into the wrong hands. But these crime guns each. West Virginia is the biggest exporter the average time between when a gun passed in 2004, makes it unlawful for leadership because of his support efforts can be undermined by the free Arizona and Pennsylvania were of crime guns at the per-capita level, is purchased and when it’s used in a ATF’s detailed gun trace data — which for Canada’s oil sands industry. flow of guns across state borders, some each the source of over 2,000 guns with 52 crime guns per every 100,000 crime is over 10 years. contains information on individual Canada’s economic importance of it legal, some of it not. used in crimes elsewhere. residents. Alaska and Mississippi also This means that people aren’t typ- purchasers, guns and retailers—from to the United States is significant: Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Part of this is simply a function of rank highly, as do a number of states ically buying in one place and then being used for any purpose other than It ranks as America’s largest trad- Tobacco and Firearms underscores this population — states with more peo- in the south and mountain west. immediately driving across state lines crime investigation. ing partner, with more than $2bn point: In 2014, ATF traced the source ple are going to have more gun shops, States with stricter gun laws, like to commit a crime. That means it’s off-limits for a day in goods and services; its of over 170,000 guns used in crimes and hence more guns that will eventu- New York, Massachusetts, New Jer- But that 10-year window does make researchers who could use that infor- third largest foreign investor; and in the US. And well over a quarter of ally make their way elsewhere. That’s sey and California, on the other hand, something of an argument for bet- mation to learn more about where crime its single biggest foreign energy them — 28 percent — were used to why a state like California, with the export relatively few crime guns on a ter ability to track what happens to guns come from.. supplier. Chilean architecture stands test of earthquakes

AFP The standard is that buildings must that saves lives, but clients are even save lives during an earthquake by more demanding, said Juan Carlos de remaining standing. la Llera, a researcher at Chile’s Catho- Chilean law also holds builders lia- lic University who has patented some SANTIAGO: Some people run into the ble for construction deficiencies, giving of the most recent anti-earthquake street during an earthquake, but Rene them ample incentive to make sure technology. There is no such thing as Lagos would rather be indoors — pref- their structures are quake-resistant. zero risk in an earthquake, but Chil- erably on the top floor of a skyscraper. That means investing in enough ean architects have become masters The Chilean engineer crunched the steel, concrete and anti-quake tech- at getting as close as possible thanks numbers for some of the tallest build- nology to last a building’s lifetime. to anti-quake measures. ings in Santiago, and he loves to feel “The engineering design (of a One of the methods is base iso- them move when earthquakes strike building) is fully integrated into the lation, which decouples the building — as they do regularly in Chile, one architectural design,” said Fern- proper from its substructure, protecting of the world’s most seismically active ando Guarello, a former director of it with layers of rubber and steel that countries. the national architects’ association. act like the shock absorbers on a car. “Everything that’s going to fall has Keeping buildings upright through They reduce potential damage by already fallen,” says Lagos from the years of quakes large and small is no 80 percent — but are currently only 24th floor of a high-rise in the Chilean small feat, he added. required in essential public buildings capital. “When a strong earthquake The country learned some key such as hospitals. Then there is energy comes along, I just try to enjoy it.... lessons from an 8.8-magnitude earth- dissipation: mechanical systems that I spend my life designing buildings quake that struck on February 27, 2010. pass the energy of an earthquake onto for this occasion, so I can’t let myself The quake and subsequent tsunami specialized devices that crumple or get so nervous I don’t experience it.” killed more than 500 people. yield, so that the building absorbs less Chile is located on the Pacific One of the lasting images of the of the impact. They reduce potential Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a seismically disaster was of low-income housing damage by 40 percent. De la Llera turbulent region where many of Earth’s projects that collapsed like a house of is currently working on retrofitting volcanic eruptions and earthquakes cards because the builder had used one of Santiago’s oldest buildings with occur. In the past five years, the South steel rebar that was thinner than base isolation: The Basilica del Sal- American country has had three huge required. Lawmakers tightened the vador, a 19th-century building that earthquakes with a magnitude greater rules after that, and builders doubled was badly damaged in the 1985 and than eight. But it is also resilient, thanks down on new anti-quake technology. 2010 quakes. There will undoubtedly People work by an antiseismic sink in a building in Santiago. largely to its demanding building code. The law demands architecture be plenty of chances to see if it works.

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER Minimum: 17o C Maximum: 20o C

FAJR 04.59 am ZUHR 11.38 am MAGHRIB 04.58 pm HIGH TIDE 00:45 - 10:15 Partly cloudy with chance of scattered rain at places at first SHOROOK 06.20 am ASR 02.37 pm ISHA 06.28 pm LOW TIDE 03:15 - 18:30 becomes slight dust at times and cold by night

20 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 MORNING BREAK

ONLINE CHART BUST High on air www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Attack owl returns, MOST READ targeting US workers

China restructures military as Xi eyes PORTLAND: An owl that achieved notoriety last winter 1 ‘strong army’ for attacking joggers in an Oregon park has returned and is now turning its talons on government work- Saudi-led coalition announces end ers, state officials said. 2 of Yemen ceasefire The barred owl has clawed at least three peo- ple outside the state Capitol in Salem in a series Qatar Charity to fund treatment of Syrian of attacks since late November, city parks depart- 3 refugees in Lebanese hospital ment spokeswoman Tibby Larson said. “It’s silent. You’re just walking along, minding your own business, and an owl comes silently at you from behind,” Larson said. TWEET OF THE DAY Although rare, owl attacks are not unheard of across the US. Several attacks on joggers were reported in a Maryland park in October, and an owl attacked a Louisiana police officer on Christmas Eve, according to media reports. The Oregon attacks are taking place near state government offices in Salem, but the owl is proba- bly more interested in impressing potential mates than in making a political statement, Larson said, noting such attacks occur during courtship season. Salem’s aggressive barred owl first struck local res- Sever Freund of Germany soars through the air during a trial jump for the idents last January and February in incidents that third jumping of the 64th four-hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck, inspired MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow to unveil Austria, yesterday. an “attack owl” street sign on her programme.

Rutting season Model predicts ‘shelf life’ for archival collections

London: Scientists at University College London (UCL) have developed demographic models of decay and loss to predict when a large library or archival collection might age beyond repair. “Although some library mate- rials might easily survive thousands of years some have internal clocks triggering faster decay. Using the demographic models we can now easily predict how much more degradation will be induced by a hotter and more INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY humid climate in the future, and perhaps more importantly, how this can be mitigated,” lead author professor Matija Strlic said. The model developed by Strlic’s team explores what makes an histor- ical paper unfit for use, the degradation of historical documents due to handling, and how heritage resources can be managed and stored with more economical and environmental sustainability, according to a UCL statement. The team developed an equation describing how the length of cel- lulose, the dominant macromolecule in paper, decreases with time View from the Two deer lock horns during the annual rutting season depending on the acidity of paper and the environmental conditions dur- Doha Corniche, in Richmond Park in west London, Britain, yesterday. ing storage. by Salim Matramkot

Ex-child soldier blazes ultra running trail Brazil defends treasures of its ‘Blue Amazon’ AFP “She is very consistent in her speed (and) never seems to get tired.” Rai made her racing debut in March 2014, running a steep 50km course along AFP way back from Trindade the ship will KATHMANDU: As a child soldier with Nepal’s the hills overlooking the Kathmandu valley. patrol the oil-drilling areas, expel- Maoists, Mira Rai learned to fire guns, disarm Dressed in a cheap t-shirt and shoes that cost ling any unauthorized vessels that opponents and race down trails, little imagining $4, she ran for hours before she felt dizzy and TRINDADE ISLAND, Brazil: Hun- stray into the security zone. But first her guerrilla drills would help make her one of stopped. dreds of years ago, Brazil’s southern it must take supplies and personnel the world’s top ultra runners.“It is like a dream, “I borrowed money to buy juice and noodles Atlantic waters were sailed by pirates to Trindade, home to a few scientists beyond anything I ever imagined. I was just a girl and started running again,” she said. in search of plunder. Now these remote and about 30 navy personnel. from a village,” Rai said. Soon, Rai crossed the finish line, winning her depths, dubbed the “Blue Amazon”, When the British astronomer The daughter of a poor Nepali farmer, Rai first race and prizes that included a new pair of hold richer treasures for scientists. Edmond Halley stepped off his boat was only 14 when she ran away from home to running shoes. Nowadays it is the Brazilian navy here in 1700 with a herd of sheep fight alongside Maoist rebels seeking to over- Since then, she has notched up an impres- that patrols the seas off the country’s and goats, he set Trindade on the throw the government. sive set of victories, bagging gold in 13 of the 20 eastern coast to protect its oil plat- path to devastation. The animals “In our society, girls are supposed to behave national and international races she has taken part forms and mineral reserves in a region bred uncontrollably, eating away in a certain way. I didn’t want to be confined by in, including Italy’s 83-kilometre Trail Degli Eroi. teeming with turtles and whales. the island’s vegetation and the eggs that,” said Rai, now aged 26. Her victory at Chamonix vaulted her to second And hundreds of miles over the of the island’s green turtles and dis- She chafed at the rules she was expected to place among female ultra runners in the Skyrun- water on the small island of Trindade, rupting its water courses. obey as a teenage girl living in a patriarchal coun- ners World Series which involves races in five naturalists are working to recover a Brazil won control of the island try and the Maoist call for revolution resonated continents. paradise that was ruined by British in the late 19th century. A strategic with her. Although Nepal is considered an ideal spot settlers in the 18th century. spot in the mid-Atlantic, it was the “The Maoists gave opportunities to women, for trail running, racing remains a niche activity The Brazilian navy patrol ship scene of a sea battle between Brit- they treated us equally. I saw that women could with the Himalayan nation hosting just a handful APA sets sail from Rio de Janeiro for ish and German ships at the outbreak fight like men, be brave. I built up my confidence of events each year, including the world’s highest Trindade, which lies 1,167 kilometers of World War I. In the 1990s, Brazil there,” Rai said. She practised firearm drills and marathon held in the foothills of Mount Everest. from Vitoria in southeastern Brazil. finally decided to cull hundreds of competed with other cadres in running contests Other Nepali athletes are making their mark in Dozens of fixed and floating oil rampant goats, sheep and pigs to save designed to build endurance. ultra running, with soldier Samir Tamang crowned platforms line the horizon. Brazil drills the island’s native species. “I did very well, I even used to outrun the Asian men’s skyrunning champion after win- 90 percent of its oil from beneath the The last goat was shot down in boys,” she recalled. Today, Rai ranks among the ning this year’s 50-kilometre MSIG Sai Kung 50 sea bed in this ocean region of 3.6 2005. Now little by little, scientists say, world’s leading ultra runners after a record- in Hong Kong. million sq km. But the waters also the rocky island is regaining its natural breaking win in the 80km Mont Blanc race in Both Rai and Tamang are supported by Trail conceal other seabed resources: diversity. No tourists come to the island Chamonix, France, last June, when she beat her Running Nepal, an organisation that promotes gold, phosphorous, manganese and and inhabitants are banned from bath- nearest rival by 22 minutes. ultra running, but finding sponsors is a challenge lime deposits which have numerous ing in the sea on most of the beaches or But when the decade-long insurgency ended for local athletes. “Sponsorship is near impossible,” uses in construction and agriculture. even walking on them alone because in 2006, Rai, like many Maoist foot soldiers, Richard Bull, founder of Trail Running Nepal, said. Among the organisms in the ocean are of fierce tidal waves that crash onto was left with little in the way of cash or career “For trail running to grow in Nepal, we need “calcareous algae”, useful to farmers, the shores. “On my first mission here prospects. people to organise (more) races. If it grows, then says Cesar de Melo, an agronomist at in 1994, I found the island devastated,” Desperate for work, she prepared to leave finding sponsors will be easier.” Lavras Federal University. said Ruy Valka Alves, a botanist from Nepal for a job in a Malaysian electronics fac- Rai, now sponsored by the multinational sports He says that Brazil imports 80 Brazil’s National Museum, who has vis- tory before being scouted by a Kathmandu-based equipment company Salomon, is a rare success percent of its fertilizer, while one of ited Trindade about 20 times. karate instructor, Dhurba Bikram Malla, who urged story, with a recent race yielding $1,500 in prize nature’s best fertilizers is teeming in “Today I believe the vegetation her to stay. money, double Nepal’s annual per capita income. Nepalese athlete Mira Rai stretches before the nearby ocean. De Melo has spent is clearly regenerating. We have Rai gave up her plans and started training Yet she shrugs off her accomplishments, insist- a training session on the hills surrounding 20 years studying its benefits. tested it through field work and sat- -- initially doing practice runs on the capital’s ing she has been lucky. “I have been fortunate to Kathmandu. As a child soldier with Maoists, Mira Using the algae as fertilizer, he ellite images,” he added. “The water congested roads because she could not afford the get opportunities... I want to inspire other women, Rai learned to fire guns, disarm opponents and said, “adds minerals to the land and has risen in some of the streams. If 15-cent bus fare to the nearest stadium. tell them that nothing is impossible if we work race down trails, little imagining her guerrilla drills makes it sustainable, increasing crop we let nature run its course, we are “She was very single-minded. If you told her hard,” she said.“There must be so many other would help make her one of the world’s top ultra production and quality and resistance having notable results, even without to do something, she would just do it,” Malla said. Mira Rais in Nepal.” runners. to pests and plant diseases.” On the intervening further.” www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

PAGE | 22 QE 10,429.36 -6.31 PTS PAGE | 23 China vows to push DOW 17,425.03 -178.84 PTS Investors try to reforms while FTSE100 6,242.32 -31.73 PTS interpret Draghi’s expanding global role BRENT $37.28 +2.25% next move at ECB.

SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 • 23 Rabia I 1437 the peninsula newspaper @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Qatar weathers emerging market storm

to be weathering the gathering 2.37m in May, up 9.2 percent year- non-hydrocarbon growth. Com- expenditure (GFCE) looks to have Qatar maintains storm in emerging market. on-year as job opportunities in pared to Q4, 2014, GDP grew by grown by 10 percent year-on-year its edge as the Although with the excep- non-hydrocarbon sectors such 3.4 percent. In the first quarter to QR29.7bn in the second quar- tion of the FTSE upgrade, there as finance, hotels, restaurants the hydrocarbon sector con- ter of this year. It also suggested government remains a lack of immediate cat- and trade and transport open up. tracted by0.1percent, compared a 1.5 percent rise against spend- continues to spend alyst for Qatari stocks, even so Citing Qatari official data, the to Q12014, while the non hydro- ing in Q1, 2015. Qatar maintains its edge as the report noted Qatar’s long term carbon sector increased by 8.9 Nonetheless there remain freely. government continues to spend infrastructure spending will percent because of an increase stresses in Qatari market. Qatar’s freely, even as energy prices continue, driven by low gearing in construction, (up 11.4 percent), gross national income (GNI) remain depressed. Despite all accumulated budget surpluses trading, hospitality and finan- plunged 17.2 percent year-on-year depressed energy prices, Qatari and Qatar having one of the low- cial sector activity . The financial to QR150.81bn in the second quar- By Satish Kanady is expected to post a limited low est break even oil prices for its oil sector rose by 9.8 percent, while ter (Q2) of this year. The country’s The Peninsula budget deficit in 2016, the Qatar production in the region. Notwith- trade, hotels and restaurants sec- gross national savings declined country analysis noted. standing investment related to tors combined grew by 9.3 percent 29.9 percent year-on-year to Last year was a partic- 10-15 percent; chemicals and Despite increase in vacancies, the FIFA World Cup, that Qatar’s in the quarter., compared with QR77.15bn and it was down 4,2 ularly unique year for GCC telecoms around 30 percnet, rents have remained strong during GDP is expected to continue to the same quarter last year. percent against Q1, 2015. The gross economies due to decline of although for different reasons, DOHA: Despite plunge in oil Q2 and Q3, 2015, primarily due to grow by at least 5 percent over An increase in sovereign saving ratio to nominal GDP in Q2, oil prices to unexpectedly low and “utility” stocks like Nakilat prices, Qatar has held up rela- an increase in population. Popula- the mid-term, backed largely spending is in line with the rise 2015 has been estimated at 50.4 levels. Compared to this precip- and Qatar Electricity actually tively well in the current rout in tion growth is expected to remain by government led spending in production of public goods and percent compared to 58.2 per- itous decline in oil price, Qatari went up by around 5 percent emerging market stocks. FTSE strong as infrastructure spend- in infrastructure. Qatar’s GDP services to cater to Qatar’s grow- cent n the previous year period. stocks declined a mere 15 per- and 15 percent respectively, a Global Market’s ‘emerging mar- ing attracts expatriate workers. increased 4.1 percent in Q1 2015 ing population. In consequence, The comparative figure for Q1, cent in 2015. Drilling down, top market analyst told The ket’ analysis noted Qatar appears The population of Qatar touched compared to Q12014, driven by the government’s consumption 2015 was 50.5 percent. bank stocks declined between Peninsula yesterday.

Japan celebrates New Year sales Beema unveils new insurance service

The Peninsula Nasser Al Misnad (pictured), Beema’s CEO, said: “We are taking convenience and peace of mind to a DOHA: Damaan Islamic Insurance whole new level, by providing com- Company (Beema), announces a new plimentary door to door service for service: ‘Peace of Mind’ commenced comprehensive motor insurance pol- from January 1 that changes the service icy delivery, and now motor insurance landscape of Qatar’s rapidly growing claims services. With this innovative insurance industry. service offering, Beema is marking With this service, Beema’s custom- another first in Qatar’s burgeoning ers who have comprehensive motor motor insurance industry.” insurance policy with effect from Jan- He further said that this service uary 1 can lodge a claim in case of a can be enjoyed by individual custom- car accident, without even stepping ers and not fleet or companies. foot outside their home or office. Beema has made concerted efforts The customer, after getting the in the last year to create a paradigm- traffic accident report, just needs to shift in Qatar’s insurance industry call Beema and its representative service levels. By taking this leader- will verify the eligibility of the repair, ship role, Beema has developed into whether to be repaired in the dealer or the fastest-growing Islamic insurance workshop, and accordingly arrange customer’s place prior to the sched- company in Qatar. an appointment with the respective uled date. Once the repair is completed, The company has its site set on Japanese shoppers pick up “lucky bags” containing items worth three times their price tag during a dealer or workshop. the customer is notified and all that further improvements that make it department store sale to celebrate a new year of business in Tokyo yesterday. Lucky bags are sold Once the dealer or workshop con- he or she needs to do is to go and col- even easier for Qatar residents to get each year to celebrate the New Year, Japan’s biggest holiday of the year. firms the date, Beema’s representative lect the vehicle from the dealer or the insured, and protect themselves and arrange to collect the vehicle from workshop. their loved ones. As US startups pile up, 2016 tech IPOs will face tough investors

Bloomberg founders and investors are always chasing. managing director at Morgan Stanley, who set a high bar for successful tech IPOs, remind- of them from getting prepared and acting like For the most part, technology companies oversees tech financing at the investment bank. ing founders eyeing the public markets that a public company in advance of an offering,” avoided the public markets in 2015, with the Less availability of private funding may also a lucrative offering is still possible when the said Ryan Sweeney, a partner at Accel Partners. NEW YORK: Expect a resurrection of technol- help of large private funding rounds that totaled prompt more companies to face the scrutiny numbers are right. It also points to a part of the industry that ogy initial public offerings in 2016 as private $51bn, CB Insights said. That’s more than six of the public markets to get capital, he said. On the other hand, payments company may continue to attract strong valuations. RBC’s fundraising options cool. But when it comes times the $8.26bn raised in US tech and Internet Recent IPOs are illustrative of the promise Square Inc.’s stock priced in November well Goldberg and Morgan Stanley’s Stewart both to valuations, it may not be pretty. public offerings this year — the widest diver- — and pitfalls — of going public in these days below its marketed range (and its private said enterprise software makers will remain After a slow year for tech IPOs, market-bound gence since at least 2000, according to data of increased scrutiny of tech company balance valuation) as investors questioned its road a popular group. Companies that sell tools for companies will need to show profitability — in from CB Insights and Bloomberg. sheets. Lackluster public offering valuations to profitability. All-flash storage company businesses have been better received by inves- addition to lofty promises of sales growth — The number of companies in the industry late in the year also serve as cautionary tales for Pure Storage Inc’s public value of $2.96bn tors because revenue models and cash flow before investors are willing to pile into share that went public — 48 — was also the lowest private investors who hoped for lofty returns. at its October market debut was largely are typically more predictable than consumer sales the way they have in the past. since 2011’s 45, according to data compiled by Public investors were willing to pay up for unchanged from the private valuation it tech businesses, the bankers said. “Investor sentiment has changed for those Bloomberg. Equity market volatility, which a piece of collaboration software maker Atlas- fetched 18 months prior. “Companies with strong growth and fun- kinds of companies,” said Michael Goldberg, picked up in August, further delayed some of sian Corp. after the company pitched its track Companies that have already gone public, damentals will be well received regardless co-head of US equity capital markets at Royal the biggest expected offerings across industries. record of conservative spending, annual reve- like artisan goods marketplace Etsy Inc. and of market timing,” Sweeney said of the next Bank of Canada, of young IPO-bound tech com- Still, those companies waiting for better nue growth upwards of 40 percent and 10 years flash-sales site Groupon Inc, face concerns wave of tech IPOs. panies. “They embrace growth but they want market conditions may find themselves ford- of net income. The shares sold in mid-Decem- from investors about revenue growth and prof- One such company, Nutanix Inc., filed in to see a path to profitability and to cash flow.” ing uncertain waters, as bankers and investors ber above their already increased marketed itability, as shares languish below their IPO the last week of the year for an IPO to list its The backlog of closely held technology and say concerns about high private-market val- IPO range, valuing the Sydney-based com- prices. These underscore how once-darling Class A stock on the Nasdaq stock market, with Internet companies has piled up, with more uations may curb investments in non-public pany at about $4.4bn — more than its $3.3bn tech companies can fall out of favor with pub- a $200m offering size placeholder, an amount than 144 valued at more than $1bn, research companies. “No longer will private placements private value. lic investors if they don’t eventually show net used to calculate filing fees that may change. firm CB Insights said in a recent report. That be the main domain where you can find very By being consistently profitable, Atlassian income growth. The abundance of late-stage Cloud computing firms Twilio Inc. and Coupa $1bn mark turns private companies into uni- strong valuations with a plethora of investors was an outlier among unicorns, where growth- private money has “not only delayed compa- Software Inc. are also preparing to sell shares corns, named after the mythical creature that hanging around the hoop,” said Colin Stewart, at-any-cost is the norm. The company’s deal nies from going public, it’s also delayed some next year, according to reports. 22 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS

Britain to Leatherworld Middle East to open in April review airport shop sales as More than 125 exhibitors are expected at the retailers pocket three-day event to capitalise on the GCC’s tax savings leather trade valued at $4.09bn in 2014. Reuters

The Peninsula successful debuts in 2015, headed by LONDON: Britain is to review Dani, the Italian supplier of sustainable airport retail sales after some leathers, Indian companies Hidesign, businesses were found to be DOHA: International leather makers and C&E; and UAE-based leather sup- pocketing about half of tax are training their sights on the Gulf plier Afriwest. Conceria Superior from savings meant for passengers, region’s $6bn leather industry, with Italy headlines the first-time exhibi- rather than passing on the dis- several big names already confirming tors taking part in 2016. count, the government said. their participation at the Middle East’s All will build on the show’s break- Most retailers at British air- only trade show covering the global out debut success, where nearly 2,400 ports, who include WH Smith leather industry’s entire value chain. trade buyers from 66 countries passed and Dixons Carphone, ask pas- The 2nd edition of Leatherworld through, while 86 exhibitors from 16 sengers to show boarding cards Middle East will take place from April countries showcased their latest wares, when paying for goods, typ- 26 to28 at the Dubai International Con- from hundreds of variations of ani- ically citing security as the vention and Exhibition Centre, and mal hides, production machinery and reason. will return following a rousing indus- chemicals, to leather handbags, foot- A newspaper reported in try response to the inaugural show in wear, accessories, and garments. August, however, that some use May 2015. Ahmed Pauwels, CEO Messe the information to avoid pay- More than 125 exhibitors are Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser ing 20 percent value-added tax expected at the three-day event in of Leatherworld Middle East, said: (VAT) on goods headed outside 2016, all eager to capitalise on the “After three days of busy networking, the European Union. GCC’s leather trade that according to knowledge sharing, and insights into Leather goods on display at an exhibition. The report prompted a analysts Euromonitor, was valued at the latest global leather trends, Leath- backlash from consumers, with $4.09bn in 2014. That figure includes erworld Middle East 2015 firmly made many refusing to show their the import and export of semi-fin- its mark on the regional and interna- be forged and the distinct leather smell prestigious fashion institute ESMOD encompasses tanneries (semi-finished boarding cards to retailers. ished and finished leather, accessories, tional leather market.” will permeate the air, it’s the three-day Dubai will showcase their creative tal- and finished leather), chemicals, and Announcing the review, the travel goods, handbags and footwear. “The GCC’s $4.09bn worth of leather event’s returning features that are set ents with an inspiring array of leather machinery to finished leather goods, government said in a statement The GCC is also a leather manu- imports and exports in 2014, along with to grab plenty of attention. garments at Leatherworld Middle East’s including footwear, bags, wallets, that some airport retailers were facturing hub; $1.9bn worth of dressed $1.9bn worth of manufacturing capa- The popular Trend Area is among Designers’ Area. accessories, furniture and every- keeping up to an estimated 50 leather, luggage, handbags, saddlery, bilities reinforces an ideal backdrop for these, where an exclusive range of lux- Other exclusive product zones thing derived from leather, bringing pence of every pound of poten- harnesses and footwear were produced Leatherworld Middle East to become urious global leather innovations and include ‘The Shoe Box’, a section ded- together industry stakeholders all tial sales tax savings, in the Gulf region in 2014, with Saudi one of the world’s premier trade and animal hides will be seen for the first icated entirely for footwear; and ‘The under one roof. instead of passing them on Arabia ($1.1bn), the UAE ($468m), and networking platforms.” time in the region, from stingray skin Fashion Avenue’, where suppliers of Supporting Associations of the Mid- to consumers. Qatar ($250m) the region’s big three Leatherworld Middle East 2016 will pouches and laser printed calf hides, to high street fashion leather products dle East’s annual leather showpiece “Value-added tax relief at leather producers. have a distinct luxury touch that is syn- 22-carat gold-embossed alligator skins. showcase their high-end leather clothes event included the French Federation airports is intended to cut prices Many exhibitors are returning to onymous with all things leather-related, Elsewhere, the UAE’s most talented and accessories. of Tanners, and the French Skins and for those travellers - not be a Leatherworld Middle East 2016 after and while new business alliances will up-and-coming fashion designers at Leatherworld Middle East Hides Syndicate. windfall gain for shops,” Brit- ish finance minister George Osborne said in the statement. Many people could be paying over the odds for their China vows to push reforms while expanding global role purchases because the tax concession was not passed on, he said. “This is simply unacceptable.” Bloomberg up wins such as the yuan’s designation as a glo- a rapidly aging workforce. A spokesman for WH Smith bal reserve currency, his handling of the stock Delivering robust economic growth has been said it would cooperate fully market crash and the slowing economy raised a key source of the party’s legitimacy for more with the review. The company SHANGHAI: Chinese President Xi Jinping (pic- questions about whether the government was than three decades, and any further erosion of also said over half of its air- tured) stressed the need for stable growth and committed to the choices necessary to guide faith in the ability to maintain that pace risks port sales comprising items to press ahead on economic reforms in 2016, as growth lower and ease the economy’s depend- prompting a more direct challenge to its rule. like newspapers, books and the world’s second-largest economy expands its ence on debt. Economic data should soon confirm whether sandwiches, did not attract role on an international stage. Xi also established the Asian Infrastructure China achieved the government’s growth target value-added tax. Xi used his annual New Year’s Eve speech Investment Bank and worked with US President of about 7 percent, the slowest expansion in 25 “The limited benefit that to again emphasise how the country must open Barack Obama to forge a global deal to fight cli- years. Leaders are seeking at least 6.5 percent we obtain in our other product up its markets while lifting the lot of its 1.3 bil- mate change. annual growth in coming years and they plan to categories, where customers lion people, despite an economy growing at its “China won’t be absent from international increase the deficit, raising concerns that China travel outside of the European slowest pace in a quarter-century. affairs,” Xi said. “China will always keep its arms still isn’t prepared to confront debt estimated at Union only, is reflected in our “We need to keep pushing forward structural open to the world and will lend a hand to people 280 percent of gross domestic product. single pricing policy for all cus- reform as well as opening up, and keep promot- in difficulties as much as we can. Let’s make our In 2015, Xi widened an ideological clamp- tomers, which overall provides ing social fairness,” Xi said in the speech aired ‘circle of friends’ wider and wider.” down on government critics, even those among better value,” a spokesman said. by China Central Television, adding the need to The coming months will clarify the extent the party’s 88 million members. A revised code Dixons Carphone said it had build a harmonious political environment. “We The address marked the end of Xi’s most chal- of Xi’s success in managing the country’s eco- of conduct for cadres was released in October, no further comment to add. need to pave the way toward a moderately pros- lenging year since taking power in November nomic deceleration, amid efforts to streamline that prohibits “improper discussion” of party perous society.” 2012. While the Communist Party chief racked bloated state-owned enterprises and confront policies and principles. Dubai non-oil foreign trade hits Dh966bn Chase, Wal-Mart seek

Qatar News Agency customs warehouses Dh23bn. Dubai has seen a high-value for- prices was contained by a remarkable to disrupt mobile “Dubai has been exemplary in sur- eign trade due to the substantial increase in its traded volume to 1.028 mounting the impact of the trade and upsurge in the total volume of goods million kg in the first nine months of DUBAI: Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade economic hardships the world is cur- imported, exported or re-exported via 2015, compared to around 977 thou- reached Dh966bn during the first nine rently facing,” said the Chairman of the emirate offsetting the impact of sand kg in the same period of 2014. payments business months of 2015, compared to Dh988 Ports, Customs and Free Zone Cor- lower commodity prices. The quantity Gold also had the second biggest Billion over the same period in 2014, poration (PCFC), and Chairman of DP of commodities traded went up 5 per- share in the total value of Dubai foreign despite the fall in oil and gold prices. World, Sultan Ahmad bin Sulayem. cent from 60.6 million tonnes in the trade during January-September 2015 Imports had the biggest share of the “The foreign trade sector has enhanced first nine months of 2014 to 63.7 mil- with a value worth Dh92.54bn. Phones Bloomberg data on what their customers buy, overall trade with a value of Dh597bn Dubai’s capacity to build sustainable lion tonnes in the same period in 2015 and telecommunications equipment and when. Banks similarly dislike while exports and re-exports totalled economic growth. Alongside other eco- a growth of 3.1 million tonnes. Like- came first with a 6.3 percent growth paying fees for Apple Pay transac- Dh100bn and Dh269bn respectively. nomic sectors, particularly tourism, it wise, during the last four years from and Dh137.6 billion market share. PORTLAND: American consumers tions. Thus, financial institutions and From January to September 2015, has positioned Dubai as a leading glo- 2012 to 2015, the volume of goods in Aluminium trade jumped 42.68 will have more choices in 2016 for retailers have incentive to push out direct trade contributed Dh603bn of bal and regional trading and business Dubai foreign trade grew by 23 percent percent in the third quarter, totalling how they make purchases with their their own mobile-payment services. Dubai’s total foreign trade value; while hot spot, in spite of the general slow- with an overall increase of 11.86 million a value of Dh12.14bn, whereas jewel- smartphones as big banks and retail- Here are some of the mobile wal- free zones contributed Dh340bn and down in the world economy,” he said. tonnes. The impact of declining gold lery amounted to Dh48.44bn. ers vie for market share against tech lets that will compete for consumers’ giants Apple Inc and Google. attention in 2016: Companies like JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase plans to introduce & Co and Wal-Mart Stores Inc are its own mobile wallet in mid-2016. rolling out their own products just Mobile-banking apps are already used American Airlines merges as mobile-payment apps are catch- by more than half of U.S. smartphone ing on. By 2019, eMarketer estimates owners with bank accounts, according that the total value of transactions to the latest Federal Reserve survey. operations of unit US Air made by tapping a phone on an in- Chase plans to pre-load cards for 94 store terminal will reach $210bn, up million customer accounts “so the from $8.7bn in 2015. customer doesn’t have to do anything For banks and retailers, that but accept the terms and conditions,” Reuters October. presents an opportunity to take on Gordon Smith, CEO of consumer The change is merely an admin- Apple Pay and Google’s Android Pay and community banking at JPMor- istrative step and does not affect the — and maybe save on transaction gan Chase, said in a keynote at the NEW YORK: American Airlines Group company’s employees or customers, fees to boot. Money20/20 conference in October. Inc said its unit US Airways Group American Airlines spokesman Matt “Every one of the top 11 issuers Chase still wants its cards in all mobile merged with the company, as part of Miller said. “With US Airways merged of credit and debit cards by the end wallets, and has decided to support efforts to integrate operations of the into American Airlines and US Air- of next year will have their own ver- Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and other businesses following a merger in 2013. ways Group merged into American sion of Pay,” said Richard Crone, chief competing services. American Airlines Group, the Airlines Group, all of their obliga- executive officer of Crone Consult- Wal-Mart will begin accepting owner of American Airlines, said tions (including debts and liabilities) ing LLC. “Same for retailers. The big payments through its mobile app in US Airways Group and its airline US become the obligations of American losers are going to be the ones with all US stores in the first half of 2016. Airways ceased to exist as a sepa- Airlines and American Airlines Group, nothing.” About 22 million Walmart shoppers rate entity effective Dec. 30, 2015. respectively,” Miller said. At stake is a fight over money and already use the app, which compares The companies have already American’s shares were down consumer data: Retailers loathe pay- prices and offers discounts on items been using a single booking system about 2 percent at $42.00 in morn- An American Airlines aircraft is on the ramp at Dallas-Fort Worth ing fees to accept credit cards in their and will now let customers store their and operating as a single brand since ing trading on Thursday. International Airport. stores and have long sought better credit- and debit-card information. BUSINESS SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 23 Investors try to interpret Draghi’s next move at ECB

first monthly decline since August after the ready to respond to changing circumstances, Even after that setback, euro-area govern- European Central Bank chief suggested that forecasts for the bond market reflect an uncer- ment bonds have eked out a 1.6 percent return Forecasts for the bond officials may have injected enough money into tain outlook. Predictions for the benchmark this year through Tuesday, adding to a gain market reflect an uncertain the euro region’s economy to reach their desired German 10-year bund yield for 2016 range of 13 percent in 2014. They outperformed US outlook. Clarity of Draghi’s inflation rate of just under 2 percent. It marked from 0.4 percent to 1.55 percent. peers, which made 0.7 percent as the Federal a change of tone from November 20, when he The start of QE in March pushed the average Reserve raised interest rates for the first time words has given way to a sent yields on shorter-dated notes to all-time yield on euro-area sovereign debt to a record since 2006 and signaled more to come in 2016. less transparent picture for lows by saying the institution would take any low of 0.43 percent, only for it to surge to as “This so-called policy divergence will be necessary action to lift consumer prices. high as 1.08 percent by the middle of June, the topic of the next year,” said Marius Daheim, investors trying to divine The clarity of Draghi’s words has given way according to indexes developed by Bank of a senior rates strategist at Swedish bank SEB the ECB’s next move. to a less transparent picture for investors try- America Merrill Lynch. AB in Frankfurt. “The markets will continue ing to divine the ECB’s next move. A market Market turmoil in China and collapsing to be policy driven.” rally driven by its bond-buying programme, commodity prices then reignited fears of defla- He recommended investors favor the euro or quantitative easing, came to an abrupt halt tion, boosting demand for the fixed-coupon region’s higher-yielding bonds, including those Bloomberg in December after Draghi unveiled a package payments on bonds and pushing the average of Italy and Spain, for positive returns. of measures that suggested to some people he yield down to 0.57 percent by December 2. A “The pressure will be on the ECB to do some- was facing resistance within the central bank economist at Rabobank International in the day later, it jumped to 0.73 percent as German thing,” said Kit Juckes, a London-based global EDINBURGH: If the year 2015 was about read- for additional stimulus. Dutch city of Utrecht. “That could be the real yields surged the most since 2011 because the strategist at Societe Generale SA. For Draghi, ing Mario Draghi’s (pictured) lips, 2016 will be “With the last decision it was very clear story for 2016: not only how willing is the ECB ECB confined its latest stimulus efforts to a cut “it’s more a question of adjustments to the tiller about reading his mind. to me that the hawks took over the steering to do more but also are they still able to?” in its deposit rate and an extension of QE by at to keep the boat sailing in this direction but German 10-year bonds are headed for their wheel,” said Elwin de Groot, a senior market While Draghi has said the ECB remains least six months. not get buffeted by other events. He’s reactive.”

Turkish December Oman to slash trade deficit falls US Treasuries set for measured losses budget deficit 30pc to $6.12bn Bloomberg can lift them,” said Scott Buchta, the while China’s slowing economy and 0.4 percent in the 12 months ended in head of fixed-income strategy at Brean plunging commodity prices stymied November. 27pc this year Capital in New York and a nearly three- inflation, capping yields. The difference between yields on Reuters NEW YORK: Treasuries are fore- decade bond- market veteran. Traders The derivatives market is pricing in government debt and similar-maturity cast to decline during the first half of “still see a lot of different headwinds slightly more than two Fed increases Treasury Inflation Protected Securi- 2016, with yield increases moderated from the tax and regulatory side, wage in 2016, compared with the four moves ties, known as the break-even rate, Reuters ISTANBUL: Turkey’s trade deficit in on speculation the Federal Reserve’s growth that really hasn’t been there that Fed officials laid out in their lat- shows traders are pricing in a sub-2 December shrank 30 percent year- monetary-policy normalisation will yet and slack still in the labor force.” est quarterly forecasts. Interest-rate percent US inflation rate for the next on-year to $6.12bn and for 2015 as a prove more gradual than central bank Plunging oil prices and a strong derivatives traders see the fed funds 30 years. MUSCAT: Oman’s government plans whole fell 25.5 percent to $63.14bn, officials foresee. dollar have curtailed upward price rate at about 0.94 percent at the end “We are not clicking on all cylin- to cut its budget deficit to OR3.3bn the Customs and Trade Ministry The median estimate of strategists pressures in the US, where signs of of 2016, compared with the median ders from the economic point of view ($8.6bn) this year from an actual said yesterday. and economists surveyed by Bloomb- economic strength contrast with weak- outlook of central bank officials of yet,” said Buchta, who spent two dec- OR4.5bn — around 27 percent — last Exports fell 10.14 percent to erg shows the 10-year Treasury note ening growth in China and Europe. 1.375 percent. ades at Bear Stearns Cos until its 2008 year, partly through big spending $11.73bn in December, and imports yield rising to 2.55 percent in six months Tame inflation gives little impetus for US economic growth, which slowed purchase by JPMorgan Chase & Co. cuts, Financial Affairs Minister Dar- fell 18.11 percent to $17.84bn, the data from its 2.27 percent level. The yield on Treasury yields to surge as Fed offi- to an annualized rate of 2.1 percent History shows long-term Treas- wish al-Balushi said. showed. For 2015 as a whole, exports the two-year note, the shorter-matu- cials seek to normalize policy without in the third quarter of 2015, is fore- uries often fare well in a rising-rate Oman, a small oil exporter, has fell 8.56 percent to $143.9bn, while rity security more closely tied to the crimping economic activity. cast to be 2.5 percent for all of 2015 environment. Every time the Fed has been hit hard by low oil prices. The imports fell 14.5 percent to $207.1bn. outlook for Fed policy, will rise to 1.33 Forecasters have repeatedly called and remain at the same pace in 2016, raised rates over the past four decades, government originally projected Meanwhile, retail prices in Istanbul, percent by the end of June, which would for higher yields in recent years, as the according to a Bloomberg survey of betting that longer-term Treasuries a deficit of OR2.5bn for last year, Turkey’s largest city, rose 0.83 per- be the highest since 2008, from 1.05 Fed was seen moving closer to tighten- 81 economists. would outperform short-term debt has assuming an average oil price of cent month-on-month in November, percent, forecasters say. ing monetary policy, only to be proven Amid tepid growth, inflation has proved to be a big winner, as higher $75 per barrel, but Brent crude is while wholesale prices rose 0.06 “You have a Fed that will slowly wrong as yields fell or remained low. been below the Fed’s 2 percent target rates stemmed inflation and kept now below $40. percent, the Istanbul Chamber of raise rates, with the market still taking Forecasters lowered estimates in 2015 for more than three years, with the economic growth from overheating, In a statement to official news Commerce said on its website. the under with really how fast the Fed as global central banks added stimulus central bank’s preferred gauge rising according to a data. agency ONA, Balushi estimated state spending this year at OR11.9bn rials, a big drop from last year’s original budget of OR14.1bn, and revenues at OR8.6bn. EU launches scheme Vroom and Dreesman declares bankruptcy He did not specify how the 2016 deficit would be financed, but said the ministry would issue a detailed to tackle failing banks statement on the budget at a later date. The government has been step- ping up local-currency bond issues and has been seeking a $1bn syn- Qatar New Agency fund will also be able to raise money dicated loan. Officials have said on the markets, dpa reported. Oman may also issue its first inter- Troubled lenders will be able to national bonds since 1997. BRUSSELS: The European Union has access the fund if they are unable to Earlier last week, Oman’s cabi- launched a new tool to help shore up fix their financial problems on their net approved in principle spending the economy of the euro currency own. The mechanism should ena- cuts, tax rises and fuel subsidy area, by introducing common rules to ble swift decisions on how to tackle reforms to save money, but did not deal with failing lenders and protect a failing bank, within a weekend if release detailed numbers. taxpayers against the cost of future necessary. Non-eurozone countries Salim al-Aufi, undersecretary bank rescues. can also opt into the scheme, which at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, was The bank wind-down scheme is is mandatory for the 19 members of quoted by the Al-Shabiba news- the second pillar of a crisis-thwart- the currency bloc. paper as saying domestic petrol ing banking union, alongside a single “We now have a system for resolv- prices would rise by no more than a eurozone bank supervisor that was ing banks and of paying for resolution third to a maximum of 42 US cents set up in 2014 to identify lenders in so that taxpayers will be protected a litre under the reforms - remain- trouble at an early stage. from having to bail out banks if they ing among the lowest in the world. Under the new system, named go bust,” said EU Financial Services He said a committee involv- the Single Resolution Mechanism, Commissioner Jonathan Hill. A woman passes by a Vroom and Dreesmann shop in Haarlem, near Amsterdam. Biggest Dutch chain ing several ministries would the banking industry is to stock up a “No longer will the mistakes of of department stores, American-owned Vroom and Dreesman has declared itself bankrupt after years decide prices monthly, with the common rescue fund with an overall banks have to be borne on the shoul- of losses, but said it expected a buyer to come to its rescue. first announcement expected on €55bn over the next eight years. The ders of the many,” he added. January 13. More pain seen for emerging currencies, stocks as China slows

Bloomberg of Singapore Ltd. “The focus for the Fed has of global trade and emerging markets, and Consulting Pte, a Singapore-based advisory shifted from lift-off to the next rate hike. We an inability to stabilise will drive emerging- firm, said from Ho Chi Minh City. “Investors 2015 currency performance could be stuck in the low-for-longer scenario market GDP lower again.” should cherry pick and not treat all EM mar- Year-to-date percent change in dollar spot rate since KUALA LUMPUR: Emerging-market cur- for commodity prices.” The direction of currencies also remains kets as being the same.” previous year-end rencies slumped 2015 by the most since 1997, A measure of 20 developing-nation a “big threat” for equities, he said. In Asia, currencies weakened the year -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 % and analysts are forecasting further losses in exchange rates depreciated 15 percent in The MSCI Emerging Markets Index mainly due to capital outflows in anticipa- Switzerland franc 2016 as China’s economy slows and the US 2015, the steepest slide since the 1997 Asian retreated 17 percent in 2015. Chinese shares tion of higher US interest rates and the impact Hong Kong $ raises interest rates. financial crisis, when it slumped 23 percent. traded in Hong Kong and equities in Brazil, from China’s economic slowdown. Malaysia’s Japan yen The deteriorating sentiment also hurt All but six of the 24 emerging-market cur- Colombia, Turkey and Egypt were among the ringgit led the losses with a 19 percent decline Taiwan $ stocks and bonds, with an index of equities rencies tracked by Bloomberg are expected biggest decliners in 2015. The measure is val- as the slide in Brent crude also cut govern- China yuan covering developing countries posting the to weaken again in the next 12 months, with ued at 11 times projected 12-month earnings. ment revenue for the region’s only major net UK pound biggest annual drop since 2011. The premium Argentina’s peso, the Brazilian real and the The MSCI World Index fell 2.7 percent in 2015 oil exporter. It was the worst annual perform- India rupee South Korea won investors demand to hold emerging-market Indonesian rupiah seen falling the most, and is valued at a multiple of 15.7. ance since 1997. Indonesia’s rupiah dropped Singapore $ sovereign debt widened for an unprecedented according to data compiled by Bloomberg. All 10 industry gauges in the develop- 10 percent, the Thai baht depreciated almost Sweden crown third year after the Federal Reserve took the The former two led losses this year after wip- ing-nation index fell in 2015, led by declines 9 percent and South Korea’s won lost 6.3 per- Poland zloty long-awaited move of tightening monetary ing out at least a third of their value. of 20 percent or more in energy, financial, cent. The rupiah, won and Taiwan’s dollar are Hungary forint policy and signaled more to come. The Bloomberg Commodity Index track- telecommunications, utility and raw-mate- forecast to lead declines in 2016. Euro UBS AG and Citigroup Inc strategists said ing 22 raw materials sank 25 percent this rial companies. The Dubai Financial Market Argentina’s peso plunged 35 percent the Denmark crown this month that more pain is coming because year, while Brent crude plunged 35 percent. General Index was little changed, setting its year after the country abandoned the cur- Indonesia rupiah developing markets haven’t fallen enough to China’s gross domestic product is forecast to 2015 loss at 17 percent as countries in the oil- rency’s peg to the dollar. The Brazilian real Australia $ reflect subdued global growth. A slump in increase 6.5 percent in 2016, slowing from an exporting Gulf Cooperation Council suffered retreated 33 percent amid a corruption scan- New Zealand $ Mexico peso commodities that pushed down the price of estimated 6.9 percent in 2015, the weakest the brunt of the slump in the price of crude. dal that began at the state-run oil producer Norway corwn Brent crude is also damping confidence as pace in 25 years, according to a Bloomberg The Tadawul All Share Index in Riyadh slid Petroleo Brasileiro SA, credit-rating down- Canada $ economists forecast China, the world’s sec- survey of economists. 17 percent this year, the most since 2008. grades and a political crisis that left the nation’s Russia rouble ond-biggest economy and a major buyer of “It will continue to be highly volatile,” “China’s slowdown, combined with the president facing impeachment proceedings. Turkey lira raw materials, will slow further in 2016. Nathan Griffiths, a senior emerging-market fear of Fed rate hikes as well as price weak- The Turkish lira fell for the third straight year, South Africa rand “Fundamentally, none of the emerging- equities manager who helps oversee $1.2bn ness in commodities led to quite a bad year as did the Russian ruble, which has erased Brazil real market currencies are going to buck against at NN Investment Partners in The Hague, for emerging-market investors who didn’t almost 60 percent of its value since the end Argentina peso the tide of a stronger dollar,” said Sim Moh said by e-mail. “The main risk remains the look for a niche market,” Attila Vajda, man- of 2012 due to oil’s slide and sanctions over Siong, a foreign-exchange strategist at Bank Chinese economy. This is the biggest driver aging director of Project Asia Research & the conflict in Ukraine. * 2015 data up to 30 December 24 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS Greek savers still wary of Tsipras plan

outflows continued in November for a private sector deleveraging picked up on capital transfers. second consecutive month, even as the pace in November, with outstanding Private investors plugged most of Creditors, savers are nation’s lenders plugged their capital loan balances dropping 2.2 percent the shortfall, as bank stocks lost more still reluctant to bet shortfalls, and strict capital controls from the previous year. Credit con- than 93 percent of their value in 2015. their money that this put in place last summer capped with- traction “returned with a vengeance The government covered the rest with drawals and money transfers abroad. in July, continued unabated in August, more than €5bn of emergency loans year’s talks will be Deposits held by households and busi- slowed in September, yet picked-up from the euro area’s crisis fund, while less perilous for their nesses in Greek banks fell close to a speed again in October and November,” the valuation of the state’s equity port- 12-year-low of €120.9bn ($131.3bn) Athens-based Pantelakis Securities’ folio in Greek lenders was practically country’s place in the in November, bringing total losses to analysts Paris Mantzavras and George wiped out in November. euro area than 2015. a record of more than €43bn, or 26.4 Grigoriou wrote in a note to clients Even as Tsipras assures savers that percent of total savings, in the last 12 recently. the country’s banks are now among the months. Greek lenders cleared the hurdle of most adequately capitalized in Europe Savers’ distrust may derail the a pan-European review in 2014 thanks and there’s no risk of haircut or re- Bloomberg government’s goal of lifting capital to capital increases of more than €8bn denomination for deposits, Greeks are controls by the end of June. Reluc- and restructuring plans approved by still unwilling to bring their savings tance to return deposits held abroad the European Commission, only to see back, as the government remains at log- ATHENS: As Greek Prime Minister or under mattresses back to banks hin- their solvency put to the test in 2015 gerheads with creditors over demands Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addresses lawmakers during a Alexis Tsipras braces for another round ders the ability of lenders to provide when Tsipras’s government revolted for additional pension cuts. Pension parliamentary session before a budget vote in Athens. of tough negotiations with creditors, credit to the economy, as the govern- against the terms attached to the coun- savings is among the main conditions savers are still reluctant to bet their ment struggles to lead Greece out of try’s bailout lifeline. A stress test by for unlocking Greece’s next aid tranche money that this year’s talks will be recession in 2016 after a turbulent year the European Central Bank uncovered and for debt- relief talks between the of the Greek core banks as an impor- wrote in a note to clients on Thursday, less perilous for their country’s place which pushed the country to the verge a €14.4bn-hole in their books, amid country and its euro-area creditors tant step towards the restoration of the adding that the process will be slow, in the euro area than 2015. of leaving the euro area. increases in bad loans, subdued eco- to begin. impaired depositor confidence,” Ath- subject to political stability and the Data released from Greece’s central Separate data also released by the nomic activity, expensive emergency “We consider the recent success- ens-based Euroxx Securities’ analysts smooth implementation of the bail- bank this week showed that deposit Bank of Greece this week showed that funding requirements and strict limits ful completion of the recapitalisation Yiannis Sinapis and Vangelis Karanikas out agreement by the government.

S Korean exports Volatile market flattens Shanghai investors fall for a 12th

AFP seemed like a bonus to investors weak performance. It surged 63.2 during the depths of the summer percent for the year, making it one of straight month turmoil, which prompted an extraor- the world’s top performing markets. SHANGHAI: Chinese stocks ended dinary government bail-out. For some analysts, the gov- 2015 slightly higher despite a wild ride Beijing spent as much as $230bn ernment bail-out raised deeper Bloomberg that saw trillions wiped off market buying shares to support the market, questions over its commitment to capitalisations in a summer rout that according to an estimate by invest- economic reform, as the moves were shook global markets and prompted ment bank Goldman Sachs. widely viewed as anti-market. SEOUL: South Korea’s exports an unprecedented government res- Early in 2015, the government Regulators barred major share- slumped for a 12th straight month cue package. had urged exchanges yet higher with holders from selling, allowed as a weak global outlook and softer Media General Inc’s headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. From January 1 to mid-June the People’s Daily newspaper, the hundreds of companies to freeze demand from China hurt overseas the Shanghai market -- which had mouthpiece of the ruling Commu- trading in their stock and funded shipments. already surged by more than 50 per- nist Party, saying: “The 4,000-point a “national team” to buy for the Trade ministry data show cent in 2014—leaped by 60 percent level is merely the beginning of the government. exports fell 13.8 percent in Decem- again. bull market.” “They stabilised the market, ber from a year earlier. Economists Nexstar close to finalising Then it slumped nearly a third Looser controls over margin but they’ve done that at a tremen- surveyed by Bloomberg projected in three weeks, before slowly trading -- investors using borrowed dous cost,” said Fraser Howie, an an 11.7 percent decline. Imports recovering. funds to trade stocks with only a independent analyst and co-author dropped 19.2 percent in Decem- After all the gyrations of the most small portion of money put down as of “Red Capitalism: The Fragile ber and the trade surplus stood at Media General proposal volatile year in the quarter-century deposit -- also fuelled the bubble, Financial Foundation of China’s $7.2bn. history of the modern Chinese stock and its subsequent burst after regu- Extraordinary Rise”. The slump is a risk to President market, the Shanghai Composite lators cracked down on the practice. China needs to push stock mar- Park Geun Hye’s target of achiev- Bloomberg Virginia, has about $2.3bn in total Index closed at 3,539.18 on Thurs- “Everyone took the rollercoaster ket reforms, including allowing the ing economic growth of 3 percent debt, according to data compiled by day, up 9.4 percent for the year. ride, but in the end the market is still China Securities Regulatory Commis- for 2016, given that exports account Bloomberg. “It was the year of the ‘monkey where it began,” said Phillip Secu- sion to operate more independently, for about half of GDP. NEW YORK: Nexstar Broadcasting Representatives for Media Gen- market’ for Chinese stocks -- jump- rities analyst Chen Xingyu. The he said. “You’ve got to have a regu- The drop in overseas shipments Group Inc will finalise the details of a eral, Nexstar and Meredith declined ing up and down like a monkey,” Shenzhen Composite Index, which lator that’s free to make decisions was driven by the global slowdown, proposal to acquire Media General Inc to comment, as did spokesmen for said Professor Oliver Rui of the tracks stocks on China’s second and have independence, rather than more modest expansion in China, as soon as today, people with knowl- Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse and China Europe International Busi- exchange, performed far better for the being a cheerleader for the market the effects of lower oil prices on edge of the matter said, triggering a Bank of America. ness School. year as investors chased smaller com- on the way up and a nurse on the Korea’s petrochemical industry and window for rival Meredith Corp to Media General shares closed up 5.7 But a small profit will have pany shares in the face of Shanghai’s way down,” he said. increased competitiveness of rival say it intends to make a counteroffer. percent Thursday, while Meredith fell exporters. Nexstar has tapped Bank of Amer- 0.2 percent. Nexstar rose 1.3 percent. ica Corp, Deutsche Bank AG and Credit Media General rejected an ini- Suisse Group AG to finance the deal, tial offer from Nexstar this month of said the people, who asked not to be $16.31 a share. Media General agreed identified because the information is to acquire Meredith Corp for $2.4bn European bonds to start 2016 aided by ECB private. Nexstar plans to raise about in September. $4.5bn to acquire Media General and While Meredith hasn’t made up refinance existing debt, the people its mind about what it wants to do, said. the company remains interested in a Bloomberg same day ECB bond purchases, which will probably get that,” said Jan Von December 2014. It reached a record low The two companies are close transaction, two people said. In any were halted on December 21 before Gerich, chief strategist at Nordea Bank of 0.049 percent in April and climbed to reaching an agreement in which case, a Nexstar-Media General com- EDINBURGH: European government the holiday period, resume. AB in Helsinki. “The ECB in terms of to its 2015 peak of 1.06 percent two Nexstar would pay about $2.2bn, or bination couldn’t be completed until bonds are set to start 2016 supported The data, due January 5, will show further easing has very much left the months later. about $17.50 a share, for Media Gen- the Meredith deal is terminated, either by the resumption of the central bank’s annual inflation in the currency bloc door open and at the very least they Italian 10-year bond yields ended eral, people familiar with the matter voluntarily or by a shareholder vote, asset- purchase programme and a accelerated to 0.4 percent last month, will cut the deposit rate once again. the year at 1.60 percent, down from told Bloomberg last week. which is six weeks away. decline in sovereign issuance. according to the median forecast of If you look at the dynamics in terms 1.88 percent at the end of 2014. They Once Nexstar and Media Gen- If Meredith chooses to force a vote After a year in which the Euro- economists in a Bloomberg survey. of supply and demand, you have most touched a record-low 1.031 percent eral come to an agreement, Meredith or renegotiate with Media General, pean Central Bank attempted to While that’s up from 0.2 percent in countries seeing lower issuance and in March, the month the ECB started will have at least four business days Nexstar may have to wait until the bolster inflation through its 60-bil- November, it’s still short of the ECB’s at the same time you have the ECB its asset purchases. Similar-maturity to say it plans to match that offer or second half of 2016 to sign a deal. lion-euro ($66bn) a month bond-buying desired rate of just under 2 percent. At buying.” Spanish yields closed 2015 at 1.77 per- make an increased bid. The talks may Nexstar and Media General can’t enter plan, the first major economic report their latest policy meeting on Decem- Benchmark German 10-year bunds cent, up from 1.61 percent in December still fall apart or take more time, the a merger agreement while the Fed- of 2016 will show that consumer-price ber 3, officials cut the deposit rate to yielded 0.63 percent as of the 5 p.m. 2014 and a record-low 1.048 percent people said. eral Communications Commission’s growth remains a fraction of the cen- minus 0.3 percent and extended the London close on Dec. 30, the last in March. Euro-area sovereign secu- The Nexstar-Media General trans- quiet period is ongoing related to the tral bank’s goal. Investor demand for central bank’s quantitative-easing trading day of 2015. The price of the rities returned 1.70 percent in 2015, action would be about 60 percent cash government’s broadcast spectrum bonds may also be underpinned by plan by at least six months. 1 percent security due in August 2025 according to Bloomberg World Bond and 40 percent stock, the people said. auction, unless one or both parties Germany paying around €23bn of “Most European events will favor a was 103.45 percent of face value. The Indexes, adding to a gain of 13 per- Media General, based in Richmond, opt not to participate. redemptions due on January 4, the bond-positive start to the year and we bund yield rose from 0.54 percent in cent in 2014. India’s Sensex extends first annual decline since 2011

Bloomberg this week. year and global growth is also likely this week’s gains to 3.2 percent. About three stocks rose for every to be better.” InterGlobe Aviation, which run two that fell on the S&P BSE Sensex, The Sensex slid 5 percent last year, India’s biggest airline under the Indigo which lost 0.2 percent to 26,054.67 after rising 30 percent in 2014, as the brand, jumped 12 percent. It has soared MUMBAI: Most Indian stocks dropped, at 1:16 pm in Mumbai. That pared the euphoria over Prime Minister Narendra 80 percent since its November 10 list- led by utilities and material resources weekly gain to 0.8 percent, a third Modi’s economic agenda waned and ing. Jet Airways, controlled by Naresh companies, amid thin volumes after straight week of advance. concern grew that tighter US monetary Goyal, climbed 9.4 percent to its high- the benchmark gauge capped the first The Nifty 50 Index slid 0.2 percent policy will curb the appeal of higher est level since December 14, 2010. annual decline in four years. to 7,927.45, with volume 59 percent returns offered in emerging markets. The stock has jumped 26 percent NTPC Ltd, India’s biggest power less than the 30-day average at this Global investors bought $3.2bn this week. SpiceJet added 12 percent producer, slipped after climbing for time of the day. Most major global mar- of Indian shares in 2015, the smallest to its 338 percent rally in 2015. 11 days, the longest winning streak on kets were shut on Friday for the New inflow in four years. NTPC dropped 1.2 India’s carriers have lost $10bn in record. Tata Steel Ltd, the biggest pro- Year holiday. percent, ending an 11-day, 11 percent the past seven years as they offered ducer of the alloy, extended last year’s “We are seeing lower participation rally. Tata Steel tumbled 1.4 percent, base fares as low as 1 rupee (2 cents) in a 35 percent plunge. Carriers InterGlobe as most people are away on holidays the worst performer on the Sensex. nation where provincial taxes make jet Aviation Ltd, Jet Airways India Ltd and and the global markets are shut,” A K Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, fuel prices the most expensive in Asia. SpiceJet Ltd all rallied more than 10 Prabhakar, head of research at IDBI the nation’s most valuable drugmaker, The nation’s oil retailers cut fuel percent each after the region’s costli- Capital Market Services Ltd in Mumbai, fell the most in a week. prices, which make up about 60 percent est fuel prices were cut to the lowest said by phone . “We expect 2016 to be Tata Motors climbed 2 percent, par- of an Indian airlines’ cost, by 10 per- in five years. better year for equities than last year. ing last year’s 20 percent decline. Coal cent in New Delhi on Friday as Brent, Tata Motors Ltd, the owner of Jag- The green shoots of the Modi govern- India Ltd, the world’s biggest miner of the benchmark for half of the world’s People walk past the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Mumbai. uar Land Rover, rose for a third day ment’s policies should be visible this the fuel, increased 0.8 percent to take crude trading, plunged. BUSINESS VIEWS SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 25

Year of twists leaves Landlords in US face S&P investors right where they started slowing price gains

By Lu Wang, Anna/Louise five years that the S&P 500 Jackson and Joseph Ciolli posted an annual price return Bloomberg of less than 1 percent, the first being 2011, when the gauge fell 4 one-hundredths of a point. Turbulence swirled arely has it taken so below the surface then, too: much to do so lit- the last time the Chicago Rtle. After enduring the Board Options Exchange Vol- worst selloff in four years atility Index averaged more and volatility not seen since than it has in the second half the financial crisis, the Stand- of 2015 was in 2011, when ard & Poor’s 500 Index Europe was coping with its ended 2015 just fraction- sovereign debt crisis. ally below where it began, The average difference down 0.7 percent at 2,043.94. between the highest and The decline, sealed on the lowest points touched by the last day, broke a three-year S&P 500 each day in 2015 streak of annual advances was 23 points, the most since that fizzled as the Federal the global financial crisis. Reserve raised interest rates, Daily swings picked up after valuations jumped and com- China devalued its currency modities plunged. and oil completed its biggest While stocks fell, it wasn’t two-year slump on record. enough to end the bull mar- “The amazing thing to me ket that has restored $15 is not that it didn’t go up, but trillion to US equity values that the market didn’t go since 2009 — it would take a down,” said John Manley, who peak-to-trough tumble of 20 helps oversee about $233 bil- percent to do that. Instead, lion as chief equity strategist investors were reminded that for Wells Fargo Funds Man- the steady gains that char- agement in New York. “If I acterized the previous three went through the litany of all Scaffolding is seen at the construction site of a home in Carlsbad, California. years in American equities things that could have taken couldn’t last forever, particu- the market down, at the end larly at a time when corporate of the year, the amazing thing profits are falling. is it didn’t go down. That By Sarah Mulholland 5.3 percent, including dividends, through “We’ve gotten pretty gives you some sense of the Bloomberg the third quarter, while high-yield bonds lost spoiled by low volatility and resiliency.” 2.5 percent in the same period, according to investors got used to it, but As market swings wid- a Bank of America Merrill Lynch index. The that’s just not the norm,” said ened, volatility-linked or commercial real estate inves- S&P 500 has since recovered, with a 3.1 per- Paul Zemsky, head of multi- instruments betting on tors, the good times may be over. cent total return this year through Tuesday, asset strategies at Voya increased price swings lured The Federal Reserve’s first inter- while high-yield debt is now down almost Investment Management LLC, more money from investors. est-rate increase in nine years has 5 percent. US commercial real which oversees $210bn. “Vol- Shares outstanding in the removed a crutch that’s helped sus- “It is unusual for commercial real estate estate transactions atility returning to the market VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Ftain 33 consecutive months of price growth to outperform both stocks and bonds by such is consistent with us mov- Short Term ETN, a security of at least 10 percent and padded returns for a significant amount,” said Jeffrey Fisher, a climbed to about ing away from quantitative that appreciates as turbu- buildings from office towers to luxury hotels. professor emeritus of real estate at the Indi- $546bn in 2015 from easing and in a fully valued lence increases and is often While values won’t necessarily fall, they aren’t ana University Kelley School of Business who $432bn in 2014, market.” used as an equity market likely to climb much higher next year, accord- serves as a consultant to NCREIF. “In the long Volatility was the rule in hedge, rose more than 300 ing to Tad Philipp, a commercial-property run, we expect real estate to have a return that according to Real a year in which the number percent, while net flows into debt analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. falls somewhere between stocks and bonds.” Capital Analytics. That of days when the S&P 500 the fund totaled $347m for “A lot of the smart money is saying it’s a Property values have surged across the US, compares with a record rose or fell 1 percent almost the year. better time to sell than to buy,” Philipp said in lifted by cheap debt, a global hunt for yield doubled from 2014 and the At the same time, in a an interview. “The warning light is on that the and a deluge of foreign capital seeking a haven. $575bn of deals in 2007. proportion of stocks post- sign of how confused inves- rate of appreciation is poised to decelerate.” Commercial real estate prices now exceed ing losses increased to the tors were in 2015, an ETF It’s a tenuous moment for landlords. Fall- the 2007 peak by 16 percent, according to highest level since 2008. The that becomes more valua- out from a protracted a Moody’s-Real Capital Analytics Inc index. Dow Jones Industrial Aver- ble during times of market slump in oil prices and Values for the most sought-after properties age slipped 2.2 percent while tranquility also drew interest slowing growth in China — including office buildings and apartment the Nasdaq Composite Index in 2015. The VelocityShares are looming as borrow- complexes in large cities such as New York in blockbuster property transactions that climbed 5.7 percent. Daily Inverse Short Term ETN ing costs slowly start to — are about 60 percent higher. rivaled some of the biggest deals from the After dropping as much saw shares outstanding climb climb, threatening to The Fed, wary of bubbles amid seven last boom. Blackstone Group, in partner- as 12 percent from an all-time 34 percent during the year as crimp returns. Prop- years of unprecedented stimulus measures, ship with Canada’s Ivanhoe Cambridge, last high in an August rout and the security attracted $108m erty investments have is seeking to avoid inflating asset prices to month acquired Stuyvesant Town- Peter posting 72 days when moves in inflows. Property investments returned about 10 per- unsustainable levels as it gradually lifts its Cooper Village — Manhattan’s largest apart- exceeded 1 percent, the S&P For more contradictions, cent this year through benchmark lending rate from zero, accord- ment complex — for $5.3bn, just shy of the 500 turned in its worst cal- consider consumer discre- have returned about September, according ing to Gennadiy Goldberg, a strategist at TD $5.4bn the same property fetched in a record endar year since 2008. At its tionary shares in the S&P 500, 10 percent this year to the National Council Securities. The central bank has repeatedly 2006 deal. Prior owners Tishman Speyer current level, the index trades the group whose 8.4 percent through September, of Real Estate Investment flagged commercial real estate prices as poten- and BlackRock defaulted on a $3bn mort- for 22.5 times reported earn- advance in 2015 was close Fiduciaries, on pace to tially showing signs of overheating. Earlier this gage in 2010, marking one of the decade’s ings, higher than the end to double the next-closest according to the cap six years of double- month, in a joint statement with the Federal biggest real estate busts. of nine of the past 10 bull industry. The sector did well, National Council of digit gains. Deposit Insurance Corp and the Comptroller Rising interest rates won’t necessar- markets, according to data but among its members, five Given uncertainty of the Currency, the Fed said that lending in ily translate into lower property values, compiled by S&P Dow Jones were among the 20 worst Real Estate Investment about the health of glo- commercial real estate looked increasingly said Spencer Levy, an executive manag- Indices and Bloomberg. performing companies in the Fiduciaries, on pace bal financial markets, risky. US commercial real estate transac- ing director at CBRE Group Inc, the world’s It was the second time in S&P 500. to cap six years of competing asset classes tions climbed to about $546bn this year from largest commercial-property brokerage. have been whipsawed $432bn in 2014, according to Real Capital Ana- Climbing rents and an improving economy double-digit gains. this year. The Standard lytics. That compares with a record $575bn can justify higher prices even if borrow- & Poor’s 500 Index lost of deals in 2007. In 2015, there was a surge ing costs increase, he said. Currency funds saw worst year in fourteen years

By Rachel Evans exporters, only to be slammed by falling oil funds and other large speculations cut near- Fund profited from bets against high-yielders Bloomberg prices and increased volatility. record wagers on its strength. such as the Brazilian real, South African rand “When you’re in foreign exchange, it’s not Reluctance to return to that trade as the and Turkish lira, Mejia-Aoun said. Volatility for the faint of heart — you’ve got to like roller Fed shunned a rate increase in both June and erased short-term gains for those who took coasters and if you don’t like roller coasters, September fuelled a search for yield elsewhere, the other side of those transactions. urrency managers won’t be lead- you’re in the wrong business,” said Paresh with investors borrowing in countries with Currency-price swings averaged more in ing late- night celebrations after Upadhyaya, director of currency strategy in low interest rates to invest in higher-yield- 2015 than in any of the previous three years, foreign-exchange funds suffered Boston at Pioneer Investments, which oversees ing currencies. These so-called carry trades a JPMorgan Chase & Co. gauge of global cur- their worst year since 2011 as bets about $241bn. “People had very high expec- imploded as oil, a core export for develop- rency volatility shows. Price swings were at on monetary-policy divergence tations that the Fed was going to begin the ing economies, fell to the lowest in more than their most severe surrounding central bank Cdisappointed. tightening cycle, which really didn’t happen a decade. Traders who used the yen to buy decisions, such as the Swiss National Bank A Parker Global Strategies LLC index that for many, many months.” its 16 major peers lost money on 15 of those removing the franc’s peg to the euro, China After a promising start tracks top funds in the industry lost 2.3 per- Pioneer remained profitable with its for- trades during the past 12 months. Eighteen devaluing the yuan, and the Fed debating higher cent this year after the Federal Reserve failed eign-exchange positions by staying the course of 22 emerging-market currencies used for rates. “What you’re seeing is volatility really to the year, with returns to raise interest rates as soon as some trad- with its core bet on dollar strength, Upad- carry trades failed to profit versus the Japa- spike up for these events, and everything else basking in their longest ers expected. Currency strategies that seek hyaya said. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, nese currency over the same period. is just quiet and no one wants to invest,” said to benefit from rate differentials — known as which tracks the US currency versus 10 major “People have made money in the past with Peter Gorra, head of foreign-exchange trad- streak of monthly carry trades —lost the most in seven years, a peers, has gained almost 9 percent in 2015. that strategy and they probably thought that ing in New York at BNP Paribas SA. advances since at least Deutsche Bank AG measure shows. The second quarter proved to be most cur- the Fed wasn’t going to be so aggressively Steering clear of the worst effects of that 2003, gains tailed off After a promising start to the year, with rency funds’ undoing. Managers lost 3.8 percent hiking,” said Manuel Mejia-Aoun, chief invest- volatility was crucial to managers’ success, returns basking in their longest streak of in the period from April through June, accord- ment officer at Alpha4x Asset Management with strategies that relied on momentum or as the Fed tied rate monthly advances since at least 2003, gains ing to the Parker index, the worst in data going LLC, whose fund gained more than 15 percent valuation both returning a profit. Investors increases to economic tailed off as the Fed tied rate increases to eco- back 12 years. Investors preparing for the Fed’s in the year through November, according to that identified and followed trends booked improvement amid signs nomic improvement amid signs of a patchy first rate increase since 2006 were blindsided fund tracker BarclayHedge’s estimates. “The a 4.3 percent gain in 2015, while those who recovery. That sapped momentum from the when the central bank instead downgraded problem is that when a currency moves 1 per- bought currencies with the lowest purchasing of a patchy recovery. dollar and investors turned instead to emerg- its predictions for US growth and inflation in cent a day, it’s very difficult to make money.” power made 2.7 percent, according to Deut- ing-market currencies and those of commodity March, sparking a selloff in the dollar as hedge New York-based Alpha4x’s Capital Growth sche Bank indexes. 26 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS Delta’s pilots seek big payday as airline’s earnings surge

7 percent raises in the following two the ashes of bankruptcy to post suc- $293 an hour at American, Darby’s Union representing years, according to a memo from the cessive record-breaking years of profit data show. That compares with $272 at Air Line Pilots Association. The union without the sacrifices of its employees, Delta and $270 at United. A 22 percent Delta Air Lines pilots and Delta declined to comment on especially its pilots.” Pilot pay has been raise would push that Delta captain’s want raises of almost the memo. A Delta spokesman, Mor- rising as unions seek a bigger piece of pay above $300 an hour. Pilot pay typ- gan Durrant, said the company looks airlines’ growing profits. ically is calculated using factors such 40 pc compounded forward to negotiating with the union Aviators at United Continental as flying time, time away from home over three years. to reach an agreement that’s benefi- Holdings Inc are expected to vote soon and various incentives. cial to both parties. on a contract extension that would Delta is enjoying a long period of The memo suggests that the union give them a 13 percent pay raise in inexpensive fuel and robust demand is taking a more aggressive stance in 2016, followed by annual boosts of 3 from US businesses. Profit adjusted Bloomberg negotiations with the Atlanta-based percent and 2 percent, people famil- for some items is expected to reach airline, which typically has had some iar with the matter said in November. $916m in the fourth quarter, according of the the strongest labor relations in Delta’s pilots would probably top the average analyst estimate compiled the industry. Almost two-thirds of the the US industry’s wage scale if they get by Bloomberg. ATLANTA: The union representing pilots over the summer voted against a the raise they want. American Airlines That compares with $649m a year Delta Air Lines Inc’s pilots wants raises deal that would have given them almost Group Inc pilots currently have the earlier. Delta reported a $1.1bn loss of almost 40 percent compounded over a 22 percent increase over three years. highest base pay for 2016 among the for 2009, two years after exiting from three years, attempting to reverse some “We applaud the fact that Delta Air country’s biggest airlines, according bankruptcy protection. Its pilots took a of the pay and benefit cuts adopted in Lines is a clear leader in our industry, to data provided in November by Kit series of pay cuts that started after the the early 2000s. in terms of revenue, marketing, and Darby, a pilot consultant who tracks September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, The union cites the carrier’s surg- profitability,” according to the union’s airline pay. including a 32.5 percent cut in 2004, Customers wait their turn to be served in a line at the Delta Air Lines ing profits in saying it had requested a December 22 memo to its 13,000 mem- The captain of a Boeing Co 777 although they have received several 22 percent raise for 2016, followed by bers. “However, Delta did not rise from jet with 12 years experience makes raises in recent years. office in Caracas. Singapore calls for start Chilean retail sales increase Honda confirms ninth death of free trade talks at fastest pace in 21 months linked to Takata airbag Reuters The business daily Handelsblatt Bloomberg after stores built up stocks over the 21 left the growth estimate for next cited the minister, Lim Hng Kiang, past two years of slow turnover, while year at 2 percent to 3 percent, com- as saying that negotiations could the jobless rate is likely to rise next pared with the previous prediction Reuters restart because the problem of the year as the construction industry turns of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. SINGAPORE: Singapore’s trade EU not wanting to do business with SANTIAGO: Chilean retail sales rose at down and agriculture lays of work- Increased government spending and industry minister has called the generals of Myanmar’s military the fastest pace in 21 months as rising ers for seasonal reasons. and loose monetary policy have had for a resumption of free trade talks dictatorship had been removed due employment helped revive consumer “Stores are sacrificing margins by limited success in reviving demand, WASHINGTON: Honda Motor Co between the European Union and to changes there. “I am in favour of demand after almost two years in the cutting prices in order to boost vol- with gross domestic product expanding confirmed on Thursday that a Takata the Association of Southeast Asian the EU and ASEAN starting negoti- doldrums. ume,” Moncado said. At the same time, about 2.1 percent this year, compared airbag inflator ruptured in a July Nations now that problems over Myan- ations again,” the newspaper quoted Sales leaped 5.5 percent in Novem- “the decline in the jobless rate comes with 1.9 percent last year, the bank crash of a Honda Accord and likely mar have been removed, a German Lim as saying. ber from the year earlier, the National within the context of instability that said in a statement. led to the death of the young driver, newspaper said. Myanmar has been ruled by a Statistics Institute said on its website means it is unlikely to be repeated.” While growth is weak, inflation has the ninth death in the world linked The EU and 10-nation ASEAN quasi-civilian government since Wednesday, more than twice as fast Manufacturing contracted 0.2 per- been above the 2 percent to 4 percent to the faulty inflators. launched free trade talks in 2007, 2011 following five decades of mili- as forecast by any of the 14 analysts cent in November from the year earlier, target most of the year, prompting the The death, first reported by US but abandoned them two years later, tary rule and has been widely praised surveyed by Bloomberg. the third decline in four months, the central bank to raise its key interest auto safety authorities last week, is with the EU choosing instead to con- for ushering in economic and polit- The jobless rate also fell more than statistics agency also reported today. rate twice in the past three months the eighth in the United States and duct bilateral talks with individual ical reforms. analysts expected, sliding to 6.1 percent Industrial production gained 0.6 per- to 3.5 percent. the first since April tied to the infla- members. ASEAN formally established an in the three months through Novem- cent over the same period. Employment remained the one tors that have been recalled in tens The EU has accords with Singa- ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) ber from 6.3 percent the month earlier. The world’s largest copper pro- bright spot for the Chilean economy of million of vehicles worldwide. pore, Vietnam and South Korea and at its annual summit last month, aim- The positive economic news may ducer has struggled to recover from in the three months through Novem- After an inspection of vehicle last week the EU and the Philippines ing to create a single market with few be short lived though, said Antonio a slump in the metal’s price with the ber with the jobless rate dipping to components in cooperation with agreed to start free-trade talks next barriers to the flow of trade, capital Moncado, an economist at Banco de central bank cutting its growth fore- 6.1 percent from 6.3 percent in the regulators, Honda said it “confirmed year as Europe attempts to tap into and professional labour in an area Credito & Inversiones in Santiago. cast seven times since March 2013. month- earlier period. It was the fourth that the Takata driver’s front air- Asia’s faster economic growth. of 625 million people. Sales were driven by special offers The latest reduction on December consecutive decline. bag inflator ruptured” and “injuries related to this airbag inflator rupture likely resulted in the tragic death of the underage driver.” The U.S. National Highway Traf- Saudi Stock New Year business in Brussels fic Safety Administration said last week the death took place in July in a recalled used 2001 Honda Accord Exchange to coupe near Pittsburgh. The uni- dentified teen-aged driver was hospitalized after a Takata airbag launch IPO ruptured and died several days later. A NHTSA spokesman declined to comment Thursday. Reuters reported last week that in 2018 the death involved a 13-year-old boy who was in an early morning crash on July 22 after he apparently Qatar New Agency took the keys without permission from a parent and got behind the wheel, citing sources familiar with the matter. RIYADH: The Saudi Stock Exchange Pennsylvania State Police have (Tadawul) declared that it is poised said a July 22 incident involved a to issue part of its stakes on Initial 13-year-old boy driver who was Public Offering (IPO) in 2018, Saudi the lone person in a 2001 Honda Press Agency reported. Accord that went off a road into a The President of the Board of wooded area at 4:46 a.m. in western Directors of Tadawul Khalid bin Pennsylvania. Honda said the car’s Ibrahim Al-Rabiah said the com- prior owner first got a recall notice pany, the sole entity authorized to in 2010. Honda mailed a new recall carry out trading in securities in notice on July 21, one day before the the country, is ready to carry out crash, to the new owner. this qualitative leap after having In November, Takata agreed Shoppers in the Rue Neuve, the main shopping street, in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday, on the first day of new year Sales. Reports state that obtained the necessary higher and to pay a $70m fine for safety vio- regulatory approvals. In a state- after massive losses for commerce businesses because of the Brussels’ lock down following the ‘serious and imminent’ threat of na terrorist lations and could face deferred ment on the company’s website, he attack. shoppers have returned to the streets of Brussels. penalties of up to $130m under a said that Tadawul holds a leading NHTSA settlement. position among emerging markets in terms of its liquidity and traded value as the Saudi stock market represents 51% of the total market capitalization of the GCC Capital Facebook toasts your 46 years of friendship, due to glitch Market and 79% of the total val- ues traded in them. He pointed out that offering part of the ownership of the company to Bloomberg company’s best efforts. People quickly stumble on Facebook’s road to build- the public aims to keep pace with the sent screen shots of the mistake, shar- ing greater trust with its 1.55 billion national economic transformation ing it widely and laughing at the social users worldwide. plan given its vital economic lever- SAN FRANSCISCO: Lately, Facebook network’s miscalculation of friend- The company is testing an arti- age that serves nearly five million has tried to be your buddy. The com- ships as if lasting since 1969. ficially intelligent personal assistant investors, 80 financial companies pany is building an artificial intelligence The issue was probably rooted in that can accomplish tasks on behalf and 270 listed and unlisted compa- system, and its new features have taken the Unix operating system, which notes of its users. nies. Since its inception, Tadawul on human-like sensibilities: “We care January 1, 1970, as day “0,” a Microsoft Facebook has also been creat- has invested in the market’s infra- about you and the memories you share developer posted on Twitter. ing products to be more empathetic, structure, most notably the technical here,” a message at the top of the news Facebook’s code probably con- such as a set of options to make break- systems and Saudi cadres, adopt- feed often proclaims, resurfacing an fused the start date of friendship with ing up with a boyfriend or girlfriend ing a number of pre-public-offering old post. Sometimes it even greets you the start date for zero. Facebook didn’t less painful. process major initiatives. He pointed with, “Good morning.” note the cause of the error, but said it That’s not to say the company that such initiatives are aimed at fur- But a malfunction Thursday that was working to correct it. always gets it right: The 46 years fumble ther developing the market through told people to celebrate 46 years of “We’ve identified this bug and the was a break from another often-shared investing in deposit, clearing and friendship reminded users that Face- team’s fixing it now so everyone can joke - that the social network will tell settlement transactions at an esti- book is still very much a computer, ring in 2016 feeling young again,” Face- siblings they have known each other mated budget worth more than one with a computer’s problems, despite book spokeswoman Ashley Zandy said for their length of friendship on Face- A file photo of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook. billion Saudi Riyals. the Menlo Park, California-based in a statement. The glitch is a small book, which didn’t exist until 2004. BUSINESS SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 27 Airbus beats target to deliver record jetliners in 2015

Stefan Schaffrath declined to confirm producing only single-aisle A320s; price is $428m and typically seats about European planemaker the number, saying figures on both and also in Tianjin, China, which nor- 525 passengers, but can carry over 800 deliveries and new orders for 2015 mally produces four single aisle planes depending on the configuration, as handed over about will be disclosed at a press confer- per month. many airlines have favored somewhat 635 planes in 2015 ence on January 12. In 2016, Airbus will start turning smaller twin-aisle planes, including On the order front, Airbus had out single-aisle A320neos from a new Airbus’s A350 and Boeing’s 777. against 629 in 2014 agreements in place to supply a net plant in Mobile, Alabama. While the order is only for three 1,007 aircraft as of November 30, easily The European planemaker’s lat- planes, enough to serve one route, beating its target. Boeing Co had won est A350 model, which had its first success on that route could lead to 743 net orders for 2015, according to handover in December 2014, achieved further orders. Bloomberg the most recent figures available on its 14 deliveries in 2015, leaving it one Any order for Airbus in Japan is a website through December 22, mak- short of the manufacturer’s full-year special victory given that the market ing it highly likely that Airbus beat its target of “about 15.” for decades has been heavily domi- rival, unless Boeing secured an order The planemaker handed over fewer nated by Boeing. TOULOUSE: Airbus Group SE managed for several hundred planes in the last than 30 A380s, though the specific Since 2000 when it started mar- to beat a company target for deliver- week of the year. figures for the superjumbo, as well as keting the A380, Airbus has said Tokyo ies last year by churning out almost Boeing had handed over 709 planes for A330 wide-bodies and single-aisle would be a key airport for the plane. twice the average monthly number in through the same period, putting the planes, weren’t immediately available. Airlines including Air France SA, Deut- December, people familiar with the United States maker well ahead on Meanwhile Airbus Group started sche Lufthansa AG and Emirates have achievement said. deliveries, when the bulk of payments the year on positive note as it won an all flown their A380s into Tokyo. The European planemaker reached for a plane are due. agreement on Friday from ANA Hold- Airbus in 2013 won its first order a total of about 635 and handed over Airbus has three factories churn- ings Inc, Japan’s largest airline, to buy from Japan Airlines Company secur- 79 units in the last month of the year ing out planes: in Toulouse, which three of its A380 superjumbos. ing a commitment for 18 widebody, A man makes a phone call next to the logo of Airbus Group in alone, said the people. Airbus shipped assembles widebody planes, A380s Airbus has suffered a dearth of twin-engine A350-900 planes, and 629 planes in 2014. Airbus spokesman and single- aisle planes; in Hamburg, orders for its largest plane, whose list 13 larger A350-1000s. southwestern France. Russian crude Malaysia seeks to ban bauxite India’s government meets oil output mining on environmental scare its bond sale target hits monthly Reuters the state,” the source said on condition Sea. The mines have been shipping Bloomberg worries India will struggle to meet record of anonymity as he was not authorised increasing amounts of the raw material budget-deficit targets soured investor to speak to media. Prime Minister Najib to China, filling in a gap after Indone- sentiment. The nation granted global Razak has asked the resource minister sia banned bauxite exports in early funds access to an additional 165bn Bloomberg KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is push- to resolve the issues with the govern- 2014, forcing the world’s top alumin- MUMBAI: India’s government met its rupees of sovereign and state-gov- ing to suspend bauxite mining due ment of Malaysia’s third-largest state ium producer, China, to seek supplies target at Friday’s bond sale, allaying ernment bonds from January 1, part to concerns about its impact on the and key bauxite producer Pahang, the elsewhere. concern demand for sovereign debt of a plan to increase foreign-invest- MOSCOW: Russia’s crude output environment, a cabinet source said source said. In the first 11 months of 2015, is weakening after primary deal- ment limits in phases. set another post- Soviet record in on Saturday, threatening to inter- Waters and seas near Pahang’s Malaysia exported more than 20 mil- ers stepped in to rescue the last two “The bond market drew comfort December, a sign that the nation’s rupt supply of the aluminium-making state capital Kuantan ran red earlier lion tonnes of bauxite to China, up auctions. from the fact that the auction went producers are withstanding the ingredient to China. this week as downpours brought an nearly 700 percent on the previous The yield on the 7.88 percent notes through smoothly,” said Ajay Man- slump in oil prices, according to The largely unregulated indus- increase in run-off from the ochre-red year. In 2013, it shipped just 162,000 due March 2030 dropped three basis glunia, Mumbai- based head of fixed Energy Ministry data. try has grown rapidly in the last two earth at the mines and the stockpiles, tonnes. But the frantic pace of min- points to 7.93 percent as of 3:31 pm in income at Edelweiss Financial Serv- The country’s crude and gas years to meet Chinese demand. Baux- stoking environmental concerns. ing in Kuantan has brought in its wake Mumbai, according to prices from the ices Ltd. condensate production increased ite mining was blamed for turning The state official in charge of the a growing clamour of voices com- central bank’s trading system. It rose “Investors are also relieved that to 10.825 million barrels a day last the waters red on a stretch of coast- environment Mohd Soffi Abd Razak, plaining of contamination of water to as high as 7.98 percent before the some part of the debt supply will get month, beating the previous record line and surrounding rivers in eastern however, said the pollution was caused sources and the destruction of the auction results. The yield on bonds absorbed as new foreign-investment set in November by 0.4 percent, peninsula Malaysia after two days of by illegal mine operators and not by environment. due May 2025, the current 10-year limits take effect, easing the pressure Bloomberg calculations based on heavy rain earlier this week. mines run by companies approved Natural Resources and Environ- benchmark, also declined three basis on bonds”. he said. the data show. The cabinet wants to temporarily by the state government, according ment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku points to 7.73 percent. The government raised 150 bil- Output for the year increased halt bauxite mining until regulations, to local media reports. Jaafar had previously said that Malaysia The administration sold 140 lion rupees at the previous auction 1.4 percent compared with 2014, licensing and environmental protec- “We believe the illegal miners are has come up with a raft of new regu- billion rupees ($2.1bn) of securities, on December 11 with the help of pri- exceeding 534 million metric tons, tion can be put in place, the source causing the waters to be murky,” local lations and guidelines for the industry, including 60 billion rupees of notes mary dealers, who bought the unsold or almost 10.726 million barrels a said yesterday. daily Malay Mail quoted the official as but needs the consent of the state gov- due 2030, as sales resumed after a debt as demand faltered. The rupee day, according to the preliminary “The idea is to suspend it for a time saying. Bauxite mines have sprung up ernment to impose them. The minister two-week break. Benchmark 10-year fell 0.1 percent on Friday to 66.22 a information e-mailed from Energy until all this is sorted out, but ultimately in Malaysia since late 2014, notably in could not be immediately reached for yields capped their biggest quarterly dollar, prices from local banks com- Ministry’s CDU-TEK unit. the prerogative for licensing lies with Kuantan, which faces the South China a comment yesterday. advance since 2013 on Thursday as piled by Bloomberg showed. Russian crude producers have been setting post-Soviet records even amid plunging prices and U.S. and European Union sanctions that cut access to foreign financing and Hedge Fund Lutetium plans to liquidate Einhorn’s Greenlight technology. The companies have managed to squeeze more crude out fund ends second-worst of some aging fields in West Sibe- two credit funds, return investor cash ria and brought a few mid-sized new projects on line. year down 20pc Russia’s crude export rose to 5.25 million barrels a day in 2015, Bloomberg alternatives product had wanted their money popular among retail investors and some according to the data, with sup- back and the firm decided to liquidate its institutional clients because they charge lower Bloomberg plies to countries outside the former hedge fund holdings as well, he said. fees than hedge funds and sometimes allow Soviet Union jumping 11 percent NEW YORK: Lutetium Capital LLC, a hedge- “We returned capital to every one of our daily or weekly withdraws. Retail investors, to more than 4.42 million barrels. fund firm that invests in distressed securities, investors to treat all investors equally,” said through a broker or private bank, can invest The Russian government, which is liquidating its two credit funds and returning Carley, the former co-head of distressed debt $1,000 or less, far lower than the $1 million NEW YORK: For relies on oil for about 40 percent of all of the money it was managing to inves- at UBS Group AG. The firm invested money of initial investment hedge funds typically David Einhorn its budget revenue, doesn’t expect a tors by next month, according to co-founder from its liquid-alternatives fund and its hedge require. (pictured), 2016 drop in production this year. Invest- Michael Carley. fund in the same debt securities, meaning “No one foresaw a year like this year,” can’t start soon ments made two to three ears ago The firm oversees approximately $150m, that selling the holdings from one of the funds Carley said. “My mistake was that I relied enough. His main have been supporting output in 2015 according to a person with knowledge of the would likely push down the value of the assets too heavily on the liquid alts; that was the Greenlight Cap- and will do so in 2016, Energy Minis- firm who asked not to be identified because in the other, Carley said. easiest money to get.” ital hedge fund ter Alexander Novak said December the information is private. The firm’s funds lost 4 percent this year, Lutetium’s decision comes after three gained 0.4 per- 22. Still, production may decline The Stamford, Connecticut-based busi- Carley said. Hedge funds that invest in dis- high-yield funds, including a $788.5m mutual cent in December, next year if Russia has to increase ness told investors it would liquidate the funds tressed debt globally have lost an average fund run by Third Avenue Management, sus- bringing its 2015 loss to 20 percent, according to an the tax burden on the industry to in a letter last week following redemption of nearly 6.8 percent this year, according to pended redemptions in December, intensifying e-mail to investors that was obtained by Bloomberg. It narrow the budget gap given the requests from some of its clients and losses, data compiled by Bloomberg. concerns that investors in risky debt may was only the second losing year in Greenlight’s almost plunging oil price, he said. Carley said. Investors in Lutetium’s liquid Liquid-alternative funds have become face more losses. 20-year history. The last annual decline came in 2008, when the fund fell 23 percent. Jonathan Gasthalter, a spokesman for New York- based Greenlight with Sard Verbinnen & Co, declined to comment. Einhorn’s hedge fund was beset by wrong- Iraq exported over 1 billion barrels of oil last year way bets on SunEdison Inc, Micron Technology Inc and Consol Energy Inc. The firm doubled down on its Consol wager in November through purchases of total return swaps, according to filings with the US Securities and Bloomberg producer is facing a slowdown in Exchange Commission. Shares of the natural gas and investment due to lower oil prices coal company fell 19 percent in the fourth quarter. while fighting a costly war on Islam- Four of the firm’s five largest disclosed long posi- IRBIL: Iraq said it exported 1.097 bil- ist militants who seized a swath of tions at the end of the third quarter dropped in the last lion barrels of oil in 2015, generating the country’s northwest. three months of the year. Apple Inc and Japan’s Resona $49.079bn from sales, according to Iraqi officials said November’s Holdings Inc lost 4.6 percent and 2.5 percent, respec- the oil ministry. record exports were unusually high as tively, while the price of gold slumped almost 5 percent It sold 99.7 million barrels of oil they included some tankers delayed as of 4:30pm Friday in New York. General Motors Co. in December, generating $2.973bn, from the previous month. rose 13 percent. after selling a record 100.9 million In addition to weather-related A bet that shares of specialty coffee maker Keurig barrels in November, said oil ministry delays, a few days of maintenance Green Mountain Inc would fall, described in an Octo- spokesman Asim Jihad. The country on Iraq’s Single Point Moorings, ter- ber letter as Greenlight’s third-most profitable position sold at an average price of $44.74 a minals that handle almost half of in 2015, may have been dimmed on December 7 when barrel in 2015, Jihad said. Iraq’s southern exports, could have an investor group led by JAB Holding Co said it would Iraq, with the world’s fifth-biggest slowed December shipments. Iraqi spend $13.9bn to buy the company. The shares more oil reserves, needs to keep increasing officials and oil analysts expect growth than doubled in price from a November 17 low to close at crude output because lower oil prices in exports this year, but at a slower $89.98 on December 31. The average hedge fund trailed have curbed government revenue. rate than in 2015. the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index for the seventh straight Oil prices have slumped in the past The nation’s output will start to year in 2015, according to preliminary data compiled year as the Organization of Petroleum decline in 2018, Morgan Stanley said by Chicago-based data provider Hedge Fund Research Exporting Countries defended market in a September 2 report, reversing its Inc. The S&P 500 including reinvested dividends rose share against production in the US. forecast for higher production every A worker checks the valve of an oil pipe at Nahr Bin Umar oilfield, north of Basra, Iraq. 1.4 percent in 2015 , while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Opec’s second-largest crude year to 2020. Index dropped 3.5 percent through December 30. 28 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS BACK TO BUSINESS

In world with too much crude, sight 1,100-foot steel monsters rule Obama dollar rally is

Bloomberg forecast to join Clinton,

he most destructive oil Reagan upturns crash in a generation is giving ship owners a bil- lion-dollar windfall. Bloomberg Dollar Index, a monthly weighted With the Organisation average of the dollar against the Tof Petroleum Exporting Countries currencies of its main trading abandoning output limits in a drive partners compiled by the Fed for market share, ships that carry as TORONTO: The dollar has an back to 1973, two years after much as 2 million barrels a trip are in opportunity to make history. President Richard Nixon made demand to haul crude from the Mid- After three straight years the greenback a freely floating dle East to Asia and North America. of gains, strategists are fore- currency by ending its convert- While oil prices fell about 35 percent in casting the US currency will be ibility to gold. 2015, average earnings for these carri- a world beater again in 2016, The only other two compa- ers jumped to $67,366 a day, the most strengthening against seven of rable dollar rallies were in the since at least 2009, according to Clark- 10 developed-world peers by the 1980s and the 1990s. son, the world’s largest shipbroker. end of the year, according to the The currency had six straight “The stars are aligned for us right median estimate in a Bloomberg years of gains from 1979 to 1984 as now,” Nikolas Tsakos, the chief execu- survey. That outlook is backed Reagan took office in 1981 and cut tive officer of Tsakos Energy Navigation by the Federal Reserve’s stated taxes while the Fed raised inter- Ltd, said in an interview at Bloomb- intent to continue raising inter- est rates. Then, between 1996 and erg’s New York offices, adding that est rates while peers in the rest of 2001, the greenback rose for five falling oil prices will likely stimulate the world keep them flat or lower. out of six years as the US econ- demand and cargoes next year. The rally that started during omy grew under Clinton. Tanker analysts are predicting President Barack Obama’s second “Dollar trends tend to last the rate boom will persist for many term is poised to join a category for years and years,” said Greg of the same reasons oil forecasters are defined by only the biggest, most Anderson, global head of for- bearish. Opec shows no sign of revers- durable periods of dollar strength eign-exchange strategy in New ing its market strategy, and Iran has since the currency’s peg to gold York at Bank of Montreal. “You outlined plans to ramp up its exports business is doing very well.’’ Too often, prices are suppressed across 2016 could ended in 1971. still have to respect the trend.” once economic sanctions against the tankers are lumped in with other oil lead to a boom in tanker earnings of Of the two other rallies that The current rally kicked off in country are lifted. At the same time, industry services in the minds of inves- comparable magnitude to 2007-08,” With on-land share that distinction, during 2013 when the Fed began winding the United States just repealed a four- tors, he said. said Tim Smith, senior analyst at Mar- the terms of Presidents Ronald down the extraordinary mone- decades old limit on its exports. “Investors look at tankers as an oil itime Strategies International, said inventories already Reagan and Bill Clinton, neither tary stimulus it had in place since With on-land inventories already service, which we are,” Tsakos said. in a report. At the same time, low oil at record levels, stopped at four years. the 2007-2009 recession, stok- at record levels, this could mean more “But I think very few have identified prices have served to stimulate world this could mean “This is the third big dol- ing speculation higher interest barrels will eventually be stored on that this side over here is the only oil oil consumption, which rose by by lar rally we’ve had,” said Marc rates would follow. ships, further increasing profit, said service that’s positively affected by 1.8 million barrels a day in 2015, the more barrels will Chandler, global head of currency That causes the currency Tsakos. the dropping oil prices. I hope in the highest in five years, according to the eventually be stored strategy in New York at Brown to strengthen because it means The biggest tanker operators who new year that this will be recognized, International Energy Agency. Brothers Harriman & Co. “The investors would be paid more to manage fleets from Europe are Euro- and our share prices are moving in With about 40 percent of the on ships, further Obama dollar rally, I think, is keep money in dollars compared nav, based in Antwerp, Belgium, DHT the right direction.” world’s crude shipped by sea, that increasing profit, being fueled by the divergence with others. Holdings, Frontline Management, While rates are forecast to slip in will result in 1.4 million barrels a day in monetary policy.” Last month, those higher rates which runs Norway-born billion- 2016, the ships will still earn $46,400 more cargoes this year, according to said Tsakos. The US currency will end 2016 finally came as the Fed bumped aire John Fredriksen’s tanker fleet, a day, the second best year since 2009, Clarkson data. higher against its major counter- up borrowing costs a quarter of a and Tsakos Energy in Greece. All have according to the median of six analysts One other factor related to the parts except the Canadian dollar, percentage point for the first time seen their shares rise this year while surveyed by Bloomberg and histori- oil rout is that it’s driven down fuel British pound and the Norwe- in almost a decade, and released most energy producers have fallen. cal data from Clarkson. prices, further boosting tanker prof- Macleod said in an emailed response gian krone, posting its biggest forecasts implying four similar “We are benefiting from what The average carrier is about 332 its. At the start of October, earnings for to questions. Euronav declined to gains against the New Zealand increases next year as economic is currently a challenging environ- meters long, or almost 1,089 feet, data Very Large Crude Carriers, the offi- comment. and Australian dollars and the growth continues. ment for the energy sector,” said Svein from IHS show. The carriers’ earn- cial designation for the big tankers, “The very thing which has been Swiss franc, according to fore- “No other country can keep Moxnes Harfjeld, joint chief execu- ings will more than double this year, exceeded $100,000 a day for the first negative for oil markets has been casts compiled by Bloomberg. up with that,” Chandler said. tive officer for DHT, in an email. “We according to analyst estimates com- time since 2008, according to data positive for tanker markets,” said That comes after three “Therefore, the dollar is likely expect 2016 to be a rewarding year.” piled by Bloomberg. The extra rates compiled by Bloomberg. George Los, a New York- based ana- straight years of gains for the to appreciate against most of Tsakos, whose company gained would work out at more than $5bn in Moving forward, the carrier com- lyst for Charles R. Weber Co. “We US Trade Weighted Real Broad those currencies.” 4.3 percent in New York trading this additional revenues if applied across pany Frontline expects rates to be have seen a supply driven boost to year, said the increase should have the entire fleet. “firm, driven by a high supply of oil,” the tanker market which has come been higher, given that “the underlying “A scenario in which crude oil Chief Executive Officer Robert Hvide at the cost of the oil market.”

Capital This was a year of worrying and waiting. Worrying David Kelley, Chief Global Comment about China....and also waiting for the Fed. Strategist, J.P. Morgan

TOP TWEETS BLOGS AND VIEWS Market Talk Ackman’s fund sells World Bank@WorldBank Bloomberg 5 million shares #Morocco will be the NAME IN THE MARKET: EUROPE home of the larg- est #solar plant on the Reuters planet Market share war goes hot in aviation sector as domestic fares fall. Airlines BOSTON: Billionaire investor Wil- UN Climate Action @ liam Ackman (pictured) said he UNFCCC increasingly add to the US sold about 5 million shares in drug market to power profit company Valeant International 2016 forecast: Wind in order to generate a tax loss as and solar power to as yields on international investors in his Pershing Square soar in spite of bargain routes fall Capital Management face the big- prices for fossil fuels gest loss in the company’s history. Ackman’s hedge fund now its drug pricing and accounting owns 29.1 million shares in practices. Climate Central@ Valeant, or 8.5 percent of the The company, after disclosing ClimateCentral DealB%k company, down from 34.1 million last week that its chief executive shares, or 9.9 percent, according officer, Michael Pearson, had been World Energy Outlook to a regulatory filing. hospitalized with severe pneu- predicts Africa could Pershing Square sold shares monia, this week named a trio of be the first to power in its two on-shore portfolios in company executives to take over economic growth with Hedge Funds struggle with order to generate a tax loss for until Pearson returns. renewable energy investors while the two off-shore A company spokesman steep losses and higher portfolios did not sell any shares.. declined to say anything beyond expectations. Losses this year News that Ackman, one the filing. For Ackman, 2015 is Anatole Kaletsky @ come at a difficult time for of Valeant’s biggest and most sure to be one of his worst years Kaletsky vocal backers, sold some of his ever, in part because of the heavy the nearly $3 trillion industry shares comes at the tail end of a losses in Valeant. One of Ackman’s #Oil companies should tumultuous year for the Canadian funds posted a 19.7 percent loss stop wasting money on pharmaceutical company, whose through December 29. Final cal- exploration share price had surged and then culations for all of the firm’s funds plummeted amid questions about www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

PAGE | 31 PAGE | 35 AuAustralias to launch QSL: El Jaish rrare spin attack desperate for winn aagainst Windies over Al Sailiya

SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 • 23 Rabia I 1437 the peninsula newspaper @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Easy semis passage for Djokovic, Nadal in Doha

TENNIS: QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Khalifa Tennis Complex all set he added. “In four days, I am 30. I will be to stage season’s playing my best tennis at 30 (laughs), I promise,” Stakhovsky said with a smile. opening ATP Tour “My personal goal is not to get event which starts injured. I need to stay stable and get good results in the Grand Slams,” he tomorrow added. Fifth seed Spain’s Felciano Lopez will take on compatriot Daniel Munoz- By Rizwan Rehmat de la Nava while sixth seed Andreas The Peninsula Seppi of Italy is set to play Lithuanian’s Richards Beranks. Seventh seed Jeremy Chardy of the US will play Qatari wildcard Mubarak DOHA: World number one Novak Djok- Shanna Zayid while eight seed Argen- ovic and Grand Slam star Rafael Nadal tina’s Leonardo Mayer is scheduled to yesterday got easy passages until the play a qualifier. semi-finals of the $ $1.18m Qatar Exx- The season’s opening event offers a onMobil Open but Sergiy Stakhovsky total prize bag of $1,189,605 but Turk- sported a nervous smile when he got ish wildcard Marsel Ilhan is pleased drawn to play against fast-serving as punch to be in Doha. Tomas Berdych in the season’s open- “This tournament has top play- ing event. ers here - you have Djokovic, Nadal, Top seed Djokovic, who plays a Berdych and Ferrer here,” Ilhan said. qualifier in his season’s opening match “They are the top seed. Beginning of at Khalifa Tennis Complex, is expected a new season is important for players to meet Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in like us,” he said. the second round at the first event of “Hopefully I can make a good start the new season. before the Australian Open. I want to Arch-rival and second seed Nadal thank Qatar Tennis Federation for their The Centre Court at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex presents a fresh look after evening showers in Doha. The venue will play launches his 2016 campaign with a generosity,” he said. Pictures by: Salim Matramkot match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno host to the final of Qatar ExxonMobil Open on January 9. “I know there are many Turks living Busta while fourth seed and defend- here. I don’t know when I play - Mon- ing champion David Ferrer takes on day or Tuesday. But I hope my fans Ukraine’s Illya Marchencko in his first “Who picked me against Tomas?,” Stakhovsky said yesterday. 2013 Wimbledon, Stakhovsky wants It’s just the consistency that I need to come to watch me play. match-up in the new season. joked Stakhovsky at the draw ceremony “I had my chances. It’s going to to stitch quick wins to break into the look after,” Stakhovsky said. “The first match is what’s impor- With Djokovic, Nadal and Fer- but the Ukrainian quickly admitted be a tough challenge for me to start. top-30 on the ATP Tour. “Yes, I have the “Some matches are important that tant. I want to be at the Olympic Games rer getting easy first hits at the his first call was ‘tough’. It’s the start of a new season. I hope I game to be in the top-30,” Stakhovsky at the of the day make a difference,” in Rio de Janeiro,” Ilhan said. season-opener, it was unpredictable “It’s a tough one. I have played can change something this year,” the said yesterday. Stakhovsky said. “I want to crack into the top 50. I Stakhovsky who was drawn to play his Tomas quite a few times last year. I 29-year-old Ukrainian said. “I could have done that last year if “Looking back, I have no regrets. I hope I can get good results,” he said. nemesis Berdych - seeded third - in the played him three times on hard courts, Famous for his massive shock win I had won four key matches that I was made some mistakes but in general I The tournament starts tomorrow. first round of the 32-man tournament. once on clay and I didn’t win any,” over tennis legend Roger Federer at the leading in. It’s not a huge difference. don’t regret things I did (on the court),” The doubles field has eight teams.

QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Top seeds (1) Novak Djokovic, (2) Rafael Nadal, (3) Tomas Berdych, (4) David Ferrer Djokovic begins 2016 season in Qatar (5) Feliciano Lopez, (6) Andreas Seppi, (7) Jeremy Chardy, (8) Leonardo Mayer First-round match-ups (1) Novak Djokovic vs Qualifier, Fernando Verdasco vs (WC) Malek Jaziri, , Pablo Andujar vs Paolo AFP he might be at the end of last season. Lorenzi, Qualifier vs 8 Leonardo Mayer, (3) Tomas Berdych vs Sergiy Stakhovsky, Marco Cecchinato vs Nadal said he’s had a great pre- Damir Dzumhur, Qualifier vs Martin Klizan, Daniel Muñoz de la Nava vs (5) Feliciano Lopez, season training at home in Mallorca (7) Jeremy Chardy vs (WC) Mubarak Shannan Zayid, Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs Paul-Henri Mathieu, and told journalists in the UAE at the Teymuraz Gabashvili vs Simone Bolelli DOHA: Six weeks after completing one end of last month that he aims to be Illya Marchenko vs (4) David Ferrer, (6) Andreas Seppi vs Ricardas Berankis, of the greatest seasons in tennis his- “very competitive” during 2016. (WC) Marsel Ilhan vs Andrey Kuznetsov tory, Novak Djokovic begins his 2016 He is the number two seed in Doha campaign and warm-up for his Aus- and could barely do worse than he did tralian Open defence in Qatar. 12 months ago when he crashed out The Serbian, also current holder of in the first round, losing to Germany’s Wimbledon and the US Open, heads a Michael Berrer in three sets. strong field at the Qatar Open start- The previous year, Nadal, 29, had ing in Doha tomorrow, which also won in Qatar. includes Rafael Nadal, Tomas Ber- This year’s defending champion dych and defending champion David is Nadal’s dogged compatriot David Ferrer. Ferrer, so he may feel himself a little All eyes though, at least at the start, unlucky to be seeded fourth. will be on Djokovic to see if he can Ferrer beat the Czech Berdych, maintain the exceptional heights he this year’s number three seed, in achieved last year and to gauge his straight sets in January 2015, one of form ahead of the first Grand Slam of five tournaments he won last year as the year, which begins in Melbourne the 33-year-old showed no signs of on January 18. slowing down. The 28-year-old dominated men’s “I will be there to defend my title tennis last year, all but sweeping away and I hope I will be able to do so,” he the competition to take three majors, said in a statement released ahead make 15 consecutive tour finals and of the tournament. Also playing this win more than $21m in prize money. year are the world number 29 Andreas He also became the third man to Seppi and Argentina’s Leonardo Meyer, reach all four Grand Slam finals in ranked 35. a year, losing out only in the French The Qatar Open is played outdoors Open to Stan Wawrinka. on a hard court and lasts from Janu- Given his achievements last season, ary 4 to 9. Temperatures for the week Djokovic must be looking to become are predicted to be around the low 20s the first player since Rod Laver, in 1969, World No.1 Novak Djokovic prepares ahead of the Qatar ExxonMobil Celsius, (high 60s, low 70s Fahrenheit). to win all four Grand Slams in a sin- Open at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Thursday. Given the riches of Qatar, it is gle season. unsurprising that total prize money There is also the extra prize of for the event is $1,189,605, the larg- a “fifth major” this season, with an on December 30. “I’m so excited to Karlovic beat him in three sets in the est purse for an ATP World Tour 250 Olympics gold medal up for grabs in come back and perform at my best quarter-finals. championship. Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky (centre) is seen with Marsel Ilhan (left) Rio in August. in this season opening tournament, The other big story in Doha is Nadal. The tournament has been held since of Turkey and Spain’s Pablo Andujar at the draw ceremony of the “Here we come again to a new stay tuned!” Last year though, Doha Now the world number five, Qatar 1993 when a 25-year-old Boris Becker 2016 Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha yesterday. All three are part season,” Djokovic said in an upbeat represented one of his rare failures. should give some indication if the Span- triumphed beating Goran Ivanisevic of the main draw at the 32-man tournament. statement before arriving in Qatar The big serving Croatian Ivo iard is returning to form as he suggested in the final in three sets. 30 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 SPORT

Southampton Koscielny goal sends Arsenal to the top drop Mane for being late Rooney becomes LONDON: Southampton’s Sen- second-highest egalese winger Sadio Mane outright goal-scorer was dropped for his side’s of EPL and Red Devils Premier League game at Nor- wich City yesterday after being late for a team meet- ing, manager Ronald Koeman AFP revealed. “He was in the team, but he was too late in the meeting,” Koeman said in comments LONDON: Laurent Koscielny scored published on Southampton’s as Arsenal edged Newcastle United official Twitter account. “We 1-0 yesterday to pull two points clear have rules in the team.” of Leicester City at the top of the Pre- Mane, 23, had played in all mier League table. 19 of Southampton’s previ- Koscielny stabbed home a flick- ous league games this season, on from France team-mate Olivier scoring three goals. Giroud in the 72nd minute at a rain- An £11.8 million ($17.4 mil- lashed Emirates Stadium and Leicester lion, 16.1 million euros) signing were held 0-0 by Bournemouth, with from Red Bull Salzburg in Sep- Riyad Mahrez squandering a penalty. tember 2014, he impressed Manchester City, third, can close to during his first season at within a point of Leicester if they win Southampton, scoring 10 at Watford later yesterday. Meanwhile, goals in 32 games. Wayne Rooney scored as Manchester Mane has scored three United ended an eight-game winless league goals for Saints this run by beating Swansea City 2-1. Arse- season but hasn’t found the nal were bidding to build on the 2-0 net in the top flight since win over Bournemouth that had sent Laurent Koscielny (right) scoring for Arsenal against Newcastle United in their Barclays Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium yesterday. a draw with Liverpool in them top of the table, but Newcas- October. tle squandered several opportunities His dropping curiously to go ahead. FOOTBALL: comes on the opening day of Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE the January transfer window. had to produce smart saves to thwart He has been linked with a Giorginio Wijnaldum either side of transfer to Manchester United half-time, while Aleksandar Mitrovic since last summer and his diverted a volleyed cross from Ayoze with a sumptuous near-post back- omission will only add fuel to Perez over the bar from close range. heel 13 minutes from time as United the rumours linking him with With the home fans growing claimed a first win in seven league an Old Trafford switch. restless, Koscielny supplied the games to further ease the pressure on breakthrough 18 minutes from time, manager Louis van Gaal. The result sneaking in behind Perez to toe the lifted United to fifth place, two points ball past Rob Elliot after Giroud had below Tottenham Hotspur, who visit Body of former got his head to a high ball. Everton today. Leicester have now gone three West Ham United are a point back Ivory Coast league games without winning after in sixth after Michael Antonio and their stalemate against 10-man Andy Carroll scored headed goals footballer Bournemouth at the King Power Sta- in a 2-0 home win over Liverpool. dium. Jamie Vardy hit the post in the Aston Villa spurned another first half and was then fouled by Simon chance to close on safety after los- found in Rhine Francis in an incident that saw the ing 3-1 at second-bottom Sunderland, Bournemouth defender sent off and with Jermain Defoe scoring twice to BERLIN: The body of former yielded Leicester’s 60th-minute pen- leave Remi Garde’s side seven points Ivory Coast international Steve alty. But for once this season Mahrez’s adrift at the foot of the table. Gohouri has been found in the radar betrayed him, the Algerian’s Patrick van Aanholt put Sunder- Rhine, German police said yes- penalty parried by Bournemouth land in front with a deflected effort and terday, three weeks after he goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Villa were momentarily level cour- was reported missing. At Old Trafford, Rooney scored a tesy of a brilliant Carles Gil volley in Police said the body of milestone winner against Swansea, the 63rd minute, only for Defoe to net Gohouri, who won 13 caps for which made him the second-highest twice in the last 18 minutes. Ivory Coast, had been found in outright goal-scorer in both Premier Jonny Evans’s stoppage-time goal the river at Krefeld near Dues- League (188 goals) and United (238) earned West Bromwich Albion a last- seldorf, German sports news history. gasp 2-1 win over Stoke City, who had agency SID reported. Anthony Martial headed United in Geoff Cameron sent off after an alter- Police said an autopsy front from Ashley Young’s right-wing cation with Claudio Yacob. found no signs of violence. cross early in the second half, only Kenyan midfielder Victor Wan- They gave no indication as for Gylfi Sigurdsson to draw Swan- yama was dismissed as Southampton to other possible causes of sea level in the 70th minute from a went down 1-0 at Norwich City, where Manchester United’s skipper Wayne Rooney (centre) scores his team’s second goal with a back healed shot death. Gohouri, 34, had told Modou Barrow cross. But Rooney Alexander Tettey scored a 76th-minute during the English Premier League soccer match against Swansea City at Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain teammates he was heading to converted a cut-back from Martial winner. yesterday. The Red Devils won 2-1. Paris to see his family but the former Wigan and Borussia Moenchengladbach defender never arrived. Gohouri, who started his Angry Liverpool boss slams Reds flops after defeat career at Paris Saint Germain but failed to make the first team, vanished after attend- ing German fourth tier club AGENCIES Goals from Michail Antonio and should have had a free kick shortly “Not enough in the decisive playing football. TSV Steinbach’s Christmas Andy Carroll were enough to seal before Antonio headed the Irons in moments,” he told BT Sport. “We are “Today is not a day to be disap- party on December 12. Stein- all three points for the Hammers at front in the first period, before Carroll responsible for the result. We have to pointed - today is a day to be angry. bach coach Thomas Brdaric Upton Park and to leapfrog the Reds powered home another header after be better. “Who wants to see 90 per cent? noted after Gohouri went LONDON: Liverpool boss Jurgen in the table. the break to seal the deal. “If there is no whistle, we have to You cannot win a football game with missing that “there is much Klopp admitted he was angry with Liverpool rarely threatened, and Despite the alleged injustice, Klopp defend. We didn’t defend the cross, 1-0. 90 per cent, or 95. No-one wants to speculation - but I hope it is his players after a dismal showing at the German accused his side of giving lamented his players for not playing to Second goal, we played five against see this. I don’t like it. You have to use not true - that he has personal West Ham saw the Reds fall to a 2-0 only 90 per cent effort during the game. the whistle in the lead up to the opener one on the right wing and didn’t win your chances with more will than we problems and has abandoned defeat yesterday. Television replays showed the Reds and challenged them to improve. the ball, 2-0. Then we started again did today.” his responsibilities.” Stokes lifts England with quick-fire late attack

AFP CRICKET: before tea when he pulled a ball from SCOREBOARD ENGLAND VS SOUTH AFRICA Rabada and was well caught by a div- ing Temba Bavuma at midwicket. England (I innings): Rabada made it two wickets in two A Cook c Morris b Rabada 27 CAPE TOWN: Ben Stokes unleashed a against the second new ball, hitting the balls when he dismissed James Tay- A Hales c De Villiers b Morkel 60 flurry of attacking strokes late in the first two deliveries from Morris for fours lor with the first ball after tea but Root N Compton c Bavuma b Rabada 45 afternoon to give England the edge on to post a 70-ball half-century. He hit two and Stokes put on 56 for the fifth wicket J Root c De Kock b Morris 50 the first day of the second Test against more fours and a single in the same over. before Morris claimed his first wicket South Africa at Newlands yesterday. By the close he had faced 93 balls in Test cricket when Root edged an J Taylor c De Kock b Rabada 0 England were 317 for five at the and hit 11 fours and a six. attempted cut to wicketkeeper Quin- B Stokes (batting) 74 close, with the left-handed Stokes on Alex Hales and Root hit half-cen- ton de Kock. J Bairstow (batting) 39

74 not out. turies, while Nick Compton made 45 Fast bowlers Rabada and Morris Extras (B-10, LB-1, NB-4, W-7) 22 An injury-depleted South African after England won the toss and made were playing in place of Dale Steyn and Total (for 5 wkts) 317 bowling attack, spearheaded by Kagiso first use of a pitch with good bounce but Kyle Abbott, who suffered shoulder and Rabada, kept England in check for much minimal sideways movement. hamstring injuries respectively during Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-129, 3-167, 4-167, of a hot, cloudless day on a batsman- Hales, playing in his second Test South Africa’s 241-run defeat in the first 5-223. friendly pitch. match, hit 60 -- his maiden Test half- Test in Durban. Bowling: Morkel 18-3-51-1 (1w); Morris Rabada, 20, playing in his first home century -- and shared stands of 55 with Rabada and off-spinner Dane Piedt 22-3-99-1; Rabada 19-2-74-3 (4nb, 2w); Test, took three for 74. opening partner Alastair Cook and 74 were both playing in their fourth Test Piedt 21-5-63-0; Van Zyl 5-0-12-0; Elgar The match seemed evenly poised for the second wicket with Compton. match, leaving Morkel, in his 69th Test, 2-0-7-0. when Joe Root was dismissed for 50 by Cook made 27 before edging Rab- as the only experienced member of the South Africa: H Amla, D Elgar, S van Zyl, new cap Chris Morris. But Stokes and ada low to third slip where Morris dived South African bowling attack. A de Villiers, F du Plessis, T Bavuma, Q de Jonny Bairstow (39 not out) put on an far to his left and held the ball centi- Both Rabada and Morris built up Kock, C Morris, K Rabada, D Piedt, M Mor- unbeaten 94 for the sixth wicket. metres above the ground. good pace, with Rabada clocked at England’s Ben Stokes drives the ball during their second cricket Test kel. Stokes was particularly aggressive Compton was out in the last over 150kmh shortly before dismissing Cook. match against South Africa in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday. SPORT SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 31 Australia to launch rare spin assault against West Indies

O’Keefe to join Lyon in Australia’s first twin spin attack at the SCG since Shane Warne and Stuart Sri Lanka and New Zealand players walk off the field as rain delays the MacGill took on South game during their fourth ODI at the Saxton Oval in Nelson yesterday. Africa in 2006 Rain washes out fourth Reuters NZ-SL one-dayer in Nelson SYDNEY: Australia will field two spe- cialist spinners at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for the first time in a dec- Reuters CRICKET: SRI LANKA’S TOUR TO ade when they host West Indies in the NEW ZEALAND dead rubber third Test starting today. Left-arm orthodox spinner Stephen O’Keefe will play his second Test and NELSON: The fourth one-day inter- (12) both out, swinging the match in join off-spinner Nathan Lyon in Aus- national between New Zealand and the visitors favour. tralia’s first twin spin attack at the SCG Sri Lanka was abandoned after just Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill nine overs of the hosts’ innings after however, struggled to control his grip took on South Africa in 2006. rain intervened for the final time at on the wet ball and Ross Taylor hit Paceman Peter Siddle, who has Saxton Oval in Nelson yesterday. three boundaries as the bowler con- been suffering from an ankle injury, New Zealand were 75-3 after nine ceded 15 runs in his first over. bowled in the nets on Saturday but of their 24 overs after the start of the Light rain then drove the players drops out of the side and will be rested game had been delayed by almost off the field at about 4.20pm, with Tay- in preparation for February’s two-Test five hours before it began at 3.40pm lor on 20 and Henry Nicholls on four. series in New Zealand. local (0240 GMT) time. The visitors kept the five-match “I think the wicket looks a bit dry Overnight rain had forced a delay series alive with a comprehensive so I think it’ll take some spin so that before persistent showers kept players eight-wicket victory in the third was our original thinking,” captain off the ground until umpires Richard match at the same venue on Decem- Steve Smith told reporters at the ground Illingworth and Billy Bowden decided ber 31, after the hosts easily won the on Saturday. a shortened game could begin. first two matches at Hagley Oval in “Peter Siddle’s still a bit sore and Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews Christchurch. he’ll have a rest for a couple of weeks won the toss and his bowlers reduced The fifth match is at Mt. Maun- Australian captain Steve Smith (left) bats in the nets during a training session in Sydney yesterday. Australia and hopefully get himself right for New New Zealand to 53-3 in the seventh ganui on Tuesday. The tour concludes will take on the West Indies in the third Test starting today. Zealand. over with opener Martin Guptill (27 with two Twenty20 internationals on “We’re happy with the side with the from 14 balls) and Kane Williamson January 7 and 10. two spinners and we think it’s going become the second spinner.” Uncapped CRICKET: WEST INDIES’ the injury to Bishoo so we just have to turn and we’re ready to go.” Victorian paceman Scott TOUR TO AUSTRALIA to work with what we have. I’m sure O’Keefe, who made his debut Boland would have come into the Kraigg Brathwaite will come to the against Pakistan in Dubai two years side for Siddle had the selectors decided fore and bowl a bit more.” ago, will play his maiden Test on home to go with a third quick along with Brathwaite offers occasional off soil at the age of 31. Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson. Jomel Warrican. Team officials said an breaks in addition to his opening bat- Smith, once considered a spin- Australia, who won the first Test injury to the 30-year-old Guyanan’s ting but neither looks likely to redress bowling all-rounder and one of the in Hobart by an innings and 212 runs left rotator cuff he sustained before the balance between the two sides after players who have kept O’Keefe out and the second at Melbourne Cricket the second Test in Melbourne would two thoroughly one-sided matches in of the Test side over the years, said he Ground last week by 177 runs, are strong prevent him playing on a track that the series so far. probably would have been included favourites to sweep the series 3-0. Australia expect to provide plenty of While the batsmen showed more even if Siddle had been fit to play. Meanwhile, West Indies will not turn for their spinners Nathan Lyon resistance in the 177-run loss in Mel- “It was more that it was going to be able to match hosts Australia by and Stephen O’Keefe. bourne last week than they had in the spin,” Smith added. “It’s an opportu- playing two spinners in the third Test “I’ve seen they’ve gone with two innings and 212-run defeat with which nity to look at Stephen and see how after Devendra Bishoo was ruled out spinners, we’ve been accustomed to they opened the series in Hobart, the he goes. of the dead rubber conTest by a shoul- spin-bowling in the Caribbean and West Indies bowling has remained “We’ve got a tour of Sri Lanka com- der injury yesterday. hopefully our batsmen can get into that largely ineffective. ing up where two spinners is a real Leg-spinner Bishoo, who took 6-80 a lot better than we have in this series,” A tally of 10 wickets taken over two possibility. against the Australians in the Caribbean captain Jason Holder told reporters at Test matches offered not even a dis- Ground staff lay down the covers as rain delays the game during the “Nathan Lyon is our number one last year, had been in the frame for a the SCG on the eve of the opening day tant echo of the days when the likes of spinner, I think everyone knows that, recall to work in tandem with inex- of the match. Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose fourth one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at and he’s got an opportunity now to perienced left-arm orthodox bowler “We’re down to one spinner with struck fear in the hearts of batsmen. the Saxton Oval in Nelson yesterday. Smith yet to confirm role with South African team Pakistan to use pink ball in first-class final Agencies the five-day format of the game. Reuters The International Cricket Coun- cil termed the day-night Test a KARACHI: Pakistan will experi- “success”, while Cricket Australia DURBAN: Former South Africa cap- ment with the pink ball in the final of announced a record-breaking tain Graeme Smith (pictured) said its premier first-class cricket tour- crowd for non-Ashes Test matches yesterday an announcement on his nament in preparation for a possible at the ground. The Pakistani Test rejoining the team in a consulting role day-night Test against Australia players expected to participate in to help boost confidence and impart later this year, a cricket official the match are: Mohammad Hafeez, ideas was premature and he was still said yesterday. Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Moham- considering the offer. “We had experimented with mad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Wahab Smith worked with some of the the orange ball in the final of the Riaz and Ehsan Adil. under-pressure team’s batsmen on the trophy in 2011 and then with a pink Meanwhile, New Zealand are eve of the second Test against England ball in 2012 so the latest final will keen to build on the momentum of at Newlands after their 241-run defeat help us further assess the pink ball the inaugural day-night test with in the first Test in Durban, where he as Australia have offered us to play their own ‘pink ball’ match, possibly had been critical of their form in his a day-night Test later this year,” against the touring South Africans, radio and television analysis. Pakistan Cricket Board’s commit- next season. Some 120,000 fans “They are low on confidence,” he tee head Shakil Sheikh said. flocked through the gates of the said of South Africa’s current bats- Smith said it was key South Africa’s Pakistan has already imported Adelaide Oval over three days of men, “and I was asked after Durban top six batsmen share the pressure. pink balls from Australia for the play to watch Brendon McCullum’s to come down and work with them. “You’ve got to almost bat for the final. The Quaid-e-Azam trophy side lose to Australia in the first “I’ve since been offered an guy on the other end,” he advised. final between Pakistan Test captain day-night test in November. On extended role but it is something I need South Africa captain Hashim Amla Misbah-ul-Haq-led Sui Northern the back of such undeniable pub- to consider as I already have commit- on Friday said Smith would be with Gas Pipelines and Younis Khan- lic support for the concept, New ments. The way it was announced was the team for the rest of the four-Test skippered United Bank will be Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief exec- not right,” he told BBC’s Test Match series, which his former skipper has played at the National Stadium utive David White said the idea of Special, where the 34-year-old former since denied. from today. hosting a pink ball Test had already Test opener is serving as a pundit. “He was a wonderful captain for “We are ready to experiment at been discussed. South Africa’s Test side are ranked and he knows more than most guys the highest level and this final will “I think it’s a distinct possibility,” top in the world but have not won in how to play Test cricket and how to help the players and the board to White told Newstalk ZB yesterday. their last seven Tests, hammered in deal with tough times,” explained consider the day-night Test offer, “Obviously, South Africa would have India in November and comprehen- Amla at a media conference at New- after which we will finalise our to be keen as well but I think that sively beaten by England in Durban lands on Friday. plans,” added Sheikh. Australia it’s very much a possibility. The big on Wednesday. “I was trying to find “He had a few crushing defeats and New Zealand played the first- difference between New Zealand a feel good factor as they are low on early in his career so he is well aware ever day-night Test in Adelaide in and Australia is that it will be a big confidence,” said Smith of his work on how important it is as a team to reas- November last year, an experiment challenge to do it before Christmas Friday. “If you are out of form you can sess and get back to form. That type initiated to lift waning interest in because of our weather,” White said. spend too much time over-analysing of experience is invaluable and that’s and working yourself over mentally.” why we’ve tried to draw on it.” 32 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 2016

06: Cricket - New Zealand vs Australia at Wellington, 2nd ODI 06: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Port Elizabeth, 2nd ODI SPORTS 06-07: Tennis - Fed Cup first round 06-07: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Sydney 07: Rugby - Six Nations: Ireland vs Wales CALENDAR 07: NFL: Super Bowl in Santa Clara 08: Cricket - New Zealand vs Australia at Hamilton, 3rd ODI 08-12: Cycling - Tour of Qatar 08-14: Tennis - ATP at Rotterdam, Memphis and Buenos Aires; WTA at St Petersburg and Taiwan 09: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Centurion, 3rd ODI 11-14: Golf - EPGA at Tshwane Open, Pretoria; USPGA at Pebble APRIL Beach Pro-Am 12: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Johannesburg, 4th ODI 03: Formula One - Bahrain Grand Prix 12-14: Rally of Sweden 03: Moto GP - Grand Prix of Argentina 12-16: Cricket - New Zealand vs Australia at Wellington, 1st Test 3: Cycling - Tour of Flanders 13: Rugby - Six Nations: France vs Ireland and Wales vs Scotland 04-10: Tennis - ATP at Marrakech and Houston; WTA at Charleston JUNE 14: Rugby - Six Nations: Italy vs England and Katowice 05-06: Football - Champions League quarter-finals first leg 14: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Cape Town, 5th ODI 02: Athletics - Rome Diamond League 15-21: Tennis - ATP at Rio, Delray Beach and Marseille; WTA at Dubai 07: Football - Europa League quarter-finals first leg 07-10: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at Masters, Augusta National 02-05: Golf - EPGA at Nordea Masters, Stockholm; USPGA at The and Rio; WTA at Dubai and Rio Colonial, Muirfield Village, Dublin; LPGA at ShopRite Classic, Galloway 16-17: Football - Champions League round of 16 first legs 07-10: Rugby - European Champions Cup quarter-finals 08-10: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Hong Kong 03: Racing - Epsom Oaks 16-21: Cycling - Tour of Oman 03-26: Football - Copa America in USA 18: Football - Europa League round of 32 first legs 9: Racing - Aintree Grand National 10: MotoGP - Grand Prix of USA 04: Racing - Epsom Derby 18-21: Golf - EPGA and Asia Tour at Maybank Championships, Kuala 05: Athletics - Birmingham Diamond League Lumpur; USPGA at Northern Trust Open, Pacific Palisades; LPGA at 10: Cycling - Paris-Rubaix Classic 11-17: Tennis - ATP at Monte Carlo; WTA at Bogota 05: MotoG - Grand Prix of Catalonia ISPS Women’s Australian Open, Adelaide 05: Racing - French Derby JANUARY 19: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Cape Town, 1st T20I 12-13: Football - Champions Cup quarter-finals second legs 13-16: Golf - EPGA at LOTTE Championship, Oaku, Hawaii 05-12: Cycling - Criterium du Dauphine 20-24: Cricket - New Zealand vs Australia at Christchurch, 2nd Test 06: Cricket - Australia v South Africa at Providence, ODI 02: Cricket - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Nelson, 4th ODI 14: Football - Europa League quarter-finals second legs 21: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Johannesburg, 2nd T20I 06-12: Tennis - ATP at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Stuttgart; WTA at ‘s- 02: Cricket - Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah, 3rd ODI 14-17: Golf - EPGA at Spanish Open; USPGA at RBC Heritage, Hilton 22-28: Tennis - ATP at Acapulco, Dubai and Sao Paulo; WTA at Doha Hertogenbosch and Nottingham 02-06: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Cape Town, 2nd Test head; LPGA at LOTTE Championship, Oahu, Hawaii and Acapulco 08: Cricket - West Indies v South Africa at Providence, ODI 02-17: Dakar Rally in South America 16-17: Tennis - Fed Cup semi-finals 23-24: Football - Champions League round of 16 first legs 09: Athletics - Oslo Diamond League 03-07: Cricket - Australia vs West Indies at Sydney, 3rd Test 16-17: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Singapore 25: Football - Europa League round of 32 second legs 09-12: Golf - EPGA at Lyoness Open, Austria; USPGA at FedEx Clas- 04: Cricket - Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah, 4th ODI 16-02: Snooker - World Championship in Sheffield 25-28: Golf - EPGA and Asia Tour at Perth International; USPGA at sic, Memphis; LPGA at Women’s PGA Championship, Sammamish 04-10: Tennis - ATP at Brisbane, Chennai, Doha; WTA at Brisbane, 17: Formula One - China Grand Prix Honda Classic, Palm Beach; LPGA at Honda LPGA Thailand, Chon- 09-13: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Lord’s, 3rd Test Shenzhen and Auckland; Hopman Cup in Perth 18-24: Tennis - ATP at Barcelona and Bucharest; WTA at Stuttgart buri 10: Cricket - West Indies v Australia at Providence, ODI 05: Cricket - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Mount Maunganui, 5th ODI and Istanbul 26: Rugby - Six Nations: Wales vs France 10-12: Rally of Italy 07: Cricket - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Mount Maunganui, 1st T20I 21-24: Golf - EPGA at Shenzhen International; USPHA at Texas Open, 26: Football - FIFA Extraordinary Congress, Zurich 10-10: Football - Euro 2016 in France 07-10: Rugby - European Champions Cup postponed 1st and 2nd San Antonio; LPGA at Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, San Francisco 27: Rugby - Six Nations: Italy vs Scotland and England vs Wales 11: Racing - Belmont Stakes round games 22-24: Rugby - European Champions Cup semi-finals 28-06: Table-Tennis - World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur 12: Formula One - Canadian Grand Prix 07-10: Golf - EPGA at South Africa Open, Johannesburg; USPGA at 22-24: Rally of Argentina 29-06: Tennis - WTA at Monterray and Kuala Lumpur 13: Cricket - Australia v South Africa at Basseterre, ODI Hyundai Tournament of Champions, Hawaii 24: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Spain 13-19: Tennis - ATP at Hallle and London; WTA at Birmingham and 08-10: Rugby - European Champions Cup games - 4th rd 24: Athletics - London Marathon Mallorca 10: Cricket - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Auckland, 2nd T20I 24: Cycling - Liege-Bastogne-Liege 13-21: Cycling - Tour of Switzerland 10: Cricket - Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah, 2nd T20I 25-01: Tennis - ATP at Estoril, Istanbul, Munich; WTA at Rabat and 14-19: Racing - Royal Ascot 11: Football - Ballon d’Or award in Zurich Prague 15: Cricket - West Indies v Australia at Basseterre, ODI 11-17: Tennis - ATP at Auckland, Sydney; WTA at Sydney and Hobart 26-27: Football - Champions League semi-finals first leg 16: Cricket - Ireland v Sri Lanka at TBD, 1st ODI 12: Cricket - Australia vs India at Perth, 1st ODI 28: Football - Europa League semi-finals first legs 16: Athletics - Stockholm Diamond League 14-16: Rugby - European Champions Cup games - 5th rd 28-01: Golf - EPGA at China Open; USPGA at Zurch Classic of New 16-19: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at US Open, Oakmont; LPGA at Meijer 14-17: Golf - EPGA at Johannesburg Open; USPGA at Sony Open, Orleans; LPGA at Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Classic, Belmont Honolulu 30: Racing - English 2000 Guineas 17: Cricket - West Indies v South Africa at Basseterre, ODI 14-18: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Johannesburg, 3rd Test 18: Cricket - Ireland v Sri Lanka at TBD, 2nd ODI 15: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Auckland, 1st T20I 18: Athletics - New York Diamond League 15: Cricket - Australia vs India at Brisbane, 2nd ODI 18-19: Auto - Le Mans 24 hours race 17: Cricket - Australia vs India at Melbourne, 3rd ODI 19: Formula One - Azerbaijan Grand Prix 17: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Hamilton, 2nd T20I 19: Racing - French Oaks 17-31: Handball - Men’s World Championship in Poland 19-23: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Leeds, 1st Test 18-31: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Australian Open MARCH 20: Cricket - Australia v South Africa at Bridgetown, ODI 20: Cricket - Australia vs India at Canberra, 4th ODI 20-26: Tennis - ATP at Nottingham; WTA at Eastbourne 21-24: Golf - EPGA at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship; USPGA at 02-06: Cycling - World Track Championships, London 21: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Nottingham, 1st ODI Career Builder Challenge, La Quinta 03-06: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at WGC-Cadillac Championship, 22: Cricket - West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, ODI 21-24: Rugby - European Champions Cup games - 6th rd Doral; LPGA at HSBC Women’s Champions, Singapore 23: Basketball: NBA draft 22: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Wellington, 3rd T20I 04: Cricket - South Africa vs Australia at Durban, 1st T20I 23-26: Golf - EPGA at BBW International, Pulheim; USPGA at 22-24: Rally of Monte Carlo 04-06: Tennis - Davis Cup first round Quicken Loans National, Bethesda; LPGA at Walmart Arkansas 22-26: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Centurion, 4th Test 04-06: Rally of Mexico Championship, Rogers 23: Cricket - Australia vs India at Sydney, 5th ODI 04-06: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Las Vegas 24: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Birmingham, 2nd ODI 25: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Wellington, 1st ODI 06: Cricket - South Africa vs Australia at Johannesburg, 2nd T20I 24: Cricket - West Indies v South Africa at Bridgetown, ODI 26: Cricket - Australia vs India at Adelaide, 1st T20I 06-13: Cycling - Paris to Nice stage race 24: Rugby - Top14 Final in Barcelona 27-30: Golf - EPGA at Qatar Masters, Doha 07-20: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Indian Wells Masters 25: Racing - Irish Derby 28: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Napier, 2nd ODI 08-09: Football - Champions League round of 16 first legs 26: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Netherlands 28-31: Golf - USPGA at Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines; LPGA 08-13: Badminton - All-England Championships, Birmingham 26: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Bristol, 3rd ODI at Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic; Asia Tour at Singapore Open 08-April 03: Cricket - World Twenty20, India 26: Cricket - Tri-Nations final - Bridgetown 29: Cricket - Australia vs India at Melbourne, 2nd T20I 09: Cricket - South Africa vs Australia at Cape Town, 3rd T20I 27-10: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Wimbledon 30-31: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Wellington 10: Football - Europa League round of 16 first legs MAY 27-31: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street, 2nd Test 31: Cricket - New Zealand vs Pakistan at Auckland, 3rd ODI 10-13: Golf - EPGA and Asia Tour at True Thailand Classic, Hua Hin; 29: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at The Oval, 4th ODI 31: Cricket - Australia vs India at Sydney, 3rd T20I USPGA at Valspar Championship, Palm Harbour 01: Formula One - Russian Grand Prix 30-03: Golf - EPGA at French Open, Versailles; USPGA at Barracuda 12: Rugby - Six Nations: Ireland vs Italy and England vs Wales 01: Cycling - Tour of Frankfort Championships, Reno and at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Fire- 12-13: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Vancouver 01: Racing -English 1000 Guineas stone; LPGA at Cambia Portland Classic 13: Rugby - Six Nations: Scotland vs France 02-08: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Madrid Masters 15-16: Football - Champions League round of 16 second legs 03-04: Football - Champions League semi-finals second legs 17: Football - Europa League round of 16 second legs 04-22: Ice-Hockey - World Championships, St Petersburg 17-20: Golf - EPGA and Asia Tour at Indian Open; USPGA at Arnold 05: Football - Europa League semi-finals second legs Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill; LPGA at JTBC Founders Cup, Phoenix 05-08: Golf - EPGA at Hassan II Trophy, Rabat; USPGA at Wells Fargo 17-20: Athletics - World Indoors Championships, Portland Championship, Quail Hollow; LPGA at Yokohama Tire Classic, Prat- 19: Rugby - Six Nations: Wales vs Italy, Ireland vs Scotland and tville France vs England 06: Athletics - Doha Diamond League 20: Formula One - Australian Grand Prix 06-29: Cycling - Tour of Italy 20: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Qatar 07: Racing - Kentucky Derby 21-27: Cycling - Tour of Catalonia 08: MotoGP - Grand Prix of France 21-03: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Miami Masters 09-15: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Rome Masters 24-27: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at WGC Matchplay, Austin; USPGA 09-22: Swimming - European Aquatics Championships, London also at Puerto Rico Open; LPGA at Kia Classic, Carlsbad 12-15: Golf - EPGA and Asia Tour at Mauritius Open; USPGA at Players 26: Racing - Dubai World Cup Championship, Ponte Vedra Beach 31-03: Golf - USPGA at Houston Open; LPGA at ANA Inspiration, 14: Rugby - European Champions Cup final, Lyon Rancho Mirage 14: Athletics - Shanghai Diamond League 14-15: Rugby - World Sevens Series in Paris 15: Formula One - Spanish Grand Prix 16-22: Tennis - ATP at Geneva and Nice; WTA at Strasbourg and Nurenberg 18: Football - Europa League final, Basel 19-22: Golf - EPGA at Irish Open; USPGA at Byron Nelson Champion- shi, Irving; LPGA at Kingsmill Championship, Williamsburg 20-22: Rally of Portugal FEBRUARY 21: Racing - The Preakness Stakes; Irish 2000 Guineas 21-22: Rugby - World Sevens Series concludes in London 01-07: Tennis - ATP at Montpellier, Sofia and Quito 22: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Italy 03: Cricket - New Zealand vs Australia at Auckland, 1st ODI 22: Racing - Irish 1000 Guineas 03: Cricket - South Africa vs England at Bloemfontein, 1st ODI 23-05: Tennis - ATP and WTA at French Open 04: Basketball - All-Star game in Toronto 24-28: Squash - World Series Finals, Dubai 04-07: Golf - EPGA at Dubai Desert Classic; USPGA at Phoenix Open, 26-29: Golf - EPGA at BMW-PGA Championship, Wentworth; USPGA Scottsdale; LPGA at Coates Golf Championship, Florida; Asia Tour at at The Colonial, Fort Worth; LPGA at Volvik Championship, Ann Arbor Myanmar Open 28: Football - Champions League final, Milan 06: Rugby - Six Nations: France vs Italy and Scotland vs England 28: Athletics - Eugene Diamond League 06: Cricket - Papua New Guinea vs Ireland at Townsville, 1st T20I 29: Formula One - Monaco Grand Prix SPORT SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 33

2016 SPORTS CALENDAR

AUGUST OCTOBER

01-07: Tennis - ATP at Atlanta; WTA at Florianapolis and Nanchang 01: Rugby Championship: Argentina v New Zealand and South Af- 03-07: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Birmingham, 3rd Test rica v Australia 04-07: Golf - EPGA at Paul Lawrie Matchplay, Murcur; USPGA at 01: Cycling - Tour of Lombardy Travelers Championship, Cromwell 02: Racing - Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, at Chantilly 05-21: Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro 02: Formula One - Malaysian Grand Prix 08-14: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Rio Olympics 03-09: Tennis - ATP at Beijing and Tokyo; WTA at Beijing 11-14: Golf - USPGA at John Deere Classic, Silvis 06-09: Golf - EPGA at Alfred Dunhill Links, St Andrews; LPGA at Sime 11-15: Cricket - England v Pakistan at The Oval, 4th Test Darby Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 14: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Austria 08: Rugby Championship: Argentina v Australia and South Afria v 15-21: Tennis - ATP and WTA at Cincinnati Masters New Zealand 17-20: Racing - York Ebor Festival 09: Formula One - Japanese Grand Prix 18: Cricket - Ireland v Pakistan at TBD, 1st ODI 09: Athletics - Chicago Marathon JULY 18-21: Golf - EPGA at Czech Masters, Prague; USPGA at Wyndham 09-16: Cycling - World Road Race Championships, Doha NOVEMBER Championship, Greensboro 10-16: Tennis - ATP at Shanghai; WTA at Tianjin, Hong Kong and Linz 01-03: Rally of Poland 19-21: Rally of Germany 13-16: Golf - British Masters, The Grove; LPGA at Hana Bank Champi- 01: Racing - Melbourne Cup 02: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Cardiff, 5th ODI 20: Cricket - Ireland v Pakistan at TBD, 2nd ODI onship, Incheon 03-06: Golf - EPGA at Turkish Airlines Open, Antalya; LPGA at Toto 02-24: Cycling - Tour de France 20: Rugby Championship: Australia v New Zealand and South Africa 14-16: Rally of Spain Japan Classic 03: Formula One - Austrian Grand Prix v Argentina 15: Racing - British Champions Day at Ascot 04-05: Racing - Breeders Cup at Santa Anita 05: Cricket - England v Sri Lanka at Southampton, Only T20I 20-11: Cycling - Tour of Spain 16: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Japan 06: Formula One - Mexican Grand Prix 07-10: Golf - EPGA at Scottish Open, Castle Stuart; USPGA at Green- 21: Moto GP - Grand Prix of Czech Republic 17-23: Tennis - ATP at Moscow, Stockholm, Valencia; WTA at Moscow 06: Athletics - New York Marathon brier Ckassic, White Sulphur Springs; LPGA at Women’s US Open, 22-28: Tennis - ATP at Winston-Salem; WTA at New Haven and Luxembourg 10-13: Golf - EPGA at Nedbank Challenge, Sun City; LPGA at Lorena Cordevalle 24: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Southampton, 1st ODI 20-23: Golf - EPGA at Portugal Masters; LPGA at Taiwan Champion- Ochoa Invitational, Mexico City 10: Formula One - British Grand Prix 25: Athletics - Lausanne Diamond League ship, Taipei 12-13: Tennis - Fed Cup final 11-17: Tennis - ATP at Hamburg, Bastas and Newport; WTA at Bad- 25-28: Golf - EPGA Made in Denmark Tournament; USPGA at Bar- 23: Formula One - USA Grand Prix 13: Formula One - Brazilian Grand Prix Gastein and Bucharest clays Championship, Farmingdale; LPGA at Canadian Open, Calgary 23: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Australia 13: Moto GP - Grand Prix of Valencia 14-17: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at British Open, Royal Troon; USPGA 27: Rugby Championship: Argentina v South Africa and New Zea- 24-30: Tennis - ATP at Basel and Vienna; WTA at Tour Finals in Sin- 14-20: Tennis - ATP at World Tour Finals in London at Barbasol Championship, Auburn; LPGA at Marathon Classic, Sylva- land v Australia gapore 17-20: Golf - EPGA at World Tour Championship, Dubai; LPGA at Tour nia 27: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Lord’s, 2nd ODI 25: Baseball - Start of World Series Championship, Naples, Florida 14-18: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Lord’s, 1st Test 27: Athletics - Paris Diamond League 27: Basketball - Start of NBA season 18-20: Rally of Australia 15: Athletics - Monaco Diamond League 28: Formula One - Belgian Grand Prix 27-30: Golf - EPGA at WGC-HSBC Champions, China; LPGA at Blue 25-27: Tennis - Davis Cup final 15-17: Tennis - Davis Cup quarter-finals 29-11: Tennis - ATP and WTA at US Open Bay LPGA, Hainan Island, China 27: Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 16: Racing - Irish Oaks 30: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Nottingham, 3rd ODI 28-30: Rally of Great Britain 17: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Germany 30: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Malaysia 18-24: Tennis - ATP at Washington, Gstaad, Kitzbuhel and Umag; 31-06: Tennis - ATP at Paris Masters WTA at Stanford, Baastad and Washinton 21-24: Golf - USPGA at Canadian Open, Oakville; LPGA at UL Interna- tional Crown, Gurnee 22-23: Athletics - London Diamond League 22-26: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Manchester, 2nd Test 23: Racing - King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes 24: Formula One - Hungarian Grand Prix 25-31: Tennis - ATP at Toronto Masters; WTA at Montreal 26-30: Racing - Glorious Goodwood 28-31: Golf - EPGA and USPGA at PGA Championship; LPGA at Women’s British Open, Milton Keynes 29-31: Rally of Finland 31: Formula One - German Grand Prix

SEPTEMBER DECEMBER 01: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Leeds, 4th ODI 01: Athletics - Zurich Diamond League 15-19: Cricket: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Johannesburg, 1st Test 01-04: Golf - EPGA at European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre; LPGA at 26: Racing - King George VI Chase Manulife Classic, Cambridge, Ontario 26-30: Cricket - South Africa v Sri Lanka at Port Elizabeth, 2nd Test 02-05: Golf - USPGA at Deutsche Bank Championshio, Boston 04: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Cardiff, 5th ODI 04: Formula One - Italian Grand Prix 04: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Britain 04-11: Cycling - Tour of Great Britain 07: Cricket - England v Pakistan at Manchester, Only T20I 07-18 Paralympics Games, Rio de Janeiro 08-11: Golf - EPGA at KLM Open, Netherlands; USPGA at BMW Chamionships, Carmel 09: Athletics - Brussels Diamond League 09-11: Rally of China 10:v Argentina Rugby Championship: Australia v South Africa and New Zealand 11: MotoGP - Grand Prix of San Marino 12-18: Tennis: WTA at Tokyo and Quebec 15-18: Golf - EPGA at Italian Open, Monza; LPGA at The Evian Cham- pionship, Evian, France 16-18: Tennis - Davis Cup semi-finals 17: Rugby Championship: Australia v Argentina and New Zealand v South Africa 17-01: Ice-Hockey: NHL World Cup in Toronto 18: Formula One - Singapore Grand Prix 19-25: Tennis - ATP at Metz and St Petersburg; WTA at Tokyo, Seoul and Guangzhou 22-25: Golf - EPGA at European Open, Bad Griesbach; Tour Champi- onship, Atlanta 25: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Spain 25: Athletics - Berlin Marathon 26-02: Tennis - ATP at Kuala Lumpur and Shenzen; WTA at Wuhan and Tashkent 30-02: Golf - Ryder Cup, Hazeltine National; LPGA at China event (TBD) 30-02: Rally of France (Corsica) 34 SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 SPORT Late rally earns Raptors 104-94 victory Butler propels Charlotte fail to score in the final Bulls in Rose’s 4:45 minutes of the absence game as home team extends lead CHICAGO: Jimmy But- ler has stood up for the Chicago Bulls this sea- Agencies son and has helped the franchise transition out of their dependence on the injury-ravaged Der- TORONTO: Guard DeMar DeRozan rick Rose. scored 23 points as the Toronto Rap- Butler scored a team- tors defeated the Charlotte Hornets high 23 points on Friday 104-94 on Friday, courtesy of Char- as the Bulls routed the lotte being unable to score in the final New York Knicks 108- 4:45 mintues of the game. 81 despite the absence Forward Marvin Williams hit a of Rose, who missed a three-pointer to tie the game 94-94 second straight game and give him 17 points, but that was due to a right hamstring the end of the scoring for the Hornets. problem. Point guard Kyle Lowry then made It is a familiar story a step-back jumper that put the Raptors for Rose, the 2010-2011 into the lead with 3:28 to play and they league MVP, who has were on their way to a 104-94 victory. seen his career decline “We finally got into a rhythm, got a due to a rash of major couple of stops and that’s all we needed,” injuries. DeRozan said. But as the face of their “We had a couple of possessions franchise has faded, Chi- where we were going back-and-forth cago have been propped and they were scoring. We just under- up by the emergence of a stood if we got some stops and some new star. big buckets we could be right back in Butler, 26, enjoyed the game and we would be able to take his breakout during the the lead.” 2014-15 campaign when The Raptors trailed by eight points he was named the NBA’s after three quarters, but dominated Most Improved Player and the fourth quarter to win their sec- earned his first All Star ond game in a row. Game appearance. “We did a lot of good things,” Hor- This season, though, nets coach Steve Clifford said. “They he has left his mark on Jimmy Butler (right) of the Chicago Bulls drives past Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks at the United Center on Friday in Chicago, Illinois, are a good team and it’s on the road. the team in entirely new We were right there. I mean we should USA. The Bulls defeated the Knicks 108-81. ways. have been up eight, 10, 12 at the end Butler, the Bulls’ top of the third.” scorer and defender, Lowry added 18 points and dished The Hornets scored the first seven BASKETBALL: Miami Heat past the Dallas Mavericks. Bulls. Forward Bobby Portis added 16 has also become their out 11 assists for the Raptors while points of the third quarter and held by NBA ROUND-UP Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, points and 10 rebounds off the bench. emboldened vocal leader. center Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 13 a nine-point lead on a pull-up jumper who came off the bench for just the Forward Carmelo Anthony scored Following a loss rebounds and scored 10 points. by Kaminsky with 1:03 left in the third 10th time in his 13-year career, had 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Knicks on Forwards DeMarre Carroll and and took an 82-74 lead into the fourth Wall finished with his eighth 10 points and seven assists. He was to lead the Knicks. Guard Jose Cal- December 19, Butler Patrick Patterson chipped in with 14 quarter. Toronto, however, scored the straight double-double after contrib- slowed by the flu. The Mavericks were deron contributed 18 points. called out Bulls first-year points each and reserve centre Bis- first eight points of the fourth to ensure uting 12 points and five assists in the held without a fast-break point and Chicago (19-12) picked up their third coach Fred Hoiberg say- mack Biyombo nabbed 11 rebounds they had the momentum in the final fourth quarter. Forward Otto Porter shot just 36 percent from the floor. consecutive win, while New York (15- ing he needed to coach and scored six points for Toronto. period. had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks point guard Jose Juan 19) lost for the fifth time in the past the team harder and hold Guard Kemba Walker scored 18 “Our defence was solid in the fourth Wizards while Kris Humphries scored Barea, who averaged 22.3 points in six games. them more accountable. points to lead the injury depleted Hor- quarter. The first half, I didn’t recog- all of his 11 points in the fourth quar- his previous four games, was held in Lakers 93, 76ers 84 nets. DeRozan scored 12 points in the nize some of the straight line drives ter, including seven during a decisive check and scored just six points, while Lou Williams scored 24 points, first quarter as the Raptors took a 29-28 they were making. They were going 15-3 run. Dirk Nowitzki scored just 11. guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to a NBA Results lead. There were six lead changes in by us way too easily, but we shortened Guard Victor Oladipo scored 20 Bulls 108, Knicks 81 victory over Philadelphia at Staples the quarter and the game was tied up down the stretch,” Raptors coach points for the Magic, who had won Guard Jimmy Butler scored a game- Centre. Jordan Clarkson added 19 points Washington 103 Orlando 91 five times. Dwane Casey said. six of their past eight games. Center high 23 points while the Chicago Bulls for the Lakers, who won their second Miami 106 Dallas 82 There were six more lead changes Wizards 103, Magic 91 Nik Vucevic had 14 points. pulled away in the fourth quarter for a straight game for the first time since Toronto 104 Charlotte 94 in the second quarter, in which the Guard John Wall had 24 points and Heat 106, Mavericks 82 108-81 win over the New York Knicks. February of last season. Julius Randle Chicago 108 NY Knicks 81 score was tied 10 times and was locked 13 assists as the Washington Wizards Center Hassan Whiteside had 25 Forwards Pau Gasol and Nikola came off the bench to score 15 points 55-55 at the intermission. beat the Orlando Magic. points and 19 rebounds to lead the Mirotic scored 17 points apiece for the and grab nine rebounds. LA Lakers 93 Philadelphia 84 Luck not so lucky, will miss ninth game this season

Agencies AMERICAN FOOTBALL: NFL ROUND-UP

INDIANAPOLIS: Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck’s early sea- son injuries may have been worse than on injured reserve this week after get- reported at the time. ting hurt in last Sunday’s 18-12 win Luck will miss his ninth game of over the Miami Dolphins. Montreal Canadiens’ left wing Max Pacioretty (centre) tries to skate between Boston Bruins’ Torey the season when he sits out at today’s The Colts are left with recently Krug (left) and Adam McQuaid during the third period in the Winter Classic hockey game at Gillette regular-season finale against the Ten- signed quarterbacks Josh Freeman and Stadium on Friday. nessee Titans because of his unhealed Ryan Lindley as well as undrafted free lacerated kidney. agent rookie Stephen Morris. But according to Stephen Holder Morris was signed off of the Phil- of the Indianapolis Star, Luck sus- adelphia Eagles practice squad last Canadiens off to a winning start tained torn cartilage on two of his ribs week, but the two veterans have been and was still coping with significant getting the first-team snaps at prac- pain after returning to the lineup for tice this week. four games in late October and early Cleveland Browns head coach AFP MONTREAL CANADIENS VS Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask wore November. Mike Pettine, who has received no BOSTON BRUINS a mask bearing the likenesses of An NFL source said the injury assurances from owner Jimmy Haslam Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and likely affected Luck’s performance about 2016, expects changes on his FOXBOROUGH: The Montreal Cana- teammates Rob Gronkowski, Julian after he returned from a two-game staff if he survives. Pettine signed a Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback diens started 2016 off right on Friday, with assists from centre Tomas Ple- Edelman and Stephen Gostkowski. absence that the Colts attributed to a four-year deal with a team option for dominating the Boston Bruins 5-1 in kanec. David Desharnais added a “We wanted to pay tribute to their shoulder injury. Andrew Luck. He will miss his the fifth year to be the team’s coach the NHL’s Winter Classic in Foxbor- goal for the Canadiens who got success and some of their players,” Luck, according to the source, ninth game of the season when early in 2014. ough, Massachusetts. 27 saves from rookie goalie Mike said Rask, who made 25 saves and needed pain-killing injections to play he sits out at today’s regular- The Browns started 7-4 a year ago With the home of the NFL’s New Condon - who hails from nearby kept the Bruins in the game until the and was limited by the injury, which season finale against the but have lost 17 of their past 20 games. England Patriots transformed for Holliston, Massachusetts. second period but fell to 4-15-3 life- impacted his throwing motion and Tennessee Titans because of his Haslam said in training camp he would the festive New Year’s Day outdoor Boston’s Matt Beleskey tipped time against Montreal in the regular accuracy. unhealed lacerated kidney. not “blow it up” after this season, but game, the Canadiens showed they’re one in to spoil Condon’s shutout bid season. The game was the eighth The information provided by the a 3-12 campaign has led to specula- right at home anywhere in the Boston 3:56 into the third period - fitting edition of the Winter Classic, the out- IndyStar source is similar to a report tion about Pettine’s future. area. It was just the third victory in 13 perhaps in a stadium where the Patri- door game originally devised by the from Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, who said to a shoulder injury but never men- The Browns’ defence has been one games for Montreal, but their eighth ots have never been shut out in 128 NHL to celebrate the sport’s roots. in November that Luck was dealing tioned his ribs. of the biggest disappointments this straight road win against the Bru- NFL games. Both goaltenders wore Since the first was held in Buffalo with fractured ribs and was playing Colts’ coach Chuck Pagano said season. The defence has fallen to 26th ins. Left winger Paul Byron scored masks that paid tribute to the reign- in 2008, the league has expanded through the pain. Friday he is not sure who will be overall, 32nd against the run and 29th twice, right winger Brendan Gal- ing Super Bowl champion Patriots, it’s outdoor regular-season schedule Luck missed games against the the starting quarterback, with both with 26.9 points allowed per game. lagher, back after missing 17 games and Bruins coach Claude Julien paid with the “Stadium Series” of games Jacksonville Jaguars on October 4 and Matt Hasselbeck (shoulder) and Luck Carolina running back Jonathan with two broken fingers on his left tribute to the Pats’ canny coach Bill and NHL commissioner Gary Bett- Houston Texans on October 8 before declared out for today’s game against Stewart will miss his third straight hand, and Max Pacioretty, his left Belichick by wearing one of Beli- man said this week the league plans returning to play an October 18 game the Tennessee Titans. game with a foot injury when the Pan- winger, scored a goal apiece - both chick’s favored hooded sweatshirts. to continue them. against the New England Patriots. Backup quarterback Charlie thers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Colts attributed his absence Whitehurst (hamstring) was placed in today’s regular-season finale. SPORT SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 35

QATAR STARS LEAGUE: AL WAKRAH VS AL AHLI El Jaish desperate for win against Al Pressure of decisive phase adds to concern Sailiya before the three-week break for Al Wakrah

The Peninsula We will do our best to take three points and DOHA: Qatar Stars League finish this part of the (QSL) outfit Al Wakrah go season with a victory, into their round of 15 clash against Al Ahli today know- says Lamouchi. ing the decisive phase in the league could throw up inter- The Peninsula esting battles for teams eyeing points in the title race. Al Wakrah are placed 8th DOHA: Qatar Stars League (QSL) giants on the points table whereas El Jaish are eyeing a win against Al Al Ahli will be looking to stem Sailiya today when the two sides meet in the rot after three successive a round 15 clash at Al Gharafa Stadium. losses. El Jaish, with a tally of 29 points, are “This is the second game behind QSL leaders Al Rayyan (39) and of the second part of the sea- ahead of third-placed Lekhwiya (28). son. Games will get more After today’s clash, the teams dis- difficult now and this match perse for a three-week break as Doha is even more difficult because stages the AFC U-23 Championship. we are playing a good team,” “It’s an important game for us. It Al Wakrah coach Jose Mau- will be good to take three points before ricio said yesterday. going into the break,” coach Sabri Lam- El Jaish coach Sabri Lamouchi speaking on the eve of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) match against Al Sailiya. Right: Al Sailiya coach Trabelsi. “Last few games they ouchi said on Saturday. “We will do haven’t had good results. The our best to take three points and finish game will be very tough. We this part of the season with a victory,” QATAR STARS LEAGUE: a good performance and won. We have important for us before going into the Top-4 is not something we are think- are going into this match with lots of motivation,” Mauri- Lamouchi added.. EL JAISH VS EL SAILIYA to know that this is a difficult game break,” Trabeli said. ing about right now. There are other “It will be a tough game for us. Al for us but will do our best to take the “We can say that in the last 3-4 teams who are closer than us. cio said. Sailiya weren’t that good at the begin- victory even if our opponent is very games we found the perfect squad com- “But we are aiming to be in the “We respect this team and ning of the season. But now, with the good,” he added. bination with which we can play well. 5th or 6th position. But if we have a we won’t take it easy. We have work that (coach) Sami Trabelsi has “I am satisfied with the perform- Al Sailiya coach Trabelsi said a win We finished the first half of the sea- chance to get into the top-4, we will to be ready to find opportu- put in, the team has become stronger,” ance of my players, with their attitude. on Sunday would bring delight to his son with 19 points. We did this in the take it. But right now we have to focus nities to attack if we want to Lamouchi said. I don’t want to change a lot in the team camp. Al Sailiya are placed seventh first season I had come in. on this game and then after the break score and get points from this “Abdelqader Illyas, who was with during the transfer window,” Lam- on the QSL points table. “Maybe we should have done better get another good start to the league. game. The points are becom- us before, has helped Al Sailiya become ouchi said. “This is our last game before the this season but now we are focussing “El Jaish have a good team and big ing more and more important stronger in attack. They are now more “Maybe I will look to boost our break and hopefully we will con- on the remaining games. We weren’t players with great strikers. It will not as the games go by,” Mauri- dangerous. But we have confidence in defence because that has been an tinue getting good results. During clever in some of the games where we be easy but it’s not impossible to win cio said. our players,” he added. issue for us. But I have to congratu- this small break before the game we could have gotten better results. We against El Jaish. We have a good team “In the table a lot of teams “We want to show the quality in late the players who played in the last prepared our team tactically, tried have to grab positive results in every and we can win against Jaish. We are are bunched together. We are our club but we will face a different Al two games for their attitude and for to keep the players fit and also tried game we can. not thinking about finishing in any always looking to win all our Sailiya from the first half of the season. the work that they put in. And now we to correct a few mistakes,” Trabelsi “Al Sailiya, specially in the second particular position. games. If we win this game We have a good week of preparation have to be more strong and better pre- said yesterday. part of the first half was good. We had “We are only looking at only getting we will reach a good posi- and we need to continue to provide a pared for the second half of the season. “We are playing a good opponent big results and we are looking to con- more points and starting the second tion,” the coach said ahead good performance and that’s the only “Players have to understand that with one of the best attacking line-ups tinue in this way in the second half of half of the league in a good way. If we of the Sunday clash. way we can win the game. It’s not going this Al Sailiya is not the team we played in Qatar. El Jaish will be a very tough the season,” Trabeli said. win, we will get better, get more confi- “We will get further away to be an easy game,” Lamouchi added. in the first half of the season. Against Al game but we are ready and hope that “This is a very important game for dent and the next game will be easier from the danger zone. This Lamouchi said nine wins out of 14 Rayyan we lost despite giving a good we will play with concentration for the us. Winning keeps the atmosphere pos- for us,” Trabelsi said. will help reduce the pressure games was pleasing. performance. Against Al Sadd we gave entire 90 minutes. The victory will be itive and gives you more confidence. The game kicks off at 6:45pm. and give us confidence going into the other matches. How- ever we have to try to win all games because we can’t predict how the league will Al Sadd to test bench strength finish,” Mauricio added. “Al Ahli are a strong team as a whole but they are hav- ing difficulty in scoring. They in ‘key’ clash against Umm Salal have created a lot of chances but haven’t been able to con- vert them. “Against El Jaish they The Peninsula QATAR STARS LEAGUE: Ferreira said. attacked a lot and created a AL SADD VS UMM SALAL To a question, Ferreira said Al Sadd lot of chances but couldn’t always provided players for Qatar’s score. Maybe their weakness DOHA: Former champions Al Sadd national squads. is in their minds and the could are likely to give the reserve players a “I am proud to have these many be suffering from a lack of go against Umm Salal today when the have been tough for us. We changed players playing for the national team confidence. two sides meet in a round 15 clash in a few players in the last game. But we of Qatar. It’s a good thing for our club. “But this could be a moti- the Qatar Stars League (QSL). are focussing on getting three points We are happy to have these players in vation for the players and Umm Salal coach Bulent Uygun (right). Playing under a new coach for from this game,” he added. the national team but at the same time we have to careful. We are a little over a month, Al Sadd are in Ferreira, who replaced Hussein we have had injuries which made it preparing ourselves for all fourth place behind Al Rayyan, El Jaish Amutah as Al Sadd coach at the end difficult for us,” Ferreira said. scenarios and will be play- and Lekhwiya in the QSL points race. of November, said he is targeting wins “But we have to look at the positive Head to Head: Umm ing this match like it’s a final,” “We will miss players because of with the Doha giants. “When I started side. To have players in the national he added. injuries and players being away with working with the Al Sadd team our team is good for the team and is good Al Ahli coach Zlatko the Olympic team. It’s a good oppor- target was to win the title and other for the players too. It makes the them Salal vs Al Sadd Kranjcar a win today would tunity to give the bench a chance,” competitions. I am always working stronger but if they are not here I, as a help boost the moral of the coach Jesualdo Ferreira said yesterday. to win titles, that’s how I function,” coach, have to find solutions,” he added. boys. Barcelona legend Xavi, Korean Ferreira said. Umm Salal coach Bulent Uygun he head of the round 15 match goals from Spanish striker Raul and “It has been a long time defender Lee Jung-Soo and striker “And that’s also the mentality is also struggling to put things together of the week between Umm Qatari winger Hassan Al Haydoos. since we got a win. And so our Mohamed Kasola will be missing this of the Al Sadd players. But now the for the game today. “During the games ASalal and Al Sadd, here is The second match of the sea- only objective is to win this match because of injuries. title will be difficult since it doesn’t that we have played we had a few inju- a look at the previous clashes son seen Sadd win 1-0 again with game even though we are in a “I believe the absences will not depend only on our results. It depends ries and some tired players. Just like between these two sides. Both sides former Real Madrid striker Raul tough situations because we be a big problem for us because we on Rayyan’s results too. When I came other teams because we played many have played each other a total 11 scoring for Sadd. Umm Salal had have injuries to key players,” have players who can replace them. here the gap was the same between games in a short time,” Uygun said in a times in the QSL, with the majority gone into the 2013/2014 season on Kranjcar said in a pre-match But Umm Salal is a good team and will us and Al Rayyan. pre-match press conference yesterday. of the results over the last five sea- the back of four straight defeats press conference yesterday. make it difficult for us,” Ferreira said.. “In football anything can happen “After that we had a 12-day break. sons favouring Al Sadd, the QSL’s against Al Sadd. “Meshall Mubarak and “It’s going to be a difficult game for and we will play only to win. We will Tomorrow have a game and then a long most successful side. They reversed their fortunes John Benson are doubtful us. The games that we have had so far give our maximum to be at the top,” break after that. This kind of schedule In the 2010/2011 season, Al in spectacular fashion in the first for the match and we will can be difficult for players. Our game Sadd had the upper hand in the match of the season. The Orange only know before the match against Al Sadd will be a tough game. first half of the season match. Fortress and the Wolves shared whether they will be ready Both have injuries and absences but The Wolves won 3-0 with eight goals, with the tie ending 4-4. or not. Our main objective we will play for three points. That is Abdul Kader Keïta and Khalfan Salal also grabbed their first win remains to return to our style our target,” Uygun said. Ibrahim among the goals. in two seasons defeating their of play and get back to win- “We will try to win and after In the second half of the sea- rivals 2-1. ning ways,” Kranjcar said.= that we will try to work more dur- son Umm Salal grabbed all three Goals from Victor Oliveria and “We have to respect Al ing the break in order to come back points with a last-gasp effort Kabore ensured it was a season to Wakrah. Before this break stronger in the second half. We are from Mohammed Jeddo giving remember for Umm Salal. Sadd they were playing well. They playing against a team that has the Orange Fortress a 1-0 victory. fought back in the 2014/2015 sea- 3-4 high quality players - good attacking players like Has- During the 2011/2012 season, son with two comfortable wins Sebastian Saez and Mohsin san Al Haydous. They are a strong Sadd won both ties comprehen- over the season. Moutalli are players who can team and hopefully we will remain sively. The first game of the season The first tie was a 2-0 victory. change the game quickly. focussed and get the maximum out resulted in a 3-1 victory. Whilst Whilst the second tie was a com- “The only thing that we of this tough game. the second tie of the year was a prehensive 4-0 win with a brace are looking is to get a result “We have limited squad but we comfortable 4-1 win with Kha- from Khalfan Ibrahim, along with and I am confident that my are working with that and trying to lfan Ibrahim and South Korean goals from Hassan Al Haydoos and players will able to respond to find the bet XI to play. We had injuries defender Lee Jung-soo amongst Algerian midfielder Nadir Belh- the challenge and produce a also that affected our team’s perform- the goals. adj. This years first match of the positive result,” Kranjcar said. ance. Without those injuries we could The 2012/2013 season had two season, resulting in a exciting 2-2 Kranjcar said his team have been in the top-4. During the tight games between the QSL rivals, draw. The match saw new Sadd needed a bit of luck to turn break we will try to help the players however it was Al Sadd who still signing Xavi score his first goal in things around. to recover and come back stronger,” remained on top in both matches. the QSL, before Umm Salal struck The match kicks off at Uygun said. The first game of the season seen back in the second half thanks to 6:45pm. Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira (right) during the QSL press The game today starts 4:15pm at Sadd register a 2-0 victory with Qatari midfielder Nasser Khalfan. conference. Al Ahli Stadium. SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016 36

Tabata stars Al Khor stun Al Arabi, Lekhwiya win in Al Rayyan victory QATAR STARS LEAGUE: magic saw Khor double their advantage. Brazilian striker AL KHOR VS AL ARABI The move started with Marcos Anto- The Peninsula LEKHWIYA VS QATAR SC nio lobbing the ball long for Madson. Madson scores a The diminutive Brazilian ran ahead brace for Al Khor with the ball, wrong-footed Arabi cap- DOHA: Al Rayyan have talismanic The match started on an even tain Khoukhi Boualem, before scoring captain Rodrigo Tabata to thank as note with both teams trying to find a well-placed goal in the 66th minute. he provided an assist and a goal their footing. However it was Arabi Al Arabi reduced the deficit through as Al Rayyan came from behind The Peninsula who had their first attempt of the tie captain Boualem in the 79th minute. to defeat Al Kharaitiyat 2-1 at Al when Ahmed Fathi had a shot at goal This goal changed the tone of the match. Gharafa Stadium yesterday. in the 15th minute. Arabi went on the attack with Khor Al Rayyan had the upper hand DOHA: Al Khor survived a tense Khor registered their first effort reduced to defending resolutely and in the early exchanges, having three last 15 minutes to hand Al Arabi a 2-1 on the 19th minute Hilal Mohamed kicking the ball long. Arabi had chances early chances to open the scoring. loss and consign the Dream Team to had his shot deflected off the cross to find the equalizer but both Mosaab All three efforts from Koh Myong-jin, their third consecutive defeat while bar. Khor took control of the match Mahmoud (86’) and Rod Fanni (93’) Fahad Khalfan and Sergio Garcia Lekhwiya started 2016 with a 2-1 vic- when they scored in the 34th minute wasting clear opportunities for Gian- all flew way off the target. tory over relegation threatened Qatar through Madson. This goal seemed to franco Zola’s side. However it was Al Kharaitiyat Sports Club in the Round 15 matches wake up Arabi, who went on the attack Elsewhere, current QSL champi- who opened up the scoring against of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) here towards the end of the first half but ons Lekhwiya struck a goal in either the run of play. On the 35th minute yesterday. couldn’t convert their chances. Khor half to ensure Djamel Belmadi’s side Yahia Kebe was bundled down in Al Khor’s Brazilian striker Mad- went into the break with a 1-0 lead. now has seven straight wins in the QSL. the final third, the Bukina Fasio son scored on either side of the break The start of the second half saw Lekhwiya dominated the early international dusted himself of to to help his side claim a shock win over both teams exchange possession and exchanges of the tie, and only took dispatch the free kick via a gener- favourites Al Arabi. create chances. However a moment of 10 minutes before registering their ous Al Rayyan deflection. first effort of the game. After the goal, Al Rayyan sprung South Korean midfielder Nam Tae into life and found an equalizer just Hee’s well worked shot just hit wide. seven minutes later in emphatic Moments later Qatar Sports Club had fashion. Rodrigo Tabata delivered a their only chance of the first half. pinpoint freekick to Rayyan striker Mouchine Iajour intercepted a mis- Sergio Garcia. placed Lewis Martin pass, however the The former Espanyol striker vol- final shot was somewhat lacking from leyed the ball in from close range, the Moroccan international striker. much to the delight of the Rayyan The Red Knights grabbed their first fans. goal of the match on the 22nd minute The Lions could of gone into courtesy of a free-kick from Slovakian the break in the lead, if Garcia’s international Vladimir Weiss. flicked effort could of crept into King’s defender Shaheen Ali was to the far post. Luckly Al Kharaiti- adjudged to have handled from Weiss’s yat keeper Ahmed Soufiane was cross, and the midfielder stepped up to on hand to make the save, the first hit the ball past a hapless QSC keeper half finished 1-1. Faisel Ghloom. In the second half Al Rayyan Lekhiwya continued to dominate continued to look for the lead. In the second half, Lekhwiya continued Qatari international Hamid to dominate possession and it only took Ismail had two guilt edged efforts, seven minutes to double their advan- Goal mouth action from the Qatar Stars League (QSL) match between which failed to find the back of the Qatar Sports Club’s Ali Awad Bujaloof (left) and Lekhwiya’s Mohammed tage. Midfielder Luiz Martin scored Al Rayyan and Al Kharaitiyat at the Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. net. Al Kharaitiyat had the first Abdullahterazar during their QSL match at Al Gharrafa Stadium. from a well worked free-kick from Pictures by: Kammutty VP major chance of the second half as Jordanian international striker Hassan Abdel-Fattah had his loop- ing effort tipped onto the post from Rayyan keeper Omar Bari. Leaders Barcelona held in derby stalemate by Espanyol Al Rayyan where given a penalty in the 63rd minute when Kharaiti- yat defender Domingos handled AFP start with Espanyol forcing Barca onto LA LIGA: inches wide of the target a minute from for me to come back. But there hasn’t the ball in the penalty area. the backfoot. BARCELONA VS ESPANYOL time as Barca failed to score for the been a conversation where they have The referee pointed to the spot, Their best chance came from a set- first time in La Liga this season. said: ‘We want you to do this, we want and Rodrego Tabata stepped up to BARCELONA: Barcelona missed the piece, though, when Alvaro Gonzalez’s Meanwhile, Liverpool great Ste- you to do that.’ thump in his 15th goal of the QSL chance to open up a three-point lead header was brilliantly stopped by Clau- after a lung-bursting run into the Barca ven Gerrard could return to the club “They have welcomed me back in. I season. Al Kharaitiyat did push for at the top of La Liga as they were held dio Bravo and Gerard Pique hooked box. The hosts had another slice of in a coaching capacity as early as this am always going to be biased towards an equalizer, but where shut out time 0-0 by local rivals Espanyol in a heated the ball to safety off the line. Barca’s luck when Suarez could only strike year, he revealed in a British newspa- Liverpool and the FA (Football Asso- and time again by an impressive Al Catalan derby yesterday. star front three of Messi, Suarez and the outside of the post after round- per interview published on Saturday. ciation) and basically when I am back Rayyan backline. Amir Osim’s side Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hit Neymar combined for 137 of a record ing Pau Lopez and turning away from Gerrard, 35, left Liverpool for the home I am going to carry on with my did have one final chance to grab the woodwork either side of half-time 180 goals in 2015, but they didn’t come Gonzalez moments later. Los Angeles Galaxy last year, but he punditry work and try and move around a crucial point, however former Al for the visitors, but Espanyol’s physical to life until midway through the first Messi should have done better when has been training on Merseyside during clubs and gain more experience, going Rayyan striker Jaralla Al Marri’s approach was rewarded with a first half when Neymar’s dangerous cross he fired straight at Lopez when well the Major League Soccer close sea- to watch managers and learning more. 86th minute effort flew over Omar point against Barca in eight matches. fell just behind Suarez. placed on the edge of the area and son and is now eyeing a role on Jurgen “I am basically available from Bari’s goal. Atletico Madrid can leapfrog Barca Messi then struck the angle of post the Espanyol ‘keeper made another Klopp’s coaching staff. November, December 2016. Every- The victory leaves Al Rayyan to the top of the table with victory over and bar with an almost perfect free- comfortable save from Neymar’s acro- “I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think one in the football world will know I as comfortable point’s leaders at Levante later on Saturday, whilst Real kick as Barca began to take control batic effort as they restricted Barca to it will probably be my last year as a am available and hopefully I will be the top of the QSL table going into Madrid now trail the European cham- just before the break. surprisingly few clear openings in the player,” the former Liverpool and Eng- 75 percent into my coaching badges.” the three week break for the AFC pions by three points ahead of their However, Espanyol had another final stages. land captain told the Daily Telegraph. Home-grown hero Gerrard also U-23 tournament. Manuel Pellegrini trip to Valencia on Sunday. chance to take a shock lead seven And the closest they came to a dra- “I have had a chat with Klopp. I expressed regret that he had not started admits that he is desperate to get to The first of three meetings between minutes into the second period when matic winner was another vicious Messi haven’t had an offer as such, but the working towards his coaching quali- the bottom of the influential cen- the sides in 10 days got off to a frenetic Hernan Perez poked a shot just wide free-kick from long rage that dipped club have let me know they are keen fications sooner. tre-back’s injury problems. Saudi rider Al Eid powers to win as Valuta S tops Doha field

The Peninsula Thani guided Concordija to second AL RAYYAN SHOWJUMPING spot. Concordija clocked a time of 62.63 COMPETITION seconds. The second prize was worth QR 59,600. Saudi rider Kamal Bahamdan Ali Al Khorafi finished second with DOHA: Saudi rider Khaled Al Eid yes- (Noblesse Des Tess) finished in third Vlacido to claim the prize of QR 4,500. terday won the feature event with Valuta spot which was worth QR 44,700. Al Qadi had picked up the top prize of S on day two of the Al Rayyan Interna- Qatar’s Mubarak Yousf Al Rumaihi QR 5,625. Saudi rider Khaled Almobty tional Show Jumping Championship. (4th, Vivaldi K) and Derin Demirsoy (5th, sealed a third-place finish with Aloha Valuta S clocked a time of 62.16 sec- Harry K) completed the top five riders who clocked a time of 29.10 seconds. onds as Al Eid picked up the top prize in the 145cm (round against the clock). Almobty won QR 3,375. Qatari duo of of QR 74,500. In competition six, Turkey’s Demir- Nasser Al Ghazali (4th, Evina) and jaber Qatar’s Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al soy and Qatar’s Bassem Hassan Rashid Al Amri (5th, What A Lady Van Mohammed regaled fans with superb De Smis) completed the top five riders rides before the former emerged win- in a field of 32 contestants. ner with Bosphorus. In competition four, Saudi rider Demirsoy guided Bosphorus with a Nasser Albagami emerged easy winner neat routine to clinch the 135cm class with Codina Z to bag the top honours in with jump-off. Bosphorus clocked a time what was the day’s first contest. Codina of 42.02 seconds as Demirsoy bagged Z clocked a time of 31.22 seconds. the top prize of QR 9,000. Saudi rider HRH Prince Mansour Bassem, astride Argelith Squid, fin- Alsaud guided Unta Z to second spot in ished in second spot in a time of 43.55 a time of 33.25 seconds in the 120cm seconds. The second prize was worth class. Qatar trio of Abdulaziz Ahmed Al QR 7,200. Alaa Al Sultan finished third Muhannadi, Hussain Haidan and Kha- with Narwick Rouge in a time of 47.85 lid Hamad Al Attiyah completed the top seconds. Abdulrahman Alhamazni five by securing the third, fourth and (4th, Zjuliana Fairy V) and Ali Al Kho- fifth spots respectively. rafi (5th, Ungarin 4) completed the top Al Muhannadi (Waed Waed) clocked A Qatari rider in action at the five riders. In competition five, Qatar’s a time of 33.05 seconds whereas Haidan Al Rayyan International Show Saeed Al Qadi lifted the home spirits (Boston Van De Rechri) was trifle slower Jumping competition at the Qatar by guiding Jessico 4 to hard-fought a (34.16 seconds). Al Attiya clocked 53.14 Khaled Al Eid receiving the winner’s trophy on day two of the Al Rayyan International Show Jumping Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) win. Jessico clocked a time of 28.30 seconds with Levicci. The action contin- outdoor arena yesterday. seconds in the 120cm class (jump-off). ues today with four more competitions. Championship at Qatar Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) outdoor arena in Doha yesterday.