ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER

Monday 20 January 2014 19 Rabial I 1435 - Volume 18 Number 5950 Price: QR2

QIB records Golf: Garcia QR1.34bn ‘eyes’ Qatar net profit Masters title

Business | 17 Sport | 28

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

Qatar, Kazakhstan sign pacts UAE follows Qatar, Utility violators to face makes military service compulsory

DUBAI: The United Arab huge fine after warning Emirates will introduce compul- sory military service for young Emirati men, it said yesterday. The state WAM news agency Inspections fail to curb wastage of water, electricity said the cabinet had endorsed a draft law which requires all men DOHA: People found wash- Department (known as Tarsheed the person. If the wastage contin- over the age of 18 or those who have ing cars with a hose pipe out- in Arabic) are on a high alert to ues even after the fine, the matter finished high school and are under side their homes can be fined help stop wastage of the precious is referred to the police,” he said. 30, to complete military training. It QR1,000 if they fail to stop utilities. Tens of such violations were is optional for women. It was not the practice after a warning is The law to rationalise utility forwarded to the police for immediately clear when the system issued in writing, says a sen- consumption was passed in 2008 action last year. Air-conditioners would start being implemented. ior official of utility distributor, (Law Number 26 of that year). and fluorescent bulbs that are Men who have finished high Kahramaa. It made the wastage of utilities power-efficient, can help one school will serve nine months, Similarly, if people keep light punishable by law. save between 16 and 40 percent while those who do not have a high bulbs or tubes on outside their Leaking pipes are given 72 of monthly water and electricity school diploma will serve for two homes on between 7am and 4pm, hours for repair, and if the repair bill, Al Hanzab told Al Sharq in years, UAE Prime Minister and a fine of QR500 could be slapped doesn’t take place within that an interview published yesterday. Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed if they continue with the practice time limit, a fine is imposed. Fluorescent bulbs can actually bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on following an initial warning. The inspectors caught more help save a quarter of a house- his Twitter account. However, as for washing cars than 3,000 violations last year and hold’s electricity bill. The move follows a similar outside homes, water can be used some of them were even referred “Similarly, we get water-effi- decision by Qatar’s cabinet in in a bucket. One or two buckets of to the police for legal action after cient taps in the local market. November which approved a water can be used, the official said. they failed to give any heed to If we fit them at home, up to 50 law to make brief military serv- Plants can be sprayed with warnings, said the head of the percent of water can be saved and ice compulsory on male Qataris water but if wastage is found, like monitoring section of Tarsheed, the bill is reduced,” he said. between the age of 18 and 35. if someone leaves a tap open near Mohamed Al Hanzab. The official said that despite REUTERS plants, a warning is to be issued. Notices are pasted outside the inspections, the wastage of water If repeated, the practice attracts homes of violators and inspec- and electricity was continuing on a Assad says will a penalty of QR1,000. tors visit the place again to check large scale. “We need to crackdown The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Kazakhstan Inspectors from Kahramaa’s compliance, said Al Hanzab. on violators and stop the wastage.” President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the Presidential Palace in Astana Electricity and Water “If we find that the practice is THE PENINSULA yesterday. The Emir and Kazakhstan President later witnessed the not step down Consumption Rationalisation not stopped, a fine is slapped on Picture on page 4 LONDON: Bashar Al Assad, signing of two agreements. Syria’s President, has indi- cated that he has no intention of stepping down and insists his departure will not be up for discussion at this week’s long- SCH not to accept birth certificate applications from February 2 awaited peace talks, which are designed to find a way out of the DOHA: The Supreme Council Wakrah Hospital, Al Khor at their obstetrics and gynaecol- permits, children aged above one to issue birth certificates to country’s bloody crisis. of Health (SCH) said yesterday Hospital and Cuban Hospital in ogy sections. year, and those whose father is newborns from the respective Low expectations for the that it will stop accepting appli- Dukhan have been authorised to However, the SCH will con- not in Qatar. hospitals. UN-sponsored Geneva II confer- cations for birth certificates issue the certificates, the SCH tinue to receive such applica- Applications for changing Applicants can obtain the cer- ence, which will start in Montreux of newborns at its offices from said in a statement yesterday. tions in some exceptional cases the name/ nationality of chil- tificates online in an hour after on Wednesday, sank further when February 2. Three private hospitals — Al such as those coming through dren will also be received at the providing all the required data or Assad reportedly told visiting The certificate is now issued Ahli, Al Emadi and Doha Clinic- the government and judicial SCH offices, said the statement. by visiting the offices of the hos- Russian MPs in Damascus that directly by the hospitals con- have also been authorised to issue authorities, non-Qatari new- In July last year, the SCH had pitals concerned, said the SCH. his future would be decided solely cerned. The Women’s Hospital, birth certificates to children born borns with temporary residence introduced an online system THE PENINSULA by elections. THE GUARDIAN MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME GU-Q students study Doha’s urban growth Focus on impact of planning on social interaction DOHA: Students of Mahsud, Nadia Al Khater, behavioural research,” added Georgetown University in Catherine Lechicki and Sana Mahsud. “The actual survey giv- Qatar (GU-Q) are conducting Jamal. Their project mentors ing experience requires patience a qualitative study on Doha’s are GU-Q political scientist Dr and care. We learned how best urban development. Mark Farha and Georgetown to formulate surveys and how to Called “Doha by Design: Urban University sociolinguist Dr approach potential survey takers. Planning and Social Space in Patricia O’Connor. The project has also taught me Doha”, the study analyses Doha’s The students assert that there a lot about the city of Doha and use of planning and space, and is well-documented quantita- urban space in general.” effects of the plans on social tive data on urban development, The students received feedback Youngsters taking part in a race as part of National Sport Day activities hosted by RasGas last year. interaction. but that no qualitative research on their research from planning Renée Gallant, GU-Q’s exists. This is the information and design professionals from Associate Director of Outreach vacuum they seek to fill. Lusail Real Estate Development RasGas gears up for National Sport Day and Corporate Engagement, “One of the most valuable Company, Turner International said, “Doha by Design provides experiences from the research Middle East, and Allies and DOHA: RasGas is partnering tournaments for football, bas- individual barcoded passport, a wonderful illustration of the process through UREP is mak- Morrison Architects, whose cur- with Aspire Zone Foundation ketball and cricket, ladies-only each participant can track his or intersection and relevance of the ing the step into the real world rent projects include Lusail City (AZF) for the third consecutive activities, mini-competitions for her sporting performance in each study of culture, economics and to collect data, being able to test and Msheireb Downtown Doha. year to host a full day of sport- children, a Fun Run and a 5,000- activity to compete in the RasGas politics with the seemingly unre- hypotheses and draw conclu- The meeting included a tour ing and fun activities to mark step walk. It will also feature Sporting Awards challenge. lated industries of urban plan- sions on what we have been able of the new LEED (Leadership in National Sport Day 2014. sports entertainers performing The theme for this year’s ning, design and architecture.” to observe rather than stick- Energy & Environmental Design) More than 3,000 RasGas live kickboxing and acrobatic National Sport Day is ‘Get The project, sponsored ing purely to data people have dormitories in Education City, employees and their families are shows. Powered 2014’ and is aligned with by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) reported in the past,” said Al and an opportunity for analysis expected to participate in the A team of sports profession- the company’s corporate social Undergraduate Research Khater. and discussion of the students’ activities on February 11 at Aspire als will be on hand to encourage responsibility programme’s focus Experience Programme (UREP) “We had to go through train- UREP project with some of the Zone. participants and keep power lev- on promoting an active and healthy grant, is being conducted by ing and learn how to ethically world’s leading urban designers. Highlights include team els high. Through an innovative lifestyle. THE PENINSULA student researchers Khadija undertake projects involving THE PENINSULA Qatar hospitality market posts dip in room yield

DOHA: Hospitality market in Qatar is a performance metric in the hotel East. The hotel set includes international in an overall increase in RevPAR of 16.5 has rapidly absorbed this supply and saw a four percent year-over-year industry, which is calculated by multi- branded and operated properties across percent compared to the same time in continues to perform exceptionally decrease in room yield for January- plying a hotel’s average daily room rate the five- and four-star segments. the previous year. well,” said Yousef Wahbah, Mena Head November in 2013, while it maintained (ADR) by its occupancy rate. The trend is similar across the major Bahrain experienced a three percent of Transaction Real Estate at EY. a 65 percent occupancy rate for the The survey for November said the markets such as the UAE and Saudi increase in the occupancy with ADR Abu Dhabi also increased its supply of first 11 months of 2013 and 2012. hospitality market in Doha saw a dip Arabia in the GCC except for Oman and declining by two percent and RevPAR four- and five-star hotels during 2013, The decline in RevPAR is largely due of three percent in its occupancy rates Bahrain. increasing overall by 5.3 percent com- by introducing about 1,700 new branded to a 3.4 percent dip in the average room year-over-year. However, the report said, “With the pared to November 2012. hotel rooms. rate for the period from QR951 for the But the sector saw a 16.1 percent peak season having started, the region “The UAE’s hospitality market regis- In Saudi Arabia, the hospitality market January-November period in 2012 to decrease in RevPAR in November 2013, is setting up for a successful incline in tered a slight drop in RevPAR perform- registered a decline and the major rea- QR919 for the corresponding period in when the average room rate fell from hotel occupancy.” ance when compared to November 2012. son for the slump has been attributed to 2013, said Middle East Hotel Benchmark QR1,052 in November 2012 to QR916. For November 2013, occupancy rates “However, about 2,950 new branded reduction in the number of arrivals to Survey Report by EY. The report provides performance in Muscat increased by 12 percent with hotel rooms were added to Dubai’s hotel the kingdom due to fears over the MERS RevPAR or revenue per available room overview of leading hotels in the Middle ADR dropping by 0.4 percent resulting supply and Dubai’s hospitality market virus. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03

Ministry to allot 7,782 plots to Fourth Al Fikra contest launched eligible citizens DOHA: The Ministry of Young entrepreneurs and creative minds have the opportunity to bring their ideas to life Municipality and Urban Planning has announced DOHA: The fourth edition of the it will allot 7,782 plots of annual Qatar National Business land all over the country Plan Competition — Al Fikra to eligible citizens this 2014 — organised by Enterprise year so they could build Qatar (EQ), an SME-dedicated homes. organisation, was launched Currently, the titles of yesterday. the plots are being changed Entry is open and the contest so they could be allotted. runs until February 2, Ali Al Areas where these plots Khulaifi, Acting CEO of EQ, told are located are being pro- a press conference. vided with basic services, With the launch of Al Fikra, including roads. entrepreneurs and creative minds The ministry has plans in Qatar will now have the chance to allot 1,800 more plots for to bring their ideas to life. residential purposes in the The programme encourages near future, Qatar News enterprising young minds to sub- Agency (QNA) reported mit their ideas for a successful yesterday. startup business project. Winners will receive much QA offers up needed capital injection in the form of cash prizes and consul- to 30pc off tancy and incubation services to Enterprise Qatar CEO Ali Al Khulaifi delivering the keynote speech at the launch of Al Fikra competition during a press conference at the Sharq Village and help their business ideas flourish Spa Hotel yesterday. QASSIM RAHMATULLAH on fares into profitable ventures. “We want to tap into one of of judges representing different “This competition is meant to Business Incubation Centre is QBIC; Saleh Al Khulaifi, Head DOHA: Qatar Airways Qatar’s most important natural sectors. engage young entrepreneurs to Startup Development Partner of Business Development, QDB; yesterday announced it is resources: The aspiring minds Throughout the process, all overcome common hurdles asso- and Carnegie Mellon University Saud Al Arifi, Vice-President and offering up to 30 percent of young entrepreneurs that are contestants will be able to benefit ciated with any growing business.” in Qatar and Qatar University are H R Manager Qatar and Abu off on economy class and driving this country towards the from workshops and educational The competition has assembled Key Academic partners. Dhabi for ExxonMobil Qatar Inc, premium cabin fares to future. We want to offer assist- resources to assist in writing a important sponsors and strategic Other academic institutions MarjoLouw, President of Sasol various destinations. ance and guidance to enable them business case before its submis- and academic partners to enrich participating include, Virginia Qatar; Dr Ilker Baybars, Dean, The sale, which started at to commercialise their ideas and sion to the panel. the experience of all participants Commonwealth University in CMU-Q; Dr S Thomas Emerson, 0000 hours today and ends see them grow,” Al Khulaifi added. Al Khulaifi said: “Most young regardless of the outcome of their Qatar, College of the North Professor of Entrepreneurship at at 2359 hours on January Al Fikra is open to all citi- entrepreneurs struggle to find submissions. Atlantic in Qatar, Stenden CMU-Q and other dignitaries were 22, offers customers the zens and residents. Participating the kind of support they need, ExxonMobil and Sasol are University Qatar, and Georgetown present at the press conference. opportunity to travel to entries will go through assess- whether it is coaching, or much platinum sponsors; Qatar University’s School of Foreign Entry is free and can be done a variety of destinations ment stages, and six winners will needed business services, that may Development Bank is Economic Services in Qatar. on Al Fikra’s website http://www. across Europe, the Middle be announced in May by a panel be out of reach for startups. Development Partner; Qatar Raed Al Emadi, CEO of alfikra.qa. THE PENINSULA East, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas at very attractive fares. The company said gen- erous travel period offers passengers added flexibility, Symposium on media’s role in cultural development at Katara next month giving customers purchase tickets an 11 month window DOHA: The recently established Katara space allocated by these outlets. channels and culture’; and ‘Challenges of environment to actively participate and until December 17, 2014 to Cultural Forum will organise a sympo- The symposium will address the issue presence and the risks of absence of culture innovate in the cultural and arts field. complete their travel. The sium on ‘The role of media in cultural to create close contact between the media in the media’. The forum also seeks to strengthen rela- economy and premium development’ at Katara next month. and intellectuals, academics and other con- Meanwhile, after assessing the inaugural tion between writers and intellectuals with fares qualify for frequent The forum’s organising committee said cerned parties and show the important role writers and artists’ symposium, the forum their counterparts abroad and improve flyer points and mileage the event comes amid increasing cultural the media can play in cultural development. will hold the second writers and artists’ the level of culture and art coordinating accrual can be redeemed on mobility in the region and as those con- Among the topics to be covered are ‘Print event in the evening to give chance to more with specialised institutions and individuals any one world carrier. cerned with art and cultural affairs blame media and culture, current situation and people to attend. locally and internationally. THE PENINSULA/QNA media outlets for a lack of concern about the future’; ‘Joint responsibility of media The forum will also try to attract the The writers and artists forum is held once cultural affairs as shown in the limited and culture’; ‘Culture in new media’; ‘TV youth and create for them a suitable every three months. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Q-Mobile SMS services now Violation Qatar attends China Dialogue available on Ooredoo SSM BEIJING: The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs DOHA: Ooredoo and Q-Mobile news, personal and financial advice, H E Mohammed bin Abdullah yesterday announced a partner- and entertainment. As an introduc- Al Rumaihi headed a delega- ship to allow customers to sign up tory offer, this service will be offered tion to the Third GCC-China for premium SMS services from free in the first month and afterward Strategic Dialogue yesterday. any Ooredoo Self-Service Machine customers will be billed at the stand- He said talks were construc- (SSM). ard premium SMS charges. tive and would serve interests “Our partnership with Q-Mobile Ooredoo customers can sign up of both sides. The dialogue’s enables our customers to quickly for Q-Mobile’s premium SMS serv- final statement called for receive important information that ices, including Q-News for news and stronger cooperation and dia- will help them in their daily lives,” events in Doha, Q-World for impor- logue in the future. said Brian Speldewinde, Assistant tant world news, Q-Sallah for tim- Both sides signed a work Director, indirect sales channels, ings of the Islamic call to prayer, plan for the 2014-2017 strate- Ooredoo. “Premium SMS is one of Q-Doaa for Doaa from the Quran gic dialogue, which will include our fastest-growing markets, and by and Q-Jokes for new and witty jokes. negotiations for a free trade enabling our customers to sign up Ooredoo has more than 200 SSMs zone between the GCC and for Q-Mobile’s services through our in malls, airport terminals, petrol China. SSMs, we continue to lead ICT inno- stations and other places. It has Al Rumaihi, with Kuwaiti vation in Qatar.” also installed drive-through SSMs Deputy Prime Minister and Q-Mobile delivers premium SMS on major highway intersections and Foreign Minister Sheikh services, including country-specific border crossings. THE PENINSULA A man washing a truck with water from a hose pipe. Kahramaa yesterday said people washing vehicles Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al with hose pipe can be fined QR1,000. Sabah and GCC Secretary- General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani co-chaired the meet- ing with the Chinese side led by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Chinese President Xi Jinping Souq Waqif Spring met the GCC delegation and stressed that China saw its relation with the GCC as a strategic one. The Qatari team included the Festival from Friday Ambassador to China Sultan DOHA: The organising com- which will feature moving dino- been allocated and in case the bin Salmeen Al Mansouri and mittee of this year’s Souq saur replicas interacting with number of visitors increases, Yusuf Eissa Al Jaber, Director Waqif Spring Festival yes- children in a specially built more parking will be provided of the GCC Affairs Department terday announced prepara- 25sqm area. at places adjacent to Souq at the Foreign Ministry. tions were under way for the There will be roving street Waqif. launch of the annual festival shows for visitors as well as Restaurants and cafes in FM’s message on Friday. breathtaking acrobatic and the souq are being monitored To run for two weeks, the fes- circus performances on a 15m to ensure they offer food at to Venezuela tival is scheduled from January by 8m stage. The programme reasonable price and not take 24 to February 6. will start at 4pm and run until advantage of the festival by CARACAS: Venezuela’s Mohammad Al Salem, Head 10pm daily. increasing prices. Foreign Minister Elias Jaua of old market section at the A music festival featuring Souq Waqif is considered a received a message from Private Engineering Office, local and regional bands and tourist hotspot with an increas- the Foreign Minister H E said many locations in Souq singers will be held from 6pm to ing number of visitors every Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Waqif will simultaneously host 8pm at a theatre with a capac- year. Its year-round highlights Al Attiyah on relations and activities and venues have been ity to sit 3,500 people. include Eid Al Adha and Eid Al means of developing them. upgraded so more visitors can The Souq Waqif art centre Fitr festivals, musical events. The message was presented attend maximum events. will showcase works by Qatari The Spring Festival is expected by Qatari Ambassador Battal The programme for the fes- artists, including paintings on to attract thousands of visitors Meajib Al Dossari during a tival will be suitable for chil- diving and fish sculptures. from within Qatar and neigh- meeting with the Deputy Foreign dren and the family. Among the Al Salem said parking bouring countries. Minister, Reinaldo Bolivar. highlights is “Jurassic Park,” spaces for 5,000 cars have THE PENINSULA Cultural ties New bridge work in Abu Hamour reviewed SANA’A: The Yemeni Minister of Culture Dr Abdullah Oabal Manzouq met Qatari Ambassador Mohamed bin Hamad Al Fuhaid and dis- cussed cooperation. Qatar, Djibouti discuss relations DJIBOUTI: I nt er ior M i n i s t er Hassan Omar Mohamed and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Zakaria Sheikh Ibrahim held sepa- rate meetings with the Qatari Ambassador Jassim bin Jaber A new bridge is coming up near Waqod petrol station in Abu Hamour to facilitate smooth traffic from Jassim Fakhroo and reviewed Wukair to Abu Hamour. Traffic under the bridge will move to the Industrial Area. ABDUL BASIT relations. Palestinian entrepreneurs attend ‘Build a Business Weekend’ seminar DOHA: Young in business model design, Palestinian entrepre- value creation and tar- neurs representing over geted marketing, and “go- 60 startup or early stage to-market” strategies that businesses took part in avoid the need for tradi- the ‘Build a Business tional fundraising. Weekend’ as part of the The entrepreneurs spent Palestine StartUp Cup, considerable time with organised by ConnectME selected business men- and supported by tors, with the overall goal Silatech. of becoming familiar with The Cup is a six-month universal steps required competition to help create to start and build a viable sustainable businesses and business. strengthen the Palestinian StartUp Cup co- entrepreneurial ecosystem. founder Sean Griffin Fairuz Taqieddin, and Tanya Hiple, Senior Silatech Director of Adviser for Women’s Country Operations, Entrepreneurship at the said, “The Cup provides a US State Department, led unique model that blends the workshop, along with business model competi- Randa Masri, Founder and tions, connection with local CEO of ConnectME. entrepreneurship support This is the first year of organisations, business Palestine StartUp Cup, incubation, and an empha- which began in September sis on mentoring. We are 2013 with the submission proud to be supporting the of over 300 business mod- Cup, and look forward to els. From this group, the intensifying our operations 60 most promising submis- in Palestine.” sions were selected to take The Cup is a global net- part in “Build a Business work of business model Weekend,” and from these competitions in more 60 startup or early stage than 45 countries around enterprises, 25 have been the world. The workshop chosen to complete in took place in Ramallah, the second phase of the Palestine. Participants StartUp Cup Competition. gained intensive training THE PENINSULA MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 Maersk Oil opens digital Kahramaa to launch new water plants

DOHA: Qatar General surrounding areas. It has been core laboratory in Doha Electricity and Water built at a cost of QR973m. Corporation (Kahramaa) is The South Doha Plant to launch new water plants includes pumping stations and in Duhail, Umm Qarn, seven reservoirs with a total QP, Maersk Oil sign technology cooperation framework agreement Mesaimeer, south Doha and capacity of 84m gallons. Costing Muathier. QR640m, the plant will serve DOHA: Maersk Oil opened a These are major projects residents of Doha, Al Hilal, new Digital Core Laboratory at aimed to raise the strategic Airport and Ain Khalid. the Maersk Oil Research and reserves of Kahramaa, said a The Mesaimeer plant, costing Technology Centre (MORTC) statement yesterday. QR658m has six reservoirs with in Doha yesterday. The Duhail plant will be the a total capacity of 108m gallons. The laboratory, the first of largest in Qatar, which can keep It will serve Mesaimeer and sur- its kind in the Middle East, will one-third of the water reserves rounding areas. support ongoing applied research in Qatar, with a separate sec- The other plant has five large efforts in the area of enhanced oil tion for pumping, according to reservoirs with a capacity of recovery, particularly in carbon- Al Sharq. 105m gallons. Built at a cost of ate reservoirs such as Qatar’s Al With six large reservoirs with QR656m, it will serve Bin Hajir, Shaheen oilfield, which is one of a total capacity of 142 million Maidir, Al Sailiya and surround- the most complex in the world. gallons, the plant will serve areas ing areas. It is part of a 10-year, $100m including Lusail, Al Kheesa and The statement said that investment by Maersk Oil in Rowdath Al Hammam. Kahramaa is preparing to applied research in Qatar, focus- The Umm Qarn plant has launch another big water reser- ing on improved and enhanced five reservoirs with a capacity voir project to support the newly oil recovery and the marine of 71m gallons and will serve developed areas in the country. environment. Umm Qarn, Semaisma and THE PENINSULA The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada inaugurated the laboratory. Commercial Bank opens As part of the opening, a tech- nology cooperation framework agreement was signed between two new branches MORTC and the Qatar Petroleum Research & Technology Centre, DOHA: Commercial Bank commerce,” said Abdulla Saleh Al allowing QP to use the laboratory opened new branches at the Raisi, Chief Executive Officer of for individual or joint research The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada (second right) accompanied by officials, St Regis Hotel and Al Gassar the bank. activities. touring the laboratory after inaugurating it yesterday. Resort in Doha, offering a range Commercial bank, which had “Qatar has made a commit- of services to hotel visitors and total assets of QR104.5bn as on ment to be a leading centre for relationship, the laboratory aims valuable petrophysical and flow- past 20 years with QP, our part- nearby residents. 30 September 2013, offers a full research and development, excel- at enhancing oil recovery success related information. ner at Al Shaheen, and opens up The branches were opened by range of corporate, retail and lence, and innovation. rates. “Working closely with our part- the laboratory for the greater the bank’s board and members of investment banking services. The “Therefore, research facilities Researchers at the labora- ner QP, Maersk Oil has become good of Qatar.’ the executive management in the two additions extend the bank’s like this play an important role tory use more than 13,000 X-ray specialists in understanding and Dr Nasser Saqer Al Mohannadi, presence of Manchester United network of branches to over 30 in fulfilling that goal. images in a computed tomography applying the right technologies to Manager of QP’s Research and legend Denis Irwin, in Doha as and are supported by over 151 “We hope that the laboratory (CT) scan to make a mathemati- maximise long-term production Technology Centre, said: “We part of the bank’s exclusive five- ATMs plus Internet banking and and the research findings that it cal reconstruction of carbonate potential and unlock value from are delighted to sign the research year partnership with the world’s Mobile banking services. will generate would contribute to rock samples. the complex Al Shaheen field,” collaboration agreement as this most famous football club. These branches are open the development of Qatar’s energy The pores of oil-bearing rocks said Jakob Thomasen, Maersk is an important step in further “Commercial Bank continues to from 11am to 6pm, Saturday to industry,” said Al Sada. are studied at a minute level, Oil’s Chief Executive Officer. deepening and enhancing our invest in Qatar by providing con- Thursday, for customer conven- By advancing understanding down to a diametre of 40 times Abdulrahman Al Emadi, Head relationship with Maersk Oil and veniently located branches. Bank ience plus ATMs that are multi- of the mineralogy of Al Shaheen less than that of a human hair. of MORTC, said: “The collabora- its research team at the Qatar branches support the growth of functional for withdrawing and reservoir rocks and the sub- When results are combined, a tion agreement builds on Maersk Science and Technology Park.” Qatar as they are the lifeblood of depositing cash. surface chemistry and fluid flow 3D image is produced that shows Oil’s close relationship over the THE PENINSULA local business communities and THE PENINSULA Azerbaijan embassy Survey: Local telecom to observe operators providing January 20 DOHA: The Azerbaijan poor services embassy in Qatar is marking today the 24th DOHA: A majority 69 percent of The local telecom companies are anniversary of the Soviet respondents said in a survey con- charging high rates for their services, invasion of the country ducted by the local daily Al Raya said Mohsin Al Abdullah, a citizen. which is observed as a that local telecom operators pro- The signal of a telecom operator Black Day. vide poor services compared to is very low in some areas, he added. The embassy will com- those operating in neighbouring They are also not offering promo- memorate those who died countries. tions and schemes regularly and not in the invasion, with an However, 24 percent disagreed giving enough advertisements for event at its premises to and said telecom companies in the promotions, he added. be attended by diplomatic country were on a par with those Services of local telecom opera- corps in Qatar. in the neighbouring countries, and tors are not up to mark compared It was on January 20, 14 percent said services are better to those in neighbouring countries, 1990 when Soviet troops here compared to those in neigh- said Al Abdullah. invaded Baku, capital of bouring countries. Some 59.5 per- Local companies do not consider Azerbaijan, to strangle the cent respondents said signals in outer opinions of customers and do not independence movement areas should be made stronger, while conduct any survey to know custom- and prevent the fall of the 24 percent asked to slash the tariff. ers’ views to improve their services. Soviet Communist regime However, a meagre 0.5 percent said Roaming charges are also high, in Azerbaijan. there was a need for more promo- which should be reduced, said “Despite the fact that tions by telecom operators. another citizen. And new companies a few years have passed Major complaints of respond- should be allowed to operate in the since those bloody days, ents were about weak signals in country to facilitate a healthy compe- our nation remembers some areas, high call rates and tition in telecom sector. It is strange that dreadful night and lack of mobile towers. Several citi- that a company charges more than expresses its deep con- zens demanded that the authorities other one operating in this country tempt for those who com- concerned allow more companies and those in the neighbouring coun- mitted that tragedy. to operate in the country to create try, said Mohammad Al Marri. “Our republic marks the healthy competition. THE PENINSULA day of tragedy of January 20 every year as a Day of Sorrow,” the embassy in Qatar said in a press release yesterday. Embassy gears up for Republic Day celebrations DOHA: The Indian embassy will hold a flag- hoisting ceremony to mark the 65th Republic Day of India at 8.30am on Sunday, January 26. Ambassador Sanjiv Arora will hoist the Indian flag and read the address of President Pranab Mukherjee. Students of Indian schools will participate in the pro- gramme. Refreshments will be served. All Indians are invited to attend the function. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST West welcomes Syria oppn vote to join talks Islamist rebels reject peace talks

ISTANBUL: Western lead- But the presidency in Damascus ers have hailed a decision by said the comments published by Syria’s opposition to attend an Interfax were “inaccurate,” with- international peace confer- out elaborating. Assad’s brands its ence next week alongside rep- opponents as “terrorists”, but it has resentatives of a regime they made concessions ahead of the con- despise and remain determined ference that opens on Wednesday. to overthrow. The Geneva II meeting aims to After weeks of hesitation and set up a transitional government threats to boycott the talks, the to end a brutal war estimated to deeply divided National Coalition have killed more than 130,00 peo- said it will go to Switzerland, with ple and forced millions from their the sole aim of toppling President homes in nearly three years. Bashar Al Assad. US Secretary of State John However, a powerful alliance Kerry hailed the opposition’s of Syrian Islamist rebels rejected “courageous” decision to attend upcoming peace talks, mean- the talks, describing it as a “path ing that even if the talks reach that will ultimately lead to a bet- an unlikely breakthrough in the ter future for all Syrians”. three year old civil war, it will be “We all know that the proc- harder to implement it on the ess ahead will be difficult, but I ground. The Islamic Front, an say directly to the Syrian peo- A resident holds a child that survived shelling after an air strike by forces loyal to Syria’s president Bashar Al Assad in the Al Ansari neighbourhood of alliance of several Islamist fight- ple: we will stand by you every Aleppo, yesterday. ing forces that represents a large mile of the journey as you seek portion of the rebels on the ground, to achieve the freedom and dig- Coalition member Munzer said yesterday it rejected the talks. nity that all Syrians deserve,” he Aqbiq said the opposition would Syria’s future would be “formu- said in remarks echoed by Britain, ISIL reaching out to Syria rebels form within 24 a delegation made lated here on the ground of hero- France and Germany. up of diplomats, politicians, FSA ism, and signed with blood on the The Coalition voted Saturday BAGHDAD: The Al Qaeda- month it would “crush” oppo- a plan to invade Aleppo and representatives and legal experts. front lines, not in hollow confer- by 58 to 14 to attend the peace linked Islamic State of Iraq sition fighters and considered advance to the western front, The Coalition has been under ences attended by those who don’t conference, with only 75 of the and the Levant has reached members of the Syrian National and we used to have forces in intense pressure from its even represent themselves,” Abu around 120 delegates taking part out to other rebel groups in Coalition and the military com- Hama and we used to have Western and Arab backers to Omar, a leading member of the in the secret ballot -- a sign that Syria to head off infighting, in mand of the Free Syrian Army forces in Idlib. “But all of this attend the talks. The regime said Islamic Front, said on his Twitter strong disagreement persists. an audio message posted online to be “legitimate targets”. has stopped in one night because it will send a high-level delega- account. Coalition leader Ahmad Jarba yesterday. Baghdadi, in the audio mes- of the betrayal.” Baghdadi urged tion, and has offered concessions Assad was quoted yesterday said the group was going to “Today, the (Islamic) state is sage posted on jihadist forums, his group’s fighters to “not betray ahead of the talks, including a as saying his departure is not Switzerland only for the pur- reaching out to you to stop fight- accused rebel groups of anybody”, and recommended prisoner swap and a security up for discussion, in a Russian pose of removing the “butcher” ing us, to focus on fighting the “betrayal”. they “forgive” other rebels. plan for the battered northern media report that his office Assad from power. “The Geneva nusairiyah,” the voice in the mes- “Anyone who fought against “Forgive them, to concentrate city of Aleppo. quickly denied. “If we wanted to II negotiation table is a one-way sage, purportedly that of ISIL us should review his stance,” he on your enemy, who is the enemy Foreign Minister Walid surrender we would have sur- road aimed at achieving all the chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, said. “You have stabbed us in the of the Sunni people.” Most rebels Muallem said Damascus was rendered from the start,” Assad demands of the revolution... and said, using the term often used back, as all of our soldiers were in Syria are Sunni Arab, and determined to ensure the talks told Russian parliament members first and foremost stripping the by jihadists to refer to the Syrian on the frontline.” have fought against the regime were a success, and sent a letter during a meeting in Damascus, butcher (Assad) of all his pow- regime. He continued, referring to var- of Syrian President Bashar Al to the United Nations saying the according to Interfax news agency. ers,” he said. The remarks mark a shift ious parts of Syria: “We used to Assad, whose Alawite sect is an conference is about getting rid of “This issue is not under discus- The head of the rebel Free for ISIL, which said earlier this have an army who implemented offshoot of Shia. AFP extremists. sion. Only the Syrian people can Syrian Army, General Selim The Syrian Observatory for decide who should take part in Idriss, called for a “peaceful Human Rights said regime jets elections,” said Assad, whose has resolution” to the conflict, and from power. The FSA, the armed emergence of Al Qaeda-linked forum must adopt “realistic” deci- and helicopters pounded Aleppo ruled over Syria since 2000 after urged the opposition to uphold wing of the Coalition, is the main jihadists. Syria ally Iran — which sions and ensure that jihadists are and the surrounding countryside the death of his father and vet- the “goals of the revolution” and rebel group in Syria, but it has has not been invited to attend the weakened, media said quoting a on Saturday, killing 34 people. eran strongman Hafez Al Assad. remove Assad and his cronies been greatly marginalised by the talks —said participants at the top official. AFP

Supreme leader commutes Dozens killed in Blue Nile: Rebels almost 900 sentences in Iran KHARTOUM: Rebels in BEIRUT: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sudan’s Blue Nile state yester- agreed to pardon or reduce the sentences of 878 people in honour of day claimed to have killed doz- the Prophet Mohammad’s (peace be upon him) birthday, the state ens of soldiers and disabled a news agency Irna reported. tank during battle, but the mili- Last September, some 80 political prisoners were released, includ- tary said it was the victor. ing prominent human rights activist and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, The Sudan People’s Liberation just before a trip by President Hassan Rowhani to the UN General Army-North said it “managed to Assembly in New York. In October, another 1,241 prisoners were par- destroy” a government convoy at doned, according to the Nasim news agency. Malkan on Friday. Irna did not say whether any of those pardoned on Saturday had Insurgents seized two other been convicted of political offences. There did not appear to be any tanks in good condition along change in the status of Iran’s two most prominent political prisoners with long-range artillery pieces — former presidential candidates Mirhossein Moussavi and Mehdi and various weapons, a rebel Karroubi — who have been under house arrest for nearly three years. statement said, disputing govern- Some Iranian officials have called for Moussavi and Karroubi to be ment claims to have occupied the freed, a move strongly opposed by hardliners, who have labelled the Malkan area. pair traitors for disputing the results of the 2009 presidential election. Sudan Armed Forces spokes- man Sawarmi Khaled Saad said the battle in the southern Israel giving back remains of Ingessana Hills had occurred 10 days ago, when Khartoum’s forces defeated the rebels. Palestinian militants: Army Access to the war zone is restricted, making verification of TEL AVIV: Israel has begun to exhume the remains of a number claims difficult. of Palestinian militants to return them to their families for burial, Ethnic insurgents from the the army said yesterday, a move that could help ease some tension SPLA-N have been fighting since between the adversaries. September 2011 in Blue Nile. A Israel and the Western-backed Palestinian authority are currently more intense war broke out ear- locked in peace talks being mediated by the United States that are lier that year between the rebel The market torched to ground by rebels according to SPLA troops in Bor, the state capital of South Sudan’s showing scant signs of progress. group and government forces in power-key eastern state of Jonglei, housing thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Israel has over many years interred the bodies of militants killed in South Kordofan state. attacks on Israelis at special cemeteries. It has returned them sporadi- The unrest is fuelled by accu- fighters had made a “tactical as the ruler of South Sudan.” before the south declared inde- cally, usually as part of amnesties or prisoner exchanges. sations of political and eco- withdrawal” from Bor, which has Lul Ruai Koang, military pendence in 2011, has sent its A Palestinian activist from a group that campaigns for the return nomic neglect. Defence Minister been heavily fought over since the spokesman of Machar’s delegation troops to support Kiir. A spokes- of bodies said the remains of 36 militants would be handed over for Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein conflict erupted in mid-December. at the talks in the Ethiopian capi- man said the Ugandan People’s reburial. The first was transferred to his family in the West Bank town said in November an operation The United Nations says thou- tal, told Reuters the rebels had Defence Force was behind the of Jenin yesterday, the activist said. had begun to crush the rebels. sands of people have been killed pulled out voluntarily on Friday. success at Bor, the capital of res- An army spokeswoman declined to specify the number of bodies More than one million people and more than half a million “Our political leadership tive Jonglei state. being returned or the identities of the dead and said the move followed have been severely affected or driven from their homes in the wanted to reorganize our forces “It’s UPDF that captured Bor,” an Israeli court ruling. displaced by the fighting in South fighting in the world’s newest for other important operations ... Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Kordofan and Blue Nile, the UN nation. It has pitted troops loyal Not a single shot was fired when Ankunda told Reuters after first Algeria ex-PM to run for presidency says. to President Salva Kiir against government troops entered today announcing the UPDF’s role Meanwhile, South Sudanese rebels backing Riek Machar, who (Saturday),” he added. on Twitter. “There was a lot of ALGIERS: Algerian former premier Ali Benflis yesterday said he government forces said they was sacked as vice president in Initially triggered by a political resistance but our force was would stand in the country’s presidential elections, after a 10-year seized the flashpoint town of Bor July. row, battle lines have increasingly overwhelming.” absence from politics after he lost the 2004 poll to President back from rebels on Saturday and “The SPLA has defeated followed ethnic lines with Kiir’s Uganda deployed its troops to Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Uganda’s army claimed credit for more than 15,000 forces of Riek Dinka battling Machar’s Nuer. South Sudan shortly after the “With honour, determination, confidence and a lot of humility, I the operation, highlighting the Machar,” Philip Aguer, spokesman Bor was the scene of a massacre fighting began. At first, Uganda took the decision to be a candidate for the presidency of the republic,” depth of its involvement in the for the government SPLA forces, of Dinka by Nuer troops loyal to said it troops were there to help Benflis, 71, told the press and his supporters. conflict. A rebel spokesman in told reporters in the capital Juba. Machar, during an earlier conflict stranded Ugandans and protect Bouteflika on Friday set the date for the vote as April 14, but has Addis Ababa, where talks aimed “The SPLA has frustrated Riek in 1991. Uganda, which for years key facilities. But it has since still not said whether he himself will be seeking a fourth term after at securing a ceasefire have been Machar’s plan to advance and backed the SPLA in its conflict declared its role in combat. more than 14 years in power. grinding on, told Reuters his attack Juba, and install himself against Sudan’s government AGENCIES AGENCIES MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Charter opens road for Sisi but youth unhappy New charges against ousted president Mohamed Mursi for ‘insulting judiciary’

CAIRO: The approval of turnout “reached 38.6 percent” of speech and yet those who said revolt against Mubarak did not Egypt’s constitution bolsters 53 million registered voters, with no to the constitution have been do that for a return to autoc- the powerful army chief but only 1.9 percent voting “no.” jailed,” said activist Mohamed racy,” said James Dorsey of a large number of youths who That turnout shows “that the Ghorab of the No to Military Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School helped topple two presidents revolution of June 30 was a popu- Trials of Civilians group. of International Studies. within three years shunned the lar revolution,” said another gov- “For many this is a reminder “They are asking questions, vote on the new charter. ernment official, of the day when of the previous Mubarak era and the question is whether the Egyptian voters have approved millions took to the streets across regime,” he said. new regime will believe in liberal the Tuesday-Wednesday refer- Egypt to demand Mursi’s ouster. Prominent youth leaders of the politics and there is no indication endum by 98.1 percent, officials The new charter replaces an 2011 uprising against Mubarak that it is going to do so,” he added. announced Saturday, and the Islamist-inspired one adopted in a have been jailed in recent weeks. Meanwhile, ousted president results are seen as nod to General December 2012 referendum under They include Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Mursi and 24 oth- Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to run for Mursi with about two-thirds of Ahmed Douma and Mohamed ers, including top activists who president. the vote and a 33 percent turnout. Adel, convicted in December for opposed him and his predecessor, Sisi led the overthrow of Nafea said the result showed, organising an unlicensed protest will stand trial for insulting the Islamist president Mohamed however, an overall backing for — just days after a law was passed judiciary, state media and judicial Mursi in July following massive Sisi to run for president because in November banning all but sources said yesterday. protests against his one year-rule, “a large segment of Egyptians see police-sanctioned demonstrations. The defendants have been which came after a popular upris- the Brotherhood as a threat to These convictions have been charged for allegedly mak- ing in 2011 toppled his predeces- the society”. denounced by rights groups and ing comments in the media sor Hosni Mubarak. Supporters of army-backed government celebrate in Tahrir Square in Cairo The general is wildly popu- experts who says they threaten and online that showed “disre- Youth movements at the fore- after a new constitution was approved on Saturday. lar among many of the millions the gains achieved since the top- spect and hatred for the courts front of protests that ended the who took to the streets against pling of Mubarak and signal a and the judiciary,” state news rules of Mursi and Mubarak demonstrations. And this appears for change in Egypt shunned Mursi, but the Islamist’s followers return of a police state. agency Mena said. It was unclear hardly objected when the mil- to have been clearly reflected dur- the polls. Political analyst revile him for what they say was a Youths have also been angered whether the defendants would itary-installed authorities ing the voting. Hassan Nafea said turnout was “coup” against Egypt’s first freely by a flurry of reports in the be tried together, and the latest launched a deadly crackdown on Sisi had urged the youths to “disappointing”. elected and civilian president. local media that gave unflat- charges will be the fourth set of Mursi’s supporters. participate in the referendum, “The youth refused to partici- The Brotherhood, reeling from tering accounts of their role in proceedings against Mursi since Nor did they object when his saying they formed “more than pate in the referendum because a crackdown by the military- the 2011 uprising. Such articles, his ouster. Muslim Brotherhood movement 50 percent” of Egypt’s 85-million they consider what is happening installed authorities has seen said the analyst Nafea, are seen Under the latest round of was banned and designated a strong population. as a counter-revolution to the thousands of Islamists arrested by the youths as “an attempt charges, Mursi has been accused “terrorist” organisation. But reporters who toured poll- January revolution (against Hosni and more than 1,000 people killed, to steal the June 30 revolution for giving a speech days before his But they voiced their out- ing stations said youths did not Mubarak),” said Nafea. dismissed the referendum as a (against Mursi) for the benefit” ouster by the army in July, when rage when the military-backed massively participate in the vot- Electoral commission head “farce”. of Mubarak cronies. he allegedly accused a judge of authorities passed a law in ing and analysts confirmed that Nabil Salib announced the offi- “For us it is ironical that the The non-Islamist young- overseeing electoral fraud in a November banning unauthorised many young people clamouring cial results on Saturday and said constitution talks of freedom of sters “who participated in the 2005 vote, Mena said. AFP

Israel to stop distributing ‘Diabolical’ Arab gas masks to public countries behind JERUSALEM: Israel decided yesterday to end a decades-old policy of issu- Iraq strife: Maliki ing gas masks to the public in an apparent sign of con- BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime the first time anti-government fidence in Syria’s chemical Minister Nouri Al Maliki fighters have exercised such open weapons disarmament. blamed “diabolical” and “treach- control in major cities since the Since being hit by Iraqi erous” Arab countries for a height of the insurgency that Scud missiles during the 1991 protracted surge in nationwide followed the US-led invasion of Gulf War, authorities have violence in a speech yesterday, 2003. Fighting originally erupted handed out masks, though but stopped short of naming in the Ramadi area on December Syria’s chemical arsenal was individual countries. 30, when security forces cleared Israel’s primary concern in The premier said suicide bomb- a year-old Sunni Arab protest recent years. ers were coming to Iraq from as camp. It spread to Fallujah, and That changed when Syrian far afield as Morocco, Libya and militants moved in and seized the President Bashar Al Assad, Yemen, but did not single out city and parts of Ramadi after embroiled in a civil war and countries he described as “evil” security forces withdrew. under threat of a US-military which he said were supporting Diplomats including UN chief strike, agreed last year to violent extremists in Iraq. Ban Ki-moon have urged Iraqi Thousands of Turkish people march to the offices of Armenian newspaper Agos during a commemoration ceremony give up his chemical weapons “Iraq is the target for some authorities to pursue political for slain journalist Hrant Dink, in Istanbul, yesterday. Riot police were out in force as large crowds massed in stockpile. The final deadline countries that are backing ter- reconciliation in a bid to end the Istanbul to demand justice for the prominent Turkish Armenian journalist murdered seven years ago. set for eliminating the chemi- rorism, and backing evil,” Maliki standoff, and a months-long surge cal agents is the end of June. said in a speech in the southern in nationwide violence, but Maliki Israel’s main security city of Nasiriyah. has said the unrest is not due to focus is now on Iran, which “The world has united with us,” domestic factors, and has blamed Turkey says ready to discuss it accuses of developing he continued. “The (UN) Security outside forces. nuclear weapons, an allega- Council, the European Union, and Meanwhile, Iraqi forces tion Tehran denies. most Arab countries, except some launched a major assault yester- judicial row with Europe Prime Minister Benjamin diabolical treacherous countries.” day on Sunni gunmen holding Netanyahu’s office said in a The Iraqi leader warned coun- neighbourhoods in a city near statement the decision to tries that supported violence in the capital, as an Al Qaeda-linked ADANA, TURKEY: Turkey’s judiciary issue and all others were extended to banking and telecoms stop providing masks to all Iraq would also suffer, arguing “this group urged its fighters to “creep foreign minister said yester- on the table in the EU talks, but oversight bodies as well as state Israelis was a result of “a evil has started to expand, and it towards Baghdad”. day the country was ready defended the embattled Erdogan television. Local media reported defence establishment assess- will reach those same countries, as Personnel from the army, police to discuss all issues with the government’s response to the cor- Saturday that three high-ranking ment that there has been it reached others previously.” and SWAT, backed by tribesmen European Union at high-profile ruption scandal that sparked the officials with top banking watch- a dramatic decline in the Iraqi officials have alleged that moved into five neighbourhoods talks this week, including a row current political crisis. dog the Banking Regulation and threat of the firing of chemi- Saudi Arabia and Qatar in par- of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar over judicial independence that “We are ready to discuss eve- Supervision Agency (BDDK) had cal weapons at Israel”. ticular have supported disaffected province, with helicopters provid- has escalated the crisis engulf- rything, including the HSYK,” been removed from their posts. Distribution of masks Sunni Arabs in western Iraq as ing cover. The action came as part ing the government. said Davutoglu, who is due to Five department chiefs to the public will stop by they have staged anti-government of efforts by the security forces The controversy over Prime accompany Erdogan on his trip. from the Telecommunications February and afterward they protests in the past year. to wrest back control of parts Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “If there is anything that stands Directorate (TIB) regulatory will be produced in much More recently, Sunni- of the city which fell into anti- bid to increase his control over contradictory to EU standards, body have also been fired, as well smaller quantities for rescue dominated western Iraq has government hands along with Turkey’s top judicial oversight we will listen to this.” as a dozen people at Turkey’s state services only, the statement erupted into a deadly standoff the entire nearby city of Fallujah body, the Supreme Board of In the wake of a December television channel, TRT, including said. with security forces and their three weeks ago. Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), anti-corruption probe that has senior news editors and depart- Some Israeli officials had tribal allies facing off against The helicopters were seen fir- has dealt a new blow to the coun- ensnared some of Erdogan’s key ment heads, the reports said. suggested halting the pro- anti-government militants and ing on the sprawling district of try’s long-held goal of EU mem- allies, his government has taken Erdogan accuses supporters of gramme on economic grounds, tribes. A large section of Ramadi Malaab, which is at the centre of bership just as Erdogan prepares a series of retaliatory measures, Fethullah Gulen, an influential noting a kit cost an average of and all of Fallujah, both former the battle between gunmen and for a crunch day of talks in including a mass purge of police Muslim cleric who lives in the $100 to produce for a population insurgent bastions west of militants on one side, and security Brussels tomorrow. and prosecutors, and has sought United States, of waging a “coup of around eight million, and was Baghdad, fell from government forces and their tribal allies on Turkish Foreign Minister to curb the powers of the HSYK. plot” in the run-up to elections of limited value against nerve control late last month. It was the other. AFP Ahmet Davutoglu said the The government’s purge has this year. AFP agents. “I think this decision stems mainly from budgetary concerns, but also from the perception that the threat has diminished given the Syrian chemical disarmament proc- Israel frees Hamas leader ess,” said Alon Rozen, former director-general of the Civil Defence Ministry, who now BEITUNIYA: Israel released a promi- 2007 that left the Islamist movement in runs the Elements HLS con- nent leader from Islamist movement control of Gaza and effectively divided the sultancy firm. Hamas yesterday after he spent more Palestinian territories in two. As recently as last August, than two years in prison, Palestinian The two sides have made repeated thousands of Israelis lined officials said. attempts to heal the rift, including an up for gas masks, spurred Hassan Yousef, who is also a mem- Egyptian-brokered deal in 2011 in which on by fears that a US-strike ber of the Ramallah-based Palestinian they agreed to make way for an interim against Assad’s forces would Legislative Council, told reporters after government of independents to organise bring reprisals against Israel. his release he would work with Hamas fresh elections throughout the territories. Washington had threatened rivals “Fatah and other Palestinian fac- The agreement has never been imple- military action after reports tions to achieve reconciliation.” mented. Yousef, one of the founders of the surfaced of poison gas Dozens of Hamas supporters received Islamist movement, made headlines after attacks on the outskirts of Yousef at Beituniya, near Ofer prison. his son Mossab said he had spied for Israel Damascus that killed hun- Yousef had been arrested in November 2011 between 1997 and 2007. dreds, including children. Palestinians greet Sheikh Hassan Yousef (centre), a prominent leader of the Hamas Islamic for belonging to an illegal organisation. Mossab relocated to the US, changed REUTERS movement, following his release yesterday after spending 28 months in Israel’s Ofer prison, near Long-time tensions between Hamas and his name to Joseph and converted to the West Bank city of Ramallah. Fatah boiled over in a week of fighting in Christianity. AFP MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KHALID AL SAYED [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

EDITORIAL TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR E-MAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 E-MAIL: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION RATES: ANNUAL QR 675 6 MONTHS QR 340 Editorial

US spying games Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

HE United States’ spying saga and its aftermath has increasingly started looking like a whodunnit tale. Sounding unusually contrite, US President Barack TObama has assured German Chancellor Angela Merkel that her phone would not be spied on till he is president. There’s reason for optimism Speaking to German televison channel ZDF, Obama said that snooping on Merkel’s phone was a mistake and it won’t be repeated. It was an upset Angela Merkel who had apparently read the riot act to Obama last year when it was revealed that on Arab-Israeli peace the now infamous National Security Agency had broken into her mobile exchanges. BY MICHAEL COHEN flawed Oslo process, Kerry insisted that charade. The US secretary of state, At the same time, the US president also said that this round of peace talks aim towards however, is not alone in tightening the Washington will not stop spying on other governments. The US t’s quite possible that of all the peo- the achievement of a final settlement vise on Netanyahu. The Palestinians penchant for spying over the years has often put Washington in ple writing about the Arab-Israeli on all outstanding issues. Even more are playing their part as well – though, an uncomfortable position. Be it electronic snooping of rivals’ conflict these days, I’m the only one importantly, he brought the neighbour- truth be told, more out of a position of vital networks or sending an agent to Moscow or a spy drone Iwith any confidence that the cur- ing Arab states into the mix by incorpo- weakness than strength. Considering rent peace talks will lead to a positive rating the Arab Peace Initiative, which the inclination of the Palestinian into Iran, the US policy on intelligence gathering has been outcome. calls for full recognition of Israel in political leadership to, in the depress- increasingly controversial. Generally, betting on a Middle East return for acceptance of a Palestinian ingly accurate words of former Israeli And then came Snowden. The NSA contractor upset peace deal is the political equivalent of state. This had the effect of both giving Foreign Minister Abba Eban, never the applecart of the gargantuan US intelligence machinery playing Three Card Monte. It’s impos- Israel a major sweetener for a deal but miss an opportunity, it is quite possible by carrying secret details of how Washington spies on all sible to win. But, at the same time, there also offered the prospect of marginalis- (and many have speculated) that Bibi’s and sundry. Snowden, who spent quite some time at a are real reasons for optimism about ing Hamas even further by drying up approach to Kerry’s gambit was to hope where this process might lead. In fact, their support in the Arab world. It was the Palestinian leadership would blow Moscow airport — in a virtual no man’s land — following his Israelis and Palestinians may be closer a strong starting point. things up. days’ long stay in Hong Kong where he broke the story of to peace today than any point in the Since then Kerry has kept up the But with the head of Palestinian American intelligence gathering, became a thorn in the side of past 65 years. pressure and created a negotiation Authority Mahmoud Abbas as sup- Washington. US tried its best to have Snowden brought back This is, in part, the result of a number structure that left both sides (but par- portive of a two-state solution as any and tried for treason, bit to no avail. of historical currents that have come ticularly the Israelis) with little choice Palestinian leader ever; with Hamas in Countries that had long been at the together at this to move forward or be blamed for any a historically weak position and with moment. Israelis breakdown in talks. Case in point, Palestinians having largely turned their US lawmakers receiving end of US snooping, for continue to earlier this month Kerry travelled back on violence as a political tool the obvious reasons refused to accede to hinting at Russia’s Try as hard as remain gener- to the region in order to get sign off Palestinian leadership have stuck along involvement in the Washington’s request. ally supportive from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin with Kerry’s diplomacy even they are A new facet has been added he might to of a two-state Netanyahu and Abbas on a framework almost certain to get something less Snowden leaks to the Snowden saga after US solution; the agreement that would serve as the tem- than a good deal. Palestinians, plate for future negotiation. While the Try as hard as he might to con- lawmakers hinted yesterday that conjure examples adds another while less sup- framework represents a rough set of jure examples of Palestinian duplicity, dimension to the Russia might have been involved in of Palestinian portive, have seen principles, it will likely establish certain Netanyahu has failed, putting him and the Snowden operation that shamed duplicity, their political baseline ideas, like a Palestinian state Israel in the uncomfortable position spying saga. Washington no end. leverage slowly oriented around the 1967 lines, that are that if the talks don’t move forward, The head of the US House Netanyahu has dissipate; and anathema to the Israeli right-wing. As it is Israel that will likely shoulder the of Representatives Intelligence perhaps above a State Department official said to me, blame – a fact not lost on the Israeli failed, putting him all, the rejection- “We strongly believe that the frame- Prime Minister. Committee is investigating whether Snowden had help and Israel in the ists on both sides work would be significant breakthrough This matters more than it did in the from Moscow in spiriting away US government secrets. US but particularly in the process as we move toward a final past because it is becoming increasingly Representative Mike Rogers told NBC television yesterday uncomfortable on the Palestinian status agreement/peace treaty.” difficult to ignore the growing signs of that he believed the whistleblower ended up in the hands of the position that if side (and I’m This will likely leave a clear set of Israel’s international isolation. For those Russian FSB, implying that it was not by accident, but by design. speaking here of options for Bibi: sign the framework not getting the hint, the message from “I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” Mike Rogers said. Other the talks don’t Hamas) are in an agreement and set Israel on the path Europe and, in particular, the European unusually weak to peace or don’t and risk a break with Union has been fairly clear. Over the lawmakers also hinted as much. move forward, it position. the United States or worse (more on past several weeks there have been Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Senate Intelligence Committee But historical this in a second). Of course, much will repeated examples of European coun- chief said that Snowden got employed with NSA so that he is Israel that will currents by them- depend on how decisively the framework tries and companies putting Israel on could take away as many secret documents that he could. likely shoulder the selves are not agreement lays out the clear outlines of notice. Though she didn’t say it in so many words, purportedly for determinative. a final deal – and the extent to which The harsh criticism last week of There is also the it forces Netanyahu to adopt positions Kerry by Israeli Defense Minister lack of evidence, the hint is clear. Cultivation of Snowden by a blame. role of personality that he and his right-wing support- Moshe Ya’alon – and the tough US reac- foreign power is also on the mind of US Representative Michael and contingency. Enter John Kerry. ers have long rejected. But Netanyahu tion to it – offers one potential preview. McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland When Kerry began his quixotic pur- has bobbed and weaved his way during Finally, the international sanctions and Security. Allusions to Snowden’s links to Russia, if proved suit of a comprehensive peace deal, these negotiations and has refused to boycott effort will only gather steam; as true, would set off another storm in the world of intelligence. many were sceptical. But even the make conclusive moves in the direction too will Israel’s growing international More than discrediting Russia, it is likely to become a tool for doubters gave begrudging hosannas to of peace. Kerry is making it increas- isolation. the approach he had taken. Unlike the ingly difficult for him to continue that THE GUARDIAN Washington to hit its Cold War rival with. The other side Quote of Importing skills the day EING one of the world’s English and other subjects in many and elsewhere. Last year the Ninoy technologists, geologists, guidance biggest exporters of human countries. Other teachers have taken Aquino International Airport saw a counselors, licensed librarians, medi- resources, it’s not surprising jobs as maids abroad for double or mass exodus of its aircraft tube oper- cal technologists, sanitary engineers, Bthat the Philippines may soon triple the salaries they can hope to get ators for higher paying jobs abroad, computer numerical control machin- We have rules. At start easing rules to bring in foreign in their own country. delaying the processing of flight arriv- ists, assembly technicians, test techni- workers. This is the downside of the In the health sector, doctors, nurses als and departures. Even BPOs that cians, pilots and aircraft mechanics. the weekend: no Filipino diaspora; the country cannot and other professionals left in droves require English-proficient workers If there are no qualified local work- produce enough experienced skilled many years ago to meet a huge can’t fill thousands of vacancies. ers, there is no choice but to import television in the workers and professionals, especially demand around the globe. Among the Now the government has them. At the same time, the govern- in highly specialized industries, to fill results was the shutdown of about 100 announced plans to ease require- ment must move to encourage interest morning. We don’t the void created by those who have private hospitals across the country a ments for the entry of foreign work- among Filipinos for these occupations. do morning TV found jobs overseas. few years ago. ers in 15 occupations where there are Information must be disseminated to Certain sectors have suffered from Aviation and heavy industries have shortages of the required skills. Based high schools about higher education - they (children) the lack of skilled workers and profes- also lost highly skilled talent to foreign on consultations with employers and courses where jobs with decent pay sionals for many years now. Among employers. Senior meteorologists in industry stakeholders, the nation lacks await graduates. Companies generally should be doing the first to feel an acute loss was the the state weather bureau have left for architects, chemical engineers, chem- prefer to hire local talent. something. David Cameron education sector. Filipinos are teaching better paying jobs in the Middle East ists, environmental planners, fisheries The Philippine Star UK Prime Minister MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Scientists suffer in Putin’s Russia State-controlled companies the quality of instruction at the In the Soviet era, such as Rosneft, the world’s larg- Moscow institute where she plans est publicly traded oil producer to pursue her doctorate, her pay science thrived by output, account for more than and working conditions will be 50 percent of the Russian econ- better abroad, she said. omy, up from 38 percent in 2006, “Russia doesn’t give people any because the according to BNP Paribas SA’s other choice,” Kasatkaya, 21, said. Moscow unit. Russia, the world’s The Russian Academy of state gave it top biggest energy exporter, is becom- Sciences was founded in 1724 by ing increasingly dependent on Tsar Peter the Great. Russians priority. Now commodities and isn’t prepared affiliated with the academy when oil output begins to fall in include Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a 20 years, the European Bank for pioneer in rocketry and space sci- the social status Reconstruction and Development ence; Alexander Prokhorov, who said in December 2012. Oil and won the Nobel Prize in Physics is much lower natural gas account for almost 70 for his work with lasers in 1964; percent of exports compared with and Andrei Sakharov, a physicist than a taxi driver less than half in the mid-1990s, and dissident who later won the according to the EBRD. Nobel Peace Prize. Russia, which put the first Fortov, the academy’s direc- in Moscow, or man, Yuri Gagarin, into orbit in tor, said the changes will reduce 1961, has also stumbled in space the effectiveness of the academy’s even a janitor, in exploration. It fired the head of research. its space agency in October for “I see my role at this time to do terms of salary. the second time in two-and-a-half everything I can to limit the dam- years after a series of botched age to science in Russia,” he said. launches. In 2011, it failed to “We have to salvage what can be BY OLIVER STALEY, launch a $163m probe to Mars salvaged.” HENRY MEYER and and lost its most powerful tel- The academy needs to adapt to STEPAN KRAVCHENKO ecommunications satellite and a reflect the changing priorities of cargo-supply ship destined for the Russia, from the study of phys- ulia Nelyubina is an International Space Station. ics that dominated in the Soviet internationally recog- Efforts to boost scientific inno- era, to life sciences and food engi- nised chemist at the vation and wean Russia’s econ- neering, said Fursenko, Putin’s YRussian Academy of omy from fossil fuels have been science adviser. Imposing the Sciences. An overhaul of the acad- plagued by political infighting and overhaul became necessary after emy pushed through by President charges of corruption. In 2009, the academy refused to change Vladimir Putin may leave her then-President Dmitry Medvedev itself, he said. “All attempts to homeless and further damage the Russian President Vladimir Putin goes down in Sea Explorer 5 bathyscaphe near the isle of Gogland in the Gulf founded the 85bn-rouble Skolkovo engage the Academy of Science country’s already bruised science of Finland while visiting Oleg frigate, which sank in 1869. Innovation Center, a research in a process of reorganisation establishment. campus outside Moscow. failed,” Fursenko said. “During all The changes mean the academy scientific powerhouse during the published about 32,000 jour- Kovalchuk runs the Kurchatov After replacing Medvedev as my time as minister, I didn’t once will lose control of billions of dol- Soviet era, will now accelerate, nal articles — comparable with Institute, a nuclear-science cen- president in 2012, Putin vetoed manage to get concrete proposals lars worth of real estate, which stifling innovation and increas- their Chinese peers — according tre, and according to the acad- legislation that would have for reform from the academy.” may cost Nelyubina her one-bed- ing the country’s dependence on to Scopus, a citation database emy’s bylaws, membership is granted Skolkovo exemptions After the collapse of the Soviet room, rent-free apartment in a raw materials. owned by Reed Elsevier. By 2012, reserved for scientists who have from red tape and overturned a Union, the academy missed an Moscow suburb. The perk, a ves- “I would expect a much bigger China had increased its output to made groundbreaking discover- Medvedev order that state-owned opportunity to remake itself tige of the Soviet era, allows her exodus of young scientists from 386,152 articles, making it second ies, rather than administrators. companies contribute to the into a modern institution, said and her scientist husband to get Russia,” said Roald Sagdeev, in the world behind the United Kovalchuk’s brother Yury is a bil- endowment of a new university Harley Balzer, who studies by even on the academy’s average a physicist at the University States, with 527,549, while Russia lionaire businessman who is close at the centre. Russian education and social his- salary of 38,000 roubles ($1,150) of Maryland who headed the published only 38,102. to Putin. Police raided the Moscow tory at Georgetown University in a month, the same as Russia’s Soviet Union’s space agency and The Russian Academy of In 2008, Kovalchuk’s bid to offices of the Skolkovo Foundation Washington. prison guards. served as the science adviser to Sciences has 511 full members, be elected a full member of the in April as part of a corruption Instead, bright young research- “I’m worried that they could former Soviet leader Mikhail who are elected for life based on academy was rejected. In May, probe. Two criminal cases against ers left the country, leaving just cancel my housing contract Gorbachev. “This new reform will the strength of their research, and he failed to win re-election as Skolkovo executives have been behind older scientists with few and I’d end up on the street,” said put research institutes in an even an additional 750 correspondent head of the academy’s Institute opened. incentives to innovate, Balzer Nelyubina, 27, who studies molec- more difficult position. It would members. The academy, which of Crystallography. Soon after, The government has also said. Advancement historically ular interactions in crystals and put them under a bureaucracy of receives about $2 billion from the the Lower House of parliament awarded grants to foreign scien- was based on publication in acad- last year won a L’Oreal-UNESCO cronies and dilettantes.” government annually, oversees the approved Putin’s shakeup. tists, expecting them to work at emy journals instead of interna- “Women in Science” fellowship. In the Soviet era, science work of 450 research institutes Kovalchuk’s office didn’t Russian institutions four months tional, peer-reviewed publications “With our salaries, we can’t take thrived because the state gave across the country. They employ respond to emailed and phone a year. Nobel Prize-winning and grants aren’t awarded com- a mortgage or buy an apartment. it top priority, said Sagdeev, 81, 50,000 scientists, among them requests for comment. A Putin Yale University biologist Sidney petitively, he said. Young scientists may be forced to who emigrated more than 20 Nelyubina. Those institutes will spokesman declined to comment. Altman received a grant worth “The academy brought this choose between leaving science years ago. “The social ranking now be among 1,007 units under Vladimir Fortov, the academy’s about 90m roubles over three on themselves,” Balzer said. “I and staying in Russia or leaving of scientists within that regime the newly formed Federal Agency director, said that “the situation years at the Institute of Chemical can’t imagine any modern aca- Russia and keep being scientists.” was quite high,” he said. Now for Scientific Organizations. is a lot more complicated” than Biology and Fundamental demic society employing tens of While top scientists in the “the social status is much lower Putin’s overhaul merges the just retaliation for the Kovalchuk Medicine, an academy institute thousands of people without any Soviet Union were respected and than a taxi driver in Moscow, or academy of sciences with the rebuffs. in Novosibirsk. serious accountability for what given city-centre housing and even a janitor, in terms of salary. medical and agricultural acad- Science in Russia has stag- Altman said he has yet to they do.” Anna Kropivnitskaya, even a dacha in the countryside, It’s particularly true for young emies. It also transfers control nated, partly because its economy visit Novosibirsk, in Siberia, and 33, typifies Russia’s brain drain. A Russian researchers today are scientists.” of its real estate, including prime is dominated by state-run oil and doesn’t intend to spend much time post-doctorate researcher at the poorly paid and leaving for jobs Overhauling the academy is properties in downtown Moscow, gas companies, which don’t need there. He applied for the grant at University of Florida, she works in the West. necessary to improve the quality to the new state agency headed by to innovate to succeed, according the request of Russian colleagues, at the Large Hadron Collider out- The departure of young tal- of science in Russia, said Andrey a former deputy finance minister. to Sergei Guriev, an economist who prepared his submission and side Geneva. When she worked at ent that started as the country Fursenko, a former education The plan follows the academy’s and critic of Putin. are leveraging his name to attract the Institute for Theoretical and opened up two decades ago may and science minister and now an spurning of Mikhail Kovalchuk, “The economy isn’t providing badly needed resources, he said. Experimental Physics in Moscow, worsen with Putin’s overhaul, adviser to Putin. a physicist and Putin associate, demand for the new generation Sofya Kasatkaya, a mas- she earned between ¤300 and which took effect on January 1. “We have a lot of unrealised said Mikhail Gelfand, a biologist of scientists,” Guriev said. “Real ter’s student in immunology at ¤400 ($400 and $550) a month. It imposes new oversight, dilutes potential,” he said. “This is going in Moscow and deputy director innovation and real scientific Moscow State University, said Now she makes 10 times that. the academy’s membership and to be a consistent, serious and of the Institute for Information research only prosper when there she’ll leave for Germany or else- “If I stayed in Russia, I couldn’t seizes its property. Critics say strategic reform.” Transmission Problems at the is competition, especially interna- where in Europe after earning work in physics,” she said. “I had the decline of the academy, a In 1997, Russian scholars academy. tional competition.” her PhD. While she’s pleased with to emigrate.” WP-BLOOMBERG Public relations and media: A complex relationship

BY DR MOHAMED KIRAT exposing questionable practices. public. The source-reporter rela- Reporters resent anything and anyone they From the public relations practi- tionship is an ongoing exchange or decades, scholars, tioner’s perspective, the journalist where PR practitioners try to researchers and public is at once an audience, a medium influence the news process and relations professionals perceive as standing between them and the facts. through which to reach the larger journalists try to defend against Fhave been looking for a public, and a gatekeeper repre- unnecessary influence, with each clear, straightforward definition Anyone who seeks to keep a secret is regarded senting and responding to the act in accordance with differing of the media and PR relation- public’s need to know. roles, values, needs and goals. ship. They’ve examined how PR with deep suspicion. PR practitioners know that One of the biggest examples practitioners influence media they must facilitate the work of of the freebie system was Disney frames and public interpretation. always had an ambivalent rela- undertaking the public’s business. ways considered less than open. journalists if they expect their World’s invitation in 1986 to They’ve even looked at the encod- tionship. In other words, there They see their jobs as seeking the Journalists collectively main- organisations to get covered, thousands of journalists to go to ing and decoding of meaning by is mutual dependence, but also truth, putting it in perspective, tain that they not only have the and hence get publicity. Because Florida and celebrate the park’s the media, PR practitioners. In mutual caution which automati- and publishing it so that people responsibility to provide informa- of this dependency, practition- 15th anniversary. Five thousand fact, the whole issue is an eternal cally leads to a milieu of suspicion can conduct their affairs knowl- tion to the public, but also provide ers’ selection and presentation journalists generated lots of free love-hate relationship, fuelled by and mistrust. Sometimes journal- edgeably and subsequently make feedback from society at large of information often conforms publicity for Disney. Some jour- mutual dependency and devoid ists feel being used by PR prac- the right decisions. To the journal- to the administrators of public more to journalistic standards nalists insisted on paying part of of trust. By trying to provide the titioners, and they might believe ist, a story is a transient element institutions. As society becomes than to the desires of their supe- the trip, but others took advan- general public with information that the whole truth is not being in the ongoing flow of information, more complex and institutions riors in their own organizations. tage of it and did not pay any- based on the public’s right to revealed to them. On the other whereas the public relations prac- have greater impact on private In a sense, both the journalist and thing. Disney’s media relations know, both PR practitioners and hand, PR practitioners complain titioner wants the story to make a lives, journalist hold that more the practitioner, in dealing with supplied many press releases, journalists perform their tasks that journalists are not report- lasting impression and to be seen thorough reporting and investi- each other, are caught between talk shows, and they invited many with different principles and ing what they have been given and in a positive light. The journalist gating provides necessary checks the demands of the organization magazine writers and travel writ- goals. Journalists usually look for they are continuously looking for is more interested in news reports on possible business, governmen- they represent and the demands ers in order to increase public- controversial issues, problems, sensational, odd and disaster- that are accurate, fair, and bal- tal, and organisations excesses at of the opposite party. In short, the ity. The ethical dilemma rises mismanagement, misconduct… related stories. anced regardless of whether the the expense of the larger society. relationship between public rela- when reporters write a story, etcetera; while PR practitioners A basic grasp of media relations organisation is seen in a negative Accurate and accountable report- tions practitioners and journal- vividly, they won’t write anything tend always to provide informa- work begins with understanding or positive light and regardless of ing are the essence of professional ists is one of mutual dependency. negative as they wont “bite the tion with a motive of building the the relationship between journal- whether the PR practitioners like journalism and the cornerstone of Public relations practitioners, hand that feeds them.” That was image of the corporation and add- ists and public relations practi- it or not. democracy. as boundary spanners, are often expected, for that reason, journal- ing a new dimension to it through tioners. Journalists who gather Reporters resent anything Journalist sometimes have dif- caught in the middle between ists should always refuse accept- what is published and aired. and organise information for the and anyone they perceive as ficulty getting the information journalistic responsibility and ing such gifts in order to prevent The relationship between jour- media tend to take their respon- standing between them and they need. They claim that highly the public’s right to know. The any unethical practices. nalists and public relations prac- sibilities to society and the story’s the facts. Anyone who seeks to placed news sources are gener- relationship between public rela- THE PENINSULA titioners has been hotly debated subject matter very seriously. keep a secret is regarded with ally overly insulated, secretive, tions practitioners and journal- Kirat is a professor of Public in the sphere of media and com- They conceive of themselves as deep suspicion. Organisations of and sensitive, recognising neither ists is important for the process of Relations and Mass Communication munication studies. Journalists the public’s eyes and ears, being all types invite media scrutiny the public’s right to know nor gathering and disseminating the at the College of Arts and Sciences, and public relations people have watchdogs of public institutions when they conduct themselves in the value of the media’s role in news and information the general Qatar University. MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL Putin denies large-scale Sochi graft Critics urged to produce proof

MOSCOW: Russian President Critics say the law is discrimi- Vladimir Putin denied that natory and part of a rolling back any large-scale corruption sur- of human rights and democratic rounded the Sochi Winter freedoms under Putin, who has Olympics and challenged those taken a more conservative course with allegations of misconduct on social issues since returning to to come forward with proof. the presidency in mid-2012 Western and Russian opposi- Putin said he has gay acquaint- tion critics have made allegations ances and would be happy to meet that large amounts of money have members of the US Olympic del- been stolen during construction egation, which includes openly for the 2014 Olympics in the Black homosexual athletes. “I will be Sea city, but have provided little glad to see the representatives concrete evidence. of any country, including those Some Olympic subcontractors of the United States, there is no have said corruption has been doubt about this. If they have any endemic during preparations desire to meet, to talk about any- for the games, which start on thing, for the love of God, I don’t February 7. see any problem,” he said. Pro-European integration protesters attack a police van during a rally near government administration buildings in Kiev yesterday. “We don’t see any large-scale In a separate interview with instances of corruption during our the BBC broadcast in London, preparations ...in Sochi. If anyone Putin said: “If you want my per- has any information about corrup- sonal attitude I don’t care about Protesters clash with police at Ukraine rally tion in Sochi, please hand it over, a person’s sexual orientation. I we will be glad and grateful,” Putin myself know some people who are KIEV: Protesters attacked sent up clouds of smoke over the Klitschko, the strongest potential or are occupying buildings such said in an interview with ABC, gay. We are on friendly terms. I riot police with sticks in Kiev area, but many people trying to challenger for the presidency. as City Hall. BBC and Russian and Chinese am not prejudiced in any way.” yesterday and tried to over- break through police lines had Though setting up an alter- The court ban on protests journalists broadcast yesterday. Asked whether he would turn a bus blocking their path withdrawn. The rally, the biggest native power structure may not published on January 15 and last “A few years ago local bureau- meet British celebrities like to parliament, as up to 100,000 this year, was spurred by legisla- be realistic, yesterday’s turn-out Thursday’s legislation aimed at crats tried to buy and sell land singer Elton John and actor Ukrainians massed in defiance tion rushed through parliament suggested it could also be difficult prohibiting all form of public pro- intended for Olympic venues. Ian McKellen if they travelled of sweeping new laws aimed at last week which the opposition for the authorities to try to solve tests inflamed tensions again. Investigations were carried to Russia to discuss his policies stamping out anti-government says will lead to a police state. the crisis by use of force despite The laws — denounced by the out, these people were tried by towards homosexuals, he said he demonstrations. Significantly raising the the court ban and the new laws. United States and other Western Russian courts and are serving would “definitely” talk to them. The clashes broke out after stakes in the confrontation with Another opposition leader, far- governments as anti-democratic their punishments.” “I’ve honoured several mem- opposition politicians called on President Viktor Yanukovich, right-nationalist Oleh Tyahnibok, — would ban any unauthorised Russia has spent more than bers of the gay community in people to disregard the new leg- opposition leaders announced a dismissed the laws as unconstitu- installation of tents, stages or use $50bn on preparations for the this country but for their personal islation that bans rallies which plan to gather people’s signatures tional as he spoke from the trib- of loud-speakers in public places. Winter Games, making them the achievements regardless of their have convulsed the former Soviet expressing no confidence in his une on Kiev’s main Independence They banned, under pain of most expensive in Olympic his- sexual orientation,” said Putin. republic for two months. leadership and that of parliament. Square. Yanukovich triggered the heavy jail sentences, participation tory. Putin’s government hopes to With less than three weeks to Boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Denouncing as unconstitutional pro-Europe rallies when he did in “mass disorder” and the wear- show the world a modern face of go before the start of the games, Klitschko, a main opposition last Thursday’s hurried vote in an about-turn last November and ing of face-masks or protective hel- Russia, which has faced increased Putin said while all of Sochi’s ven- leader and speaker at the rally, parliament by Yanukovich’s sup- ditched a free trade deal with mets, and outlawed dissemination criticism from the West over ues had been completed, the host went to the scene of the clashes porters, they called for moves the European Union in favour of of “extremist” or libellous informa- human rights. city still needed some cleaning. about 100 metres from Kiev’s to set up a parallel structure closer economic ties with Ukraine’s tion about the country’s leaders. A law passed last year banning “Everything has been done, Independence Square, and sought of power — including a people’s former Soviet overlord, Russia. In a gesture of scorn for the the promotion of homosexuality now we have to get things in to persuade protesters to refrain assembly and a new constitution. This brought tens of thousands ban on helmets, many protesters among minors has drawn criti- order: organise the work of hotels, from attacking police. “Yanukovich and his henchmen of people on to the streets and wore saucepans and colanders cism from the West and human remove construction equipment, Protesters, however, continued want to steal our country. Ukraine protesters set up a permanent on their heads, while Tyahnibok rights activists. Calls for a mass construction waste, that is pre- to shower fireworks and other is united as never before in its encampment on Independence and another opposition leader, boycott of the games have failed, pare like any host or hostess does objects on riot police, who pro- struggle against those in power Square. Though numbers have former economy minister Arseny but the row has clouded the build- before having guests.” tected themselves with shields. today, in its determination not dwindled since, several hundred Yatsenyuk, wore construction up to the event. REUTERS As darkness fell, smoke bombs to allow a dictatorship,” declared people remain camped out there hard hats. REUTERS

Norway blaze Hollande rating Berlusconi, Italy’s left head unchanged strike electoral reform deal PARIS: French President François Hollande’s approval rat- ROME: Silvio Berlusconi has political heirs of the communist ing remained unchanged following returned to the political scene party he has long despised, was a news conference to announce after a tax fraud conviction, not lost on anyone. The offices economic reforms and after striking a deal with the leader still have pictures of Fidel Castro reports of an affair with actor of the largest centre-left party and Che Guevara on their walls. Julie Gayet put his private life in on electoral reform that could A demonstrator hit Berlusconi’s the spotlight, a poll showed. give Italy badly needed stability. car with an egg and another held Of those interviewed, 22 per- But the Saturday night agree- up a photo montage of the former cent were satisfied with Hollande ment between 77-year-old prime minister behind bars. He as president, unchanged from Berlusconi, still head of the cen- was expelled from parliament in a month earlier, according to tre-right Forza Italia party he November after the fraud con- the Ifop poll carried out for Le founded, and Democratic Party viction became definitive and has Journal du Dimanche newspaper (PD) leader Matteo Renzi has been leading his party from out- by phone between 10 January and divided the governing coalition. side parliament. 18 January. Ifop surveyed 1,950 Smaller parties in the coalition people aged 18 and over. of Prime Minister Enrico Letta, GOVERNABILITY The Socialist leader’s ratings who also belongs to the PD, are Renzi and Berlusconi favour a have improved slightly since hitting irate about such an agreement system based on proportional rep- a record low of 15 percent in one because they could risk extinc- resentation with a large number November poll. But they remain tion under a new electoral system. of small constituencies each elect- far below those of former conserva- The left wing of the PD has ing four or five representatives Historic buildings burn as fire sweeps through the wooden houses in the town of Laerdalsoyri, Laerdal, tive President Nicolas Sarkozy at accused Renzi, 39, of facilitating and a winner’s bonus of 15-20 Norway, yesterday. An overnight blaze in the small town in western Norway destroyed at least 23 buildings, the same period in his 2007-2012 the rehabilitation of a convicted percent of seats. Parties winning while 52 people were in hospital for treatment, mainly for smoke inhalation, police said. presidency. THE GUARDIAN criminal. Berlusconi denies the below five percent of the vote fraud charges and is appealing a would not get into parliament. separate conviction for paying for After the meeting Renzi said sex with an underage girl. he and Berlusconi were “in tune”, With the highest debt burden in agreeing on the need for an elec- the euro zone after Greece, Italy toral law that “favours governa- Eight candidates vie for interim presidency in CAR — mired in its longest post-war bility and a bi-polar system, and recession — is closely watched by eliminates the blackmail power of financial markets and European the smallest parties”. BANGUI: Eight candidates are in the from standing for president are any political installing Djotodia as president, some turned partners as a flashpoint for insta- Berlusconi said the accord running for the interim presidency in the officials who worked for Djotodia, party leaders, rogue and carried out a string of atrocities bility in the bloc. Italy’s politicians would “consolidate the largest strife-torn Central African Republic, the active soldiers, and anyone who has belonged including killings, rape and pillage, prompt- are making a fresh attempt to parties and simplify the political transitional parliament announced yesterday. to a militia or rebel group in the last 20 years. ing Christians to form vigilante groups in reform the electoral system in system”. Letta, whose relations Blaise Fleury Otto, head of a special elec- The new interim leader will be tasked with response. The capital Bangui was quiet over- the hope of providing steadier and with Renzi have sometimes been toral commission, said 24 dossiers had been restoring peace to the former French colony, night but African and French troops were out more durable government. tense, said the accord was “going whittled down to eight according to draconian kick-start a paralysed administration and in force in the streets fearing fresh unrest In last year’s election, no party in the right direction” towards selection criteria. They include the mayor of enable hundreds of thousands of displaced ahead of the parliamentary vote. gained enough votes to govern electoral reform, which would the capital Bangui, Catherine Samba Panza, as people to return home. It is an especially tall Clashes raged in several remote parts of the alone, plunging the country into involve a lengthy process of par- well as two sons of former presidents, Sylvain order given that general elections must be held country on Saturday, and Save the Children said political stalemate before the cre- liamentary approval and consti- Patasse and Desire Kolingba. in the first half of 2015. a grenade attack on Friday on a truck convoy car- ation of a broad-based coalition tutional amendments. Ange-Felix Patasse was president from Djotodia had come under fire for failing rying Muslims fleeing to the northwest had killed government which has constantly Both Berlusconi and Renzi 1993 to 2003, preceded by Andre Kolingba, to rein in his mainly Muslim Seleka rebels 23 people, including three children. bickered and struggled to produce also favour a reform of the upper who came to power in 1985 in the impover- after they seized power in a coup last March, “It is a sign of the still fraught and highly dan- reforms. Renzi, who is also mayor house Senate so that it does not ished country with a long history of coups, unleashing sectarian clashes in the predomi- gerous situation in the Central African Republic of Florence, held two-and-a-half merely duplicate the work of the attempted coups and army mutinies. nantly Christian country, with the United that children and their families have been attacked hours of talks with Berlusconi at lower house Chamber of Deputies Parliament will elect the interim leader today Nations warning that the bloodshed could and killed while trying to evacuate to safety,” said PD headquarters in Rome. as well as changes to the govern- to fill the void left when coup-maker Michel turn into genocide. Robert Lankenau from the charity. The irony of Berlusconi enter- ing structure of Italy’s regions Djotodia stepped aside on January 11. Excluded Although the Seleka were disbanded after AFP ing the headquarters of the and provinces. REUTERS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 US lawmakers March for peace hint at Russia link to leaks Lawmaker probes Snowden saga

WASHINGTON: The head of the National Security Agency the US House of Representatives “with the intent to take as much Intelligence Committee said material down as he possibly yesterday he is investigating could.” whether former spy agency con- On the ABC programme “This tractor Edward Snowden had Week,” US Representative help from Russia in stealing Michael McCaul, chairman of the and revealing US government House Committee on Homeland secrets. Security, also expressed his belief “I believe there’s a reason he that Snowden had foreign help. ended up in the hands — the lov- “Hey, listen, I don’t think ... Mr ing arms — of an FSB agent in Snowden woke up one day and Moscow. I don’t think that’s a had the wherewithal to do this coincidence,” US Representative all by himself,” he said. Mike Rogers told the NBC pro- “I personally believe that he gramme “Meet the Press,” refer- was cultivated by a foreign power ring to the Russian intelligence to do what he did,” McCaul said. agency that is a successor of the Asked whether he thought Soviet-era KGB. Russia was that “foreign power,” Snowden last year fled the McCaul said, “You know, to say United States to Hong Kong and definitively, I can’t. I can’t answer then to Russia, where he was that.” People take part in a march for peace in Apatzingan, Michoacan State, Mexico, yesterday. Federal forces have recently moved into Michoacan, in granted at least a year of asy- Rogers indicated that the western Mexico, and tried to disarm the local vigilante groups and flush out the Knights Templar drug trafficking gang. lum. US officials want Snowden nature of the material that returned to the United States for Snowden obtained suggested for- prosecution. His disclosures of eign involvement. large numbers of stolen US secret “When you look at the total- documents sparked a debate ity of the information he took, around the world about the reach the vast majority of it had to do UK Labour for budget surplus if it wins of US electronic surveillance. with military, tactical and opera- Rogers did not provide spe- tional events happening around LONDON: The leader of the saddled with the country’s big- only that his party wanted to see Miliband said it was possible cific evidence to back his sug- the world,” he told the CBS pro- opposition Labour party said gest peacetime deficit when it a fairer tax system. to make planned spending cuts gestions of Russian involvement gramme “Face the Nation.” yesterday his party wants to left office in 2010. Polls show vot- “When we come to office, if we in 2015/16 in a fairer way. in Snowden’s activities, but said: Michael Morell, the former eliminate Britain’s budget defi- ers continue to trust Cameron’s come to office after 2015, there “It will involve cuts and diffi- “Some of the things we’re finding deputy CIA director, said he cit by 2020 if it wins the next Conservatives more on the econ- won’t be lots of real money to cult decisions and it’s a sign of our we would call clues that certainly shared Rogers’ concern about election, matching a pledge omy than Labour. spend, things will be difficult. The seriousness of getting the deficit would indicate to me that he had what Russian intelligence serv- by Prime Minister David Asked in a BBC TV interview task for the next Labour govern- down. I think that we can make some help.” ices may be doing with Snowden. Cameron’s Conservative party. whether he wanted to see the def- ment will be to earn and grow our fairer choices when it comes to Asked whether he is investigat- “I don’t have any particular evi- In a move aimed at shoring up icit eliminated by the end of the way to that higher standard of liv- the deficit — fairer choices than ing Russian links to Snowden’s dence but one of the things I point Labour’s tarnished fiscal cred- next parliament in 2020, Miliband ing not being able to engage in lots this government.” activities, Rogers said, “Absolutely. to when I talk about this is that ibility, Ed Miliband said his left- said: “We do want to see that hap- more spending.” Miliband also outlined plans And that investigation is ongoing.” the disclosures that have been leaning party was determined pen, yes. We want to get the cur- If it wins, Labour has pledged to give consumer groups a big- Senator Dianne Feinstein, who coming recently are very sophisti- to get the deficit down, saying it rent account into balance by the to stick to the current two-party ger and more formal say in how heads the Senate Intelligence cated in their content and sophis- intended to put forward credible, end of the next parliament and we coalition government’s spend- a new competition regulator oper- Committee, said on “Meet the ticated in their timing — almost properly costed proposals to do so. want to see debt falling.” ing plans for the first year of the ates, a move that drew criticism Press” that Snowden “may well too sophisticated for Mr Snowden Ahead in opinion polls in the When asked whether he next parliament, even though it from the Confederation of British have” had help from Russia. to be deciding on his own. And it run-up to a 2015 national elec- planned to achieve his aim has sharply criticised Cameron Industry (CBI) which said the “We don’t know at this stage,” seems to me he might be getting tion, Labour is trying to counter through tax rises or spending cuts and his allies for pushing through new watchdog should be allowed Feinstein said. Feinstein said some help,” Morell said on “Face political rivals who constantly or a mixture of both, Miliband spending cuts which it says were to work without interference. Snowden gained employment at the Nation.” REUTERS remind voters that it left Britain declined to be specific, saying too deep and too fast. REUTERS

Big ticket event Mexico objects Mayor doesn’t blink to citizen’s planned in Christie faceoff execution in US NEW YORK: The New Jersey would withhold funding if Zimmer mayor who added to Governor did not support a bid by the New MEXICO CITY: Mexico yes- Chris Christie’s woes with fresh York-based Rockefeller Group to terday strongly objected to the claims that his office punishes build on several blocks in the city. scheduled execution in Texas uncooperative local officials “She came and made a direct on Wednesday of a Mexican stuck to her story yesterday, threat to me,” Zimmer told CNN convicted of killing a US police overshadowing the governor’s television, describing a conversa- officer, arguing that by execut- fundraising trip in Florida. tion she had with Guadagno in ing him, the United States Widely seen as a Republican a parking lot shortly before an would be in “clear violation” of contender for the White House event in Hoboken in May. “I’m international treaties. in 2016, Christie avoided mention offering to testify under oath.” Edgar Tamayo was convicted of his troubles at home while he Zimmer says she has only of shooting dead a Houston raises funds on a closely watched received a fraction of the $127m police officer in 1994 when he trip to Florida this weekend. in relief funds she requested for was in the United States ille- His office dismissed as false Hoboken, a city just across the gally. But Tamayo was not claims by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Hudson River from Manhattan informed of his right, enshrined Zimmer that he sent his deputy that was badly flooded by Sandy in an international treaty known to tell her she risked not getting in late 2012. as the Vienna Convention on requested funds for Superstorm “The lieutenant governor said, Consular Relations, to diplomatic Sandy relief unless she backed essentially: ‘You’ve got to move assistance. a redevelopment project in her forward with the Rockefeller In 2004, the United Nations’ city. project,’” Zimmer said yester- International Court of Justice But Zimmer stuck to her story day. “She said this is a direct ordered the United States to yesterday that two state officials, message from the governor: ‘I reconsider the convictions of 51 including Lieutenant Governor was with him on Friday night.’” Mexicans, including Tamayo, People wait in line to get into a film at the Eccles Theatre at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Kim Guadagno, told her Christie REUTERS who had been sent to death row yesterday. without being informed of their consular rights. So far, two of that group have been executed; Tamayo would be the third. Documentary on Mitt Romney delves into campaign details In a statement yesterday objecting to the scheduled execu- tion, Mexico’s foreign ministry PARK CITY: A revealing and Barack Obama. It is to be dis- director told AFP after the film’s But Whiteley was soon forced Despite that the film shows said, “If Edgar Tamayo’s execu- moving behind-the-scenes doc- tributed by the Netflix digital debut at Sundance, which was into a rethink. “His advisers were Romney as affable, funny, atten- tion were to go ahead without umentary about Mitt Romney’s platform and enjoys significant attended by Romney. really opposed to my presence and tive, unable to live away from his his trial being reviewed and unsuccessful run for the US access to the Romney family — Whiteley’s original idea was my involvement in the campaign. family — all a far cry from his his sentence reconsidered ... it presidency sheds new light on to the surprise of even Whiteley simple: follow the campaign to This forced me to focus exclu- public caricature of someone who would be a clear violation of the the Republican big-hitter and himself. secure the Republican nomina- sively on the family,” he said. can be cold and robotic. United States’ international his family. Whiteley admits: “Often, I had tion and, if elected, accompany “If we had been filming the “There is a huge disparity obligations.” “Mitt,” directed by Greg to pinch myself, ‘How did I get him during the presidential run. strategic meetings, or a shooting between who he really is and Last month, US Secretary of Whiteley, made its premiere at here?’” “I was interested in making a movie on the process, it would how he is perceived by the pub- State John Kerry wrote a letter to the independent Sundance Film The answer: thanks to Tagg, film about a Mormon (Romney’s have been: will they win or not?” lic,” Whiteley says, blaming the Texas Governor Rick Perry urg- Festival, which runs until January one of Romney’s five children, religion) wanting to become pres- But in following the fam- campaign itself rather than the ing him to reconsider Tamayo’s 26 in Park City, in the mountains whom the filmmaker met through ident,” said Whiteley, himself a ily closer instead, the question man for Romney’s failure to make execution because it could make of Utah. a mutual acquaintance. Mormon. became: what does it mean for a it to the White House. it more difficult for the United The film, shot over a period But even then there was The objective was to make a close-knit family to live through The documentary also shows States to help Americans in legal of six years to 2012, tracks in resistance. film on the political dynamics of an election campaign, he said. a united family squarely behind trouble abroad. intimate detail Romney’s failed “I told him about my idea. Tagg the campaign, similar to “The Romney lost the Republican Romney, albeit one that suffers But so far there has been little run for the Republican nomi- said yes, his father said no. But War Room” by Chris Hegedus, nomination to John McCain in under the rigors and public expo- sign that Texas is willing to budge. nation and later his unsuccess- his mother (Ann Romney) said which followed the campaign of 2008, then he failed to unseat sure of the campaign. REUTERS ful attempt to unseat President yes.” That tipped the balance, the Bill Clinton in 1992. Obama in 2012. AFP MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Bangkok hit by two explosions; violence rises 28 wounded; crisis drags on

BANGKOK: Two explo- to bring down the government on sions have hit an anti-govern- their own. ment demonstration site here, Thailand’s army has staged wounding at least 28 people, as about a dozen coups since the Thailand’s increasingly volatile end of absolute monarchy in political crisis drags on. 1932. The last coup, in 2006, top- Police said the blasts near pled the then prime minister, Victory Monument, in the north Thaksin Shinawatra — Yingluck’s of the capital, were caused by brother — and prompted a soci- fragmentation grenades — the etal schism that in broad terms same kind that killed one man pits the majority rural poor who and wounded dozens in a simi- back the Shinawatras against an lar explosion targeting protest urban-based elite supported by marchers on Friday. the army and royalists who see The demonstrators, who control Yingluck’s family as a corrupt several small patches of Bangkok, threat to the country’s traditional were vying to overthrow the Prime power structures. Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, Yingluck’s opponents — a and her government and derail minority that can no longer win at elections on February 2, which she the polls — argue the Shinawatras called in a bid to quell the crisis. are using their electoral major- Witnesses said the explosions ity to impose their will and sub- occurred about two minutes vert democracy. The crisis boiled Residents wade through heavily flooded streets in Jakarta yesterday. apart. The first blast went off less over again late last year after the than 200 metres from a stage set ruling party attempted to push up by protesters, leaving a small through an amnesty bill that crater beside a vendor’s stall. The would have allowed Thaksin to Over 30,000 displaced by floods in Jakarta second went off near a row of stall return from self-imposed exile. selling anti-government T-shirts, He has lived overseas since 2008 JAKARTA: More than 30,000 past two days.” The number of places. Five people have so far commercial districts inundated. leaving bloody clothes and ripped to avoid a prison sentence for a Indonesians have fled their those forced to leave their homes been killed in the past week due More than 50,000 people were white-and-blue tarpaulin scat- corruption conviction. homes in the capital due to jumped from less than 5,000 on to flooding, disaster agency offi- forced out of their homes last tered across the ground. Yingluck has ordered police to flooding that has left five dead, Saturday to more than 30,000 cial Tri Budiarto said, adding that year, he added. However Budiarto A protester said two vendors, go out of their way to avoid con- officials said yesterday, with yesterday after heavy rain del- those killed had either died by warned that the number of evacu- who were selling merchandise to frontations with protesters. The people using rubber dinghies uged Jakarta overnight. drowning or being electrocuted. ees may rise in the coming days as demonstrators, were hit by the strategy is aimed at averting vio- and wading through waist-deep People waded through the Flooding is a perennial problem more rain was expected. second blast. The Erawan medical lence but it also has undermined water to reach safer ground. floods clutching their belongings. in Jakarta, the political and eco- Meanwhile on northern Sulawesi centre, which tracks casualties, rule of law and the government’s Many parts of Jakarta were Others used boats to make their nomic heart of Southeast Asia’s island, the death toll from flash said 28 people were wounded. authority, with police staying under murky, brown water after way to evacuation centres, which biggest economy, a fast-growing, floods and landslides triggered by Such incidents have occurred away from the scattered pock- days of torrential rain produced are mainly housed in mosques in poorly planned city. torrential rain earlier in the week nearly every day during the ets of Bangkok controlled by the city’s first significant floods the Muslim-majority country, but “Floods continue to inun- rose to 19, an official said. The toll past week in Bangkok, including demonstrators. of the months-long rainy season. also in government buildings and date several areas in Jakarta,” rose when rescuers recovered the shootings at protest venues and The protest movement has Buildings in some parts of the tents erected on the roadside. national disaster agency spokes- body of a woman from a landslide bombings at the homes of leading taken the law into its own hands. sprawling capital, which has a Some motorcyclists, cyclists man Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. in Tomohon city, local disaster supporters of the protests. A protest leader, Issara Somchai, population of more than 10 mil- and cars ventured out despite “So far, 30,784 people have been agency chief Christian Laotongan It is unclear who is behind the said demonstrators on Saturday lion and is regularly afflicted by the weather, spraying up water displaced in Jakarta.” Nugroho said. He added that around 40,000 unrest. But prolonged violence, detained two men allegedly found floods, were half submerged, with as they drove along roads where said there were also flooding in people were also still displaced. even on a small scale, increases with small homemade explosives roads unpassable in many areas. the floods were not yet too high. districts surrounding Jakarta, and “The floods have subsided but the chance that the Thai military and handcuffs. Somchai said “Yesterday the water was The flooding was widespread other parts of Java island. houses were wrecked, and furni- will stage a coup. Such a scenario the pair were still in the hands knee deep in my house,” Yulian across Jakarta, with the highest However he said the floods ture and belongings were dam- would benefit protesters, who of protesters and were being Candra, who lives in west Jakarta, number of displaced in the south were yet to reach the same level aged, so people have not been able have called on the army to take “investigated”. told news website Detik. “There and west of the city and floodwa- as last year, which were the worst to return,” he added. sides and do not have the numbers THE GUARDIAN has also been a power cut for the ters reaching up to 10 feet in some in five years and saw downtown AFP

Philippine storm New setback in Thousands rally for maid Japan’s bid to death toll at 40 relocate Okinawa ill-treated in Hong Kong MANILA: The death toll from the first storm HONG KONG: Thousands of people rallied here yesterday to to batter the disaster-prone Philippines this year TOKYO: Efforts to relocate demand justice for a young Indonesian maid who was badly beaten has climbed to 40, officials said yesterday, as fore- a US base on Japan’s Okinawa by her employer in a case that has sparked widespread outrage and casters warned more heavy rain was on its way. appeared to suffer a new set- a police investigation into accusations of torture. “Lingling” — a tropical depression — has wreaked back yesterday, 17 years after The ill-treatment of foreign domestic workers in Asian and Gulf havoc across the southern island of Mindanao, affect- they began, with the reported regions such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Dubai has been ing more than 580,000 people, 161,000 of whom have electoral victory of an opponent a long-standing problem but the severe injuries suffered by the been displaced and moved to evacuation centres. of the project. Indonesian maid have drawn fresh attention to the risks faced by this Manila’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and The mayor of the town of Nago migrant community. Management Council upped the number of dead on the east coast of Okinawa has “We are workers. We are not slaves,” chanted a crowd of several by three from Friday’s toll, as the state weather won re-election, according to the thousand domestic workers and their supporters as they marched to bureau said further “moderate to heavy” rains were TBS news station after the major- Hong Kong’s government headquarters. Some waved the red and white expected over large areas of Mindanao. ity of votes were counted. flag of Indonesia, while others held up grisly photographs of the bat- Public storm warning signals have been hoisted in Susumu Inamine, supported by tered face and body of the 23-year-old maid, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih. eight provinces on the island which are expected to several leftist parties, is a strong “We have to end modern day slavery like this,” said Ila Hasan, 32, a be hit by 60km an hour winds over the next 36 hours. opponent of the joint project by domestic worker from Indonesia’s island of Java, who wore a red shawl “Tropical depression Agaton is expected to bring the US and Japanese govern- and a blue bandana emblazoned with the word ‘Justice’. moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunder- ments to move the US Marines’ Hong Kong, a former British territory that returned to Chinese rule storms over Bohol, Siquijor, Northern Mindanao Futenma Air Station, sited in in 1997, has around 300,000 foreign domestic helpers, most of them and the rest of the Caraga region,” the bureau said. an urban area in the south of from the Philippines and Indonesia. AFP Office of Civil Defence regional director Liza Mazo Okinawa, to Nago bay. The may- said a landslide had blocked the national highway oral race pitted Inamine against in Agusan, slowing the emergency response. Many Bunshin Suematsu, who supports areas on Mindanao’s eastern coast are still recov- the move. Lightning hits plane, 4 dead ering from powerful Typhoon Bopha that left 1,900 Residents wade through floodwaters brought by tropical Last month, more than 17 years dead or missing in December 2012. The storm is also depression “Agaton” after evacuating their homes after Washington and Tokyo expected to bring some heavy rains and thunder- in Kabadbaran, Agusan del Norte, in the southern agreed to move the base from storms to the country’s central region. Philippine island of Mindanao yesterday. the densely populated urban area, AFP the Okinawa government finally consented to a landfill that will enable new facilities to be built on the coast at Nago. The issue had been deadlocked for years, with huge opposition to Hidden riches: Wen pleads innocence any new base among Okinawans fed up with playing host to an HONG KONG: Former “I want to walk the last jour- both men and their wives after outsized share of the US military Chinese premier Wen Jiabao ney in this world well. I came to an April 2011 dinner in Beijing presence in Japan. has pleaded innocence over this world with bare hands and I was circulated widely in the Hong The mayoral election was being claims that his family amassed want to leave this world clean,” Kong press. closely watched by both Japan and huge wealth during his decade Wen said, according to Ng’s col- News of Wen’s letter comes the United States amid concerns in power, a Hong Kong column- umn published on Saturday. amid an escalating campaign by an Inamine victory could further ist said, as Beijing ramps up a Wen’s letter dated December the current Chinese leadership, postpone the relocation. much-publicised crackdown on 27 follows a 2012 New York Times led by President Xi Jinping, to The mayor of Nago does not official corruption. report that claimed his family fight corruption among high- have the right to overthrow plans “I have never been involved and controlled assets worth at least ranking officials, or “tigers”, as to relocate the base but could would not get involved in one sin- $2.7bn — a report China vigor- well as low-level “flies”. refuse to approve the use of roads gle deal of abusing my power for ously denounced as a smear. Analysts say that while there and other facilities necessary for personal gain because no such Ng is a Hong Kong-based poli- is little chance that Wen him- building works. gains whatsoever could shake my tician who frequently comments self would be ensnared in that The agreement reached in convictions,” Wen said in a let- on relationships between Beijing crackdown, the former premier is December was hailed as a break- ter to Ng Hong-mun, a column- and the semi-autonomous region, under pressure to clear his name through that could remove a run- A light aircraft crashed and burst into flames after it was hit by lightning ist with the Ming Pao newspaper, which was returned to Chinese following the New York Times ning sore in relations between the and crashed near a beach in Tual, eastern Indonesia, yesterday, killing a Hong Kong-based Chinese- rule in 1997. He is known to have investigation. two allies. all four people on board. language daily. ties to Wen, and a photo taken of AFP AFP MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Bomb blast kills 20 Pakistani soldiers Sharif cancels visit to Davos

PESHAWAR: Pakistan army telephone from an undisclosed helicopters fired missiles kill- location. ing three militants yesterday, “We will carry out more such officials said, in apparent retali- attacks in future,” he said, adding ation for a Taliban bomb attack the Taliban were seeking revenge that killed 20 soldiers in the for the deaths of their former restive northwest. chief Hakimullah Mehsud and The helicopters fired at a road deputy Waliur Rehman -- both in the village of Musaki situated killed in US drone attacks. in the same tribal region as the The Taliban vowed they would bombing earlier in the day, intel- not engage in any dialogue with ligence and civil administration the government of Prime Minister officials said. Nawaz Sharif following the death One of the missiles struck a of Mehsud. nearby house, killing a five-year- But Shahid said the group “is old girl and a seven-year-old boy, ready for meaningful negotia- a local administration official tions despite facing huge lead- added, although security officials ership losses, if the government could not confirm the civilian proves its authority and sincer- casualties. ity” by halting drone attacks and The bombing earlier yesterday, withdrawing troops from tribal claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, areas. killed 20 soldiers and wounded 30 Taliban insurgents have led when it ripped through a military a bloody campaign against the convoy. Pakistani state since 2007, staging The attack, one of the deadli- hundreds of attacks on security est to hit Pakistani security forces forces and government targets. in recent years, happened in the An eyewitness said by tele- city of Bannu near the North phone the vehicle hit by Sunday’s Waziristan tribal region which is bomb was transformed into a stronghold of militants linked to scorched metal. the Taliban and Al Qaeda. “I collected human remains “A vehicle-borne improvised including hands and legs from the explosive device caused the blast,” site after the attack,” he said on a senior military official said, add- condition of anonymity. ing the exact circumstances were Body parts and soldiers’ per- unclear. sonal belongings littered the Pakistani police and soldiers secure the road that leads to the scene of a bomb blast that targeted a paramilitary convoy in Bannu yesterday. An official statement said 20 scene. soldiers were killed and 30 injured Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the attack, which hit one of the condemned the attack, adding he been battling the Taliban and A senior Pakistani general was The civilian government led by people that the government is vehicles in the convoy at 8:45 am. would cancel a planned visit to other homegrown insurgents in killed in a blast last September Sharif, who came to power after so ineffective and paralysed and The convoy was about to leave the World Economic Forum in the tribal belt next to the Afghan along with two other soldiers in elections last year, has said it is has no policy or strategy, while for the town of Razmak in North Davos, Switzerland in the wake border, which Washington con- an attack claimed by the Taliban. seeking talks with the Taliban. the army’s hands are tied and it Waziristan when the blast hit one of a recent spike in terrorism. siders the main hub of militants In May 2011 89 paramilitary But so far little progress has is being targeted and not being of the civilian vehicles hired to “Our nation is united against plotting attacks on the West and troops were killed in an attack at been seen and terror attacks allowed to take action.” move troops. extremism and terrorism and the in Afghanistan. a military academy in the north- rose 20 percent in 2013 accord- Pakistan, which joined the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan sacrifices rendered by our citizens The army’s headquarters in western town of Charsadda. ing to the independent Pakistan US-led “war on terror” in 2001, spokesman Shahidullah Shahid and personnel of law enforcing Rawalpindi came under attack in Talat Masood, a retired general Institute for Peace Studies. says more than 40,000 people have claimed responsibility for the agencies will not go in vain,” he 2009, while major naval and air and security analyst, said recent Masood said the government’s been killed in the country since convoy bombing. said, according to a statement by force bases have also been tar- assaults on the army were “testing policy was creating frustration then by militants who oppose “It was part of our fight against his office. geted in battles that have lasted the patience of the military” and within the army. Islamabad’s US alliance. a secular system,” he said by Pakistani troops have for years for several hours. were “extremely demoralising”. “It is becoming so evident to AFP Kabul hints at Pakistani Govt to table cybercrime bill ISLAMABAD: The govern- is found of seriously interfer- technical means of any transmis- ment of Pakistan, led by Prime ing, disrupting, or damaging the sion that is not intended to be Minister Nawaz Sharif, is all financial payment system, mass and is not open to the public and set to introduce the legislation transportation/traffic system electromagnetic emissions from link to restaurant attack bill of Prevention of Electronic or other infrastructure used by an information system that are KABUL: Afghanistan’s Crimes Act in parliament. armed and security forces shall carrying data shall be punishable Nationa l Secu rity Counci l, wh ich Under it the offence of cyber be handed down the aforesaid with imprisonment of up to two is chaired by President Hamid terrorism shall be punished punishment. years or/and Rs500,000 in fine. Karzai, yesterday accused “for- with imprisonment of up to 14 If a person is found guilty However, the draft adds, the eign intelligence services” of years and/or a fine of Rs50m, of electronic forgery, he will interception shall not be consid- being behind the deadly attack said an official source. be punished with up to three ered an interception if under- on a Kabul restaurant, in a The draft bill prepared by years of imprisonment and/or a taken by an investigating officer veiled reference to Pakistan. the ministry of information and Rs500,000 fine. or any service provider in compli- Pakistan was the main sup- technology has already been vet- The draft further states in ance of and in accordance with porter of the former Taliban ted by the ministry of law. case of electronic fraud the the terms of a warrant issued regime in Afghanistan, and According to the draft bill, imprisonment will extend to five under this Act. Afghan officials have long voiced those who will commit cyber years with/without a Rs1m fine. This section shall not have suspicions about connections terrorism or threaten to commit The penalty will not be less than any application upon the activi- between the hardline movement any crime shall be punished with the loss caused to any person. ties and functions of intelligence and Islamabad’s powerful intelli- imprisonment of up to 14 years It says anyone who makes or agencies or services and is with- gence services. and/or fine of up to Rs50m. supplies a device that is intended out prejudice to national security “The NSC said such sophisti- The crime covers a threat or likely to be used in committing requirements and laws identified cated and complex attacks are not designed to coerce, intimidate, an offence under sections 3, 4, 5, under sub-section (2) of section the work of the ordinary Taliban, overawe or create a sense of fear, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 shall be 49 of this Act. and said without doubt foreign panic or insecurity, or made for punished with imprisonment of According to the draft, who- intelligence services beyond the the purpose of advancing a cause up to one year or/and Rs100,000 ever commits an offence under border are behind such bloody (political, religious, sectarian or fine. sub-section (1) fraudulently, dis- attacks,” a statement from the ethnic) with the intention of On identity crime, the draft honestly or with similar intent palace said. interfering, disrupting or dam- bill has up to six months of shall be punished with up to four “Beyond the border” is a phrase aging a public utility service or a imprisonment and/or a Rs100,000 years of imprisonment or/and one commonly used by the Afghan communication system. fine as penalty. million rupees. government to refer to neighbour- The draft says anyone who Unauthorised interception by INTERNEWS ing Pakistan. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for Friday evening’s suicide assault on a popular Lebanese restaurant in central Eleven parties Kabul in which 21 people, includ- Pakistani mountaineers scale ing 13 foreigners, were killed. Among the dead were three agree on tribal Americans, two British citizens, Mount Vinson in Antarctica two Canadians, the International reforms Monetary Fund head of mission, ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Ali successfully scaled the ISLAMABAD: The broad- and the Lebanese owner of the mountaineers Samina Baig 4,892-metre Mount Vinson in based committee of the 11 most Taverna du Liban, which was a and Mirza Ali have success- the planet’s southernmost conti- influential political parties’ popular social venue for expats. fully scaled Mount Vinson in nent around 1 am PST as part of representatives has decided to In the deadliest attack on for- Antarctica, according to the a five-member team, the Alpine launch a countrywide campaign eign civilians since the Taliban An Afghan man lays flowers outside the Lebanese restaurant attacked by Alpine Federation of Pakistan. Federation said. to get a proposed constitutional were ousted in 2001, one attacker terrorists, during an anti-terrorism demonstration in Kabul yesterday. The sister-brother mountaineer Mount Vinson, also known as amendments package approved detonated his suicide vest at the duo, which hails from Shimshal in Vinson Massif, is the highest point by the parliament. fortified entrance to the restau- happened,” interior ministry militants evaded armed police Gilgit-Baltistan, has been on an in Antarctica, according to US The 11-point agenda includes rant before two other militants spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said at tasked with searching people and eight-month expedition to climb Geological Survey’s website. amendment to Article 247 stormed inside and gunned down a rally of about 100 protesters out- vehicles. seven summits on seven conti- “We congratulate Samina Baig extending the jurisdiction of diners and staff. side the targeted restaurant. United Nations leader Ban nents since the end of November and Mirza Ali, and hope that Supreme Court and High Courts Afghan officials yesterday The demonstrators, holding Ki-moon paid tribute to the four 2013. they will complete their mission,” to the tribal areas so that the vowed to investigate how the sui- signs reading “We denounce ter- UN staff killed in the attack, and They successfully climbed the said Karrar Haidri, the Alpine tribal people are brought on a cide attackers penetrated one of rorism”, had gathered to protest pledged the UN would maintain 6,962-metre Mount Aconcagua Federation’s press secretary. par with the rest of the coun- the most secure parts of Kabul. against the Taliban insurgency its work in Afghanistan. in Argentina in December 2013 Baig and Ali intend to climb try in getting justice. Presently, Three police chiefs responsible that opposes the US-backed Kabul “This is totally unacceptable and to complete the first leg of their the highest mountain on each the political authorities cater to for the Wazir Akbar Khan dis- government. this is a violation of international expedition, which aims to promote continent. both executive and judicial pow- trict have been suspended over A series of checkpoints known humanitarian law. All the perpe- gender equality and world peace. Together, the seven highest ers and superior judiciary has no the security breach. as the “ring of steel” was estab- trators must be held accountable,” Baig, who famously became the mountains on the seven continents jurisdiction to adjudicate in tribal “The police officers will be lished in 2009 after repeated the secretary general said. first Pakistani woman to climb are called the ‘Seven Summits’. affairs. questioned to see how this attack attacks in central Kabul, but the AFP Mount Everest in May 2013, INTERNEWS INTERNEWS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Safety assured Modi ridicules Rahul over candidacy NEW DELHI: Opposition prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi mocked the to Africans ruling Congress party yester- day for refusing to name Rahul Gandhi as its choice for premier in upcoming elections. In a speech in the capital, Modi after Delhi row said Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not want to sacri- fice her son Rahul politically at the general elections in coming Ministry condemns AAP vigilantism months, which the party is widely tipped to lose. NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry Media reports said a row also “I see a very human, sensitive of External Affairs (MEA) erupted between the minister and reason for their (Congress’s) deci- said yesterday it has reassured his followers and the police, who sion. Would any mother sacrifice ambassadors of some 20 African refused to search a nearby house her son?” Modi told hundreds nations that authorities are not for evidence of a suspected drugs of officials from his opposition targeting their nationals, after and prostitution racket because Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). an incident over a suspected they did not have a warrant. “The mother thought ‘no, save prostitution ring. African residents told yester- my son’,” Modi said to laughter A senior ministry official met day’s The Hindu newspaper that and applause from BJP leaders, the ambassadors on Saturday members of the mob then forced who have been meeting in New night over the incident in which their way into their homes in Delhi to prepare for the general a Delhi state minister from Aam south Delhi, making racist elections. Aadmi Party (AAP) and his sup- remarks, in an apparent search Sonia Gandhi on Friday bat- porters reportedly confronted for evidence of the racket. ted away pleas from her Congress four Ugandan women in the Delhi’s new chief minister was supporters during a mass meeting capital on suspicion they were unapologetic yesterday, saying to name Rahul as their candidate engaged in prostitution. police should have acted on the for the polls due by May. The official conveyed the gov- minister’s suspicions of criminal With Prime Minister ernment of India’s view “that the behaviour in the area. He denied Manmohan Singh retiring after incident was utterly condemna- any element of racism or vigilant- two terms, the party had been ble and cannot be condoned”, the ism. “Don’t make it a diplomatic expected to nominate Rahul, a ministry said in a statement. issue. We are not against any Congress MP who has gener- “He also assured the African race or country. We are against ally shunned the limelight, as its envoys that there was no delib- anti-social elements,” chief min- choice for premier at the meet. Hindu nationalist and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, prime ministerial candidate for main opposition erate targeting of the nationals ister Arvind Kejriwal told the Pollsters predict a defeat for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeks blessings from L K Advani (left), a leader of BJP as their party’s president of any country and the incident Hindustan Times. Congress, with voters troubled Rajnath Singh (centre) looks on at the national council meeting at Ramlila ground in New Delhi yesterday. should remain an aberration.” Nigeria last November by high inflation, slowing eco- The incident happened on demanded that India ensure the nomic growth which has hit the be announced,” Modi said. “They Rahul Gandhi whose family has him and his 13 years in charge of Wednesday evening when safety of its nationals following job market and a series of corrup- came for a prime minister and dominated Indian politics since the western state of Gujarat. newly-elected state law minister the killing of a Nigerian in the tion scandals. went back with three gas cylin- independence in 1947. A survey last week said that Somnath Bharti and his support- tourist state of Goa and subse- Modi yesterday said that ders,” he said. Modi said 43-year-old bachelor only 14 percent of voters believed ers surrounded the four women quent protests over the death. Congress workers were expect- In his speech at the Congress Rahul was too ashamed to go head Rahul Gandhi would make the who were in a taxi, a lawyer act- The protests prompted Goa’s ing a prime ministerial candidate session, party vice president to head with him at the elections. best prime minister while 58 per- ing for the women told the Press chief minister to ask police to at the party’s meet on Friday Rahul Gandhi sought three extra “Rahul Gandhi feels shameful cent opted for Modi. But Modi, Trust of India. The mob threat- track down Nigerians living ille- but got instead “three more gas cooking gas cylinders for everyone in fighting elections against a tea a pro-business reformer, is also ened and intimidated the women gally in the state so they could cylinders”. now entitled to only nine cylin- vendor,” Modi told the crowd. known for his Hindu nationalist and refused them permission to be deported. One of his ministers “Congress workers came to ders a month. The BJP named fiery hard- leanings and is accused by critics visit a toilet, forcing one to relieve stirred more controversy by say- Delhi with a lot of hope. They Yesterday, Modi sought to liner Modi as its candidate in of turning a blind eye to savage herself in public, lawyer Harish ing: “Nigerians are like cancer.” were told that on the 17th (of contrast his humble beginnings September and the party’s cam- anti-Muslim riots in his state in Salve told the news agency. AFP January), the PM candidate will as the son of a tea vendor with paign has been centred around 2002. AFP

Polio vaccination Battle against sexual violence gathers steam: US feminist

NEW DELHI: India has a with the gang-rape of a 51-year- the Jaipur festival to talk about new intolerance to violence old Danish woman in the capital her new essay anthology bearing against women sparked by the — the latest incident to shine a the tongue-in-cheek title “As If fatal gang-rape of a student in spotlight on the country’s record Women Matter”. Delhi but the deeply patriar- of sexual violence. She insists during the inter- chal nation still has a long way Steinem, co-founder of Ms. view in New Delhi that younger to go to overcome injustice, says magazine in 1972, which became women are “more feminist” than veteran US feminist Gloria a powerful voice for the women’s her generation and have better Steinem. movement in the West, is in India “bullshit detectors” in spotting The brutal attack in December to headline Asia’s biggest literary injustice. 2012, which touched a raw nerve festival, which began on Friday in After years of writing about and in the country and sparked mass the city of Jaipur. railing against inequality, what public protests, “lit a match to The American, who is nearly angers her most is when people the movement opposing violence 80 and has spent a lifetime fight- say the world has entered “a post- against women”, Steinem said. ing gender injustice, first came feminist era”. “People found their voice,” she to India on a fellowship in the “I say: ‘Are you blind? Can’t you says, referring to the seething 1950s. see we still don’t have equal pay for public anger over the death of the Her Indian experience — stud- equal work?’” 23-year-old, which prompted par- ying land reform — taught her “When you look in the power liament to toughen laws against “there’s no grass without roots” closets (corporate offices) the rapists and other offenders. and that “change is wrought by occupants are mainly men,” she “It’s heartening, but there’s a people on the ground”. adds. And she rejects the notion long way to go,” Steinem cautions, Crucial to change, she says, “is that women can have it all -- referring to the battle to over- developing a consciousness and marriage, career and children. come sexual injustice entrenched getting a critical mass to believe “No way,” says Steinem. “That through India’s ancient caste sys- in it. That’s what I think is hap- means we women do it all. We A child receives polio vaccination drops during a National Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) programme in Amritsar tem, religious beliefs and ideas of pening here”. can’t be superwomen. We’ve got yesterday. Even as India declared itself as polio-free with no reported cases for three consecutive years, the female “honour”. Steinem, who hit fame in 1963 to come up with better family- vaccine will nevertheless continue to be administered to children across the country to reach every child up Stark evidence of the problems when she wrote an expose on life friendly work situations.” to five years of age to ensure a high level of immunity. India faces was provided last week as a Playboy Bunny, is attending AFP

17kg heroin seized The 5 rupee note in your hand may be fake! near Punjab border NEW DELHI: The next time denominations. But for the past police officer said that around The water mark, Ashoka Pillar, “After the government of AMRITSAR: Border Security you handle a 5 rupee note, look a three years the scene has 95 percent of the paper used Mahatma Gandhi’s image, the Thailand recently imposed Force (BSF) personnel seized a little closer — it could be a chan”ed,” the senior police officer in printing Indian currency is denomination, RBI mark and restrictions, the ISI started 17kg of heroin along with arms fake. In what is a disturbing said on condition of anonymity.” imported from Europe. “Most other security features are very using Vietnam and Malaysia and ammunition following a portent for the Indian econ- “Generally people are watch- of the security features, like prominent, clear and look real in for smuggling FICN to India run-in with smugglers near omy, Delhi Police last year ful about possible fakes while engraving of watermark and FICN printed in these presses,” through Nepal,” he added. the international border in made a recovery of 19,400 such handling `1,000 and `500 denom- magnetic properties, are incor- the officer said, but declined to The police officer said that Amritsar sector in Punjab, an 5 rupee notes — the first time ination notes, but no one bothers porated at the time of producing be identified because of the sen- with special focus on FICN official said here yesterday. such a large haul was made. about such a low denomination the paper. A few security fea- sitivity of the issue. related cases, the Parliament The seizure was made near Police officers also said that as “s.5,” the officer added” tures are also included in India,” According to another officer, Street Police Station has been the Daoke border outpost, a BSF in most cases of fake currency “It is in the past three years said the officer. both Yasin Bhatkal, founder of made the nodal agency where spokesman said. The heroin has circulating in India the hand that smugglers of FICN (Fake The office” said the “reliabil- Indian Mujahideen (IM), and all fake currency cases are reg- been valued at `850m in the inter- of Pakist’n’s spy agency Inter- Indian Currency Notes) have ity of these European firms is Abdul Karim Tunda, an impor- istered at an interval of six national market. “BSF personnel Services Intelligence (ISI) is started circulating notes of low also under doubt”. A senior police tant Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) months. Deputy Commissioner of at the Daoke outpost in Amritsar found, a police officer said. And denomination of `5, `10 and officer, who has busted many such functionary, revealed during Police (New Delhi), S.B.S. Tyagi, sector observed some suspicious what has surprised investiga- `20 along with those of large fake currency rackets, said that interrogation that the ISI is the said that in November 2013 an movement of smugglers along the tors is that most of these fake denomina”ion,” added the officer. the intelligence agencies in India mastermind of large scale smug- official of the Bangladesh High border security fence. They were currency notes are printed in In 2013, fake Indian currency feel that Pakistan’s ISI imports gling of FICN to India. Commission had deposited a sum trying to insert a plastic pipe,” the government-controlled printing with a face value `5.66 crore the same paper, ink and magnetic “The FICN are sent to of Rs.16 lakh (1.6 million) in a gov- spokesman said. The BSF person- presses in Pakistan. was seized. Last year, the police thread from rogue suppliers. India through several coun- ernment bank here on behalf of nel ordered the smugglers to stop These currency notes are so recovered 19,400 fake notes of `5; “On the behest of ISI, the tries, including Bangladesh, the high commission, of which 10 but they did not pay any heed similar with the real ones that six notes of `10; 1,510 notes of FICN are printed in gov- Nepal, Middle East, Thailand, notes with a face value of Rs.8,500 and opened fire at them. Though it is really difficult to spot the `50; 20,517 notes of `100; 60,525 ernment-controlled printing Denmark, Holland, Singapore” were found to be fake Indian cur- the BSF troopers retaliated, the fake one. “Earlier, we used to get notes of `500 and 24,116 notes presses at Karachi, Multan, and Sri Lanka,” said a Crime rency. “We are still verifying the smugglers managed to escape to fake currency notes of higher of `1,000, data shows. Another Quetta, Lahore and Peshawar. Branch officer in Delhi Police. matter,” he said. IANS Pakistan taking advantage of the dense fog, he said. IANS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15 Minister urges probe into wife’s death Shashi Tharoor pledges full cooperation

NEW DELHI: Indian minister Pushkar, 52, died an “unnatu- messages appeared on the Twitter Shashi Tharoor, whose wife was ral, sudden death”, said doctors account of the thrice-married found dead in a luxury hotel who performed an autopsy on Tharoor, who is also a novelist room, called yesterday for a Saturday, adding that more tests and government spokesman and swift inquiry so the truth “can were needed to determine the a prolific tweeter. come out as soon as possible”, an exact cause. They showed private exchanges official said. Newspapers have devoted pages purportedly between the 57-year- Tharoor wrote to the home of coverage including speculation old minister (@shashitharoor) minister yesterday saying “he on whether she committed sui- and Pakistani journalist Mehr was horrified to read the reck- cide as well as the state of their Tarar (@mehrtarar), in which less speculation” about his wife’s marriage. she professed her love for him and death, which came after she In his letter, Tharoor said: “In he said his wife had discovered exposed his alleged adultery with the midst of my mourning, I have their relationship. a Pakistani journalist on Twitter. finally had a chance to catch up Tharoor quickly responded by Tharoor, a former high-flying with the media reports and am saying his Twitter account had UN diplomat, pledged his “full horrified to read the reckless been hacked, but Pushkar told and unstinting cooperation” with speculation rampant there. two newspapers that she was the investigations into what doc- “I pledge full and unstint- author of the messages. tors have described as his wife’s ing cooperation,” said the letter Seeking to draw a line under “unnatural, sudden death” on quoted by the Press Trust of India the Twitter row, Tharoor issued Friday evening. news agency. a statement on Thursday in which “Mr Tharoor has requested the “Nothing short of the truth he blamed unauthorised tweets home minister to expedite the will end the indignity to which and distorted media reports for inquiry so that the truth behind my wife and I are being subject the “unseemly controversy”. his wife’s death can come out as at a time when all I seek is to be The statement said the couple soon as possible,” Tharoor’s pri- allowed to grieve in private with were “happily married”. vate secretary Abhinav Kumar her and my near and dear ones.” The Pakistani journalist whom said. Pushkar accused of “stalking” her “He is in a state of shock. He ASHES TO BE SCATTERED husband strongly denied having a is anxious and keen to know the A magistrate charged with relationship with the former UN truth... what happened that day, investigating Pushkar’s death diplomat. no one can say.” is expected to record Tharoor’s Reacting to Pushkar’s death, Tharoor, 57, the junior human statement after he scatters his Tarar tweeted that she was “abso- resources development minister, wife’s ashes today, Kumar said. lutely shocked. This is too awful Human Resources Minister Shashi Tharoor gestures to media while escorting the body of his wife Sunanda Pushkar found his wife Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor will travel to Haridwar for words.” at a cremation centre in New Delhi on Saturday. dead in her five-star hotel room for the ceremony after her body Pushkar, who had been suffer- in New Delhi after he returned was cremated according to Hindu ing from tuberculosis, went on to her earlier in the day and she general by Ban Ki-moon. Tharoor had to resign from his from a party meeting. rites on Saturday, Kumar said. television on Thursday, appearing appeared depressed and was sob- The author and talented pub- first ministerial post in 2010 after The death was a tragic twist in The final autopsy report was confused and apparently unaware bing uncontrollably. lic speaker quit the UN after his revelations that then-girlfriend a tale of apparent marital strife expected to be handed to authori- she was talking live. Tharoor is a suave former dip- defeat and entered Indian politics Pushkar had been given a free that has played out in full view of ties today. An anchor on the CNN-IBN lomat who spent three decades in 2008 as a ruling party MP from stake in a new Indian Premier the public in India’s newspapers Events began unfolding channel, Sagarika Ghose, said on in the United Nations but was a safe seat in the southern state League cricket team. and on social media. on Wednesday when curious Friday she had spoken privately beaten to the post of secretary of Kerala. AFP

Hindu activists Militants planning to kidnap Kejriwal: Police India and UAE protest outside to cooperate NEW DELHI: Terror outfit Kejriwal home Indian Mujahideen is planning to abduct Delhi Chief Minister for solar, wind GHAZIABAD: Around 100 Arvind Kejriwal to demand activists of the Hindu Raksha the release of its co-founder energy Dal staged a protest outside Yaseen Bhatkal, police said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind yesterday. NEW DELHI: India and the Kejriwal’s house here demand- “According to information United Arab Emirates (UAE) ing withdrawal of police cases from an intelligence agency, have signed an agreement to against them. Kejriwal can be kidnapped by IM enhance cooperation in renew- A member of the Hindu group members, who are planning it in able energy, especially in the said its members had been order to get co-founder Yaseen areas of solar and wind power. arrested over the January 8 Bhatkal released,” a police officer India’s Minister of New and attack on the Aam Aadmi Party said. Renewable Energy Farooq (AAP) office here because of a Bhatkal is currently in custody Abdullah and Sultan Ahmed Al police complaint filed by the AAP. of Karnataka Police in connec- Jaber, minister of state and the The protesters demanded the tion with the 2010 Chinnaswamy UAE’s special envoy for energy immediate withdrawal of the case. Stadium blasts. and climate change, Saturday “Certain charges levelled He was arrested by the signed a Memorandum of against us are false,” a spokesman National Investigation Agency in Understanding (MoU) for cooper- for the group said. The activists August 2013. ation in these areas in Abu Dhabi. gathered outside Kejriwal’s resi- Bhatkal is accused of being Both the countries also agreed dence around 9 am and said they involved in many terror attacks to form a Joint Working Group wanted to meet him. But security across the country. for better coordination through personnel did not let them in. Police said a senior officer met joint research on subjects of Meanwhile, Kejriwal, who came out Kejriwal yesterday to inform him mutual interest, exchange and of the apartment complex in his about the threat and persuade training of scientific and techni- car to go to Delhi, was intercepted him to accept high-grade secu- cal personnel, exchange of avail- by the demonstrators shouting slo- rity cover. able scientific and technologies gans against the AAP. Police used However, Aam Aadmi Party A runner and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter wearing a Superman costume and sporting the party’s trademark information and data, according force to let Kejriwal proceed. leader Sanjay Singh told media cap and symbol — the broom — takes part in the Mumbai Marathon yesterday. to a statement released here yes- Taking a dig at the AAP for persons that Kejriwal did not terday by the ministry of new and deciding to launch an agitation accept the police proposal. renewable energy. outside the home ministry from All top party leaders will India and UAE have also agreed today, senior BJP leader Arun maintain their stand that they AAP to pit cobbler against Paswan to cooperate in organisation of Jaitley said the party was more will not accept security cover, workshops, seminars and work- comfortable on the streets than he said. PATNA: The Aam Aadmi puller,” AAP convenor Somnath In the last Lok Sabha polls, ing groups, transfer of know-how, inside the secretariat. Kejriwal has been refusing to Party (AAP) will field a cobbler Tripathy said. Paswan was defeated by Janata technology and equipment, on The AAP has demanded action accept security cover in keeping or rickshaw puller against Lok He said the party will target Dal-United’s Ram Sundar Das, a non-commercial basis. against some police personnel with his party’s policy to “end VIP Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Paswan as both Chief Minister former Bihar chief minister. Abdullah, who is on an official who had a tiff with two of its culture in politics”. Ram Vilas Paswan in the Lok Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Tripathy said the AAP will visit to Abu Dhabi, held talks with ministers. “It is obvious that the Last week, intelligence officials Sabha election, a party leader Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad will also field “strong candidates” UAE minister Al Jaber. AAP is more comfortable doing had warned that Kejriwal could said yesterday. not be in the fray - for different against BJP leaders in the state Abdullah briefed the UAE min- a dharna than in the secretariat. be targeted by the water and “The AAP has decided to field reasons. “We are sure Paswan will including former deputy chief ister on the progress made by The past three weeks have shown tender mafia, which were feeling a ‘common man’ against Paswan. contest again from Hajipur or any minister Sushil Kumar Modi and India in renewable energy with that in the sachivalya, the party threatened because of his anti- The candidate may be a hard- other reserved constituency. The Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. special reference to the National gets into a self-destructive mode,” corruption policies. working cobbler or rickshaw AAP will contest against him.” IANS Solar Mission launched in 2010 Jaitley said in his blog. IANS IANS under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Women protest CPM must do soul-searching on failures of protests: Chandy ‘nude’ poster at Metro station THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s quite a few dream projects After four days of the number of cylinders,” Chandy said. NEW DELHI: A group of high time the CPI-M starts introspect- that were on the drawing agitation, the “indef- The chief minister said another CPI-M women journalists yesterday ing on why there has been a series of board of successive gov- inite protest” was decision that did not go down well with lodged a protest with Delhi failures in protests called by the party, ernments all become a called off following an people was to boycott his mass contact Metro against an advertise- Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reality. People have real- announcement at the programme. In June last year, when news ment featuring a nude woman (pictured), said yesterday. ised what we have done Congress meeting in broke out about the solar scam in which at the Rajiv Chowk station. “In the recent past, several protests and hence the CPI-M’s Delhi that 12 cooking three of Chandy’s staff members were The advertisement shows a called by them have flopped. It’s because protests have all flopped,” gas cylinders would be found to have links with a con couple who woman with only a duct tape cov- they organise protests for the sake of Chandy said. made available to all. cheated numerous investors by promising ering her body, one of the journal- organising and they lack conviction. They Yesterday’s appear- “All know that the to deliver solar panels, the opposition Left ists, Akansha Kumari, said. only have political interests and the pro- ance was the first Chandy decision to increase declared a war against Chandy. “What does this advertisement tests do not take into consideration the made after a week’s rest the number of cylin- On two occasions, the Left launched mean? That women are on sale?” needs of the people and hence they are following complaints of ders had nothing to do indefinite protests on the solar scam case she asked. “We complained to bound to fail,” Congress leader Chandy told mild angina. with the strike being called by the CPI-M. and announced they would not call it off the Metro officials who said they reporters at his official residence. A recent protest called by the Communist There was a very poor response to their till Chandy resigns, but in both cases the had got a complaint earlier too. “Our government has done numerous Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) was an protests and hence they were forced to call protests lost steam and were called off. Clearly, Delhi Metro has taken no things for the state and have seen that indefinite one against price hike. it off under the disguise of the increase in IANS action,” she said. IANS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME Beyonce, John  News in Numbers    Legend fete CHART: 1 11 Fajr (Dawn) 5:01 Michelle Obama Shorook (Sunrise) 6:21 Zuhr (Noon) 11:45 at birthday bash Asr (Afternoon) 2:48 WASHINGTON: Michelle Maghrib (Sunset) 5:10 Obama’s 50th birthday bash Isha (Night) 6:40 featured musical performance by popstars Beyonce and John Legend, according to one prom- inent guest yesterday. WEATHER “Amazing. Incredible party,” said political analyst Donna Brazile, speaking to CNN the Today Tuesday Weather Wednesday Conditions: morning after about the hush- Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Partly cloudy hush festivities, about which Partly cloudy few details were made known in to cloudy with advance. Reinsurance exposure growth “Childhood friends there. High: 21° High: 20° High: 21° chance of Pic by: Kammutty VP Low: 13° Low: 13° Low: 13° scattered rain People from the administration,” at first. she said about the fete at the White House. Over the next 12 months, 82pc (up from 67pc in 2012) of respondents expect “The most important thing is Beyonce performed, and I have to reinsurance exposure, or the sums insured, to grow at a faster pace than the MENA DOHA - SUN & SEA tell you, John Legend sang ‘Happy countries’ GDP. Not a single survey participant expects exposure growth to trail Birthday,’” said Brazile, a long- SUN TIDE SEA GDP growth. The bullish outlook on exposure growth is based on the (long-term) time Democratic Party operative expectation that the region’s non-life insurance markets will expand more rapidly SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND who ran Al Gore’s unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2000. than the overall economy - as insurance penetration rises and approaches levels 06:21 17:10 07:30 & 19:15 00:00 & 14:30 05-15 KT “The most moving tribute which are more in-line with the MENA countries’ average GDP per capita levels. In came (from) (President) Barack THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW Obama, who talked about the addition, reinsurance exposure will increase in tandem with a more complex and woman he met and fell in love diverse risk landscape and a rapid accumulation of values due to urbanisation and HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER with,” Brazile said of Saturday’s gala birthday celebration. industrialisation, compounded by a perceived increase in exposure to natural disasters. MUSCAT 22/16 Chance of rain 21/16 Partly cloudy CNN reported that the party KUWAIT 17/10 Clear 18/10 Clear lasted until at least 2 am, and BAHRAIN 19/09 Partly cloudy 19/08 Clear was attended by actor Samuel L. Outlook on reinsurance exposure growth SANAA 22/05 Partly cloudy 23/04 Partly cloudy Jackson, singer Smokey Robinson RIYADH 21/08 Clear 21/09 Clear and basketball legend Magic DUBAI 21/15 Chance of rain 22/15 Partly cloudy Johnson. BAGHDAD 18/08 Partly cloudy 17/07 Partly cloudy Michelle Obama turned 50 on Friday to great national fanfare, Growing faster THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW including magazine interviews and television profiles of her life and than GDP HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER her role in history as America’s 82pc ATHENS 18/12 Clear 17/11 Clear first African American first lady. Closely watched as a fashion WASHINGTON 09/-3 Partly cloudy 00/-9 Chance of snow icon, and for social causes that SYDNEY 24/20 Chance of storm 26/20 Chance of storm include working with military LONDON 10/02 Mostly cloudy 09/06 Mostly cloudy families and fighting against Growing PARIS 08/02 Cloudy 09/04 Mostly cloudy childhood obesity, the first lady in line with ISTANBUL 14/10 Partly cloudy 18/09 Partly cloudy has polled a 65 percent popular- MANILA 29/21 Mostly cloudy 30/22 Partly cloudy GDP ity rate — a good 20 points higher 18pc DHAKA 27/14 Clear 26/15 Partly cloudy than her husband’s. DELHI 18/10 Partly cloudy 16/12 Cloudy AFP ISLAMABAD 21/05 Partly cloudy 20/06 Mostly cloudy Source : http://www.qfc.com.qa

Lithgow, Molina show longtime Teen claims new South Pole trek record LONDON: A 16-year-old tomorrow and drag my sled for “But it’ll be a few days off, a love at Sundance British schoolboy has become nine hours in the snow and icy party and then onto GCSE revi- the youngest person ever to wind,” Clarke said in a statement sion,” he added, referring to the Film Festival trek to the South Pole, his team carried by the British media. national school exams that the said. “Today was really hard, the young adventurer will have to PARK CITY: John Lithgow Lewis Clarke (pictured) cel- closer I got to the Pole the slower take in May and June. said playing Alfred Molina’s ebrated with a bowl of pasta with I went, my legs had had enough. Clarke, who raised money for longtime lover in the film fresh parmesan cheese, his first “But now I’m here and I’ve had Prince Charles’ charity for young Love is Strange was “just like real meal since setting off on the some spaghetti bolognaise and I people, the Prince’s Trust, will falling in love with this man.” gruelling 1,129-kilometre journey am sitting in a heated tent.” be back in Britain on January 24 The veteran actors por- from the coast on December 2. The pair arrived at the South when he hopes his record will be tray a couple who marry after The teenager and his guide, Pole at 1800 GMT on Saturday verified. 39 years together in the Ira Carl Alvey, travelled across the and after tucking into his meal Guinness World Records said Sachs film that premiered on Antarctic on skis, unsupported Clarke called his relieved parents the record for the youngest per- Saturday at the Sundance Film except for a few food drops and back home in Bristol, in western son to trek overland to the South Festival. braving temperatures as low as England. Pole without the use of dogs or Once wed, one of the men minus 50C, according to Clarke’s “Coming home will be a bit motorised vehicles was set by loses his job as a music instruc- website. weird for him, I’m sure, after 18-year-old Canadian Sarah tor at a Catholic school and “I’m really happy but mostly seven weeks of almost com- Ann McNair-Landry in January the couple is forced to sell relieved that for the first time plete solitude,” his father Steven 2005. their apartment to survive in 48 days I don’t have to get up Clarke told the BBC. AFP financially. They end up living apart, staying with friends and family until they can remedy their situation. All the while, Rainbow over Rome the couple comforts each other and has fun together. NBC returning to live Springsteen “What I feel is really a suc- cess of the film,” Sachs said, “is grabs top spot in that these two men create the musicals with ‘Peter Pan’ history of a 40 year relation- UK album chart ship with all the texture.” LOS ANGELES: US TV net- Other events including the Lithgow and Molina have work NBC will air another live Golden Globes broadcast and the LONDON: US singer Bruce been friends for 20 years but performance of a Broadway Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Springsteen snatched top spot this is the first time they have musical, “Peter Pan,” on have helped lift NBC’s ratings this in Britain’s album chart yester- worked together. December 4, hoping to repeat season, along with dramas “The day for the 10th time with “High “I just knew this was going to the ratings success of last year’s Blacklist” and “Chicago Fire,” Hopes”, pushing British singer- work so wonderfully,” Lithgow broadcast of “The Sound of Greenblatt said. songwriter Ellie Goulding’s said. “I knew we were going to Music Live.” After struggling in the broad- “Halcyon” into second place, the be a great old couple.” The musicals are part of the cast ratings basement for years, Official Charts Company said. “So much of this grew out of Comcast-owned network’s strat- NBC leads the four major networks “High Hopes” is a follow-up to Fred’s and my old friendship,” egy to draw audiences to live this season in 18- to 49-year-olds, his 2012 album “Wrecking Ball”, he continued, “and the things events, a defense against later the group most prized by adver- which also debuted at number we discovered, the layers of viewing on digital video record- tisers. Ratings were boosted by one, and sees Rage Against The new friendship.” ers which is less valuable to “Sunday Night Football,” which Machine guitarist Tom Morello The actors received a stand- advertisers. ended in December. join the Boss’s regular backing ing ovation at the conclusion of NBC also will air a new mini- Through January 12, NBC group, the E Street Band. the film’s premiere. series called “The Slap,” another attracted an average of 3.8 mil- In the singles chart, U.S. singer- Sachs said the film is auto- effort to create events that lion primetime viewers in that songwriter Pharrell Williams biographical “only in emotion, encourage audiences to watch live, group, a 0.5 percent gain from a took top spot for a third week and not in fact.” NBC Entertainment Chairman year earlier, according to ratings with “Happy”, which has notched “I wanted to make a film Bob Greenblatt said on Sunday data from Nielsen. The network’s up more than half a million sales about the possibility of love at a Television Critics Association audience has jumped 10 percent since its release in November. to bloom with time,” he said. meeting. The eight-episode drama in total viewers, to 9.6 million on The track, which features in “This film is all about what tells the story of the slapping of average. the soundtrack to the animated love is, both for a couple, but a child at a barbecue that evolves “We have some real momen- film “Despicable Me 2”, achieved also for a family and for a com- into a court case. tum,” Greenblatt said, adding the sales of nearly 118,000 copies in munity and for parents and “The Sound of Music Live” network was starting year three of the past week, the Official Charts children and for all the dif- attracted 19 million viewers on a three- to five-year turnaround Company said, its best weekly ferent ways in which we love Dec. 5. When DVR playback was effort. performance to date. each other, and all the ways in added, the show beat NBC’s highly NBC’s ratings are expected Elyar Fox, an 18-year-old which that is a very compli- rated “Sunday Night Football” to climb with its broadcast of Londoner, went straight into the cated act.” A plane of the Irish low-cost company Ryanair flies in front of a rainbow that week, Greenblatt said. The the Winter Olympics starting chart at number five with “Do It AP over Rome yesterday. cast for “Peter Pan,” about a boy February 6. All Over Again”. who can fly, was not announced. REUTERS REUTERS Monday 20 January 2014 19 Rabial I 1435 Volume 18 Number 5950 Price: QR2

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Qatar Islamic Bank records QR1.34bn profit Director board proposes 40 percent dividend; assets increase by 5.7pc; customer deposits up by 16.7pc

DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank Total assets of the bank has generated last year. Income from coverage on financial investments risk management during 2013 (QIB) recorded a net profit of increased by 5.7 percent com- financing and investing activities and financing activities compared strengthening all prudential QR1.34bn for the year 2013, pared to 2012 and now stands at has grown by five percent to reach to QR 491m in 2012. As a result ratios and building a strong up 7.6 percent compared to QR77.4bn compared to QR73.2bn QR2,804m at the end of 2013 the coverage ratio for non-per- foundation for future business QR1.24bn posted a year ago. for the previous year. Financing compared to QR2,666m for 2012, forming financing assets reached expansion.” Announcing the full-year activities continues to be the reflecting a healthy growth in the 94 percent as at 31 December He added: “QIB keeps on sup- results of the bank, Sheikh Jassim major growth driver and have bank’s core operating activities. 2013 up from 62 percent as of 31 porting the local economy, invest- bin Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber now reached QR47.1bn having QIB was able to bring down the December 2012. ing in local talent and continues Al Thani (pictured), Chairman, added QR4bn, representing a ratio of non-performing financing Total Shareholders’ Equity of to be a good corporate citizen by said in line with the improved 9.3 percent growth compared to assets to gross financing assets the Bank increased by QR 386m supporting government initia- profitability, the Board of QR43.1bn last year. to 0.9 percent compared to 1.6 to reach QR 11,860m, helping the tives and donating to the ones Directors have proposed a profit Customer deposits of the bank percent for the previous year Bank to improve its capital ade- in need.” distribution of 40 percent of the registered a strong growth of 2012, reflecting the quality of the quacy ratio to 16.5 percent. Sheikh Jassim expressed his nominal share value (QR 4 per 16.7 percent and now stand at Bank’s financing assets portfolio Sheikh Jassim commented:”The deep gratitude to QIB’s share- share) to the shareholders against QR50.4bn compared to QR43.1bn and its effective risk management Bank has increased business holders and clients for their trust 37.5 percent distributed last year. in 2012, allowing the bank to framework. volumes across all market seg- in the Bank, and his appreciation The financial results for 2013 effectively fund its asset growth. The strong operating perform- ments, which had positive impact to the Board of Directors and along with the proposed distri- Total Income for the year ance has enabled the Bank to pur- on QIB’s end of year financial employees for their contribution bution are subject to approval of ended 31 December 2013 has sue a conservative impairment results, solidifying its position as and continuous efforts towards Qatar Central Bank and QIB’s reached QR3,144m which is 1.3 policy by allocating QR360m a leading bank in Qatar. QIB has achieving positive results. General Assembly, he said. percent higher than QR3,105m towards improving the provision managed to implement successful THE PENINSULA

IPTC excellence award Number of IATA-accredited Saudi ‘welcomes’ US shale oil agencies rises to 143 boom: Minister

BY MOHAMMAD same period. RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, an SHOEB Dabbas noted Organisation of Petroleum that the industry Exporting Countries kingpin, DOHA: With Qatar which is celebrating is unconcerned by the US shale emerging as a new the 100th anniver- oil boom, Oil Minister Ali bin aviation hub in the sary of commercial Ibrahim Al Nuaimi said yes- region backed by a aviation has been an terday as he met the US energy booming tourism incredible force for secretary in Riyadh. industry, the total good, giving people “We discussed the increased number of IATA- access to the world, production of shale oil in the accredited travel generating jobs and United States and elsewhere. agencies in the coun- economic develop- The kingdom welcomes this new try jumped to 143 in ment, and strength- source of energy that helps ful- 2013, from merely 17 in 2007, ening family and social ties across fil the growing world demand according to the latest figures cultures and countries. for energy, and helps stabilise oil provided by International Air “From one plane and one pas- markets,” state news agency SPA Transport Association (IATA). senger that took off across Tampa quoted Naimi as saying. The figures show that the Bay, Florida, 100 years ago, we In October, oil production in number of IATA-accredited travel have grown to an industry that the United States surpassed agencies in Qatar has witnessed serves more than 40,000 city- oil imports for the first time in a consistent double-digit growth pairs and carries more than three nearly two decades, helped mainly over the last six years, with 126 billion passengers,” said Dabbas. by production from newly-tapped companies being accredited by Referring to Oxford Economics shale-based reserves. IATA between 2008 and 2013. forecasts, he said that by 2030 the Saad Al Kaabi (left), Director of Oil & Gas Ventures at Qatar Petroleum presents the International Petroleum Domestic output hit 7.7 mil- “Qatar is a wonderful exam- aviation industry is expect to see Technology Conference’s (IPTC) ‘Exellence in Project Integration’ award to Matthias Bichsel, Director of Projects lion barrels per day (mbpd) in ple of the transformative power around 5.9 billion passengers and and Technology at Royal Dutch Shell for the Qatar GTL project at St Regis Hotel yesterday. (SHAIVAL DALAL) October, a 24-year high, the of air connectivity”, said Hussein 150 million tonnes of cargo ship- Energy Information Agency said Dabbas (pictured), Regional ments, supporting 82 million jobs in November. Vice-President at IATA, for around the world and contributing Oil imports, long seen as a stra- Africa and the Middle East. $6.9 trillion to global GDP. tegic and economic vulnerability Dabbas, in an email interview He highlighted that the center Doha to host IATA AGM from June 1-3 for the US, sank well below that to The Peninsula, said: “The vision of gravity of the industry is shift- figure to a 17-year low, it said. of the Qatari leadership to create ing eastwards, with the middle The onset of hydraulic frac- a hub for aviation is helping to class expected to double in the DOHA: The International be coming to Qatar, reflecting its airlines and passenger rights. turing, or fracking, has allowed diversify the economy and gener- Middle East, Africa and South Air Transport Association growing presence in global avia- Dabbas said: “The IATA AGM is drillers to unlock reserves in ate tourism. This openness and America compared to 2009, and (IATA) is gearing up to hold its tion,” said Dabbas. the high point of our year, bringing hard-to-exploit shale strata and connectivity would also have been multiply by seven in Asia. 70th Annual General Meeting QA has been a member of IATA together our membership of 240 brought on a rise in the produc- a key factor in winning the World According to IATA, the Middle (AGM) here from June 1 to 3. since 1997. In 2004, it became the airlines to debate some of the most tion of oil and natural gas. Cup in 2022.” East, in 2014, is expected to reg- The annual event of the world’s first airline to join the registry important issues facing aviation.” The year 2009 registered an ister a strong passenger growth largest civil aviation association of the IATA Operational Safety He said that last year’s AGM Shell, Mubadala exceptional more than100 percent of 13 percent, and increasing will bring together over 240 air- Audit (IOSA) and has till date shaped key industry positions on growth with 55 new travel agen- industry profitability to a record lines to debate and discuss on secured the audit consistently the environment, passenger rights swap Malaysian cies from the Gulf state joining $2.4bn, which is good news for key issues facing the industry, with 100 percent compliance. and distribution. “I am sure that the association, followed by 2010 customers and the economy of said Hussein Dabbas, Regional Notably the CEO of QA, Akber this year’s AGM will similarly offshore stakes when 30 new agencies successfully the region, including Qatar. Vice President at IATA for Al Baker, was last year voted onto focus on ways to increase aviation’s received accreditation from the “Qatar can really take advan- Africa and the Middle East. the IATA board of governors. . safety, sustainability and success, to DUBAI: Royal Dutch Shell world’s largest aviation body. tage of this growth”, said Dabbas, Qatar Airways (QA) will be the However, after being voted on benefit passengers the world over. and Mubadala Petroleum have The total number of IATA- “if it continues to support avia- official host of the three-day event to the IATA board, Al Baker had He also added that as part of its swapped equity stakes in two accredited travel agents in the tion and tourism as it is doing by which will be held in Qatar for called for introducing some key commitment to the environment, exploration blocks off Malaysia, neighbouring Saudi Arabia is focusing on passenger experience. the first time and return to the reforms in the association to make the aviation industry has taken the companies said yesterday. 1458, the highest in the region, Passenger’s trust and satisfaction Middle East after 17 years. it a more representative body so the lead and set tough targets for Mubadala has taken a 20 per- followed by the UAE with 610. are very important elements in “In June 2014 IATA is holding that IATA does not remain a carbon-neutral growth from 2020 cent interest in the Shell-operated And Kuwait witnessed 179 new building a strong tourism base for its AGM in Doha, with the gra- “monopoly of few airlines of the and cutting emissions in half by deepwater Block 2B and Shell has IATA-accredited players enter- the country.” cious support of Qatar Airways as West” and work to safeguard 2050 compared to 2005. taken a 20 percent interest in the ing the local market during the THE PENINSULA our host. We are very excited to the interests of all the member THE PENINSULA Mubadala-operated Block SK320 in return. “The equity swap agreement is an important step for Mubadala Petroleum’s growth strategy in Malaysia and marks our first Empower buys cooling firm for $500m in Dubai asset shuffle partnership in Southeast Asia with Shell, an important player in deepwater exploration,” DUBAI: Dubai district cool- includes Palm District Cooling, will A joint venture between Dubai — Citigroup, Emirates NBD, ruler. The sale adds to a series of Maurizio La Noce, chief execu- ing firm Empower bought give Empower about 70 percent of the Electricity and Water Authority and Mashreq and Standard Chartered disposals by Dubai World, which tive of Mubadala Petroleum, said Palm Utilities from a unit of United Arab Emirates’ district cooling Dubai Technology and Media Free — to fund its acquisition at the end had promised to sell non-core assets in a statement. Dubai World for $500m yester- market, a company statement said. Zone (Tecom) Investments, Empower of last year, according to Thomson under a $25bn debt restructuring Mubadala, owned by the Abu day, part of a shuffle of assets Empower will immediately take will fund the purchase through inter- Reuters data. plan drawn up after 2009, when Dhabi government, said that drill- between companies ultimately over all operations, assets and nal cash, debt and equity financing, Istithmar World is part of gov- the group fell victim to a property ing in Block SK320 had yielded owned by Dubai’s government liabilities of Palm Utilities, which the statement added. ernment-owned Dubai World, while market crash and the after-effects two new gas discoveries, called or the emirate’s ruler. was previously owned and oper- Empower signed a $600m, six- TECOM is part of Dubai Holding, of the global financial crisis. Pegaga and Sintok. Acquiring Palm Utilities, which ated by Istithmar World. year loan facility with four banks the investment vehicle of Dubai’s REUTERS AGENCIES MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Mideast M&A Brazilian airlines to add flights activities hit $43.4bn in 2013 Debt issuance reaches $8.1bn in Q4

DOHA: Middle Eastern invest- Eastern fees, the highest share ment banking fees reached since 2004.” $722.2m during 2013. The value In respect to Mergers and of announced M&A transac- Acquisitions, Najjar pointed out tions with any Middle Eastern that 2013 marked the best full involvement reached $43.4bn year total since 2010. during 2013, seven percent more Inbound M&A totalled $6.1bn, than the $40.7bn witnessed in down three percent from the pre- the region during 2012, and vious year. Egypt was the most marking the best full year total popular target, while China regis- since 2010, Thomson Reuters’ tered the highest value of inbound full year investment banking M&A deals targeting the Middle analysis for the Middle East East. Outbound M&A increased region in 2013 yesterday noted. 11 percent from this time last Nadim Najjar, Managing year to total $14.8bn. As sole Director, Middle East, Africa, and advisor on the aluminium merger, Russia/CIS, said: “ Middle Eastern Morgan Stanley topped the 2013 companies raised $4.2bn of equity announced any Middle Eastern during 2013, a 39 percent decline involvement M&A league table from 2012 ($6.9bn), while Middle with $12.7bn.” Eastern debt issuance reached In the area of equity capital $8.1bn during fourth quarter of markets, the Middle Eastern Brazilian airline Gol’s Boeing 737 and TAM’s Airbus A320 aircraft parked at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo. Brazilian aviation regulator ANAC said it 2013, up 82 percent from the pre- companies raised $4.2bn during would likely grant airlines’ requests to add 1,973 new flights to deal with the demand expected during World Cup soccer matches in June and July. vious quarter. Despite the quar- 2013, a 39 percent decline from terly uptick, only one-third of 2012 ($6.9bn), led by an 80 per- 2013 activity was seen during the cent drop in follow-on offerings. second half of the year.” On the debt capital market Najjar pointed out that the activity in 2013, Najjar said: investment banking fees increased “Despite the quarterly uptick, Nakheel records 27.2pc profit growth by 20 percent over the $602.6m only one-third of 2013 activity seen during 2012 recording the was seen during the second half DUBAI: Dubai’s Nakheel Dubai house prices plunged year, though it added that around 4.4 billion dirhams, and highest annual total in the region of the year. Debt issuance in the reported a 27.2 percent rise in about 60 percent from a 2008 increases in prices and rents made cash payments of about 12.3 since 2010. region throughout 2013 totalled full-year profit yesterday as the peak as a property boom turned were likely to slow as supply of billion dirhams to various trade “Investment banking fees from $38.6bn, nearly levelling 2012’s property developer benefitted to bust, with Nakheel among new properties increased and creditors and contractors since completed M&A transactions total of $38.8bn. Investment grade from the emirate’s resurgent the most high-profile corporate Dubai government steps to avert the start of its debt restructuring, totalled $212.8m, up 22 per- corporate debt totalled $27.4bn real estate market. casualties. That led the com- excessive market speculation had a company statement said. cent from 2012 ($174.0m), and and accounted for 71 percnet of The government-owned devel- pany to stall or scrap some of an impact. Lootah said Nakheel would accounting for 29 percent of the the annual total.” oper, which agreed a $16bn debt its more grandiose plans, such About 80 percent of prop- consider an initial public offer of overall fee pool. Fees from debt The United Arab Emirates was restructuring in 2011, made a as building a one-kilometre erty buyers in Nakheel’s stalled shares after the company settled capital markets underwriting the most active nation accounting net profit of Dh2.57bn ($700m) high tower. projects have now settled with the its debts. hit $144.1m, up 44 percent from for two-fifths of activity, followed in 2013, up from Dh2.02bn in But Dubai’s property sector developer, with 20 percent of buy- The firm handed over 3,150 $100.0m during the previous year. by Saudi Arabia with 22 percent. 2012, Chairman Ali Rashid is now recovering, helped by an ers still in dispute, said Lootah. units in 2013, although this is Equity capital markets under- International Islamic debt issu- Lootah announced at a news influx of money from Arab and These can get their cash back five poised to drop to 1,600 units writing fees totalled $62.4m, down ance declined 11 percent from conference. other countries, with residential years from the date of Nakheel this year. Last year, it sold 3,500 43 percent from 2012 ($108.9m) 2012 to reach $32.5bn during 2013. Revenues also boomed in 2013, property prices rising 22 percent signing its restructuring deal, he properties. and the lowest annual total since HSBC took the top spot in the growing 20.5 percent to Dh9.4bn. in 2013, according to consultants said. Earlier this month, Nakheel 2003. Investment banking fees Middle Eastern bond ranking Nakheel plans to launch new Jones Lang LaSalle. The company has made inter- said it would repay this year up from syndicated lending increased during 2013 with a 16 perecent projects worth between Dh6bn In a report yesterday, Jones est and profit payments of around to 4 billion dirhams of bank debt 38 percent to $303.0m, account- share of the market. and Dh8bn in 2014, Lootah Lang LaSalle predicted the 1.8 billion dirhams to lenders, due in 2015. ing for 42 percent of total Middle THE PENINSULA said. rebound would continue this issued a trade creditor sukuk of REUTERS

Iraq needs Kurdish oil income to avert budget collapse Regulators

BAGHDAD: Iraq cannot outside federal control. Last week Iraqi dinars ($18bn), assuming the went automatically to the central to 16 trillion to it, the budget will close bank finance its projected 2014 Iraq’s oil minister threatened legal Kurds paid the treasury the rev- government. collapse,” he said, estimating the budget deficit unless the north- action and drastic trade reprisals enue from budgeted oil exports of Baghdad complained at the additional shortfall if no Kurdish in Illinois ern Kurdistan region pays its against Turkey and any foreign 400,000 barrels per day — a target time that the Kurds should have oil revenue is handed over. oil export revenue into the companies involved in what he industry sources say far exceeds exported more than double this Abadi, who is also a sen- WASHINGTON: Regulators national treasury — or loses its called the “smuggling” of Iraqi oil. Kurdistan’s current export capac- amount, however. Abadi said state ior member of Maliki’s Shi’ite have closed a small lender in share of state spending, a senior Kurdistan’s Prime Minister ity of around 255,000bpd. spending had risen sharply in the Islamist Dawa party, said time Illinois, making it the first US lawmaker said yesterday. Nechirvan Barzani arrived in the To Baghdad’s fury, the Kurds draft budget due to increases in was running out for the budget bank failure of 2014 following 24 Haider Al Abadi, head of parlia- Iraqi capital on Sunday to pursue handed over no oil export reve- pensions and the minimum public to be passed before parliament is closures last year. ment’s treasury committee, said the talks on an issue that has bedevil- nue last year because of an unre- sector wage, child benefits and stu- dissolved ahead of an election on The Federal Deposit Insurance budget, swollen by extra expendi- led relations between Iraq’s Arabs solved dispute over the payment dent allowances. April 30. He said it would be hard Corp said it has taken over ture, would “collapse” if the state and minority Kurds. of oil companies operating in the Echoing remarks made in the to muster a quorum of 163 of the DuPage National Bank, based in kept paying the autonomous region “We go to Baghdad with the northern region. past week by Prime Minister assembly’s 325 members during West Chicago, Illinois. its 17 percent share even as the intention of closing gaps,” KRG For much of 2013 the Kurds were Nouri Al Maliki and Oil Minister an electoral campaign. The lender, which operated Kurds withhold oil export proceeds. spokesman Safeen Dizayee trucking what industry sources Abdul Kareem Luaibi, Abadi said Kurdish and Sunni Muslim three branches, had about $61.7m Baghdad’s chronic quarrel with said before the talks, which he estimated was up to 60,000bpd of the central government would opposition lawmakers would in assets and $59.6m in deposits Kurdistan over how to manage said would focus on increas- crude and condensates to Turkey, have to cut the Kurds’ budget stay away, as would MPs busy as of September 30. and share Iraq’s energy resources ing Kurdistan’s oil output and while the independent pipeline share. “They are not contributing, campaigning or those without a Republic Bank of Chicago, intensified this month when the a mechanism for marketing its was being completed. In 2012, so why should they get something motive to turn up because they based in Oak Brook, agreed to Kurdish Regional Government exports. the Kurds exported 61,000bpd of out of it?” he asked in an inter- were not running for re-election, pay the FDIC a premium of 1.20 (KRG) said oil had begun flowing Abadi said the draft budget pro- crude via the Baghdad-controlled view. “At the moment we have a he said. percent to take on all of DuPage to Turkey for export via a pipeline jected a deficit of about 21 trillion pipeline to Turkey, so the revenue deficit of 21 trillion. If you add 15 REUTERS National Bank’s deposits. Republic Bank also agreed to buy essentially all of the failed bank’s assets. Boyu Capital raises $1.5bn buyout fund The failure of DuPage National Bank is expected to cost the Almarai posts marginal deposit insurance fund $1.6m. US bank failures have been declining since they peaked in 2010 in the wake of the financial Q4 net profit gain crisis and the Great Recession. In 2007, only three banks went DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s posting strong growth, the com- under. That number jumped to Almarai, the Gulf’s biggest pany said. 25 in 2008, after the financial dairy company, reported a However, its profit increase meltdown, and ballooned to 140 marginal rise in fourth-quar- was tempered by the fact it had in 2009. ter net profit yesterday, in posted a one-off gain of SR47.2m In 2010, regulators seized 157 line with analyst forecasts, as in the fourth quarter of 2012 from banks, the most in any year since higher sales were offset by the a land sale. the savings and loan crisis two non-recurrence of a one-off Profit for the full-year 2013 was decades ago. The FDIC has said gain. up 4.3 percent on the previous 2010 likely was the high-water Net earnings in the three year at 1.5 billion riyals. mark for bank failures from the months to December 31 were On an annual basis, the recession. They declined to a SR373.3m ($99.5m), 1.2 per- benefit to earnings of a 13.5 total of 92 in 2011, and fell to 51 cent higher than the SR369m percent increase in sales was in 2012. posted in the same period a offset by “increasing depre- Last year, bank failures slowed year earlier, it said in a bourse ciation and funding costs as to 24 — still more than normal. In statement. a result of the investment a strong economy, an average of Eight analysts polled by programme,” the statement four or five banks close annually. Reuters had forecast Almarai added. From 2008 through 2011, bank would have net profit of SR367.8m Almarai said last month that failures cost the deposit insur- in the quarter. its board was recommending a ance fund an estimated $88bn, Almarai’s performance in the one riyal per share cash dividend and the fund fell into the red in fourth quarter was boosted by a for 2013, down from the SR1.25 2009. With failures slowing, the The logo of Boyu Capital at the company’s office in Hong Kong. China-focused private equity firm Boyu 13.7 percent advance in sales year- per share paid out for the previ- fund’s balance turned positive in Capital has raised $1.5bn for its second buyout fund. on-year, with its dairy and juices, ous year. the second quarter of 2011. poultry and bakery businesses REUTERS AP MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19

Bahrain air show Sager likely to QE snaps 13-day become group chief executive bull run, index at Kuwait’s NBK DUBAI/KUWAIT: Veteran banker Isam Al Sager is the most likely candidate to become down by 0.12pc the new group chief executive of National Bank of Kuwait, suc- ceeding Ibrahim Dabdoub who is retiring from the post after Poor earnings weigh on Saudi three decades, sources with knowledge of the matter said. DOHA: Qatar Exchange (QE) QNB, International Islamic and Dabdoub, who has close ties snapped a 13-day winning Gulf International were among with policy makers in Kuwait streak yesterday, as its bench- the top losers. Market capitali- and around the Gulf, transformed mark index retreated, mainly sation dropped to QR584bn from NBK from a local lender into one on selling pressures from local the previous session’s QR586bn. of the Middle East’s biggest finan- retail investors. The index Traded volume tumbled to 12 cial institutions, as well as the dropped 0.12 percent to close million shares from 16 million largest bank in Kuwait. 11,093 points. The market is shares. The traded value fell to So investors are likely to see the down 6.87 percent year-to-date. QR478m from the previous ses- choice of his successor as pivotal The indices of Banks & sion’s QR774m as local individual for the bank. Dabdoub, 74, said in Financial Services, Consumer investors continued to take prof- December that he would step down as Goods and Industrials ended its. Foreign institutional inves- CEO after NBK’s next annual general in red. Banks and Financial tors continued their bullish run, meeting, which is expected in March. Services dropped 0.37 percent but with lesser intensity. A female security officer looks at an automatic machine gun made by Caracal, a United Arab Emirates Sager, 58, is currently and Consumer Goods lost 0.60 The Banks and Financial sec- weapon manufacturing company, displayed at the Bahrain International Air Show held at the Sakir air- Dabdoub’s deputy. His appoint- percent. Industrials shed 0.67 tor’s trading volume plummeted base south of Manama. ment still needs approval from percent. to 3.4 million from 5.8 million regulatory authorities in Kuwait, With the Mesaieed and the value dipped to QR193m said the sources, who declined to Petrochemical Holding Company’s vs previous session’s QR414m. be named because the matter is (MPHC) ongoing IPO coming to Industrials traded volume dipped not yet public. NBK declined to a close on January 21, analysts to 0.7 million from 1.5 million and GM’s new CEO to get up to $4.4m comment and attempts to reach expect a further pullback in the the value shrank to QR66m from Sager were unsuccessful. market. They expect a stronger QR111m. As deputy group CEO, Sager has sellout by local retail investors in Among the 40 traded stocks, DETROIT: Mary Barra, short-term incentive plan. for $875,000 under the short- worked closely with Dabdoub, who the next two days. 24 advanced, 15 declined and one General Motors Co’s new Chief GM has not yet disclosed what term plan, according to the SEC will remain as a consultant to the Bellwether QNB dropped 1.06 remained unchanged. Executive Officer and the auto former CEO Dan Akerson was documents. board of directors. Sager, a mem- percent and Industries Qatar Meanwhile, disappointing earn- industry’s first female CEO, will paid in 2013, but the previous All three executives also will ber of one of Kuwait’s prominent dropped 0.56 percent. Qatar ings from two of Saudi Arabia’s be paid up to $4.4m in cash and year he was paid $11.1m, includ- participate in the benefits plan business families, joined NBK in Insurance, Ahli Bank and UDC largest firms weighed on investors stock compensation this year, ing $1.7m in cash and $7.3m in currently available to company 1978; he became CEO of its Kuwait were among the prime gainers. sentiment, while Egypt’s market GM disclosed in a federal filing. stock and other incentives. The executives. GM also disclosed business in 2008 and was promoted The sector indices Insurance, fell in heavy profit-taking after a The package for Barra, 2012 figure also reflected $2m that Akerson and former Vice to deputy group CEO in 2010. real estate, telecom and transpor- strong backing for the country’s who assumed her new role on in restricted stock units that he Chairman Steve Girsky will The choice of Sager would not tation edged up. Insurance sector new constitution. Other regional Wednesday, does not include received in 2011. remain as senior advisers to the come as a surprise to Kuwait’s gained the most with 3.05 per- shares were mixed. what she and other executives will GM also said on Friday that company on an interim basis. banking community; his name was cent. The sector was mainly lifted Saudi Basic Industries Corp receive under the long-term com- new President Dan Ammann, Girsky remains on GM’s board. mentioned as early as 2005 as part by Qatar Insurance which jumped (Sabic) dropped 2.3 percent after pensation plan, which is subject to the former chief financial officer, Akerson will receive an annual of succession plans at the bank, 4.67 percent. Doha Insurance was its quarterly earnings missed shareholder approval in June. GM will be paid just over $2m. The cash base salary of $1.7 million according to a U.S diplomatic up by 0.74 percent. estimates. will disclose those details in April. cash base salary is $900,000 and and be eligible to receive $2.975 cable published by Wikileaks. Supported by UDC and Barwa, Other petrochemical shares The No. 1 US automaker he is eligible for $1.125m under million under the short-term Dabdoub led the bank through the real estate sector advanced were also hit with SABIC subsidi- revealed in documents filed with the short-term plan, according to plan, while Girsky will be paid Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990-1 1.38 percent. UDC was up by 1.46 ary Kayan Petrochemical losing the US Securities and Exchange the SEC documents. a base salary of $600,000 and be as well as local and global finan- percent and Barwa gained 1.43 five percent and Rabigh Refining Commission that Barra, 52, will Ammann’s successor as CFO, eligible to receive $750,000 under cial crises. NBK has grown to percent. Telecom index closed 0.31 and Petrochemical down 5.9 receive an annual cash base salary Chuck Stevens, will receive the short-term plan, according to have offices in 16 countries and percent up and Transportation percent. of $1.6m. She also will be eligible an annual cash base salary of the SEC documents. made $1.09bn of net profit in 2012. added 0.44 percent. THE PENINSULA/REUTERS for $2.8m under the company’s $700,000 and will be eligible REUTERS REUTERS Turkey’s economic success falls victim to political turmoil

ISTANBUL: Turkey was once risk: corruption scandals, accusa- The probe is looking into hailed as an economic success tions of a potential coup and fears allegations of corruption by a story, clambering out of a finan- that the government is trying to state-owned bank and bribery in cial abyss with reforms over the erode the independence of the construction projects -- one of the past decade to near double-digit judiciary have led to widespread booming sectors under Erdogan. growth, a construction boom protests, and the financial situ- Erdogan — seen as increasingly and improved prosperity. ation for Turkey could deterio- autocratic by opponents — has But today the picture is bleak, rate fast,” said Kathleen Brooks retaliated by conducting mass overshadowed by an escalating at online trading site Forex.com purges in the police, moving to political crisis that threatens Prime “It is no wonder that investor curb the powers of the judici- Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sentiment is negative on Turkey.” ary and axing rivals from state own future and the country’s hard- The Istanbul share market institutions. won economic gains. has lost about 20 percent of its The combative premier has The turmoil has seen stocks value over the past year, the lira lashed out at what he describes plunge and sent the lira tumbling to has sunk to historic lows of 3.0 as a coup plot by followers of ally- record lows, casting doubt on gov- to the euro and 2.2 to the dollar turned-nemesis Fethullah Gulen, ernment goals of reining in inflation and 10-year bond rates are above an exiled cleric who retains influ- and sparking warnings of stagna- 10 percent — higher even than in ence in key state apparatus. tion in the emerging economy. troubled Greece. “That organisation and its Analysts say the lira could yet The government, a model of allies in the media are trying to fall further, with Turkey also at stability for most of Erdogan’s 11 deal a heavy blow to economy, risk of a credit crunch as its yawn- years in power, has been rocked hike interest rates, scare for- ing current account deficit makes by a corruption scandal target- eign investors, saboutage energy it vulnerable to outside forces, ing key members of the premier’s policies, and taint Turkey’s image particularly the US tapering of its inner circle just six months after abroad,” Erdogan thundered this massive monetary stimulus. massive nationwide protests week. “Combine this with political against his rule. AFP

Platinum mine workers to strike

Members of South Africa’s Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) attend a rally in Rustenburg, northwest of Johannesburg, yesterday. AMCU will strike next week at the world’s top three platinum producers, hitting over half of global output and denting the margins of companies struggling to make profits. MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Small stores Best Buy sales tumble help UK retail to leap fast Fastest annual growth in nine years

LONDON: British retailers statistics showed sales at smaller had the fastest annual sales stores with less than 100 employ- growth in more than nine ees rose by an annual 8.1 percent years last month, confounding in December, compared with 2.6 gloomy reports from many big- percent growth for larger stores. ger chains and offsetting some The surge in sales at smaller signs of weakness in other areas retailers might reflect bad of the economy. weather in December which Sterling jumped and gov- could have prevented shoppers ernment bond prices tumbled from reaching bigger stores, some after the data, which was much economists said. Online sales also stronger than expected. It revived performed very strongly. speculation about when the Bank Laggards among the big- of England might raise interest ger chains include supermarket rates. Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, Helped by a strong perform- which posted a fall in Christmas ance by smaller stores, British sales even though it has invested retail sales surged by 2.6 per- over £1bn ($1.63bn) in a turna- cent in December to show an round plan and Marks & Spencer annual rise in volumes of 5.3 per- , which posted a tenth straight cent — the fastest growth since quarterly fall in underlying gen- A Best Buy store in Westminster, Colorado. Best Buy Co shares tumbled about 30 percent after the world’s largest consumer electronics chain October 2004 — Office of National eral merchandise sales. reported disappointing holiday sales and warned of a bigger-than-expected decline in quarterly operating margins. Statistics (ONS) data showed. Other poor performers were This far outstripped econo- Morrisons, the fourth-biggest mists’ forecasts before the data grocer, and Debenhams, the coun- for monthly growth of 0.4 percent try’s second-largest department — similar to November’s rate — store group. and for sales to be 2.6 percent Equity analysts scaled back US industry shows muscle in late 2013 higher on the year. full-year profit expectations The upbeat figures increase for these firms, which variously WASHINGTON: US industrial at PNC Financial Services in Job growth slowed sharply in “We suspect weather played the chance that there was blamed a continuing squeeze on output rose at its fastest clip in Pittsburgh. “It also provides December, largely blamed on cold a large role in the soft headline strong overall economic growth household incomes, an unprec- 3-1/2 years in the fourth quar- further evidence that the slow- weather that blanketed large number and some of the weak- in the last three months of 2013, edented level of pre-Christmas ter as factory activity closed out down in employment growth in parts of the country. At the same ness could be payback for the though weak sales in October discounting, fewer customers on the year on a strong note, a sign December was a fluke.” time, incomes barely grew, sap- strong November print,” said and November mean that for the the high street and unseasonally of the economy’s brightening For the fourth quarter as a ping household morale. Mark Vitner, a senior econo- quarter as a whole, sales volumes mild weather. prospects. whole, industrial production Frigid temperatures also helped mist at Wells Fargo Securities in are up just 0.4 percent. The figures are likely to help Manufacturing production advanced at a 6.8 percent pace, to put a dent in homebuilding Charlotte, North Carolina. Alan Clarke, an economist Britain’s economy record a strong rose a stronger-than-expected the largest quarterly increase last month. Groundbreaking for “With weather and the sea- with Scotiabank in London, said end to 2013 when fourth-quarter 0.4 percent in December after an since the second quarter of 2010. new homes dropped 9.8 percent sonal adjustment process likely the data would not push gross gross domestic product data is out-sized 1.0 percent increase the Fourth-quarter growth is shap- to a seasonally adjusted annual pulling the headline lower, we domestic product growth above released on January 28. prior month, a Federal Reserve ing up to be far stronger than rate of 999,000-unit pace in could see another soft print in 1 percent in the fourth quarter, Britain’s economy grew by 0.8 report showed. economists had anticipated, with December, another report from January. Even if we see two suc- but would help offset the hit from percent in the three months to That helped push overall out- estimates ranging as high as a the Commerce Department cessive downbeat months it does weak construction data last week. September, well above its long- put at the nation’s factories, 3.9 percent annual rate. But that showed. not mean the housing recovery The ONS numbers contrasted run average. mines and utilities up 0.3 percent does not seem to have inspired US It was the largest percentage has faltered.” with figures from the British Some economists are concerned last month. Economists polled by households. decline since April, but housing Groundbreaking for single- Retail Consortium which cov- about the longer-term prospects Reuters had expected factory out- A separate report showed the starts were coming off a six-year family homes, the largest segment ered mostly bigger stores and for British consumer spending, put to rise 0.3 percent, while the Thomson Reuters/University of high reached in November and of the market, fell 7.0 percent to suggested shoppers spent just as it has partly been funded by gain in overall industrial produc- Michigan’s preliminary read- the decline was smaller than a 667,000-unit pace in December. 1.8 percent more in December households reducing how much tion matched forecasts. ing on the overall index on con- economists had expected. For Starts for the volatile multi-fam- than a year earlier, slowing from they save, as wages have risen “It adds to the evidence that the sumer sentiment slipped to 80.4 all of 2013, starts increased 18.3 ily homes segment declined 14.9 November. much more slowly than inflation. fourth quarter was a good one,” early this month from 82.5 in percent to an average of 923,400- percent to a 332,000-unit rate. However, the government AGENCIES Gus Faucher, a senior economist December. units, the highest since 2007. REUTERS Chinese ministry decries US spending bill Morgan Stanley bets

BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China’s Commerce Ministry said opposing the bill. The US side subsidised” by China, it says. on smaller bond unit China’s Commerce Ministry the move “went against the prin- should correct its mistaken ways, US Representative Frank Wolf, has condemned a $1.1-trillion ciples of fair trade” as it sought to and create good conditions for the the Republican chairman of the NEW YORK: In early 2011, for banks for more than a decade, spending bill passed by the US curb purchases of Chinese tech- healthy development of Sino-US House Appropriations Commerce- Morgan Stanley Chief Executive both as a source of profits and as a Congress last week over clauses nology and export of satellites and trade and business cooperation.” Justice-Science subcommittee, James Gorman thought he way to win lucrative underwriting that limit technological pur- parts to China. Last year’s funding legisla- said he directed the language to had finally figured out how to and merger advisory assignments. chases from the Asian giant, “China is resolutely opposed,” tion bars US space agency Nasa be included last year because of rebuild the bank’s depleted If it is too small, those benefits saying they clash with the prin- the ministry said in comments and the Justice and Commerce concerns about potential cyber bond trading business without can disappear fast. For example, ciples of fair trade. attributed to an unnamed official Departments from buying infor- threats from Chinese firms such taking too much risk. a company looking to issue bonds The bill, signed by President in its US trade division. mation technology systems with- as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd He hired traders from rivals may not be confident that the Barack Obama on Friday, The bill sent a wrong message, out the approval of federal law and ZTE Corp. in areas where the bank was underwriting bank will continue included a cyber-espionage review did not aid exchanges and coopera- enforcement officials. Wolf cited a 2012 congressional relatively weak, such as trading to trade them after the deal is process for federal purchases of tion in the high-tech field and would That formal assessment intelligence report that found government debt, and exhorted initially sold. technology from China, a meas- have a negative effect on Chinese must include “any risk associ- such firms were closely connected his sales staff to gain new clients But Gorman has said he thinks ure incorporated last year amid companies, besides harming the ated with such system being to China’s army, which coordi- and win more trades from exist- that Morgan Stanley can continue growing US concern over Chinese interests of US firms, it added. produced, manufactured or nates cyber espionage against the ing customers. to meet client needs even after it cyber attacks. “We have noted that US business assembled by one or more enti- United States. On Friday, after three years of shrinks the business. His latest In a weekend statement, groups have already made noises ties that are owned, directed or REUTERS spotty results, Gorman flipped the plan includes a new, more cen- script, announcing a new strategy tralized management team, and for fixing the operation: shrinking “a particular focus on expenses, and taking less risk. It is at least technology, capital, and balance American Express profit rises the fourth time the bank has tried sheet,” he said on a conference Etihad flies aircraft to retool the business since the call with analysts. financial crisis. He is meeting some resistance with biofuel mix Rivals and some analysts are from traders. Glenn Hadden, glo- skeptical that Gorman has it bal head of interest-rates trading, ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways right this time. “Whether banks was so vocal in his opposition to said yesterday it has flown a can really compete and be profit- the changes that he was eventu- Boeing 777 plane on a 45-minute able on a smaller scale — that’s ally asked to resign, said two peo- demonstration flight powered the million dollar question,” said ple familiar with the matter. in part by biofuel developed in Lisa Kwasnowski, an analyst at Hadden declined to comment collaboration with French firm the bond ratings firm DBRS who when reached on Friday. Total. is supportive of Gorman’s plan. Earlier this month, Hadden The Abu Dhabi-based car- Bond trading — including fixed cited the new strategy as his rea- rier has teamed up with Total, income, currencies, and com- son for leaving. US-manufacturer Boeing, local modities — has historically been Morgan Stanley hired Hadden, refiner Takreer, and Masdar a profit driver for banks such as a former Goldman Sachs trader in research institute in an initiative Morgan Stanley and Goldman March 2011, and told him to win “to support a sustainable aviation Sachs Group Inc, but new capital new business. But soon after that, biofuel industry in the United and trading rules from regulators new regulations started to hurt Arab Emirates,” it said. in the aftermath of the financial bond trading. Morgan Stanley’s Biofuel amounted to 10 percent crisis have squeezed profits. debt ratings fell as well, making of the fuel used in the demonstra- Morgan Stanley saw its bond customers less willing to enter tion flight that took off Saturday, trading revenue fall 14 percent, into lucrative longer-term deriva- a Total spokesman said, pointing excluding an accounting adjust- tives contracts with the bank. out that the biofuel was used in ment, in the fourth quarter. In May, Hadden’s boss quit, to the past in a similar flight during Revenue from the business also be replaced by Michael Heaney the Paris airshow. fell for Goldman and Citigroup and Robert Rooney as co-heads Etihad said the biofuel was Inc. Nearly every major global of fixed-income sales and trad- partially converted from plants American Express and American Express corporate cards are pictured in Encinitas, California. The credit bank is examining what to do ing. The two executives sought to by Total and refined into jet fuel card company announced its quarterly profit more than doubled as it gained from higher consumer spend- with their fixed income businesses reduce risk and centralize man- by government-owned Takreer. ing during the US holiday season. in light of new regulations. agement of the sprawling business. AFP Bond trading has been critical REUTERS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 BUSINESS VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

Commodities recover as US bankers voice optimism growth potential supports as loan queues lengthen Weekly Commodity Update BY MICHAEL ERMAN “I am hearing more when I talk with US consumer loans, including mortgages customers about their interest in building and credit cards, also have been steadily BY OLE HANSEN OANS to businesses have risen to something, adding something, investing in rising since early 2011, according to Fed data. (Head of Commodity a record high and bank executives something,” Wells Fargo & Co CEO John Analysts on average forecast US growth Strategy, Saxo Bank) say they are increasingly optimis- Stumpf said on a conference call with inves- of 2.9 percent in 2014, close to the long- tic about the US economy. tors last week. “There is more activity going term average for the United States but a Increasing demand for bank on.” bit stronger than in recent years. Lloans often is a prelude to higher economic To be sure, signs persist that economic Credit is the lifeblood of the economy, OMMODITIES saw their first positive weekly perform- growth. With the US government budget growth is still tepid. and lending volume has been relatively ance out of the last three this past week, not least helped crisis fixed for now and Europe showing Job growth slowed sharply in December, weak since the financial crisis. Some econo- Cby a recovery in all sectors apart from precious metals signs of economic recovery, companies feel when US employers hired the fewest work- mists fault banks for holding onto the purse where some profit taking was seen after having outperformed more comfortable borrowing to invest in ers in nearly three years, partly because of strings too tightly, while others fault com- the others during the early parts of January. The energy sec- machinery, factories, and buildings. winter storms. And while holiday sales rose panies and consumers for being too timid tor saw the biggest increase with gains in natural gas and WTI JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive 0.2 percent in December, it was at the cost to spend. crude oil more than off-setting losses in gasoline. Industrial Jamie Dimon, who has long described him- of heavy discounting by retailers. But whatever the cause, demand for metals came second, not least helped by strong gains in nickel self as “cautiously optimistic” about the But the US grew at a relatively fast annu- credit has started to turn around. Paul and lead which helped offset a small loss in copper. The agricul- economy, recently dropped the modifier alized 4.1 percent in the third quarter, and Kasriel, former chief economist at Northern ture sector was mixed with soybeans and live cattle ensuring a “cautiously,” he said on a conference call with General Electric — often looked to as a Trust Co, notes that total bank investments general positive week despite another week of losses in coffee investors last week. barometer of the health of the US industrial in loans and securities, combined with the and sugar. “We’re using the word optimistic because sector — said on Friday that it had record Federal Reserve’s securities holdings, have Natural gas reached a three-week high on speculation that we are actually optimistic,” he added. orders for jet engines, oil pumps and other been growing at an accelerating pace since the current cold winter across the US will result in a continued “The sun and moon and stars are lined industrial goods. the fourth quarter of 2012, soon after the strong withdrawal of gas from US underground storage facilities up for a very successful year” in the US, he “We have seen some moderate strength Fed started its latest round of bond buying as demand for heating remains elevated. The weekly inventory said the next day at a conference in San in the US,” GE Chief Financial Officer Jeff to stimulate the economy. data showed a reduction of 287 billion cubic feet to 2.53 trillion Francisco. Bornstein said in an interview, even if he Year-over-year growth for that figure cubic feet. Although this was lower than expected and helped “I don’t see any weak spots in America,” cautioned that the company has not yet seen was 8.7 percent in the third quarter of 2013, calm traders nerves it was nevertheless the biggest decline in Dimon said, noting that corporations, small “the breakout broadly across the economy.” the latest period for which complete data is weekly data going back to 1994 and this left inventories down by business, the stock market and the US Bornstein said the company’s strong available, compared with an average of 7.2 20 percent compared with the same time last year. housing market are all showing signs of backlog reflects the growing middle classes percent since 1953. Growth in this measure Live cattle futures for April delivery rallied to an all-time high improving. in emerging and developing countries of credit tends to happen one quarter before of $1.398/lb on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) as beef Outstanding loans to companies reached around the world. economic growth picks up, he added. production is expected to see a record Q1 drop compared with an all-time high of $1.61 trillion at the end “We see solid demand for loans as we head And while Fed bond buying contributed the previous quarter. The rally has been driven by reduced avail- of last year, topping a record set in late 2008, into 2014” from businesses, particularly substantially to the growth, Kasriel said, ability of supply as the coldest winter in 20 years has reduced according to Federal Reserve data released large corporations and healthcare com- rising demand from the private sector for herd number and weight. As a result, the price of beef in the on Friday. panies, along with owners of commercial loans should make up for a tapering of bond spot market has moved to an unusual premium over the April Bankers say that anecdotally, business real estate, Bank of America CFO Bruce buying by the Fed at least for the first half futures price. As long as this pull from the spot price persists customers are more hopeful than they had Thompson said on a conference call with of 2014. further upside on the April future is possible and any technical been. analysts on Wednesday. REUTERS driven setback due to market now being in overbought territory may prove to be short-lived. WTI crude rallied while Brent crude almost moved in opposite directions and this resulted in the spread between the two global benchmarks contracting to a one-month low. Brent crude came under some relative pressure due to rising production in Libya and increased hopes that Iranian sanctions could eventually be lifted. WTI crude benefited from an overdue correction as bet- ter than expected economic data pointed towards higher growth and demand. The potential for a full return of oil from Libya and Iran together with the continued increase in non-Opec production are currently some of the themes that may receive the most attention in 2014 and which, barring any unforeseen eruption of geopolitical tension, carries a downside risk to oil prices. Increased production will put a lot of focus or pressure on Saudi Arabia as the biggest swing producer to reduce production as it otherwise raises the risk of an oil glut later in the year. The lack of fresh directional input resulted in gold staying confined to a trading range of less than $23, the lowest range since August 2009 if we disregard trading around Christmas. Several failed attempts to crack open the resistance area, cur- rently between $1,255 and $1,268, eventually led to some long capitulation but support was quickly established and gold spent the remainder of the week trading sideways. Gold was unchanged as a result following what has been a generally strong beginning to the year for precious metals. Most of the buying seen this January has so far primarily been driven by positive news from the physical market where demand has remained firm ahead of the Chinese Lunar new year celebration at the end of January together with some position adjustments by hedge funds of which some where holding near record short positions at the end of December. Gold remains one of the least favoured commodities on invest- ment managers’ shopping list and as long we continue to see improved US data and tapering together with stable stock mar- kets, the upside potentials at this stage seems limited despite the continued support from the presence of physical demand. Many of the major research houses generally hold a negative view on gold for 2014 and this will be factor which at least over the coming quarter may prevent the market from rising as many investment decisions are being made on the back of this advice. THE PENINSULA Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Europe utilities squeezed by creeping nationalisation

BY GEERT DE CLERCQ intervening in power generation saw their retail prices regulated. government scrapped plans to scheme, which offers price guar- The most radical renation- while also capping energy prices. Spain and France limit energy reduce the deficit by sharing it antees for low-carbon energies. alisation drive in Europe is in ATTENFALL This creeping renationalisation prices for consumers, while between utilities, consumers and The British package will also Hungary, where the government unplugged! With fly- cuts utilities’ profits by billions Germany provides big discounts the state, and pushed the debt dictate which power plants wants to turn utilities into non- ers, posters and an of euros. for industry. back onto the balance sheets of receive public money to provide profit organisations. animated film of a The idea behind the EU-driven But keeping prices low for con- utilities such as Iberdrola, Endesa backup power generation. Prime Minister Viktor Orban bear disconnecting energy liberalisation was to force sumers and industry, while also and Gas Natural, which will have In October, Britain agreed to wants to nationalise six or seven Vthe Swedish utility that operates the old monopolies to compete so favouring green power generation to hold it for 15 years. give unprecedented loan guaran- utilities and if he is re-elected this the Berlin electricity grid, cam- that prices could fall and services and maintaining security of sup- For the Spanish utilities, this tees and a 35-year power price spring he plans to make them paigners tried to convince voters improve. ply is just not possible. boils down to a creeping nation- guarantee in a deal with France’s “community-owned” within a year to put power distribution back in Countries privatised utilities Critics say that these mutually alisation of their profits. EDF to build a nuclear plant at or two. public hands. and split them into private power exclusive targets have made much “They are renationalising our Hinkley Point. Most of Hungary’s energy sec- The November referendum in producers and independent, but of Europe’s energy regulation so revenues, but not our assets. That This will reverse more than tor is foreign-owned, mainly by Berlin failed, but in September, government-regulated network inconsistent that private firms is worse,” Iberdrola CEO Ignacio a decade of non-intervention German, French and Italian firms citizens of Hamburg, Germany’s operators. Energy retailing was can no longer operate profitably. Galan said. in power generation and turn including E.ON, RWE, EDF, GDF second-biggest city, voted to also freed up for vendors to com- Investment in non-subsidised Spanish Industry Minister Jose Britain’s low-carbon energy pro- Suez and Eni. return their power grid, also run pete for household accounts. generation has virtually dried up. Manuel Soria said in November duction — essentially offshore Late last year, state-owned by Vattenfall, to public ownership. But as Europe created a free “At some point the regulatory he does not think utilities should wind and nuclear — into a gov- energy group MVM bought The votes were organised by market for power generation, it risk gets so bad that it might be be renationalised and more com- ernment-regulated activity. E.ON’s gas trade and storage citizens’ groups who want munici- also brought back regulation by better to give the political risk petition is better for consumers. Britain’s opposition leader Ed businesses and it is also in talks palities to buy back electricity dis- encouraging wind and solar power back to the policy makers by But Spain might serve as an Miliband promised more regula- with RWE about buying its stake tribution networks from private generation with generous state renationalising the sector,” said example of where other countries tion in September by saying he in Budapest gas utility Fogaz Zrt. utilities, because they say local subsidies. Georg Zachmann of Brussels are heading, as more and more would freeze retail energy prices Hungary does not confiscate authorities can provide a cheaper As renewable energies boomed, think tank Bruegel. EU governments dictate invest- for 20 months if he were elected the foreign-owned firms, but and better service. their priority access to the grid A country close to this point is ment choices through subsidies in 2015. pays for the assets, albeit at prices The German movement is part and cost-free operation crowded Spain, where generous subsidies and regulate tariffs. “The UK led the way in liber- depressed by a tough regulatory of a Europe-wide reversal of the out the utilities’ traditional to the renewables sector and caps Britain — the cradle of alisation and I think it is leading regime and state-imposed energy trends towards liberalisation and plants, to the point that gas-fired on energy prices have led to the European energy liberalisation — the way — for better or worse — in price caps. privatisation that have driven generation has become virtually build-up of a ¤30bn power tariff seems like an unlikely candidate changing its market framework RWE East chairman Martin energy policy in the past decade. uneconomical in Europe. deficit — the difference between to lead the way: its Electricity towards having a much greater Herrmann says Hungary’s moves While ostensibly backing free With their investment choices the cost of energy and what utili- Market Reform, to come into role for the state,” said Compass are unacceptable and has spoken energy markets, many European for producing power limited by ties are allowed to charge for it. force this year, will introduce Lexecon energy consultant Fabien of “expropriation”. governments squeeze utilities by government policies, utilities also Last month, the Spanish the “Contracts for Difference” Roques. REUTERS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MARKET

QE Indices Summary QE Index 11,093.01 0.12 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Total Return Index 15,849.37 0.12 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,228.86 0.07 % RATE QE All Share Index 2,744.58 0.13 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 2,617.74 0.37 % GOLD Buying Selling Services All Ordinaries 5319.4 63.929 1.22 5383.4 5215.5 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 6,049.89 0.60 % QR145.4073 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 Services Cac 40 Index/D 4323 -9.07 -0.21 4332.07 4213.57 QE All Share Industrials 3,676.24 0.67 % SILVER UK ...... QR 5.9147 QR 5.9975 QE All Share Insurance 2,566.1 3.05 % Dj Indu Average 16481.94 108.08 0.66 16588.3 13445.8 Euro ...... QR 4.9228 QR 4.9919 QE All Share Real Estate 2,077.46 1.38 % QR 2.3578 CA$ ...... QR 3.3053 QR 3.3703 QE All Share Telecoms 1,532.69 0.31 % Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 QE All Share Transportation 1,969.3 0.44 % Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.9855 QR 4.0423 Hang Seng Inde/D 22986.41 84.41 0.37 23469.33 22567.77 Yen ...... QR 0.0346 QR 0.0353 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.1750 QR 3.2380 Today Previous day Iseq Overall/D 4806.58 -10.84 -0.23 4820.03 4522.4 CRUDE OIL 19-01-2014 16-01-2014 Ind Re ...... QR 0.0587 QR 0.0598 Index 11,093.01 11,106.13 Karachi 100 In/D 26730.24 -31.54 -0.12 26876.63 25273.11 Pak Re ...... QR 0.0342 QR 0.0348 Change 13.12 30.15 BRENT Nikkei 225 Index 15747.2 -61.53 -0.39 16164.01 15383.69 Peso ...... QR 0.0799 QR 0.0815 % 0.12 0.27 $ 106.63 SL Re ...... QR 0.0276 QR 0.0282 YTD% 6.87 7.00 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 1850.84 1463.76 Taka ...... QR 0.0462 QR 0.0477 Volume 12,918,352 16,833,903 DUBAI Nep Re ...... QR 0.0369 QR 0.0376 Value (QAR) 478,390,717.71 1,152,029,095.14 Straits Times/D 3140.44 -2.81 -0.09 3187.8 3115.8 SA Rand ...... QR 0.3313 QR 0.3379 Trades 5,692 6,692 Straits Times/D 2971.47 22.7 0.77 3035.78 2657.77 $ 102.98 Up 25 | Down 15 | Unchanged 01

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 19-01-2014

All eyes on the Fed meeting

HE US Dollar strength- showed that the British factory central bank. Factory Index Europe officials receive from the UK’s ened against most major output stagnated in November. The Aussie rose to 9.4, beat- Industrial Production m/m statistics agency, including data counterparts as the S&P The Pound then regained most touched a low ing the forecasted Eurozone Industrial produc- that is believed decisive to set- T500 Index demonstrated of its losses as retail sales surged of 0.8764, and 8.8, and consid- tion grew faster than expected ting monetary policy. Governor a solid rebound from a sharp fall dramatically, exceeding all econo- closed the week erably higher in November. The industrial pro- Carney commented about house on Monday. In Europe, stocks mists’ forecast, to close the week at 0.8781. Weekly Money Market Review than December’s duction index rose by 1.8 percent prices in the UK, stating that climbed to a 6-year high, with at 1.6424 Retail sales revised figure of from the previous month, adding “expectation has been for a con- the DAX recording its biggest The Japanese Yen was one of in the US rose in December as 6.4. The survey’s future indica- to a series of positive data on the tinuation of current momentum - weekly gain in almost a month, as the biggest losers last week, as it freezing temperatures urged tors have recently shown moder- European economy. The rise in house price momentum, mortgage retail sales and industrial output weakened almost 100 basis points Americans to buy discounted win- ating optimism about growth in production was the biggest since activity, credit growth momentum showed resilience. The US Dollar against the greenback. The cur- ter apparel, ending the strongest manufacturing. This month, the May 2010. The forecasted figures - into 2014, before decelerating performed slightly better than its rency opened the week at 104.18, quarter for consumer spending future general activity index fell were set at a 1.4 percent increase. around the middle of 2015”. When European counterpart. gaining against the US Dollar on in 3-years. The 0.7 percent gain 10 points, from a revised reading A better than expected figure asked on the expiry of the funding The Euro started the week at Monday to touch a high of 102.86. followed a 0.1 percent revised of 44.8 in December to 34.4 this along with solid retail sales, gives for lending scheme, Mr. Carney 1.3670, falling gradually during The Japanese Yen then fell slowly increase in November, and exceed- month. a sign that the Eurozone recov- stated that the central bank’s the week, as data from the United as the greenback strengthened ing the forecasted 0.4 percent rise. Fewer Americans filed appli- ery is gaining momentum. On “observations are that funding States empowered the US Dollar against most major peers, drop- Excluding a drop in auto demand cations for unemployment ben- the other hand, investors are still conditions for commercial lend- pushing the single currency to a ping to a low of 104.92. The Yen that carmakers partly attributed efits than expected, indicating wary of the European economy, ers are very strong”. low of 1.3582. The single currency closed at 104.32. to bad weather, sales jumped the that the US labour market is as unemployment is still at record Commodities managed to regain some of its The Australian Dollar showed most in almost a year. The retail strengthening. Jobless claims highs. West Texas Intermediate losses working its way back up to similar performance to that of its sales figures helped economists dropped by 2,000 to 326,000, United Kingdom West Texas Intermediate regis- 1.3650. The Euro then dropped to Asian counterpart. The Aussie crank up estimates for household beating the expected figure of BOE Carney Speaks tered its first weekly gain in 2014, break the previous lows, as specu- Dollar opened the week at 0.8995, spending in the fourth quarter, as 328,000, the lowest in more Bank of England Governor, as figures such as unemployment lation intensified over the Federal only to gradually weaken against consumer buy more with higher than a month. The gains in busi- Mark Carney, appeared before and manufacturing from the Reserve reducing their stimulus a stronger US Dollar, after labor confidence from lower unemploy- ness and consumer spending the Treasury Select Committee in United States, the worlds’ biggest for a second time, ending the week market reports showed that ment and higher home values. are boosting growth prospects, the British parliament last week, oil consumer, signaled a strong and at 1.3641. Australian employers have cut The Federal Reserve Bank of allowing employers to sustain claiming that “the central bank continuous economic expansion. The Sterling Pound endured big payrolls during the month of Philadelphia’s factory index rose their workers in anticipation won’t discuss an interest rate hike Crude oil touched a low of USD swings against the US Dollar. The December. The currency dropped to a 3-month high this month, of stronger demand. The four- until the unemployment rate in 91.24 per barrel since the begin- Pound opened the week at 1.6482, to its lowest level in more than as the labor market and retails week moving average declined to the country goes below 7 percent”. ning of the year, only to regain dropping sharply on Monday to 3-years, reviving the prospects of sales advanced, indicating mod- 335,000 from 348,500, a decrease Mr. Carney criticised the qual- some of its losses ending the week 1.6347, following reports that another interest rate cut by the erate growth. The Philly Fed of 13,500 from the week before. ity of some economic data that at 94.37. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Sharks beat Lightning 5-4 Jets beat Oilers 3-2; eight ejected in Vancouver after players come out fighting

NEW YORK: Tampa Bay performance from goalie Cam 3-2 win over the St Louis Blues. winger Martin St Louis tied a Talbot, the New York Rangers The Ducks rebounded from franchise record with four goals, defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1. only their second loss since Dec. but San Jose’s Joe Pavelski lifted Scoring for the Rangers (26- 3 on Friday in Chicago behind the Sharks to a 5-4 win over the 21-3) were centers Brad Richards rookie goalie Frederik Andersen. Lightning with a hat-trick of and Derek Stepan, as well as The Blues fell to a combined his own. wingers Rick Nash and Mats 1-7 in games against the three Tampa Bay captain St Louis Zuccarello. California teams, the Ducks, scored three times in the first Senators (21-19-9) defenceman Los Angeles Kings and San Jose period and again early in the Marc Methot had the only reply. Sharks. second to stake the Lightning to Alexander Semin scored twice Defenceman Nate Prosser a 4-2 lead, but Pavelski hit back in the third period and goaltender scored in overtime as the with three goals in a six-minute Anton Khudobin stopped 37 Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas span later in the same period. shots as the Carolina Hurricanes Stars 3-2. San Jose (31-12-6) survived continued their mastery of the Prosser delivered just his sec- a furious final minute assault Florida Panthers at PNC Arena ond goal of the season and his as Tampa Bay (28-16-5) pulled with a 3-2 victory. second in as many games when goaltender Ben Bishop, but Antti Semin, with just three goals he snapped the rebound of a Nino Niemi made three crucial stops to in his last 24 games, notched his Niederreiter shot past Dallas finish with 25 saves and the win. seventh of the season, breaking a goalie Kari Lehtonen from close Rookie defenceman Jacob 1-1 tie with a quick wrist shot off range. Trouba scored in overtime as the a face-off won by Eric Staal 2:31 Minnesota (27-19-5) won for Winnipeg Jets beat the Edmonton into the third. the seventh time in the past nine Oilers 3-2, their third straight Semin then scored Carolina’s games. victory with Paul Maurice behind (20-18-9) NHL-best ninth short- The Canucks and Flames the bench. handed goal with 11:03 left. opened their game at Rogers Blake Wheeler missed on a par- Florida (18-23-7) fell to 7-29-4 Arena with an old-fashioned line tial breakaway, but gathered the in North Carolina since the 1999- brawl. puck and fed a streaking Trouba, 2000 season. The Canucks won 3-2 thanks who scored his second goal of the Michael Raffl scored the tie- to a decisive shoot-out goal by Vancouver Canucks forward Brad Richardson (15) tries to move the puck past Calgary Flames defenceman TJ game 1:10 into the extra period. breaking goal after line mate left winger Chris Higgins but the The Jets improved to 22-23-5 Jakub Voracek tied it, helping the Brodie (7) during the first period at Rogers Arena. story of the night was the rough while Edmonton dropped to Philadelphia Flyers beat the New stuff and Vancouver’s head coach 15-30-6. York Islanders 6-4. scored for the Canadiens Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 come- Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith attempting to get at the Flames’ Backstopped by a 29-save Defenceman Andrej Meszaros (27-17-5). from-behind win over the Los made his second straight strong coaching staff between the first had two goals and wingers Andy Ryan Johansen scored the only Angeles Kings. start and fourth-line forwards and second periods. Hall and Matt Read also scored goal in the shootout to lead the Henrik Zetterberg had a Jason Szwarz and Jeff Halpern Calgary coach Bob Hartley and NHL Results for Philadelphia (25-19-5). Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 goal and an assist and defence- scored for the Coyotes in a 3-2 Vancouver coach John Tortorella NY Rangers 4 Ottawa 1 John Tavares, Brock Nelson, Cal win over the Buffalo Sabres. man Niklas Kronwall scored for victory over the New Jersey started their fourth lines and the San Jose 5 Tampa Bay 4 Clutterbuck and Brian Strait had It was the sixth win in a row for Detroit. Devils. gloves dropped after the puck did. Winnipeg 3 Edmonton 2 goals for the Islanders (19-24-7). the Blue Jackets, tying a franchise Mike Richards and Jeff Carter Szwarz and Halpern scored in Calgary received 77 minutes Columbus 4 Buffalo 3 James van Riemsdyk scored record from 2006. scored for Los Angeles. the first period to give the Coyotes in penalties out of the fracas, the go-ahead goal late in the third Brandon Dubinsky, Matt Kronwall tied the game and some breathing room, and Smith Vancouver 65 minutes and a two- Toronto 5 Montreal 3 period and the Toronto Maple Calvert and David Savard scored sent it to overtime with a dis- permitted only a power-play goal minute power-play. Detroit 3 Los Angeles 2 Leafs defeated the Montreal in regulation for the Blue Jackets puted power-play goal with 49 until right winger Jaromir Jagr Four players from each team Philadelphia 6 NY Islanders 4 Canadiens 5-3 for their fourth (24-20-4). seconds left in regulation. tipped in a shot with 2:14 left were ejected with game miscon- Carolina 3 Florida 2 consecutive win. Defenceman Tyler Myers, His shot was deflected and hit after the Devils pulled goaltender ducts, leaving each side with just Anaheim 3 St Louis 2 Defenceman Cody Franson, playing in his 300th career game, far up on the netting behind the Martin Brodeur. four defencemen apiece. Colorado 5 Nashville 4 Phil Kessel, Mason Raymond and had two goals and Drew Stafford net, bounced down and went in off Center Martin Hanzal also In all, the chippy first period Phoenix 3 New Jersey 2 Joffrey Lupul also scored for the also scored in regulation for the goaltender Jonathan Quick’s back. scored for Phoenix (24-16-9). ended with each team being Maple Leafs (25-20-5). Sabres (13-28-6). Neither referee saw the puck Center Ryan Getzlaf scored handed 15 penalties for a com- Minnesota 3 Dallas 2 Brendan Gallagher, Brian Tomas Tatar scored the only hit the netting to whistle the play one goal and assisted on another bined 178 penalty minutes. Vancouver 3 Calgary 2 Gionta and David Desharnais goal of the shoot-out to give the dead and it was not reviewable. to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a REUTERS Super Bowl spotlight Pacers notch up fourth straight victory on New Jersey NEW YORK: Paul George Detroit Pistons rallied during the Terrence Jones scored a career- and Lance Stephenson contin- NBA Results third quarter for a 104-98 win over high 36 points with an exceptional EAST RUTHERFORD: When New Jersey steps into the spot- ued their push toward NBA Indiana 106 LA Clippers 92 the Washington Wizards. shooting performance as the light next month to host its first Super Bowl, it hopes to alter its All-Star Game bids in leading Kyle Singler added 14 points Houston Rockets ran to a 114-104 international reputation beyond stereotypes from TV shows such Detroit 104 Washington 98 the team with the NBA’s best and Greg Monroe had 12 points win over the Milwaukee Bucks. as mob drama The Sopranos and the vapid 20-somethings of Jersey record, the Indiana Pacers, to Miami 104 Charlotte 96 and 10 rebounds for the Pistons Jones matched his career high Shore. their fourth straight victory. Chicago 103 Philadelphia 78 (17-23). of 25 points in the first half and One problem for the state, which has long lived in the shadow of George and Stephenson scored Houston 114 Milwaukee 104 John Wall scored 34 points, converted 12 consecutive shots its neighbour New York, is that the new MetLife Stadium, site of the 36 and 22 points respectively in Minnesota 98 Utah 72 including 13 in the fourth quar- from the field during one stretch. Feb. 2 National Football League championship game, is in an indus- a 106-92 rout of the Los Angeles Golden State 97 New Orleans 87 ter, and Martell Webster had 15 Joakim Noah produced 21 points trial area that belies New Jersey’s designation as “The Garden State.” Clippers. for the Wizards (19-20). and 16 rebounds as the Chicago Officials in East Rutherford, some 16km west of New York City, will Portland 127 Dallas 111 The Central Division-leading The Minnesota Timberwolves Bulls rolled to a 103-78 victory roll out the red carpet for an expected 400,000 visitors, with economic Pacers improved to 32-7 while trailed in the extra session, out- clobbered the Utah Jazz 98-72. over the Philadelphia 76ers. activity forecast at $500m. the Clippers, who lead the Pacific scoring the Bobcats 14-6 after the The Wolves limited the Jazz The margin of victory was the “New Jersey has been fighting a negative stereotype for a long, long Division, fell to 28-14 as they saw a teams were tied at 90 at the end to 23 first-half points, led by 28 largest this season for the Bulls, time,” said Michael Rockland, a professor of New Jersey history at five-game winning streak stopped. of regulation. before halftime and by as many who led by as many as 36 points. Rutgers University. It “was kind of the national joke there for a while, George has averaged 30.7 points The Heat raised their record as 36 after intermission against a Chicago are now 7-2 this month with a reputation for corruption, being called the armpit of America.” in the past three games. to 29-11 and won for the second Utah team that won by 21 points and have won 10 of their last 14 New Jersey is a state of contrasts. Home to the largest number of LeBron James had 34 points, straight night after losing three in in Detroit the night before. games. Superfund toxic waste sites in the country, it also takes pride in 193km eight rebounds and six assists as a row earlier on this six-game road The Wolves ended a three-game D.J. Augustin added 19 points of shoreline, and about 15 percent of its land is freshwater wetlands. the Miami Heat, missing Dwyane trip while the Bobcats dropped to losing streak and got back within and eight assists for the Bulls The state was at the forefront of the 19th century American indus- Wade, pulled out a 104-96 overtime 17-25. two games of .500 (19-21) after a (19-20) while Philadelphia (13-27) trial revolution, and its major cities remain dotted with long-aban- win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Josh Smith scored 20 of his 27-point night from Nikola Pekovic have lost seven of their last eight doned warehouses and smokestacks. The Heat scored the first four 22 points in the second half and and an 18-point, 13-rebound game games. It is home as well to some of America’s wealthiest communities, points of overtime and never Rodney Stuckey had 20 as the from Kevin Love. REUTERS including the borough of Alpine, with a median home price of $4.5m, the most expensive in the country, real estate experts say. Many of the residents who live in New Jersey’s toniest areas com- mute to New York City for work, and the state has been seen as an annex of its more famous neighbour. Two sports teams that call MetLife Stadium home are, in name, from New York — the Giants and Jets. Red-hot Reed improves Humana lead East Rutherford, where the new stadium was completed in 2010, might not put the state’s best face forward. PALM SPRINGS: American at the 14th to extend his lead to “People coming to New Jersey for the Super Bowl are basically Patrick Reed fired a nine-under- five strokes. An eagle at the 16th seeing the ugliest part of the state,” Rockland said. par 63 for the third straight day moved him to 23-under and gave One of the first orders of business is to ready the 82,500-seat sta- to improve his lead to seven him a commanding seven-stroke dium for the game, with thousands of workers upgrading security strokes after the third round lead at the turn. and building a new broadcast centre. of the Humana Challenge on AFP With an expected attendance of nearly a half million, local officials Saturday. have spent months making preparations to handle crowds moving Reed, who is looking for his sec- between New York City and the stadium area. ond career USPGA Tour win, has US PGA Humana As the stadium undergoes its facelift, officials are also sprucing up a three day total of 27-under 189 the surrounding area, long dominated by a megamall that New Jersey which sets the record for lowest Challenge Scores Governor Chris Christie once called “the ugliest damn building in 54-hole score in relation to par in New Jersey, and maybe America.” US tour history. Scores after yesterday’s third The American Dream project stands out with its blue, white and Charley Hoffman (66) and round of the $5.7m US PGA orange rectangular facade. Dogged for a decade by funding problems, Brendon Todd (68) are tied for Tour Humana Challenge at the it will remain vacant on game day although Christie has supported second at 20-under 196 at the PGA West complex (par-72, its completion, saying it will bring thousands of jobs. PGA West golf club in La Quinta, USA unless noted): New Jersey tourism officials said they are ready for the influx of 41 kilometres southeast of Palm Patrick Reed assesses a putt on the tenth hole during the third round of 189 Patrick Reed 63-63-63 visitors, emphasising that the state “has plenty to offer, from historic Springs. sites and national parks to world-class entertainment, resorts and the Humana Challenge on the Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West 196 Charley Hoffman 64-66-66, Brendon The final round will be played at gaming in Atlantic City.” in La Quinta, California. Todd 65-63-68 the Arnold Palmer Private course 197 James Driscoll 68-63-66 But however much they polish it up, the area around the stadium which is one of three courses 198 Justin Leonard 66-67-65, Bill Haas will still remind visitors of New Jersey’s industrial heritage, said being used in the Pro-Am tourna- James Driscoll (66) is in sole pos- a two-shot lead over Todd. He 65-66-67 Rockland. “We aren’t the Garden State,” he said. “We might have ment. The other two are the Jack session of fourth at 19-under. Bill quickly added to his advantage been during the 19th Century but we then became one of the most 199 Ben Crane 70-64-65, Will MacKenzie Nicklaus Private and La Quinta Haas (67) and Justin Leonard (65) with a birdie on his first hole. industrial states in the whole country. The Garden State idea is a 67-66-66, Ryan Palmer 64-65-70, Matt Country Club courses. are a stroke back of Driscoll. He drained another birdie at total misnomer.” Jones (AUS) 66-67-66, Brian Stuard Reed played at PGA West’s Jack Reed, who started at the 10th, the 13th to move to 20-under and REUTERS 67-66-66 Nicklaus Private Course Saturday. came into Saturday’s round with then tacked on another birdie MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Flying Schmidt wins race two in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Zaid Ashkanani of Kuwait continues impressive form to finish runner-up

DOHA: Saudi Falcons guest- driver Jeffrey Schmidt won Nedobity wins Qatar Race 2 of Round 3 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar Challenge Round 2 to claim valuable team-title DOHA: Pavel Nedobity won the second round of Qatar Challenge points for the Saudi outfit, with that took place yesterday together with the third round of Porsche UAE-based Clemens Schmidt GT3 Cup Challenge ME at Losail International Circuit. finishing third. The Czech Republic driver started from the second position in the Starting from pole position grid and led the race from the start to the end. Pavel made a total time and sitting in for Faisal Binladen, of 28.04.719 with his Lotus car. Schmidt produced a flying start “I am very happy. This is my first win in this category as I have to canter through to a 5.750 sec- changed from Open to Production class, so it was very challenging for onds victory. The revelation of me and I questioned how my car will turn out, but it was a very good the season, Kuwait teenager Zaid race in wet conditions. It was an awesome race and for me we can Ashkanani continued his impres- have this weather all the time. It is fantastic to drive together with sive run of form to finish runner- the Porsche GT3 Cup with this great atmosphere and we feel privilege up, ahead of reigning champion to be here”, Pavel said after the podium ceremony. Schmidt. The second place was taken by David Walker in a Honda car, who Switzerland’s Schmidt, with a finished 34.152 behind Nedobity. burgeoning reputation in mot- “I had a lot of fun and enjoyed the race even with the weather con- orsport in his teenage years, ditions. It was a fantastic race and in every lap it was drying out and dominated from a rolling start it was faster and faster every lap, so it was great.” following heavy rain throughout The third step in the podium was taken by Canadian driver Peter the day in Doha to control the De Vido, also in a Honda car. “I had a great battle with Tim Stevens race, and never looked threat- the entire race, first he passed me and then I passed him, he put me ened as he accelerated away from pressure on me but luckily I kept him behind me and I could take the 17-car grid. final podium place.” Starting fourth on the grid, The poleman of the race, Australian Talal Wehbe, had a mechanical Ashkanani once again produced problem and finished in eight position. “I couldn’t change my front a mature performance to over- tyres because the knots were stuck and I only had semi-slick in the take Team Bahrain’s Salman bin back and slicks in the front, so of course I was sliding all over, but I Rashid Al Khalifa and Clemens am happy I managed to finish the race,” Talal stated after the race. Schmidt in the early stages of the David Walker is leading the championship with 48 points, Peter De Jeffrey Schmidt (second right) celebrates on the podium after winning race two of round three at the Losail race under lights to continue his Vido is second with 35 points and Pavel Nedobity is third with 30 points. impressive form of getting on the International Circuit in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. The next round of Qatar Challenge will be on January 31 and podium in each race barring Race February 1. THE PENINSULA 1 of the Dubai round. The excit- Schmidt, starting second on the today and I needed to keep my hold of his position throughout ing teenager also moved to sec- grid, was involved in a tough bat- composure to claim a podium the race despite constant pres- ond the championship standings, tle against Ashkanani and Saudi position. I made an error early sure from Christina Nielsen and 27-points behind overall leader Falcons Abdulaziz Al Faisal. on and moved to fourth but Karim Al Azhari to claim fifth Schmidt. In lap three, Schmidt lost then Abdulaziz made a mistake position. Speaking after the race, his second place position and which allowed me to claim third The fight for the final spot Ashkanani said: “It is one of the dropped down the pecking order place.” was absorbing with Nielsen highlights of my career if you as Ashkanani and Al Faisal took With an absorbing battle for keeping hold of the position for take into consideration the race advantage of the Austrian’s error. places on the podium, the race to the majority of the race before conditions and where I started on However the reigning champion complete the top six was just as the veteran Al Nabooda Racing the gird. I was lucky Salman bin showed his battling qualities captivating with positions inter- driver Al Azhari showed there Rashid Al Khalifa and Schmidt to fight back and claim third changing regularly. was no substitute for experience made mistakes which helped me place. Starting third on the grid, to take sixth position and claim get the runners-up spot. I will Following the race, Schmidt Salman Al Khalifa of Team the points for his team. continue to fight till the last said: “It was a very tough race Bahrain fell down the field in the The series returns to the Losail race of the season and hope- with wet and windy conditions first lap and after a mid-grid bat- International Circuit for Round fully be in the reckoning for the but it was a challenge we had tle was unable to complete the 4 on January 31 and February 1, championship.” to accept and I am happy with race, withdrawing in lap ten. 2014. Pavel Nedobity, David Walker, Peter De Vido, and Talal Wehbe on the podium Championship leader Clemens the result. Jeffrey was very fast Saudi’s Fahad Algosaibi kept THE PENINSULA after second round of Qatar Challenge yesterday.

Leuvan Hockey Club beat Ogier opens title Kittel grabs early bragging rights defence with Monte ADELAIDE: German sprinter a perfectly-timed sprint. laps to go the Lotto-Belisol took Qatar 7-4 in second game Marcel Kittel grabbed early Third place went to 19-year- over. Carlo triumph bragging rights over Andre old Australian Caleb Ewan, who Kittel’s Giant-Shimano team DOHA: Qatar are playing a 2 in the first match played on Greipel after the Tour Down is part of the local UniSA team. were also prominent and they three match series against a Wednesday, and by a margin of PARIS: Frenchman Sebastian Under warm-up criterion Four riders had tried to break put the German, who won four top European Hockey Club, the 7-4 in the second game played Ogier began his world title through the streets of Adelaide away from the peloton early in the stages of last year’s Tour de Leuvan Hockey Club of Belgium. yesterday. defence with a commanding win yesterday. race, with Anthony Roux, Nathan France, within striking distance The Club, who have consist- The last match will be played amid tricky weather conditions Kittel was perfectly placed on Haas, Luca Wackermann and of Greipel. ently been among the top four at 4PM on January 22 at Rayyan. at the season-opening Monte Greipel’s wheel coming into the Axel Domont opening up a 67 sec- That was all Kittel needed to teams in Europe, have several This is a build-up to the First Carlo Rally yesterday. final straight before overhauling ond gap after nine of the 25 laps. get the psychological advantage stars from Spain, France and West Asia Cup starting on The Volkswagen driver had his fellow countryman to win by However, the teams with the ahead of tomorrow’s first stage. Poland. February 16 in Doha. dominated from day two and eas- half a wheel. fancied sprinters never let the Earlier, Italian Giovanni LHC beat Qatar by 4 goals to THE PENINSULA ily mastered his rivals in the rain- Greipel looked in the perfect breakaway get too far ahead and Visconti was taken to hospital hit final stages of the race. position to win the 50-kilometre started to reel them in with 10 with a suspected compound frac- Ogier claimed his 17th career race as his Lotto-Belisol team took laps to go. ture of his leg after a crash on win with a lead of one minute 18.9 control with two laps remaining. Team Sky then took control to one of the tight corners early in seconds over compatriot Bryan But Kittel powered try and get their sprinter Chris the race. Bouffier in a Ford. Briton Kris past him on the line with Sutton to the front but with two AFP Meeke was third for Citroen, 36 seconds further back. It was a perfect start for the world champion who also took two bonus points by finishing second behind team mate Jari- Matti Latvala of Finland in the final power stage in heavy rain. The Frenchman did not need to take any chances after extending his lead by winning the final day’s The president and other members of Leuvan Club with Development first two stages. Director Mohamed Al Enazi and Abdul Nazer, Secretary general of QHF. The penultimate stage, raced on snow, was cancelled after Jaroslav Melicharek’s Ford slid and blocked the road. That helped Bouffier and Meeke, who secured their first Hirscher heads Wengen slalom podium finishes in the main WRC category. WENGEN: World champion Marcel Hirscher topped the timings The 34-year-old Meeke was the of the first run of the World Cup slalom at Wengen yesterday. first Briton to claim a top-three The Austrian, chasing a 23rd World Cup career victory, clocked 51.22 spot since the late Colin McRae seconds, with Sweden’s Andre Myhrer in second at 0.23sec. in Monte Carlo in 2003. Germany’s Felix Neureuther, the winner on this slope last season, “I’ve never seen anything like was third at 0.64sec. this,” Meeke was quoted as say- The soft snow on a rutted course took its toll of casualties, notably ing on the championship’s official Japanese hope Naoki Yuasa, who was helped away by medical staff nurs- website (www.wrc.com). ing a right knee injury after a heavy fall. American Ted Ligety missed “I’m delighted to be here on my a turn with the finish line in sight and eventually came through 7.71sec first event with the Citroen fac- off Hirscher’s pace, and was later disqualified for having missed a gate. tory team.” Riders take a corner during the People’s Choice Classic at the Tour Down Under cycling race in Adelaide yesterday. AFP REUTERS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

Scoreboard

ENGLAND A Cook c Maxwell b Coulter-Nile ...... 35 Australia crush England to I Bell (run out-Warner) ...... 29 B Stokes c Clarke b Doherty ...... 15 G Ballance c Christian b Coulter-Nile ...... 26 E Morgan c and b Christian ...... 54 R Bopara c Haddin b Faulkner ...... 21 J Buttler b Christian ...... 4 T Bresnan (not out) ...... 41 S Broad c Haddin b Coulter-Nile ...... 1 take unassailable lead C Jordan c Finch b Faulkner ...... 10 J Tredwell (not out) ...... 2 Extras (LB-2, W-2 NB-1) ...... 5 Visitors fail to shine as home team cruises to seven-wicket victory Total (for 9 wkts in 50 overs) ...... 243 Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-70, 3-91, 4-121, 5-177, 6-186, 7-195, 8-198, 9-225. SYDNEY: David Warner and Bowling: Faulkner 6-0-35-2; Pattinson 6-0- Shaun Marsh smashed fifties Australia want 10-0 after 41-0; Coulter-Nile 10-0-47-3; Doherty 10-2- to complement their bowlers’ 28-1; Maxwell 9-0-38-0; Christian 9-0-52-2. efforts as Australia crushed AUSTRALIA England by seven wickets in securing the ODI series A Finch c Bopara b Jordan ...... 22 the third one-day international D Warner c Bell b Stokes ...... 71 in Sydney yesterday to take an SYDNEY: Australia sprinted to an effortless seven-wicket win over S Marsh (not out) ...... 71 unassailable 3-0 lead in the five- England yesterday and set their sights on a 10-0 sweep after sealing M Clarke b Bopara ...... 34 match series. the one-day series with two matches still to go. B Haddin (not out) ...... 35 Warner blasted seven bound- Victory in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground was all too Extras (LB-4 W-5, B-2) ...... 11 aries and two sixes in his 71 off easy for a side riding a wave of confidence from their 5-0 Ashes white- Total (for 3 wkts in 40 overs) ...... 244 just 70 balls at the top of the wash and successive victories in the 50-over tournament. Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-121, 3-172. order while fellow left-hander Skipper Michael Clarke (pictured below) is targeting the world Bowling: Jordan 9-0-56-1; Broad 8-0-61- Marsh remained unbeaten on 71 number one posi- 0; Bresnan 6-0-42-0; Tredwell 9-0-42-0; to anchor the chase as Australia tion for Australia Bopara 5-0-14-1; Stokes 3-0-23-1. maintained an utter dominance in both the one-day Man-of-the-Match: David Warner. of their arch-rivals. and Test formats. The hosts comfortably chased “Obviously we down their 244-run target with want to win 5-0 10 overs to spare as England con- now we are in this Captain Cook tinued the search for a first win of position,” Clarke their wretched tour Down Under, said after leading mulls quitting during which they also lost the Australia to their Ashes series 5-0. eighth consecutive after another Warner added 78 for the second win over England. wicket with Marsh before he hit Clarke said he Ben Stokes straight to Ian Bell at would take a rest England defeat cover but there was little respite for the next ODI in for England as Marsh and captain Perth on Friday, but SYDNEY: Alastair Cook is con- Michael Clarke then combined for would be back for the final tie in Adelaide next Sunday. sidering his future as England’s a 51-run stand to take the team England skipper Alastair Cook strove to sound positive. one-day international captain closer to victory. “Obviously they’ve won a lot of cricket over the last couple of after his side lost the limited Brad Haddin (37 not out) months,” he said. overs series against Australia was promoted after Clarke (34) “We’ve got to try and win a game and that’s what we’re gonna try with yesterday’s seven-wicket chopped Ravi Bopara onto his and do. thrashing in Sydney. stumps and the Australia wick- “We need to turn promising starts into wins.” England’s disastrous tour Down etkeeper continued his good form, England came very close on Friday in Brisbane after a competitive Under continued as they lost their racing to the target with Marsh first ODI in Melbourne, but they were comprehensively outplayed in third consecutive ODI after being with an unbroken stand of 72 in Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (centre) celebrates the wicket of England’s Ben all departments in Sydney. whitewashed 5-0 in the Ashes just 68 balls. Stokes with a team-mate Brad Haddin (right) during the third one-day “The first 10 overs we played all right and then we done what you series. Earlier, England wasted a brisk international match against England in Sydney yesterday. can’t afford to do, lose easy wickets,” Cook said. “I think English cricket needs start from openers Alastair Cook As the wickets fell, the hosts put the brakes on England to restrict a little bit of a change,” said Cook, (35) and Ian Bell (29) to end on a them to 243-9. They then smashed 244 with 10 overs to spare. who leads England in Tests and below-par 243 for nine wickets in square leg to remove Stokes (15) which included two sixes off Opener David Warner set the tone, blasting 71 off 70 balls before the 50-over format. their 50 overs. Most of England’s before Daniel Christian dived full Christian in the last over. miscuing Ben Stokes for a simple chest-height catch to Ian Bell. “We’ll talk over a lot of things. I batsmen got starts after captain length to take a return catch off Nathan Coulter-Nile was Shaun Marsh equalled that score in a patiently built innings and think there will be some changes. Cook won the toss and opted to the leading edge of key batsman the most successful bowler for hit the winning runs. We have kept losing games of bat but they failed to convert Eoin Morgan. Australia, picking up three wick- Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin kept him company, crashing an unbeaten cricket and I haven’t been able to them to big scores in the face of Morgan (54) was once again ets for 47 runs, while James 35 off 33 balls after Clarke went for 34 to a fine delivery from seamer turn it around.” some tight bowling and outstand- the top-scorer for England and Faulkner and Christian picked Ravi Bopara. After losing the last ODI ing fielding from Australia. his dismissal after hitting four up two wickets apiece. Paceman Cook won the toss and chose to bat, but despite some good starts against Australia at home, Cook’s quickfire innings was boundaries and two massive sixes James Pattinson, playing his no one could go on to a big score. Irish-born Eoin Morgan top-scored England have lost nine consecu- cut short when Glenn Maxwell robbed the visitors of any momen- first match for Australia since with 54 while tailender Tim Bresnan smashed 41 off 29 balls. tive matches under Cook, includ- took a sharp catch at cover, while tum in the closing stages. last July’s Test match at Lord’s, The England captain had opened aggressively by pulling Nathan ing the Ashes Tests. Warner found a direct hit from It was left to a slogging Tim struggled for rhythm in his return Coulter-Nile for an early six, and went on to hit Xavier Doherty for “I think I’m going to have to the outfield to run Bell out. Bresnan to take England to a from injury and leaked 41 runs successive boundaries before being given out lbw to the spinner. make a decision on that after Clarke also took a low catch at fighting total with a 29-ball 41 during his six overs. REUTERS REUTERS you take stock of the next two games,” Cook said of his cap- taincy. “There’s two matches left and we have to try to win a game. “They’ve won a lot of cricket Anderson, McClenaghan sparkle for NZ against us over the past two months and it’s difficult to stop NAPIER: A thundering wicket. But in the space of six “He’s in the team to attack and that.” innings by Corey Anderson deliveries, McClenaghan removed take wickets and the message was Following the Ashes thrash- and a magic spell of bowling by Dhoni (40), Ravi Jadeja (duck) pretty simple, ‘try and find a way ing, coach Andy Flower and Mitch McClenaghan brought and Kohli to have India reeling to take a wicket. Be aggressive as Cook were given the backing by New Zealand a 24-run win over on 237 for seven, and they never you can and be as hostile as you the England and Wales Cricket India in their opening one-day recovered. That brief spell was can and if it falls your way, great’. Board to lead the team’s rebuild- international yesterday. where the game was lost, Dhoni I thought he was outstanding.” Corey ing process. Chasing New Zealand’s 292 for said. Anderson had earlier returned Anderson Fast bowler Stuart Broad is the seven, India were all out for 268 in “Those three wickets that was to his brutal best with the bat captain of England’s Twenty20 of New the 49th over despite Virat Kohli tough on the team. You don’t after going off the boil following team. REUTERS Zealand (123) posting his 18th ODI cen- expect your tailenders to win the his record-breaking century in tury. It was the first time India game and it was very important 36 balls against the West Indies bats during have lost an ODI in which Kohli that one of us should’ve carried three weeks ago. the first has reached three figures. on. It was disappointing to lose In his first start against India, one-day They appeared to have victory the game.” the world’s top-ranked ODI side, international in their grasp when they needed New Zealand captain Brendon Anderson blasted an unbeaten 68 cricket just 70 from the last eight overs, McCullum said it was “a cap- off 40 deliveries. match and Kohli and Mahendra Singh tain’s nightmare” when Kohli and He hit four sixes, two of them against Dhoni looked comfortable in a Dhoni were in full flight but he out of the ground, then returned India at 95-run partnership for the fifth had faith in McClenaghan. with the ball to display his all- McLean rounder credentials by removing Park in two of India’s top-order bats- Napier men Shikhar Dhawan (32) and yesterday. Ajinkya Rahane (seven). India, who stand to forfeit their world number one ranking if they lose the five-match series to the eighth-ranked New Zealand, Virat Kohli chose to bowl first on a wicket of India with a history of favouring the celebrates side batting last. reaching New Zealand lost Jesse Ryder Scoreboard his century and Martin Guptill early, leaving during Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor NEW ZEALAND R Sharma c Southee b McClenaghan ...... 3 the first with the task of building the M Guptill c Ashwin b Shami ...... 8 V Kohli c Ryder b McClenaghan ...... 123 international innings. Their no-risk approach J Ryder b Shami ...... 18 A Rahane c N McCullum b Anderson ...... 7 one-day saw the run rate slump to 3.57 K Williamson c Rahane b Jadeja ...... 71 S Raina c Southee b Milne ...... 18 international and at one stage New Zealand R Taylor c Dhoni b Shami ...... 55 M Dhoni c Ronchi b McClenaghan ...... 40 match went 85 deliveries without a B McCullum c Dhoni b Kumar ...... 30 R Jadeja c Ronchi b McClenaghan ...... 0 boundary. against New C Anderson (not out) ...... 68 R Ashwin c Southee b Williamson...... 12 Their 121-run partnership, Zealand in L Ronchi c Kumar b Sharma ...... 30 B Kumar (run out-Williamson/Ronchi) ...... 6 which laid the platform for a big N McCullum c&b Shami ...... 2 I Sharma b Southee ...... 5 Napier at finish, ended with Williamson out McLean T Southee (not out) ...... 3 M Shami (not out) ...... 7 for 71. Taylor followed soon after Extras (LB-1, W-6) ...... 7 Extras (LB-3, W-12) ...... 15 Park, for 55 and Brendon McCullum Total (for 7 wkts in 50 overs) ...... 292 Total (all out in 48.4 overs) ...... 268 yesterday. belted a rapid 30. Anderson then Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-32, 3-153, 4-171, Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-73, 3-84, 4-129, Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth let fly. He and Luke Ronchi (30) 5-213, 6-279, 7-284. 5-224, 6-224, 7-237, 8-244, 9-259, 10-268. Karunaratne is bowled out during put on 66 in 37 deliveries for the Bowling: Kumar 10-0-38-1 (3w); Shami 9-0- Bowling: Southee 9.4-2-43-1 (2w); McClena- fourth day of the third and final sixth wicket, including 19 off one 55-4 (1w); Sharma 9-0-72-1 (2w); Jadeja ghan 10-0-68-4 (4w); Milne 7.3-0-40-1 (3w); cricket Test match against Pakistan over by Mohammed Shami. 9-0-61-1; Ashwin 10-0-52-0; Kohli 3-0-13-0. Anderson 10-0-51-2 (1w); N McCullum 10-0- at the Sharjah International Cricket The second match in the series INDIA 54-0 (1w); Williamson 1.3-0-3-0 (1w). Stadium, in the Gulf emirate of is in Hamilton on Wednesday. S Dhawan c Taylor b Anderson ...... 32 Result: New Zealand won by 24 runs. Sharjah, yesterday. REUTERS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Vika relationship Ivanovic upsets Serena; ‘non-existent’, says Stephens

MELBOURNE: America’s Sloane Stephens admits her off- Djokovic crushes ‘friend’ court relationship with Victoria Azarenka is “non-existent” as they head into a rematch of last The Australian Open: Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer set up meeting year’s controversial Australian Open clash today. Stephens said she had forgot- MELBOURNE: An inspired LEFT: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia celebrates after ten most of the events surround- Ana Ivanovic blew the race for beating Serena Williams of the US in round four ing the 2013 semi-final, when the Australian Open women’s Azarenka went for a medical of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, title wide open when she stunned timeout at a crucial moment, and yesterday. BELOW: Williams reacts during her overwhelming favourite Serena then suggested she had called it Williams in the fourth round at fourth-round match against Ivanovic who won to calm down. Melbourne Park yesterday. 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. The Belarusian was slow- Novak Djokovic was for once handclapped as she returned forced to cede the spotlight to to the court, but she defiantly another Serbian but showed no ignored the hostile crowd to win signs of relinquishing his iron grip the match and eventually the on the men’s title and was merci- tournament. less in his 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 flogging of Stephens and Azarenka both Fabio Fognini. live in Los Angeles and they share Third seed David Ferrer also an agent. But when asked if they advanced to the last eight and ever socialised, the American was a meeting with Tomas Berdych blunt. and his stripy football shirt, while “I have literally never seen her women’s fourth seed Li Na and in LA. So, no,” said the 20-year- Flavia Pennetta set up a last eight old, who then gave a one-word clash of 31-year-olds. answer to a question about their Li and Pennetta had every off-court relationship. “Non- reason to expect their path to existent,” she said. the final to be blocked by world The replies suggest an under- number one and top seed Williams current of ill-feeling between until Ivanovic secured the biggest the two, despite their insistence shock of the tournament with a that the events of last year are 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory on Rod Laver forgotten. Arena. LEFT: Novak Azarenka went off for the time- The Serbian’s victory instead Djokovic of Serbia out after Stephens had saved sent her through to a quarter- celebrates winning five match points and broken final clash against Canadian his match against the Belarusian. On her return teenager Eugenie Bouchard, who Fabio Fognini of Stephens, playing her first Grand ended Australia’s hopes of a home Italy in round four of Slam semi-final, won only three champion with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, more points. the Australian Open 6-0 win over Casey Dellacqua. “That has nothing to do with yesterday. “I actually believed,” said this year. I don’t even remember Ivanovic, whose mental toughness half the stuff that happened. It’s has been frequently questioned okay,” Stephens said. since her failure to back up her 53 and counting for unbreakable “Like I said, it’s a new match. 2008 French Open title. I mean, it will be Monday hope- “Going on to the court today, I Berdych serve fully on the big court. It will be really just tried to give my best. exciting.” “I tried to make it a good MELBOURNE: Tomas Berdych swept into the quarter-finals Azarenka, nicknamed “Vika”, match. I was very competitive on the strength of his unbreakable serve at the Australian Open also stonewalled when questioned till the last moment and I’m just yesterday. about last year, answering “noth- very thrilled.” The Czech seventh seed powered past seeded South African Kevin ing” when asked what she had Williams was riding high on Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in just under two hours to set up a quarter-final learned from the incident. a winning streak of 25 matches with Spain’s world number three David Ferrer. “What is there to learn? I going back to the start of last Berdych maintained his impressive serving which, for the fourth mean, it was just a great experi- year’s US Open and had not lost match at the tournament, was not broken once -- a run of 53 service ence for me to be playing in the a single set to Ivanovic in four games. It is Berdych’s fourth straight quarter-final at the Australian final and winning the title,” she previous meetings. Open and it is the only Slam where he has yet to reach the semi-finals. said. “That’s what I learned, I When the 32-year-old took He trails Ferrer 4-7 in their meetings. guess. I just learned how to win the first set despite looking a lit- “I have a good memories from last season. We played twice, in Bercy my second Grand Slam.” tle lethargic, she seemed to be on and in London,” Berdych said. “I beat him in London and the week Stephens has a consistent her way to a record 62nd victory before in Paris Bercy, I was very close. I lost to him in three sets. So Grand Slam record over the past at the Australian Open, where she I’m going to have a plan and I hope it’s going to be the right one.” AFP year, reaching at least the fourth is 51-1 after going 1-0 up in match. round on each occasion, but is yet In the second set, though, to win her first career title. Ivanovic really started to take the Australian Open Results Azarenka has won the last game to Williams, attacking the MELBOURNE: Results from the Australian Open on Sunday (x two editions of the Australian 17-times Grand Slam champion’s denotes seeding): Open, and her chances of adding serve with a success very few have Men’s Singles Fourth Round a third rose when top seed Serena managed and dictating the back Djokovic gave his friend of 10 for the fourth year in a row at D Ferrer (ESP x3) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 Williams went out yesterday. court with her forehand. years Fognini absolutely nothing the only Grand Slam where he Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x15) 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 However, Stephens warned Her tally of 20 forehand win- in their 93-minute encounter on has never made the semi-finals Tomas Berdych (CZE x7) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA x19) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 that she would not be easily dis- ners to two for Williams told its Rod Laver Arena and still had without having given up a service Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x8) bt Tommy Robredo (ESP x17) 6-3, 7-6 tracted this time around. own tale but, most importantly, plenty of energy left at the end game let alone a set. (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) “I don’t get flustered as easily, once in front in the deciding set, to launch into an impersonation The seventh seed’s 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 it’s something I have worked on,” Women’s Singles Fourth Round Ivanovic kept her head before of new coach Boris Becker. win over Kevin Anderson was his she said. “I don’t get overwhelmed serving out to love for the match. There were no jokes, however, 10th in 10 matches against the Flavia Pennetta (ITA x28) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x9) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 and I’m kind of just learning to “I really did certain things when he was asked to assess his South African and left him with Li Na (CHN x4) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x22) 6-2, 6-0 focus on myself, because that’s extremely well and I kept her form after registering his 28th “plenty of gas in the tank” for his Ana Ivanovic (SRB x14) bt Serena Williams (USA x1) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 the only thing I can control, the under pressure I felt throughout victory in a row and reaching next match against David Ferrer, E Bouchard (CAN) bt Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-0 things that I do.” REUTERS the whole match,” the 26-year- the last eight for a 19th straight who beat Florian Mayer 6-7 (7-5), old said. Grand Slam. 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. India’s Paes ends “I didn’t think much about the “I felt from the start of this Former French Open cham- Wawrinka sets up rematch of occasion and who I was playing, tournament that I’ve been elevat- pion Li, who reached the final Bhambri’s run in because it can get overwhelming.” ing my game as the tournament is here last year and in 2011, allowed Djokovic classic Williams’s four-year quest going on. Every match is better,” Ekaterina Makarova not so much the doubles at for a sixth Melbourne title has the second seed, who is seeking a as a sniff of an upset as she set up MELBOURNE: Swiss eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka downed been bedevilled by injury but she fourth straight title, said. meeting with Pennetta by demol- Tommy Robredo in straight sets to set up a quarter-final with Australian Open offered no excuses until realising “The general feeling on the ishing the Russian 6-2, 6-0 in just Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open yesterday. coach Patrick Mouratoglou had court, all the shots, using the under an hour. Wawrinka, who lost to Djokovic in a titanic fourth round duel in MELBOURNE: India’s told reporters about a back prob- court position really well, being Pennetta’s journey to her first five sets last year, beat the Spanish 17th seed 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) Leander Paes ended young com- lem she sustained before her third aggressive, playing my style of the Australian Open quarter-final in two hours and 23 minutes in a night match on Rod Laver Arena. patriot Yuki Bhambri’s dream round match. game. was a bit more complicated and Wawrinka was hot on serve, winning 90 percent of his first serve run in the men’s doubles at “So he’s the one that’s snitch- “Mentally I was there. I was she took 53 minutes longer to beat points and throwing down 14 aces. He had two service breaks to have Australian Open here yesterday. ing?” she said to laughter. tough. ninth seeded German Angelique the edge on Robredo. Paes and his Czech part- “I don’t want to blame any- “I was focused. I feel great Kerber 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. The Swiss hit a total of 57 winners and 27 unforced errors and kept ner Radek Stepanek beat the thing. I feel like Ana deserves all about myself in this moment. Li had her own particular rea- his nerve in two tiebreakers to take the match. unseeded team of Bhambri and the credit. I feel she played unbe- Trying to keep it up.” son for being delighted to face the “I think the serve was really good today,” he said. Michael Venus in straight sets to lievable today. I think she went Djokovic next faces eighth seed Italian. “I feel really good and I haven’t had too many matches before today,” march into the quarter-finals. for her shots. Stan Wawrinka who beat Tommy “She’s one day older than me, he said. The fifth seeds cantered to a “It’s not like I gave her the Robredo in the final match on so for once I don’t have to play a “I had one walkover and my first opponent pulled out after the first 6-3, 6-2 win in just over an hour match. I tried to fight the best I Rod Laver Arena yesterday. younger player,” she beamed. set, so it was good to have a tough match today against Tommy and at the Margaret Court Arena. could today.” Berdych reached the last eight REUTERS really happy to get through.” REUTERS The Indo-Czech pairing put in a clinical performance to end the unseeded pair’s impressive run in what is the first Grand Slam of Australian Open briefs the new season. MELBOURNE: A selection of brief stories from the Australian Slam fourth round, he’s ready to ditch it. “What can I say? We have Bhambri-Venus stunned Open yesterday: debated that for quite some time and we have said it loud and clear 10th seeds Jean-Julien Rojer of Bend it like Becker that my name is Grigor,” he said. “I think I’m proving that every day Netherlands and Horia Tecau of and every match that I’m winning out here in the Slams, so I think Novak Djokovic drew laughs by impersonating his new coach, Boris Romania in the second run but that page is definitely in the past now.” Becker, after his win against Fabio Fognini. The Serb arched his back were outclassed in the third by until he was nearly bent over double in imitation of the German’s Love train the 2012 Australian and 2013 US distinctive serve. “It’s all for good laughs. It’s actually the first time Open winners. Sloane Stephens, 20, prefers not to liken her recently hired coach, after a long time I’ve done the Becker imitation,” he said. “I don’t Paes-Stepanek will take on Paul Annacone, 50, to a new boyfriend. After Andy Murray said hir- know how I was. Was it okay? I’m going to gain few kilos and have to 13th seeds Michael Llodra and ing a coach was like having a new girlfriend, she said: “That was kind colour my hair in order to do the proper Becker imitation.” India’s Leander Paes with Nicolas Mahut. The French team of weird. I feel like you just said I was dating Paul and that’s soooo Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova shocked No.2 seeds Alexander Grigor’s Fed up gross.” Stephens added: “The first time we had lunch was like super during their mixed doubles match Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares intense and crazy... it was weird, because it was like an old guy. I was Grigor Dimitrov earned the nickname “Baby Fed” because his game at the Australian Open yesterday. of Brazil in the third round. resembles the great Roger Federer. But after reaching his first Grand like, I have never seen this guy before. It was creepy.” REUTERS IANS MONDAY 20 JANUARY 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27

Football: Ancelotti Pakistan push Sri Lanka hails Madrid professionalism

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti lauded his side’s for series-levelling win preparation after they dis- posed of struggling Real Betis 5-0 at the Benito Villamarin on Spinner Saeed Ajmal grabs key wicket of Mahela Jayawardene Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a fine individual week with a SHARJAH: Pakistan grabbed Scoreboard stunning 25-yard effort to open the prized wicket of Mahela the scoring before Gareth Bale Jayawardene to press their Sri Lanka (I innings): ...... 428-9 decl 23-4-61-0; Perera 17-1-71-1; Eranga 24-5- doubled Madrid’s advantage from advantage for a series-levelling Pakistan (I innings): 60-4 (1nb); Mathews 7-3-15-0. a free-kick with his first goal in win over Sri Lanka in the third K Manzoor c P Jayawardene b Eranga ...... 52 Sri Lanka (II innings): two months. Test in Sharjah yesterday. A Shehzad b Herath ...... 147 D Karunaratne b Talha ...... 8 Karim Benzema then regis- Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal Azhar Ali c Mathews b Perera ...... 8 K Silva b Rehman ...... 36 tered his 100th goal for the club, removed Jayawardene for 46 near Younus Khan c P Jayawardene b Herath ..... 17 K Sangakkara c Manzoor b Rehman ...... 8 while Angel di Maria and Alvaro stumps on the fourth day after Misbah-ul-Haq c Chandimal b Herath...... 63 M Jayawardene c Azhar b Ajmal ...... 46 Morata got their names on the an exciting tussle between the bat Asad Shafiq lbw b Eranga ...... 18 D Chandimal b Talha ...... 13 scoresheet after the break to and ball as Sri Lanka finished at Sarfraz Ahmed c P Jayawardene b Herath .... 5 A Mathews (batting) ...... 14 take Madrid level on points with 133-5. Abdur Rehman c P Jayawardene b Eranga.... 2 P Jayawardene (batting) ...... 6 Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at They now lead by 220 runs with Mohammad Talha lbw Eranga ...... 2 Extras (W-1, NB-1) ...... 2 the top of La Liga. five wickets in hand and a full Saeed Ajmal (not out) ...... 0 Total (for 5 wkts) ...... 133 Defeat leaves Betis rooted to day’s play to retain their 1-0 lead. Junaid Khan c Chandimal b Herath ...... 16 Still to bat: D Perera, R Herath, S Eranga, S the foot of the table and without They won the second Test in Extras (B-3, LB-6, W-1, NB-1) ...... 11 Lakmal. a win in 13 league games stretch- Dubai by nine wickets after the Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene (left) and team Total (all out) ...... 341 Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-37 3-66 4-89 5-127. ing back to September. first ended in a draw in Abu captain Angelo Mathews gesture as Pakistan Fall of wickets: 1-114 2-149 3-189 4-245 Bowling: Junaid 15-5-25-0 (1w); Talha 16-2- Ancelotti was pleased that Dhabi. cricket team captain Misbah-ul-Haq (centre) looks 5-274 6-291 7-294 8-300 9-325. 36-2 (1nb); Rehman 22-7-36-2; Ajmal 18-5- despite the hosts’ predicament, At the close Angelo Mathews on during the fourth day of the third and final Test. Bowling: Herath 38.3-8-125-3 (1w); Lakmal 36-1. his side showed ruthless efficiency was unbeaten on 14 and with him in front of goal to put them to Prasanna Jayawardene was on six the sword. not out. Dravid (13,288), West Indian Pakistan had removed opener “The games are easy in Jayawardene and Mathews had Brian Lara (11,953), his coun- Dimuth Karunaratne for eight, Sri Lanka’s Jayawardene joins retrospect. frustrated Pakistan in the last tryman Shivnarine Chanderpaul bowled by Talha as Sri Lanka “Beforehand, every game can session through their slow-paced (11,219) and Australia’s Allan reached 19-1 at lunch. cause problems but we prepared 38-run fifth wicket stand and Border (11,174) are the other Earlier, Pakistan were bowled 11,000 Test club well and played well.” when it seemed both will see off members of the club. out for 341 in their first innings, SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Experienced Sri Ancelotti had said prior to the the day, Ajmal had Jayawardene Jayawardene hit four bounda- 87 short of Sri Lanka’s first Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene joined the 11,000 Test runs game on Friday that Bale had caught at short-leg. ries and a six during his defiant innings total of 428 for nine club during the fourth day of the third and final Test against plenty of margin to improve after Ajmal could have had Prasanna knock. declared. Pakistan in Sharjah yesterday. a lacklustre start to the year fol- caught behind off his gloves on Pakistan did waste a golden Skipper Misbah-ul Haq scored The 36-year-old, when on eight, swept off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for lowing a calf injury. nought but wicketkeeper Sarfraz chance of removing Mathews 63 to notch up his 24th Test half- a six to complete 11,000 runs in his 141st Test, becoming the eighth The Italian was much happier Ahmed failed to hold the catch, when Khurram Manzoor dropped century before holing out to left- batsman but first Sri Lankan to achieve the milestone. with the Welshman’s contribution much to Pakistan’s desperation. an easy chance at extra cover off arm spinner Rangana Herath India’s recently retired Sachin Tendulkar topped the list of most in Seville as he scored his 10th Jayawardene, who struck 129 paceman Junaid Khan. Mathews who finished with 5-125. runs with 15,921 in a record 200 Tests. goal of the season. in Sri Lanka’s nine wicket win in was then on 11. Paceman Shaminda Eranga The list includes two players each from India, the West Indies and And he reserved a special men- the second Test in Dubai, swept It was Rehman (2-36) who removed Abdul Rehman (two) Australia and one from Sri Lanka and South Africa. tion for Bale’s former Tottenham Ajmal over deep square-leg for a raised hopes for Pakistan by and Talha (two) after Pakistan Jayawardene scored 46 in Sri Lanka’s 133-5 at close of play on Hotspur team-mate Luka Modric, six to complete 11,000 runs in his dismissing experienced Kumar resumed on 291-6, searching for the fourth day. who once again excelled in 141st Test. Sangakkara (eight) and Kaushal quick runs. List of players with 11,000 or more runs in Test cricket: (name, country, matches, runs): midfield. He became the eighth batsman Silva (36) in the post lunch ses- Eranga bettered his 4-65 Sachin Tendulkar India 200 15,921 “Bale played well, as did the in all Test cricket and the first Sri sion, leaving Sri Lanka precari- against Australia in Colombo in Ricky Ponting Australia 168 13,378 whole team. Lankan to score 11,000 or more ously placed at 66-3. 2011. Jacques Kallis South Africa 166 13,289 “We played with great quality runs in a list topped by now- It became 89-4 when Dinesh Misbah struck Herath for a six Rahul Dravid India 164 13,288 and concentration throughout the retired India’s Sachin Tendulkar Chandimal (13) was bowled and then took a single to complete Brian Lara West Indies 131 11,953 game,” he said. with 15,921. by Talha, who took 2-36, soon his fifty off 86 balls. Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies 152 11,229 “Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema Australia Ricky Ponting after tea, but Jayawardene and He hit three sixes and a four Allan Border Australia 156 11,174 were very efficient. (13,378), South Africa’s Jack Mathews ensured Sri Lanka did before being caught at long-on. Mahela Jayawardene Sri lanka 141 11,033 “The whole team gave them a Kallis (13,289), India’s rahul not panick. REUTERS lot of opportunities because we played with pace up front. We had a lot of chances and the help given by the midfielders, particu- larly Modric, was very good.” Victory means Madrid fin- ished Saturday joint top of the Pakistan beat South Africa; Ireland win table for the first time since mid-September. DOHA: Pakistan yesterday A Pakistani player bats during their T20 match against South Africa at West End Park in Barcelona and Atletico can BELOW: Syeda beat South Africa in their first Doha yesterday. reopen a three-point gap at the T20 international but the girls Batool Fatma top should they beat Levante and in green lost to Ireland in the Naqvi of Pakistan Sevilla respectively on Sunday. second match of the day at West receiving the However, Ancelotti was pleased End Park Stadium. Player of the to have put the pressure on Real’s Pakistan’s bowlers, led by a sti- Match award. title rivals. fling spell from Nida Dar, inflicted Also seen are “This game was an important a heavy six-wicket defeat on Manzoor Ahmed, opportunity for us to go top of South Africa in the first match General Secretary, the table. It might be for just one of the PCB Qatar Women’s T20 Qatar Cricket night, but tonight we will sleep series in Doha, two days after Association, Fadi well.” REUTERS they had been routed by the same Taher of West team in the final of the ODI series End Park, and at the same venue. Injured Khedira Iqbal Sikandar, In the second match of the Development day, Ireland chased down a mod- in World Cup est score of 98 for the loss of four Officer, Asian wickets. Cricket Council. fitness battle Earlier, Pakistan chose to bowl and picked up the wicket BERLIN: German midfielder of Trisha Chetty in the first over Sami Khedira is facing a race before removing the other opener, against time to recover from Lizelle Lee, in the fourth. injury and enter Germany coach Mignon du Preez and Joachim Loew’s World Cup Marizanne Kapp prevented the calculations. fall of wickets for another five Nida Dar was the highest in the 20th over. Today, Ireland The Real Madrid star’s partici- overs, but their run rate took a scorer with 28. take on South Africa in the first pation in Brazil was put in jeop- hit as only two boundaries were For Ireland, LN McCarthy, T20 match starting at 1:00pm. ardy in mid-November when he hit in that period. IMHC Joyce and EJ Tice picked In the second match today, suffered a serious knee injury in The situation, though, wors- up a wicket each. In reply, IMHC Pakistan face Ireland at the same Germany’s 1-1 friendly draw with ened once Sana Mir removed Joyce (28) and CNIM Joyce (30) venue (5:00pm). Italy. Kapp. helped Ireland reach their target THE PENINSULA Khedira, 26 and a key figure in From 34 for 2, South Africa the German teams that reached slipped to 39 for 6, with Sadia Pakistan women’s cricket team is seen with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and members the semi-finals in both the 2010 Yousuf striking twice. World Cup and Euro 2012, under- of the Pakistan community in Doha on Saturday. Also seen is Mana Ibrahim Al-Mana, chairman Dar bowled her first three overs went surgery to repair the rup- of West End Park. PICTURES: ABDUL BASIT for just three runs, but picked up tured anterior cruciate ligament two wickets in her fourth over - a in his right knee. wicket maiden - to further dent Loew, giving an update on South Africa and they could only Khedira’s fitness, told German manage 64 in their 20 overs. newspaper Bild: “I spoke by phone Pakistan were two down for 26 with Sami three days ago, he’s in the seventh over, but Qanita feeling fine, working a little on the Jalil and Nain Abidi pushed them treadmill and isn’t feeling any bad to within five runs of the target reaction.” with a 34-run stand. The Germany manager added: Even though both were dis- “There’s no fixed date, but clearly missed within five balls of each we are going to have to see in other, Pakistan were comfortable April what form the players are and completed the chase with 36 in.” balls to spare. He warned that it would be dif- Syeda Batool Fatma Naqvi of ficult to pick a player “who hasn’t Pakistan was declared Player of played in a competitive match”. the Match. Germany are in Group G at In the second match, Pakistan the World Cup against Portugal, were restricted to 97 for 4 in their Ghana and the United States. allotted 20 overs. AGENCIES Monday 20 January 2014 19 Rabial I 1435 Volume 18 Number 5950 Sport Price: QR2 Australia crush Ivanovic beats England to Serena in take 3-0 lead Melbourne

Sport | 25 Sport | 26

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Larrazabal ends title drought in Abu Dhabi The Spanish golfer holds off Mickelson, McIlroy for win Chelsea’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres (right) vies for the ball with ABU DHABI: Spain’s Pablo Manchester United’s Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic during their English Larrazabal ended his title Abu Dhabi Scores Premier League (EPL) match at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. drought on the European Tour ABU DHABI: Collated when he held off Phil Mickelson fourth-round scores in the and Rory McIlroy to win the $2.7m Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf $2.7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship yesterday at the Golf Championship by one shot par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club: yesterday. Eto’o hat-trick 274 Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 69-70-68-67 At the Abu Dhabi Golf Club 275 Rory McIlroy (NIR) 70-67-70-68, Phil course, the 30-year-old from Mickelson (USA) 73-70-63-69 Barcelona shot a final-round 67 to 276 George Coetzee (RSA) 68-70-72-66, finish on 14-under par 274, while Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67-68-73-68 sees United world number five Mickelson (69) and number seven McIlroy (68) 278 Joost Luiten (NED) 68-70-72-68 were tied second at 275. 279 Johan Carlsson (SWE) 73-70-71-65 While Larrazabal was solid 280 Robert Karlsson (SWE) 73-67-72-68, throughout the day barring a Stephen Gallacher (SCO) 70-73-68-69 sink deeper bogey on the fifth hole, the tour- 281 Darren Fichardt (RSA) 70-70-75-66, nament turned around massively Tyrell Hatton (ENG) 69-71-70-71, Peter in his favour when Mickelson Hanson (SWE) 70-70-69-72, Thomas LONDON: Manchester right, the Cameroon star tricked made a mess of the 13th hole, Bjorn (DEN) 70-67-72-72, Michael United’s Premier League title his way inside Phil Jones and then where he hit the ball twice trying Hoey (NIR) 69-71-68-73, Thongchai defence died another death dispatched a left-foot shot that to come out from under a bush Jaidee (THA) 70-70-68-73, Miguel Angel yesterday as Samuel Eto’o’s flicked off Michael Carrick’s toes playing a right-handed shot. Jimenez (ESP) 73-68-67-73, Gaganjeet hat-trick earned Chelsea a 3-1 and looped over David de Gea. Mickelson ended up with a Bhullar (IND) 72-68-66-75, Craig Lee win that left the champions 14 With David Luiz providing a triple bogey and from leading the (SCO) 68-67-69-77 points off the pace. muscular presence in front of the tournament at 13-under par he 282 Brandon Stone (RSA) 71-71-73-67, Eto’o’s treble, his first in Chelsea back four, occasionally to dropped down the leaderboard, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 76-68-70-68, English football, gave manager the consternation of the United and even three birdies after that Danny Willett (ENG) 73-63-76-70, Paul Jose Mourinho his 100th Premier bench, the hosts began to assert could not help him overtake McGinley (IRE) 68-72-72-70, Thomas League victory, while United, who greater control, but the visitors Larrazabal. Aiken (RSA) 70-73-69-70, Andy Sullivan replied through Javier Hernandez, remained a threat. McIlroy was left ruing the two- (ENG) 73-70-69-70, Otto Hennie (RSA) slumped to their seventh loss of Patrice Evra fired into the shot penalty that was imposed on 70-71-69-72, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) the campaign and saw captain side-netting after blocking an him for not taking full relief from 73-65-72-72, Matthew Baldwin (ENG) Nemanja Vidic sent off in stop- attempted pass from Oscar, while a spectators’ crossway in the third 67-72-69-74, page time. Welbeck could only shovel a shot round Saturday. 283 Wade Ormsby (AUS) 69-73-71-70, As well as the gulf that sepa- straight at Cech from Januzaj’s South African George Coetzee Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 70-71-71-71, rates them from leaders Arsenal, driven left-wing cross. It was to (66) and Spain’s Rafael Cabrera- Jose Filipe-Lima (POR) 68-75-67-73, United are also six points below prove a costly missed opportunity. Bello (68) were tied for fourth 284 Matteo Mannasero (ITA) 71-73-70-70, the Champions League places, After Oscar had sent an acro- place at 12-under par 276. Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 72-72-70-70, further jeopardising their chances batic volley wide, Eto’o doubled “It just feels unbelievable. I’ve Pablo Larrazabal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning the Abu Maximilian Kieffer (GER) 71-71-72- of securing the consolation prize Chelsea’s lead on the stroke of 70, Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 71-70-70-73, been working so hard for the last Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the United Arab Emirates’ capital, of a top-four finish. half-time when he stole in behind two years and this winter. They Ricardo Gonzalez (ARG) 71-66-74-73, It was a fifth successive league a static defence to clip home Abu Dhabi yesterday. always say that the hard work Martin Kaymer (GER) 70-71-69-74 win for Chelsea, meanwhile, who a cross from Gary Cahill after pays off, but it’s hard to believe returned to within two points of United failed to clear a corner. it,” Larrazabal said. could not get a birdie despite some very positive start to the season was just that one swing, because Arsenal and a point of second- Moyes sent United out early for “Today has been very special, great chances between the 11th so I’m not going to let one little I really struck it well today. place Manchester City. the second half, but within four to fight against Rory and Phil, and 17th holes, said: “I feel like negative ruin that.” Mickelson “Hit a lot of good shots, drove With Wayne Rooney and Robin minutes the game was over and top? 5 players in the world, both I’m standing here and I should be also looked at the positives of the ball well and it was that one van Persie both still injured, once again, the visitors’ defensive of them. It’s been a great fight. 15?-under par for the tournament starting the season well. tee shot with that 3-wood that did United fielded Adnan Januzaj shortcomings were laid bare. I don’t know what it does to my and win by one. But that’s the way “I ended up going with a 3-wood me in. But I am happy with the in support of Danny Welbeck, Cahill easily lost his marker to career. I don’t know if this gets it goes. I played the least shots of off that tee and just blocked it in a way I played and felt better with but they quickly found a route meet a right-wing corner with a me into any of the Majors. I just anyone this week. So, I mean, I terrible spot. I tried to right hand my swing each day.” through the Chelsea defence on downward header and although want to go back to the hotel, cele- can count it as a moral victory it out and I double?hit it. I don’t For Larrazabal this was his a brisk afternoon at Stamford De Gea blocked, Eto’o was on brate, and think about everything more than anything else. know how, but it happened,” said third European Tour title, his Bridge. hand to hook the ball home. else tomorrow.” He added: “It’s frustrating. I’ve the American. “I fought hard to previous wins coming in 2008 and A neat one-two between Ashley REUTERS A disappointed McIlroy, who played well the whole week. It’s a make a few birdies coming in. It 2011. REUTERS Young and Welbeck presented Young with a clear sight of goal in the second minute, but his effort EPL Results was parried by Petr Cech. It was Chelsea 3 (Eto’o 17, 45, 49) Manchester an enterprising start, and Chelsea United 1 (Hernandez 78) Garcia ‘eyes’ Qatar Masters title found themselves on the back foot Swansea 1 (Bony 78) Tottenham 3 (Adebayor until Eto’o broke the deadlock in 35, 71, Flores 53-og) DOHA: World No. 10 Sergio Garcia (pic- Ryder Cup’s youngest player. the 17th minute with a bolt from Playing today tured right) is determined to win the After tying for ninth in 2011 and fifth in the blue. Commercial Bank Qatar Masters when he 2012, it looked as though it might finally be Gathering the ball wide on the West Brom vs Everton (2000GMT) competes for the ninth time at Doha Golf Garcia’s turn last year when he shot a clos- Club, which hosts the 17th edition of the ing 66 to match George Coetzee’s 17-under tournament from Wednesday to Saturday clubhouse total of 271. National Sport Day website to this week. Garcia looked set for at least a play-off Garcia joins World No. 3 Henrik Stenson, before Wood, the overnight leader, overtook 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner, the pair with a spectacular eagle on the 18th provide live coverage former World No. 1 Luke Donald, multiple to secure his maiden European Tour title. DOHA: The National Sport Day (NSD) official website will pro- major champions Ernie Els and John Daly, “I was really happy for Chris,” he said. “I vide live coverage of all activities and events that are set to take 20-time European Tour winner Miguel Angel played well, so did George, and we posted place on February 11, it was announced yesterday. Jiménez and titleholder Chris Wood in a a good target, so if someone can beat that The NSD celebrations will feature sports teams of ministries, strong field. with an eagle on 18, I take my hat off to him. private companies, sports federa- Garcia, who turned 34 earlier this month, However, having come close many times, I tions and community members will be among the pre-tournament favourites would really like to win the trophy myself.” next month. at the long-standing European Tour event fol- so I will give it my best to win it this year,” Hassan Al Nuaimi, President, Qatar Golf The NSD official website will lowing impressive form in recent events. said Garcia, a 10-time European Tour winner. Association, also believes Garcia will be broadcast the sport events from The Spanish Ryder Cup hero was fourth “It’s a great line-up again featuring many top among the leading contenders at Doha Golf all venues and details of the at November’s WGC - HSBC Champions in players and I know the crowds in Doha always Club, where the Spaniard is always a crowd events will be available in both China and last month finished runner-up at appreciate good golf. I came very close last favourite. English and Arabic languages. the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa year, but Chris was a deserving winner after “It is always a pleasure to welcome Sergio Fans keen to feature in the before holding off Stenson and other big names his eagle on the final hole, so hopefully this Garcia back to the Commercial Bank Qatar NSD programs can do so by fill- to win the Thailand Golf Championship on will be my time. I’m in good form and always Masters and we are truly delighted that he’s ing a registration form available on the website, which also has a the Asian Tour. looking to win.” back for an eighth straight year,” Al Nuaimi pages on Facebook and a twitter account. “I’ve always loved competing at the Garcia finished joint runner-up behind said. “Sergio has long been one of the tourna- Top Qatari athletes will participate in a series of sport events Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and I feel Wood last January for his fifth top-10 finish ment’s most loyal supporters and most popu- on February 11. Official participating venues for the event include; like I’m getting closer and closer to winning it. in seven straight appearances in Doha from lar players, which is obvious when you see fans Aspire, Katara, The Pearl, Souq Waqif, Al-Refaa Street and many The tournament is a fixture at the start of the 2007, having first played in the tournament as following him on and off the golf course.” more. THE PENINSULA year for me and I know the course really well, a 19-year-old in 1999, the year he became The THE PENINSULA