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Thursday 10 April 2014 10 Jumadal II 1435 - Volume 19 Number 6031 Price: QR2

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Business | 17 Sport | 27

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Emir meets British minister Kuwait hopes Supply snags for remedy to Gulf row cause Shafaf KUWAIT: Kuwait expects to see “positive steps” taken in a dispute between Qatar and three other Gulf Arab states as soon as this week that may include a decision to send those shortage countries’ ambassadors back to Doha, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Woqod seeking solutions: Official Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain last month BY FAZEENA SALEEM cylinders. We have enough stocks took the unprecedented step of and they are delivered to super- recalling their ambassadors from DOHA: Amid complaints about markets as before. There are Qatar in protest at what they a shortage of the lightweight more than 200 supermarkets see as Doha’s giving support to Shafaf LPG cylinders in the mar- selling Shafaf cylinders,” he said. Islamist groups. ket, Woqod sources say that the Enquiries with several super- “There will be very positive company has been facing a distri- markets yesterday revealed steps in the future regarding bution problem after sale of the that demand for the cylinders this ... I hope this week,” Kuwait’s cylinders was banned in fuel sta- have gone up over the past few undersecretary for foreign affairs tions and is looking for solutions. weeks. Some say that they don’t The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met Philip Hammond, the British Secretary of State for Defence Khaled Al Jarallah told reporters. More than three weeks ago, have enough space to store the yesterday. They reviewed bilateral relations in the military field and developments in the Middle East. “Part of this will be the ambas- Woqod stopped sale of the Shafaf cylinders and the stock finishes sadors going back,” he said, adding cylinders at its fuel stations, fol- quicker than before. that all the Gulf states wanted to lowing instructions from the Civil “We don’t have stocks at present. repair their “brotherly” ties. Defence Directorate in the wake The cylinders may be available by Kuwait is planning to present of an explosion at a restaurant in tomorrow but we are not sure,” Cabinet nod for urban master plan a solution to the two sides soon, a petrol station near Landmark said a shopkeeper in Aziziya area. a Gulf Arab diplomat said yester- mall in February. Asked if the cylinders were sup- day, asking not to be named. A senior Waqod official told plied by Woqod on a regular basis, DOHA: The State Cabinet yes- management of the centre and its demand reduction (preventive At an annual Arab summit last this daily yesterday that the he said often there is a delay. terday approved its draft deci- functions and financial resources. education) and treating and reha- month, Kuwait’s Emir H H Sheikh company is looking for alterna- Another shop keeper at New sion on the urban master plan The Supreme Council of Health bilitating the addicts. Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah urged tive places to sell Shafaf cylin- Salata said the shop didn’t have for Qatar. The decision included (SCH) will be responsible for The committee recommended Arab states to overcome rifts in ders. “High number of Shafaf cylinders for more than three days, a plan for sustainable growth laying down the organisational to work out a future strategy order to tackle the “enormous” cylinders was being sold at our and he was not sure when they and a national framework for structure of the centre and deter- for the fourth phase and con- regional dangers. fuel stations. The decision to stop would be available. “We normally development (vision, goals, and mining its tasks. tinue updating and developing REUTERS the sales came suddenly. Now we have a small stock of like 25 cylin- spatial distribution strategy). The centre will work out defi- the modus operandi of the anti- are looking for alternative places,” ders. They finish soon and we don’t The data mentioned in the plan nite systems for maintaining the narcotics organs and raising the Qatar Media Corp said the official. get new stocks quickly,” he said. contains the structure outlines of confidentiality of patients’ infor- level of efficiency of the staff as “Because we stopped selling at Many customers continue to the city of Doha, the capital and mation and it will not be allowed well as the role of the educational CEO appointed fuel stations, there is a gap in dis- complain that they face diffi- other municipalities. to disclose any information about institutions and the importance of tribution. There is a challenge in culties in getting the cylinders The Cabinet meeting chaired by these patients except upon a war- effective partnership between the DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh reaching to customers,” he added. at supermarkets. “I went to at the Prime Minister and Interior rant issued by the competent families, the school, the mosque Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yes- Currently Shafaf cylinders least to four shops and found a Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah authority and to be addressed to and the media to ensure a safe terday issued Emiri Decision No. are sold only at supermarkets cylinder at the fifth shop. This is bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani the Director General. society free of narcotics. 51 of 2014 appointing H E Sheikh and several customers have been very unusual. Woqod should find also approved a draft decision on The Cabinet took note of an The Cabinet also approved a Abdurrahman bin Hamad bin complaining about a shortage or a solution to this problem,” said establishing Nuwafir (To Save), a annual report of the Permanent draft decision amending some Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, delays in supply. an expatriate. new centre to provide treatment, Committee for Drugs and Alcohol provisions of resolution No. (32) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The official, however, claimed “We can’t go hunting for a gas rehabilitation and integrated Affairs (PCDAA), on the third of 2012 to establish a committee Qatar Media Corporation. that the cylinders are being sold cylinder every time. They should community welfare to addiction phase plan to implement the monitoring the inventory and The decision is operative as of at supermarkets as earlier with- open exclusive shops to sell the patients. national strategy on combating prices of raw materials. the date of issue and is to be pub- out any problem. cylinders,” said another. The draft decision includes narcotics. The report contains THE PENINSULA lished in the Official Gazette. “There is no shortage of THE PENINSULA provisions relating to the a strategy on supply reduction, Continued on page 7 QNA

Three youth get one-year jail Arab League urges US to keep up Mideast peace push CAIRO: The Arab League responsible for the dangerous plunged into crisis last week after endorse before formal establish- case there are no (regular) meet- for car racing called on the United States stalemate” in the US-brokered Israel, demanding a Palestinian com- ment of a state. “In response to ings organised between Palestinian yesterday to keep up efforts to talks which are scheduled to wrap mitment to continue talking after the Palestinian violation of their and Israeli ministers, apart from DOHA: A criminal court has salvage Middle East peace talks up on April 29. the end of the month, failed to carry commitments under peace talks... the finance ministers,” he said. sentenced three youth to one that are on the brink of collapse, “(The ministers) called on out the promised release of about Israel government ministers have Underscoring the Palestinians’ year in jail and ordered to can- blaming Israel for a crisis that America to continue its efforts two dozen Palestinian prisoners. been told to refrain from meeting main concern — economic meas- cel their driver’s licence for six has led Washington to evaluate for the resumption of the nego- Israel announced yesterday their Palestinian counterparts,” ures imposed by Israel — the Arab months for racing on a highway its role in the negotiations. tiation track that obliges Israel a partial freeze in high-level an Israeli government official said, League said Arab states must meet causing the death of a person Arab foreign ministers gath- to implement its commitments contacts with the Palestinians requesting anonymity. their financial commitments to the and serious injuries to another. ered in Cairo yesterday with ... according to the agreed time in retaliation for their signing Palestinian Labour Minister Palestinian Authority “to provide The court also ordered the Palestinian leader Mahmoud frame,” a League statement said. international conventions it con- Ahmad Majdalani played down the an Arab financial safety net”. youths to pay blood money worth Abbas said Israel was “wholly The US-brokered negotiations tends they are not entitled to significance of the move. “In any AGENCIES QR200,000 to the family of the victim, in conjunction with the insurance companies, Al Sharq Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona reported. They were charged with mur- der by mistake, engaging in car 11 cases of Mers virus race in the street without tak- ing permission from the authori- ties concerned and rash driving endangering lives of people and reported in Jeddah properties, The road accident report ABU DHABI: Saudi Arabia Some patients were transferred stated that the youths had said yesterday it had recorded to other hospitals while the disin- engaged in a car race on 11 cases infected with the fection was carried out, the health Semaisma road near Al Khor. potentially deadly Middle East authority said. During the race one of the cars Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) A nurse at King Abdelaziz hos- slipped from the highway after virus in Jeddah, including hos- pital had earlier tested positive the driver lost control. It then pital staff. for the virus but no other workers hit the steel divider on the road Two of the patients died, six in that hospital were infected. and rolled over several times. have recovered, while three are The health authority assured One person was killed in the undergoing treatment, the official the public that no other hospitals incident and two people travel- Saudi Press Agency reported quot- in Jeddah had recorded any cases ling in the car were injured, one ing the Jeddah health authority. and denied rumours that more of them seriously, said the daily. The emergency department of than two deaths had occurred. Part of the road divider and a King Fahd hospital in Jeddah was MERS emerged in the Middle lamppost of the municipality were closed for disinfection after one East in 2012 and is from the destroyed in the incident. During health worker there tested posi- same family as the SARS virus. investigations the convicts con- Atletico Madrid’s midfielder Diego kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League quarter final football match tive for the virus and subsequent It can cause coughing, fever and fessed to the crime. against Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid yesterday. Atletico Madrid won the match 2-1. tests on other staff members pneumonia. THE PENINSULA showed further infections. REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME IATA meeting to focus on MH370, air safety We must learn to prevent something similar again: CEO

BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB “We need to base our efforts on industry task force to come up evidence and conclusions that will with a united industry position DOHA: Enhancing secu- come out of investigation. on how we can better track air- rity and finding ways to pre- “When an incident or accident craft. We will coordinate our vent incidents like the missing occurs, our thoughts go to the efforts with governments through Malaysian airliner MH370, will families and friends of all those International Civil Aviation be some of the key issues to be on board, and we rededicate our Organisation (ICAO). By year- discussed at the Annual General efforts to make this industry even end we will build consensus on Meeting (AGM) of IATA from safer.” input into their efforts.” June 1 to 3, the highest level However, he also stressed that Highlighting security lapses on event in the airline industry. air transport is safe as the acci- the part of aviation authorities at An artist’s impression of the Sharq Crossing project. “The AGM will also focus on dent-flight ratio is very low, but some airports, he said: “It is also global issues such as better pas- the world cannot afford to leave clear that two people boarded senger safety in the backdrop of the unprecedented missing of MH370 with stolen passports. the missing Malaysian jet,” said such a big aircraft as an aviation Investigators have largely dis- Sharq Crossing project highlighted Tony Tyler, Director-General and mystery. counted that this had anything to CEO, International Air Transport “As I said, almost 100,000 flights do with the aircraft’s disappear- DOHA: The Public Works and the downtown central busi- to commence in 2015 and com- Association (IATA). operate each day. And last week ance. But I think that we were all Authority (Ashghal) yesterday ness district of West Bay. plete by 2021. Tyler, who was here as part of we announced our 2013 safety shocked that this could happen. hosted an Industry Engagement Attended by contracting, con- A comprehensive presentation preparations for the event — first performance. Airlines last year Passport checking and security is Day to inform engineering and sulting, operations and mainte- was given to participants, pro- time in the Gulf — said: “Certainly had one major accident for every the responsibility of governments. contracting firms of opportuni- nance organisations registered in viding programme-specific infor- delegates will have MH370 on 2.4 million flights,” said Tyler. “Many governments, 60 or ties to participate in one of the and outside Qatar, the event was mation such as proposed works, their minds. Missing of the pas- He said it is a separate issue more, ask airlines to provide country’s most technologically also attended by Engineer Nasser time-frame, and key implementa- senger jet is unprecedented. It that despite deploying so many advance passenger information advanced infrastructure pro- bin Ali Al Mawlawi, President, tion considerations. It also covered has been over a month since the assets and resource the cause of which includes passport informa- gramme, Sharq Crossing. Public Works Authority, and information on tendering require- aircraft disappeared. We need to the missing jet remains a mystery. tion. It is clear that they need to Comprising three iconic bridges Brigadier Engineer Yacob ments and the procurement strat- find it to understand what hap- “There are two issues that have use this information more effec- linked with two immersed tunnels Al Kazem, Sharq Crossing egy for the bidding process. The pened and learn how to prevent emerged which we can address. tively. And we will be asking gov- and a marine tunnel interchange Programme Director, Ashghal’s event provided a central platform something similar from occurring The first is to find a way to ensure ernments that require advance spanning Doha Bay, the project project team and representatives for attendees to engage in discus- again.” that it never takes us this long to passenger information to harmo- will connect Hamad International of Calatrava Mideast Ltd and sions and open dialogue on the He stressed that speculation find a missing aircraft,” he added. nise around global standards set Airport with the city’s cultural Fluor Corporation. project with Ashghal’s project on the plane cannot be a guide to “Last week, I announced that by ICAO.” district of Katara in the north Work on the project is expected team. THE PENINSULA move forward. IATA would convene an expert THE PENINSULA

Qatar Foundation International to move HQ from Washington to Doha

WASHINGTON: The US-based Qatar to Doha where our parent organisa- cultures and advancing global citizenship foreign language learners. This means Based on the success, the headquar- Foundation International (QFI) will tion, Qatar Foundation, is based and through education and aims to expand spreading Arabic language and culture ters in Doha, under QFI-DC’s guidance, move its headquarters to Doha as part QFI’s Washington, DC office will focus its Arabic Language and Culture (ALC) to all corners of the world.” will be leading the effort towards global of a restructuring plan to expand the on existing programmes from our cur- programme. “Five years of cultivating QFI has expanded beyond the expansion of the programme. In our five global reach of Arabic language and rent location.” The non-profit QFI gives a global citizenry through programmes Americas, she said. “In 2011 and 2012, years of operation, we have established culture. grants and promotes education to facili- that engage, excite and inspire youth it provided assistance to British Council models that work and a very strong net- Maggie Mitchell Salem, QFI Executive tate collaborations across geographical, around the world,” Salem said. and Qatar Foundation for the launch work of educators, advisers, profession- Director, said, “We will restructure the social and cultural boundaries. “As of July 1, we will expand the pro- of an Arabic language and culture pro- als and partners. The QFI headquarters organisation to become more global in The group, celebrating its fifth anniver- gramme to serve heritage and native gramme in the UK as part of Qatar-UK will use our experience as a template for our reach. Our headquarters will move sary this year, is involved in connecting speakers in addition to our offerings for Year of Culture.” other parts of the world, she said. QNA

THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Al Jazeera sweeps 18th Hong Kong Human Rights Press Awards DOHA: Al Jazeera Media Network has won Merit for Nepal’s Slave Girls. the highest number of awards at the 18th Hong At the 2014 New York Festivals International Kong Human Rights Press Awards. TV & Film Awards, It’s A Man’s World recently It won the first prize for its documentary Wukan: won a Gold UNDPI award judged by a special jury The Flame of Democracy, an intimate portrait of from the United Nations Department of Public challenges a rural Chinese community faces in the Information, besides two other awards: A silver in midst of unprecedented political change towards the Best News Documentary/Special category and becoming a fledgling democracy. a bronze in the Current Affairs category. The 101 East programme bagged four first-place Al Jazeera also won two gold medals for Murder prizes for its Scars of Sri Lanka, Murder In God’s In God’s Name and Everest: 60th Anniversary, two Name, Sectarian Divide and Unhealed Wounds Of silvers for Nepal’s Slave Girls and Contagion, along Osh, despite there being a record 475 entries this with three finalist certificates. year from across the region. 101 East also earned a THE PENINSULA DFI to screen The World of Goopi and Bagha

DOHA: Doha Film Institute fable of Goopi and Bagha, a pair Goopi and Bagha make their (DFI) presents a free screening of musicians gifted with magical wishes carefully, and then seek of the classical Indian tale The powers by the King of Ghosts. refuge in the Shundi kingdom. Part of heritage collection at Qatar National Library. World of Goopi and Bagha as part Goopi, a singer, and Bagha, a When the king receives a of the Ajyal Youth Film Series drummer, are expelled from their warning of an imminent attack, on Friday at 4pm at Katara villages when their communities Goopi and Bagha use their musi- Drama Theatre, Building 16. can no longer bear their out-of- cal talent to avert war. It is an animated film from tune music. To reserve free tickets, visit India, featuring wonderful folk The two bump into each other www.dohafilminstitute.com and Library offers tour of tunes. in a forest, where they perform look out for the next installment It is a film suited for the whole together. Pleased, the ghost of the of screenings for the coming heritage collection family that tells the timeless forest grants them four wishes. months. THE PENINSULA Open Day on April 17 to mark Monuments and Sites Day DOHA: Qatar National Library Dr Claudia Lux, Project “This is a great chance to intro- (QNL) is offering members of Director, QNL, said: “The Arab duce this valuable trove of herit- the public a special chance to and Islamic Heritage Collection age and cultural items we have tour its remarkable Arab and Open Day will highlight the role to families, students, researchers Islamic Heritage Collection of Al Zubarah in Qatar’s history, and foreign and cultural dignitar- during an Open Day this month. enabling visitors to explore the ies in Qatar. It follows the success of last library’s collection of maps, books “We are honoured that the pre- year’s event that saw hundreds and historic globes that highlight cious collection attracts diplomats of residents marvelling at QNL’s Qatar’s rich heritage. and intellects from all over the most prized and historic artefacts. “Visitors will also be able to world, including the recent visit The Open Day on April 17 hear detailed explanations about to Qatar by Charles, the Prince will recognise the archaeological the precious collection by QNL’s of Wales.” site Al Zubarah, which Unesco Heritage Collection curators. The collection is a magnificent declared as Qatar’s first entry on “The Arab and Islamic national resource that includes to the World Heritage List last Heritage Collection – the heart of writings by travellers and explor- summer. the new Qatar National Library ers who visited the Arabian Gulf The event will mark – is among the most impor- over the centuries, Arab manu- International Day for Monuments tant aspects of Qatar’s cultural scripts, historical maps and and Sites, established to celebrate landscape, expressing the depth globes, as well as scientific instru- the diversity of heritage through- and richness of Arab-Islamic ments and early photography. A scene from the classical Indian tale. out the world. civilisation. THE PENINSULA HOME THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 Film-making contest to boost power, water conservation DOHA: Qatar General percent, respectively, by 2017. DFI has the right to use any in any Electricity and Water As part of the MoU, DFI invites form of media for creating awareness Corporation (Kahramaa) entries for short film-making contest about rationalisation drive. and Doha Film Institute under the theme of saving electricity Entries should be submitted online (DFI) recently signed a and water. The film should be one to at www.dohafilminstitute.com. memorandum of under- three minutes long. Last day of submission is April 14. standing (MoU) to cre- Entries should be original and THE PENINSULA ate awareness about the National Programme for Conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed) through a film-making competition. It was signed by Engineer Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President, Kahramaa, and Abdul Azeez Al Khater, CEO, DFI, in the presence of senior functionaries of both organisations. “The MoU comes within the Tarsheed programme with the aim to dissemi- nate awareness among all sectors. “The contest is an incen- tive for youth and film makers. Their creative entries should support the aim of Tarsheed,” said Al Kuwari, adding Kahramaa cooperates with all cor- porations to disseminate the culture of electricity and water conservation to achieve sustainability of resources. “We are keen to support leading local initiatives,” said Al Khater, adding that by signing the MoU, film-makers in Qatar will change society’s perception about electricity and water conservation. The MoU aims at pro- moting positive values of Tarsheed among residents by involving them into the cause through visual creativity. Launched in 2012, Tarsheed’s target is to reduce per capita water and electricity consump- tion by 35 percent and 20 THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME UK keen to meet needs Stenden plans research on of Qatari Armed Forces: Hammond FIFA 2022 sustainability DOHA: Defence relations between Qatar and the UK got a fresh boost yesterday follow- QR856,000 project to promote positive legacy for Qatar World Cup ing a meeting between the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al DOHA: Stenden University issue, not only in Qatar but for Thani and Philip Hammond (pic- Qatar (SUQ) is embarking on the organisers of international tured), British Secretary of State the first phase of a QR856,000 events throughout the world – for Defence. research project funded by how they can create a sustaina- They reviewed cooperation, espe- National Priorities Research ble legacy from events to benefit cially in the military field. Programme (NPRP), the flag- those living in the country for “We have cooperation in military ship funding programme of years to come. training in Qatar and making train- Qatar Foundation’s Qatar “We are grateful to QNRF for ing places available in the UK. We National Research Fund its generous funding and to our might enhance that and provide (QNRF), to promote a sus- partners at Edinburgh Napier additional support in the country tainable and positive legacy University. As SUQ continues and different places in the UK. So for Qatar’s FIFA World Cup to strengthen its research capa- that is an area, (we are) happy to see to provide training to our forces in 2022. bilities, this will be the first of growth in future,” Hammond told through deployment in Afghanistan, The two-year project many projects our academic reporters after the meeting. we have to think how to train our ‘Leveraging the 2022 Qatar experts will be working on to He said the UK is interested in forces in desert warfare and hot con- World Football Cup for the Dr Dan Musinguzi and Stephanie Bourne are collaborating with Edinburgh support sports’ tourism devel- meeting requirements of Qatari dition combat in future and certainly promotion of green and active Napier University experts on the project. opment and diversification of Armed Forces. “Qatar has require- one of the options is to establish living: A multiple stakeholder Qatar’s economy.” ments in several areas and we are more permanent facility somewhere evaluation of strategic options’ is Dr Theodoraki, said: “Mega interested in British industry collab- in the Gulf. So it is a possibility we a collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University experts Dr event organisers in Qatar across sporting events have the power orating to deliver the requirements are looking at. Napier University, Scotland. Eleni Theodoraki, Dr Jane Ali- sectors, including sports, health, to inspire social change. Qatar of Qatari Armed Forces and sup- “Our economic recovery is fragile, The focus will be on promot- Knight and Dr Maktoba Omar, education, banking, retail busi- has a great opportunity to use port aspiration of Qatari indigenous anything which causes spike in oil ing healthy, active lifestyles and Dr Theodoraki is an inter- ness and technology, to assess the 2022 World Cup to encour- industry to grow and gain capability price would derail it and the most green initiatives to reduce the national events expert recently through an online questionnaire age people to adopt green and on the back of these requirements. likely thing to cause spike is some carbon footprint in Qatar. involved with Unesco in pre- what green and active cam- active lifestyles. “So we see this as a partner- upsurge in tension in this region. So This is the first SUQ project paring the sports policy agenda paigns and messages are being “By engaging with experts ship arrangement where we can it is very much in our interest to to receive QNRF funding, and for the World Congress of promoted in Qatar via events. in Qatar and the UK we aim work together and help deliver the have a stable situation in the Gulf.” signals a new emphasis on Sport Ministers. The Mayor The project aims to be a to find out what opportunities requirements of the Qatari Armed Later in the evening, the Minister research as the university’s of London, Boris Johnson, also knowledge-sharing platform, exist to promote environmen- Forces.” of State for Defence Affairs H E academics gear up to initiate appointed her Commissioner in setting up a network for organ- tally sound habits such as recy- He said the Emir is expected to Major General Hamad bin Ali Al tourism research projects to the Commission of a Sustainable isers to ensure their events pro- cling and low carbon use, as well visit the UK before Ramadan. Attiyah, and the Minister of Energy help realise the Qatar National London 2012. mote positive social habits. as healthy physical activity and He said deals worth QR230m were and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Tourism Sector Strategy. The team will liaise with Recycling and low carbon sports participation in the run- signed between both countries dur- Saleh Al Sada joined Hammond, Dr Dan Musinguzi, Lecturer event organisers, public health use are among these as well as up to the event, and beyond it,” ing the defence exhibition DIMDEX. Ambassador, Nicholas Hopton and and research specialist in tour- experts, physical educators, increased physical activity and Dr Theodoraki said. “I don’t think we measure the over 1,000 guests of the British ism impacts, residents’ per- city planners and environmen- sports participation, all of which The questionnaire will also be importance of this exhibition in embassy, in celebrating Queen ceptions of tourism, service tal agencies in Qatar to develop will help create a positive legacy accessible to event organisers terms of deals done. Defence rela- Elizabeth’s birthday. quality and cultural heritage, findings to be shared with the for the 2022 World Cup. via the group’s Facebook page: tionships are long-term, it’s about Guests were kept entertained by and Stephanie Bourne are col- government and FIFA. Dr Musinguzi said: “This is Green and Active Living Qatar. building confidence, it’s about grow- the Doha military band, Doha Jazz, laborating with Edinburgh Initially, they will contact a fascinating and highly topical THE PENINSULA ing understanding on what is avail- the UK’s visiting Urban Playground able and what’s going to become parkour team, and British art- available. We are here for long term ist Rachel Gadsden with his live not for short term,” he said. painting. To a question about the issue of “Qatar and the UK have a long recalling ambassadors from Qatar by and historic partnership, which the some GCC members, he said, “These UK values greatly. We have worked QRC campaign for Central Africa victims are disagreements between friends. closely together for many decades I am sure these will be resolved in now, including on active service in DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent International Committee of a timely manner so that good and Libya in 2011, and I was delighted (QRC) has launched a char- the Red Cross, International growing cooperation in the GCC can today to be able to discuss with ity campaign to support vic- Federation of Red Cross and be resumed”. H H the Emir and H E the Minister tims of the ongoing civil war Red Crescent, Unicef, and He said the UK may also look at of State for Defence Affairs ways in in Central Africa. other national and international setting up a military base in Gulf. which to strengthen the long-term The ‘Save Your Brothers in organisations. “As we draw down from defence partnership between our two Central Africa’ aims to provide The Office of the United Afghanistan, where we have for nations,” said Hammond. humanitarian support to 6,000 Nations High Commissioner of many years had an opportunity THE PENINSULA families (30,000 people) dis- Refugees classified the crisis as placed inside Central African a humanitarian disaster, esti- Republic or forced to move to mating that 1.3m people need neighbouring countries, such as urgent food aid. Cameroon, Democratic Republic Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Secretary-General, QRC, called on With more and more Muslims QA moves to terminal 2 in Tokyo of Congo and Chad. philanthropists in Qatar to support the campaign. displaced, Human Rights Watch The civil war erupted last warned the situation may end DOHA: Qatar Airways has the airport’s most modern terminal. December between the Seleka the new phase will provide the suffering of innocent civil- up with all Muslims leaving moved to join its fellow oneworld The move to Terminal 2 will bring and anti-Balaka groups has so healthcare, food and non-food ians, children, women, and eld- the country to escape violence, alliance partners at Terminal 2 additional advantages to Qatar far resulted in more than 2,000 items, sheltering, water and erly in Central Africa and save which is the case with whole of Tokyo’s Narita International Airways, including shared facili- deaths and 625,000 refugees. sanitation. them from homelessness and districts in capital Bangui. Airport. ties with fellow oneworld partners, Through its Disaster Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi, life-threatening conditions,” Check Hamodi, Head of the The move from Terminal 1 to such as check-in and transfer desks, Response Fund, QRC has Secretary-General, QRC, called he told a press conference Central African Diplomatic Terminal 2 means Qatar Airways lounges and baggage services. already allocated QR2,920,000 on philanthropists in Qatar to yesterday. Mission in Qatar, and Dr Haqqar has joined Japan Airlines and All these work towards making as initial support to families support the campaign. He said QRC is working Mohamed Ahmed, Chairman of other oneworld partners, including the travel experience for oneworld by meeting their basic needs “I urge all institutions and in coordination with inter- the Islamic Daawa and Relief American Airlines, British Airways, alliance customers smoother and as specified by international kindhearted individuals to lend national partners in Central Organization in Chad were also Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Malaysia more efficient, while reducing costs. humanitarian organisations. a helping hand and donate as African Republic, such as present at the conference. Airline, Qantas and S7 Airlines in THE PENINSULA Planned to last six months, much as they can to mitigate Central African Red Cross, THE PENINSULA

GCC Statistical Centre opens Barwa Bank official breaks Guinness record MUSCAT: The GCC Statistical Centre was officially inaugurated in a DOHA: Ziyad Rahim, Head ceremony at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Oman yesterday under the of Market Risk, Barwa Bank, auspices of Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Oman’s Minister Responsible has made a Guinness record for Foreign Affairs, in the presence of senior officials, members of the dip- for the ‘fastest time to run an lomatic corps and representatives of GCC statistical institutions. ultra marathon on each con- The centre is the only official statistical reference for comparable and tinent’ by completing seven updated information and statistics in relation to the GCC and the official ultra-marathons on seven information bank for the GCC states. continents in 41 days. Nasser Al Mahdi, Director of Censuses, Household Surveys and Statistical He also raised awareness Methods at the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics represented about two charities based Qatar Qatar at the opening ceremony. and the UAE. Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, GCC Secretary-General, also attended Ziyad improved on the record the opening. QNA set in 1999 for completing an ultra-marathon on all seven continents in 267 days. An ultra-marathon is longer than the standard 42.2km mar- athon and events usually range Yelande to perform at Desi Night from 50km to 100-milers and multi-day events over varied DOHA: A Bollywood artist-cum- terrain. performer and Anybody Can Dance Khalid Yousef Al Subeai, fame Dharmesh Yelande (pic- acting Group Chief Executive tured), together with other artists, Officer, said: “What Ziyad has will perform today at 5pm at Green accomplished is something Ziyad Rahim, Head of Market Risk, Barwa Bank, during one of his ultra-marathons. Spine Qatar Foundation. most of us can only dream of. In ‘Desi Night’ is an event held annu- breaking a Guinness record, he “Being able to pursue my pas- ultra-marathon in Chile was for life- threatening diseases ally to showcase the South Asian has demonstrated extreme com- sion for long-distance running accompanied by strong winds and financial assistance for poor culture and will also feature Doha’s mitment and immense physical and raise money and aware- of over 60kmph. families in Qatar. Xtreme level Danz, Beats n Bytes and capability, making a difference ness for charity is extremely For the final leg in South He also raised awareness D4Dance groups. in the lives of those less fortu- fulfilling.” Africa, he completed the Louis about the UAE-based charity, This is a student-organised event nate. We are proud to be able to Every ultra-marathon was Massyn Ultra on March 8 to Maria Cristina Foundation that at Qatar Foundation. congratulate him on his return.” accompanied by challenges. In break the record. provides education and medi- It was initiated five years ago Ziyad said, “I’m delighted to Antarctica, Ziyad ran a hilly Ziyad collaborated with cal assistance to underprivileged by a group of students at Virginia break this record which was course that had a combination Pakistan Welfare Forum, a children in slums of Dhaka, Commonwealth University-Qatar. unbelievably tough physically of snow, ice, gravel and mud, Qatar-based charity that pro- Bangladesh. THE PENINSULA and mentally. while the South American vides education and treatment THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Turkish Festival opens at Katara Four-day event will help strengthen relations: Ambassador Demirok

DOHA: More than 2,500 people gathered at Katara yesterday to witness the opening of the first Turkish Festival featuring Turkish music, dance, art, food and handicraft. Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Demirok and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, Katara, opened the four-day event in Building 3. H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar The opening, attended by a large number of Turkish, Arab Museums Authority, American artist Richard Serra and other officials and other nationalities, started visiting Serra’s Passage of Time. with a performance of State Mehter Ensemble. In traditional costumes, they American artist Richard played traditional Turkish music, marching through Katara Esplanade to the applause of the crowd until they reached Building Serra opens two expos 3. DOHA: Following the unveil- different periods of Serra’s 50-year “We are delighted to host the ing of his latest installation in career, including works from the festival which reflects strong ties T urkish Ambassador, Ahmet Demirok, (left) and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (second left), General Manager, Qatar, Richard Serra yester- seminal One Ton Prop (House of between Qatar and Turkey and Katara, inaugurating the festival in the presence of other officials at Katara yesterday. KAMMUTTY V P day opened two exhibitions, the Cards) of 1969, on rare loan from their people. It is part of our mis- most comprehensive showcase Museum of Modern Art, New sion to bridge cultural relations “Festival events will give a clear Cultural Affairs, Katara, said, Threshold’ Contemporary Art and his first in the Middle East. York, alongside his more recent between people and introduce the image of the heritage and civilisa- “We have hosted many Turkish and the grand bazaar featur- His first public commission in work (Double Torqued Ellipse III, Turkish culture through art and tion of Turkey. events but this is the first festi- ing food, spices and traditional Qatar was his 2011 installation of 1999), to present the main stages culture events,” said Al Sulaiti, as “It is a small representation val which highlights aspects of the Turkish handicrafts were also 7, a vertical steel sculpture in the in the development of his work. he opened the festival. of the Turkish culture,” he said, Turkish culture.” opened. Museum of Islamic Art Park. Meanwhile, Al Riwaq, a tem- Demirok emphasised deep rela- thanking Katara for hosting the The opening night also featured Festival activities run until Jean Paul Engelen, Director of porary exhibition space in the tions between both countries and festival to promote relations folk dances and other perform- Saturday from 4pm to 9.30pm in Public Art Programmes, Qatar centre of Doha, hosts Serra’s new the role of the festival in strength- among both peoples. ances by artistes from Turkey. Building 3 and the open theatre. Museums Authority (QMA), told work, Passage of Time, made spe- ening relationship. Darwish Ahmad, Director of ‘Sliding Doors on a Hidden THE PENINSULA a press conference yesterday: “It cially for the space that spans an is important to do an exhibition to area of 5,000sqm. The sculpture show a wider context of the work is made up of two 66.5-metre long of Serra, one of the most impor- and 4.1-metre tall weather-proof tant artists of his time.” steel curves that snake diagonally Engelen said education would through the site, and was fabri- East-West/West-East ‘cultural contribution to Qatar’ be integrated in the expos as cated in Germany at one of the education is a key part of QMA’s very few steel mills that can take DOHA: American minimalist sculptor is to misunderstand your own sensibility in “I think for people to react and say why Public Art Department. on such monumental steel works. Richard Serra has responded to critics’ relation to what you are looking at what the someone is spending that kind of money to “As with other shows we have a Both spaces have been curated reactions on his ‘East-West/West-East’ piece does,” he said reacting to a question at a build something they see is useless, well I can big education programme. We had by Alfred Pacquement, Curator installation unveiled on Tuesday at Brouq press conference at Al Riwaq exhibition space understand that. over 6,000 schoolchildren in the and former director of National Nature Reserve neat Zekreet. yesterday. “I think if people have a prejudice about not previous show and we are aiming Museum of Modern Art, Centre Some people on social media questioned the Serra said the piece creates a connection wanting to understand something, they won’t to top that,” he added. Pompidou, Paris. Serra at QMA relevance of the sculpture in the middle of between the viewer, the rhythm of one’s understand it. The exhibition inaugurated at Gallery at Katara and Richard the desert and whether it was worth the cost. body as he walks through and the landscape “I think for people to want to reduce the QMA Gallery at Katara brings Serra at Al Riwaq Doha exhibi- “I actually think that that piece is making itself. work to four slabs of steel they are unwilling together a fascinating selection tions are open to the public until a cultural contribution to the country. It also gives the person a sense of direction to experience the potential of what’s there to of sculptures and drawings from July 6. THE PENINSULA “And to think otherwise and ask ques- in what would have been a non-directional be seen, to be understood and to be emotion- tions about just the nature of the steel and space and brings the east and west sides of ally felt,” he said. whether you are just looking at steel plates the peninsula together, he added. THE PENINSULA Day of Sports for Development and Peace

Young pupils from schools gathered at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum to paint ‘The Wall of Togetherness’ in celebration of Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The piece of art is participating in the ‘United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace’ international campaign to raise awareness about the day. Qatari students win Panel to monitor raw materials four medals in Gulf Continued from page 1 The committee, established at the Ministry of Economy and Trade, will collect information on Maths Olympiad 2014 raw material stocks, consumption and prices control. MUSCAT: Students from extended congratulations to the According to the amend- eight secondary Independent Qatari team for the outstanding ment, members representing the schools, who represented achievement, which is the best Ministry of Interior, the Ministry Qatar in the qualifiers for the by Qatari schools students dur- of Transport, the General Gulf Mathematics Olympiad ing their participation in this Customs Authority, and Qatar in 2014 in Muscat, yesterday competition. Petroleum (industrial ports) will scored unprecedented results Dr Hamda Al Sulaiti, join the committee. by winning four medals, Chairperson of the Higher Further mandates may be one silver and three bronze Committee for the Mathematics given to the committee to facili- medals. Olympiad, also extended con- tate procedures for the import of The achievements by the gratulations to the Qatari team, raw materials to cope with any Qatari students took place stressing the importance of this shortages. during the four-day competi- result and the major efforts The Cabinet also approved tion, which concluded in the made for preparing the team a proposal by the Minister of Omani capital yesterday with since last December for the State for Defence Affairs on the participation of students from competition. restructuring of the military the GCC states in the four The result is not unprece- retirement commission. branches of mathematics under dented, Dr Al Sulaiti said. It also endorsed a draft agree- the supervision of Arab Bureau Student Shoug Khalid Al ment on cooperation in the field of of Education for the Gulf States. Sulaiti won the silver medal education, higher education and The Minister of Education while the three bronze medals scientific research and technology and Higher Education and were won by students Sultan and a draft agreement on cultural Secretary-General of the Nasser Al Kuwari, Khalid cooperation with Kenya. It took Supreme Education Council Umair Al Nuaimi and Hessah measures to ratify a convention (SEC) H E Dr Mohammed bin Ahmad Kafoud. on cultural cooperation with Peru. Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi, QNA THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Afghan elections Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

HE results of Afghan elections are yet to come. But all Afghans have already won. That an estimated sixty percent of 12 million eligible voters in the Tcountry cast their votes on Saturday in the face of Hungary’s election offers some Taliban threats shows how far democracy has taken root in the country, and secondly, how Taliban have failed to intimidate ordinary Afghans. The smooth conduct of the elections and the huge turnout has been made possible due to disturbing lessons for Europe a maturing of the democratic system. Any prediction is quite risky in the case of Afghanistan, BY JAN-WERNER MUELLER but the elections give some positive indications about the with writing a new constitution in 2011 polity and policy model inside the EU direction the country is heading into. First of all, it proves which was only approved by Fidesz, and that is closer to Putin’s than to the west- that the Afghan forces are capable of maintaining law and HERE were no huge surprises there was no issue with changing the ern European mainstream – and whose order. The true battle-preparedness of Karzai’s soldiers about Hungary’s vote last electoral rules in such a manner that success may well depend on further will be tested after the withdrawal of American forces this Sunday. Prime minister Viktor Fidesz gained an “undue advantage” support from Russia. While Orbán has year and there are serious doubts about their ability to TOrbán coasted to re-election, (according to the OSCE). sometimes defended himself in the same despite having proposed no specific pro- When Orbán then also enlarged the way Putin has – he is the sole guarantor counter the Taliban terrorists, especially because the Taliban gramme for the next four years other electorate to include ethnic Hungarians of order, without him everything would have already established and consolidated their presence than “carry on”. Depending on the final in countries such as Romania and be even worse, fascists might take over in some regions, making Afghan forces mere spectators. vote tally, he might retain his two-thirds Slovakia, Fidesz conveniently ended up – the elections show the real dynamic But the elections are a strong indication that Afghan parliamentary majority (large enough to confirming its core claim to legitimacy. to be the other way around. Orbán has men in uniform can deliver in case of an emergency and change the constitution at any time) – a It appears that these new voters over- presented Fidesz as the last bulwark under proper guidance. For the first time, Afghans had the highly disproportional result, given that whelmingly opted for the party that against Jobbik, the anti-Roma and anti- his Fidesz party gained only about 44.5% bestowed the vote on them, thus proving semitic party. primary responsibility for their own election security and for of the vote (down from about 53%). Yet that they really are part of the proper Yet Fidesz’s nationalism – and its sup- delivering ballots to nearly 400 district locations. This task these elections offer disturbing lessons nation. They might also be decisive in port for rewriting Hungarian history to was carried out efficiently. Taliban had tried hard to disrupt about what a populist, Russia-leaning ensuring the party has its two-thirds whitewash its role in the Holocaust in elections, and had planted bombs rightwing government can do inside the majority. particular – always ends up legitimis- which killed many people, and EU today: fundamentally reshape the Inside the country, Fidesz has favoured ing Jobbik’s extremist rhetoric. Rather then threatened people who would polity in a par- the middle class, and especially the upper than crushing the party to his right, tisan image and middle class, thereby building a core Orbán has helped it grow. Jobbik ran a The results turn out to vote. But they failed offer an all-out clientele of politically active supporters relatively moderate campaign, attract- of Afghan miserably. anti-liberal policy – while slashing benefits for the needi- ing more centrist voters disgusted with What Afghan forces need now model that is inch- est (about a third of Hungarians live in the corruption in the Fidesz government, elections is confidence, a strong leadership Re-elected ing ever closer to poverty – don’t be fooled by the glitter- while retaining its racist core clientele and a stable government in Kabul. Putin’s ideal of ing, EU-funded projects in the centre (since there is no party to the right of governance. of Budapest). Still, Orbán was in fact Jobbik, they have nowhere else to go). are yet to The elections are likely to install a prime minister Above all, fairly unpopular for much of the past Now, for the first time, Jobbik has made come. But all powerful leader in Kabul. Viktor Orbán Hungary’s vote four years. What changed the fortunes real inroads into the prosperous trans- Secondly, the formation of a shows that the of his government was the decision to Danubian regions, when the conventional Afghans have new government can help repair seems to be extremist, out- cut utility prices and force companies wisdom held that the party would remain already won. the strained relations between aping the Putin right racist right to indicate clearly on the actual bills confined to eastern Hungary, the poorest Afghanistan and the US. President is not weak- how much Fidesz had saved consum- part of the country. Fidesz might well leadership ened, but in fact ers. Nothing wrong with this initiative, tack further to the right in response, Hamid Karzai and his counterpart emboldened by of course (other than the question of creating a vicious circle of ever more in Washington are locked in a model and such an approach. who exactly will end up paying for it) – rabid nationalism. dispute over a security agreement fuelling Especially in the and a clear sign of the desperate state In his victory speech on Sunday, Orbán governing the presence of US troops in Afghanistan. The run-up to the of the Hungarian liberal-left that they made a point of saying that citizens had relations between the two have been sinking in the past nationalism. European elec- could not think of any alternative policy chosen the EU (which Jobbik wishes several months, without any signs of a rapprochement. Only tions in May, the to address ordinary people’s sense that to leave). Two days later, construction rest of the conti- European multinationals are making began on the hugely controversial memo- a new government in Kabul can set things right. nent should take huge profits off them. rial to the German occupation in 1944, According to initial reports, no presidential candidate note. Orbán’s long-term policy of nationalis- which is rejected by Jewish organisa- is likely to win because he would require more than 50 Orbán thrives on conflict. He has ing energy, however, depends on a rather tions as relativising Hungary’s role in percent of the votes. There are two front-runners – Abdullah used the many attacks on him – not unsavoury partner: Budapest recently the Holocaust. Abdullah, a former foreign minister, and Ashraf Ghani, least from the European commission signed a loan agreement with Russia to For how long can Orbán keep play- – to justify what critics correctly see upgrade a nuclear power plant. And, low ing his double game with the EU and a former official at the World Bank, who face a runoff as a comprehensive attempt to under- and behold, Orbán – long an advocate of his western conservative and Christian sometime in May. Both are well-known, experienced leaders mine checks and balances, and remake an opening to the east, including China Democratic friends in the European who can face the challenges ahead. the entire country in the image of one – has made a point of not supporting People’s party (who just warmly congrat- Afghanistan is going through a critical phase in its history. political party. According to Orbán, only western sanctions against Russia. ulated him on his resounding victory)? If it’s able to overcome the current challenges, the future of Fidesz truly represents the nation; to Orbán is not Putin, and Hungarian How long before it is Jobbik – or, for that the country will be bright and irreversible be against Fidesz is not to be properly elections are not rigged in the way matter, Russia – who really reaps the . Hungarian. Hence there was no problem Russian ones are. But there is now a benefits? THE GUARDIAN The other side Quote of Explanation from Hagel needed the day

S Defence Secretary Chuck In an interview with Japan’s Nikkei Since then, the nationalist govern- common prosperity, which is essential Hagel started his first visit newspaper on Saturday, Hagel criti- ment led by Japanese Prime Minister for China’s peaceful development. to China since taking office cized China’s Air Defense Identification Shinzo Abe has been carrying out a As the world’s two largest econo- Uon Monday. Describing his Zone over the East China Sea calling it political campaign - including his visit to mies, China and the US have a shared three-day trip as a journey to boost provocative and unilateral, and laying the controversial Yasukuni Shrine - to interest in a stable environment to trust, openness and transparency misplaced blame on China for rising challenge China’s bottom line. facilitate economic prosperity. Neither Americans are well between Beijing and Washington, tensions in one of the most geopoliti- In fact, the growing assertiveness of country, nor the global economy, can Hagel said on Thursday in Honolulu cally sensitive areas. Japan can be partly attributed to the afford confrontation or conflict. aware we are not after that Chinese are his “friends,” stressing As the new defense secretary, Hagel US, as the irresponsible remarks by In this regard, Hagel’s stay in China nuclear weapons, but the United States’ “pivot to Asia” is “not has to be informed of some basic facts. some US politicians have emboldened is expected to offer a rare opportunity they still raise the a contain-China strategy”. China’s establishment of an ADIZ the rightist forces in Japan. for the the US to clarify its “pivot to Those words were certainly wel- is a legitimate move, which conforms No doubt, China and the US do Asia” policy and assure China of its charges every now and comed by Beijing. However, other to the UN Charter and is aimed at have differences, but they have more friendly intentions, so as to strengthen then to keep up the messages sent by Hagel in the past ensuring stability, while the escalating interests in common. mutual trust and understanding across few days are not easily interpreted tension was initially ignited by Tokyo’s China sincerely hopes to establish a the Pacific. Now the ball is in Hagel’s anti-Iran hype. as a friendly gesture, said a Xinhua illegal “nationalization” of China’s new type of major country relations with court. China Daily Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commentary. Diaoyu Islands in 2012. the US, featuring mutual respect and Iran Supreme leader THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 QATAR PERSPECTIVE www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 When a photo becomes an amulet Islamists to participate in the BY ABDEL AZIZ AL MAHMOUD elections (reference document: ABUDHABI140106 – Date: 10 April 2006). emocracy Now TV crowd control, as well as other • Mohammed bin Zayed channel has broadcast things needed by Abu Dhabi. believes that radical ideologies a YouTube video as The most important thing in threaten the educational sys- Dpart of a news report the report is that Abu Dhabi tem in his country. He and his about the signing of a contract Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed brothers spend huge amounts of between Abu Dhabi and the secu- bin Zayed asked the company not money to upgrade curricula and rity services firm formerly known to recruit any Muslims because improve the standards of teach- as Blackwater. The video con- “Muslims may hesitate in shoot- ing staff (reference document: tains an interview with Jeremy ing at Muslims”. Bin Zayed was ABUDHABI140106 – Date: 10 Scahill, author of Blackwater: The literally quoted saying this. April 2006). Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Another 20-minute report • The ruling family in Mercenary Army, who raised the broadcast in Spanish by Abu Dhabi was frank on radi- issue of Colombian mercenaries in Colombian television talks about cal Muslims and the dangers Abu Dhabi two months before its these mercenaries, who have they pose to the region. Sheikh disclosure in the media. found almost permanent resi- Mohammed said that if elections The nine-minute video can be dence in Abu Dhabi. The report were held in Dubai, the Muslim found at the following link: talks about the training these Brotherhood would win a sweep- http://www.youtube. mercenaries received in Israel. It ing majority. He said the challenge com/watch?v=y_ can be found on the following link: was finding a way to get rid of nFMRpDKCQ&feature=youtu.be http://youtu.be/ the extremists in ways that do Scahill says in the interview HQb7tbrW_XM not allow them to make a come- that Blackwater used to pay Below are the key points of the back. One of the ways he and his each Colombian mercenary in report: brothers think they can do this is Iraq $34 every day — much less • The United Arab Emirates by reforming the education sys- than what the company used to hired some Colombian army per- tem, which has been infiltrated pay European mercenaries. This sonnel who received training in by the Muslim Brotherhood since angered the Colombian merce- Israel to boost the UAE army in the 1960s (reference document: naries, who decided to return to the tense region with the aim of ABUDHABI172506 – Date: 29 their country, where they killed silencing the opposition. April 2006). the man who had recruited them • Around 800 elite Colombian Photos of the Crown Prince for Blackwater. army personnel were hired, but of Abu Dhabi on office walls or The video also dwells briefly this number will increase to 3,000 desks are the first thing that on the contract between soon. strike people who arrive at Dubai Reflex Responses Management • Developments in the region, International Airport. Visitors do Consultancy, a company allegedly particularly on the Iranian front, not know why such a photo should formed by one of the founders of as well as protests in the region The commercial district of the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. be present on all office walls. Blackwater, and the Emirate of have made the need for these per- The fact is that this photo Abu Dhabi. A copy of the contract sonnel more urgent. people, when he said there was such a contract has been signed informed US Assistant Secretary has become an amulet that pro- can be seen on the following link: • The Colombian army per- no need to recruit Muslims in this with Colombian mercenaries with of State David Welch that the tects its owner against the evil of http://graphics8.nytimes. sonnel were selected from elite army? the aim of preventing demonstra- UAE wanted to prevent radicals being accused of belonging to the com/packages/pdf/CONTRACT. fighters who took part in fighting Phobia means extreme fear that tions in a country that enjoy the from setting foot in the country Muslim Brotherhood, a charge pdf?ref=middleeast against revolutionaries in Latin cannot be reasonably explained. highest income in the world and to play a role in its political proc- levelled by the crown prince of The contract was signed America. This fear makes one angry, espe- where native citizens make up ess. Although he has reservations Abu Dhabi and his son Khalid, the with a fake company set up by However, we need answers to cially when one discovers the less than 10 percent of the total about free elections in countries head of the state security agency, Blackwater to hide its bad repu- the following questions: reality behind it. A patient always population. where there is an organised pres- against certain people whenever tation. The value of the contract Why should all this happen? knows that the fear that haunts It is important, however, to ence of the Muslim Brotherhood, they want. While doing this, both is half a billion dollars a year. The Is the UAE incapable of train- him/her is illogical, but still he/ ponder on information leaked by he told the guest from the US of them forget that mercenaries money is being paid to Blackwater ing its youth to fight? she cannot get rid of it without WikiLeaks about the Abu Dhabi government that the UAE would should not be taken at their word, to hire up to 800 Colombian mer- Is the Abu Dhabi crown prince psychotherapy under the supervi- crown prince to make the issue go ahead with elections. The as they are people who can easily cenaries who receive training in serious about directing the guns sion of a specialist. more clear. UAE leadership had notified turn against those who hire them, Israel in guerrilla warfare and of the mercenaries at his own This disease might explain why • Mohammed bin Zayed US that they would not allow as they did in Colombia.

BY KHALID AL JABER Arab public opinion Qatar and its culture of love oets — both old and new — Arab world, namely the difference ublic opinion is the expression by a large group of people have written short and long BY MARIAM AL KHATER between what is Arab and what of their views on a specific issue. This group of people Ppoems on love, separation, is Gulf, and the second being the Pmakes this expression either voluntarily or on invitation. envy and departure. The most primary cause of all Arabs and It is an expression either in support or in opposition to a spe- painful of these poems are those different concept — the concept of achieving the slogan of the Muslims. cific condition, person or proposal of importance to the public. about treacherous lovers who for- of mutual love, or more accu- summit: “Solidarity for a better But here it is important The percentage of people expressing their opinion and their sake their loved ones, sometimes rately love that comes from both future”. to dwell on the way Prophet persistence affects the way they act on the issue under discus- leading to their death. This hap- sides. This is why we are strongly The speech underlined the fact Muhammad (PBUH) talked about sion, according to American psychologist Floyd Henry Allport. pens because love is sometimes not affected by the prayer: “God make that for Qatar, presiding over the the relationship between rulers Public opinion is also the culmination of thoughts, beliefs built on solid foundations. It lacks our people love us and help us Arab Summit amid critical and and their subjects and its results. and attitudes of individuals and groups on social institutions faithfulness, or is one-sided. exchange this love with love”. complicated conditions, both at By talking about this relationship, and those who affect the formation of these institutions. It can The relationship between the I take honour in quoting the the regional and international lev- the Prophet was paving the way affect a group of individuals at the local or international levels, ruler and ruled is akin to love prayer our esteemed Emir quoted els, was an important role. It also for a new culture of love. This cul- as Dr Ismail Ali sees it. between two people. This kind of during his speech at the inaugural underlined the fact that Sheikh ture was also emphasised by the Does public opinion play the role in the Arab world it plays in love, however, is different in that it session of the 25th Arab Summit Tamim would complement the role Emir in his speech at the Arab other parts of the world where institutions are in control? The depends on a collective conscience. in Kuwait. The Emir quoted played by the Father Emir. summit. Our country has not only answer to this question is This is why it can either be a Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in In his speech, the Emir of Qatar taught us to love our leaders and known in advance. There source of power and influence or saying: “The best of your rulers also underlined the importance of imams, but also how to love them. is a noticeable absence There is a noticeable a source of weakness and defeat. are those whom you love and who Gulf unity and the need for push- It has also taught us how these of personal freedom and This is why it is important love you, and those who suppli- ing the Gulf Cooperation Council leaders love us. We were taught intellectual independence absence of for people deserted by their lov- cate to Allah in your favour and forward so that it can achieve the not to hate. in the Arab world. Arabs ers to mull the reasons for that. in whose favour you supplicate to aspirations of Gulf citizens. He On the contrary, we were taught practise self-censorship. Love should be mutual. In their Allah. The worst of your rulers stressed the importance of the how we should extend our hands There is no real separation personal freedom love affair, these people might are those whom you hate and who contribution of the Council to with love to our neighbours. It of powers. The civil soci- have taken without giving. This hate you; and whom you curse and improving the capabilities of the is important for our hearts to ety is ineffective against and intellectual might have been the reason why who curse you”. Arab world as a whole. exchange love and for our hands to increasing oppression, their lovers departed. Human His speech at the inauguration There are important points in reach out to our neighbours, and suppression and direct independence in beings always guard their dignity. of the Arab Summit was compre- the speech of his Highness that to pray for them, especially at this and indirect despotism. Harming this dignity can leave a hensive. It was written in language need to be discussed in detail. In time when the culture of hatred This is one reason why the Arab world. painful scar. that went to the heart of the mat- another article, I will focus on has spread everywhere in ways people in power always Here, in the city of love, we were ter. The speech covered concepts two issues in the speech, the first that make people accuse their feed the public wrong Arabs practise self- brought up with our leaders on a and workable mechanisms capable being a concept foreign to the closest friends of being enemies. or inaccurate informa- tion and deceive them to censorship. There is serve specific agendas. Finding out public atti- no real separation tudes in these conditions is always a tough mission, of powers. The civil particularly in the absence Enough of poor planning and execution of surveys conducted by society is ineffective objective and credible ith the state approving either due to natural factors or institutions. These sur- against increasing its biggest ever budget theft and embezzlement. veys can help find out Wof QR225.7bn for the BY GABER MOHAMED AL MARRI Hamad Airport is the biggest what people in each Arab 2014-15 fiscal year, which is 3.5 proof of the corruption, confu- country think about dif- oppression, percent bigger than last year, to estimates of expenditure for dishonest officials who do not fear sion and apathy we suffer from. I ferent issues, particularly Qatari citizens realise the kind of development projects. A sum of God. If such amounts of money hope the rail project does not suf- those that affect their suppression and development our wise leadership QR87.5bn has been allocated to were spent on a continent, it fer from the same malaise, as the future. is seeking. the main projects. However, we are would be God’s paradise on earth. country is counting on it much and Despite the fact that direct and indirect Over the past few years the suffering due to poor implemen- When we plan for a project and all are paying the price for its con- public opinion in general is country has been allocating huge tation of projects, delays and the start implementing it, we get a struction in terms of road closures absent in the Arab world despotism. budgets for construction of infra- inability to complete them in time. concussion, accompanied by severe and traffic jams. because of lack of freedom structure that is of the same In my opinion, this is because of dementia and sudden stupidity, We are tired of hoping that of speech, new and social media provide an insight into the pub- standard as the high-quality serv- poor planning and lack of sincerity and the reason is unknown. We do the guilty get punished for their lic mood, even though these media have been infiltrated by the ices the state provides to those liv- on the part of those responsible for not know whether the problem lies negligence, poor planning and bad authorities. In the new and social media these agents of those ing in this country. Additionally, the projects. with the high figures allocated for implementation. We hope they in power can be easily uncovered. the state provides welfare and The flooding of underpasses on the projects or those implement- serve as an example to others, as We need to believe in the importance of freedom of speech, decent living to its citizens. Salwa Road following rains last ing them. It is a strange thing, as Qatar is not the responsibility of which forms the cornerstone of public opinion. This freedom Whatever the country is doing month was a major betrayal. We everybody agrees that we are out- a group of people alone; she is our is not meant to please some people; it is meant to make others to achieve development is part cannot be happy when we hear standing in holding international responsibility until the end of time. angry. If public opinion or the opinions of others are differ- of the National Development that the country allocated the big- conferences and implementing ent from our opinion, it should not make us angry. However, Strategy 2011/2016, which is based gest share of its budget to these investment projects outside Qatar. governments in the Arab world are not yet able to reconcile on Qatar National Vision 2030. big projects and they were found However, it is totally different The views expressed in the articles on this page do not reflect the viewpoint of the themselves to it. A big part of the current to be flawed. The state has paid when we implement vital projects newspaper. budget was allocated according hundreds of billions of riyals to in Qatar — everything goes wrong, THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST Iran not to slow down N-research plan Kuwait royal court urges Next round of talks on May 13 in Vienna; Tehran says up to 60pc of issues resolved calm over VIENNA/TEHRAN: Iran will “These negotiations should con- self-imposed deadline of July 20. says is a facility designed to pro- agreement ... Nothing is agreed never slow down its nuclear tinue,” he told nuclear scientists They will begin their next round duce radio-isotopes for medical until everything is agreed.” research programme, its in Tehran, the official IRNA news of talks in the Austrian capital on treatments; the West suspects it Iran says that its ballistic mis- ‘plot’ video supreme leader said yesterday agency reported. “But all should May 13, European Union foreign will be geared to yielding pluto- sile programme, banned under as negotiators from Tehran and know that negotiations will not policy chief Catherine Ashton, nium for atomic bombs. sanctions the UN Security six world powers struggled to stop or slow down any of Iran’s coordinating the talks for the “The possibility of a compro- Council imposed over its refusal to KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s narrow “significant gaps” that activities in nuclear research and powers, told reporters while mise on this issue has grown,” halt uranium enrichment, would royal court appealed for calm the United States warned might development.” standing next to Iranian Foreign Interfax news agency quoted not be discussed in the talks. yesterday as the country was be insurmountable. Tehran denies suspicions that Minister Mohammad Zarif. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei “The Iranians clearly have a abuzz with rumours about a The stakes in a deal are high on it has used its declared civilian “A lot of intensive work will be Ryabkov as saying. “Centimetre sense of urgency to get a deal videotape allegedly showing both sides. Western powers, along atomic energy programme as a required to overcome the differ- by centimetre, drop by drop, we done, as does the P5+1 (the six former senior officials plotting with Russia and China, want to front for covertly developing the ences,” she said after the April are moving forward. In general powers),” a senior diplomat close to overthrow the government. prevent chronic tensions in the means to make nuclear weapons, 8-9 meeting ended. “We will aim there is a positive dynamic.” to the talks said, but “there are The appeal comes two days Middle East from boiling over maintaining that it seeks only to bridge the gaps in all the key Zarif said more than half of the still some significant gaps.” after Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al into a wider war or triggering a electricity from its enrichment areas.” A senior US administration issues had been sorted out. The toughest issues to be tackled Sabah, a senior member of the regional nuclear arms race. Iran, of uranium. official told reporters: “Now we are “We have agreement over 50 to are Iran’s future uranium enrich- family and former minister, was for its part, is keen to be rid of Negotiators from Iran and set to start drafting. At this point 60 percent of the (final) draft ... ment capacity, nuclear facilities questioned by the public prosecu- international sanctions hobbling the so-called P5-plus-one — the we don’t know if we’ll be successful but the remaining parts are very that Western powers believe have tor for five hours about the tape, its oil-based economy. United States, Russia, China, in bridging those gaps.”. important and contain various little or no civilian value, future which he said he had handed over Clerical supreme leader Britain, France and Germany — Russia’s chief negotiator, how- issues,” Zarif told reporters. nuclear research as well as the to Kuwait’s leaders. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that plan after their two days of talks ever, suggested progress had The US official, however, had sequencing of steps to remove the Local media reported that the the Islamic Republic’s negotiating in Vienna to start drafting a long- been achieved on how to resolve a somewhat different view: “The international sanctions that have tape includes a segment in which team in Vienna should not yield to term agreement on settling their concerns about Iran’s planned only thing that matters at the crippled Iran’s economy. the former officials plot against issues “forced upon them”. decade-old nuclear dispute by a Arak research reactor. Tehran end of the day is to get to the REUTERS the regime, ruled by the Al Sabahs for more than 250 years. The Amiri Diwan (royal court) acknowledged that there were reports of a tape and said the matter “is currently being han- Aid enters rebel-held dled by the public prosecution”. In its brief statement it said it “appeals to all people to avoid debating the issue and leave it to areas in Aleppo the public prosecution take the necessary measures”. It did not DAMASCUS: Syria’s Red distributed in stages. provide any details. Crescent and the UN refugee The agency called the mission After his questioning, Sheikh agency have delivered aid to a “rare and risky operation,” add- Ahmad said he told the prosecu- rebel-held areas of Aleppo city ing its staff had observed a “dire tor he had a videotape dealing for the first time in 10 months, humanitarian situation inside with financial and political mat- the Red Crescent said yesterday. eastern Aleppo”. It described ters as well as the ruling family “Yesterday at noon we and a “an acute shortage of food, water, and regional issues. UNHCR team were able to bring medicine and basic supplies”. A number of MPs and the in aid from the Jisr Al Haj cross- Aleppo has been effectively opposition called for an immedi- ing,” Red Crescent operations divided into regime control in ate investigation into the issue and chief Khaled Erksoussi said. the west and rebel control in the demanded that the government The crossing lies between the east since shortly after fighting reveal the content of the video. government-held west of Aleppo began there in the middle of 2012. MP Ali Al Rashed asked Prime and eastern parts of the city that The government has made some Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak rebels control. advances on the outskirts of the Al Sabah if the video included a “The operation took place after eastern side of the city in a cam- plot to overthrow the regime and the implementation of a ceasefire paign that has included serial aid requested the names of the people between all the parties that was raids including with the use of involved in any conspiracy. respected during the mission,” said explosive-packed barrel bombs. Meanwhile, a number of MPs Erksoussi. It was the first time aid appealed for calm, also urging had been brought in via the Jisr 25 KILLED IN HOMS people to allow the judiciary to Al Haj crossing, with a delivery in Meanwhile, two car bombs deal with the issue. Since 2006, June last year entering from the killed at least 25 people, includ- Kuwait has been rocked by a series northeast of the city instead. ing women and children, in a Men are seen inside a cave used as an underground shelter in Idlib countryside yesterday. Residents dug of political disputes between the The goods, including food, government-held neighbourhood underground shelters to hide in during shelling from forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad. Sabah-controlled government and blankets and health kits, were of Homs, state news agency Ssna MPs. About a dozen governments taken into the eastern neighbour- reported. Another 100 people martyrs, including women and and people panicking and running including 2.6 million international have been formed and parliament hoods on carts pulled by work- were wounded in Karam Al Luz, children, and more than 107 in all directions as rescuers strug- refugees. Earlier, troops fighting dissolved on six occasions. After ers because the crossing was to in attacks Sana blamed on “ter- others were wounded after the gled to extinguish a fire. in the Qalamun region seized the July parliamentary elections, in small to accommodate vehicles, rorists,” the government’s term explosion of the two car bombs” More than 150,000 people have town of Rankus, tightening their which pro-government candi- said Erksoussi. The items would for people fighting to overthrow a half-hour apart, Sana said. been killed since the revolt began grip on the strategic region along dates gained a majority, Kuwait be stored in warehouses in the President Bashar Al Assad. Videos posted online by activ- in March 2011 and nine million the Lebanese border. has been relatively calm. eastern part of the city and “Twenty-five people fell as ists showed destroyed shopfronts have been driven from their homes, AFP AFP

Saudi mulls end Egypt court rejects new Sudan expels UN agency chief to sports ban in judges for Mursi trials KHARTOUM: Sudan has the country’s domestic affairs missions and programmes are expelled the country chief of in a manner that is inconsistent very much appreciated by my girls’ schools CAIRO: An Egyptian appeals court rejected yesterday a request a United Nations agency and with her status as a UN official,” government”. Sudanese officials that new judges be appointed for two trials involving ousted accused her of interfering in he said. DeLargy left Sudan on regularly express a willingness to JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is con- Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, judicial officials said. The domestic affairs, the foreign Tuesday. work with UN agencies and for- sidering ending its controver- trials are part of a sweeping crackdown waged against Mursi ministry said yesterday. “We regret to inform that the eign aid groups but say they have sial ban on sports in girls’ state and his Muslim Brotherhood since the army overthrew him in The incident is the latest involv- reasons for the government deci- to follow regulations. schools, after its consultative July, and the former president could face the death penalty if con- ing foreign aid workers in the res- sion for Miss Pamela DeLargy to On February 1, Khartoum council recommended the ban victed. The court is now expected to set a date for the resump- tive African nation where millions leave the country have not been suspended activities of the be lifted over vociferous opposi- tion of each of the two trials involving jailbreak and espionage need humanitarian assistance. communicated to the UNFPA,” she International Committee of the tion from traditionalists. charges, the officials said. Defence lawyers had requested that Pamela DeLargy, an American who said. UNFPA has a “long and strong Red Cross, accusing it of vio- Following a heated debate on a new panel of judges examine both cases involving Mursi and headed the UN Population Fund partnership” with the government lating guidelines for working in Tuesday, the Shura Council rec- Brotherhood figures, complaining about a soundproof glass cage (UNFPA) office in Sudan, “was and other agencies in Sudan and the country. Aid workers have ommended that the longstanding in which the accused are held when the court is in session. The asked to leave”, ministry spokes- remains committed to fulfilling the expressed concern about access ban, already relaxed in private special dock is designed to stop Mursi and other defendants from man Abubakr Al Siddiq said. agreed goals, the officer said. to Sudan’s estimated 6.1 million schools in May last year, be interrupting the proceedings, as they have done in the past. “Because she was not abiding Siddiq, of the foreign ministry, people in need, more than half of ended altogether, state media by the country’s laws, and also said DeLargy’s case “has noth- whom are in the war-torn west- reported. 13 car bombs rock Iraq; 18 killed because she was interfering in ing to do with the UNFPA whose ern region of Darfur. AFP The appointed body, whose 150 members are overwhelmingly BAGHDAD: Attacks, including 13 car bombs in mainly Shia- male, can only pass on its rec- populated areas of Iraq, killed at least 18 people yesterday, highlight- ommendation to the education ing the persistent danger from militants 11 years after American Iraqi Siamese twins ministry and has no powers to forces took Baghdad. Eight car bombs struck seven separate areas impose it. of Baghdad around 10am, killing at least 11 people and wounding All education in Saudi Arabia at least 49. In the deadliest single attack in the capital, a car bomb is strictly single-sex, but sports exploded near a traffic police office in Kadhimiyah, killing at least in girls schools remains a sensi- three people. Another car bomb exploded near a vegetable market. tive issue in the kingdom where Five more car bombs struck various areas of Wasit province, south women have to cover from head of Baghdad, killing at least six people. to toe when in public. Opponents argued that girls’ Oppn loses bid to annul poll in Ankara state schools lacked sports facilities and rejected support- ISTANBUL: Turkey’s top elections authority yesterday rejected ers’ claims that sports provision a bid by the country’s main opposition party to annul a contro- would help combat rising child- versial mayoral vote in the capital Ankara, local media said. The hood obesity, an aide to the Shura Supreme Electoral Board unanimously rejected the request from Council chairman said. the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which alleged the incum- But the council finally approved bent Justice and Development Party (AKP) had won by rigging the recommendation after agree- votes. The decision is the latest blow to the CHP, which lost a bid ing that it did not run counter for a vote recount of the March 30 poll last week. to the strict version of Islamic Shariah law imposed in the king- Car blast kills Libya Air Force officer dom, Fahad Al Ahmad told the official SPA news agency. BENGHAZI: A Libyan Air Force officer was killed yesterday, The council cited a ruling by and his wife and daughter seriously injured, when a bomb placed the kingdom’s late top cleric, or under his car exploded in the eastern city of Benghazi, officials grand mufti, Sheikh Abdel Aziz said. Abdelhamid Tahar Al Imam, whose rank was not given, “was A handout photo provided by the Saudi King Abdulaziz Medical City of National Guard Health Affairs yesterday bin Baz, that women were entitled mortally wounded by the explosion,” a source at the Benghazi shows Iraqi Siamese twins Chris and Christian Ramson Corial lying on a hospital bed in Riyadh. The twins are to play sports “within the limits Medical Centre said. “His wife and daughter, who were accompa- expected to be separated today. set by Islamic law”. nying him, are in intensive care,” he added. AGENCIES AFP THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 Scandal-hit UK minister quits Pennsylvania student hurts Opponents question Cameron’s judgement; Sajid Javid replaces Miller 21 in stabbing rampage MURRYSVILLE, Pennsylvania: have life-threatening injuries,” LONDON: British Prime Minister David known as ‘Tories’ in Britain. and continue with her job. That is the way I A 16-year-old student wielding two said Chris Kauffman, director Cameron suffered a blow to his author- “Entire Maria Miller affair shambolic for think is the right way to handle it”, he said, knives went on a stabbing rampage of trauma at Forbes Regional ity yesterday when a scandal-hit minister Tories and shames British politics,” he wrote accusing Miliband of jumping on a political in the hallways of a Pittsburgh- Hospital, where some of the he had been doggedly defending resigned, on Twitter. “Cameron and top table Tories bandwagon. area high school early yesterday, injured were treated. exposing him to charges of weak leader- dangerously out of touch.” Cameron appointed former banker Sajid injuring 21 people, about half of Doctors said a female student ship and poor judgement. The opposition Labour Party, which is Javid as the country’s new culture minister them seriously, officials said. helped save a male schoolmate by Maria Miller, Britain’s minister for cul- battling it out with UKIP for first place in to replace Miller. The attacker moved stealthily applying pressure to his wound until ture, stepped down after a backlash against the European elections, strongly criticised Cameron said on Twitter that lawmaker through Franklin Regional High emergency responders arrived. her expenses claims disrupted efforts by Cameron during fiery exchanges in parlia- Nicky Morgan would step up to the finan- School, stabbing his victims in the “She displayed an amazing amount Cameron and his ruling Conservative party ment over his refusal to sack Miller. cial secretary post at the Treasury, while torso and slashing arms and faces of composure to help that friend who to woo voters ahead of European Parliament How, it asked, could he have justified leav- Andrea Leadsom would become the new before anyone realized what was hap- was having pretty significant bleeding elections next month. ing her in place when a report had ordered Economic Secretary. The decision not pening, students and officials said. at that point,” said Dr.Mark Rubino, Cameron’s party is expected to fin- her to pay back wrongly claimed money and to replace Miller with another woman Some of the injured taken to nearby of Forbes Regional Hospital. ish a humiliating third in the European found she had tried to hinder an inquiry into attracted immediate criticism. hospitals were in critical condition, The suspect was also being treated ballot behind the surging anti-EU UK the matter. “He still doesn’t understand Miller was one of just four women in doctors said. for injuries to his hands, Seefeld said. Independence party (UKIP) whose leader what she (Miller) did wrong,” Ed Miliband, Cameron’s cabinet of 22 and Labour have Students described a scene of As they were reunited with par- had accused Cameron of making a “cata- Labour’s leader, said of Cameron. long accused him of doing too little to pro- panic, with the school hastily evacu- ents near the hilltop high school in strophic” error of judgment by failing to “The reason the public were so appalled mote women to senior jobs. ated after a fire alarm was pulled. the relatively affluent Pittsburgh sub- sack Miller. was if it had happened in any other business “There are now just three women running The unidentified sophomore sus- urb with a population of about 20,000, Conservative lawmakers had also begun there would have been no question about Government departments out of a possi- pected in the attack was in police teens spoke about the incident. to fret that the Miller imbroglio was dam- them staying in their job. Why was he the ble twenty two, demonstrating that when custody, said Tom Seefeld, chief of Michael Float, an 18-year-old aging their party’s image and its hopes of last person in the country to realise her it comes to women, it’s out of sight, out of police in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. senior, described running down a winning a national election in 2015. position was untenable?” mind for this out of touch Government,” The attacks began around 7.13am staircase and finding a friend badly UKIP, which has styled itself as an anti- Cameron, who continued to say that Gloria De Piero, a Labour lawmaker and EDT (1113 GMT) in several class- wounded. establishment party, had seized upon the Miller was doing an excellent job right up spokeswoman for women and equalities, said rooms and hallways of the school in “There was a pool of blood,” Float case of Miller, who gave a perfunctory until her abrupt resignation, defended his in a statement. Murrysville, 32km east of Pittsburgh, said. “He had blood pouring down 32-second public apology last week, as an handling of the scandal, pointing out that In her resignation letter, Miller said she officials said. the right side of his stomach,” and example of how remote and venal the coun- Miller had been cleared of one of the main felt the scandal had become a distraction An armed security officer subdued a teacher was applying pressure on try’s political elite is. allegations against her despite being found from the government’s work. Cameron said and arrested the attacker with help the wound. Michael Heaver, a spokesman for the wanting in other areas. he was sorry to see her go, but accepted her from the principal, Seefeld said. Zak Amsler, a 17-year-old junior, party, said yestrday the furore had badly “I thought it was right in those circum- resignation. Freshman Josh Frank said he did said the attack occurred just before shown up the Conservatives, who are also stances to allow her to make her apology REUTERS not initially realise that anyone had his first class was about to begin. been stabbed, but fled when he heard “I saw a girl with blood running screaming. out of her sleeve,” Amsler said as he “He did it so stealthily that at first waited to pick up his younger sister, a Royal and commoners no one knew what was happening,” student at the nearby middle school. Frank said. “We heard a girl scream “It was pretty mind-blowing.” Italy sounds bloody murder. Then two seniors Pennsylvania Governor Tom were running down the hall and we Corbett said he had ordered state alarm as 4,000 followed them out of the school.” police to help local law enforcement A total of 21 people, most of them respond to the incident. The FBI also immigrants land 14 to 17 years old, were transported to said it had deployed agents to work area hospitals, four by medical heli- with local law enforcement. ROME: Italy said yesterday that copters. Several had life-threatening “As a parent and grandparent, I 4,000 immigrants have reached injuries, with nine in critical condi- can think of nothing more distress- its shores by boat in the past two tion, hospital officials said. ing than senseless violence against days — the highest number since “Patients who are stabbed in the children,” Corbett said. it launched a naval operation abdomen and chest by definition REUTERS to rescue them in the wake of two shipwrecks last year. “The landings are non-stop and the emergency is increasingly glar- ing,” Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told Rai Uno public radio. “Right now two merchant ships are rescuing two boats with 300 and 361 people aboard. It appears there’s at least one corpse on board,” he said. Alfano estimated that 15,000 migrants crossing the Mediterranean had been rescued so far this year and Prince George (right), son of Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, plays with a toy during a said up to 600,000 migrants from Plunket nurse and parents group event at the Government House in Wellington, New Zealand, yesterday. Africa and the Middle East were ready to set off from Libyan shores. “Europe must take the situation in hand. It cannot say that, having given ¤80m to Frontex, the problem Man cleared of UK policeman’s murder has been resolved,” he said, referring to the European Union’s border con- LONDON: A man accused of taking part in Nicholas Jacobs, 45, who was 16 at the time, trol agency. the notorious mob murder of a British police- was accused of being part of the mob that shouted “There are death merchants man during 1985 riots in London was found “kill the pig” and set upon Blakelock as he tried who profit from this people traf- not guilty yesterday. to protect firefighters tackling a blaze during the ficking and who send out requests Policeman Keith Blakelock, who was stabbed riots. Jacobs was charged last year with attack- for help just 30 to 40 miles after more than 40 times, was nearly decapitated dur- ing Blakelock with a bladed weapon following an leaving the Libyan coasts,” he said. ing the frenzied attack on the Broadwater Farm extensive police re-investigation into the murder. AFP housing estate in the Tottenham district. AFP Separatists build barricade in east Ukraine; Kiev warns

LUHANSK, Ukraine: Pro-Russian separatists rein- forced barricades around the state security building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk yesterday and called on President Vladimir Putin for help after the government warned it could use force to restore order. But protesters were also engaged in talks to ease the standoff, which Kiev has said could provide a pretext for a Russian invasion, and lawmakers from eastern Ukraine proposed an amnesty for protesters to defuse tension. The former KGB headquarters is one of three govern- ment buildings seized this week in eastern Ukraine by protesters demanding regional referendums on independ- ence from Kiev, like the one in Crimea that led to its annexation by Russia. Tensions have risen in the mainly Russian-speaking east since the overthrow of Ukraine’s Moscow-backed president and the installation of a new pro-European government. “Of course we must ask Russia to take us in because I don’t see an alternative,” said a man dressed in camouflage who gave his name as Vasiliy and said he was the com- mandant of the building. “Putin help us!” he said. Sandbags and wooden crates were piled near the entrance of the building to defend it against the police. Men with rifles could be seen through broken windows above. Local police spokeswoman Tatyana Pogukai said protesters had found an arsenal of weapons within the building. Protesters say they have 200-300 Kalashnikov automatic rifles. She denied previous reports that hostages had been taken. She said negotiations had been carried out overnight but the two sides had not come to an agreement. “They won’t put down their weapons until there is agreement on a ref- erendum,” she said. Protesters in Donetsk, to the south, remain in control of the main regional authority building, but authorities have ended the occupation in the city of Kharkiv. REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Kim ‘re-elected’ as North Korean leader Rubber-stamp assembly meets a month after elections where all candidates ran unopposed

SEOUL: Kim Jong-Un was -- gathered after North Koreans power shifts within the reclu- “re-elected” as North Korea’s last month cast ballots in pre- sive regime. leader, state media said, as par- determined elections where all Kim led Tuesday’s meeting of liament met in a session closely candidates were unopposed. the ruling party’s high-level politi- watched for power shifts in the Upon his re-election, “all the cal bureau, which discussed “rein- secretive regime following the deputies and participants in the forcing” the party’s organisation shock execution of his once- session broke into stormy cheers in order to boost its “leadership powerful uncle. of ‘hurrah!’, extending the high- role and function,” KCNA said, The new parliament is expected est glory and warmest congratu- indicating personnel changes. to endorse personnel changes that lations to him,” KCNA said. Yesterday’s opening parlia- observers say are likely to affect Kim also serves as first secre- mentary session comes after a number of officials linked to tary of the ruling Workers’ Party “elections” last month in which his “traitor” uncle Jang Song- of Korea and supreme com- single candidates -- approved Thaek, once the North’s unofficial mander of the Korean People’s by the political elite -- stood number two and Kim’s political Army, but his re-election as head uncontested. Kim notably man- mentor. of the top military body confers aged a perfect turnout in his own Kim was reaffirmed as First upon him ultimate power in the constituency. Analysts say the Chairman of the powerful heavily militarised state. changes may affect the powerful National Defence Commission On Tuesday, top party lead- NDC chaired by Kim, in which (NDC) by the new parliament, ers met to decide on personnel Jang served as vice chairman. in a show of “absolute support changes at the head of the regime Several other elderly military and trust of all service personnel in the aftermath of the execu- leaders — such as defence minis- and people in him,” the Korean tion of Jang, who was purged last ter Jang Jong-Nam and Ri Yong- Central News Agency (KCNA) December after being accused of Gil, chief of the military’s general said. crimes including treason. staff — are seen as likely to take The rubber-stamp assembly The session of the parlia- seats at the NDC, replacing Jang -- the first under the leader- ment, the Supreme People’s and his suspected associate, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) presides over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Workers’ Party ship of Kim who took over from Assembly, is being closely former police chief Ri Myong-Su. of Korea’s Central Committee, in Pyongyang on Tuesday. his father in December 2011 watched for glimpses into AFP Japan kills 251 whales Indonesia opposition tops legislative polls JAKARTA: Indonesia’s main percent was lower than expected, eligible to vote for around 230,000 counted from around 2,000 poll- in final Antarctic hunt opposition party won the most meaning the governor — a fresh candidates competing for about ing stations. A second tally by the votes in parliamentary elec- face in a country dominated by fig- 20,000 seats in national and Indonesia Survey Circle gave the TOKYO: Japan killed 251 Ocean to confront the whalers, tions yesterday, unofficial tal- ures from the autocratic Suharto regional legislatures, although PDI-P 19.67 percent. It was also minke whales during the and has in the past taken credit lies showed, setting its popular era — may face a tougher than the most important vote was for based on 98 percent of a sample of 2014 Antarctic hunt, in what for the vastly-reduced catch. presidential candidate, Jakarta expected path to the presidency. the lower house of the national votes counted from around 2,000 is expected to be the last The United Nations’ governor Joko Widodo, on Support for President Susilo parliament. polling stations. A party needs 25 “research whaling” mission in International Court of Justice in course to become the country’s Bambang Yudhoyono’s party fell An unofficial tally, known as a percent of the national vote or the Southern Ocean after an The Hague ruled last week that next leader. by about half after a string of cor- “quick count”, by think-tank CSIS, 20 percent of the 560 seats in the international court ruling. the programme was a commercial However the Indonesian ruption scandals, but backing for showed the PDI-P winning with 19 lower house of parliament to be According to data released hunt disguised as science, vindi- Democratic Party of Struggle’s Islamic parties jumped. percent of the national vote, based able to put forward a presidential by Japan’s Fisheries Agency on cating claims by opponents, nota- (PDI-P) backing of around 20 Some 186 million people were on 98 percent of a sample of votes candidate on its own. AFP Tuesday, the catch was more bly Australia. than double last year’s tally of 103 In the wake of the verdict, minke whales, but much smaller Japan said it was cancelling the than the target of 935. annual Antarctic mission for the HK police comb The whalers caught no fin first time in more than a quarter whales during the hunt, which of a century. Manila pays tribute to marines in Spratlys landfill for ran between January 3 and March Japan has another research 13, the agency said. whaling programme that oper- MANILA: Philippine Pres He praised the Marines who and food they needed were blocked $3.7m painting Japan is a signatory to ates in the northwestern Pacific. Benigno Aquino paid tribute spent five months aboard a from reaching them.” the International Whaling This hunt, which is not affected yesterday to nine Marines who rusted ship grounded on a reef The nine were stationed on the HONG KONG: Hong Kong Commission (IWC), which bans by the court ruling, operates two stood guard over a disputed that serves as an outpost for the Sierra Madre, a World War II-era police yesterday searched commercial hunting, but has excursions a year, in coastal outpost in the South China Sea Philippines in the remote Spratly former US Navy ship that the for a valuable painting mis- insisted its operation was research waters and offshore, from early amid rising tensions with China. islands. “Just think of the gravity Philippines purposely grounded takenly dumped in a landfill -- even though it acknowledged summer through autumn. Aquino, speaking to World War of their sacrifice,” Aquino said. on the Second Thomas Shoal to after it sold for $3.7m at auc- the meat from the animals ended Last year’s whaling in the II veterans, vowed to continue “For five months, their entire stake its claim. tion, reports said. up on dinner tables. area netted 58 minke whales in modernising the country’s world revolved around the sea. The 100-metre ship was left “Snowy Mountain” by Militant environmentalist coastal waters and 132 mammals poorly equipped armed forces as They had almost no communi- there in response to China’s occu- Chinese artist Cui Ruzhuo, group Sea Shepherd has annually -- including minke, sei and sperm it faced challenges protecting its cation with their families. There pation of a nearby reef in 1995. which was a main feature of sent its vessels to the Southern whales -- offshore. AFP territorial integrity. were even times when the supplies AFP the spring auction by Beijing- based Poly Culture this week, was dumped by cleaners at the luxury hotel hosting the sale, the South China Morning Post said. Grand Hyatt hotel clean- ers were suspected of dump- ing the painting, which sold on Monday for more than $3.71m, along with rubbish that was taken to a landfill, the paper said, citing an unnamed police source. Poly Culture did not com- ment immediately when con- tacted by a reporter. Police suspected the paint- ing was thrown out by cleaners after viewing security camera images but would not rule out the possibility of it having been stolen, media reported. Police said a theft case was reported on Tuesday by an auction house staff member regarding a painting, without further details. A fast response craft (right) from the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield continues to search for debris of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean. Plane crash kills American pilot New pings spark hope in jet search JAYAPURA: A light air- craft crashed into a fence during take-off in eastern PERTH: Australian officials remote Indian Ocean region four civilian aircraft and 14 Indonesia yesterday, killing said yesterday two new “ping” remained enormous. ships were involved on with a the US pilot and a passenger, signals had been detected “I believe we are searching massive search that has yielded police said. in the search for Malaysia in the right area but we need frustratingly little concrete The US-made Kodiak plane Airlines Flight MH370, to visually identify aircraft information. was carrying six passengers boosting confidence after wreckage before we can confirm On the weekend, the sophis- and was chartered to deliver more than a month of fruit- with certainty that this is the ticated US Navy TPL picked up humanitarian supplies to a less searching for the missing final resting place of MH370,” what officials said were two sig- remote district in Indonesia’s jetliner. Houston told reporters in the nals consistent with black box easternmost Papua province. The signals, which could western Australian city of locator beacons - the first for “The American pilot and be from the plane’s black box Perth. more than two hours and the an Indonesian passenger were recorders, bring to four the “I’m now optimistic that we second for about 13 minutes. killed in the accident. The air- number of overall “pings” will find the aircraft, or what Yesterday, Houston said that craft partly caught fire,” Papua detected in recent days within is left of the aircraft, in the not another ping was detected on province police spokesman the search area by a US Navy too distant future.” Tuesday afternoon and lasted Sulistyo Pudjo said. “Towed Pinger Locator”(TPL). Analysis of satellite data five minutes, 25 seconds, while The plane crashed into a Angus Houston, head of the led investigators to conclude a second was picked up on fence by the tarmac, he said, Australian agency coordinating the Boeing 777 came down in Tuesday night and lasted seven adding that five other passen- the search, struck an optimis- a remote area of the Indian minutes. That brings to four the gers were injured, two of them tic tone when announcing the Ocean, some 2,261km north- number of pings found in the seriously. information, but urged caution west of Perth. area. AGENCIES as the task of searching the Up to 11 military aircraft, REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Islamabad blast kills 22 Two Afghan election 6kg of explosives planted in a crate in fruits and vegetable market runners smell victory KABUL: Two leading candi- but we are ready for a second ISLAMABAD: A bomb dates in Afghanistan’s presi- round if needed.” tore through a bustling fruit dential election each claimed Campaign officials have been and vegetable market in the yesterday to be winning the collating results pinned up in the Pakistani capital Islamabad vote count easily, but said they 6,400 individual polling centres. yesterday, killing at least 22 would be ready to contest a sec- Abdullah’s campaign said it had people in the latest violence ond-round run-off if necessary. counted two million of the esti- to hit government peace talks More than seven million people mated seven million votes, while a with the Taliban. defied Taliban threats of violence running tally published on Ghani’s The blast took place around in Saturday’s election to select website was taken down on the 8.00am at the wholesale mar- a successor to President Hamid request of the IEC. ket near the capital’s twin city Karzai as US-led troops prepare Turnout was about 58 percent, Rawalpindi, as hundreds of gro- to exit the country. but the figure is uncertain as cers and sellers gathered to trade. Unless one candidate gets more there is no proper electoral roll. The bombing -- the deadliest to than 50 percent of the vote, the The Election Complaints hit Islamabad since a huge truck top two names will go head-to- Commission (ECC) chief said bomb at the Marriott Hotel in head in another election sched- yesterday that votes would be 2008 -- left a 1.5-metre diam- uled for late May. combed through to uncover eter crater and littered the site Campaign officials for former cheating after fears of a repeat with body parts and guava fruit World Bank economist Ashraf of the massive fraud that blighted drenched in blood, a reporter at Ghani and for Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai’s re-election in 2009. the scene said. who came second in the 2009 elec- “There has been fraud, there The attack comes as the gov- tion, both said that they were well have been violations, and not in ernment tries to negotiate an ahead in unofficial counting. small numbers, but we are com- end to the Tehreek-e-Taliban “Initial assessment of the tally mitted to clean out the fraudulent Pakistan’s (TTP) seven-year by our observers show that we votes,” ECC chief Abdul Satar campaign of violence. Talks began are far in the lead,” Azita Rafat, Saadat said. between government and TTP Ghani’s spokeswoman said. He said more than 3,000 com- intermediaries in February. “We have to wait for the plaints had been registered, The Taliban said it was not A bomb disposal expert searches the site of the explosion at the fruits and vegetable market in Islamabad yesterday. announcement made by the IEC, mostly about shortages of ballot to blame for yesterday’s attack but if its decision is to go to the papers -- a problem allegedly due and has also denied some earlier second round, we are fully pre- to poor planning, unexpectedly bombings. Shahidullah Shahid said the administration official Nauman Yesterday’s blast came a little pared for that with confidence in large turnout and possible ballot- But whoever was responsible, group had nothing to do with Yousuf said “it was a planted over a month after a gun and sui- our ultimate success.” box stuffing. more than 160 people have been the attack and urged the govern- bomb”. A bomb disposal official cide bomb attack on a court com- Abdullah had vowed on the The ECC has said that the killed in attacks since the start of ment to find those responsible. said on condition of anonym- plex in Islamabad killed 11 people campaign trail to secure a first- election appeared cleaner than the peace process, leading many Eyewitness Muhammad Tahir ity that the device hidden in including a judge. round victory, and his team has the chaotic 2009 vote, which to question its worth. described the bloody carnage as a fruit box weighed five to six The TTP also denied that been upbeat since the vote. badly damaged ties between It is also unclear whether the the bomb detonated. kilograms and was packed with attack, which was claimed by the “Analysis by our database Karzai and the US-led inter- umbrella Taliban group can con- “The blast took place around nuts and bolts to cause maxi- Ahrar-ul-Hind splinter group centre shows that our election national donors on which trol all its factions. 8:00, when we were standing mum carnage. which rejects the peace process. ticket is in the lead, scoring 62 Afghanistan relies. Javaid Qazi, the vice-chancel- there -- bodies were flying eve- Thousands have been killed in Fighting has erupted in north- percent of the votes that we have Some partial official results lor of the Pakistan Institute of rywhere, bodies were flying at the militant violence since the TTP west Pakistan between rival TTP counted,” said Abdullah’s spokes- may be released in the coming Medical Sciences hospital, said height of 20 to 25 feet,” he said. rose up against the Pakistani state factions since Sunday, and nine man Mujib Rahman Rahimi. days, though the final result is not 22 people had been killed and 96 Ambulances were rushing in 2007. But attacks on the capital, more people including two civil- “The official account has to due until May 14 with the run-off wounded in the blast. in and out carrying wounded much of which is heavily guarded, ians were killed yesterday. come from the IEC, and these are scheduled on May 28. The TTP’s main spokesman people and bodies. Senior local have been rare in recent years. AFP partial results that could change, AFP

Punjab district to computerise arms licences Cross-border Taliban alliance growing stronger: Army CAMP THUNDER: Taliban elected government in Islamabad several eastern provinces on or picture for Yaftali’s troops as they Afghanistan which the insurgents LAHORE: The Punjab gov- militants in Pakistan have and establish a strict Islamic near the Afghan border with try to bring law and order to some had vowed to disrupt. ernment has decided to com- established an increasingly sharia state in the nuclear-armed Pakistan, said this relationship of the most violent and inacces- Afghanistan has a notoriously puterise arms licensing in close relationship with insur- nation of 180 million people. was growing stronger. sible areas of Afghanistan where bad relationship with Pakistan the province in a bid to curb gents from across the border But in recent weeks the two “They are working together militants linked to Al Qaeda are and often accuses its neighbour, as illegal weapons and improve in Afghanistan, supplying them groups have secretly agreed to now. They are going to hold this believed to be holed up in remote well as its ISI intelligence agency, law and order. with explosives and well-trained work together, with Pakistani relationship. It helps them,” mountain lairs. of supporting militants and help- A Memorandum of fighters, a senior Afghan army militants announcing a ceasefire Yaftali, commander of the 203rd But some are sceptical about ing stage attacks on Afghan soil. Understanding (MoU) was commander said yesterday. with their government in order Corps, said. “The Afghan and the Taliban’s current ability to Militant commanders said signed between the provincial The Taliban in Pakistan have to preserve militant bases used Pakistani Taliban have the same inflict heavy losses, pointing the recent ceasefire was mainly government and the National always operated separately from to stage cross-border attacks. ideology. They are the same peo- to the fact that there were no imposed on the Taliban by the Database and Registration their Afghan namesakes, fight- Major General Muhammad ple. They are of the same school.” major attacks during last week- shadowy Pakistani Haqqani net- Authority (Nadra) in this ing to topple the democratically Shareef Yaftali, in charge of The alliance complicates the end’s presidential election in wo rk . REUTERS regard yesterday. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Polio vaccine Chaudhry Nisar were the chief guests at the ceremony. Punjab Home Secretary Azam Suleman and Nadra act- ing chairman Shahid Hamid signed the document. Under the agreement, the existing system of issuance of arms licenses would be replaced with a consolidated compu- terised license information management system. All old licenses will be replaced with new computerised chip cards under a phased programmed. In the first phase, five Punjab districts Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan have been chosen for data entry of the project to be completed within 140 days. 35 militants killed in raids KABUL: At least 35 Taliban militants were killed in joint operations launched by Afghan security forces Pakistani Sajjad (centre) who was displaced with his family during army operations against the Taliban in and the International the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan receiving polio vaccination drops from a health worker in Rawalpindi Security Assistance Force in on Tuesday. Afghanistan (ISAF) during the past twenty-four hours in different regions of the country. Afghanistan’s Interior Army urged not to side with Musharraf Ministry said in a statement today that Afghan forces car- ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s statement, which may have general and instead of leading ried out with ISAF several joint former ruler General (retd) many repercussions. a retired life, he has opted to operations killing 35 Taliban Pervez Musharraf might be General Raheel Sharif’s become a politician; therefore, militants, injuring six others, celebrating his small victory statement of preserving the he will be subjected to criti- and arresting 19 others. of bringing the Pakistan dignity and institutional pride cism which does not mean that The statement added that Army face to face with the of the army sent shivers across the institution of the Pakistan the operations tool place in democratic government but the country. Army is being criticized. Nangarhar, Balkh, Kandahar, the politicians stand united The PML-N took it as a “Musharraf does not rep- Logar, Ghazni, Kunar in asking the army not to welcome statement saying resent the Pakistan Army, he provinces. side with the head of a polit- that every institution has dig- represents the APML,” said The security forces seized ical party and let him face nity and pride, which must be Rabbani adding: “He cannot large quantities of heavy and trial. preserved. have his cake and eat it too.” light weapons. However, the They say if the army had Senior PPP leader Senator Rabbani said had the former statement did not say if there any issue regarding Musharraf, Raza Rabbani said that ruler of Pakistan been living a were any casualties on the secu- this could have been discussed Musharraf’s issue was sepa- retired life, he would not have rity forces. AGENCIES with the elected representa- rate from the Pakistan Army faced criticism. tives instead of making a public as Musharraf was a retired INTERNEWS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Huge turnout in northeast Man says sorry for Voting in four states marked the second phase of elections slapping Kejriwal

SHILLONG/ITANAGAR/ NEW DELHI: An auto-rick- “Why are all the attacks taking KOHIMA/IMPHAL: The shaw driver yesterday apolo- place only on us?” Kejriwal asked. country’s four northeastern gised to AAP leader Arvind “There will be more attacks, and states witnessed brisk polling in Kejriwal for slapping him a day we can also get killed.” the Lok Sabha election yester- earlier, saying he had commit- Kejriwal also called on day, with Nagaland recording ted “a big mistake”. 19-year-old Abdul Wahid. Wahid 82.5 percent voter turnout and “I’ve committed a big mistake. had punched Kejriwal during a Manipur as well as Arunachal I should have never done what I road show at Dakshinpuri in Pradesh seeing around 70 per- did. I consider him (Kejriwal) as a south Delhi on April 4. Kejriwal cent balloting. Meghalaya saw god,” the attacker, identified only quoted Wahid as telling him that almost two-thirds of its voters as Lali, told journalists after the he had been misled by “political turn up. AAP leader called on him. forces”. When the AAP leader The voting in the four states The 38-year-old Lali gave a pressed for details, the young marked the second phase of the stinging slap to the former Delhi man clammed up. country’s 10-phase poll that will chief minister on Tuesday when He told Wahid not to be see 814 million Indians exer- the latter was campaigning in the trapped by disgruntled politicians cise their franchise to elect 543 west Delhi area of Sultanpuri. The “who incite innocent youths for members to the Lok Sabha. Long man, who was roughed up by AAP their vested interests”. Kejriwal queues formed at polling booths in supporters after the attack, had presented flowers to both men. He these mountainous states as vot- then dubbed Kejriwal as a “liar”. also gave fruits to Wahid. ers enthusiastically turned up to The attack left Kejriwal with The AAP leader later called cast their ballot. a swollen left eye. But he said on Delhi Police Commissioner B An Election Commission offi- later that he had “forgiven” Lali. S Bassi and asked him to track cial said in Delhi that Nagaland As journalists watched on, Lali down those masterminding recorded an impressive voter sought forgiveness from Kejriwal attacks on him. He also asked turnout of 82.5 percent till 4pm. and his colleague Manish Sisodia. Bassi to speed up the probe. “Get Manipur saw 70 percent voter He also bent down to touch the to the masterminds and these turnout till 4pm and there were feet of both Kejriwal and Sisodia attacks will stop,” he told Bassi, still long queues, said the official even as they tried to stop him. adding the latter pledged to per- who spoke of a “possibility of 78 People stand in line to cast their votes at Bomdila town in Arunachal Pradesh yesterday. Lali said he had been wanting sonally monitor the investigation percent” turnout. to meet Kejriwal for a long time into the attacks on Kejriwal. In Meghalaya, the voter turn- Lok Sabha seats and the assembly, have already won without a fight. in Outer Manipur Lok Sabha con- and even went to his “janata dar- Speaking a day before Delhi out was 64 percent with a “pos- even as voting was suspended in Hence, voting was held for the stituency cast their ballot with bar” when the Aam Aadmi Party votes, Kejriwal said he was not sibility of going up to 66 percent” four polling booths after miscre- remaining 49 seats. polling passing off peacefully. ruled Delhi for a short period upset with the attackers. “They and in Arunachal Pradesh, it was ants burnt down poll material in In Nagaland, around 82.5 per- Meghalaya recorded 64 per- of 49 days. “I was unhappy and (attackers) are not to blame,” he 71 percent.. Sarli in Kurung Kumey district, cent of the over one million elec- cent polling as people voted to wanted to meet him (Kejriwal) said. “Both are from very poor While polling was held for state Chief Electoral Officer torate cast their votes for the elect the two Lok Sabha members but couldn’t,” he said. families. They are being exploited two Lok Sabha seats each in Chandra Bhushan Kumar said. state’s lone Lok Sabha constitu- from Shillong and Tura. Voting Kejriwal and Sisodia were (by vested interests).” Meghalaya and Arunachal Voting in two other polling ency. No untoward incident was remained peaceful, barring two accompanied by AAP’s Lok Kejriwal said he also had no Pradesh, one of the two seats stations was suspended due to a reported in the state. incidents of suspected insurgents Sabha candidate in the area, grouse against security person- in Manipur and the lone Lok boycott call by villagers protesting Due to security reasons, polling firing blanks near the Tolegre poll- Rakhi Birla. After Tuesday’s nel who could not prevent the Sabha seat in Nagaland, ballot- poor road connectivity. hours in Nagaland and Manipur ing booth in South Garo Hills dis- attack, Kejriwal said he faced a attacks. He reiterated he will ing was also held for 49 seats of In the assembly polls, 11 was from 7am to 4pm, unlike the trict and wild elephants disrupting threat to his life. “These attacks not accept the security cover he the Arunachal assembly. Congress candidates, including other northeastern states where movement of officials to two polling are scripted. When they (attack- is entitled to. Police said later that In Arunachal, around 71 per- Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and votes could be cast between 7am booths — Nokchi and Halchatti — ers) are arrested, they repeat the they had registered a case against cent of voters cast their ballot in two cabinet colleagues Tanga and 5pm. In Manipur, around 70 under Tura constituency. (same) script,” Kejriwal told the both the attackers. simultaneous elections to the two Bayaling and Pema Khandu, percent of the total 911,699 voters IANS media. IANS 845 candidates Kerala all set for polls INS Vikrant in the fray for THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Political leaders have started TN’s 39 seats Kerala, which has 20 parliamen- moving to the places where they tary constituencies, is geared up are registered as electors. Chief finally sold CHENNAI: A total of 845 to vote today. The campaigning Minister Oommen Chandy, his candidates are in the fray ended on Tuesday evening. wife and two daughters and son for the 39 Lok Sabha seats All arrangements are in place will vote in their hometown of in Tamil Nadu, said the for the smooth conduct of the poll Puthupally in Kottayam district. for scrap Election Commission yes- that will begin at 7am and end Chandy said his youngest daugh- terday. In a statement issued at 6pm, Chief Electoral Officer ter came in from Dubai to cast her MUMBAI: India’s first air- here after the time for with- Nalini Netto said yesterday. vote, while his son arrived from craft carrier, INS Vikrant has drawing nominations ended, A 24 million strong electorate Delhi. His eldest daughter lives finally been auctioned to a ship- the poll panel said the can- gets to select from 242 male can- with the family in Kerala. breaker for Rs60 crore and an didates comprise 789 men, didates and 27 female candidates, Leader of Opposition V activist yesterday moved the 55 women and one trans- vying for the 20 seats. The battle S Achuthanandan and his apex court in a last ditch bid to gender. According to the is principally between traditional entire family is also leaving for save the vessel which saw action Commission, out of 906 valid rivals, the United Democratic Alappuzha, where they will cast in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. nominations received, 61 Front and the Left Democratic their votes at Punnapara. It was sold through an auction candidates withdrew, leav- Front. Defence Minister A K Antony to Mumbai’s IB Commercials Pvt. ing behind 845 to fight it out. Netto said that besides the took the day off and rested at Ltd., but details are awaited. Chennai North constituency police force, 55 companies of secu- his home here, after a 10-day Mumbai activist Kiran has the highest number of rity officials drawn from outside state-wide campaign. “All of us Paigankar, who had earlier filed contestants — 45 — while the state have been deployed. “We will cast our votes here. I will a writ petition in Bombay High Napattinam seat has the have categorised 10 percent of the return to Delhi after a few days,” Court trying to save the ship, said lowest number of candidates total polling booths of 21,424 as Antony said. he moved the Supreme Court at nine. Interestingly the critical booths and most of them Communist Party of India- challenging the auction. Nilgiri constituency saw the are in the districts of Kannur, Marxist state secretary Pinnarayi “The matter is likely to come rejection of BJP candidate Kozhikode and Kasargode,” said Vijayan and his family will, as up tomorrow (Thursday). At the SGurumurthy’s nomina- Netto. “The entire poll exercise always, vote in Kannur district Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra hearing, we shall request the tion as he had not filed his will be conducted by 105,049 offi- where they are registered voters. Modi (right) greets supporters in Vadodara prior to filing nomination papers. apex court to allow any other papers on time. Elections cials,” he said. IANS state government or port trust will be held on April 24. to come and take over the ship — since the Maharashtra gov- Lakshadweep ernment is unwilling to save it Vote for Congress and save India, says Sonia — and accord her the status of votes today ‘Antiquity’ under the Antiquity KOLAR (KARNATAKA): Cautioning rural India by providing basic infrastructure only the Gujarat development model works... It and Art Treasure Act, 1972,” THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: against divisive forces attempting to polar- and access to education and health care. “Social is a narrow view as there was more develop- Paigankar said. Polling for the Lok Sabha in ise the country, Congress president Sonia and welfare schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi ment in other states ruled by different parties. The once-imposing vessel, com- India’s smallest union terri- Gandhi yesterday urged the people to vote National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, In fact, our development model benefited all missioned by the Indian Navy in tory Lakshadweep, a group of for her party in the April 17 Lok Sabha elec- Right to Education, National Rural Health sections of people, while the so-called Gujarat 1961, was decommissioned in 1997 36 islands and total elector- tion in the state. Mission and credit to farmers at low interest model benefitted only industrialists and crony and has been kept on anchor at ate less than 50,000, will be “You have a great responsibility in this elec- rate have lifted about 150 million people to mid- capitalists who were given hundreds of acres the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. held today. There are a total tion to save the nation by voting for the Congress dle class from below poverty line,” she said. of lands at the cost of farmers,” she said. During the hearing of the PIL of 49,821 electors, evenly in majority and defeating those forces attempt- Taking potshots at the Gujarat development Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January, the central govern- divided between male and ing to divide the country on religious and caste model claimed by the opposition BJP and its of hiding the real picture of Gujarat and ment informed the Bombay High female voters. Three islands basis,” Gandhi said at a public meeting here, prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as projecting Modi as a saviour of the country, Court that the ship had com- — Androth (9,012), Minicoy about 100km from Bangalore. a panacea for the socio-economic problems in Gandhi said it was the Congress-led UPA gov- pleted its operational life. (8,139) and Kavaratti (8,080) Asserting that the ruling party had worked the country, Sonia said they (BJP and Modi) ernment which had given right to food secu- The Maharashtra government — have the highest number for the poor, weaker sections, minorities and want people to believe that no other model rity and empowered farmers to retain their expressed its inability to preserve of voters. Forty-three polling SCs and STs, she said the Congress-led UPA would work in the country and hence other lands from being acquired by vested interests. it as a floating museum owing to booths have been set up. government had transformed the landscape of states did not progress. “It is a fallacy to think IANS financial constraints following IANS which the Bombay High Court dismissed Paigankar’s PIL. He said that the move in the apex court is a last attempt to save the 15,000 tonnes steel ship. The 70-year-old vessel, pur- Spacecraft Orbiter halfway to Mars, says ISRO chased as HMS Hercules from Great Britain in 1957, was later BANGALORE: India’s maiden As the fourth planet from the As a signal from Earth to the detect methane in the Martian designated trajectory, the trajec- rechristened as ‘INS Vikrant’ and mission to Mars is on course, sun, Mars is the second smallest spacecraft and back takes four atmosphere, measure the thermal tory correction manoeuvre, which helped enforce a naval blockade of with its spacecraft Orbiter celestial body in the solar system, minutes and 15 seconds, the high emission and capture images of was planned to be undertaken East Pakistan — now Bangladesh crossing the halfway mark on at a distance of 400 million km gain antennal onboard the space- the red planet from its orbit at a this month, is not considered — during the 1971 war. its voyage to the red planet, from Earth. It is also known as craft will be activated for han- distance of 500km. essential,” the statement noted. Paingakar feels that many four months after it left Earth the red planet due to the presence dling communications with the The spacecraft’s journey Space scientists and engi- Indians want it to be converted on December 1. of iron oxide in abundance, giving ground stations. through space is being moni- neers are also conducting peri- into a permanent floating “The spacecraft on Wednesday it a reddish appearance. The Rs450-crore Mars tored from India’s deep space odic tests at different levels of National Museum for educational, at 9.50am crossed the halfway “In terms of radio distance, Orbiter Mission was launched network at Bylalu (about 30km autonomy, built into the space- tourism and defence training pur- mark of its journey to Mars along the 1,337kg Orbiter is cruising at on November 5 from Sriharikota from Bangalore) and the Jet craft for contingencies. “The poses. After the state govern- the designated helio (sun)-centric 39 million km away from earth, spaceport off the Bay of Bengal, Propulsion Laboratory of the spacecraft and its five scientific ment’s refusal to provide finances, trajectory in the solar orbit,” the travelling at 1.55km per second about 80km northeast of Chennai, National Aeronautics and Space instruments are in good health,” the Indian Navy put it up for an state-run Indian Space Research in the sun’s orbit,” the space onboard a 350-tonne rocket with Administration of the US. the statement added. e-auction. Organisation (ISRO) said. agency said. five scientific instruments to “As the Orbiter is on its IANS IANS

THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME Garden of Europe

Fajr (Dawn) 3:59 Shorook (Sunrise) 5:17 Zuhr (Noon) 11:35 Asr (Afternoon) 3:05 Maghrib (Sunset) 5:55 Isha (Night) 7:25

WEATHER

Today Friday Saturday Weather Conditions: Clear Partly cloudy Clear Hazy at first becoming High: 35° High: 39° High: 33° relatively hot Low: 24° Low: 23° Low: 23° during the day with scattered clouds later.

DOHA - SUN & SEA

SUN TIDE SEA SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND 05:17 17:55 00:15 & 13:30 08:30 & 17:15 04-14/18 KT

THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW A tulip field at the Keukenhof park, also known as the Garden of Europe, in Lisse, Netherlands. Keukenhof, employing some 30 gardeners, is con- HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER sidered the world’s largest flower garden, displaying millions of flowers every year.

MUSCAT 32/24 Partly cloudy 34/26 Partly cloudy MAKKAH 38/28 Clear 38/29 Partly cloudy KUWAIT 31/22 Partly cloudy 32/23 Partly cloudy BAHRAIN 31/24 Partly cloudy 31/23 Partly cloudy SANAA 27/13 Clear 28/13 Partly cloudy Next generation solar plane unveiled RIYADH 39/24 Partly cloudy 40/22 Partly cloudy PAYERNE: The masterminds former Swiss Air Force jet pilot. across its wings and fuselage. member of a dynasty of Swiss DUBAI 34/23 Clear 35/25 Clear of sun-powered plane Solar Solar Impulse 2 is a bigger, bet- The goal, Borschberg said, is to scientists-cum-adventurers. BAGHDAD 29/17 Partly cloudy 30/17 Partly cloudy Impulse formally unveiled their ter version of its predecessor, he be able to fly for at least 120 hours Borschberg said that the new aircraft yesterday, a year said, reeling off the new aircraft’s non-stop around the globe. plane’s designers had wrestled THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW ahead of their planned round- statistics. After test flights in Switzerland with issues such as the fact that HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER the-world flight. The new plane has a wingspan starting next month, the plan is to more reliable technology tends to Solar Impulse 2 is the successor of 72 metres. take off sometime after March 1, be heavier, but that weight means ATHENS 20/12 Chance of rain 20/13 Clear of the original plane of the same While that is the same as an 2015 from a location in the Gulf, less performance. WASHINGTON 21/13 Clear 21/15 Chance of rain name, which last year completed Airbus A380, at just 2,300 kilos, ideal for its weather conditions, AFP a trip across the United States Solar Impulse 2 is less than 1 and head eastwards. SYDNEY 24/19 Rain 26/19 Chance of rain without using a drop of fuel. percent the weight of the super “We will need at least five days LONDON 16/09 Partly cloudy 15/07 Partly cloudy “These two aeroplanes are jumbo jet. and five nights to fly from China PARIS 18/10 Clear 16/07 Partly cloudy the most energy efficient aero- That is thanks to the fact to the US and from the US back ISTANBUL 16/09 Partly cloudy 13/08 Chance of rain planes ever designed,” pilot Andre that the plane is built from car- to Europe,” said Borschberg. MANILA 32/24 Clear 33/24 Mostly cloudy Borschberg told a 500-strong bon layers that weigh less than While that cannot compete DHAKA 38/25 Partly cloudy 39/24 Partly cloudy audience of officials, sponsors 25 gramme per square metre — with traditional air travel, the DELHI 34/20 Partly cloudy 34/20 Clear and diplomats at Switzerland’s one-third the weight of a sheet of point of the project is to push ISLAMABAD 30/13 Partly cloudy 28/17 Clear Payerne airbase. paper, Borschberg said. the boundaries of green-fla- “The first plane was a proto- It will be powered by voured research, said fellow pilot type, a flying laboratory,” said the 17,248 solar cells spread Bertrand Piccard, the latest Thursday 10 April 2014 10 Jumadal II 1435 Volume 19 Number 6031 Price: QR2

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 QE’s MSCI Qatar bourse inches to historic highs upgrade Index rises1.52 percent to close at 12,375 points; Analysts expect heavy foreign fund inflow announcement BY SATISH KANADY strong 5.98 percent gain. The expected to continue on the cur- said another market analyst into the two markets when Qatar Insurance sector which contrib- rent trajectory at least until May, New data published yesterday and UAE are officially inducted by mid-May DOHA: Investors found more uted heavily to 2013 earnings of when the MSCI will upgrade Qatar by an Arabic business news portal from June 2, 2014.” reasons to push Qatar stocks the country’s corporate earnings, market to the ‘emerging market’. noted stocks worth QR15bn were With the increased mar- higher yesterday to finish at a rose 3.25 percent. “The market is abuzz with a bought by foreign investors during ket focus that comes with the DOHA: The global index com- new record high in nearly six Pushed by Commercial Bank combination of strong positive the first quarter of 2014, account- Emerging Market status, Qatar piler MSCI is expected to final- years amid the strongest trad- and International Islamic, the notes. Investors have huge expec- ing for an estimated 38 percent of and UAE are able to attract ise the constituent list for Qatar ing since 2010. banks and financial services tations on the MSCI upgrade, the total market liquidity. strong foreign fund inflow. The and UAE in their May Semi- The Qatar Exchange index rose edged 1.74 percent up. Heavy budget projections are really Deutsche Bank analysts two countries led the region in Annual Index Review (SAIR) 1.52 percent to hit 12,375 points, weight QNB, that announced a encouraging. The first quarter noted yesterday Qatari market fund inflows last year, bringing and an official announcement inching closer to the bourse’s his- 13.7 percent higher first quarter results have started trickling in. posted significant gains since the in a total $1.8bn, of which Qatar can be expected on May 14, toric highs of 12,433 points. The net profit yesterday, closed 1.29 There is a huge buying interest release of the provisional list by received $848m, Aleksandar said. 2014, a Deutsche Bank analyst encouraging data on local econ- percent up. The telecom index among foreign investors,” an ana- MSCI in June 2013. Aleksandar On Wednesday, the market said yesterday. omy, strong budget projections that dropped 0.76 percent on lyst told The Peninsula. Stojanovski, Research Analyst at cap surged to QR700bn from When Qatar and UAE will be and confidence on the market Tuesday surged to 2.27 percent “The rise was backed by strong Deutsche Bank, said: “We expect the previous session’s QR686bn. officially inducted into the MSCI upgrade by global index compil- as Ooredoo and Vodafone contin- buying appetite among local and the inclusion of more stocks to The traded value increased EM index, more funds will flow ers continue to drive the market. ued to rev up. Transportation was foreign institutions, amid strong also drive a higher weighting of toQR1.53bn from QR915m. Total into the market because these The momentum was evident in up by 2.25 percent and consumer liquidity triggered by active trading around 1.3 percent versus 0.95 traded volume rose to 43 million markets will then come under all the sector indices. Real estate goods gained 0.63 percent. on real estate stocks. It seems the percent previously, which in turn shares from 23 million shares. the purview of passively managed sector ended the session with a Analysts said the market is index is targeting the 12,500 points:, should also push more liquidity THE PENINSULA funds that track the EM index. Aleksandar Stojanovski, Research Analyst at Deutsche Bank said: “Market conditions are turning favourable for foreign investors.” The first quarter of 2014 wit- QNB Group’s Q1 net nessed higher liquidity and more stocks revising their Foreign Ownership Limits (FOL), the profit up at QR2.4bn two key impediments to foreign- ers investing in the region. “Liquidity in Mena markets is DOHA: QNB Group, the percent from March 2013 to reach on an upward trend, with 2014 region’s largest lender, recorded QR51bn as on March 31, 2014. YTD average daily trading volume a net profit of QR2.4bn for the Earnings per share reached QR3.5, for UAE at $700m, a 10-year high, three months ended March 2014, compared to QR3.1 in March 2013. and Qatar at $185m, near its 2008 up by 13.7 percent compared to The Group started implement- peak. Companies have also begun last year. These results include ing updated QCB and Basel III to look favourably at foreign own- the financial results of QNB requirements for the calculation ership and some have increased ALAHLI in Egypt, in which the of the Capital Adequacy Ratio their FOLs”, Stojanovski added. Group concluded the acquisition (CAR) from Q1, 2014. The ratio Deutsche Bank expects that with a controlling stake. stood at 16.3 percent as on March the final list will have more stocks The Group’s prudent cost con- 31, 2014, higher than the regula- included than the 17-stock provi- trol policy and strong revenue tory minimum requirements of the sional list released last year. generating capability allowed it Qatar Central Bank. It is keen to In addition to the 17 stocks that to maintain an efficiency ratio or maintain a strong capitalisation MSCI included in the Qatar (9 cost-to-income ratio of 21.7 per- in order to support future plans. stock) and UAE (8 stocks) provi- cent, which is considered one of As a result of the Group’s high sional list, released in June 2013, the best ratios among financial credit ratings and outstanding Deutsche Bank estimates that institutions in the region. asset quality, it was selected as today, up to 10 additional names Total assets increased by 20.6 one of the world’s 50 safest finan- meet the MSCI EM inclusion percent from March 2013 to cial institutions by Global Finance. Toyota’s 2007 Yaris S Sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show in California. criteria. reach QR458bn, the highest ever QNB Group tops the list in the Among the 27 selected stocks, achieved by the Group. This was Bloomberg Markets magazine’s 17 stocks witnessed increased for- the result of a strong growth annual ranking of the World’s eign ownership since June 2013. rate of 22.5 percent in loans and Strongest Banks. 2012 was the first Since June 2013, Qatar has out- advances to reach QR317bn. time that QNB was included in the Toyota to recall 6.39m vehicles performed the MSCI EM index The Group was also able to list of eligible banks , 78 banks by 17 percent and UAE by 57 maintain the ratio of non-per- were eligible globally, as a result TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp, Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries. related to unintended accelera- percent. forming loans to gross loans at of achieving more than $100bn in its second-largest recall The carmaker did not say now tion in its vehicles. That safety Deutsche Bank’s research 1.6 percent, a level considered of assets. Based on the Group’s announcement, said yester- much the recalls would cost, crisis had caused Toyota to recall team believes that this re-rating one of the lowest amongst banks continuous strong performance day that it would call back 6.39 and it was not clear if the faults more than 9 million vehicles. in relative market capitalisation in the Middle East and Africa, and the expanding international million vehicles globally after stemmed from Toyota’s suppliers In a high-profile case that has will push up their weights in the reflecting the high quality of the presence, the Group improved uncovering five different faults or its manufacturing process. the potential to change US safety EM index once the final list of Group’s loan book and the effec- its ranking as the most valuable involving parts ranging from The move by Toyota to regulation, Toyota rival General constituents is announced. With tive management of credit risk. brand in the Mena region, with a steering to seats. announce five different recalls on Motors is under investigation for the increased market focus that The Group’s conservative policy in world ranking of 101 with a brand The world’s biggest carmaker a single day from Tokyo comes as failing to act on a known ignition comes with EM status, Qatar and regard to provisioning continued value of $1.81bn from 120 in 2012 said it was not aware of any major carmakers face increasing switch defect linked to a dozen UAE are able to attract strong with the coverage ratio reaching with brand value $1.31bn. crashes or injuries caused by the scrutiny in the United States on deaths. The company has recalled foreign fund inflows. 126 percent in March 2014. With the addition of QNB glitches, which were found in how quickly they take preventive 1.6 million vehicles over the issue. The two countries led the At the same time QNB Group ALAHLI, the new subsidiary in 27 Toyota models including the safety action and how quickly In the largest of the recalls region in fund inflows last year, increased customer funding by India and the new office in China, RAV4 and Yaris subcompact. they share information with regu- announced, Toyota said some 3.5 bringing in a total of $1.8bn, of 23.4 percent to QR346bn. This led QNB Group’s presence increased Toyota said faults were also lators and the public. million vehicles were being recalled which Qatar received $848m to the Group’s loan to deposit ratio to 26 countries providing a com- found in the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota agreed last month to to replace a spiral cable that could while the UAE had $954m of reaching 92 percent. prehensive range of products and the Subaru Trezia, two models pay $1.2bn to the US govern- be damaged when the steering inflows. Total equity increased by 11.9 services. THE PENINSULA the automaker built for General ment for withholding information wheel is turned. REUTERS THE PENINSULA Mideast airlines grow faster globally

BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport year, IATA expects airlines to carry some 3.3 Summit taking place here from June 1 to billion passengers and about 50 million tonnes DOHA: The share of the Middle Eastern June 3. Qatar Airways is the official host of of cargo that supports 57 million jobs and $2.2 airlines in global air traffic has more than the event, which will coincide with the industry trillion in economic activity. doubled in just over a decade to 9 percent celebrating its 100th birthday of commercial Commenting on the financial performance, from 4 percent, and much of this growth aviation. He said, Doha will be the global capital he said: “Our latest forecast is for a global has been realised by the fast growing Gulf of commercial aviation which will be attended industry profit of $18.7bn. That is improved carriers, including Qatar Airways, said by around 1,000 delegates from around the from the $12.9bn profit in 2013 and from Antony Tyler, Director General and CEO world, including CEOs from 240-member air- $6.1bn in 2012. It is still, however, a very thin of International Air Transport Association lines representing about 84 percent of the glo- net profit margin of just 2.5 percent (about (IATA) here yesterday. bal air traffic. This is the fourth time IATA is $5.65 per passenger carried).” “That (growth) trend is set to continue” holding its AGM and after a gap of 17 years in According to Tyler, some of the important said Tyler, adding an example of growth pros- the Middle East. Previous AGMs in the region topics and issues that the AGM is expected pects in 2014. “This year we expect global pas- were held in Cairo, Tehran and Amman in to discuss, include safety performance, espe- senger traffic to increase by 5.8 percent. But 1947, 1970 and 1997, respectively. cially at the backdrop of missing Malaysian jet, Middle East airlines will more than double The commercial aviation, which started MH370; success of the Gulf carriers and threats that with 13 percent growth—again driven with a single passenger in January 1, 1914, and to that success—air traffic management—due to primarily by what is happening in the Gulf.” has now grown into a complex industry with a growing congestion in the airspace as between Antony Tyler (left), Director General and CEO, IATA, and Anthony Concil, Tyler was here as part of the preparations wide network of 100,000 daily flights operating 40 percent and 60 percent of it is reserved for Director, Corporate Communications, IATA, in Doha yesterday. ABDUL BASIT for the upcoming 70th IATA Annual General on over 40,000 routes across the world. This the military. THE PENINSULA

THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21 Qatar Duty Free US fines GM for not providing recall info opens Samsung Auto major fined $7,000 a day for missing April 3 deadline to give recall information of cars Galaxy S5 sale

WASHINGTON: General in its investigation. The agency is “fully cooperated” with NHTSA. defect and when. GM CEO Mary questions, with the understand- Motors is being fined $7,000 probing why the carmaker waited The carmaker said it had sent Barra, who testified last week to ing that GM would fully respond from tomorrow a day for missing an April 3 until February to order a recall more than 271,000 pages of docu- two congressional panels investi- to the remaining requests by the deadline to provide informa- despite first learning of the defect ments to the agency and would gating the recall, has said she did April 3 deadline. GM failed to DOHA: Qatar Duty Free tion about its recall of 2.6 mil- more than 10 years ago. provide additional documents “as not learn about faulty switch until do so,” NHTSA Chief Counsel O (QDF) yesterday revealed the lion cars for defective ignition At least 13 deaths in Saturn soon as they become available.” January 31. Kevin Vincent said in the letter. much awaited Samsung Galaxy switches, the National Highway Ions, Chevrolet Cobalts and other The NHTSA said the auto NHTSA said GM had informed NHTSA said GM had also S5 which will be available for Traffic Safety Administration models have been linked to the major had not responded to over a the agency on March 20 it would told the agency it was not able to passengers to purchase from said. faulty ignition switches, which third of its questions by the April not be able to respond to all the respond fully because of an inves- tomorrow. The announcement In a letter to GM, NHTSA said can cause the engine to turn off 3 deadline. The 17 pages of ques- technical engineering questions tigation into the recall by former bolsters the multiple Samsung the automaker had been fined suddenly, disabling the air bags tions were submitted to GM on by the deadline. federal prosecutor Anton Valukas, product lines already available $28,000 so far and would be sub- and making steering and braking March 4. “NHTSA had no objection to who has been hired by GM to con- at Doha International Airport ject to daily fines until it answers more difficult. Many of the questions seek to GM taking additional time to duct an internal probe. (DIA), offering further retail all 107 questions the agency asked GM said in a statement it had track who in GM knew about the respond to technical engineering REUTERS options for departing, arriving and transferring passengers. ‘The New King of Android’ was unveiled at this year’s Mobile Untaxed US corporate Protest for minimum wages World Congress and QDF is excited it will be available for sale on the regional release date. Consumers are offered a refined profits held overseas experience with speed and inno- vation as part of the S5’s essen- tial features for everyday use. top $2.1 trillion: Study The device comes with advanced camera capabilities (16MP rear WASHINGTON: Foreign prof- overseas earnings have been rein- camera/2MP front camera), video its held overseas by US corpo- vested in active business opera- stabilisation and real time HDR rations to avoid taxes at home tions like manufacturing facilities processing, enhanced device pro- nearly doubled from 2008 to and loans to non-US customers.” tection features with a fingerprint 2013 to top $2.1 trillion, said a A Merck spokesman said the scanner, download booster, 5th Gen private research firm’s report, company files its tax returns in WIFI offering consumers the fast- prompting a call for reform by accordance with all applicable est network connectivity, as well as the Senate’s top tax law writer. laws and regulations. the dedicated fitness tool S Health. “The new numbers ... certainly A Microsoft spokesman Keith Hunter, Senior Vice highlight what is one of the key referred questions to 2012 con- President, QDF, said: “We con- challenges for tax reform. I do gressional testimony, in which tinually look at how to offer think there need to be some company officials said it abides our customers better value and reforms in this area,” Senate by foreign and US tax laws. greater products lines. Having Finance Committee Chairman In testimony in 2013 before the Samsung Galaxy S5 going on Ron Wyden told reporters on Congress, Apple Chief Executive sale in QDF on the same day as Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Tim Cook said the company is a the regional launch is extremely Under US law, corporations large taxpayer and does not use exciting and it is testament to our do not have to pay income tax tax gimmicks. Apple declined to commitment in securing the lat- on most of their overseas profits comment on the new report. est technology for passengers, as until they are brought into the Pfizer was not immediately Activists chant for higher wages outside a McDonald’s restaurant yesterday in Stamford, Connecticut. part of our ever-growing product United States. These earnings available for comment. Demonstrations were organised across the state by Connecticut Working Families to bring attention to portfolio.” THE PENINSULA can be held offshore for years if Congress has quarrelled for minimum wages paid by fast food chains and Wal-Mart stores. they are classified as indefinitely years over the law that lets mul- invested abroad. tinationals stash profits abroad Research firm Audit Analytics tax-free. Some favour killing the said in a report issued last week law, known as offshore corporate that the total of such earnings was income tax deferral, and some up 93 percent from 2008 to 2013, back a one-time tax holiday that Bank of England to hold record-low rates citing federal financial filings for would let companies bring for- companies listed in the Russell eign profits home, or “repatriate” LONDON: The Bank of to attend the International expectation that steady policy is Under amended guidance, the 1000 index of US corporations. them, at a low tax rate. England is forecast to freeze Monetary Fund’s spring meetings likely to prevail until May 2015 BoE will now seek to absorb all Conglomerate General Electric Debate over offshore deferral interest rates at a record-low in Washington. The outcome will when the BoE is likely to com- the spare capacity in the economy Co had the biggest pile of earn- flared again in November when 0.50 percent, amid caution over be announced at 1100 GMT today. mence a slow upwards adjustment as it looks to keep inflation close ings stored abroad, at $110bn, Wyden’s predecessor as finance the strength of Britain’s eco- “The April policy meeting is in the bank rate.” to a government-set target of 2 the firm said. Next were soft- committee chairman, former nomic recovery, analysts said. unlikely to rock any boats,” said The BoE had last year vowed percent, before hiking rates. ware maker Microsoft Corp, with Democratic Senator Max Baucus, The central bank’s nine-strong Rabobank economist Jane Foley. not to start lifting rates until the The unemployment rate has $76.4bn; drugmakers Pfizer Inc, proposed doing both. Baucus Monetary Policy Committee “UK data releases over the past unemployment rate falls to at held steady at 7.2 percent, hav- with $69bn, and Merck & Co Inc, resigned weeks later to become US (MPC) is also expected to main- month have confirmed a contin- least 7 percent, under a forward ing fallen to a near five-year low with $57.1bn; and high-tech group ambassador to China. Wyden in the tain its quantitative easing (QE) ued decline in the number of job- guidance policy launched by gov- of 7.1 percent late last year. Apple Inc, with $54.4bn, it said. past has called for repeal of offshore stimulus at £375bn. less claimants and a simultaneous ernor Mark Carney. Britain’s 12-month inflation In response, GE said in a state- deferral, along with a repatriation Policymakers will hold a short- fall in the inflation rate. However, the bank tweaked its rate meanwhile slowed to 1.7 per- ment: “GE operates in more than holiday, among other changes to ened meeting, instead of over “On balance, there has been strategy after the rate fell more cent in February, the lowest level 170 countries, and most of these the tax code. REUTERS two days, to allow some members little evidence to change our sharply than anticipated. for more than four years. AFP Dual recognition for Al Khalij Commercial Bank

DOHA: Al Khalij Commercial Investor Relations, believes and services to premium and Business Officer. “Our sincere Bank has been awarded two that the “Best Practice Investor institutional customers in gratitude to our valued cus- prestigious accolades from the Relations” award is a testament Qatar, GCC and France. It has tomers and staff, who played International Banker, “Best to the Bank’s key principles of demonstrated consistent per- a fundamental role in securing Practice Investor Relations” transparency and aligning with formance across all parameters this award. This is certainly an for the year 2014 and “Best all stakeholders. on net profit, assets, loan book, encouragement for us to further Commercial Bank of the Year “al khaliji is a strong advocate deposits while maintaining innovate our product portfolios in Qatar”. of investor interest and places robust asset quality. and services,” he said. The International Banker great emphasis on achiev- “We are delighted to receive The International Banker 2014 Banking Awards recog- ing their financial ambitions. the “Best Commercial Bank” 2014 Banking Awards consider nise institutions that drive glo- Transparency and facilitated award from a publication of the best banking institutions in bal commerce, create capital access to critical information such global repute. This reflects the Middle East and Africa that within their regions, and gener- have been key to achieving this recognition for our brand posi- have set the bar for industry ate opportunities for economic success”, Maalouf said. tioning in the international excellence. The International growth. The bank offers a full range of community,” said Mohamed Banker is the product of Finance Joe Maalouf, Head of conventional banking products Abdelkhalek, Group Chief Publishing. THE PENINSULA JTC partners with Chicago Maintenance

DOHA: Jassim Transport & Stevedoring Company (JTC), a diversified business entity with interests in ports, contract logistics, equipment leasing and power rental, has entered into an agreement with Chicago Maintenance & Construction Co to install and main- tain a 4MW power project at a major construction site in Qatar. The agreement marks a strategic expansion for JTC Power Rental outside Kuwait, its base market. Over the years, JTC has established itself as a market leader in the temporary power solutions industry in Kuwait, based on its strong focus on customer satisfaction, driven by “zero interruption” power supply and high quality service. JTC, today is the preferred supplier of power rental solutions for clients seeking high availability power supply and premium quality service in the region, which faces acute power shortages, especially during summer months. JTC will manage the entire power project at the con- struction site, from design and load calculations, to installation and commissioning, regular operations, and maintenance. The installation will power the entire site, spread over an area of 43,100 sq m, with JTC’s premium power rental service ensuring smooth and uninterrupted supply of power round the clock. Adel Kohari, Group General Manager, JTS, said: “This agreement is a milestone for our organisation, highlighting our expanding geographic footprint.” THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS UK retailers Greece set to cut prices at fastest pace end its bond since 2006

LONDON: British retailers slashed prices in March at the market exile fastest rate since 2006, indus- try figures showed yesterday, a reflection of the squeeze in Debt-laden nation’s sale in four years consumers’ incomes that has persisted even as the economy LONDON/ATHENS: Greece, bailout to stay afloat. The IMF recovers. at risk of crashing out of the welcomed the news, saying it The British Retail Consortium eurozone just two years ago, will proved the country’s tough aus- said shop prices in early March issue its first sovereign bond in terity policies, which have helped were 1.7 percent lower than at almost four years today, seeking eliminate its underlying budget the same time in 2013, the biggest to send a strong political and deficit, were working. “This is an annual decline in any month since economic signal it is on the way important milestone and clearly the series began in December out of its debt crisis. speaks to the success of the 2006. That was the 11th consecu- International banks have been (bailout) programme,” the head tive month of falling prices. mandated to sell a benchmark of the IMF’s Greek mission, Poul The price slide steepened from five-year, euro-denominated bond Thomsen, told reporters. 1.4 percent in February, as British under British law, with the sale The sovereign has hired Bank retailers cut prices to attract Protesters shout slogans as they march towards Parliament during a general labour strike in Athens yesterday. to be completed “in the immedi- of America Merrill Lynch, demand, particularly for clothing, ate future,” the country’s finance Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs electricals and furniture. ministry said in a statement. International, HSBC, JP Morgan Britain’s economic rebound According to sources, pric- and Morgan Stanley to arrange last year — one of the fastest ing is set for today. Greece ini- the deal. Greeks strike against reforms among advanced nations — was tially priced the sale at a yield of Athens originally planned to led by consumers. But household between 5 and 5.25 percent and tap bond markets in the second ATHENS: Greek unions held workers,” said secondary school Papapdopolo, a retiree at the incomes have come under pres- has already attracted more than half of the year, after more tan- a 24-hour anti-austerity strike teacher Nikos Toutouzakis at a Athens protest. sure as wages failed to keep up €11bn of investor interest. gible evidence that its ongoing, yesterday, shutting down ferry march in Athens. “It’s only capital The centre-right govern- with inflation in recent years. “We aim to raise up to €2.5bn,” six-year recession is over. services to the country’s world- that profits and not the workers,” ment of Prime Minister Antonis Food retailers are already feel- one Greek government official But rapidly falling bond famous islands, disrupting rail he said. Ships remained anchored Samara is currently in talks with ing the pinch, with Britain’s “big said. “It will be a great success if yields and pressure to produce travel and closing pharmacies in the main port Piraeus near Greece’s creditors over the next four” grocers — Tesco, Wal-Mart’s the coupon is below 5.3 percent.” an economic success before the and several government offices. Athens, with the country’s main instalment of funding from its Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons The sale is an important mile- European Parliament elections The first general strike of the shipping union observing the multi-billion-euro bailout. Loan —all being outpaced by sales stone for one of Europe’s most in May have persuaded Prime year, the movement is to protest strike call. The national rail- payments to Greece worth some growth at discount supermarkets. troubled economies. The last Minister Antonis Samaras and new labour reforms demanded ways, including Athens commuter €8.5bn are pending. “It’s strong industry-wide com- time it sold bonds, as opposed to his fragile coalition government by the country’s EU-IMF credi- trains, were also disrupted, though According to reports, the credi- petition as retailers vie for a share very short-term paper, was back to bring the sale forward. tors and comes as the govern- the country’s airports were seeing tors are pushing for additional of limited spending capacity that in March 2010. Greece has been In a dramatic turnaround, ment announced a return to normal service. Pharmacists have civil-service layoffs and changes is driving this record-breaking kept afloat since by €218bn of existing Greek 10-year bond yields the medium-term debt markets also staged walkouts over plans to a 1982 law on strikes to reduce run,” BRC director general Helen European Union/International dropped below 6 percent for the after a four-year absence caused to allow medicine sales in retail their frequency. Hard-hit by the Dickinson said. Monetary Fund bailout money first time in four years yesterday, by the crisis. The decision to test outlets other than pharmacies. economic crisis, Greece is expe- “Retailers have been respond- and about €15bn of treasury bills. down from about 40 percent two the market by floating a five-year Protesters close to the riencing a sixth straight year of ing to their customers with keen Athens has no pressing funding years ago when Athens imposed bond is a clear signal the govern- Communist party marched in recession and has a staggering prices and promotions to main- needs but wants to test the waters severe losses on private bondhold- ment is finding its financial foot- central Athens, with a separate 28-percent unemployment rate. tain market share, and March for more and bigger bond sales in ers in a €130bn restructuring ing, but is in marked contrast to march by the main ADEDY and The so-called “troika” of saw the deepest deflation for eight the future, as part of its strategy International investors sig- the anger vented by the 20,000 GSEE unions assembling nearby. the European Union, the years and the lowest inflation ever to cover all its funding needs from nalled they were keen to buy anti-austerity protesters assem- “Everyone needs to respond to European Central Bank and recorded for food.” the market by 2016. Greek debt as early as Tuesday, bled in Athens and Thessolinki. these politicians that are destroy- the International Monetary Prices for non-food items were Bailout payments from the EU when foreigners snapped up about “Everything they’re saying ing the people, the workers, pen- Fund first bailed out Greece in 3.2 percent lower in March than expire later this year and Greece 80 percent of a €1.3bn six-month about the return to the markets sioners and the young. There are 2010 with a programme worth a year ago, while food inflation has said it needs no further T-bill issue. REUTERS has nothing to do with us, the 1.5 million jobless,” said Vasso €110bn. AFP slowed to 0.8 percent. REUTERS

China auto Defending merger sales rise 9pc in March

BEIJING: China’s passenger vehicle sales rose 9 percent year-on-year in March, driven by delayed new model launches ahead of the Beijing auto show and a rush to buy before curbs were introduced by the Hangzhou government. There were 1,588,792 cars, sport-utility or multi-purpose vehicles and minivans sold in March, figures from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Tuesday. Sales in the first three months of 2014 increased 9.5 percent to 4.6 million vehicles, despite a weak February owing to the weeklong Spring Festival holiday. “Passenger vehicle sales dropped a bit in the first week of March,” said Rao Da, the association’s secretary-general. They “gradually picked up until the boom in the final week when the Hangzhou govern- ment announced the purchase restrictions for new vehicles in the city”. More than 70,000 vehicles were ordered in one day in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang prov- ince, after the government Comcast Executive Vice-President David Cohen (left) and Time Warner announcement on March 25, Cable Executive Vice-President and CFO Arthur Minson speak as they Rao said. QNA arrive to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger in Washington yesterday. Marka eyes fashion, retail growth

DUBAI: The company planning Marka’s IPO is being seen by are growing rapidly because of the the first initial share offering on investors and bankers as a symbol region’s consumer boom. Dubai’s main stock market for of the emirate’s recovery. It says it will introduce global five years says it will spend the The nature of the company franchises and brands to the Gulf, proceeds on opening more than underlines the return of confi- allowing it to build a customer 100 fashion stores, restaurants dence in Dubai — Marka does base quickly, though it has not and cafes across the Gulf Arab not have any current operations revealed which brands. region over the next five years. and is still being incorporated, so Marka obtained regulatory Marka, created by promi- investors will be asked to com- approval to list in Dubai as a nent businessmen in the United mit their money to a concept and “greenfield” company, which Arab Emirates, will offer for sale a group of high-profile backers, meant it did not have to file 55 percent of its capital or 275 rather than to any corporate financial records for past years million shares at Dh1 each, in a track record. as existing companies would 12-day sale beginning Sunday. Dubai-based Marka plans to have to do, Mahdi Mattar, chief Initial public offers (IPOs) of invest in the fashion retail and executive of IPO lead manager shares dried up after Dubai’s food and beverage markets of the CAPM Investment, told reporters financial crisis erupted in 2009. UAE and the Gulf, sectors which yesterday. REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Volvo puts deal Russia, China close to gas supply deal with Russian Moscow hopes to sign deal in May firm on hold MOSCOW: Russia said yester- the end of 2014. Industry sources day it was close to signing a deal said before the latest round of STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s to sell natural gas to China, a talks that Gazprom could try to Volvo, the world’s second biggest long-sought agreement which secure a deal by proposing a lower truck maker, has put a part- President Vladimir Putin could price for the gas in exchange for nership with Russian battle- hold up to show Western sanc- China handing over billions of dol- tank maker Uralvagonzavod on tions over Crimea cannot iso- lars in upfront payments. hold due to increasing tensions late his country. The sources said Gazprom was between Ukraine and Russia, The deal is the Holy Grail for hoping for a price of $10-$11 per the truck maker said yesterday. Russia after at least 10 years of mmBtu (million British ther- The early-stage partnership talks and Moscow hopes it can be mal units) from China. China is between Volvo’s trucks business signed when Putin visits China believed to pay $9 per mmBtu to in France and Uralvagonzavod next month, enabling it to go Turkmenistan, the former Soviet (UVZ) was announced in into force by the end of this year. state in Central Asia that beat September last year when the two There was no immediate com- Gazprom to the Chinese market. companies said they would jointly ment by China, whose negotiating The gas deal with China would develop a new armoured vehicle. position has been strengthened by help Gazprom reduce its depend- “We have paused (the discus- Western threats to impose more ency on exports to Europe, which sions) and thereby pushing the sanctions on Russia if Moscow gets around a third of its gas cooperation ahead in time. And sends its armed forces into east- needs from Russia. Half of this the reason for that is the situa- ern Ukraine following its annexa- amount comes via Ukraine, which tion in Crimea, which we see as tion of Crimea. is at odds with Moscow over gas an uncertainty factor,” a Volvo As talks between state-control- payments as well as being locked spokeswoman said. led Gazprom and Chinese offi- in a political standoff over the She said Volvo needed time to cials continued in China, Arkady Crimea region. discuss the issue with the French Dvorkovich, a deputy prime min- Gazprom has increased the authorities, and that no decision ister, said the sides were close to gas price for Ukraine by 80 had been taken to end the part- sealing a deal that would also percent since its neighbouring nership with UVZ. involve construction of a pipeline former Soviet republic ousted The West has imposed sanc- Women fill in documents at an office of the Russian National Commercial Bank in Crimea’s Simferopol yesterday. to carry 38 billion cubic metres Moscow-backed President tions on Russia for its annexation (bcm) of gas a year. Viktor Yanukovich and installed of Crimea, which has become the “Regarding Gazprom’s gas con- a Westward-looking government. the price. Gazprom has been in eastwards, though its plans are the European Union has stepped worst East-West confrontation tract, the sides are close to agree- Kiev said the price rise was painstaking talks over the last 10 constrained by the lack of neces- up discussion of options to reduce since the Cold War ended two ment ... The only issue remaining a politically-motivated move to years about shipping gas to China sary infrastructure. its dependence on Russian energy. decades ago. is ... the price,” he was quoted as punish it for pursuing closer ties and has been unable to agree on Russia, which extracted an Russian Energy Minister Ukraine has been in turmoil saying by Itar-Tass news agency. with the European Union. pricing. Russia ships around 16 average 10.56 million barrels of Alexander Novak said yesterday since late last year when President “We really hope that the contract Bypassing Ukraine by using percent of its total crude exports oil per day last month, exports that Moscow planned to expand Viktor Yanukovich rejected closer will be signed in May.” different pipelines, or reori- to Asia, while gas volumes are around 4.4 million bpd of oil in its East Siberia-Pacific Ocean relations with the European Gazprom said separately that enting trade to the East, have small, limited only to super-cooled total. It is gradually reducing (ESPO) pipeline to 80 million Union and tilted the country back it made progress at the talks on become priorities for the Kremlin. seaborne gas. westward flows in favour of Asia. tonnes (1.6 million barrels per towards Russia. That provoked the price China would pay for the But Russia’s desire to find new By 2035, Moscow plans to Sanctions imposed on Russia day) by 2020, as part of its goal mass protests which ultimately Russian gas and that it expected markets has also strengthened double the share of oil flows and over its annexation of Crimea are to diversify away from Europe. drove Yanukovich from office. the contract to come into force by Beijing’s negotiating position on send a third of its gas exports mainly limited to individuals but REUTERS REUTERS Russian capital outflows hit $63.7bn in Q1 Dutch postpone Russian MOSCOW: A surge in capital of total capital flight. The surge intervention in Ukraine. “substantially” and “at an outflows from Russia under- coincides with slumping invest- Domestic investment by accelerated pace”, though pre- scores how international ten- ment and a sharp deterioration Russian companies fell by 7 vious such exhortations have trade mission over Ukraine sions over Ukraine are adding in business confidence, as fore- percent in January and by 3.5 delivered scant results. VTB to the woes of Russia’s already casters slash economic growth percent in February, compared Capital economist Vladimir AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands executives from both countries. The struggling economy. forecasts after Russia’s annex- with a year earlier, illustrat- Kolychev said the outflow was yesterday postponed a mission on Dutch have been looking to expand Russia’s central bank has ation of Crimea and warnings ing how rising capital outflows being driven by companies and energy trade to Russia planned for economic ties with Russia, a big published balance of payments it could intervene further in coincide with declining willing- ordinary households, which have May because of Moscow’s annexa- export market where the Netherlands data that showed an estimated Ukraine. ness to invest in production in been rushing to convert their tion of Crimea and increased ten- is a leading investor. “(The mission) $63.7bn in net capital outflow “Of course, it’s the conflict Russia. “Overall the net capital rouble savings into dollars. “The sions in eastern Ukraine. has been postponed. The cabinet in the first three months of this with Ukraine and the uncer- outflows reflect general concern most important factor behind The Netherlands is looking at ways made the decision today, based on year — as much as the $63bn in tainty about potential (military) about financial stability, and also this huge capital outflow was to safeguard its energy supply after recent developments in Ukraine, par- outflows seen during the whole operations in eastern Ukraine declining incentives to invest in savings dollarisation,” he said. earthquakes caused by gas produc- ticularly in the east of the country,” of 2013. that triggered such big out- large operational activities by Households’ demand for tion forced it to cut output from the the foreign ministry said in a state- The bank first published a fig- flows,” said Alexei Devyatov, Russian companies,” she said. foreign currency in the first huge Groningen gas field this year. ment. It set no new date for the trip. ure of $50.6bn on Tuesday, but economist at Uralsib. Recent surveys suggest that quarter, $19.6bn, was the high- Combined with dwindling reserves, “The European Union is reviewing later included an adjusted total Alfa Bank economist Natalia business confidence is now the est since the fourth quarter of that may increase the country’s its ties with Russia,” Dutch Foreign to add $13.2bn in forex trans- Orlova said the Ukraine crisis lowest since 2008. Reacting to 2008, while banks’ foreign assets demand for imported gas. Minister Frans Timmermans actions between banks and the was only one factor, as outflows such trends, President Vladimir reached $35bn, also close to lev- The May 13-16 mission would said. “A successful mission under central bank, which analysts were already strong even before Putin has called for the busi- els last seen in the 2008 finan- have brought together high level the current circumstances is not say provides a clearer picture the threat of Russian military ness climate to be improved cial crisis. REUTERS government officials and corporate possible.” REUTERS Barclays gets maximum complaints Rich countries’ LONDON: Barclays Bank than second-ranked Lloyds Martin Wheatley, releasing the unemployment Plc has topped the list of Bank Plc. latest complaints data. “This is the most complained-about However, Lloyds was the an indication that firms seem up in Feb: OECD British bank, although the only financial services com- to be putting customers at the number of reported griev- pany to see complaints edge heart of their business. However, ances against financial serv- a fraction higher. Credit card there is clearly more for us all PARIS: Unemployment in ices companies has fallen by issuer MBNA, Lloyds-owned to do to show consumers their advanced countries rose 15 percent overall. Bank of Scotland and National interests come first.” slightly in February, the OECD The Financial Conduct Westminster Bank, owned by The majority of customer said yesterday, a setback after Authority (FCA) said yes- part-privatised Royal Bank of complaints still centre on pay- recent falls. Despite improve- terday that almost 310,000 Scotland, took the last three ment protection insurance, a ment in the general economic new complaints from retail slots in the table. mis-selling scandal for which outlook for rich countries, the customers had been opened “No firm wants to top this par- banks have set aside more unemployment rate edged up by against Barclays from July ticular list, and they all should than $33.5bn for compensation 0.1 percentage points to 7.6 per- to December last year. That be striving to ensure that cus- claims, followed by gripes about cent from the January level, said marked a fall of 17 percent from tomers are being treated fairly other insurance products, cur- the OECD. the first half of the year, but and not given cause to com- rent accounts, credit cards and The increase — due largely to was still around 50,000 more plain,” said FCA Chief Executive savings. REUTERS rises in the United States and some eurozone countries — came after three months of falls in the overall rate of unemployment in The first bitcoin kiosk the 34 countries the OECD cov- ers. High rates of unemployment remain one of the main legacies of the financial and eurozone debt crises. The OECD said there were 11.4 million more people unem- ployed in its member states than when the financial crisis began in July 2008. That figure meant that the OECD area, grouping advanced democracies, had managed to reduce the total by 3.8 mil- lion since the highest point in April 2010. But it still left 46 million people qualifying as unemployed, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said. In the recovering United States, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 points in February to 6.7 percent, after falling for three months. In the eurozone, it edged up in the Netherlands, France and Italy. But in Spain, where unemploy- ment has surged because of a debt Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley demonstrates the first bitcoin kiosk (ATM) in the House Rayburn crisis and local property market Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. crash, it edged down 0.2 points to 25.6 percent. AFP THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

Japan Economy Summit US warns Eight largest US banks eurozone over asked to raise capital deflation risk WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warned Around $68bn buffer needed to reduce risk factors the eurozone yesterday to pay heed to the risk of deflation, WASHINGTON: US banking leverage ratio. The banks affected criticised as too lax. By meeting adding pressure on European regulators ordered the eight are Bank of America, The Bank the 5 percent ratio, the banks authorities and the European largest “too big to fail” banks of New York Mellon, Citigroup, will avoid Fed limitations on div- Central Bank to boost growth. to raise capital levels in a bid to Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, idends and discretionary bonus “The risk of low demand and address weaknesses seen in the Morgan Stanley, State Street and payments. The eight banks’ sub- the risk of deflation is something 2008 financial crisis. Wells Fargo. sidiaries will be required to have they need to be very alert to,” Lew Federal Reserve Chair Janet The Fed said its aim was “to loss-absorbing capital worth more said. Speaking days before Group Yellen said the robust capital reduce the effect of a firm’s fail- than 6 percent of their assets, of 20 finance minister and central standards — the banks will need ure or material weakness on the double the Basel III level. The bankers meet in Washington, Lew to raise a reported $68bn in addi- financial system and the broader supplemental level, like the 3 per- said countries running strong fis- tional capital — were “essential to economy” — the latest step taken cent Basel level, will take effect on cal and trade surpluses should do reduce systemic risk and mitigate by regulators to reduce the proba- January 1, 2018. more to increase demand, to help the distortions imposed by insti- bility that a large, interconnected Tarullo, who is in charge of Fed deficit countries. tutions deemed too big to fail.” bank would fail, and in doing so regulation, suggested that the “In Europe as a whole, the Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo would damage the US financial new surcharge could help pave growth rate is very modest, the said the bigger capital cushion system. The move is designed to the way for an additional capi- risk of deflation is something that would serve as a “critical back- help ensure banks can remain on tal charge to address risks posed has a lot of people concerned,” he stop” to the banking system. their feet when the funding mar- by short-term wholesale funding said. “There is a demand prob- The Federal Reserve, the ket for banks suddenly dries up that contributed to the 2008-2009 lem in the world and there is a Federal Deposit Insurance in a crisis, as happened in 2008, global financial crisis. demand problem in Europe.”. Corporation (FDIC) and the when governments were forced The director of the FDIC, “There are a number of coun- Treasury Department’s Office of to step in and prop up financial Jeremiah Norton, noted that the tries that could do more, and the Comptroller of the Currency institutions. new rule would help offset weak- Germany obviously is one of the adopted the rule requiring the Under the action, the banks nesses in the Basel III reforms, surplus countries in Europe.” systemically important banks will have to meet an additional which failed to address key indus- He suggested that more invest- to hold significantly increased 2 percent of capital on top of the try problems highlighted in the ment in infrastructure could help levels of high-quality capital in 3 percent level required under financial crisis, like the appropri- Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, makes a speech during boost demand, in turn countering relation to their risk exposure, the Basel III regulatory reforms, ate risk-weighting for mortgages the New Economy Summit 2014 in Tokyo yesterday. More than 1,000 the deflationary pressures from their so-called supplementary which US regulators have and foreign sovereign debt. AFP business leaders, entrepreneurs, businessmen and students took part slow growth. AFP in the two-day forum. Intel, BoA Costa Rica closure to cost 3,000 jobs Investors snap up

SAN JOSE: Two big US firms off 1,500 employees. About 2,700 in the coming year, but that has was shutting down operations — Bank of America and micro- people have been employed at an yet to be determined.” in Costa Rica, where it employs Turkey’s €1bn bond chip giant Intel — announced assembly plant set up in 1998. “We need to be more effective 1,400 people in a technological closures in Costa Rica leading Intel’s exports made up just and efficient in our business (and) unit. The company said the clo- ISTANBUL: Turkey com- plot orchestrated by his political to nearly 3,000 layoffs, dealing over 20 percent of Costa Rica’s the work done in Costa Rica will sure would take place over the pleted almost all of its planned enemies to undermine him, one a double blow to the Central overall exports in 2013, though be moved to assembly testing sites next nine to 12 months, and aims borrowing for 2014 yesterday, of the biggest challenges of his American country’s economy. most of the material used to man- in China, Malaysia and Vietnam,” to concentrate on its activities in when foreign investors snapped 11-year rule. Foreign Trade Minister Anabel ufacture them had been imported. Mulloy said. Gonzalez said the other countries. up a €1bn Eurobond issue in a The April 11, 2023, Eurobond Gonzalez, who had taken part in “We are going to phase out company “determined that since “As a result of constant reviews sign of confidence in the coun- carried a coupon of 4.125 per- negotiations with Intel, said that our manufacturing operations most of its buyers and suppliers we will close our technology and try’s economic health after cent and a yield to investors of the computer chip giant’s pres- in Costa Rica over the next six are in Asia, it is more efficient.” operations sites in San Jose de months of political turbulence. 4.2 percent, the Treasury said. ence had helped lure 200 multi- months. It is assembly test manu- The computer chip maker Costa Rica,” the bank said in a The issue attracted bids for Foreign investors accounted for nationals to Costa Rica, most of facturing. It will result in the loss announced in mid-January it was statement, referring to the capi- some six times the amount on 85 percent of the issue, most of them high-tech related. of about 1,500 jobs,” Intel spokes- going to lay off five percent of its tal city. offer and increased the amount them in Germany. A Eurobond is “Intel was a landmark in our man Chuck Mulloy said. worldwide workforce in 2014, cut- Gabriela Llobet, director at the Turkey has raised on interna- a bond issued in a currency other history. It put Costa Rica on the “We will continue to stay in ting around 5,400 jobs, as it tries Costa Rican Development Plans tional capital markets this year than that of the issuer’s own. map as a place to invest and for Costa Rica with more than 1,000 to combat the effects of the stag- Coalition, said Bank of America’s to just over $6bn, the Treasury The proceeds will be transferred high-tech firms. Their lead helped employees in finance, informa- nating market for personal com- shutdown caught her by surprise. said in a statement. to Treasury accounts on April us become a player globally,” she tion technology, engineering and puters. Intel saw its net income But she believes it has nothing Prime Minister Tayyip 11. The Treasury had mandated said. Intel said it was reducing research,” Mulloy added, noting fall 13 percent to $9.6bn last year. to do with Sunday’s presidential Erdogan’s government has been Deutsche Bank, ING Bank and its assembly and testing opera- there were “200 more positions Hours later, in an unrelated runoff. “It is just a bad coinci- dogged since December by a cor- J.P. Morgan for the issue, matur- tions in Costa Rica and will lay in those areas that may be added move, Bank of America said it dence,” Llobet said. AFP ruption scandal he has cast as a ing on April 11, 2023. REUTERS

QATARI MARKET Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 105.50 1.01% Aa2 AA Britain’s Just Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 120.13 2.21% Aa2 AA German trade surplus slips Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 114.00 2.57% Aa2 AA BERLIN: Germany’s power- eurozone’s weaker members. Last in 2013 but imports from the EU Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 109.13 3.13% Aa2 AA ful trade surplus shrank in year its trade surplus surged to a were even stronger. Retirement Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 156.75 4.67% Aa2 AA February from the January record high, while neighbouring The International Monetary Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 118.75 5.05% Aa2 AA level after exports fell amid an France, the eurozone’s second- Fund on Tuesday cut its growth sales to be Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 109.50 5.07% Aa2 AA uncertain economic environ- biggest economy, still showed a forecast for the global economy, Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 103.56 0.53% Aa2 AA ment, but imports continued to huge deficit despite progress. pointing to the threat from the grow, data showed yesterday. The trade surplus underpins Ukraine crisis and the slowdown Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 111.50 2.93% Aa2 AA hit by reforms Europe’s top economy posted the eurozone’s external accounts in major emerging economies. Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 102.38 0.78% A1 A- a trade surplus of €15.7bn in and is an important factor in One of the main factors of LONDON: Insurer Just Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.50 1.74% A1 A- February, down 9 percent from what French Prime Minister growth in any economy is the Retirement Group Plc said it no QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.00 0.96% NR NR €17.3bn in January, allowing for Manuel Valls criticised as the balance of exports minus imports, longer expects full-year sales to QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 103.25 0.90% Aa3 A+ seasonal blips. The dip was the undue strength of the euro which with a surplus being a plus fac- grow 7 percent, blaming uncer- QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 104.50 1.66% Aa3 A+ result of slightly higher imports of he said was penalising exporters. tor in the overall components of tainty in Britain’s individually Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.38 1.86% A2 A- €77.6bn, against a 1.3-percent fall France’s new government has activity. Analysts saw no cause underwritten annuities market in exports to €93.3bn, the federal made correcting the country’s for concern for now in the latest after surprise pension reforms Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 104.88 1.29% A2 A- statistics office Destatis said. chronic structural deficit a pri- German data. last month. Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 124.50 2.70% A2 A- Germany has come under fire ority. Germany’s exports to the Annalisa Piazza, of Newedge In the biggest shake up in pen- Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 107.63 3.43% A2 A- for its large trade surplus, with European Union, Germany’s big- Strategy, said the figures were a sions in nearly a century, Finance Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 104.38 4.47% A2 A- critics arguing that its economic gest trading partner, increased in “sign that trade activity remains Minister George Osborne’s annual Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 102.13 0.61% Aa3 A might comes at the expense of the February from the same month solid”. AFP budget in mid March relaxed Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 106.63 2.87% Aa3 A rules that traditionally forced Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 108.38 3.76% Aa3 A pensioners to buy annuities at retirement. The reforms give reti- Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 108.38 3.76% Aa3 A rees more access to their pension SOVEREIGNS pots and allow them to put away Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P more money tax-free, giving them Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 121.75 2.08% Aa2 AA the option of not buying annuities. Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 107.75 1.21% NR NR This could mean less business for Just Retirement, which gets Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 108.00 2.09% NR NR about three-quarters of its sales Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 125.75 3.26% NR NR from individual underwritten Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 118.88 3.68% NR NR annuities, which are underwritten Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 102.63 0.40% Aa2 AA against a retiree’s pensions pot. Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 114.63 2.78% NR BBB Such annuities are given to Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 108.13 3.91% NR BBB people who often have health Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 104.25 4.83% Caa1 B- problems so they can get better terms. “Current trading suggests Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 106.50 3.30% NR BBB- that the budget has had a mate- Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 106.38 3.32% NR BBB- rial effect on individually under-

*Periodic Distribution Amount written annuity volumes,” Chief IMPORTANT NOTE: Executive Rodney Cook said in a Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which statement yesterday. is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services The company, which went pub- Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary lic last November, did not give a data and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising out of the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not new estimate for sales growth. take into account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds Bernstein Research said last can and does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant month that the reforms could liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not shrink Britain’s annuity market a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and consult your financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. for individuals by up to half. Just Retirement said the weakness in the IUA business would be mod- P eople looking at a washing machine during a media preview at the Panasonic booth at the IFA consumer erated by a “small success” in the electronics fair in Berlin. German imports climbed to their highest level since reunification while exports fell defined benefit market — where the in February, in a sign that domestic demand in Europe’s largest economy is gathering pace. Figures showed employer and employee agree on the seasonally-adjusted imports climbed by 0.4 percent to €77.6bn. terms of the pension. REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 BUSINESS VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

Crazy valuations not A cost-benefit analysis only sign of bubble BY ROB COX of making safer cars BY CASS R SUNSTEIN razy valuations – even after a recent dip – are not the Safety Act, a law designed to reduce the not quantified all the benefits that drivers only signal that parts of the US stock market, particularly risk of back over crashes, which result in will receive, including simplified parking and Internet companies, are in bubble territory. The willing- an a federal regulation be worth- about 267 deaths and 15,000 injuries each increases in ease and convenience. Cness of investors in hot initial public offerings to accept while if its monetised costs year. About a third of the fatalities involve All this is pretty sensible. To be sure, a second-class stock and governance that favours insiders suggests exceed its monetised benefits? children under the age of 5. The act requires hard-line approach to cost-benefit analy- an imbalance between providers of capital and its consumers. Add Consider the Department of the agency “to expand the required field of sis would demand that the Department of head-scratching market caps based on contorted metrics, and this Transportation’s decision last view to enable drivers of a motor vehicle to Transportation be more disciplined in its risks storing up trouble when the inevitable headwinds arrive. Cweek to require rear-visibility cameras in detect areas behind the motor vehicle.” discussion of unquantifiable benefits, and The best description of the stock being hawked in this way essentially all new cars starting in 2018. The The department’s second answer was less it would insist on more serious efforts at is “coattails equity.” It offers little beyond a chance to tag along regulation will eventually affect millions of straightforward and more interesting. It quantification. with entrepreneurs from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and China. Americans, increasing the safety of those insisted that the monetised figures do not For example, some research suggests Buyers of shares in IPOs such as those of Box, GrubHub, Moelis & behind their cars, particularly children. tell us everything we need to know about that for children, the value of a statistical Co, Virtu Financial and Weibo – and probably $100bn-plus giant Sound good? Here’s the problem: The the benefits of the regulation. The governing life is around $18m. If the department had Alibaba – must give up rights that have traditionally accompanied Department of Transportation projects that executive order, issued by President Barack used that number, would the total benefits the ownership of common shares, like a representative voice in the new regulation will cost between $546m Obama in 2011, allows agencies to consider number get close to the costs? corporate decisions. and $620m — and perhaps as much as $924m. “values that are difficult or impossible to And perhaps it would be possible to quan- It’s a big shift in the paradigm of stock ownership, and it could That will mean an additional cost, per car, of quantify, including equity, human dignity, tify the monetary benefits of an easier driv- make the next downturn trickier in some ways even than the $44 (for cars already equipped with a suitable fairness, and distributive impacts.” ing experience — and to see whether that tech collapse at the turn of the millennium. The most obvious visual display) to $142 (for cars without such On this count, the department empha- figure would materially increase the depart- governance problem is a multiplicity of classes of shares. Weibo, a display). At the same time, the government sized four points. First, about one-third ment’s benefits estimate. the Twitter-like service of Chinese Internet conglomerate Sina, projects benefits of only $265m to $396m, with of the deaths involve very young children. To reduce the risk of unhelpful or dumb is selling Class A shares in New York. These take a back seat a high-end estimate of $595m. While it used its usual $9 million figure to regulation, cost- benefit analysis is excep- to the B shares that Sina will continue to own and which carry Since the early 1980s, both Republican value a “statistical life” (as it is called), it tionally important. Everyone should agree triple the votes. and Democratic presidents have required emphasized that some studies find a signifi- that agencies should not defeat the purpose That’s nothing compared to Box, the company Aaron Levie executive agencies to give careful considera- cantly higher number for young children. of that analysis by invoking unquantifiable founded in his dorm room. Box sells a service with not very obvi- tion to the costs and benefits of regulations, Second, the department noted that in some benefits. But in the context of rear visibility, ous barriers to entry that allows customers to store their digital and to proceed only if the benefits justify cases, drivers have been the direct cause of the Department of Transportation acted files on the internet. Box’s Class A shares have just one-tenth of the costs. their own children’s death — an unimagina- quite reasonably, pointing to values that are the votes that attach to its Class B shares, which should allow Why, then, did the government proceed bly horrific outcome that “is not fully or ade- not easy to turn into monetary equivalents Levie and his backers to call the shots long after their economic with a rule that, by its own projection, has quately captured in the traditional measure but cannot be considered irrelevant to its interests shrink. net costs of at least $200m? There are two of the value of a statistical life.” overall assessment. Such structures are not uncommon in tech land. Google just answers. Third, the department stressed that No one wants to pay more for a new car. last week created a third class of shares to further consolidate the The first involves the Department of many of those killed or injured in back over But if the result is to save some children’s control of its founders. And Facebook went public in 2012 with two Transportation’s obligation to comply with crashes are disabled or old, and they are lives and to prevent a significant number of classes that entrench the influence of founder Mark Zuckerberg. the law. In 2007, Congress enacted the not in a good position to protect themselves. serious accidents, the added cost is worth But the idea seems to be migrating further and further from Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Finally, the department said that it had incurring. WP-BLOOMBERG Greater San Francisco. Two savvy practitioners of the dark arts of finance are taking the practice to new lows. Ken Moelis’ eponymous investment bank sports two classes of stock, with the B shares carrying a supersized 10 votes each. Even more noteworthy, these super-voters will be collected in an entity which will be 97 percent controlled by the founder. Thanks to the control arrangements, the listed company won’t need to ensure a majority of the board is independent, nor does it have to put independent directors on its compensation and governance committees. Virtu Financial’s IPO takes it up another notch with four classes of stock. As a result of the recent brouhaha over high-frequency trading sparked by Michael Lewis’s book “Flash Boys,” the offer- ing has been delayed, according to news reports. When it does come, though, founder Vincent Viola’s holdings of Class D shares, with 10 times the votes of new investors’ stock, will allow him to wield control. Lousy governance is not, however, confined to companies with dual or even quadruple stock structures. Take GrubHub, the restaurant delivery service website whose share price popped 31 percent on its first day of trading last week. The company’s certificate of incorporation includes a litany of by-laws designed to insulate executives against pesky shareholders, including a poison pill to repel any unwanted takeover, limits on the abilities of stockholders to call special meetings, and an old-school stag- gered board of directors. The structure means shareholders only get to elect a third of directors every year, which impedes the ability of unhappy inves- tors to wage a proxy fight to overhaul a poorly performing board. Last year, just 11 percent of companies in the S&P 500 Index had this kind of arrangement, down from more than 52 percent in 2005, according to law firm Fried Frank. In effect, GrubHub and its ilk are taking investors back in time, winding back rights that activists and shareholder advocates have worked for decades to establish. In many cases the businesses concerned are innovative and disruptive. But when it comes to shareholder democracy, they’re retrograde. For now, investors don’t seem to mind. They’re hungry for growth, and that’s what Box, Weibo, Moelis and others offer. But when these businesses and their leaders mature or, God forbid, fail to capitalize on their founders’ visions, shareholders will regret there isn’t much they can do about it. REUTERS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

China provides cushion for corn farmers amid surplus output ven after four years of Board of Trade are down 41 per- corn than we had realised, and report. China ranks fourth in “The government has always of corn. Government stockpiling record corn harvests left cent from a record in 2012. as the government tries to deal beef consumption, has the third- viewed stable grain prices as a can be expensive for consumers China with the world’s Since government subsidies with the glut, imports are not largest cattle herd and is the foundation of social stability,” because imports are cheaper. Ebiggest surplus since began in 2008, when global food seen as necessary,” said Li Qiang, second-largest milk producer. For including the cost of rice, wheat Corn from the US, the world’s 2002, Zhang Fengyou and mil- prices tracked by the UN jumped Chairman at research company chicken, only the US eats more and corn, said Feng Lichen, the largest grower and exporter, was lions of farmers in the northeast to the highest, Chinese farmers Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., who than China, the data show. Dalian-based General Manager, trading at its widest discount to provinces are planting more. boosted corn output by 43 percent, has studied China’s agriculture The State Administration of Yigu Information Consulting Ltd., cash grain on Dalian market on They know the government will collecting 217.7m metric tonnes industry for 30 years. He esti- Grain, in a 2009 statement, said a provider of crop data to farmers January 9 at 1,394 yuan a tonne, buy corn at above-market prices, in 2013, the US Department of mated China will grow more corn government stockpiling would and traders. according to data compiled by stockpiling enough to supply the Agriculture (USDA) estimated than it uses for at least another “protect farmers’ interests” and Stockpiling policies for rice Bloomberg. While the discount 28 nations of the EU for a year. in March. two years. “stabilise market prices,” which were introduced by the gov- has narrowed as Chicago prices State reserves are a strategic Before the harvest starts in Because output can be hurt by the previous year dropped from a ernment in 2004, and wheat rose this year, it’s still up 39 per- asset for China, the world’s most- September, stockpiles will reach weather, pests and natural disas- record during the global financial was added in 2006, according cent from a year ago. populous nation, where corn used 72.2m tonnes, almost twice 37m ters, the government determined crisis. In a March 2010 report, the to National Development and China also uses a quota system to feed hogs, cattle and poultry tonnes held in the US and about China needed ample supply to agency urged “building agricul- Reform Commission. to keep out cheaper corn imports, surged 44 percent over the past as much as the 73.5m the EU will sustain livestock herds that feed tural infrastructure, increasing With the help of subsidies, with grain processors in southern five years as meat consumption use this year, data show. a growing population. The coun- technological investment and pro- corn output last year increased provinces required to buy from climbed. The government paid farm- try will have 1.356bn people this moting high-quality, high-yield by the equivalent of total imports northern producers, according “Nothing compares to corn for ers in Heilongjiang 2,220 yuan a year, or about 19 percent of the corn” while “increasing the size for the previous six years, USDA to Li. giving a stable and good return,” tonne ($9.08 a bushel) in 2013, up world total, US Census Bureau of state corn reserves.” The tem- data show. That’s limited demand The government provides said Zhang, 39, who plans to fill from 1,480 yuan in 2008, accord- data show. porary stockpiles would be sold for imported grain even as China transportation subsidies of 140 his entire 11-hectare farm in ing to the State Administration Rising incomes are increas- later “at prices in line with the became the world’s largest corn yuan per tonne for companies Baiwu, Heilongjiang province, of Grain website. Price gains were ing demand for protein in China, market,” according to the report. consumer after the US. While that ship corn out of the north- with corn this year, a reversal similar in the rest of the north- where the economy doubled in With the government as a USDA projects imports of 5m east provinces, the grain admin- from 2009, when most land was east, the main growing region, five years to displace Japan as buyer, growing corn became more tonnes in 12 months ending istration said in November. used for soybean. including the provinces of Jilin, the world’s second-largest in profitable. Farmers on average August 31, actual purchases may The picture is different for soy- Rising corn production has Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. 2010. About 72 percent of the corn earned 2,965 yuan per hectare be less as orders are cancelled, bean, which as oilseed is seen by dashed forecasts that economic On Zhang’s farm, outside the China uses this year will be con- in 2012, after all costs, includ- said Feng. China as less strategic than rice, growth and increased meat city of Suihua, about 550km sumed as livestock feed, with the ing labour, twice the return from Rabobank Groep NV in 2010 wheat and corn. Imports of the demand would make China the northwest of Russia’s far eastern rest made into ethanol, starches soybean of 1,543 yuan, according predicted China would over- crop, used as feed and to make largest importer of the grain and port of Vladivostok, last year’s and sweeteners. to the Compilation on Costs and take Japan as the world’s largest food and cooking oil, have doubled send global prices higher. Instead, corn crop earned him 10,950 yuan Already the world’s largest Returns of China Agricultural importer by 2015, buying 25m in six years as processors take China’s self-sufficiency eased the ($1,763) per hectare, twice 4,000 meat-consuming nation, demand Products, a report published tonnes. USDA said in February advantage of cheaper supplies strain of climbing world con- yuan for soybeans. is up 11 percent since 2011, last year by National Bureau of it may take until 2021 for China from the US and Brazil. sumption. Futures on the Chicago “China has reaped much more according to a November USDA Statistics. to top Japan as the top importer WP-BLOOMBERG THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MARKET

QE Indices Summary EXCHANGE QE Index 12,375.03 1.52 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER QE Total Return Index 18,453.84 1.78 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,949.44 2.55 % RATE QE All Share Index 3,179.33 1.72 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 3,015.73 1.74 % GOLD Buying Selling Services All Ordinaries 5460.272 51.091 0.94 5477.3 5072.7 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 7,451.14 0.63 % QR153.1064 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 Services Cac 40 Index/D 4444.51 19.68 0.44 4496.54 4080.6 QE All Share Industrials 4,292.15 0.56 % SILVER UK ...... QR 6.0613 QR 6.1461 QE All Share Insurance 3,107.66 3.25 % Dj Indu Average 16256.14 10.27 0.06 16631.6 14444.03 Euro ...... QR 4.9920 QR 5.0613 QE All Share Real Estate 2,484.66 5.98 % QR 2.3297 CA$ ...... QR 3.3025 QR 3.3669 QE All Share Telecoms 1,673.69 2.27 % Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 QE All Share Transportation 2,201.73 2.25 % Swiss Fr ...... QR 4.0997 QR 4.1577 QE Market Summary Comparison Hang Seng Inde/D 22843.17 246.2 1.09 23469.33 21137.61 Yen ...... QR 0.0354 QR 0.0361 Today Previous day Aus$ ...... QR 3.3811 QR 3.4471 Iseq Overall/D 5020.29 33.51 0.67 5195.97 4522.4 CRUDE OIL 09-04-2014 08-04-2014 Ind Re ...... QR 0.0600 QR 0.0612 Index 12,375.03 12,189.69 Karachi 100 In/D 28941.01 287.64 1 28817.28 25273.11 Pak Re ...... QR 0.0368 QR 0.0375 Change 185.34 27.06 BRENT Peso ...... QR 0.0809 QR 0.0825 Nikkei 225 Index 14299.69 -307.19 -2.1 16164.01 13995.86 % 1.52 0.22 SL Re ...... QR 0.0276 QR 0.0282 YTD% 19.22 17.44 $ 107.40 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 1897.28 1536.03 Taka ...... QR 0.0463 QR 0.0475 Volume 43,186,045 23,514,316 DUBAI Nep Re ...... QR 0.0377 QR 0.0385 Value (QAR) 1,531,115,605.13 915,439,624.65 Straits Times/D 3209.92 5.83 0.18 3228.81 2953.01 Trades 14,716 11,886 $ 104.19 SA Rand ...... QR 0.3445 QR 0.3528 Up 36 | Down 04 | Unchanged 02 Straits Times/D 2971.47 22.7 0.77 3035.78 2657.77

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 09-04-2014

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED

A C C-A/D 1368.1 -11.8 43848 Chowgule St-T/D 12.02 0.05 3046 Hcl Infosys-B/D 47.6 2.9 2113842 Kg Denim-B/D 14.6 0.27 13451 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 348 21 32341 Kingfisher/D 433.5 11.2 4429658 Aban Offs-B/D 556.5 4.9 397562 Cimmco-B/D 15.85 0.7 2675 Him.Fut.Comm-B/D 9.11 0.06 424464 Kilburnengg-B/D 22.8 0.95 8350 Salora Inter-B/D 21.3 0.8 5147 Land Secs Grou/D 1015.64 2 373146 Ador Welding-B/D 150 9 5959 Cipla-A/D 399.65 3 123390 Himat Seide-B/D 59 1.95 154211 Kinetic Eng-B/D 38.95 -1.5 24120 Saur.Cem-B/D 20.2 0.95 5000 Legal & Genera/D 213 -0.5 8370159 Aegis Logis-B/D 173 3.75 85147 City Union Bk-/D 52.1 1.05 75370 Hind Motors-B/D 8.1 0.46 506235 Kopran-B/D 25.75 0.35 59940 Savita Oil-B/D 504 -2.6 3205 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 74.6323 0.73 53670622 Ahmed.Forg-B/D 134 3.4 13094 Cmc Ltd-B/D 1485 18.75 5257 Hind Unilever-/D 608 3.5 54426 Lgb Broth-B/D 443.2 5.8 15965 Thirumalai-B/D 94.5 2.75 4917 Marks & Sp./D 453.966 0.8 2011104 Alembic-B/D 20.95 1.2 542241 Colgate-A/D 1388.05 -0.75 11687 Hind.Petrol-A/D 314 5.95 75591 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 16 -0.22 321856 Til Ltd.-B/D 173 11.15 5924 Next/D 6495 85 124291 Alok Indus-B/D 8.15 0.22 1439933 Container Cor-/D 922.65 15.4 3466 Hindalco-A/D 142.9 5.75 1122518 Lumax Ind-B/D 304 -0.5 5683 Timexgroup-B/D 10.01 0.12 38722 Pearson/D 1036 13 1014646 Apollo Tyre-A/D 167.85 1.65 195974 Dai-Tichi Kar-/D 58.55 -2.4 6026 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 924.35 29.35 119735 Lupin-A/D 981.9 21 32303 Tinplate-B/D 52.2 1.55 27405 Prudential/D 1310.55 12.5 1073999 Asahi I Glass-/D 62 0.65 10646 Dcm Shram Ind-/D 58.45 0.3 2313 I F C I-A/D 25.7 0.7 868664 Lyka Labs-B/D 10.99 0.29 6049 Ub Engineer-B/D 10.18 0 10668 Rank Group/D 158.4 0 16954 Ashok Leyland-/D 24.6 1.5 2620777 Dhampur Sugar-/D 47.1 -0.85 28451 Idbi-A/D 66.6 2.45 418478 Mafatlal Ind-B/D 118.5 3.7 16336 Ub Engineer-B/D 10.18 0 10668 Rentokil Initi/D 118.7 -1.1 491998 Ballarpur In-B/D 15.01 0.17 366537 Dr. Reddy-A/D 2610 7.6 11232 India Cement-B/D 67.05 0.9 133784 Maha Scooter-B/D 488 18.1 13627 Ucal Fuel-B/D 56.5 -0.7 23871 Rolls Royce Pl/D 1058.89 5 1423142 Banaras Bead-B/D 31.5 1.5 2187 E I H-B/D 73.65 1.65 56613 India Glycol-B/D 99.95 3.95 98151 Maral Overs-B/D 19.65 0 15098 Ultramarine-B/D 54.9 1.5 13264 Rsa Insrance G/D 94.306 0.8 5489949 Bata India-A/D 1096.7 11.35 9519 E.I.D Parry-B/D 155.2 -2.15 16397 Indian Hotel-A/D 75.25 -0.45 57849 Mrpl-A/D 49.1 2.05 149285 Unitech P -A/D 15.85 0.5 5214990 Sainsbury(J)/D 310.9 2.4 2458672 Beml Ltd-B/D 338.1 11.15 302733 Eicher Motor-A/D 6206 172.85 1362 Indo-Bcount-B/D 45.7 2.7 57057 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 20.45 1.05 1570 Uppergsugar-B/D 35.15 -1.8 1550 Schroders/D 2641 20 85348 Bh Electronic-/D 1140 33.9 2624 Electrosteel-B/D 21.6 2.15 431698 Indusind-A/D 516.25 17.85 134968 Nahar Spg.-B/D 110.35 5.95 29432 Severn Trent/D 1815 20 109933 Bhansali Eng-B/D 13 0.22 1610 Emco-B/D 31.2 2.7 648297 J.B.Chemical-B/D 141.2 4.15 125245 Nation Alum -A/D 39.6 0.5 84037 LONDON Smith&Nephew/D 904.25 4.5 645807 Bharat Bijle-T/D 505 23.65 1772 Escorts-B/D 127.45 4.7 898081 Jbf Indu-B/D 91.65 1.6 16575 Navneet Edu-B/D 60.1 0.3 23236 Smiths Group/D 1257 15 307411 Bharatgears-B/D 46.4 3.45 3002 Essar Oil-A/D 58.4 4.8 2657972 Jct Elect P -B/D 0.43 0 10467 Nepc India-B/D 3 0.04 21435 3I Group/D 384 3 272039 Standrd Chart /D 1329 38.5 6836708 Bhartiya Int-B/D 229.5 11.75 27135 Eveready Indu-/D 44.8 -0.1 84341 Jct Ltd-B/D 2.3 0.09 157223 Neuland Lab-B/D 254.25 0.2 4909 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 2629 -16 452246 Tate & Lyle/D 669.8295 18 1013973 Bhel-A/D 182.2 4.35 478042 F D C-B/D 136.25 1.95 54893 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 0 0 2432 Nrb Bearings-B/D 51 1.35 26158 B Sky B/D 892.82 4 770152 Tesco/D 284.96 -2.8 11307432 Bom.Burmah-B/D 107.25 3.15 27602 Federal Bank-A/D 98 5 371482 Jik Indust-T/D 0.76 -0.04 4375 O N G C-A/D 321.5 -4.05 227881 Barclays/D 239.064 0.45 14649607 Unilever/D 2624 18 1459942 Bombay Dyeing-/D 64.75 0.95 591341 Ferro Alloys-B/D 6.11 0.38 125729 Jindal Drill-B/D 220.1 9.05 13736 Oil Country-B/D 41.6 2.5 12047 Bg Group/D 1119 -9.5 2086586 United Util Gr/D 769.18 -0.5 688071 Camph.& All-B/D 203 4.15 10542 Finolex-B/D 207 4.4 37670 Jktyre&Ind-B/D 185 -0.15 139717 Onward Tech-B/D 46.6 -0.85 4198 Bp/D 480.643 3.45 5125381 Vodafone Group/D 218.4 3.4 17604214 Canfin Homes-B/D 222 15.8 21024 Gail-A/D 374.45 9.85 62610 Jmc Projects-B/D 98 2 6124 Orchid Chem-B/D 56.65 1.05 274623 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3425 35 1126930 Whitbread/D 4132 63 175901 Caprihans-B/D 43 2.1 8107 Gammon India-B/D 18.15 1.85 232266 Kabra Extr-B/D 37.1 2.3 16342 Orient.Carb.-B/D 166 3.05 19979 Bt Group/D 365.4 3.5 9716833 Cast.Bo/D 304.65 -0.9 142272 Gangotri Tex-B/D 0.96 0.04 2200 Kajaria Cer-B/D 366 0.3 1398 Radico Khait-B/D 144.9 0.1 34020 Centrica/D 337.7 1.7 5390646 Century Enka-B/D 147 -0.5 17785 Garden P -B/D 38.8 0.65 2955 Kalpat Power-B/D 105.95 6.95 161599 Rallis India-B/D 165.25 -1.2 15184 Gkn/D 381.9 3.5 1554913 Century Text-A/D 373 0.7 35755 Goodricke-B/D 150.75 2.2 10658 Kalyani Stel-B/D 67.2 2.55 167003 Reliance Indus/D 417 6.1 175892 Hsbc Holdings/D 611.6 6.6 13143559 Chambal Fert-B/D 43.65 1.4 177049 Goodyear I -B/D 434 6.6 26439 Kanoria Chem-B/D 32 1.35 27446 Ruchi Soya-B/D 34 0.65 337085 Imperial Tobac/D 2410 17 457948 THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27 Sprinter Simpson gets 18-month doping ban Discus thrower Randall given two-year ban

KINGSTON: Athens Olympics Simpson’s agent of the five sup- Sherone’s case and cannot be dis- relay champion Sherone Paul Doyle said plements given puted. “The fact that the panel Simpson (pictured), has been on Tuesday she to her but when has given 18 months suspension suspended for 18 months after would lodge an she searched and have provided no explana- testing positive for the banned appeal against online, she tion as to why is unacceptable stimulant oxilofrine during last the ban. noted that in our opinion. As a result, we Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson June’s Jamaican trials. “We feel none of the sub- will be seeking justice instead (15) attempts a shot over Sacramento Kings Simpson was the second that this rul- stances printed from the Court of Arbitration forward Jason Thompson (34) in the third Jamaican athlete to be handed a ing is incredibly on the bottle of Sport.” quarter of their NBA game yesterday. doping ban yesterday as Olympic unjust and we of Epiphany Simpson was one of five discus thrower Allison Randall will be appeal- D1 appeared Jamaicans to test positive at was suspended for two years after ing to the Court on the World last June’s national champion- she too failed a drugs test during of Arbitration of Anti-Doping ships. Both she and former world the 2013 national trials. Sport immedi- Agency’s 100 record holder Asafa Powell Nowitzki and Nash “Miss Simpson has admitted ately,” Doyle said banned list. returned adverse findings for the anti-doping violation and ... in a statement. “On our oxilofrine. Powell will hear his now having listened and reviewed “The case advice, USADA verdict today. all the evidence and listened to in our opinion (United States Randall, 26, who holds the make NBA history the detailed submissions of coun- should be very Anti-Doping Jamaican discus record with a cils, this panel is unanimously of straight for- Agency)ordered distance of 61.21 metres, tested LOS ANGELES: A pair of Jackson, who is now coach of the view that Ms Simpson was ward. Sherone the supplement positive for the banned diuretic former Dallas Maverick team- the Golden State Warriors, con- negligent in all the circumstances took a legal supplement that was directly from the company and hydro-chlorothiazide - which mates, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve gratulated Nash via Twitter. as an elite athlete and as such, contaminated with oxilofrine. tested it themselves and con- reduces blood volume. Nash, made National Basketball “Congrats to the great Steve the period of ineligibility will be 18 “Two different labs that we firmed the same,” said Doyle. “The sanction imposed by the Association history on the same Nash on passing me on the all months,” Lennox Gayle, a mem- commissioned to test the supple- “Subsequently, USADA has disciplinary panel is two years,” night by achieving a couple of time assist list! I am honored!! ber of the Jamaica Anti-doping ment both determined that oxilof- posted a warning on their website Kent Pantry, another anti-dop- milestones. God Bless.” Disciplinary panel, said. rine was present and that it was warning athletes not to take the ing disciplinary panel member, Current Maverick Nowitzki Nash played for the Mavericks During a hearing in January, not declared on the label.” supplement because it contains said. Simpson and Randall’s bans vaulted into 10th place on the from 1998 to 2004. Simpson said a supplement pro- Simpson, the 2004 Olympic banned substances that are not have been backdated to June 21 league’s all-time scoring list yes- Kevin Durant’s historic scor- vided by her Canadian trainer was 4x100 relay gold medallist, said declared on the label. 2013 — when they provided the terday while former Dallas guard ing streak came to a halt Tuesday responsible for her positive test. she was not familiar with one “These are the core facts of samples. REUTERS Nash moved into third place on as the Oklahoma City Thunder the all-time assist list. toppled the Sacramento Kings Germany’s Nowitzki finished yesterday (107-92). with 21 points in the Mavericks Thunder forward Durant fin- 95-83 win over Utah to move past ished with 23 points as his run of Oscar Robertson and take over scoring at least 25 points ended Wings win, Detroit Tigers’ catcher Alex sole possession of tenth on the all at 41 games. He passed Michael Avila (13) walks off the field time scoring list. Jordan last time out for the third close in on as Los Angeles Dodgers Nowitzki now has 26,714 points longest streak in history. left fielder Chone Figgins for his career, Robertson had Durant expressed relief (18) crosses the plate to 26,710. Tuesday that it was over and they play-off berth score the winning run on a “One of the few times I’ve truly can get back to concentrating on been in awe of an accomplish- winning games. walk off single by left fielder BUFFALO, NEW YORK: ment,” Nowitzki said. “Top 10 “Sometimes it was a little Carl Crawford (3) in the Darren Helm pushed Detroit all-time scorers is an unbeliev- bit more of a distraction to the closer to their 23rd consecutive tenth inning of the game able accomplishment because it’s team,” Durant said. “I don’t like play-off berth and coach Mike at Dodger Stadium in Los a level of excellence that’s beyond all the attention on me when it is Babcock became the franchise Angeles yesterday. belief.” a team game.” AFP leader in victories as the Red Los Angeles Lakers guard Nash Wings beat the Buffalo Sabres passed Mark Jackson to grab 4-2 in the National Hockey third place all-time on the assist NBA Results League yesterday. list. Nash now has 10,335 career Detroit 102 Atlanta 95 Helm scored 3:33 into the third assists. Brooklyn 88 Miami 87 period for a 2-1 lead and team Canada’s Nash set the mark Minnesota 110 San Antonio 91 mate David Legwand made it a with two minutes left in the Dallas 95 Utah 83 two-goal edge later in the period second quarter of the Lakers Oklahoma City 107 Sacramento 92 as Detroit (38-27-14) came within game against the Houston Houston 145 LA Lakers 130 a point of clinching a play-off spot Rockets. in the Eastern Conference. Babcock passed legendary coach Jack Adams with his 414th win. The Avalanche posted a vic- tory over the 28th-place Oilers to Crawford lifts Dodgers past secure two very crucial points in their quest for home ice advan- tage in the opening round of the Tigers 3-2 in 10 innings play-offs. Tyson Barrie and Jamie McGinn scored third-period goals and Colorado (51-21-7) moved LOS ANGELES: Crawford Baseball Results Corey Kluber pitched six solid within two points of the Western hit an RBI double in the 10th innings to lead the Cleveland Baltimore 14 NY Yankees 5 Conference-leading St Louis inning, lifting Los Angeles to Indians to a win over the San Milwaukee 10 Philadelphia 4 Blues. a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Diego Padres. Alex Ovechkin scored his Tigers in the Major League San Francisco 7 Arizona 3 Murphy’s three-run home NHL-leading 50th goal of the Baseball games yesterday. Texas 10 Boston 7 run in the fourth inning gave season and assisted on two goals Joba Chamberlain (0-1) Cleveland 8 San Diego 6 Cleveland a 6-2 lead. Murphy by center Nicklas Backstrom to struck out the side in the ninth Washington 5 Miami 0 doubled home another run in help the Washington Capitals for Detroit, but walked pinch- Toronto 5 Houston 2 the sixth inning, giving him keep their slim playoff hopes alive. hitter Chone Figgins to open NY Mets 4 Atlanta 0 six hits and five RBIs in seven The Capitals have 85 points and the 10th and was replaced by Pittsburgh 7 Chicago Cubs 6 at-bats. trail the Columbus Blue Jackets Phil Coke. Tampa Bay 1 Kansas City 0 First baseman Brandon Belt by four points in the race for Dee Gordon popped out to St. Louis 7 Cincinnati 5 smacked his fifth home run of the second wild-card spot in the first baseman Victor Martinez Chicago White Sox 15 Colorado 3 the season, a two-run shot in Eastern Conference with three on an attempted sacrifice Seattle 5 LA Angels 3 the first inning that propelled games to play. bunt, but Figgins scampered LA Dodgers 3 Detroit 2 the San Francisco Giants The Blues (52-20-7), who lost home when Crawford lined a to a win over the Arizona their season-high third straight 2-0 pitch past left fielder Rajai Diamondbacks. Angel Pagan game, remain on top of the Davis. Grant Balfour worked around ran his hitting streak to eight Western Conference by just one “I was just trying to stay a leadoff single in the ninth to games with two hits and left point over Anaheim. short and take it the other log his second save. fielder Michael Morse shone on Mikko Koivu scored the way,’’ Crawford said. James Loney drove home his San Francisco debut with a only goal in a shootout as the “Once it got past the out- right fielder Wil Myers with two-run single and ground-rule Minnesota Wild rallied for a win fielder, I knew Chone was fast a two-out, ninth-inning single. double as the Giants ran their over the Boston Bruins, clinching enough to score.” Matt Holliday’s two-out, two- record to 6-2 with their fourth a return trip to the NHL playoffs. Ryan Braun, who had neither run double in the bottom of the win over the Diamondbacks in The Wild (42-26-12) got two a home run nor an RBI at the sixth put St Louis ahead 6-5 as five early season matchups. goals from right winger Jason start of play, homered three the Cardinals rallied from an Adam Jones, designated hit- Pominville and tied the score at times and drove in seven runs early four-run deficit to beat ter Delmon Young and catcher 3-3 with 1:05 left in regulation as the Milwaukee Brewers beat Cincinnati. Matt Wieters hit two-run home when defenseman Ryan Suter the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals improved to runs and the Baltimore Orioles scored with an extra attacker on Braun, suspended the final 5-3 while the Reds fell to 2-6. enjoyed their most productive the ice. REUTERS 65 games of last season for vio- Starling Marte scored the showing of the season with a lating Major League Baseball’s winning run on catcher Russell victory over the New York drug prevention and treatment Martin’s eighth-inning sacrifice Yankees. NHL Results program, hit a three-run homer fly as the Pittsburgh Pirates Baltimore (3-5) had its first Detroit 4 Buffalo 2 in the third, a solo shot in the topped the Cubs. multi home run game of the Ottawa 4 NY Islanders 1 fourth and added a three-run Tony Watson (2-0) worked season and generated 20 hits NY Rangers 4 Carolina 1 shot in the eighth. the seventh and earned the win while Wei-Yin Chen pitched five Columbus 4 Phoenix 3 Chris Archer and three as the Pirates (5-2) won their innings to get the win. Tampa Bay relievers combined fifth in seven games The 41-year-old Bartolo Tampa Bay 3 Toronto 0 to shutout the Kansas City Starlin Castro homered twice Colon tossed seven shutout Philadelphia 5 Florida 2 Royals. and had four RBIs for Chicago innings to lead the New York Washington 4 St. Louis 1 Joel Peralta (1-1) struck (2-5) in the loss. Mets to victory. Minnesota 4 Boston 3 out second baseman Danny David Murphy had a double, a Colon struck out five and run Dallas 3 Nashville 2 Valencia to end the eighth home run and four RBIs, center support from Ruben Tejada Colorado 4 Edmonton 1 inning with the bases loaded fielder Nyjer Morgan added who had two RBIs. to pick up the victory. Closer three hits, and right-hander AGENCIES THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Faldo rates Scott to repeat Masters win The world number two faces stiff challenge

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Nick Faldo is one of only three play- ers who have claimed back-to- back Masters victories and he rates Adam Scott’s prospects of joining that illustrious group as “good” in this week’s edition. Scott has enhanced his status as one of the game’s leading play- ers with a superb run of form over Woods missing but not the past year, but needs to avoid “getting wound up about defend- ing” if he is to retain his Masters crown, according to Faldo. forgotten at the Masters “Adam’s chances of winning this week are good,” Faldo said AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Tiger to not have him here. I hope he outside the iconic clubhouse at Woods (pictured), is missing gets back soon. Augusta National. the Masters for the first time “As much as I want to win “He has been playing so well, he in 20 years, but the 38-year- and I know how great he is and sounds good and he’s enjoying it old American still commands tough to beat, it also makes it all. It’s all about if he believes he attention at Augusta National, special when he’s in the field and has prepared well, prepared freely site of the year’s first major you’re able to win,” added the without too many obligations and championship. big lefthander. what-have-you. The four-time Masters win- Rory McIlroy, the 24-year- “If he’s not twitched up about it ner, stuck on 14 majors for old Northern Irishman rated a all, he will be delighted to get to the last six years in his quest co-favorite with Scott for this that first tee tomorrow, I should to surpass the record 18 won year’s green jacket, said the think, and get on with it.” by Jack Nicklaus, is sidelined absence of Woods would be felt Scott won last year’s Masters after undergoing surgery for a right from the start. in a gripping play-off with pinched nerve in his back. “Having Tiger in a tourna- Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, “We miss Tiger, as does the ment definitely creates more becoming the first Australian entire golf world,” Augusta buzz, more of an atmosphere,” to claim the green jacket, and is National chairman Billy Payne said two-time major winner among the favourites this time. said in his State of the Masters McIlroy, considered by some However, repeat wins at news conference yesterday. “He the heir apparent to Woods Augusta National are rare with Adam Scott of Australia hits a shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 2014 Masters Tournament is always a threat to make a as the dominant player of his only Jack Nicklaus, in 1965 and at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, yesterday. run and do well and win here generation. 1966, Faldo, in 1989 and 1990, and at Augusta National.” “You know where he is on the Tiger Woods, in 2001 and 2002, Woods, number two on the course just by the crowd and the accomplishing the feat since the and I don’t want that.’ But instead, he has opted for Yesterday, with the better all-time majors list, had played gallery that follows him. tournament was launched in 1934. “That helped with visualisa- Doran, who has worked previ- weather, he played the back nine in every Masters since his first “I think people will miss him Asked why he thought the feat tion, helped me stay positive, and ously with the likes of Sergio in the afternoon and looked at the appearance as US Amateur at the start of the week but was so rare, Faldo replied: “I guess I had a really good weekend. I shot Garcia, Lee Westwood, Darren front nine Wednesday morning champion as a 19-year-old in by the end of the week, when you really have to wind yourself 66 on Saturday, the low round of Clarke and Trevor Immelman, before playing in the annual Par-3 1995. it comes down to who is going up for it before Masters week. I the day, and 69 on Sunday playing who won the Masters in 2008. Contest. Reigning champion Adam to win the golf tournament, was very fortunate in 1990. with Jack (Nicklaus). It was like In all, Doran has caddied at 10 Dubuisson has enjoyed a rapid Scott of Australia said Woods there’s going to be a worthy win- “About a month before, I was the stars were telling me I had a Masters and has been involved in rise up the world rankings in would be sorely missed at the ner and it will produce a lot of practising in England and I sud- shot at this.” several Ryder Cup campaigns. the last 12 months, lifting his 78th edition of the stately event excitement.” denly said to myself: ‘I’m not Scott, who has climbed to World number 21 Dubuisson, maiden European Tour title at conceived by the legendary US Open champion Justin going to defend. Just go and win number two in the world rank- who clinched his spot in the the Turkish Airlines event late Bobby Jones. Rose was disappointed not to another one.’ So rather than get- ings, is well aware that he faces a Masters with a runner-up fin- last year before finishing third “It’s a big loss for the tourna- have Woods in the field for the ting wound up about defending, stiff challenge in one of the most ish at to Justin Day at the the following week in the DP Tour ment any time a world number tournament that kicks off the make it a mission to go and win open Masters in decades. WGC Match Play tournament Championship in Dubai. one is not going to play. It’s major championship season. another one. “I certainly don’t think any in February, had never played But it was at the Match Play a huge loss,” said Scott, who “It’s a shame for the tour- “And when I got here and got of the (champion’s media and Augusta National before arriving event in Arizona that he really became the first Australian to nament,” said England’s Rose. momentum, it was a real motiva- sponsor) responsibilities are so in Georgia and inside knowledge caught the eye with a spectac- win the Masters after a thrill- “I know that people are very tion in the playoff. I thought to draining that it’s going to cost of the course is considered essen- ular performance in the final ing sudden-death playoff duel excited to watch him play golf. myself: ‘I am not giving up my you having a good week out on tial to having some success in the against Day, where he pulled against Argentina’s Angel Win, lose or draw, he’s a very big jacket. I’m not putting this on the golf course. “In time, I’m sure first of the year’s majors. off three consecutive “miracle” Cabrera. draw for the game. somebody else.’ It was really quite more and more guys will (record “Victor has the good fortune up-and-down saves from desert “But, as every year here, this “People are eager to see how good for me in the end.” repeat Masters wins), but at the of having at his disposal a very scrub and cactus plants to force event produces something spe- he’s going to chase down Jack Faldo won the 1990 Masters in moment, it’s only a few. I’d like good caddie who knows the course extra holes. cial no matter what. It just has Nicklaus in every major cham- a playoff with American Raymond to add my name to that list this inside out, having caddied there He eventually lost at the fifth a way of doing it. It’s not going pionship. There’s a countdown Floyd, and felt that the stars had week.” a hundred or so times,” said extra hole, but he had done to involve Tiger this year, but it to that. Yeah, he’ll definitely aligned perfectly for him that week. Victor Dubuisson, who will Thomas Levet, whose 13th place enough to ensure member status will involve someone else and it be missed this week. Obviously “It was great for me in 1990,” become just the ninth French in 2005 is the best-ever showing on the PGA Tour for the rest of will be a memorable event any- from a TV and a fan perspective, smiled the former world number golfer to compete in the Masters by a Frenchman at the Masters. the year and almost certainly seal way.” Woods’s longtime rival absolutely.” one. “A lot of things were going on at Augusta National this week, “Mick Doran knows the course his place in the European Ryder Phil Mickelson said it would Masters chief Payne was con- and (caddie) Fanny Sunesson was has chosen experienced English perfectly well,” said the player’s Cup team for the matches against feel strange not having Tiger to fident the tournament would brand new on the bag. She had caddie Mick Doran to help chart coach, Benoit Ducoulombier. the United States in Scotland in gun for. not suffer. “This is the Masters,” done a couple of weeks with me his way around the famed course. “That will reassure him September. “It’s a weird feeling not having said Payne. “This is what we through the Florida Swing and it Having separated from regular somewhat.” His magical shot-making also him here, isn’t it?” said three- hope is the best golf tournament was her first Masters. Argentine caddie Sergio Palma Dubuisson, who is now based made him an instant worldwide time Masters winner Mickelson, in the world, one of the great- “Unbeknown to me, that was after a disappointing 62nd-place in Andorra, arrived at Augusta hit on YouTube. This week’s who last year notched his fifth est sporting events, and I think really good for me because when finish at Doral last month, the on Sunday but was unable to get Masters will be Dubuisson’s sec- major title by winning the we will have a very impressive we played practice rounds here, expectations had been that the accquainted with the course on ond major, having missed the cut British Open. “He’s been such audience and have another great I was constantly saying: ‘Well, rising 23-year-old from Cannes Monday due to the bad weather as an amateur at the 2010 British a mainstay in professional golf champion to crown this year.” we’re going to be doing this and would link up with Ernie Els’ old that forced the cancellation of Open at St Andrews. and in the majors. It’s awkward AFP trying to do that, I want to do this bagman, Ricci Roberts. practice in mid-morning. REUTERS/AFP Volkswagen Qatar hosts Junior Masters Football DOHA: Q-Auto, the official champions and runner-up teams outstanding performance and distributor of Volkswagen in were granted the opportunity to sportsmanship. “It is my pleas- Qatar recently hosted the 4th travel to Dubai to participate in ure to be with you today to wit- Volkswagen Junior Masters the regional finals at the end of ness some amazing football skills. Football Tournament. the month. Clearly every team showcased The event which took place on Commenting on the tourna- harmony with strong front lines, April 5 is one of the largest youth ment, Kevin Hughes, General strong back lines, strong wings football tournaments worldwide Manager, Q-Auto, said: “Hosting and brilliant goal keepers,” said for boys aged 10 -12 years old. The the Volkswagen Junior Masters in Mohamed. participating teams were: Newton Qatar falls in line with Q-Auto’s “This takes me back to our Lagoon School, F & S Brazil, Pro ongoing effort to encourage and company “Q-Auto - Volkswagen” Inter Soccer, German School, support the local community as which is exactly like your foot- Doha British School, Compass well as active lifestyle and sports. ball teams. Our back lines are the International School and EVO Sport is a particularly important aftersales department, our front Soccer. pillar in Qatari society and is very lines are the sales department Throughout the day, the seven much part of Qatar’s National and our wings are the satisfac- local teams competed in a series Vision 2030 and we at Q-Auto tion of our customers” Mohamed of round-robin knockout matches. are committed to supporting its added. Team EVO Soccer exhibited top development.” An award ceremony took place quality skills which led them The tournament concluded thereafter and the champions to the champion title, while with Mohamed Ali, Volkswagen were awarded their trophy and Compass International School Qatar’s Service Manager, thank- runner-ups their medals. Team EVO Soccer with the trophy. was first runner-up. Both the ing all the teams for their THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 29

WTA Katowice Open Results Results from the third day of the WTA Katowice Open in Hewitt eases Poland yesterday. (x denotes seeding): Round Two: Klara Zakopalova (CZE x5) bt Annika Beck (GER) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL x8) 6-2, 6-1. Round One: Mirjana Lucic (CRO) bt Jovana Jaksic (SRB) 6-3, 6-4; Magdalena Rybarikova past Polansky (SVK x7) bt Claire Feuerstein (FRA) 6-2, 7-5. Copa Bogota Australian to face Sam in second round

Results HOUSTON: Aussie veteran Hewitt advances to face aces and three double faults. He Round Two: Chanelle Scheepers (South Lleyton Hewitt (pictured), con- American Sam Querrey who won just seven-of-29 points on his Africa) bt Alexandra Panova (Russia) 6-3, 6-2; tinues to turn back the clock stopped Russia’s Alex Bogomolov second serve. 8-Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) bt Yuliana in 2014 by toppling Canadian 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) in the opening round. Germany’s Benjamin Becker Lizarazo (Colombia) 6-2, 6-3. Peter Polansky in three sets Hewitt fired one ace, won 62 per- and American Donald Young also yesterday in the first round cent of his first-serve points and advanced to the second round of the US men’s clay court saved eight-of-16 break points. He with straight-set wins. championships. recorded his 600th career victory Becker beat Spain’s Ruben US Clay Court The 33-year-old Australian last month when he beat Robin Ramirez Hidalgo 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 No. 1 has enjoyed a resurgence Haase in the first round of the while Young needed just 41 min- Championship this year on the ATP Tour as Miami Masters tournament. utes to rout fellow American Ryan he defeated 17-time Grand Slam Hewitt is aiming for his third Harrison 6-0, 6-1. This week’s top Results winner Roger Federer to win the career clay court title and first in seeds are reigning champion John Results from the US Clay Court Brisbane, Queensland tourna- five years. Polansky was Canada’s Isner, Tommy Robredo and last Championship Men’s Singles ment. Hewitt, of Adelaide, beat top ranked player in the second year’s runner-up Nicolas Almagro matches yesterday. the 25-year-old qualifier Polansky half of 2010 before being overtaken of Spain. Isner beat Almagro in 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 despite making 12 by current No. 1 Milos Raonic. last year’s final and also reached Round One: Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) bt double faults in the two-hour, Polansky, who is ranked 135th the championship match here in Matthew Ebden (Australia) 6-1, 6-2. four-minute match. in the world, finished with three 2012. AFP

Stephens to lead US Fed Grand Prix Hassan Hanescu stuns Anderson in II ATP Results Cup team against France Results from the third day of the ATP’s Grand Prix Hassan II in second round in Casablanca Casablanca yesterday. (x denotes NEW YORK: World number a chance to compete for the Fed seeding) 18 Sloane Stephens will lead Cup title next year. The losers will the United States when they be relegated to World Group II. CASABLANCA: Top-seeded Peliwo 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4. set to stun the seventh-seeded Round Two: Victor Hanescu (ROM) bt Kevin host France in a Fed Cup World French captain Amelie Kevin Anderson of South The sixth-seeded Delbonis, who Robin Haase of the Netherlands Anderson (RSA x1) 6-4, 6-4; Federico Del Group play-off in St Louis, Mauresmo has said that France’s Africa lost to Victor Hanescu of won the Brazil Open last month, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Bonis (ARG x6) bt Filip Peliwo (CAN) 6-2, 6-7 Missouri, this month. team will include 22nd-ranked Romania 6-4, 6-4 yesterday in won six straight games to take The Spanish trio of Guillermo (5/7), 6-4. The US Tennis Association Alize Cornet, Caroline Garcia, the second round of the Grand the first set and lead 2-0 in the Garcia-Lopez, Albert Montanes Round One: Albert Montañés (ESP) bt and Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Virginie Razzano and Kristina Prix Hassan II. second. and Pablo Carreno Busta of Kenny De Schepper (FRA) 6-2, 6-3; Fernandez announced the US Mladenovic. The United States The Moroccan tournament But Peliwo, the 2012 world Spain also won their first-round Oleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) bt Robin squad for the April 19-20 tie on has won the most Fed Cup titles lost its two highest-seeded play- junior champion, fought back to matches. Haase (NED x7) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4; Pablo Wednesday, with Sloane heading of any nation with 17, but haven’t ers on the same day as No. 2 force a tiebreaker and leveled at The eighth-seeded Garcia- Carreno (ESP) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) a team that also includes Madison won the competition since 2000. Gael Monfils of France withdrew one set apiece. Lopez beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2; Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP Keys, Varvara Lepchenko and Meanwhile, Radek Stepanek after straining his right ankle in In the third, Delbonis earned of Kazakhstan 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) x8) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 7-6 (7/5), Christina McHale. said yesterday he believed Tomas practice. the decisive break at 4-4. despite making seven double 7-6 (8/6); Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Leonardo Keys is ranked 42nd in the Berdych will return for the semi- Hanescu saved five break points Also, Aleksandr Nedovyesov of faults. Mayer (ARG) 6-4, 6-3. world, Lepchenko 49th and final against France in September and broke for a 3-2 lead in the Kazakhstan and Jiri Vesely of the Named most improved player McHale 57th. after missing holders the Czech first set. Anderson, last year’s Czech Republic advanced to the of the year by the ATP for twice in each set and did not face The best-of-five match series Republic’s quarter-final win over runner-up, dropped serve again second round. climbing from 715th to 65th any break point. will be played at Chaifetz Arena Japan last weekend. at 1-1 in the second. Vesely defeated Leonardo in the rankings last season, Montanes saved all four break on the campus of Saint Louis “We know that if we want Hanescu’s quarterfinal Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 6-3, and Carreno Busta cruised past points he faced in his 6-2, 6-3 University. to succeed again, we have to opponent will be Federico Nedovyesov earned his first vic- Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-1, win over Kenny de Schepper of The winners will advance to play with the strongest team,” Delbonis of Argentina, who tory on the main tour by rallying 6-2. France. the 2015 World Group and have Stepanek told reporters. AFP edged Canadian qualifier Filip from a 5-2 deficit in the opening The Spaniard broke Kamke AP

QOC is Silver Scottish boss defends Scribes from 12 countries to Sponsor of attend sports media seminar Sport Accord under-fire Johnson Convention DOHA: Journalists from 12 seminar to be held at Marriott LONDON: Scottish Rugby Union chief execu- countries will feature at the Hotel. ANTALYA, TURKEY: tive Mark Dodson has denied claims Scott the Sports Media Seminar “We look forward to welcom- Qatar Olympic Committee Johnson was rewarded for failure following to be held from April 14 to 18, ing our journalistic brethren (QOC) yesterday was named the national side’s miserable 2014 Six Nations Mohammed Al Malki (pic- from this region. It is an impor- the silver sponsor of the campaign. tured), President of Qatar tant gathering since we will be Sport Accord International Australian coach Johnson was in charge of Sports Media discussing Convention 2014 taking Scotland as they came within a last-ditch drop- Committee ways and place in Antalya. goal of suffering a tournament whitewash but is (QSMC) said means to This selection made QOC now set to become the SRU’s director of rugby with yesterday. groom new among major official spon- New Zealand’s Vern Cotter, currently in charge The four- breed of sors of the event (spe- of French club Clermont, taking over as national day seminar sports jour- cial provider for network coach. is being held nalists,” Al recharge), a statement on Scotland enjoyed a tense Six Nations win over by QSMC and Malki said. QOC website said, adding fellow strugglers Italy which was precious little in collabo- “We will that it will help Qatari del- consolation for a series of heavy defeats including ration with be open- egation to communicate with a 20-0 loss to England at Murrayfield — the first Qatar Olympic ing doors of the decision-makers in the time Scotland had been ‘nilled’ by their oldest foes Committee opportunity sport sector. since 1978 — and a 51-3 thrashing by Wales in a (QOC), for young QOC pavilion at the exhi- match where full-back Stuart Hogg was sent off. Al Malki people to bition in Antalya received an But Dodson, speaking on Johnson’s new role, informed. show inter- overwhelming response and said: “We need clarity on this issue. We appointed “There are est in sports praise from National Olympic Scott to be director of rugby first. Then we got Australian coach Scott Johnson number of journalism,” Committees Officials, exhibi- Vern Cotter as head coach. We knew we would key issues to he said. tors, participants, visitors, who have to wait for Vern as he wanted to finish the “That was unacceptable to us but it was also be discussed. “We have hailed Qatar as a host nation job he started at Clermont. unacceptable to the coaching team and the players. We are experienced for 2015 World men’s Handball “We asked Scott to stand in during the interim. “People have every right to vent, and the fact going to wit- hands in Championship, FINA World He had no ambition to do that but we asked him. that they have strong feelings is a good thing ness a mas- Doha and Swimming Championships He was happy to do it on one proviso, and that was because if they didn’t care, we’d really be in trou- sive increase in the number of elsewhere in the region and jun- (25m), 2016 UCI Road World to bring on Scottish players in larger numbers. ble. But we are taking those views on board and sports events to be held in Doha iors can so learn so much from Championships and FIFA 2022 “In the period he’s been in charge, he has capped trying to change things so we don’t have that kind in the next few years,” Al Malki them,” Al Malki said. World Cup. 17 new players, so we have a squad that is richer of performance in future.” explained. “We have to understand that Qatar Olympic Committee and deeper than ever. Scotland have only two professional sides to “We need more hands to cover the sports calendar in Doha is is scheduled to sign two agree- “But as for the backlash about Scott being pro- draft from in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with a third our sports events and seminars getting busier with each passing ments with the National moted, I’d say that he was never ‘promoted’ — he in the rugby heartland of the Borders wound up that QOC has planned in the com- year. From a few dozen events, we Olympic Committee of Turkey already had the job. several years ago after failing to pay its way. ing years,” he added. will be staging 99 events in the and Turkish Swimming “We always knew there would be a problem with Now there are reports that businessman Martin Those attending the Doha next 12 months. We need people Federation on April 10, 2014, the 14-month period but Scott did what we asked Gilbert is looking to set up a professional side in seminar include Mohammed to watch these events and people the statement said. him to do and he delivered what we asked him to Aberdeen. Jamil Abdelkader, President of who would cover these events,” he Qatar delegation is making deliver.” But whether that goes ahead or not, Dodson the Arab Union of Sports Press, added. every effort in Antalya to pro- Johnson won just five of his 16 games in charge said the game in Scotland had to adjust to modern Faisal Qenaei, Salim Al Habsi, “I believe the participants at vide all necessary information but Dodson said it was Calcutta Cup defeat by realities. Palestine’s Jibril Rajoub, Egypt’s this seminar will benefit by being and replying to the visitors’ England that led to a torrent of criticism. “We have never come to terms with professional- Radwan Zayata, and Bahrain’s here,” Al Malki said. “We shall inquiries about Qatar sport and In light of those damning statistics, Dodson - ism in Scottish rugby and that’s where the prob- Mohammad Qassim. talk about all mediums of report- features. who insists he never made any attempt to lure lems that still dog us come from. The seminar is expected to ing for all mediums of informa- The Qatar pavilion includes Cotter from France early - is praying the New “We have to make sure we future-proof Scottish attract 40 journalists represent- tion. It will be very interesting,” a big number of publications Zealander proves worth the wait. rugby so we can compete on a global scale. That ing Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, he added. “It will be interesting and pamphlets that cover all “The performance against England was what means getting more people playing the game, spot- Oman, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, for our overseas friends to be here information related to Qatar caused us problems. We did not compete against ting talent earlier, making sure those selected as Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia and and see the kind of sports calen- prosperity in all fields including them in a Calcutta Cup match here at Murrayfield. elite players have the right competitive environ- Sudan, Al Malki said. dar we have in Doha. These are tourist sites, hotels and stadi- It can’t get much worse. ment to play in.” AFP Prominent sports journalists exciting times,” Al Malki said. ums. QNA in Doha will also feature in the THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 30 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Latif turns Cricket board hits back at down Pakistan cricket Jayawardene, Sangakkara selector role

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket War of words erupts even as Island celebrates T20 World Cup triumph turmoil yesterday took a new turn as former captain Rashid Latif turned down the job of Sri Lanka’s World COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s “SLC regrets such unsubstanti- in Australia, despite him being chief selector following an Cup-winning cricket board and two senior ated accusations levelled against England’s leading run-scorer alleged disagreement over his T20 cricket team players were locked in a war of the secretary and CEO by a sen- across all formats. working conditions. members watch words yesterday, a day after the ior member of the national team Officials have not revealed the Pakistan cricket has been hit parliamentary World Cup-winning Twenty20 without verifying the facts,” the reason for dumping Pietersen, hard by a series of off-the-field team returned home as national statement said. but it has been suggested that controversies in the past year, proceedings as heroes. Amid the allegations and deni- the cricketer’s deteriorating rela- particularly a legal row over the legislators move Former skippers Mahela als, both players maintained on tionship with his team-mates was job of Pakistan Cricket Board a resolution Jayawardene and Kumar Tuesday that they had never behind the decision. (PCB) chairman. congratulating them Sangakkara sparked the row by publicly announced their inten- “Contrary to popular belief, I Last week the team failed to at the Sri Lankan criticising cricket officials during tion to quit T20 cricket despite have a very good relationship with reach the semi-finals of the World Parliament in a red-carpet reception at the air- giving interviews talking about most of the guys in the English Twenty20 in Bangladesh, prompt- Colombo yesterday. port, but the board hit back with retirement. dressing room,” Pietersen, 33, said ing captain Mohammad Hafeez to a strongly-worded statement. Cricket commentators as well in an interview published on the step down. Sri Lanka Cricket denied alle- as local and international media Times of India website yesterday. Latif’s refusal to take over gations that they had made any played up the final game as a fare- “I like to look after them. If as chief selector, a role he was disparaging remarks against well match for the two former Sri someone is struggling, I like to go due to begin in April after being the duo after they appeared to Lankan skippers. up and put an arm around him.” appointed two months ago, is the announce their retirement as the On Tuesday tens of thousands Pietersen said he was the first latest blow to the Pakistan cricket World Cup tournament got under- of fans joined an all-night party to notice that Trott was strug- set-up. way in Dhaka in mid-March. in Colombo after the team was gling to handle the pressure which “The PCB considered me for Jayawardene was upset with driven in a slow motorcade from forced him to return home from the important slot and I, after reported comments from a Sri the airport, 35 kilometres (21 Australia after the first Ashes thorough consideration, politely Lanka Cricket (SLC) official, who miles) from downtown Colombo. Test in Brisbane. turned it down,” Latif said in a was said to have accused them The victory on Sunday night “He (Trott) has said that I was statement. of announcing their retirement against India in Dhaka came 18 the first person to notice his prob- Latif, known as a strict disci- without prior notice to the board. years after Sri Lanka’s triumph lem,” Pietersen said. “I told him plinarian in his efforts to promote “SLC considers such state- in the 50-over World Cup. that he needed to calm down and cricket, had demanded he report ments as damaging to both the Meanwhile, a xed England bats- he was putting too much pressure only to the board chairman Najam image of the institution and the man Kevin Pietersen denied he on himself. Sethi or chief operating officer officials concerned,” the board had a bad relationship with his “He is doing quite well now,” he Subhan Ahmed. said in a one-page statement. team-mates, adding he was the added. But sources said the PCB It said Jayawardene’s alle- first to help Jonathan Trott dur- England, who won the World wanted him to report to the gations were taken seriously ing his stress-related illness, a Twenty20 in the Caribbean in director of game development because he suggested that the report said yesterday. 2010 with Pietersen being named Haroon Rasheed, and as a result purported remarks by board sec- The England and Wales Cricket the player of the tournament, he turned the job down. retary Nishantha Ranatunga and Board axed the South Africa-born failed to make the semi-finals of “No hard feelings for both CEO Ashley de Silva could have Pietersen in February following the recent edition in Bangladesh. parties. I don’t want to get into demoralised the players. the team’s 5-0 Ashes thrashing AGENCIES controversy and I hope Pakistan cricket will flourish under the chairman and board,” said Latif. “I will not make any fur- ICC happy with associates’ progress ther statement. There has been too many (speculations) in the media.” KARACHI: The International England in the Super-10 stage Sethi had offered Latif the role Cricket Council’s faith in asso- showed the smaller teams have after being reappointed as PCB ciate member teams was vindi- the talent to upset bigger nations,” chairman by Prime Minister cated by their recent showing in he said on a flight back from the Pakistan’s Afridi asked Nawaz Sharif in February. the World Twenty20, develop- tournament. Latif also refused the additional ment manager Tim Anderson “The associates were provided responsibility of helping as an has said, singling out the with an apportunity at the World adviser on anti-corruption mat- Netherlands’ upset win over Twenty20 and we are pleased with ters, a role offered to him for his England. their showing, and will make sure to explain criticism services in the fight against cor- Six ICC associate member they do well in next year’s World ruption during his cricket-playing countries -- Ireland, Afghanistan, Cup,” he added. KARACHI: Pakistan cricket interview,” Ahmed told reporters team’s failure. Afridi, widely seen days. Nepal, Hong Kong, the United Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland authorities yesterday demanded yesterday. as the next Twenty20 captain, Latif blew the whistle on his Arab Emirates and the and the United Arab Emirates an explanation from star all- The PCB had forbidden the said he was ready to take the role. team-mates in 1994, resulting in Netherlands -- took part in the will join the 10 full members in rounder Shahid Afridi after he players from speaking to the “I am ready to accept any the Pakistan government initiat- World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, next year’s World Cup in Australia criticised the team’s “negative” media without prior permission. challenge for the Pakistan team. ing a judicial enquiry which led as part of the governing body’s and New Zealand. approach for their early exit Afridi, who is known for his As a player and as a captain I to life bans on former captain efforts to expand cricket beyond Each team has been allocated from the World Twenty20. hard hitting and plain speaking, have no issues, but things should Salim Malik and bowler Ata-ur the 10 Test-playing countries. $1m in funding and will train in Pakistan failed to reach the had blasted the top order after improve,” Afridi had said soon Rehman, and fines on six other The Netherlands humili- the host countries ahead of the semi-finals of the tournament they were bundled out for 82 after the Pakistan team returned players including bowling greats ated England by 45 runs in the tournament. for the first time in five editions, runs chasing 167. from Bangladesh. Sources close to Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Super-10 stage, while unfancied Afghanistan’s qualification was prompting Afridi to take a swipe “It wasn’t a big total which Afridi told reporters that he had Sources in the PCB said Latif Hong Kong fulfilled their dream seen as particularly noteworthy, at the team’s batsmen who stum- couldn’t be achieved but the replied to the notice, saying he has been summoned by Sethi next of getting a big scalp with a two- with the war-torn country rising bled in their final match against game slipped out of our hands in spoke from his heart at the team’s week. wicket victory over Test team rapidly through the ranks after the West Indies which they lost the first six overs of our batting,” failure in the T20 World Cup. Latif played 37 Tests and 166 Bangladesh in the first round. becoming the ICC’s 37th associate by 84 runs. Sri Lanka won the Afridi told reporters on team’s Pakistani players have a his- one-day matches for Pakistan Anderson said the Netherlands’ member last year. title by beating India in the final arrival last week. tory of paying fines and bans on and also coached the Afghanistan victory over England, their sec- Anderson said Papua New in Dhaka on Sunday. “It was due to our negative violation of code of conduct. cricket team, leading them to a ond in two meetings after also Guinea could be the next major Subhan Ahmed, Pakistan approach in the first six overs, Former fast bowler Shoaib silver medal finish in the Asian beating them in the 2009 World success story. Cricket Board’s (PCB) chief oper- and that’s the reason we lost the Akhtar fined Rs3.4m (around Games in China in 2010. Twenty20, was a good sign for “PNG is a great story and they ating officer, confirmed Afridi match.” $34,000 in current conversion He also runs cricket academies next year’s 50-over World Cup have now earned one-day status, had been served a notice, which A days after the team’s return, rates) and banned for 13 matches for young people in various cit- which will feature four associate and we are sure they will further can lead to a fine or reprimand. Twenty20 captain Mohammad in 2007 over hitting team-mate ies across Pakistan, a role which teams. progress with around 10,000 local “Yes, the PCB had served him Hafeez stepped down from his Mohammad Asif with a bat in an many believed would have helped “The Netherlands performed players and a good base for the with a show cause notice on his role, taking responsibility for the incident in South Africa. AFP him in the selector post. very well and their win over game,” he said. AFP REUTERS Wisden laments ‘divide and rule’ ICC in new edition

LONDON: International cricket is set but 5-0 against a Edwards. Opening after England’s Claire Taylor in 2009, to for a future of “colonial-style divide team that had won batsman Dhawan be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year. and rule,” and will be “holding its none of its pre- was acknowl- “In winning the Ashes home and away, breath” over the extent of Indian influ- vious nine Tests edged for his role Charlotte Edwards crowned an outstand- ence, according to the 2014 edition of came close. This, in India’s victori- ing career as an England cricketer,” said Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack published then, was the worst ous Champions Wisden. yesterday. result in England’s Trophy campaign “After making her Test debut at 16, she In February, changes to the govern- history.” in England while remains at the top 18 years later.” ance of the International Cricket Council Meanwhile, opener Rogers, fast But that still leaves her six years (ICC), handed the majority of the pow- South Africa fast bowler Harris and short of the 24-year international career ers and revenue to the sport’s ‘big three’ bowler Dale Steyn Root were chosen enjoyed by Sachin Tendulkar, whose image nations -- India, Australia and England. was chosen as for their contribu- adorns the cover of the latest Wisden. “Here was colonial-style divide and Wisden’s Leading tions to the 2013 The 40-year-old India great announced rule,” the English editor of cricket’s Cricketer in the Ashes. his retirement from cricket in November, ‘bible’, Lawrence Booth, wrote in the World for 2013, a The Cricketer of ending a remarkable career during which 151st edition of British-based Wisden, year in which he the Year, the per- he became the world’s leading scorer in published every year since 1864. took 51 Test wick- sonal choice of the both Test and one-day cricket. “Cricket is appallingly administered, ets in only nine Wisden editor and “Tendulkar played Test matches in and is vulnerable to economic exploi- games at an aver- an award that gen- front of the most demanding fans in tation by the country (India) powerful age of 17. erally reflects per- the world for 24 years,” said Wisden, enough to exploit it and the two countries “Fast, penetra- formances in the who compared his record with those (Australia and England) prepared to lend tive and parsimo- previous English of England captain Alastair Cook and their plans credibility.” nious, it was some season, can, by tra- Australia skipper Michael Clarke. He added: “As India prepare to take combination,” dition, only be won “If further proof was required of their ‘central leadership responsibility’, Wisden said. once in a player’s just how astonishing that was, it came international cricket holds its breath.” The Five career. Edwards, at Perth in December, when for a few Turning to events on the field, Booth Cricketers of the who led her side to moments one Cook and one Clarke added said England’s 5-0 thrashing by Australia Year, an honour defeat by Australia up to exactly one Tendulkar: 200 Test in the 2013/14 Ashes represented an all- dating back to 1889, were India’s Shikhar Ryan Harris, England batsman Joe Root in the final of the recent World Twenty20, caps, 15,921 runs and 51 hundreds.” time low. “No sporting defeat is a disaster Dhawan, Australia duo Chris Rogers and and England women’s captain Charlotte became only the second female cricketer, REUTERS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 31

I have nothing to prove during Akhtar wants ‘fear factor’ IPL: Pietersen NEW DELHI: Kevin Pietersen, the former England batsman, has insisted that he will not be using his stint with the Delhi Daredevils in the upcoming back for fast bowlers Indian Premier League to “prove anything” to his detractors. Pietersen, whose international Retired star blames overdose of T20 cricket for bowlers losing their edge career was put to an abrupt end by the ECB, said that he had already accepted that he may BY RIZWAN REHMAT never play for the country again, and that he was looking to move DOHA: Retired Pakistan pace on. ace Shoaib Akhtar has urged “The break away from cricket Former pace top fast bowlers to avoid playing has been fantastic and I’m really bowlers too much of T20 cricket, saying looking forward to playing in the the shortest format of the game Pakistan’s IPL,” Pietersen said in a post on has blunted their growth on the Shoaib Aktar www.cricinfo.com. “What tran- international stage. (left) and spired in March has nothing to “For me, T20 is a ruthless game Sri Lanka’s do with what I’m about to do for fast bowlers,” Akhtar said dur- Nuwan Zoysa now. I’m not out here to make ing an interview at Qatar Sports at Qatar any point and neither do I play Club yesterday. Sports Club cricket for that reason. “I would say that fast bowlers Stadium “I find the opportunity of again like (South Africa’s) Dale Steyn in Doha playing in the IPL really nice should not play T20 as the fear yesterday. The especially because I missed the factor is taken away by the T20 two former last season due to injury and also game because batsmen can smash internationals due to the fact that I absolutely you over your head,” the 38-year- are in town on love the competition. I’ve played old, who took 178 Test and 247 a promotional in every part of the world and ODI wickets during his career, gig supporting after playing for almost a dec- added. ade, I don’t think I need to prove a cricket “They (the modern-day bats- anything to anyone.” tournament men) can cut or pull you with Pietersen hasn’t played com- ease. The fear factor should be organised by petitive cricket since January, but there in all forms of cricket. I Qsports. The he was bought for $1.5m, which really believe T20 is a batsman’s final of the was the Daredevils’ second-cost- game and a sport for the spinners. tournament liest purchase at the auction in Real fast bowlers have small role will be played February, behind Dinesh Karthik, to play,” Akhtar, who retired after tomorrow who cost the franchise nearly the 2011 World Cup, explained. at the same $2.1m. Excerpts from a detailed chat venue. Pietersen, who will lead the with Shoaib Akhtar: PICTURES: team in the seventh season of Question: How are you enjoy- ABDUL BASIT the tournament, said that he was ing life after retiring from confident of a good showing from cricket? his side, which he believes is well SA: Let’s put it this way - I balanced to challenge the best. am standing in the wilderness AGENCIES with no idea where I am headed to next (smiles). It took me about Najam Sethi and company would because batsmen can smash you a year to recuperate from injuries probably make a difference. I am over your head. They (the mod- Pakistan after I retired (in March 2011). I sure they will take mature deci- ern-day batmen) can cut or pull cricketer had a lot of work in the 20 years sions that would benefit Pakistan. you with ease. The fear factor Shoaib Akhtar of cricket that I played. When I Rather than making poor deci- should be there in all forms of touches the retired, that was the time I got sions for two years and apologis- cricket. I really believe T20 is a head of India back to normal life, I got back to ing to fans after that, it would be batsman’s game and a sport for cricketer my family. I was out of touch with better you make good decisions the spinners. Real fast bowlers Sachin my family for almost 20 years. I from the very start. Honestly have small role to play. I know had never been at home for those Pakistan needs a self-less leader, Dale bowled really well in one of Tendulkar as 20 years. Life is pretty busy. I am a vision and a mature captain. the T20 games in the T20 World they walk back busy doing commentary for Star Question: Could you be the Cup match against New Zealand. to the pavillion Sports. I do expert comments next Imran Khan for Pakistan But if you look at the stats, fast at tea-break on Pakistan TV channels. I am cricket after retirement? bowlers get thrashed by batsmen during the coaching at the same time. Life SA: Look, my idea of serv- in T20s. If I ask me I would rather fourth day of is getting busy but it is all good. ing the nation is not by going have fast bowlers play T20s for the first Test Question: Which is easier - looking for well-paid jobs. I can practice purposes but they should match at the being a TV critic or a cricketer? provide consultancy if needed. If play the Tests and ODIs only. Ferozshah SA: I don’t criticise the play- you want to serve the country, Question: Tell us some- Kotla ground ers (laughs). I pinpoint the prob- then do it voluntarily please. You thing about your coaching in New Delhi in lems. You got to be brave enough should become self-less with no aspirations? this November to know the problems and then hidden agenda. I am not looking SA: I have the opportunity 25, 2007, file pinpoint those and give solutions. for a job. I can be a consultant. to coach one of the teams in photo taken by Question: What is the prob- Nothing more. If I am asked to Pakistan domestic cricket. It was Reuters. lem with Pakistan cricket? get five fast bowlers, I would do very sweet of them to consider How can Pakistan rise as a that. I expect the same from oth- me as their coach. I will think cricket nation? ers. I mean there are people who about it. They have offered me SA: Maturity ... that’s what are sitting (in PCB corridors) and the job. I am honoured. I still a former batsman becoming a ‘I could have done this or that’? returning to the game as the lacks in Pakistan. You got to doing nothing except getting good haven’t thought about it. If I take coach. Because fast bowlers are There’s plenty to look forward to. Pakistan coach in the next few have a vision. First of all when salaries. I have a huge problem up the offer, I will try to create a always result-oriented. That Question: In your opinion, years? the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with the fact that you are ‘serving difference. I will do it with a lot aggression has to be transformed. who are the best three fast SA: If I have the opportunity chairman comes in, he doesn’t the nation’ and getting paid. of passion. I will do things with Pakistan team lacks aggression. bowlers of all-time? to coach Pakistan, I will think know how long is he going to be Question: How do you see aggression. The things I say on Yes, it could get frustrating as a SA: Wasim Akram (of about it. I can’t say anything right in the job for. They can’t seem to the role of fast bowlers in TV, I will try to employ the same coach. But I guess you got to learn Pakistan), Malcolm Marshall (of now. I don’t plan anything that far make a long-term plan. I always T20 cricket? Are we losing philosophy on the cricket pitch. as a coach, learn how to evolve. the West Indies) and definitely ahead. But if I get the opportunity say Pakistan cricket always out on fast bowling characters So you will see lions on a cricket Question: Do you have any Waqar Younis (of Pakistan). then I will see. needed a second Imran Khan. because of T20 cricket? pitch (smiles). If you have tem- regrets as a cricketer? Question: And three best Question: You don’t miss If we had another Imran Khan SA: For me, T20 is a ruthless perament to play the game for so SA: No, what is gone is gone. I batsmen you ever bowled to? playing cricket? after 1992, Pakistan cricket would game for fast bowlers. I would long then yes, I will have the tem- am just looking forward to what SA: Brian Lara (of the West SA: Not at all, no. I am defi- have been so different. I don’t say that fast bowlers like (South perament to be a coach as well. the future holds for me. When the Indies), Inzamam Ul Haq (of nitely happy in retirement. I am a mind saying that this is a leader- Africa’s) Dale Steyn should It is also very important that a time arrived, I left. I was gone so Pakistan) and Adam Gilchrist (of man with a lot of conviction that less cricket board. However, I not play T20 as the fear factor former fast bowler can make there is no regret. What is the Australia). I retired at the right time. am sure that (PCB Chairman) is taken away by the T20 game for a better coach compared to point of looking back and think Question: Do you see yourself THE PENINSULA Sri Lanka’s future looks promising, says Zoysa DOHA: Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa feels win- ning the World Cup will pave the way for better performances in the future even after the T20 retirement of batting legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. Sri Lanka beat India in the T20 World Cup final last week to emerge champions having lost the title clashes in 2009 and 2012. “We were unlucky in four World Cup finals but finally we snapped that World Cup jinx by beating India,” Zoysa said yesterday. “We may lose a few guys but the future looks promising. I think we will definitely win more World Cups in the future,” the former left-arm paceman added. The 35-year-old said he enjoyed playing Test cricket. “I reckon Test cricket is best. It is a game that really tests your character and temperament. There is no point just playing T20s,” the tall fast bowler said. Zoysa said fast bowlers make the difference to any team - be it Tests, ODIs or T20s. “I love this game for fast bowlers, even though batsmen go score runs but it is the bowlers and fielders who defend,” Zoysa explained. “We have seen many quality bowlers. You saw how Sri Lanka bowlers kept such a strong Indian batting side under check,” Zoysa, who appeared in 30 Tests for Sri Lanka, explained. “At the end of the day how well you manage yourself as a bowler in any format is what matters. If you are good enough, smart enough Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Zoysa (second left) and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar (second right) during a news conference at Qatar Sports Club in Doha yesterday. then you can do well,” he added. The two players are in town to promote a six-a-side cricket tournament being organised by Qsports. At left is Adil Ahmed from Qsports and Tareq Zoysa took 64 wickets in Tests and in his 95 ODIs, he managed 108 scalps. THE PENINSULA Mahmoud representing Qatar Sports Club Thursday 10 April 2014 10 Jumadal II 1435 Volume 19 Number 6031 Sport Price: QR2 Cricket board T20s blunting hits back at fast bowlers, retiring duo says Akhtar

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Swimming: Chelsea battle to reach Thorpe ‘in good spirits’ as he fights semis, Madrid hold on infection: Champions League: Jose Mourinho could complete personal ‘treble’ Manager SYDNEY: Australian swim- PARIS: Paris-born Demba ming great Ian Thorpe is in Ba was the hero as Chelsea “good spirits” in a Sydney hos- advanced to the Champions PSG’s Italian pital as he fights a serious infec- League semi-finals at Paris goalkeeper tion and reports that he might Saint-Germain’s expense, while Salvatore lose the use of his arm are Real Madrid also progressed Sirigu dives “nonsense”, his manager said on Tuesday night despite a as the ball yesterday. second-leg defeat to Borussia smashes into The five-times Olympic cham- Dortmund. the cross bar pion, who retired after the Athens Having lost 3-1 in last week’s from a shot Olympics before making an first leg in France, Chelsea fought by Chelsea’s unsuccessful comeback bid for the back to win 2-0 at Stamford German striker 2012 London Games, contracted Bridge and go through on away Andre Schurrle the infection after undergoing goals to their seventh semi-final during shoulder surgery earlier this year. in 11 years as substitute Ba netted their UEFA “He’s fine, he’s a battler,” James the decisive goal late on. Champions Erskine told Channel 9’s Today While a first-leg win was League programme. not enough for PSG, it was for “He’s in good spirits, you know, quarter-final Madrid, who are into their he’s got drips in, he’s got antibiot- second leg, fourth consecutive semi-final 3-2 ics and all that sort of thing so on aggregate despite losing 2-0 at Stamford he’s not exactly going to swim away to Dortmund in Germany Bridge in in the Commonwealth Games as Marco Reus scored a brace. London on tomorrow.” Jose Mourinho is aiming to Tuesday. Erskine said he was not sure become the first manager to win Chelsea won how long Thorpe, who attended the European Cup with three dif- 2-0 going the wedding of Britain’s Prince ferent clubs, but the odds were through to the William in 2011 and might have stacked against Chelsea coming semi-final on been expected to catch up with back from their defeat in the the away goals the royal on the upcoming tour French capital six days ago, even rule. of Australia, would remain in if PSG were without injured talis- hospital. man Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “As of yesterday he’s not in Indeed, Chelsea lost a key Azpilicueta ball into the area in and Angel Di Maria had a 17th- intensive care. He’s a sick boy, attacking threat of their own the 87th minute. minute penalty saved by home English FA proposes he’s not going to get out and have inside 18 minutes when the “It was very much deserved ‘keeper Roman Weidenfeller, a cup of coffee and go and meet injured Eden Hazard had to be that the team that tried to defend before Reus pounced on a poor Prince William,” he said of the replaced by Andre Schuerrle. was punished. The team that header by Pepe back to his ’keeper 31-year-old. But Germany winger Schuerrle played with their heart deserved Iker Casillas before slotting home. total betting ban “At the end of the day he’s opened the scoring on the night to go through,” Mourinho told Reus found the net again in fighting it, he’s got an infection in the 32nd minute, taking advan- ITV, while PSG coach Laurent the 37th minute when he inter- LONDON: The FA has proposed a complete ban on anyone involved and like any of these infections tage of ball watching by Lucas to Blanc felt his men were a little cepted another poor ball back in England’s top eight tiers from betting on any soccer match or you get in hospitals, they have to convert a long throw-in from the unlucky. the way, this time by Asier competition anywhere in the world, it said in a statement yesterday. take it seriously.” right that had been helped on by “We were dangerous on the Illarramendi, and passed to Participants are currently blocked by Rule E8(b) from betting on As for Tuesday’s reports that David Luiz. break but couldn’t convert any of Robert Lewandowski. The Pole’s a match or competition they have been involved in that season or on the infection could leave Thorpe The tie was now on a knife- our chances. In my opinion the shot came back off the post but which they have any direct or indirect influence. without the use of his left arm, edge and Schuerrle lashed a shot difference between the two teams Reus followed in to score. However the FA council has recommended a total worldwide bet- Erskine was dismissive. off the bar six minutes into the was not enormous,” he said. Suddenly Dortmund sensed ting ban, as well as a prohibition on betting on any other football- “I think that’s all poetic second half before an Oscar free- While Chelsea remain on blood, but they couldn’t level the related matter such as transfers, team selection or the employment licence,” he said. kick came crashing back off the course to win the Champions tie on aggregate, with Henrikh of managers. “You could say what’s the worst woodwork. League for the second time in Mkhitaryan coming closest when “The proposed betting rule adjustment to encompass all aspects of case scenario, I mean, people have It took PSG almost an hour just three seasons, Mourinho’s former he rounded Casillas but hit the world football provides a simple and straightforward message to all par- died from these infections. But to touch the ball in the Chelsea club Madrid are also into the last post in the 65th minute. ticipants on where the line is drawn,” director of football governance that’s just people making it up, box but they had chances late on, four, a stage they always reached “Maybe it’s good for us to regulation Darren Bailey said in on the FA’s website (www.thefa.com). that’s just nonsense.” Edinson Cavani missing their best but never went beyond in each of receive a wake-up call like that “It is important to stress that the rules form only one part of the Erskine said on Tuesday that opening when he latched onto a the Portuguese’s three-year stint from time to time,” said Casillas. overall framework for the regulation of betting and maintaining the he thought Thorpe’s swimming Yohan Cabaye pass over the top at the Santiago Bernabeu. “It’s better that it came tonight integrity of the English game. In addition to the monitoring of bet- career was almost certainly over but fired over. The Spanish giants did enough and not in the upcoming games ting markets throughout the world, education remains a key part of if only because of the impact of And PSG were left to regret to win the tie thanks to their 3-0 we have.” our work.” the surgery on his shoulder. not grabbing an away goal as success in last week’s first leg, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp Participants are also currently banned from using or passing on “He’s had two major opera- Ba - who was born in the Paris although they were given a real added: “This game is one for the inside information for betting. tions on his shoulder ... and he’s suburb of Sevres but has spent scare at the Westfalenstadion. archives, a video must be made The FA’s proposal for a blanket ban would apply to those playing at got plates in there, he looks like his entire professional career Cristiano Ronaldo spent the and all teams who lose the first so-called Step 4 or above in the league system. the bionic man,” he said yesterday. outside France - stole in front of whole game on the bench as he leg 3-0 must be shown it to say, The proposed rule change needs agreement at the FA shareholders “The first operation didn’t Maxwell to bundle home a Cesar struggled with a knee problem ‘it can still happen’.” REUTERS Annual General Meeting (AGM) next month. REUTERS work, which took place after a fall at home before he went into rehab. “After rehab he went back to hospital, had the operation redone. US trying to narrow potential 2024 candidates “While he was in hospital, he got an infection. They they’d cleared that infection up. NEW YORK: The United States cities do we think have the opportunity a short list of two or three cities as early Blackmun said the USOC was not yet “He went back to rehab and the Olympic Committee has not decided to win. as next month and hopes to have settled factoring in global politics into any deci- infection flared up again so now whether it will bid for the 2024 Summer “Before we make a final decision we need on a candidate city by the end of 2014 or sion on whether to go forward with a bid he’s back in hospital.” Games but said yesterday it hopes to to get into fairly detailed discussions with early next year. but the organisation will eventually take a Australia’s most decorated narrow down a list of cities capable of hopefully a smaller number of cities so our But if the USOC feels there is no bid long hard look at the political climate after swimmer with 11 world champi- winning a bid within the next couple of objective is to be in that position within the capable of landing the 2024 Games the embarrassing rebukes the last two time the onship golds, Thorpe was admit- months. next couple of months.” organisation will turn its focus to a 2026 they put forward bids. The USOC has spent ted to hospital this year to treat Interest in bringing the Olympics back The USOC sent letters to the mayors Winter Olympics. several years patching up strained relation- depression after he was found to the United States is gaining momen- of America’s 35 biggest cities last year The last Olympics staged in the United ships with the IOC after New York’s bid for disoriented in Sydney. tum both at home and among International to gauge interest in bidding for the 2024 States were the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter the 2012 Games and Chicago’s bid for the Police were called when a resi- Olympic Committee (IOC) members. Games and has been tight-lipped ever Games. 2016 Olympics were rejected. dent saw Thorpe behaving oddly “It is a very informal process and our since about the response calling the proc- The United States has not hosted a “We have heard plenty of encouragement near a vehicle and Erskine later goal is to make a decision (on whether ess “informal.” Summer Games since the 1996 Atlanta from multiple IOC members about a US said he had been taking a mixture to proceed) by the end of the year and Several cities are believed to have Olympics and can expect stiff competition bid so I think IOC membership is favour- of anti-depressants and medica- there haven’t been any formal deadlines thrown their hats into the ring, includ- if it does enter the 2024 race with potential ably inclined towards us at least consider- tion for his shoulder. or submissions,” USOC chief executive ing San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, bids coming from Rome, Paris, Doha and ing going forward,” said USOC chairman Thorpe won three golds in his Scott Blackmun said on a conference call Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Durban, South Africa. Larry Probst. Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney yesterday. San Diego but as yet no preferred candi- The IOC has encouraged the United The next Summer Olympics will be held Games and clinched another two “The dialogue is really around which cit- date has been identified. States to submit a candidate but the USOC in Rio in 2016 while 2020 Games were at Athens four years later, but ies do we think can put together a bid that Blackmun’s comments come amid will want firmer support before proceeding awarded to Tokyo. The decision on the 2024 announced his retirement in 2006 is going to be a fantastic bid and which reports that the USOC is preparing to have on the matter. host will be made in 2017. REUTERS at the age of 24. REUTERS