www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

BUSINESS | 14 SPORT | 22

Soros sees global Qatar U-23 meett market crisis Belgian side Eupenpen similar to 2008 in Doha friendlyy

FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 • 28 Rabia I 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6669 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Annual Honey Festival opens in Umm Salal

Yousuf Al Khulaifi, Director, Two-day event at Agricultural Affairs Department at the ministry, said 15 local farms are Al Mazrouah Yard participating in the festival, which in Umm Salal to provides an opportunity to intro- duce the national project to farmers. be followed by Since the launch of the project in Al Wakrah and Al 2003, the ministry has set up a pro- gramme to support and popularise Khor-Dakhira bee farming. It has also allocated a budget to support farmers by pro- viding hives and technical support. The ministry has assigned techni- The Peninsula cians to assist farmers in every phase of honey production, starting from training of workers, regular vis- its to farms and close follow up on DOHA: The Ministry of Environ- bee-raising. ment yesterday launched its annual Al Khulaifi said the project has ‘Honey Festival’ at the winter vege- helped increase production signif- table market in Al Mazrouah Yard icantly. It also aims to provide an in Umm Salal. extra source of income for farmers The festival is part of the national and encourage investment in agricul- honey bee project launched in 2003 ture. He said local honey is becoming to promote indigenous honey pro- popular because it is trusted by peo- Libyans gather at the site of a truck bombing on a police school in the coastal city of Zliten, some 170km east of the capital Tripoli, yesterday. duction by providing financial and ple for its quality and purity. technical support to farmers. In the first phase of the project The two-day festival will be fol- in 2003, the ministry distributed 10 lowed by similar events at the other hives to 30 farms, which together two winter markets in Al Wakrah and produced 1.6 tonnes of honey. In the 65 dead in Libya police school bombing Al Khor-Dakhira. second phase, another 10 hives were The festival at Al Wakrah mar- given to 15 farms in 2014. The third ket will take place on January 14 and phase of the project starts in Septem- 15 and in Al Khor-Dakhira yard from ber, targeting 15 new farms selected REUTERS & AFP Misrata Mayor Miftah Hamadi people had been killed and about 100 Deputy Defence Minister Moham- January 21 to 22, Al Sharq reports. according to standards and criteria, said the bomb detonated as recruits wounded and that victims were being mad Bashir Al Naas of the Tripoli-based Local honey is available in these including their diversity, availability were gathering at the centre in Zliten, treated in hospitals. Urgent calls were government vowed to avenge the markets in limited quantities. of the Sidr trees and shaded areas. a coastal town between the capital issued for blood donations. attack. According to earlier statistics, the The colour and flavour of the MISRATA: A suicide truck bombing Tripoli and the port of Misrata. There was no immediate claim of “The perpetrator is not known but annual honey production in the coun- honey are determined by the type on a police school in Libya’s city of Witnesses said residents were responsibility for the attack but the he is a coward. He kills our sons from try rose to an impressive 16 tonnes last of plants visited by the bees. Common Zliten killed at least 65 people yes- ferrying victims to Misrata hospitals Islamic State group, which has been the shadows. We must avenge them year and the ministry aims to dou- sources of nectar include agricul- terday, in the deadliest attack to hit in ambulances and cars, many with growing in power in Libya, has carried and do everything possible to protect ble it in four years. Qatari honey is tural crops, fruit trees, small fruits the strife-torn country since its 2011 shrapnel wounds. out many suicide bombings. them,” Naas told a press conference. produced mostly in the apiaries in Al and ornamental and wildflowers. revolution. A witness in Zliten, a coastal city The internationally-recognised EU policy chief Federica Mogh- Shamal and Sheehania. Produced by Al Khulaifi said a major advantage A bomber detonated the explosives- some 170km east of Tripoli, said about government condemned the attack as erini also urged Libyans to back the bees that collect nectar from the Sidr of honey farming is that production laden truck used for carrying water 300 men, mainly coast guards, were a “cowardly terrorist act” and called unity deal. trees, the local honey is considered and operational costs are very low. at a police training centre in central inside the compound at the time. for the lifting of an arms embargo it Italy, the former colonial power to be of high quality with medici- The ministry provides durable acces- Zliten at around 830am, a local secu- Health Ministry spokesman Ammar says has prevented authorities from in Libya, offered its support in help- nal value. sories and equipment for farmers. rity source said. Mohammed Ammar said 50 to 55 tackling IS. ing to bring stability.

Oil dips below Nadal in Qatar ExxonMobil Open semis Seventh FIFA stadium to $33 to near bring ‘Design for Legacy’ 12-year low concept to world stage

Reuters QNA www.sc.qa that the stadium will play an important role in the development of the Doha skyline and waterfront. LONDON: Oil fell below $33 a bar- “All our planning for the 2022 FIFA rel yesterday for the first time since DOHA: The seventh proposed venue World Cup keeps in mind the legacy April 2004 as a slide in Chinese for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will bring use of the stadiums after the tourna- shares rattled investors concerned the ‘design for legacy’ concept onto ment has finished. by near-record production and the world stage as one of the first sta- “This design aims to create a massive stockpiles of unwanted diums designed from the beginning unique and memorable addition to crude and refined products. with the ability to transform into a the cityscape. With this project, we Brent fell over five percent in successful and dynamic mixed use want to achieve a successful con- early European trade to $32.16 urban neighbourhood after the tour- version from a sport venue into an before trimming some of losses. nament. appealing non-sport legacy concept.” It was down 1.6 percent at Global architecture firm Populous Christopher Lee, Senior Principal, $33.70. US crude futures hit $32.10, is the Design Consultant of the venue Populous, said: “We have a long-stand- the lowest since late 2003, before to be located in Ras Abu Aboud, an ing tradition of designing venues with a bouncing to $33.32. exceptional waterfront location vis- genuine legacy, including the London, China allowed its yuan cur- ible from West Bay. Sydney and Sochi Olympic stadiums. rency to slip yesterday, sending The 40,000-seat venue, The SC challenged us to go further and regional currencies and stock mar- announced by the Supreme Com- the design for the venue in Ras Abu kets globally tumbling. mittee for Delivery & Legacy last Aboud is going to be a game changer. The offshore yuan fell to its low- December, will host matches up to “We are creating a whole new est since trading started in 2010. the quarter-finals. neighbourhood in a fantastic water- Stock markets in China were The 450,000 square metre site front location overlooking West Bay suspended less than half an hour will include the stadium and parking and, at the same time, an incredi- Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Russian Andrey Kuznetsov during the quarter-final match of after opening, after sharp falls area for 6,000 cars during the tour- ble world-class stadium for 40,000 triggered a new circuit-breaking the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. nament and 2,000 in legacy mode. fans,” Lee added. mechanism for a second time since Nadal defeated Kuznetsov 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Pic: Salim/The Peninsula Report on page 23 Ghanim Al Kuwari, Executive its introduction earlier this week. Director, Competition Venues, SC, told Continued on page 2 02 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 HOME 10 Filipinos pardoned on National Day: Embassy QC provides medical care The Peninsula substantial portion of their sentences, the embassy said. “The embassy sincerely welcomes the clemency granted to 10 Filipino prisoners by the Emir on the occasion of Qatar National Day. Same as the previous Eid Al Fitr, this for Syrians in Lebanon DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani shows the great compassion displayed by the Emir and pardoned 10 Filipinos on the occasion of Qatar National the government of Qatar,” Ambassador Wilfredo C San- Day last month, the Philippine embassy said yesterday. tos told this daily. The embassy is facilitating the Filipinos’ The Filipinos granted clemency by the government repatriation in coordination with the Search and Follow- a specialised medical and adminis- medical requirements in Syria and included nine males and one female, who had served a Up Department at the Ministry of Interior. Qatar Charity trative team and equipped the centre these reasons would force the sick with medical supplies. and injured to leave the country. prepares Al Basha’er At a cost of about QR700,000, the At a cost of QR1.3m, QC has imple- hospital in Tripoli project secures treatment of the sick mented in the past few weeks a project and injured among the Syrian refugees to support and equip medical points Premier meets Turkish labour undersecretary to offer help and in Lebanon and seeks to provide med- and health centres to enable them to follow up on patients’ ication to patients during treatment. receive the sick and injured Syrians The project has been implemented who took refuge in Lebanon or were treatment and in cooperation with the Union of Relief displaced in Syria. Eight health organi- recovery and Development Associations in Leb- sations in Syria and Lebanon benefited anon to support a medical centre to from the project. More than six million offer rapid care to the sick and injured displaced Syrians and refugees bene- refugees. fited from QC’s relief projects until last The Peninsula Mohammed bin Rashid Al Kaaby, October. From April 2011 until Octo- Head of Relief Department, QC, said ber 2015, the projects cost QR322m. the project saved the lives of many Due to their difficult conditions, injured and seriously ill people. the people inside Syria received 67 DOHA: Qatar Charity (QC) has under- He highlighted the deficiencies percent of aid at a cost of QR213m. taken the treatment of injured Syrians in medical services, difficulties in The rest were sent to the Syrian in Al Basha’er hospital in Tripoli, as providing primary healthcare, per- refugees in the neighbouring countries: part of its relief projects in Lebanon. forming surgical operations on the 18 percent to Lebanon, eight percent To prepare the hospital to offer the wounded, the deterioration of the to Jordan, 5.5 percent to Turkey and needed help and follow up on patients’ medical field infrastructure, and 1.5 percent to Iraq and other countries treatment and recovery, QC secured the scarcity of medications and other where some Syrians have taken refuge.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday met Turkey’s Ministry of Labour and Social Security Undersecretary Ahmet Erdem and his delegation. Talks dealt with relations between both countries, ways of developing them and matters of mutual interest.

Minister meets Vaccination centres Turkish team Doha: Minister of Labour asked to review polio and Social Affairs H E Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi yesterday met immunisation schedules a visiting technical dele- gation from the Turkish Employment Agency and discussed matters of The Peninsula gradual withdrawal of tOPV from the common interest. national immunisation programme. The programme introduced the 2 food outlets first dose of IPV with the Hexava- DOHA: The Supreme Council of lent vaccine in 2010 and the second A member of Qatar Charity medical team attends to a patient. closed down Health (SCH) has asked all vaccination dose to be introduced this year. Given units at private healthcare facilities along with the Oral polio vaccine will Doha: The Doha Munici- to review their polio immunisation provide enhanced protection against pality recently shut down schedules in line with the new guide- transmission of polio virus. two food outlets for 15 lines of World Health Organisation According to the WHO guidelines, Workshop on GCC SMEs financing on Monday days for violating health (WHO). tOPVs must be stopped in a phased regulations. Two food Based on the WHO polio end- manner from routine immunisations outlets, including a res- game strategy to stop trivalent Oral and campaigns to minimise the risk DOHA: A workshop on financing small Technology (ICT) ; Bedaya Center; and on ‘SMEs Financing in GCC Econ- taurant, in Al Khor were Polio Vaccine (tOPV) use globally, the of new cases. The first phase of tOPV and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar Development Bank (QDB). omies’ by speakers from Bahrain, also ordered partially National Immunisation and Technical removal is a switch from current tOPV the GCC will be held on Monday as a It will be conducted by CFE, in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia closed for seven days Advisory Group (NITAG) committee containing antigens for poliovirus collaboration between the Center for collaboration with ICT Qatar, and is and the UAE. They will present an each for violating rules. at WHO has agreed to switch from types 1, 2, and 3 to bOPV containing Entrepreneurship (CFE) at Qatar Uni- sponsored by the ministry and the overview of their countries’ experi- The Health Control tOPV to bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine only types 1 and 3. versity (QU) College of Business and Standing Committee for Economic ence in financing SMEs. A discussion Section at Al-Shamal (bOPV) from this year, according a This is because the last case of Economics and the Business Devel- and Commercial Cooperation of the will evaluate the workshop’s outcomes Municipality on Wednes- circular issued by the SCH. wild polio type 2 occurred in 1999, opment and Investment Promotion Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. and recommendations. day launched a campaign According to the Qatar National and type 2 wild polio virus is respon- Department of the Ministry of Econ- The workshop will bring together Dr Hindi said the field of entre- to inspect all eateries, tOPV-bOPV switch plan approved sible for a large number of circulating omy and Commerce. business owners, policymakers, advis- preneurship is growing in importance food outlets, fish market by the committee, April 15 has been VDPVs (vaccine derived polio virus) It will be held under the patron- ers, faculty and students to share ideas for Qatar and the region and that the and poultry shops in the selected as the “national switch date” and VAPP (vaccine associated para- age of and inaugurated by Minister of and experiences and the importance promotion of SMEs represents a key municipality. when tOPV use will be stopped. lytic poliomyelitis). Economy and Commerce H E Sheikh and challenges of financing SMEs and factor to achieve economic diversity Inspectors detected The “national switch validation As transmission of all types of Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al entrepreneurs in the GCC. and a sustainable knowledge-based 34 violations and issued date” will be April 30 by which all circulating wild polio virus contin- Thani. The opening ceremony be economy. 23 warnings. The section tOPV must be collected and destroyed, ues to be interrupted, all OPV doses Themed ‘Financing Small and addressed by the Minister, QU Pres- “The workshop highlights QU’s also received 10 com- said the circular. The SCH has also will be withdrawn from the routine Medium Enterprises and Entrepre- ident Dr Hassan Rashid Al Derham position as a key partner in contrib- plaints which were dealt issued an updated national immuni- immunisation schedules and replaced neurs in the GCC Countries’, the event and college Dean Dr Nitham Hindi. uting to research priorities in Qatar, with instantly and as a sation schedule for the year. with IPV. aims to access to financing SMEs and The event includes a session in finding solutions to challenges and result notices were served Qatar has eliminated polio since The switch must also be a glo- entrepreneurs in Islamic countries. which CFE Director Dr Mahmoud supporting the values and goals of to four shop owners to 1990, but continues to be at moderate bally coordinated process because It is part of a start-up research Abdellatif Khalil and Assistant Qatar National Vision 2030. rectify their errors. Dur- risk of transmission due to outbreaks any further use of tOPV after the project — the first in Qatar and the Research Professor Dr Arsalan Safari “We look forward to seeing positive ing the campaign, 500kg and polio endemic countries in the national switch date can jeopard- GCC — initiated by Qatar Business will discuss ideas and phases of financ- outcomes and the wealth of knowledge of food found unfit for region. High population immunity is ise polio eradication by generating Incubation Center (QBIC); the Ministry ing SMEs and entrepreneurs in the GCC. that will emerge, and be of considera- human consumption were required for successful switch and new circulating VDVPs, said WHO. of Information and Communications It will also feature presentations ble benefit to our students and faculty.” destroyed. Violations included keeping rotten vegetables in kitchens, preparing food in unhy- gienic conditions, poor Paintings expo by three storage of foodstuff, sell- ing expired foodstuff or food found unfit for blind females at Katara human consumption.

Stadium to create The Peninsula Khaled bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, Katara. a new model Art and handicraft workshops are among activities offered by the institute Continued from page 1 DOHA: Three students of Al Noor Insti- to enhance students’ skills and witness tute for the Blind are featured in ‘Seeing huge participation of female students. Chuck Baldwin, Through My Paintbrush’ exhibition which “The institute offers activities focussing Project Director, TiME opened at Katara Art Studios Building on handicrafts and other art works. This Qatar, the project man- No. 19 yesterday. is where the three students excelled and agement company for The first-of-its-kind expo presented exhibited passion for drawing. In coop- the stadium, said: “It is by Katara in cooperation with the insti- eration with their supervisor, they were exciting to work as a part- tute showcases 45 paintings by young taught painting skills and how to deal ner with SC on such a artists Farhana Hafeth, Nawal Al Ahb- with water-based and oil-based paints. high-profile programme, abi and Amna Sudqi. After that the concept of ‘Seeing Through particularly on a sta- The water-based and oil my Paintbrush’ evolved, which included dium which creates a new paintings,mostly landscape and stills, all the meanings the students put in their model for design and leg- delve into nature and Qatari culture. paintings,” said Ayman Abdulla, Project acy use. We all want to “Whoever sees the paintings will Manager. The students gave painting dem- help make the World Cup realise the female students’ skills and onstrations at the opening of the three-day One of the artists gives a painting demonstration for officials at the exhibition at Katara. in Qatar a great event.” their effort, and they are not different exhibition, attended by prominent Qatari Pic: Kammutty/The Peninsula from what ordinary artists do,” said Dr. artists and Katara officials. ISLAM FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 03 Monotheism: The essence of Islam

heavens and the earth, and their preserva- Tawheed or monotheism is tion tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” (Quran, 2:255) the bedrock of Islam and it In these marvelous verses, Allah describes states that it is Allah Who Himself as the only one — most powerful, ever- living Lord of us. Tawheed is the bedrock of has created the universe Islam and it states that it is Allah Who has cre- with whatever is in it and ated the universe with whatever is in it and administers it. administers it. What we deduce from the operation of the universe and call ‘natural laws’ are, in fact, Allah’s regular ways of creating things and events and administering the universe. www.islamweb.net According to Islam, all religions revealed to the prophets (may Allah exalt their men- tion) have the same essence and knowledge of Tawheed and unity of Allah; but, with the time, awheed ( monotheism) is the greatest their messages were misinterpreted, mixed with foundation of Islamic belief. superstition, and degenerated into some rituals. In fact, a person is considered as That was the same message with which Muslim if he/she accepts that there is Adam was sent down to earth, the same knowl- Tno god worthy of worship but Allah and that edge that Allah revealed to Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His slave (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus), may and His messenger to humankind. Allah exalt their mention, and the last Prophet Almighty Allah says in the Noble Quran: sent to humanity, Muhammad (peace be upon “Allah — there is no deity except Him, the him). Ever-Living, the Sustainer of (all) existence. Islam rejects characterizing Allah in any Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. human form or depicting Him as favoring certain To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that power or race. can intercede with Him except by His per- However, our human minds are often in mission? He knows what is (presently) before search of understanding the concept of Allah in them and what will be after them, and they materialistic ways, although we are not capa- encompass not a thing of His knowledge except ble to completely comprehend this concept. for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the When Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) contemporaries asked him self-sufficient and self-subsistent. If He does about God, Allah revealed the not depend upon anything for the continuance Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Your Lord chapter of Ikhlas (Qur’anic chap- of His own existence, this existence can have ter no. 112), which is considered no end. The Creator is therefore Eternal and is One. You are from Adam and Adam was created from as the motto of Tawheed, say- Everlasting. Allah Says (what means): “He is dust. An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab, nor a white ing: “Say (O Muhammad), “He the first and the last.” (Qur’an, 57:3) person over a black person, except for his/her piety and is Allah, (who is) One. Allah, The Creator does not create only in the the Eternal Refuge. He neither sense of bringing things into being, in other righteousness.” (Ahmad) begets nor was He begotten. Nor words, He is not only a Starter, He also preserves is there to Him any equivalent.” everything, takes them out of the existence, (Qur’an, 112:1-4) and is the ultimate cause of whatever hap- The Creator must be a dif- pens to them. or whom He misses in his absence.” Tawheed states that the same Allah created ferent nature from the things Ali Ibn Abu Talib, the fourth Muslim Caliph In Islam, Allah is known by His names and everyone, and so all people have the same created, because if He is of (may Allah bless him), is reported to have said: attributions and the manifestation of these fundamental essence. In fact, the noblest the same nature as they are, “He is being but not through the phenom- names in the universe. person in Allah’s sight is the one who is most He will be temporal and will, enon of coming into being. He exists but not Another aspect of Tawheed in Islam is that it Allah-conscious. therefore, need a maker. If the from non-existence. He is with everything but implies the equity and unity of all people in their Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) maker is not temporal, He must not physical nearness. He is different from eve- relation with Allah. Thus, people of different said: “Your Lord is One. You are from Adam be eternal. But if He is eternal, rything but not by physical separation. He acts social strata were not created by separate dei- and Adam was created from dust. An Arab is He cannot be caused. If noth- but without the accompaniment of movements ties with varying levels of power, since this not superior to a non-Arab, nor a white person ing apart from Him causes Him and instruments. He is the One, only such that would violate Tawheed by putting barriers over a black person, except for his/her piety to continue to exist, He must be there is none with whom He keeps company between them. Instead, social dimension of and righteousness.” (Ahmad) Islam isn’t a religion of hatred Sayings of the Prophet

Transgression

www.esinislam.com To my surprise, I felt tears welling up in my eyes Iyad bin Himar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: and I tried hard to hide it from the students. Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has A turning point in his life, however, came in revealed to me that you should humble yourselves to one the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US on another. One should neither hold himself above another nor Sept. 11, 2001. transgress against another.’’ British Catholic priest Idris The following day, I was taking the under- (Muslim) ground and noticed how terrified the people were. Tawfiq accepted Islam after I was also afraid of the repetition of such acts in Pride reading the Quran and his Britain. At the time, the western people started fearing this religion they blamed for terrorism. interactions with Muslims. The However, my previous experience with Muslims Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) following is excerpts from a took me to a different direction. I started won- reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “He who has, in his dering ‘Why Islam? Why do we blame Islam as a heart, an ant’s weight of arrogance will not enter Jannah speech that he delivered at the religion for the action of terrorists who happened (Paradise).’’ Someone said: “A man likes to wear beautiful British Council in Cairo. to be Muslims, when no-one accused Christian- clothes and shoes?’’ Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Allah is ity of terrorism when some Christians have acted Beautiful, He loves beauty. Arrogance means ridiculing and the same way?’ rejecting the Truth and despising people.’’ One day I headed to the biggest mosque in Lon- (Muslim) don, to hear more about this religion. Getting into being a priest helping the people for some be able to teach my lessons to the students, many of London Central Mosque, there was Yusuf Islam, Harithah bin Wahab (May Allah be pleased with him) years. However, deep inside I was not happy whom were Arab Muslim refugees. In other words, the former pop singer, sitting in a circle talking to reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Shall I not inform and I felt that there was something not right. teaching about Islam taught me many things. some people about Islam. After a while, I found you about the inmates of Hell? It is every violent, impertinent Fortunately, and it is God’s will, some events Unlike many troublesome teenagers, these stu- myself asking him ‘What do you actually do to and proud person.’’ and coincidences in my life led me to Islam. dents set a good example of what a Muslim could be. become a Muslim?’ He answered that a Muslim (Bukhari & Muslim IAn important coincidence was the decision They were polite and kind. So a friendship devel- should believe in one God, pray five times a day to quit my work at the Vatican, a step followed by oped between us and they asked if they could use and fast during Ramadan. I interrupted him saying making a trip to Egypt. my classroom for prayers during the fasting month that I believed all this and had even fasted dur- Foul language I used to think of Egypt as a country of Pyra- of Ramadan. ing Ramadan. So he asked, ‘What are you waiting mids, camels, sand and palm trees. I actually took Luckily, my room was the only one with a carpet. for? What is holding you back?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t Abdullah bin Amr bin Al As (May Allah be pleased with them) a charter flight to Hurghada. So I got accustomed to sitting at the back, watching intend to convert.’ reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not indulge in loose Shocked to find it similar to some European them praying for a month. I sought to encourage At that moment the call to prayer was made talk nor did he like to listen to it. He used to say, “The best of beaches, I took the first bus to Cairo where I spent them by fasting during Ramadan with them, even and everyone got ready and stood in lines to pray. you is the best among you in conduct.’’ the most wonderful week in my life. though I wasn’t yet a Muslim. I sat at the back, and I cried and cried. Then I said (Bukhari & Muslim) This was my first introduction to Muslims and Once while reciting a translation of the Holy to myself, ‘Who am I trying to fool?’ Islam. I noticed how Egyptians are such gentle, Qur’an in class I reached the verse: “And when After they ended their prayers, I headed to Yusuf sweet people, but also very strong. they listen to the revelation received by the Mes- Islam, asking him to teach me the words by which Tolerance Like all Britons, my knowledge about Muslims senger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with I announce my conversion. After explaining its up to that time didn’t exceed what I heard from the tears, for they recognise the truth.” (Quran, 5:83) meanings to me in English, I recited after him in TV about suicide bombers and fighters, which gave Arabic that ‘There is no God but Allah and that Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: the impression that Islam is a religion of troubles. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messen- Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Ashaj Abdul Qais (May However, getting into Cairo I discovered how ger of Allah.” Allah be pleased with him), “You possess two qualities that beautiful this religion is. Very simple people sell- Living in Egypt, I wrote a book My life since then took a different course. Liv- Allah loves. These are clemency and tolerance.’’ ing goods on the street would abandon their trade about the tenets of Islam, ing in Egypt, I wrote a book about the tenets of (Muslim) and direct their face to Allah and pray the moment Islam, Gardens of Delight: A Simple Introduction they heard the call to prayer from the mosque. Gardens of Delight: A Simple to Islam. Everyone is saying that Islam is not a reli- Anger They have a strong faith in the presence and will Introduction to Islam. Everyone gion of terrorism and isn’t a religion of hatred, but of Allah. They pray, fast, help the needy and dream no-one tries to explain what it is. to have a trip to Makkah with the hope of living in is saying that Islam is not a So I decided to write this book to give non-Mus- Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Heaven in the Hereafter. religion of terrorism and isn’t a lims an idea about the basic principles of Islam. A man asked the Prophet (PBUH) to give him advice, and On my return I resumed my old job of teach- I tried to tell people how beautiful Islam is and he (peace be upon him) said, “Do not get angry.’’ The man ing religion. The only compulsory subject in British religion of hatred, but no-one that Islam has the most extraordinary treasures, repeated that several times and the Prophet replied (every education is Religious Studies. I was teaching about tries to explain what it is. the most important being Muslims’ love for each time), “Do not get angry.’’ Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and others. other. The Prophet (peace be upon him) (Bukhari) So every day I had to read about these religions to says ‘Even a smile to your brother is a charity.’ 04 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 GULF / MIDDLE EAST

Iran and Saudi Libya mourns bomb victims announce trade boycott

companies doing business in Iran faced increasing public pressure over the course Tehran announced a of the week, as consumer and business ban on imports from groups called for boycotts of Iranian products. Saudi Arabia and Chamber of commerce leaders told Saudi groups called local daily newspaper Al Riyadh that Saudi businesses should replace Iranian goods for boycott of Iranian with alternatives from other Arab and products Islamic countries. A trade boycott would cause the king- dom little economic harm, they said, noting that imports from Iran mainly consist of pistachio nuts and pickles. Reuters Consumer activist group Mogatah also urged Saudi businesses to remove Iranian goods from their shelves, posting pho- tos of Iranian products for sale in Saudi DUBAI: Iran and Saudi Arabia took Arabia on social media along with calls further steps to sever commercial ties to support the government’s policy. yesterday, intensifying a feud between The group scolded Swedish home the regional rivals, as Tehran announced goods retailer Ikea for selling a Persian a ban on imports from Saudi Arabia and carpet with a “made in Iran” label at its Saudi groups called for boycotts of Ira- stores in Saudi Arabia, and applauded a Mourners carry the coffins of people killed in a truck bombing in the north-western coastal city of Zliten, Libya, yesterday. Bombing, nian products. local Riyadh-based carpet shop chain the deadliest attack to hit the strife-torn country since its 2011 revolution, killed at least 65 people. Iran’s government said it had forbid- for deciding to end sales of Iranian rugs. den imports from Saudi Arabia after a cabinet meeting chaired by President Hassan Rowhani last morning, accord- ing to state news agency Irna. Somalia cuts The cabinet also reaffirmed a ban on Umrah pilgrimages to Makkah - which diplomatic US sanctions Lebanese man, are both lucrative for Saudi Arabia and important to Muslims - first imposed in ties with Iran April. Trade between Saudi Arabia and Iran company for Hezbollah links Three Palestinians is small compared with the size of their economies, but tens of thousands of Ira- AFP shot dead in nians travel to the kingdom every year to complete the Haj as well as Umrah pil- Reuters He has received millions of dol- Prevention Act of 2015, strength- West Bank grimages made outside of Haj season. lars from Hezbollah to invest in ened US authorities’ ability to Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran on MOGADISHU: Somalia said yester- commercial projects that financially target Hezbollah and threatened JERUSALEM: Three Palestin- Sunday over the storming of its embassy day it had cut diplomatic ties with support the group, the department consequences for those who help ians attempted to stab Israeli in Tehran, intensifying a diplomatic crisis Iran amid a diplomatic crisis with WASHINGTON: The United States said in a statement. the group, the Treasury Depart- soldiers in the southern West set in motion by the kingdom’s execution Saudi Arabia. imposed sanctions yesterday on The US action freezes Charara’s ment said. Bank yesterday and were shot of a prominent Shi’ite cleric the previ- A statement from Somalia’s Min- Lebanese financier Ali Youssef and his company’s assets that are “Hezbollah relies upon accom- dead, the army said. ous day. istry of Foreign Affairs announced Charara and his telecommunica- in the United States or in the con- plices in the business community “Armed with knives, they Foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir said the “decision to sever diplomatic ties” tions company for providing support trol of Americans, and prohibits to place, manage and launder its attempted to stab soldiers on Monday the kingdom was halting air and gave Iranian diplomats 72 hours to Hezbollah, the first such desig- Americans from engaging in trans- terrorist funds,” said Adam Szubin, guarding the Gush Etzion junc- traffic and trade links with the Islamic to leave the Horn of Africa nation. nations made under a law signed actions with them. acting treasury under secre- tion,” a statement said, adding republic, although none of the few Saudi “This step has been taken after by President Barack Obama last Hezbollah, the Shia Islam- tary for terrorism and financial that troops responded by fir- companies with interests in Iran has yet careful consideration and in response month. ist political and military group intelligence. ing at the assailants. announced changes to their operations. to the Republic of Iran’s continuous Charara serves as chairman backed by Syria and Iran that “We are committed to expos- A military spokeswoman Savola, the kingdom’s largest food interference in Somalia’s internal and general manager of Beirut- wields considerable power in ing and disrupting these networks said that all three were killed. products company, which earns some affairs,” the statement read, with- based Spectrum Investment Group Lebanon, has long been desig- to pressure Hezbollah’s finances Gush Etzion is a settlement 13 percent of total revenues from Iran, out giving further details. Holding SAL, which provides tel- nated as a terrorist organization and degrade its ability to foment bloc south of Jerusalem, and its said on Tuesday it plans to maintain its Several Saudi allies have fol- ecommunications services in the by the United States. violence in Lebanon, Syria and junction has been a focal point investments there despite the standoff. lowed suit. Middle East, Africa and Europe, The new US law, called the across the region,” Szubin said in three months of Palestinian But it and the few other Saudi the US Treasury Department said. Hezbollah International Financing in a statement. attacks targeting Israeli secu- rity forces and civilians.

Child refugees Ocalan’s isolation One killed in an invitation to war, Shebab attack MOGADISHU: One civilian was killed and another seriously wounded yesterday when mor- says pro-Kurdish MP tars fired by Islamist Shebab insurgents exploded close to the presidential palace in Mogad- Reuters ishu, police said. Explosions were heard in the heavily guarded gov- ernment district around Villa ANKARA: Kurdish militant leader Somalia, the presidential pal- Abdullah Ocalan’s (pictured). iso- ace, around noon. lation in his island jail near Istanbul “Several rounds of mortar amounts to an “invitation to war”, a shells landed in the neigh- prominent pro-Kurdish lawmaker said bourhood where the palace is yesterday, as conflict flares between located,” police officer Jama security forces and rebels in south- Mohamed said, adding one east Turkey. person was killed and another Ocalan, jailed in 1999, has not wounded. been allowed visits by a delegation of pro-Kurdish lawmakers since April. The 67-year-old leader of the banned Ankara. Two inmates sent to join Oca- Shots fired at Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has lan in jail on the island of Imrali to also not seen any family members end his isolation were transferred to Egypt hotel since 2014 or his lawyers since 2011. another prison two weeks ago, Onder Children pose near tents inside an informal settlement for Syrian refugees at Taanayel in Lebanon’s Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south- added. Ocalan’s family have voiced CAIRO: A gang of youths hurled Bekaa valley, yesterday. east is currently experiencing its worst concerns about his well-being. fireworks and fired birdshot at violence since the 1990s after a two- Onder stressed that his comments police guarding a hotel near year ceasefire between the PKK and should not be understood as a “call to Cairo’s pyramids yesterday the Turkish state collapsed in July, war”. His Peoples’ Democratic Party where Arab Israelis were stay- wrecking a peace process launched (HDP) says it is opposed to violence ing without hurting anyone, by Ankara and Ocalan. and wants a peaceful solution for Tur- officials and witnesses said. Bahrain sentences three to life in prison “Isolating Ocalan, sowing wor- key’s large Kurdish minority. The motive for the attack ries among the people about his life, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the Three Pyramids Hotel safety and health conditions, is issu- initiated the peace talks with Oca- was unclear. Reuters with an improvised bomb, state news Police noticed the device and were ing an invitation to war,” said Sirri lan in 2012 with the aim of ending a The interior ministry said agency BNA reported yesterday. able to defuse it, BNA said. Sureyya Onder, spokesman for the three-decade conflict with the PKK. unknown assailants had gath- Prosecutors had accused the A Bahraini court last year sen- delegation that often visited Ocalan Erdogan, who says the peace ered outside the hotel and suspects of luring police near to tenced two Shias to death and before the peace process fell apart. process is now “on ice”, said some carried out the attack, which DUBAI: Bahrain’s High Criminal Court where they had placed an explo- handed a life sentence to a third “The path to prevent this is clear lawmakers and mayors from the HDP it said targeted police guard- sentenced three unnamed defend- sive device in Al Dair village, north after they were convicted of killing ... They must enable Ocalan to speak were behaving like members of a ter- ing the hotel, who fired back. ants to life imprisonment on charges of the capital Manama, on Decem- a policeman in a separate bomb- with his lawyers, us and his family,” he rorist group and he called for legal of attempting to murder policemen ber 29, 2014. ing in Al Dair. told a news conference in the capital action against them. MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 05 Heaviest air strikes yet rock Yemeni capital

Almost 6,000 people have died in The strikes pounded the conflict, nearly half of them civil- ians. United Nations-backed peace the presidential talks have yet to produce any sub- palace and a stantial progress. Meanwhile, Yemen’s foreign min- mountain military istry declared the representative of the base to the south UN High Commissioner for Human Rights persona non grata after what of the city, causing it said were unfair statements, a news children and agency run by the Saudi-allied gov- ernment reported. teachers in several The news agency, sabanew.net, schools to flee for quoted an official source as saying their lives that the representative had “lost professionalism and is persona non grata”. The location of the unnamed representative was not immediately AFP clear. Sabanew.net cited the human rights minister as saying that the government regretted “the press CAIRO: Dozens of air strikes hit statements and incomplete infor- the Yemeni capital Sana’a yester- mation on the humanitarian situation day, in what residents described in Yemen”. as the heaviest aerial attacks yet A new front opened in the nine- in nine months of war, days after a month-old civil war when forces loyal Saudi-led coalition trying to restore to the embattled Saudi-backed presi- The Iranian embassy in Sana’a, Yemen. RIGHT: A member of the Yemeni security forces loyal to President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi guards Aden’s a Saudi-backed government ended dent, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, landed a fragile ceasefire. by sea at the Red Sea port of Maydee international airport after Popular Resistance Committees fighters handed responsibility for airport security over to them yesterday. The strikes pounded the presiden- near the border with Saudi Arabia tial palace and a mountain military late on Wednesday, according to res- base to the south of the city, caus- idents. Northern Yemen is a Houthi ing children and teachers in several stronghold. schools to flee for their lives. Hadi’s forces attempted to push Iran to protest ‘embassy bombing’ at UN “My classmate and I were at recess out from Maydee’s port, pounded when a huge explosion hit the neigh- for weeks by air strikes and naval bourhood. We ran to the side and she shelling, into the surrounding city, AFP “Saudi Arabia is responsible for the is responsible for the damage caused the Saudi missions, but the repercus- fell to the ground in fear,” said Maha, but ran into heavy Houthi resistance security of our diplomats and of our and for the situation of members of sions quickly rippled across the region a tenth grader in a Sanaa school. and landmines, residents told Reu- embassy in Sana’a,” he said. staff who were injured,” Ansari added, with Saudi allies Bahrain, Sudan and “Everybody was screaming and ters by telephone. A Saudi-led Arab coalition has been without specifying when the alleged Djibouti also cutting diplomatic ties the administration got us together and Major General Adel Qumairi of the TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday it would carrying out air strikes since March strike took place or the seriousness with Tehran. The Iran-Saudi crisis also called our parents to take us out. All the pro-government forces told Saudi- protest to the UN Security Council after in Yemen against Iran-backed Shia of the injuries. threatens a fragile UN-backed initia- students were in a panic.” There were owned Arabiya TV that his forces had it accused Saudi warplanes of delib- Houthi rebels. “The Islamic republic reserves tive to end the war in Yemen, where the no immediate reports of casualties. “completely taken control” of the city. erately bombing its embassy in the The Iranian accusations came days the right to pursue its interests in this world body says at least 2,795 civilians A coalition led by Saudi Arabia But Yemen’s state news agency Yemeni capital Sana’a. after Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic matter,” he said. Iran also announced have been killed since March. and its allies has been fighting the Saba, run by the Houthis, quoted “During an air raid by Saudi Ara- ties with Iran in response to an arson that a ban on Iranians travelling to UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Shia Houthi movement, which con- Sharaf Luqman, a spokesman for bia against Sana’a, a rocket fell near attack on its own embassy in Tehran the Saudi holy city of Makkah for the Ahmed has called for a new round of trols the capital. forces allied to the group, as saying our embassy and unfortunately one of by protesters infuriated by Riyadh’s umrah pilgrimage would remain talks on January 14 but the sides have While Riyadh sees the Houthis as the advance had been met by “heroic our guards was seriously wounded,” execution of a prominent Shia cleric. in place indefinitely. Nimr’s death yet to confirm that they will attend. a proxy for bitter regional rival Iran resistance” that caused them “great Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir “This deliberate action by Saudi unleashed a wave of anger across the At the same time the row has dealt to expand its influence, the Houthis material and human losses”. Abdollahian said, quoted by official Arabia is a violation of all international Shia world, including in Iran where another blow to the unity of the OPEC deny this and say they are fighting a Saudi Arabia on Saturday news agency Irna. conventions that protect diplomatic protesters stormed and set fire to the oil cartel, which includes both Iran revolution against a corrupt govern- announced the end of a truce that “We will inform the Security Coun- missions,” foreign ministry spokesman Saudi embassy in Tehran and con- and Saudi Arabia, at a time when a ment and Gulf Arab powers beholden had reduced fighting but had been cil of the details of this attack within Hossein Jaber Ansari said, quoted by sulate in the second city of Mashhad. glut of crude on world markets has to the West. repeatedly violated by both sides. several hours,” he said. state television. “The Saudi government Iran denounced the attacks on sent prices plunging.

Baby of French Hamas rally in Khan Yunis Syria government to allow woman deported aid into besieged Madaya for IS ties dies on

Turkish plane AFP

AFP DAMASCUS: Syria’s government gave permission yesterday for UN aid deliveries to three besieged towns, including Madaya near Damascus where people are reportedly starving to death, the UN said. ISTANBUL: The baby of a French “The UN welcomes today’s approval from the Government of Syria to woman of Syrian origin died on access Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya and is preparing to deliver humanitarian a Turkish plane while his mother assistance in the coming days,” a UN statement said. was being deported to France from It said there were “credible reports of people dying from starvation” in Turkey over suspected ties to the Madaya, including a 53-year-old man who reportedly perished on Tuesday. Islamic State (IS) group, diplomatic The three towns are part of a landmark six-month deal reached in Sep- sources said. tember for an end to hostilities in those areas in exchange for humanitarian Five-month-old Muhammed Al assistance. Amin Mahiev died of heart failure Access to Madaya and nearby Zabadani had been restricted by pro- while travelling with his mother regime forces, while Fuaa and Kafraya, in northwest Syria, are surrounded Iman Mahiev on an internal Turkish by anti-government fighters. Airlines flight from the southeast- Madaya last received humanitarian assistance in October but has since ern city of Gaziantep to Istanbul, a been inaccessible “despite numerous requests,” according to the statement diplomatic source in Turkey said. from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Around From Istanbul, they were both to 40,000 people, mostly civilians, live in the town in Damascus province. have been be put on another plane Palestinians hold their national flag as they watch a rally by Hamas in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza At least 10 people have died there from a lack of food and medicine, for France. Both are French citizens. Strip, yesterday. The rally was held to honour the families of martyrs from the armed wing. according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based The mother was being deported monitoring group. to France after being detained by the Turkish authorities close to the Syrian border over suspected ties to IS jihadists, the diplomatic source said. The baby had been Blair urged Gaddafi to find ‘safe place’: Report born premature. Turkish media reports said despite efforts to save him the baby died just after the plane landed in AFP The committee quizzed Blair in “They want to control the Mediterra- Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. December on his relationship with nean and then they will attack Europe.” The mother and son had been Gaddafi, after which the ex-premier, Blair said: “The way to deal with escorted on board the Gaziantep- who was in office between 1997 and this is the leader says and makes clear Istanbul flight by Turkish police LONDON: Former British prime minis- 2007, provided the phone transcripts he wants a peaceful outcome. officers. ter Tony Blair urged Muammar Gaddafi released yesterday. “The use of airplanes to attack cities Gaziantep lies just near the bor- to stand aside and find a bolthole in The uprising that overthrew Gadd- and the use of force against civilians der with Syria and has in the past the early days of the Libyan uprising, afi’s regime began in mid-February — this has to stop.” been a major gateway for those seek- telephone transcripts released yester- 2011. The two calls from Blair were In the second call, Gaddafi said he ing to link up with IS jihadists whose day showed. made on February 25, 2011, the sec- was preparing to “arm the people” for strongholds are in the northern part Blair urged the Libyan dictator ond after Blair reported back to US a battle against “colonisation”. of the war-torn country. to stop the violence, start a process and European Union figures. “If you want to reap Libya we are Long criticised for not doing of change, stand aside, resolve the Gaddafi fled Tripoli that August ready to fight, it will be like Iraq,” he enough to stem the flow of jihad- situation peacefully and keep com- Tony Blair Muammar Gaddafi and was killed on October 25. said. ist fighters across its volatile border munications open between them. Libya has since plunged into law- Blair urged Gaddafi to take the with Syria, Turkey stepped up the Gaddafi insisted Libya was under The transcripts cast light on Gadd- they would consider “whether Gadd- lessness, with the country splitting into initiative and lead a peaceful transi- fight after a number of deadly attack from sleeper cells from the Al afi’s thinking as the uprising began to afi’s prophetic warning of the rise of two warring factions. tion process. “I repeat the statement attacks on Turkish soil blamed on Qaeda terror network who wanted to escalate. They were published by the extremist militant groups... was wrongly Though out of office, Blair had influ- that people have said to me, if there is IS, making almost daily arrests of take north Africa and attack Europe British parliament’s Foreign Affairs ignored” due to his “otherwise delu- ence with Gaddafi as his 2004 so-called a way that he (Gaddafi) can leave he would-be jihadists. — and if Western forces intervened, Committee, which is examining the sional” world view. “deal in the desert” brought Libya in should do so now,” Blair said. The Turkish security forces reg- Libya would end up “like Iraq”. Western intervention in Libya’s civil Evidence suggests “Western poli- from the cold as Tripoli scrapped its “If we don’t find a way out in the ularly detain foreigners along the “If you have a safe place to go you war and Britain’s options now con- cymakers were rather less perceptive chemical weapons. next few hours I don’t know what border with Syria then deport them should go there because this will not cerning the troubled country. than Gaddafi about the risks of inter- Gaddafi claimed Al Qaeda cells had will happen. “This is the last chance back to their home countries. end peacefully,” Blair warned. Committee chair Crispin Blunt said vention,” he said. been attacking police stations, saying: to resolve this peacefully.” 06 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 ASIA / PHILIPPINES

China says ruling Philippines flays Chinese flights to island Communist Party to be strongest voice in cyberspace The Philippines has asked a United AFP Nations-backed tribunal to void BEIJING: China’s Internet regula- China’s claim over tor has vowed to make the views of the ruling Communist Party the almost the entire “strongest voice in cyberspace”, state South China Sea. It media said yesterday. The Cyberspace Administration expects a decision of China (CAC) made the promise in this year a statement following talks on “the governance of cyberspace with Chi- nese socialist characteristics”, the official Xinhua news agency said. Reuters & AFP China has some of the tight- est Internet controls in the world, deleting online content it deems to be sensitive and blocking Western MANILA: The Philippines denounced websites and the services of Internet yesterday Chinese flights to an artificial giants including Facebook, Twit- island in the disputed South China Sea ter and Google with the so-called and said if China was not challenged “Great Firewall of China”. it was likely to impose an “unaccept- Last year, a report by Amer- able” air defence zone over the area. ican think tank Freedom House China landed two test flights on an found that the country had the island it has built in the South China most restrictive Internet policies Sea on Wednesday, four days after of 65 nations studied, ranking below its first landing on the 3,000 metre Iran and Syria. Even so Beijing has (10,000 feet) runway on a reef on the sought to sell its idea of “Internet Spratly Islands. sovereignty” — the concept that “We are very concerned about the individual countries should gov- fact that China had already flown their ern their own cyberspace — raising flights to Fiery Cross Reef,” Philippine concerns from rights groups who Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario see it as at odds with a vision of the told a news conference. network as an open global resource. “If this is not challenged, we will The CAC statement, issued on have a situation where China will take Wednesday on its official website, a position that an air defence identifi- referenced an unidentified survey cation zone could be imposed.” that found 90.6 percent of Internet Philippine President Benigno Aquino greets visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace China declared such a zone over users to be “full of confidence in the the East China Sea in 2013, where it in Manila yesterday. healthy development” of China’s has over-lapping claims with Japan. Internet. It said it will use China’s The United States criticised it as dan- the South China Sea, through which military purposes. China says it has “red flag” was raised, other than to entire South China Sea. It expects a Internet management model “to gerous and provocative. more than $5 trillion of world trade no hostile intent. say Britain would continue to assert decision this year. show the way for changes in glo- Under the zone’s rules, all air- passes every year, and has been British Foreign Secretary Philip its right to sail in the area. China did not participate in the bal Internet governance”. craft are meant to report flight plans increasingly assertive in staking its Hammond, on a visit to the Philip- Del Rosario said he was worried arbitration hearings at The Hague as China has already tried to influ- to Chinese authorities, maintain radio claim. pines, sais yesterday that any attempt that, with the test flights, China was lay- it maintained that sea disputes should ence the Internet beyond its borders contact and reply promptly to iden- Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan to restrict air and sea travel in the ing the groundwork for the declaration be resolved bilaterally. “Win or lose, through events like its annual World tification inquiries. US, Japanese and and the Philippines have rival claims disputed South China Sea would be of an Air Defence Identification Zone we will abide by the rule of law and Internet Conference, the second edi- South Korean military aircraft have to parts of the sea, which is believed viewed as a “red flag”. (ADIZ), similar to the one it declared we expect China to do the same,” Del tion of which was held in December. breached the zone without inform- to have rich deposits of oil and gas. “Freedom of navigation and over- in the East China Sea that riled Japan. Rosario said. President Xi Jinping expressed ing China. The runway at the Fiery Cross Reef flight are non-negotiable. They are Chinese foreign ministry spokes- Hammond said Britain would not China’s intention to continue rul- Del Rosario said the Philippines is one of three China has been build- red flags for us,” Hammond told a woman Hua Chunying said on take sides on the dispute but appealed ing its web with an iron fist. “Like in would protest to China about its flights. ing for more than a year by dredging joint news conference with Rosa- Saturday after announcing the first to claimants to resolve their differ- the real world, freedom and order “These are provocative actions which sand up onto reefs and atolls. rio in Manila. test flight that it was “civilian” in nature. ences under international law. “We are both necessary in cyberspace: we need to think about and we need The United States has criticised Hammond, whose Manila visit fol- The Philippines has asked a recognise the tribunal and we will freedom is what order is meant for, to take positions on,” he said. China’s construction of the islands and lowed a trip to China, did not elaborate United Nations-backed tribunal to recognise the decision of the tribu- and order is the guarantee for free- China claims almost the whole of worries that it plans to use them for on what action would be taken if the void China’s claim over almost the nal,” Hammond said. dom,” he said.

Bangladesh strike UN rights chief demands Thai action on 82 missing people

AFP supreme court upheld the 2011 acquit- bundled into a car on the night he tal of five police officers accused of vanished. But since Thailand does involvement in his abduction and not recognise the crime of enforced disappearance. disappearance, the court only consid- GENEVA: The UN human rights Zeid harshly criticised that deci- ered charges of robbery and coercion, chief urged the Thai government to sion, accusing the Supreme Court of not for disappearing him or murder, do more to determine the fates of 82 missing “an opportunity to protect the the UN rights office said. people listed as disappeared, includ- rights of the victims to truth, justice Zeid called on the Thai government ing a prominent human rights lawyer and redress in cases of involuntary to criminalise enforced and voluntary missing for 12 years. and enforced disappearance.” disappearance, in line with interna- “All of the families of those who Somchai disappeared from the tional standards. have disappeared have the right to streets of Bangkok under the govern- “There is a lack of adequate legal know the truth regarding the disap- ment of Thaksin Shinawatra during and institutional framework for the pearance of their kin, as well as any a surge in fighting between the army victims and their families to seek jus- progress and the results of investi- and Islamist militants in Thailand’s tice in enforced disappearance cases gations,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said deep south. in Thailand,” he said. in a statement. Thaksin, who was eventually This is of particular concern, the He voiced particular concern deposed in a military coup, was on UN rights office statement said, since about the case of Somchai Neela- record as saying the lawyer had been “the issue of enforced disappearances paijit, a Muslim lawyer who vanished killed by at least four government in which state officials have been impli- An aerial view of a busy street during a countrywide dawn-to -dusk strike called by the Jamaat e-Islami, in 2004 while he was defending sus- officials, although his body has never cated remains a serious concern.” in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. Jamaat enforced the shutdown in protest against the death penalty pected Islamic militants who had been found. Somchai’s unsolved case is just of their chief leader Motiur Rahman Nizami who is convicted for his crimes during the liberation war accused authorities of torturing them Five police officers eventually one of 82 enforced disappearances against Pakistan in 1971. while in custody. stood trial over the incident after eye- recorded in Thailand by a group of Late last month, Thailand’s witnesses reported seeing Somchai UN experts since 1980, it pointed out. Hong Kong booksellers’ disappearance cut deep into freedom fears

AFP triggered the most outrage. Publisher Lee Bo, bookstore, which sells titles banned on the years — Chinese law enforcers have no right lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said. “We are at a cross- 65, was last seen in Hong Kong — the only one mainland. Tang described the disappearances to operate in the city. roads — if we tolerate this, more will come, so of the five men to have disappeared while in as “white terror”. “None of us know how far it The disappearances come against a we have no choice but to say no.” his home city. will go,” he said. simmering backdrop of disaffection over The tiny bookstore in the busy shopping HONG KONG: The disappearance of five Hong “The biggest problem is if they really came There were new reports that mainland increased interference from Beijing in pol- district of Causeway Bay run by the missing Kong booksellers has sent shivers through the to Hong Kong to snatch people. It has never agents had threatened two more Hong Kong- itics and education. booksellers was one of dozens in Hong Kong semi-autonomous city as anxiety grows that happened before,” Jin Zhong, a mainland-born, based publishers involved in putting out books In 2014 tens of thousands brought parts of to sell books banned on the mainland. Chinese control is tightening. Hong Kong-based publisher of banned books, about political intrigue on the mainland, and Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two Shelves were stacked with titles covering Bookshops are removing political works said. “If it becomes a norm and people can be had paid for some books to be destroyed. months after Beijing imposed restrictions on behind-the-scenes political wrangles, private from their shelves, while publishers and store snapped up anytime from here... it is a big blow.” Furious pro-democracy lawmakers, activists candidates for the city’s next leader. stories of Chinese leaders and unreported cor- owners selling titles banned in mainland China The other four men are believed to have and residents, who believe Lee was kidnapped There have also been recent protests over ruption scandals. say they now feel under threat. The five miss- gone missing when they were visiting south- by mainland authorities, say Beijing is tram- perceived political appointments at universities. The shop has been closed for days. Indus- ing men all worked for publishing house Mighty ern China and Thailand. pling the “one country, two systems” deal under “If it was really a deliberate act, I think it try sources say the majority of customers Current, known for books critical of the Chi- “As a free society, we are supposed to be which Hong Kong has been governed since it serves to give a strong signal to the people of visiting the stores come from the mainland, nese government, and are feared to have been able to provide an open platform for different was handed back by Britain to China in 1997. Hong Kong that the Central government is no ranging from ordinary citizens to party offi- detained by mainland authorities. voices in Hong Kong,” said Paul Tang, owner The two sides agreed Hong Kong was to longer willing to tolerate anything which is caus- cials keen for information on what may be But it is the latest disappearance that has of the city’s People’s Recreation Community preserve its freedoms and way of life for 50 ing embarrassment to them,” pro-democracy a state secret back home. ASIA / AFRICA FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 07 South Korea seeks US weapons after North’s N-test

strategic assets on the divided Korean “We are worried about how things The United States peninsula, but declined to give fur- are developing,” the spokeswoman, ther details. Hua Chunying, told a briefing. and weapons experts After North Korea last tested a Asked about a suggestion from US voiced doubts the nuclear device, in 2013, Washington Republican presidential front-run- sent a pair of nuclear-capable B-2 ner Donald Trump that China could device North Korea stealth bombers on a sortie over South do more to rein in North Korea, Hua tested on Wednesday Korea in a show of force. At the time, said: “What constructive efforts have was a hydrogen North Korea responded by threatening they made?” a nuclear strike on the United States. Hours after the nuclear test, the bomb South Korea, technically in a state of U.N. Security Council said it would war against the North, said it was not work immediately on significant new considering a nuclear deterrent of its measures against Reuters own, despite calls from ruling party North Korea. Diplomats said that leaders. The United States is highly could mean an expansion of sanc- unlikely to restore the tactical nuclear tions, although major powers might missiles it removed from South Korea baulk at an all-out economic offensive. SEOUL: South Korea is in talks with in 1991, experts said. North Korea has a long history of the United States to deploy US strate- The test was a “grave violation” bellicose rhetoric against the United gic weapons on the Korean peninsula, of an August agreement by the two States and its Asian allies but its a South Korean military official said Koreas to ease tension and improve assertion that it had tested a hydro- yesterday, a day after North Korea ties, a South Korean national secu- gen device, much more powerful than said it successfully tested a hydro- rity official, Cho Tae-yong, said in a an atomic bomb, came as a surprise. gen nuclear device. statement. North Korea also said it was capa- South Korea also said it would “Our military is at a state of full ble of miniaturising the H-bomb, in resume propaganda broadcasts by readiness, and if North Korea wages theory allowing it to be placed on a loudspeaker into North Korea from provocation, there will be firm missile and threatening the US West today, which is likely to infuriate its punishment.” Coast, South Korea and Japan. isolated rival, in response to its fourth The South raised its military alert The US State Department con- nuclear test. to the highest level in areas along the firmed North Korea had conducted The United States and weapons border near its propaganda loud- a nuclear test but the Obama admin- experts voiced doubts the device North speakers, the South’s Yonhap news istration disputed the hydrogen bomb Korea tested on Wednesday was a agency reported that the United States claim. hydrogen bomb, but calls mounted is limited in its military response for “The initial analysis is not con- for more sanctions against it for its fear of provoking an unpredictable sistent with the claim the regime has rogue nuclear programme. regime in Pyongyang, said Anthony made of a successful hydrogen bomb The underground explosion Cordesman, a defence policy expert test,” White House spokesman Josh angered China, which was not given at the Washington-based Center for Earnest told reporters. prior notice although it is North Korea’s Strategic and International Studies The test took place two days ahead main ally, pointing to a strain in their think—tank. of what is believed to be North Korean ties. “Any escalation in this region, any leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday. The test also alarmed Japan. Its over-reaction can easily lead to not North Korea called the device prime minister, Shinzo Abe, agreed only a conflict between South and the “H-bomb of justice”, but its state with US President Barack Obama North Korea, but drag China and the news agency also said it would act as in a telephone call that a firm glo- United States and Japan into a con- a responsible nuclear state and would bal response was needed, the White frontation,” Cordesman said. not use its nuclear weapons unless its House said. A Chinese foreign ministry spokes- sovereignty was infringed. Obama also spoke to President woman called for a resumption of The impoverished state boasts of Park Geun—hye of South Korea to dis- so-called six-party talks between the its military might to project strength cuss options. A South Korean military two Koreas, China, the United States, globally but also plays up the need to South Korean activists burn an effigy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un during a rally against North official said that the two countries Japan and Russia aimed at curbing defend itself from external threats as a Korea’s apparent hydrogen bomb test in Seoul, yesterday. had discussed the deployment of US North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. way to maintain control domestically. Kenyans recall university massacre

AFP Nairobi, witnesses lined up to testify down,” said another student, Evelyn about the horror they had experienced Chepkemoi, according to The Stand- as masked gunmen staged a terrify- ard newspaper. ing pre-dawn assault on the campus, Chepkemoi, who was shot in the NAIROBI: Survivors of a university with their accounts detailed in Ken- legs and hand, said she lay among massacre in Kenya where Islamist gun- ya’s main newspapers. the bodies of her slaughtered class- men killed 148 people have recounted While an early hearing was held in mates, pretending to be dead for over scenes of terror at a trial of five men November, the main witnesses began five hours until the security forces linked to the slaughter. giving evidence this week. entered the hall. The deadly attack at Garissa Uni- Addressing the court, Rispa “I played dead for several hours versity in northeastern Kenya on April Nyang’au said she was at a dawn prayer before I was rescued,” The Star news- 2, 2015, was claimed by Somalia’s Al- meeting with around 30 Christian stu- paper quoted her as saying. Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents. It dents when she saw a “tall man armed On Thursday a leader of a mosque was the East African nation’s dead- with a rifle”, his face covered, hurl an in Garissa gave evidence, describing liest attack since the 1998 bombing explosive device into the room. how Charles turned up to prayers in of the US embassy in Nairobi. “I heard an explosion and saw the three days before the attack, add- Four gunmen involved in the mas- sparks, before the man walked into ing he had not been seen there before. sacre were killed, but five others have the hall and started shooting,” she said, The trial is set to continue Friday. been charged with 162 counts of ter- in testimony reported by the Daily Prosecution lawyers say they will call rorism and conspiracy to commit an Nation newspaper. around 30 witnesses to give evidence. attack, with the trial underway in the During the attack, the gunmen Garissa University formally reo- Kenyan capital on Wednesday. lined up non-Muslim students for pened this week, for the first time since The five accused are Mohamed execution in what President Uhuru the massacre, with most of the staff Ali Abdikar, Hassan Aden Hassan, Kenyatta described at the time as a reporting for duty ahead of the new Sahal Diriye and Osman Abdi who “barbaric medieval slaughter”. term. Around 60 students are expected are thought to be Kenyan or Somali “I heard the door opening, they to begin classes on January 11. This nationals, and Rashid Charles, a Tan- were spraying us with bullets and incident had attracted the attention Garrisa University terror attack suspects from (left to right) Rashid Charles, Sahal Diriye, Osman Abdi, zanian national.They have denied the shortly after there was silence in the of world and it was a heart numbing Hasan Aden and Mohamed Abikar appear at the Law courts in Nairobi. charges. Speaking to the court in hall as most of my colleagues had fallen experience for all.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency Johannesburg’s arrests Buhari’s ally Africans may embrace GM crops temperature Reuters other plants, pollute the environment which include good agronomic prac- hits record high AFP merged in 2013 to form the All Pro- and could have long-term health effects tices,” Jonathan Mufandaedza, chief gressives Congress (APC). Buhari was for humans.Zimbabwe, for instance, executive at National Biotechnology the APC candidate at elections last says although GM crops may initially Authority of Zimbabwe, a government JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s March, beating incumbent Goodluck HARARE: A scorching drought in be resistant to pests, the resistance agency said. The United States, Brazil financial hub Johannesburg hit a NIGERIA: Nigeria’s anti-graft agency Jonathan. “It is true that he (Isa) has Southern Africa that led to wide- could breakdown over time. and India are the world’s largest grow- record temperature of 38 degrees yesterday said it has arrested a been arrested,” said EFCC spokes- spread crop failure could nudge GMO advocates, however, say the ers of GM crops while in Africa, South Celsius yesterday, the South African former political associate of Pres- man Wilson Uwujaren. African nations to finally embrace fears are not scientifically proven, add- Africa is the only country producing Weather Service said, as a drought ident Muhammadu Buhari as part “His arrest is linked with the genetically modified (GM) crops to ing that poor African farmers are likely GM maize on a commercial scale. persisted in Africa’s largest pro- of an ongoing corruption probe into current investigation on the former improve harvests and reduce grain to benefit most from reduced use of Sixteen percent of Zimbabwe’s ducer of maize. allegedly bogus arms deals. national security advisor, Colonel imports. pesticides, lower production costs, population require food aid this year. The previous record of 36.5 Lawal Jafaru Isa, a former Kaduna Sambo Dasuki.” The drought, which extends to higher yields and high prices for crops. The government plans to import up to degrees Celsius was recorded in state military governor under gen- No further details were given South Africa, the continent’s biggest The African drought’s impact is 700,000 tonnes of maize and with its November 2015, the weather serv- eral Sani Abacha, was arrested late about why Isa was arrested, although maize producer, has been exacerbated particularly serious for Zimbabwe, usual sources of maize like Zambia ice said. Wednesday at his Abuja residence, he is said to be close to Dasuki, who by an El Nino weather pattern and fol- where the economy has struggled and Tanzania facing lower harvests Temperatures in the capital the Economic and Financial Crimes served under Jonathan. lows dry spells last year that affected for five years to recover from a cat- this year, Zimbabwe could end up Pretoria scaled a new high of 42.5 Commission told AFP. Dasuki is alleged to have awarded countries from Zimbabwe to Malawi. astrophic recession marked by billion receiving GM maize after all. degrees Celsius, from a previous He is the head of state’s first party some $2 billion in bogus deals for Aid agency Oxfam has said 10 percent hyperinflation and widespread This year, South Africa, which record of 41, with the latest rolling ally arrested in the probe. fighter jets, helicopters, weapons and million people, mostly in Africa, face food shortages. produces more than 40 percent of heat wave to scorch South Africa The retired brigadier general was ammunition for the military battling hunger because of droughts and poor Zimbabwe does not accept GM Southern African maize may need to expected to last until Friday. the Kano state governorship candi- Boko Haram Islamists in northeast rains. That has brought GM crops to maize imports, and when it has import up to 5 million tonnes of maize South Africa may need to import date for the Congress for Progressives Nigeria. But the hardware failed the fore, especially maize, a staple accepted emergency GM maize aid, due to drought, the country’s largest as much as 5 million tonnes of maize Change (CPC) in the 2011 election. to materialise and the money was crop grown and consumed in most it has been milled under security watch. producer group, Grain SA said this this year, roughly half of its require- Buhari was the party’s presidential instead diverted to Jonathan’s Peoples sub-Saharan countries. Many African “GM crops are one of the alter- week. African nations eying a revo- ments, because of its worst drought candidate. Democratic Party (PDP) to finance countries have banned GM crops, argu- native solutions for reducing hunger lutionary agricultural production by in three decades, the country’s larg- The CPC and three other parties his re-election bid. ing that they will cross contaminate on the continent among many others adopting GM crops. est producer group said. 08 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 PAKISTAN Media told to be cautious on Saudi-Iran row

directed the media to be careful when airing discussions about the Foreign Affairs current standoff between Saudi Ara- Adviser Sartaj Aziz bia and Iran. The authority referred to a recently said Pakistan was a aired controversial programme, which friend of both Saudi forced the channel’s management to Arabia and Iran and apologise and issue a clarification. The two-page directive said would seek to heal that the talk show in question did the rift between not consider the traditional and cul- tural relations with other countries them during Saudi and that the media’s careless attitude Foreign Minister Adel could damage diplomatic relations with friendly nations. Al Jubeir’s visit The notification said it was unfor- tunate that certain talk show hosts had used language that could have hurt or offended the audience and reminded Internews & AFP news channels that discussion promot- ing sectarianism was not permitted Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz (second left) and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir in Islamabad yesterday. under the National Action Plan. Pemra has directed the senior man- ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic agement of news channels to oversee controversial views. sides as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of both Saudi Arabia and Iran, and links with both Iran and Saudi Ara- Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) the content of their programmes, talk Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s foreign tries to stem sectarian violence at home would seek to heal the rift between bia and improve access to their vast has directed news channels to be care- shows and news reports relating to minister arrived in Pakistan. Saudi and boost economic ties with both Saudi them during Al Jubeir’s visit. energy resources to fuel its power- ful while discussing developments in Saudi-Iran relations. Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shia Arabia and Iran. “Pakistan has called for resolution hungry economy. the Middle East, with particular refer- The Pemra notification, signed cleric on Saturday has inflamed tension Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al of differences through peaceful means Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have ence to the prevailing tensions between by Operations Manager Fakhruddin across the Middle East and infuriated Jubeir is due to meet Sharif. He met in the larger interest of Muslim unity cultivated a close alliance for decades, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Mughal, ordered all television chan- Iran, Riyadh’s main rival in the region. Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz in these challenging times,” Aziz told and Sharif spent time in political exile In a directive issued to all licenced nels to follow the guidelines issued by Pakistan, which has a large Shia and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif. parliament on Tuesday. in Saudi Arabia in the 2000s, after he news channels yesterday, Pemra the authority and to avoid broadcasting minority, has sought to avoid taking Aziz said that Pakistan was a friend Pakistan wants to deepen trade was ousted in a military coup. Chinese pressure sees Pakistan mull status of region disputed by India

AFP of its revenue, as well as send two lawmak- territory claimed both by India and Pakistan,” consulate in Afghanistan on Monday. incorporation of areas under Pakistani rule. ers to the federal parliament for the first time the official, speaking on condition of anonym- But according to Pakistani strategic analyst Probably a good step as it may lead to the per- — albeit as observers. ity, said. Ayesha Siddiqa, the move could also demon- manent settlement of the Kashmir issue with Islamabad has historically insisted the The corridor plans have been strongly strate Islamabad’s desire to end the Kashmir both countries content with what they cur- ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering upgrad- parts of Kashmir it controls are semi-auton- criticised by New Delhi, with India’s Foreign conflict by formally absorbing the territory rently have under their rule.” ing the constitutional status of its northern omous and has not formally integrated them Minister Sushma Swaraj in June calling the it controls — and, by extension, recognising The G-B region’s ambiguous legal status Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is also claimed into the country, in line with its position that project “unacceptable” for crossing through New Delhi’s claims to parts of the region it has long meant that it has relatively little say by India, in a bid to provide legal cover to a a referendum should be carried out across the Indian-claimed territory. controls, such as the Kashmir Valley. “If we in its own affairs and was directly ruled from multi-billion-dollar Chinese investment plan, whole of the region. India and Pakistan have fought two full-scale begin to absorb it so can India. It legitimises Islamabad, despite the pretence of autonomy. officials said yesterday. A top government official from Gilgit- wars over Kashmir since gaining independ- their absorption of the valley,” she said. Ibrahim Sanai, the region’s information The move could signal a historic shift in Baltistan said the move was in response to ence from Britain in 1947 and any changes to Mohan Guruswamy, head of the New Delhi- minister, said: “Gilgit-Baltistan will be made Pakistan’s position on the future of the wider concerns raised by Beijing about the China Paki- the status quo could potentially prove a fur- based think tank Centre for Policy Alternatives an independent provisional province till the Kashmir region, observers have said, weeks stan Economic Corridor, an ambitious $46bn ther setback to hopes for dialogue that were said despite its avowed claim over G-B, the final decision on Kashmir issue. after fragile peace talk efforts that received a infrastructure plan to link China’s western revived after Modi made the historic Lahore visit. Indian government may not react strongly. But Amanullah Khan, chairman of the boost after India’s Prime Minister Narendra city of Kashgar to the Pakistani port of Gwa- Those efforts were already seen as frag- “There will be some noise in India but the coun- nationalist Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alli- Modi visited Lahore in December. dar on the Arabian Sea. ile following a deadly attack on an Indian air try has never shown a political consensus to ance, said Islamabad was attempting to pass The proposal would grant the mountainous “China cannot afford to invest billions of base near the Pakistan border Saturday that take back those areas from Pakistan,” he said. legislation that would allow it to plunder the region greater legislative powers and control dollars on a road that passes through a disputed was followed by a 25-hour siege on an Indian “This step is basically to formalise the region’s resources.

Musharraf likely Fuel for food to face House Some Taliban factions likely to scrutiny over power violation take part in peace process

Internews Reuters of a group of Taliban leaders based in two years, threw the militant group the Pakistani city of Quetta. Afghan into disarray, stopping the fledgling officials say the meeting schedule does peace process in its tracks. not include any Taliban representation, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, Mullah ISLAMABAD: Former president KABUL/PESHAWAR: Some fac- but they do not rule out the possibil- Omar’s longtime deputy, took over the General Pervez Musharraf (retd) is tions within the Afghan Taliban are ity of the group joining at some stage. leadership, but was rejected by parts likely to face a parliamentary scru- considering taking part in a peace With security worsening, Kabul of the movement which accuse him of tiny for allegedly protecting one of process that officials from Afghani- is trying to limit expectations of a covering up Omar’s death for his own his hand-picked envoys, a retired stan and Pakistan aim to revive next breakthrough, and says the aim of gains and of being Pakistan’s puppet. military general, after he was found week, several senior members said, next week’s talks is to work out a road But Mansour’s faction has shown involved in embezzlement during in a softening of the militants’ recent map for peace negotiations and a way signs of warming to the idea of join- his posting aboard. stance against talks. of assessing whether they remain on ing peace talks at some stage. A senior officer of the National Next week’s meeting in Islamabad track. “This will help Afghanistan and One militant said they had received Accountability Bureau told the Pub- between officials from Afghanistan, our partners to measure the tangibil- “positive” signals from different lic Accounts Committee that Major Pakistan, the United States and China ity and sincerity of efforts taken by sources to make preparations for likely General Mustafa Quraishi (retd) was is intended as the first step towards the parties,” President Ashraf Ghani’s talks, but that it had not been decided ambassador of Pakistan to Indone- resuming stalled negotiations aimed spokesman said in an emailed response when or where they would be held. sia in February 2002 and he sold at ending the 14-year-old war that to questions on the objectives of the A senior Taliban commander said the chancery building. NAB officials kills hundreds each month and has meeting. Sirajuddin Haqqani, Mansour’s deputy did not reveal the exact volume but intensified in the past year. It is uncertain whether the latest and the head of the feared Haqqani said that misconduct is established Whether the Taliban, increas- violence in Afghanistan is intended to network blamed for a series of sui- in this particular case when asked ingly dominant on the battlefield since disrupt talks or strengthen the Tali- cide attacks in Kabul, may take part. by Pakistan Tehreek Insaf’s Shafqat the withdrawal of most international ban’s negotiating hand, but government Another, however, believed that if Mahmood and Dr Arif Alvi. troops by the end of 2014 yet riven by Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah Haqqani was involved it would only According to an inquiry report factional infighting, eventually joins said Kabul would not bow to pres- be through proxies, as he was unwill- prepared in 2011 by a ministerial the talks is far from clear. sure. “I hope that various groups of ing to risk his security by coming out committee whose convener was Even if it did, those present would the Taliban do not think that,” he said. into the open. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, now Speaker of only represent part of the Islamist mil- After six months of worsening The Taliban’s main spokesman, National Assembly, General Quraishi itant movement fighting to topple the fighting, with the province of Hel- Zabihullah Mujahid, said no formal sold out the building against $1.32m. government in Kabul and restore strict mand slipping out of control and negotiating team had been appointed, “I do acknowledge that all the points Islamic rule in place before it was frequent suicide bombings in the cap- but he stopped short of a full denial raised in the report are valid and ousted in 2001. ital, Afghanistan and its neighbours of involvement. “We haven’t received a deal was struck in a non-trans- But important elements of the Tali- are trying to return to peace talks, any formal message for peace talks parent manner,” confessed the then ban have signalled they may be willing albeit without the Taliban for now. so far and therefore we didn’t appoint Foreign Secretary, Salman Bashir. to send negotiators at some point. Leadership divisions may impede our team for negotiations,” he said. It is alleged that the Foreign Office One Taliban commander said prep- progress, with some militant factions By contrast, Mansour’s rivals, led sold old chancery and embassy resi- arations had gone as far as choosing a saying they will not take part. “There by Mullah Mohammad Rasoul, are dence in Tokyo in 2007 under a swap team, including two members of the is no such thing as the Taliban, there holding out. “We are not involved and arrangement on single evaluation Taliban’s office in Qatar, but others are groups of Taliban,” Ghani said last will never be part of Mullah Mansour’s causing a loss of 6.3bn Japanese yen. were more cautious. month. The announcement last July, peace negotiation,” said Rasoul’s dep- A girl helps her brother to fill a sack with dry twigs to be used The evaluation company was chosen “We may do it after the venue, time shortly after inaugural talks between uty and spokesman, Mullah Manan as fuel for cooking and heating during winter at a field on the without advertisement, the purchase and terms and conditions for the pro- Kabul and the Afghan Taliban were Niazi, adding the group’s objective offer was a single offer and no adver- outskirts of Peshawar yesterday. posed talks are decided by these four staged, that its founder Mullah Moham- remained to drive foreign forces out tisement was made. countries first,” said one senior member mad Omar had been dead for more than of Afghanistan completely. ASIA / INDIA FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 09 J&K Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed dead

he allied with the BJP to become the chief minister in March last year as Sayeed’s body assembly elections produced a hung was flown into verdict. President Pranab Mukherjee Srinagar and led the nation in mourning Sayeed’s death, saying his contribution to Jammu Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir and India through long government years of public service would always be remembered. announced a week— Prime Minister Narendra Modi said long mourning and Sayeed’s “exemplary leadership had a major impact on people’s lives”. Cred- a day’s holiday iting him with “statesmanship”, he Mufti Muhammad Sayeed said: “Mufti sahab provided a heal- ing touch to Jammu and Kashmir.” After taking on the iconic Sheikh Added Congress president Sonia Abdullah, Sayeed became a cabinet IANS Gandhi: “Muftiji’s contribution as a minister in Jammu and Kashmir in humanist and to public life in various 1972. Just three years later, he became capacities will forever be remembered.” head of the state unit of the Congress Sayeed was the third chief minis- party. He joined Prime Minister Rajiv SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief ter of the state to die in office -- after Gandhi’s government in 1986 but quit Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, G.M. Sadiq (1971) and Sheikh Abdul- the next year to throw his lot with V P who led the first coalition govern- lah (1982). Singh, who revolted against Gandhi’s ment in the state also involving the As Sayeed’s body was flown into leadership and went on to become the BJP, died in New Delhi yesterday, 14 Srinagar and was received by union prime minister in 1989. days after he was hospitalized. Amid Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Sayeed became the home minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh pay their respects to the body of Mufti national mourning, his body was flown former chief ministers Ghulam Nabi in the V P Singh government -- the first Mohammad Sayeed at Palam Airport in New Delhi, yesterday. to Srinagar for eventual burial in his Azad and Omar Abdullah as well as Muslim to hold the crucial portfolio. hometown Bijbehara. relatives, the Jammu and Kashmir Within days, however, militants Sayeed, who was also India’s first government announced a week- abducted his third daughter, Rubaiya Muslim home minister, passed away long mourning and a day’s holiday Sayeed, in Srinagar, forcing the V P at 9.10am at the All India Institute of yesterday. Singh government to free five jailed Mehbooba Mufti likely to be sworn in as CM Medical Sciences, three days after he Sayeed’s funeral prayers and bur- guerrillas from Jammu and Kashmir. was put on ventilator following a dete- ial will take place in the evening at In 1999, after a brief stint again rioration in his condition. the Dara Shikoh Park in Bijbehara in in the Congress when P V Narasimha IANS handed over a letter to Governor, N N A severely diabetic, Sayeed “died Anantnag district, PDP sources said. Rao became its leader, Sayeed and Vohra through which the PDP has nom- due to bone marrow dysfunction”, a His body was brought to Srinagar in daughter Mehbooba Mufti floated the inated Mehbooba Mufti as the leader hospital spokesman said. He was an Indian Air Force plane. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Meh- of its legislature party in the state. admitted on December 24 with fever The body was later taken to Say- booba Mufti is now tipped to head SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Mehbooba Mufti is presently a as well as chest infection. eed’s official residence here. Born in the PDP-BJP coalition government. Party (PDP) president Mehbooba member of the Lok Sabha from the Leader of the Peoples Democratic Bijbehara on January 12, 1936 to a fam- Janata Dal-United president Sharad Mufti, the daughter of the late chief state’s Anantnag as per constitutional Party (PDP), Sayeed—who survived ily of ‘Peers’ who earn their living by Yadav said he always believed in the minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, norms, will have to either get elected several attacks on him by militants preaching and teaching religious prac- politics of togetherness. Yadav said is likely to be sworn in as his succes- to the assembly within six months or —was chief minister the first time in tices, Sayeed studied in Srinagar and he has lost his great associate, guide sor, sources said. get nominated to the legislative coun- 2002-05 in a coalition government then at the Aligarh Muslim Univer- and elder brother, and the country lost “Senior party leaders, Muzaffar cil within the same period. She would with the Congress. In his second stint, sity before he joined politics in 1959. a patriot and an able administrator. Hussain Beigh and Altaf Bukhari have be the first woman chief minister of country’sMehbooba only Mufti Muslim majority state. India names JeM’s chief Accept bungling in Pathankot, for Pathankot attack CPI-M tells government Overseas Indian Affairs to be under IANS IANS bungling which raises various disturb- there is a big army base in Pathankot? foreign ministry ing questions,” said an editorial in the “The defence of the perimeter CPI-M journal “People’s Democracy”. was left to the Defence Security Corps NEWDELHI: Union Exter- NEWDELHI: India has named “The government should not stand jawans, consisting of retired military nal Affairs Minister Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the NEW DELHI: The government must on prestige; it must acknowledge the personnel. It is they who suffered the Sushma Swaraj yesterday banned terror organisation Jaish-e- accept “bungling” in the response to shortcomings and conduct a proper maximum casualties. said the Ministry of Over- Muhammad, as well as the organisation the terror attack on the IAF base in probe so that such mistakes do not “There seems to have been no seas Indian Affairs (MOIA) itself and others as being responsible Pathankot and conduct “a proper recur again.” The editorial said what proper coordination between the vari- will be merged with her for the Pathankot attack in evidence probe”, the CPI—M has said. was urgently required was a review “of ous agencies and forces,” it added. “The ministry. She said her shared by National Security Advisor At the same time, the Communist the muddled and unfocussed response home minister declared the operation merger proposal was Ajit Doval with his Pakistani coun- Party of India—Marxist also urged to the terrorist action”. over and successful after the first day accepted by Prime Minis- terpart Nasir Janjua, according to Maulana Masood Azhar the government to stick to its pro- Pointing out that some security and had to withdraw his tweet sub- ter Narendra Modi. sources here. posed talks with Pakistan, saying a experts had called it a debacle, it said: sequently. This speaks of the inept “As minister for exter- JeM goes by two other names in individuals and groups will be included reversal “will only cramp India’s stra- “There are a number of questions which way the whole operation has been nal affairs and overseas Pakistan, after it was banned in 2002. in that,” the spokesperson said.Asked tegic options”. have arisen about the whole operation.” conducted.” Indian affairs, I realised However, External Affairs Ministry about the evidence, Swarup said he Six terrorists believed to be from It wanted to know how, despite suf- The CPI-M urged the Modi gov- that substantial work of spokesperson Vikas Swarup refrained “cannot make the intelligence public”. Pakistan sneaked into Punjab and ficient warning about the attack, the ernment to stay on course and not MOIA is done through from naming any group, while confirm- “This is a matter for investigation by raided the Indian Air Force base, kill- heavily armed terrorists penetrated let the “extremist-jihadi groups call our missions abroad,” ing that “actionable intelligence” had Pakistani authorities on the basis of the ing seven security personnel. All six the outer perimeter of the sprawling the shots. “The Pathankot incident, she said in a tweet. been provided to Pakistan. “We have evidence that we have provided them,” attackers were killed by security forces. complex and enter it. in fact, strengthens the government’s “Therefore, I proposed given some information to Pakistan. Swarup said. The attack exposed flaws “The (Narendra) Modi govern- “Why was the army not called in for hand when it takes up terrorism on to Hon’ble prime minis- They have to act on that information. All in security system. ment must accept that there has been combing operations, especially since the agenda in the talks. ter that MOIA should be merged with the ministry of external affairs,” she added. Naidu holds Gavi to support India’s Brush right and smile right Four arrested talks with Sonia over kidney on bills immunisation drive sales racket

NEWDELHI: Hinting at an early Hyderabad: A 22—year— budget session, Parliamentary IANS vaccines for children living in the old student from southern Affairs Minister M Venkaiah world’s poorest countries India was arrested Naidu yesterday met Con- Support will also be made availa- for allegedly playing gress president Sonia Gandhi ble for the measles-rubella combined a significant role in an and former prime minis- NEW DELHI: Gavi, a global vaccine vaccine. This vaccine protects children international kidney-sell- ter Manmohan Singh seeking alliance, has announced a partnership against measles, a highly infectious ing racket, police said cooperation on the early pas- with the government here to accelerate disease that kills at least 30,000 chil- yesterday. sage of GST and Real Estate access to modern, highly-efficacious dren in India every year. After selling one of his Bills. “The Congress presi- vaccines to support India’s immuni- “Together with WHO and Unicef, own kidneys for 500,000 dent assured to get back after sation programme, it was announced Gavi’s support will help India to rupees ($7,500) in Decem- holding internal discussion yesterday. turbo-charge its immunisation pro- ber 2014, Kasparaju with her party leaders,” said Under the partnership, Gavi will grammes,” Berkley said. Suresh, who was study- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. provide up to $500 million between “I applaud the government of ing hotel management 2016 and 2021. India, in particular the leadership in Hyderabad, allegedly Consulate ‘was The decision in this regard was of the prime minister and the health became an agent, per- taken during a meeting between Gavi’s minister, for taking such a bold posi- suading 15 people to sell CEO Seth Berkley and Prime Minister tion,” Berkley added. their own kidneys. target of rebels’ Narendra Modi here on Wednesday. “I applaud the government of Three hospitals in “The new partnership will accel- India, in particular the leadership of the Sri Lankan capital NEWDELHI: The Indian consu- erate the introduction of modern, the prime minister and the health min- Colombo are suspected to late in Afghanistan’s northern highly-efficacious vaccines in India, ister, for taking such a bold position be involved in the illegal city of Mazar-i-Sharif was protecting children against the leading on immunisation and for recognis- trade. Three others were “indeed” the target of ter- causes of disease, including pneu- ing the role it has to play in protecting also arrested in relation rorists on January 3, the monia and severe diarrhoea, which India’s children,” Berkley added. to the case. Recipients of government confirmed yes- claim lives of more than 200,000 Public also urged the govern- the kidneys were charged School children brush their teeth during a mass dental campaign terday. Last Sunday, militants children under the age of five every ment to conduct massive awareness 2.7 million rupees for the stormed the consulate, trig- year,” Gavi said in a statement here. programmes on the necessity of vac- at Delhi Public School in Bangalore, yesterday. Around 17,505 transplants, police said. gering a gun battle. Three of Gavi is an international organ- cinations to eradicate some sort of students from different private and government schools brushed The investigation is on to the attackers were killed and isation that was created in 2000 to myths existing among a group of peo- their teeth for two minutes continuously as part of the campaign. unearth all the links in it. nine people injured in attack. improve access to new and underused ple against vaccination. 10 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 VIEWS

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

EDITORIAL

Abhorrent assaults American police officers

HE assaults on women in Germany on New Year’s eve have examine their own biases caused outrage across Europe as the continent grapples with a refugee crisis considered the most serious after the TSecond World War. The European Right is likely to seize upon the abhorrent attacks, which also involved robbing, as an opportunity to proclaim yet again that it was right. Furore generated by As the shooting of As the shooting of unarmed pulled over while driving. Measuring the success of the incident has sent ripples across the political spectrum, which has been black men by police officers “Most of the time I got a ticket, I the training is difficult. Experts unarmed black men in the US has drawn increased deserved it,” he said in an Octo- say it is too simplistic to use citi- debating the issue of refugees and asylum-seekers who have swamped by police officers in scrutiny nationwide, local ber speech to police chiefs. But, zen complaint numbers because southern, western and northern Europe. Barbs so far exchanged between police departments are increas- he said, “there were times where factors far beyond implicit bias conservative and liberal political dispensations have acquired sharper the US has drawn ingly turning to “implicit bias I didn’t.” might influence those. Fridell overtones. increased scrutiny training” in hopes of helping “There are a lot of African- said she tried unsuccessfully to German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the subject of integration of nationwide, local their officers recognise their Americans, not just me, who get funding for a controlled eval- migrants yesterday while commenting on the incident. She promised strong prejudices and develop strat- have that same kind of story of uation of her course, but based egies for enforcing the law being pulled over, or frisked, or on satisfaction surveys and action against the perpetrators who, it is believed, numbered between police departments equitably in spite of them. The something. And the data shows other anecdotes, she feels the 20 and 30. Police have identified 16 suspects who surrounded women are increasingly idea is that simply understand- that this is not an aberration,” training works. Chuck Wexler, revellers and misbehaved with them. The men, who it is thought were in turning to “implicit ing your biases can help you Obama said. executive director of the Police an inebriated state, are said to be of North African origin. The assaults bias training” in overcome them and make more Fridell said she developed Executive Research Forum, said were not limited to the Rhineland city of Cologne in which police received informed judgments. a curriculum in 2008 or 2009, that even if you cannot quan- 121 complaints. Some 70 complaints have hopes of helping Recommended by President though she expanded it in 2011 tify its success, he thinks implicit emerged from the northern port city of their officers Barack Obama’s Task Force on or 2012 and has seen an increase bias training is more effective 21st Century Policing as one in demand since the unrest in than traditional cultural diver- Hamburg where also a group of women was recognise their way police departments can Ferguson, Missouri. sity training. Merkel’s refugee attacked and robbed. prejudices and reform, the training has been Capt Matthew Hanley, who “I think this is a very dif- In the absence of strong evidence, it offered in departments large runs the Virginia State Police’s ferent approach and a useful policy is in the is not yet clear if the perpetrators were develop strategies and small, including in New Training Division, said officials approach,” Wexler said. cross hairs after asylum-seekers. Germany is home to a large for enforcing the Orleans, Los Angeles and Seat- there decided to implement the Baltimore police Maj Marc New Year’s eve expatriate community from many parts of tle. The Virginia State Police training with Fridell’s company Partee, who runs training and law equitably in intend to roll bias training out to “get out in front” of possible professional development for the world. It would be preposterous to blame attacks on women spite of them to all troopers and new recruits mishaps. the department, said he is opti- in German cities. asylum-seekers before the police probe is in February, and the Prince “We’ve been fortunate in mistic the training will help the complete. George’s County, Maryland, Virginia. We haven’t had any real city move away from the climate The incident has stoked a debate on By Matt Zapotosky police department is developing high-profile incidents. But cer- that sparked riots after 25-year- integration and refugee policy in the The Washington Post its own version. Virginia Attor- tainly, we watch the news, too,” old Freddie Gray’s death in April. central European country that bypassed ney General Mark R Herring (D) Hanley said. Gray had suffered a severe neck the European economic crisis, and is an example of a strong democracy hopes to offer four training ses- The class is reliant on sci- injury in police custody and died sions this year so that smaller entific studies and designed to a week later. While it is hardly and a secular polity. Merkel’s right-leaning Christian Democratic Union altimore police officer departments might be able to appeal to law enforcement. In an indication of the success of has weathered many a storm after being accused of an excessively liberal Edward Gillespie send their officers to it. recent training near Richmond, bias training, there was no sim- refugee policy by left-leaning parties. flashed a picture of a Lorie Fridell, whose Fair instructors showed videos of ilar unrest when a mistrial was The German Chancellor, herself a daughter of a Lutheran pastor, has sneering man wear- & Impartial Policing company real police shootings — one in declared in the case of the first been largely courted by the refugees who see her as their saviour. Often ing a turban and travels across the nation con- which an officer was shot after officer to go on trial in connec- called Mommy Merkel, she strongly stood by her refugee policy, often Basked a classroom of fellow ducting such training, said the disregarding a white suspect tion with Gray’s death. officers, “Who is he?” firm is booked many months out, and another in which an officer “You can’t make that con- fending off attacks by a belligerent opposition. “A terrorist,” “Muslim,” “Tal- and the schedule is filling fast. opened fire seemingly with- nection with your community The latest attacks have undoubtedly stirred a hornet’s nest in the iban,” various members of the “I’m actually receiving a out provocation on a black man until you recognise that there is country as it heads into the New Year with its multifarious challenges. 2015 class responded. request per business day,” she he had confronted over a seat- bias,” Partee said in an interview saw Germany at the forefront of the refugee crisis. It was often praised for “Could he be special forces?” said. In the Baltimore class, belt violation. Retired Palo Alto before the trial began. what was considered the most liberal refugee policy after Turkey’s, which Gillespie asked. Gillespie asked officers to consider Lt Sandra Brown repeatedly Gillespie — who holds a mas- though not part of the bloc, aspires to be a European Union nation. “ISIS special forces,” some- that when they encounter some- appealed to the troopers’ desire ter’s degree from Johns Hopkins If police investigations find that the attacks were carried out by asylum- one joked. As some in the class one in the street, they have limited to come home at the end of their — asked probing questions about chuckled, Gillespie pressed his information — a person’s race, shifts, telling them policing the officers’ biases and offered seekers, it is likely to intensify opposition to Merkel’s refugee policy. A spike point. In an experiment in which general age and perhaps a distinc- based on stereotypes could be personal stories about his own. in resentment against refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, college students were told to tive style of dress. Their biases, unsafe, say, if they overlooked a On this much, the offic- which is a more likely outcome, will be more worrying for law keepers. shoot a gunman — and not shoot Gillespie said, fill in the rest. woman carrying a weapon. ers seemed to agree: All were the unarmed — participants The lesson did not encounter “If you think you might be a biased in some way. But, some were more likely to pull the trig- much resistance — though not gentleman, you’re going to have wondered, was a candid con- ger on those wearing hijabs or all regarded bias as inherently to override that when you’re versation about those biases turbans. Later, he gave a real- bad. “It’s definitely part of polic- working, because a woman productive? Was the scrutiny Quote of the day life example: In a shooting in Las ing,” one officer said. “You have could kill you today,” Brown they were under causing them to Vegas, he said, a man trying to to survive.” said. She added that civilians soften up, reducing their effec- intervene overlooked a woman Science on implicit bias is could be biased against the tiveness on the job? who was involved in killing two not new, and police departments police, and positive interac- “You see what happens. Look Let’s not overdramatise ... We police officers, only to have the are not alone in offering bias tions between the two could help at the crime rate!” officer Steven have to have friendly and woman turn the gun on him. training. Facebook, for exam- reduce those biases. Angelini exclaimed. The officers had come ple, unveiled a programme on That is not to say the training “Totally disagree,” coun- good relations with Poland together for the department’s the topic for employees last year. is universally endorsed. Del- tered drug unit detective Corey so our approach is very newest training initiative: a Cmdr Daniel Hickson of the DC roy Burton, chairman of the DC Jennings. “Crime goes in waves. frank discussion of their own police training academy said Police Union, said that while It has nothing to do with the constructive. We are not biases. Over the next few hours, the city has been offering the DC officers already get such police. It is what it is.” bashing Poland. they talked about race, age, gen- instruction for some time. instruction and he is generally One officer noted that the der — even dress — and how But calls for reform by the supportive of “more training lesson, in some ways, ran coun- these change the way they act on Black Lives Matter movement and more information,” he was ter to their academy training. the job. and others have pushed implicit sceptical of bringing in outsiders There, they were told not to talk By relying on bias, Gillespie bias training to the forefront of who might be unfairly critical of to people unless they called you, Jean-Claude Juncker asked, “that can degrade our the national conversation on law officers. or you needed to move them European Commission Chief safety, and it can also degrade enforcement practices. “To say that the police offic- off a street corner. Here, they what?” Obama recently addressed ers’ actions are a result of were being told to have positive “Our whole department,” an bias by police in his own life, implicit bias, I don’t know that interactions with people to help officer responded. talking about times he’d been that’s true,” Burton said. overcome bias.

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] OPINION FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 11 ‘The first casualty of war is truth’

also involves demonisation of a group of people and hence incitement of violence against them, based on a few selected ‘facts’ from history, much suspicion, and some- times blatant lies. One example of intense misuse of the media from the 1990s is the insidious Ser- bian nationalist propaganda campaign by The Radio Television of Serbia, a channel promoted by the ‘politician’ and indicted war criminal Slobodan Milosevic. The prop- aganda was encouraged by the religious mythology, blessings, and awards of the Serbian (and Greek) Orthodox Church at the time. It led to and perpetuated years By Laura Ball of violent ‘ethnic cleansing’, a euphemism The Peninsula for a religious war against Bosnians (Mus- lims) and even Croats (Catholics), involving burning of villages, mass rape and wide- spread slaughter— a huge humanitarian he first casualty of war is the and refugee crisis in Europe, similar to truth, said Arthur Ponsonby in the current situation. 1928, in his book ‘Falsehood in Another example is the propaganda Wartime’. Searching to under- through leaflets and letters written and stand the truth about what is distributed by Buddhist monks and other Thappening amongst all the reports and Buddhists, and inflammatory speeches by commentators about the so called ‘War some Buddhist monks, which have preceded on Terror’ is a difficult job. Each reporter, and accompanied the ongoing violent vil- each commentator, each politician and lage burning, slaughter and expulsion of each news outlet has their own biases and minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. interests, which causes them to make some These are examples of how propaganda assumptions. is a veritable tool of war. Nato recognised The role of the media and politicians this by bombing the RTS headquarters should be to protect their populations, during the Bosnian War, partly because promote justice and human rights, and to the station was also a coordinating cen- tre of communications for the Serbian nationalists. Interesting to note is that the pop- ulation suspected to be a threat were, prior to the eruption of violence, like the File picture of an ethnic Rohingya in Kuala Lumpur holding a placard during a rally protesting violence against Many incidents today in America targets of terrorism, largely living peace- Rohingyas in Myanmar. and Europe that are labelled as fully with and intermarrying with their ‘terrorism’ are suspected by an neighbours for long periods of time — as in Bosnia and Kosovo, or just living harm- detain, and even kill its own citizens, with- Hope can be found in the newly increasing number of the American lessly for hundreds of years, mostly in a out charge or due judicial process, and to multiplying alternative media outlets, and British public to be ‘false flags’. small isolated area away from the main take their resources without warrants, broadcasting online and spread via YouTube population, as with the Rohingya people. possibly describing the situation as a ‘state and other public social, media-sharing plat- False flag events have been used for Only a few small incidents may take place, of emergency’. The public should keep forms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. hundreds of years by governments and these are seized upon to hype up the alert for these types of changes, as they Increasing numbers of people are ques- and others worldwide to heighten public into a frenzy of fear and anger. In may not be easily reversible. Sometimes tioning the mainstream media’s version the case of the Rohingya it seems that it the measures may be justified, but rarely. of events, and coming up with alternative and sustain a tense atmosphere and was just a number of Buddhist girls mar- In response to incidents that have hit answers, often very passionately. These division of the population rying Muslim Rohingya men, and some of Americans, Australians and Europeans discourses are based upon the evidence them converting to Islam, that made the that are quickly labelled as terrorist acts gathered by an unprecedentedly active Buddhist establishment feel that its power by IS or other radical Muslims, the main and media-savvy public with widespread seek the truth about terrorist attacks in as and influence was threatened, and Bud- thrust of many corporate-controlled news access to media technologies. Defeating Muslims are a very objective a manner as possible. However, dhist culture undermined. reports in Western countries has been to the lies, finding and understanding the real positive force in today most politicians and channels seem Many incidents today in America and try to tar all Muslims with the same brush. enemies of peace and justice is their goal, limited in their ability to do this, being Europe that are labelled as ‘terrorism’ are Their message has been that even main- and how to most effectively tackle them. many Western dependent upon funding from one source suspected by an increasing number of the stream Muslims and refugees cannot be One of the most balanced of these societies, are or another and bound by the laws of a par- American and British public to be ‘false trusted, implying they are all potential sources is Democracy Now, broadcast ticular place. Money seems to influence flags’. False flag events have been used terrorists, they are the problem, or they from the US and funded only by view- extremely vocal politics in various liberal societies, call- for hundreds of years by governments are not doing enough to stand up against ers, to keep it unbiased. Other online or in standing up ing into question how real democracy, i e and others worldwide to heighten and or to sort out the problem of extreme and radio ‘channels’ give part of the truth, and against violence representation of, and a voice for all the sustain a tense atmosphere and division radical elements amongst them. a lot more in-depth background informa- people can be possible. It seems that today of the population, and deflect attention Any cursory perusal of the social media tion than mainstream broadcasters, but perpetrated the less than 1 percent with most of the from oppressive or unjust policies of a will prove the reverse to be true. Muslims also seem to have interests of one kind or supposedly in the power and money are often just trying to government, monarchy, or even those of a are a very positive force in many Western another that affect their ability to convey find any means to hold onto and increase religious institution, and towards the sup- societies, are extremely vocal in standing the full truth objectively. The true pic- name of Islam, and their monopoly of influence. posed threat of another group of people. up against violence perpetrated suppos- ture of what is really happening can be are the majority One thing is for certain: generalisa- A combination of politicians’ com- edly in the name of Islam, and are the obtained by viewing many sources and tions made about any group of people are ments, and unobjective media coverage, majority of the victims and main people thinking critically. Media, when diverse, of the victims going to be inaccurate and unjust. Against can be then used to apparently justify ‘pro- fighting on the ground against terrorist freely produced and accessed can, instead and main people all media ethics should be the use of the tective’ policies which spread suspicion groups such as IS. It is unsurprising when of being a tool to promote war, be a tool to media for propaganda purposes — to gen- of a whole religious community, or other would-be politicians such as Donald Trump work towards the truth, justice and peace fighting on the eralise in a very opinionated way in order group of people, or which reduce every and Ben Carson echo such blatant gener- that most of the global public want. ground against to spread amongst the public a feeling citizen’s right to privacy. In the name of alisations, as they are probably receiving terrorist groups of superiority, mistrust, suspicion, then safety and security, increasing powers to funding from the same sources, or hoping Laura Ball is the pen name of fear and panic about a particular group control the lives of the population maybe to please similar power bases, to ensure Luzita Ball, a writer and editor who has such as IS or groups of human beings. This process given to the government, to make arrests, their election success. a Masters in Urban Regeneration. A journalistic sin that is widely committed

By Barton Swaim more sophisticated form appears in Consider this passage, from a opinion sound like unassailable fact. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is “widely consid- The Washington Post a passive-voice clause that includes recent article in the Economist on Sometimes writers attempt to ered one of the most socially inept the word “widely”: “widely believed,” the trend toward greater college use a “widely” clause to validate an candidates.” Maybe both these state- “widely suspected,” “widely thought,” enrolment by women: “Numbers in observation but make nonsense of it ments are true and I am irritated by “widely considered,” and so on. many of America’s elite private col- in the process. From a recent article them only because, not sharing the hen I was young, my Clearly, there are some beliefs leges are more evenly balanced. It in the New York Times: “In the early writers’ political views, I am not friends and I would or suspicions that really are shared is widely believed that their opaque years of the AIDS crisis, it was widely included in their uses of “widely.” But support our more “widely,” and there is nothing wrong admissions criteria are relaxed for believed that the threat to women via when the New Yorker, in a highly flat- improbable factual with saying so. When a Telegraph men.” Maybe it’s “widely believed” intimate physical transmission was tering profile of Secretary of State John Wclaims by following them with the reporter writes that Malaysia Air- and maybe it isn’t — it depends on overblown.” But that belief couldn’t Kerry, refers offhandedly to “George words “ask anyone.” One of us would lines Flight 17 is “widely believed to what “widely” means — but that alle- have been very “widely” held if the W Bush, who is widely considered the make a preposterous statement, have been shot down by a surface-to- gation is a serious one, and it deserves threat was over-hyped — right? And worst president of the modern era,” another would say air missile fired by Russian-backed more support than a casual allusion again, in an otherwise fine piece on I am pretty sure that that “widely” it wasn’t true, and separatists,” that’s reasonable. The to what’s “widely believed.” British novelist John Cowper Powys in does not mean what most of us mean the response would connection can’t be documented with Similarly, an article published on the Telegraph, we read that “his name when we use it. be something like: finality, not yet anyhow, but almost the website of San Francisco’s public remains little known, even though Surely a “widely considered” opin- By far the most insidious use “Sure it is. Ask any- everybody believes it. media outlet KQED explained some he wrote what are widely thought to ion must be shared by almost everyone one.” In time, we Just as often, though, that little Democratic congressional leaders’ be at least three other great novels.” who has an opinion on the subject. In of “widely” occurs when the would learn that the word “widely” seems designed to reluctance to support the Iran deal. If the greatness of those novels is so any case, most people do not actu- word refers to a manifestly rules for corrobo- appear to do the work of citation or “It’s widely suspected,” we learn, “that “widely” appreciated, how can Pow- ally believe George W Bush to have rating assertions argument without actually doing it. many of these elected leaders have ys’s name remain little known? been the worst president of the mod- small number of people who were more strin- You can sense the author’s thought been influenced in part by power- By far the most insidious use of ern era. Ask anyone. nonetheless share the writer’s gent and that process: If he writes “US-British rela- ful conservative pro-Israeli lobbying “widely,” however, occurs when the disputable claims tions are thought to be at their most groups like the American Israel Pub- word refers to a manifestly small Barton Swaim is author of “The view required either rea- strained in decades,” the obvious ques- lic Affairs Committee, which strongly number of people who nonetheless Speechwriter: A Brief Education in soned argument or tion is, “Thought by whom?” But if he opposes the agreement.” The pas- share the writer’s view. Earlier this Politics.” reference to a rep- inserts a “widely,” the problem some- sive voice, together with the vague year, for instance, a writer for the Los utable source. how goes away. “US-British relations qualifiers “many” and “in part” — “it’s Angeles Times began his column by Opinions expressed on this Lately, though, are widely thought to be at their most widely suspected” (who suspects it?) noting that “it is widely held that the page are the writers’ and do not I’ve wondered whether some jour- strained in decades.” Ah, well, if it’s that “many” lawmakers were influ- dopiest anti-Obamacare lawsuit is necessarily reflect the views of nalists are relying too much on the “widely” thought, it’s probably close enced “in part” by lobbyists — allows King vs Burwell.” And an editor at the the newspaper. “ask anyone” method of citation. Its to the truth. the writer to make an unsubstantiated New Republic observed that Senator 12 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 EUROPE

Poland’s Duda Jihadist shot seals govt control of dead attacking state media police in Paris AFP WARSAW: Polish President Andrzej Duda yesterday signed into law a A source close to the investiga- controversial bill handing the con- tion said a piece of paper found on the servative government control of A source close to the man’s body “vows allegiance” to the state media, despite EU concern investigation said a Islamic State group and said he was and condemnation from rights piece of paper found avenging French “attacks in Syria”. watchdogs. The man’s fingerprints matched Critics see the move as the on the man’s body those on file for a thief convicted in latest bid by the ruling Law and “vows allegiance” 2013, a homeless man who self-iden- Justice (PiS) to consolidate power tified as Sallah Ali of Morocco, born and render ineffective any organ to the Islamic State in Casablanca in 1995, the source said that could keep it in check since group and said he earlier. taking power late last year after The drama unfolded just after Pres- eight years in the opposition. was avenging French ident Francois Hollande concluded a “It’s important to the presi- A French policeman stands guard at Rue de la Goutte d’Or in the north of Paris yesterday, near the site “attacks in Syria” sombre speech at police headquarters dent that state media be impartial, to mark the anniversary of the attack where police shot a man dead as he was trying to enter a police station. objective and credible,” presidential on the Paris office of satirical weekly spokeswoman Malgorzata Sadur- Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015. massacre of 130 people by jihadists in been blocked from doing so. the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge, ska told reporters, claiming that AFP Explosives experts were sent to Paris in November — also claiming Hollande said that since the attack apparently as he was heading to attack the media had been flouting those the scene in the largely north Afri- vengeance for France’s role in Syria on Charlie Hebdo, nearly 200 people a Jewish school. guidelines. “That’s why the presi- can immigrant district of Goutte d’Or, — Hollande used his speech to call in France had been placed under travel Among changes set to be intro- dent signed into law the radio and near the tourist hotspot of Montmartre. for greater cooperation between the restrictions to prevent them joining duced in the wake of the November television bill” that the conservative- PARIS: A jihadist wielding a meat The attacker was found to have security services to thwart attacks. up with IS in Syria or Iraq. attacks are new guidelines allowing dominated parliament approved cleaver was shot dead as he tried to been wearing a pouch under his coat “Faced with these adversaries, it is The president said the three police police to keep their weapons even last month, she said. attack a police station in Paris yester- with a wire hanging from it, but the essential that every service — police, officers killed in January’s attacks “died when off-duty. Under the new law, senior fig- day claiming to avenge French military device “contained no explosives”, a gendarmerie, intelligence, military— so that we could live in freedom”. The President reiterated his pledge ures in public radio and television action in Syria, a year to the day since source close to the investigation said. work in perfect harmony, with the A police bodyguard who was to boost the number of police and will be appointed — and can be the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Interior Minister Bernard Caze- greatest transparency, and that they guarding the newspaper’s editor, Charb, armed gendarmes by 5,000. sacked — by the treasury minis- The youth, who was apparently of neuve praised the “remarkable work” share all the information at their dis- was killed alongside him by brothers Rocker Johnny Hallyday will per- ter. They will no longer be hired Moroccan origin and aged around 20, of the security forces in the incident. posal,” the President said. Cherif and Said Kouachi and they shot form at a concert in Paris on Sunday through contests organised by the tried to enter the building in the north- “In a country where the level of Many of the assailants in both dead another policeman, Ahmed Mer- to mark the day one year ago when 1.6 National Broadcasting Council. ern 18th district of the French capital threat is extremely high, the police, January’s rampage and the attacks abet, as he sprawled on the pavement million people gathered in the capital The new legislation will also see wearing what was at first thought to gendarmes, the security forces... are in November were known to French near Charlie Hebdo’s offices. in support of freedom of expression the current managers and super- be an explosives vest, but was later in the frontline,” he said. security services, having either trav- The next day, a policewoman was following the deaths of Charlie Heb- visory board members of Poland’s found to be a fake. With France still grieving after the elled abroad to fight with jihadists or killed by jihadist Amedy Coulibaly in do’s best-known cartoonists. public broadcasters fired with immediate effect. “It’s the first step in a media takeover. I’m afraid the next laws will somehow limit the freedom of non-state media,” said Katarzyna Lubnauer, a lawmaker Cameron woos Berlin and Budapest in EU reform battle from the liberal Nowoczesna party. The PiS had earlier said it plans to turn the PAP news agency and AFP The British premier is battling for four-year delay before EU migrants alternative solutions”, while holding and yesterday held talks in the south- public television and radio — all a deal at an EU summit in February working in Britain can claim wel- out the possibility that a deal could ern town of Wildbad Kreuth with the currently state-owned businesses before holding a referendum on Brit- fare benefits — was “difficult” amid take longer than the February summit. Christian Social Union — sister party — into national cultural institu- ain’s membership of the bloc, possibly concerns in many countries that it is “We obviously now have a limited of the chancellor’s CDU. tions like the opera or the national BUDAPEST: British Prime Minister later this year, but he faces opposition discriminatory, Orban told a press con- time between now and the February While Merkel is seen as generally museum. Duda, who was elected in David Cameron secured encouraging to his controversial demand to limit ference with Cameron. (EU) Council, I am confident that if we supportive of Britain’s position, she has May and is backed by the PiS, also signals from the leaders of Germany, benefits for EU migrants. “We are citizens of a state that work hard with goodwill on all sides we said that “fundamental achievements signed into law yesterday a public Hungary and the Netherlands as he Orban, a polarising figure in Europe belongs to the EU, that can take jobs should try for an agreement,” he said. of European integration” are not up for service bill that allows the conserv- swung through Europe yesterday, for his own right-wing anti-immigrant anywhere in the EU, so we don’t want “But as I said I only have to hold debate — including the core principle atives to hire top state institution despite key reservations over an EU politics, said Hungary “fully supported” to go the UK and take something away my referendum by the end of 2017. If of freedom of movement. officials without holding compet- reform deal he wants at a summit next three out of Cameron’s four demands, from them, we don’t want to be para- it takes longer to make an agreement, However Merkel later acknowl- itive exams — another measure month. adding that he had “reason to be opti- sites,” Orban said. what matters to me is the substance edged that it was “not the intention of slammed by the opposition. Cameron held talks with Hun- mistic to find a common agreement”. Cameron laid out his plans to fellow rather than the timing,” he added. the law of free movement” to allow EU The Council of Europe, the con- garian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Cameron’s other demands are for EU leaders at their last summit meet- Cameron has vowed to hold the in- migrants to claim benefits from host tinent’s top human rights watchdog, — who expressed optimism about a the European Union to give Britain ing in December, urging them to help out referendum by the end of next year member states immediately. had urged Duda against signing deal even as he denied his country- safeguards against more political inte- him to make the reforms and avoid a but British media have reported he could “That means that you can work the media law. The director gen- men were “parasites” seeking British gration, to protect countries that do not “Brexit” from the 28-nation bloc. hold the vote as soon as June 2016 if he everywhere in Europe but this inten- eral of the European Broadcasting welfare benefits — and the leaders use the euro currency, and to boost Speaking in Budapest, Cameron gets a deal at February’s summit. tion does not include drawing social Union (EBU), Ingrid Deltenre, said of German Chancellor Angela Mer- economic competitiveness. said the welfare plans remained on In Germany, Cameron met Merkel benefits everywhere in Europe from in a statement she was “dismayed kel’s sister party. But Cameron’s final demand — a the table but that he was “open to over dinner in Berlin on Wednesday day one,” she said. by the president’s decision”.

Ex-soldier regrets Migrant woes Fear and anger grip Cologne trying to take after December 31 rampage migrant girl to UK Reuters

AFP attention to our belongings,” she said, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s liberal flanked by her friend Erika Fehler. stance on asylum seekers arriving LONDON: A former British sol- Marie-Sophie’s mother has in Germany, who numbered nearly dier who goes on trial in France imposed an new rule when they are 1.1 million last year. next week after being caught trying COLOGNE: “A group of men tried to in town together: they meet every hour Cologne, Germany’s fourth larg- to smuggle a child from a French mug me — how am I supposed to react in front of the cathedral. est city with a population of nearly migrant camp into Britain said he the next time?” teenager Marie-Sophie “Mom was never this scared 600,000, is the capital of next month’s felt he had to do something to help Christ demands of a policeman out- before,” the high school student said. Rhineland Carnival, drawing hun- those caught up in refugee crisis. side Cologne’s main railway station. Cologne took in more than 10,000 dreds of thousands to street parties Rob Lawrie, from Guiseley in Fear and anger have gripped cit- asylum seekers in December alone, marking the start of Lent. northern England, said he felt com- izens of the Rhineland city after an but Marie-Sophie is reluctant to pin However some travellers have pelled to act after seeing pictures of unprecedented and apparently coor- the blame on them. already cancelled their reservations, drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, dinated rash of robberies and assaults Erika, however, is more suspicious. a major source of income for the city, images which prompted worldwide on New Year’s Eve blamed on men of They looked like refugees... or Alba- as the events of New Year’s Eve hit the sympathy for those caught up in Arab or North African appearance. nians,” she asserts, describing them global headlines. Europe’s biggest migration crisis Police vans have been parked out- as bearded and wearing dark clothes. “Cologne’s image has taken a hit,” since World War Two. side the main railway station and the The high street near the railway admitted the head of the city’s tour- Lawrie, who is due to appear in iconic Gothic cathedral since the full station is notorious for pickpockets, ism office, Josef Sommer, in the local court on Jan. 14 in Boulogne-sur- extent of the rampage in Cologne’s particularly during the holiday season. daily Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger. “We have Mer on a charge of aiding illegal city centre became clear. But the assaults reported during received a lot of emails and calls from immigration, closed his carpet- Authorities said yesterday that they the year-end festivities shocked the worried tourists and tour operators.” cleaning business, bought a van had received more than 120 criminal nation, with German Justice Minis- Cologne drew more than three mil- and headed to migrant camps in complaints about robbery and abuse ter Heiko Maas speaking of “a new lion visitors in 2014, the last full year northern France to deliver tents, including two reported molestations dimension of crime”. for which statistics were available. aid and help build temporary struc- by perpetrators who allegedly staged Among traders working at the sta- “There were probably no refugees tures for those living there. orchestrated attacks on revellers in tion, the anger is palpable. “There were among the attackers, but of course the Among those he met were four- the crowds. hundreds of them and really aggres- characterisations in the media leave year-old Afghan migrant Bahar Sixteen suspects have been iden- sive,” said a sandwich seller. a bad impression,” said Petra Muel- Ahmadi and her father Reza. Bahar, tified but no one has been charged in She said the people she saw on New ler, 45, a Cologne native. who he referred to as Bru, followed what police have acknowledged were Year’s Eve were “Arabs, but not refugees Mueller, a secretary, refuses to give him around the camp and he struck chaotic scenes. — they were really very organised”. in to paranoia and said nothing would up a close friendship with her. Six days on, Marie-Sophie and her “We still have the same problems stop her from taking part in Carnival. He hid the girl in his van and Migrants and refugees walk in a muddy road after crossing the friend were shopping near the same with the same people,” said the woman But distrust is what worries Ghaith set off for Britain on October 24 spot when they were accosted by a in her 50s, accusing police of respond- Anthipan, a 20-year-old Syrian stand- last year but was stopped by bor- Macedonian border into Serbia near the village of Miratovac group of young men. The girls fled ing too slowly and ineffectually, and ing outside the cathedral with a friend der police who found two Eritrean yesterday. The refugees are facing deteriorating weather when it appeared the men were after saying there were “not enough” of them in the freezing rain, both holding up men in the back, who he said had conditions as they make their way to the EU via the Balkans. their backpacks. She no longer feels to keep the peace that night. signs in broken German reading: “What stowed away inside without his Despite cold and heavy rain, thousands of migrants continue to safe going about her business in town. The incidents have inflamed an happened to women in Cologne on knowledge. He was arrested and arrive in Serbia. “It’s a strange feeling. We pay more already heated public debate about New Year’s hurts”. Bahar was returned to her father. AMERICAS FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 13

US Congress sends Powerball lottery jackpot soars to health care repeal whopping $700m law to President Reuters

of symbolic votes that Republicans ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN: Falsetta’s Market on Obama is certain to have held in recent years, frustrating Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has millions of conservatives across the seen new ticket buyers coming out of the wood- veto the measure, American heartland who have grown works since the Powerball lottery soared to an which passed the angry with ineffectual Republican all-time record high for North America, reach- leaders in Congress. ing $700m yesterday afternoon. Senate last month “For the first time in five years, we “Yesterday was huge,” manager Matt Devereux under special rules will finally put a bill on the president’s said of the run-up to Wednesday night’s drawing, desk that defunds Obamacare,” Ryan when no one won the jackpot which then stood that prevented told reporters, noting that Democrats at $500m. “A lot of people who don’t normally Democrats from have been “blocking and filibuster- play, and who very, very rarely play, were buying.” ing these bills” for years. The $700m jackpot for Powerball, played in blocking it “We are confronting the pres- 44 states, Washington, and two US territories, is ident with the hard, honest truth: worth $428.4m if a winner chooses an immedi- Obamacare doesn’t work,” he added. ate cash payout instead of annual payments over AFP Obama was seeking to talk about 29 years, the Multi-State Lottery Association said “anything but his failures,” but Repub- on its website. The drawing will be held tomorrow. licans were “not going to let him take Devereux said that type of payout was pulling a soft course,” he said. in more elderly buyers than he normally sees, and WASHINGTON: After dozens of “We need to make this year about the amount being spent on tickets was as much attempts spanning five years, con- ideas, not about Obama’s distractions.” as five times higher than usual, with most people gressional Republicans succeeded Democrats dismissed the vote spending $10 or $20. That kind of influx of money late on Wednesday in sending legisla- as the 62nd attempt by Republicans was being reported in other states as well. tion to US President Barack Obama’s to repeal, defund or otherwise dis- Between $5m and $10m per hour in Power- desk to repeal his landmark health mantle the Affordable Care Act that ball ticket sales were expected in California in care law. narrowly passed a Democrat-led Con- the hours leading up to tomorrow’s drawing, said Republicans hailed it as a hard- gress in 2010. Alex Traverso, spokesman for California Lottery. fought victory, saying the bill — which “I don’t understand their obses- “People are going to be excited and want to also cuts funding to women’s health sion” with repealing the health law, be a part of it,” he said. “The momentum is just care provider Planned Parenthood — House Democrat Jim McGovern said, going to build.” highlights sharp policy differences noting that doing so would “throw 22 On Wednesday, there were $20m in Powerball between their party and rival Dem- million people out of health insur- ticket sales in California, Traverso said. ocrats during the 2016 presidential ance plans.” One statistician warned ticket buyers not to get election race. As for the law putting a one-year too excited, comparing the odds of winning, one Obama is certain to veto the moratorium on federal funding for in 292 million, to counting the drops of water in measure, which passed the Senate Planned Parenthood, Democrats the ocean, or grains of sand in the world. last month under special rules that warned it would deny health care “We can’t imagine those things. It’s near impossi- prevented Democrats from block- access to millions, particularly impov- ble,” said Jeffrey Miecznikowski, associate professor ing it. The bill passed the House of erished women. of biostatistics at the University at Buffalo. Representatives Wednesday by a mar- “It’s cruel. It’s a cruel thing to do,” The last Powerball jackpot winner was in gin of 240 to 181, with one Democrat McGovern said. November, when a ticket holder from Tennessee voting yes. Debate over Planned Parenthood claimed $144.1m. However, that was far smaller It was the first major congres- exploded last year, when anti-abortion than last year’s biggest jackpots of $564.1m in sional vote of 2016, coming just two activists released secretly-recorded February and $310.5m in September. months after Paul Ryan became the videos showing the organisation’s offi- The previous record North American lottery new Speaker of the House. cials discussing use of aborted fetal A billboard shows the cash prize for the multi-state Powerball lottery jackpot along Interstate jackpot payout was in March 2012, when $656m And yet it is the latest in a long line tissue for medical research. 35 near Gainsville, Texas, yesterday. The next draw for jackpot will be tomorrow. was won in a Mega Millions draw. Emergency NY accepts reforms to protect Muslims from surveillance declared in AFP anti-Islamic sentiment. The lawsuits “much needed constraints on law to the police commissioner, who must terrorism, and this settlement repre- California alleged that New York police stig- enforcement’s discriminatory and investigate and report back, it added. sents another important step toward matised communities based solely unjustified surveillance of Muslims.” The reforms will also limit police building our relationship with the Mus- on religion, and that lawful political “At a time of rampant anti-Muslim use of undercover and confidential lim community,” said de Blasio. gas leak NEW YORK: New York will appoint and religious activities were subject hysteria and prejudice nationwide, informants, and end open-ended Deputy police commissioner of an independent monitor to review to unwarranted police surveillance. this agreement with the country’s investigations by imposing time lim- intelligence and counterterrorism John counter-terror police investigations The terms of the settlement, which largest police force sends a force- its and require status reviews every Miller will retain “sole authority” over AFP as part of new reforms designed to were reached after more than a year ful message that bias-based policing six months, ACLU said. all intelligence investigations and deci- protect Muslims from discriminatory of negotiations, must be approved by is unlawful, harmful, and unneces- The police said the proposed set- sions, the police department said. and unjustified surveillance, officials a federal judge. sary,” she added. tlement would not weaken its ability to The mayor will appoint the inde- LOS ANGELES: The governor of said yesterday. The American Civil Liberties Union, The independent monitor would investigate and prevent terror activity. pendent monitor in consultation with California declared a state of emer- Civil liberty campaigners wel- which helped bring one of the suits, have the power to ensure all safeguards Mayor Bill de Blasio and police com- the police commissioner. gency in a Los Angeles community comed the changes, drawn up to settle welcomed what it called a “watershed are followed and serve as a check on missioner Bill Bratton welcomed the “This additional voice will increase where a massive gas leak has forced two lawsuits, saying the move by the settlement.” investigations directed at political and terms. transparency while maintaining the thousands of nearby residents from country’s largest police force sent a Hina Shamsi, ACLU National Secu- religious activities, ACLU said. “New York City’s Muslim residents confidentiality of investigations,” the their homes. powerful message at a time of rising rity Project director, said it introduced They must report any violations are strong partners in the fight against police department said. In issuing the emergency order, Governor Jerry Brown said all state agencies would be mobilized to stop the leak that started in October in the Los Angeles suburb of Porter Ted Cruz in Iowa Ranch, to protect public health, and Battle lines drawn in Venezuela to help the local community. “All state agencies will utilise state personnel, equipment, and AFP ordered three opposition lawmakers to the top economic ministerial post. facilities to ensure a continuous and to be suspended over alleged elec- Analysts warn the political dead- thorough state response to this inci- toral fraud. lock will compound the hardship dent,” Brown said in a statement. “We are not in contempt of court,” of Venezuelans who are suffering He said his office would closely CARACAS: Venezuela’s political crisis he said. “The ones who are in contempt shortages of basic goods and soar- monitor the situation and provide deepened yesterday as the govern- are the ones who have disregarded the ing inflation. timely updates to residents of the ment vowed to stop the centre-right public will after the elections.” The oppo- Plunging oil prices have sharply gated community located some 30 opposition using its new legislative sition MUD coalition won a majority in curbed the country’s revenues. “The miles (48 kilometers) northwest of powers to try and oust President Nico- the assembly for the first time in nearly president’s support for the radical ide- downtown Los Angeles. las Maduro. 17 years at elections on December 6. ological wing of Chavismo, sidelining Brown said he had met on Mon- The opposition laid claim to a big The MUD has vowed to find a way pragmatists, does not generate pos- day with Porter Ranch residents, majority in the National Assembly state within six months to get rid of Maduro itive expectations for change,” said thousands of whom have been relo- legislature which could empower it by constitutional means. But Maduro’s analyst Luis Vicente Leon, head of cated to temporary housing by the to force out Maduro. He rejected the side has vowed to block it by suing, polling firm Datanalisis. local gas company after complain- assembly as illegal and formed a new withholding funding and refusing to “Expectations of institutional con- ing of headaches, nausea and nose hardline leftist cabinet to fight it. publish its legislation. flict increase the negative outlook for bleeds. Analysts have warned of the risk of “They give us six months to sur- the nation’s economy.” Allup said that Kristine Lloyd, a spokeswoman unrest in the streets in the South Amer- vive. You need balls to carry out a coup within six months his side would pro- for the Southern California Gas ican oil-producing country, stricken d’etat. We’ll see if they have any,” said pose a way “to change the government Company (SoCalGas), said every- by recession and shortages. Diosdado Cabello, the number two in by constitutional means.” thing possible was being done to fix Political uncertainty reigned yes- Maduro’s leadership. Maduro responded: “I will be there the leak, which officials have esti- terday as Maduro’s side vowed to sue As the battles lines formed, Maduro to defend democracy with an iron hand. mated was spewing out between the opposition for contempt of court promptly reshuffled his cabinet, fill- They will not make me give ground or 30,000 and 58,000kg of methane for swearing in a two-thirds super- ing key posts with defenders of the waver.” Under Venezuelan law, with into the air per hour. majority in the assembly, in defiance socialist “revolution” launched by his a two-thirds majority, the opposi- “Our focus remains on quickly of a government legal challenge. late predecessor Hugo Chavez. tion could launch measures as early and safely stopping the leak and “We are going to bring a case Facing a “new stage of the Revo- as April to try to force Maduro from minimizing the impact to our neigh- against the flagrant violation of the lution” and a “bourgeois legislature,” office before his term ends in 2019. bors in Porter Ranch,” she said in constitution,” said pro-government Maduro said his new cabinet team But it was not clear whether they a statement. deputy Ricardo Molina at a street rally would work on the “grave economic sit- will succeed while at odds with the Officials have said that while of Maduro supporters. uation” and retool his party’s policies. Supreme Court, which is seen as allied the methane leaking from the Aliso The new speaker of the con- He appointed hardline socialists with the government. US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz takes the floor Canyon facility poses no immediate gress, Henry Ramos Allup, rejected to the key posts of economy, finance One of the first measures the oppo- danger to human health, its impact after being introduced by Rep Steve King at a Pizza Ranch the charge. He has vowed the assem- and foreign trade and investment, sition wants to pass is an amnesty for 75 on the environment is significant as restaurant in Pocahontas, Iowa, yesterday. bly will push ahead with legislation while keeping in place his oil minister. political prisoners. Maduro has vowed it is a potent greenhouse gas. even though the Supreme Court has He named economist Luis Salas to veto that move. 14 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS

World Bank lowers 2016 global growth forecast

though that is still faster than 2015’s particularly those associated with the to expand by 4.8 percent this year, 0.4 sluggish 2.4 percent. “Simultaneous possibility of a disorderly slowdown point weaker than the prior estimate, Bank cut its June weakness in most major emerging in a major emerging economy,” said the 188-nation institution said. forecast for global markets is a concern for achieving the India to be fastest growing economy Kaushik Basu, World Bank chief econ- High-income countries on a whole economic expansion goals of poverty reduction and shared omist. “A combination of fiscal and fared better. The forecast for their prosperity because those countries QNA central bank policies can be helpful growth in gross domestic product, the in 2016 by have been powerful contributors to in mitigating these risks and support- broad measure of output of goods and 0.4 percentage global growth for the past decade,” ing growth.” services, was lowered to 2.1 percent, the World Bank said. NEW DELHI: The World Bank projected that India will grow by a robust Risks to the outlook included finan- a 0.3-point drop. point to 2.9% In the midst of a deep economic 7.8 per cent in 2016 and 7.9 per cent in the next two years. World Bank also cial stress linked to the US Federal Only a 0.1 point dip in GDP was transition, China should see economic predicted that India will be the fastest growing economy in the world in Reserve’s launch in December of an notched for the United States, the largest growth slow to 6.7 percent this year the next three years and would outpace China. interest rate hiking cycle, and height- economy, and for the 19-nation euro- from 6.9 percent in 2015, it said. With the recent fall in oil prices, India remains the bright spot of the ened geopolitical tensions, the Bank zone, to 2.7 percent and 1.7 percent, AFP The 2016 forecast for the world’s global economy as Chinese growth is predicted to slow further. said in its Global Economic Prospects respectively. second-largest economy is 0.3 point According to its latest Global Economic Prospect report which is released report. “The simultaneous slowing of Hard-hit has been Sub-Saha- lower than six months ago and would bi-annually, the World Bank reduced India’s growth rate by a slight 0.2 four of the largest emerging markets ran Africa, where growth stumbled mark its weakest performance since per cent in 2015 and 0.1 per cent in both 2016 and 2017. — Brazil, Russia, China, and South to 3.4 percent in 2015, its weakest WASHINGTON: The World Bank 1990. Since mid-2014, China has Africa — poses the risk of spillover performance since 2009, on falling slashed its growth forecast for the global endured bouts of financial turbu- effects for the rest of the world econ- commodity prices. But with commodity economy in 2016, citing “disappoint- lence, the latest on Monday with a omy,” said Basu. prices expected to stabilise this year, ing” growth in major emerging-market spectacular seven percent plunge in already in recession: Brazil, down 3.6 by falling prices for commodities such “Global ripples from China’s slow- growth in the region, home to some economies like China and Brazil. stock market indices. points to a 2.5 percent contraction, and as oil and agriculture products. “There down are expected to be greatest but of the world’s poorest countries, was The bank cut its June forecast for The World Bank’s growth revi- Russia, a 1.4-point drop to a 0.7 per- is greater divergence in performance weak growth in Russia sets back activ- expected to pick up to 4.2 percent, the global economic expansion in 2016 by sions are even more drastic for two cent contraction. among emerging economies. Compared ity in other countries in the region.” institution said, lowering its June fore- 0.4 percentage point to 2.9 percent, other big emerging-market economies Both countries have been hammered to six months ago, risks have increased, Developing countries were expected cast by 0.3 point.

Qatar index drops China tumult sends oil prices 303.67 points and and global stocks plunging Gulf markets slide QNA/ AFP

Reuters/AFP

DOHA: Qatar Exchange (QE) index dropped 303.67 points, or 3.02 per- LONDON: Global shares tumbled for cent, when the bourse closed trading a sixth day yesterday and oil prices at 9,767.22 points yesterday. slid to levels not seen since the early The daily turnover increased 2000s, after China guided the yuan to QR267.99bn with a volume of lower and Shanghai shares tumbled 6.5 million shares from 4,183 deals George Soros at a press conference. 7 percent in less than half an hour. compared with QR143.94bn with a For the second time this week, volume of 3.5 million shares from China suspended trading in its stocks, 2,852 deals on Wednesday. whose losses since a turbulent start to Indices of seven sectors ended the year have topped 10 percent. Oil in red. Banks and Financial Serv- Soros sees market prices have plunged 12 percent since ices sector dropped 2.80 percent Tuesday — the worst three-day run to 2,625.57 points. in a year. Brent crude skidded over 5 From the 43 companies listed crisis similar to 2008 percent yesterdya alone to an almost- on QE, 42 saw trading. From these, 12-year-low, with worries over weaker four gained, 27 closed lower and demand from China adding to a per- An investor looks at screens showing stock market movements at a one remained unchanged. sistent price drag caused by a huge securities company in Beijing yesterday. Elsewhere in the region, All Gulf Bloomberg wiped from the value of global equi- oversupply and near-record output bourses ended the last trading day ties this year through Wednesday, levels. of the week in negative territory, and losses deepened in Asia yester- US stocks were lower, but off their which is pretty chunky, and my worry by authorities. Other regional cur- with the slide led by the Saudi mar- day as a plunge in Chinese equities session lows, as market volatility in is that this could create a feedback rencies followed the yuan down as ket, the region’s largest. COLOMBO: Global markets are fac- halted trade for the rest of the day. China and a relentless slide in oil prices loop which hits sentiment.” markets began to worry about com- The Saudi Tadawul All-Shares ing a crisis and investors need to be Measures of volatility are surging unnerved investors, already jittery Investors remain concerned that petitive currency devaluations from Index dipped 4.5 percent to finish on very cautious, billionaire George Soros this year. The Chicago Board Options after a shaky start to the year. China is struggling to keep control of trading partners. Singapore’s dollar 6,225.22 points, a three-year low. told an economic forum in Sri Lanka. Exchange Volatility Index, known as the The pan-European FTSEurofirst the yuan. hit a six-year low, the South Korean All its 15 sectors dropped, with China is struggling to find a new fear gauge or the VIX, is up 13 percent. 300 index and the eurozone’s blue- The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) won touched a four-month low, and banking shedding 4.6 percent and growth model and its currency deval- The Nikkei Stock Average Volatility chip Euro STOXX index both tumbled set the yuan midpoint rate at 6.5646 the Malaysian ringgit slumped to a petrochemicals 3.3 percent. uation is transferring problems to Index, which measures the cost of pro- over 3 percent. per dollar, 0.5 percent weaker than three-month trough. The Dubai Financial Market the rest of the world, Soros said in tection on Japanese shares, has climbed Even before US shares began trad- the previous day’s fix. That was the Investors fear China’s economy is Index dropped 3.4 percent to fall Colombo. A return to positive interest 43 percent in 2016 and a Merrill Lynch ing, MCSI’s 46-country All World index biggest decline between daily fixings even weaker than had been imagined, below the key 3,000-point mark. rates is a challenge for the develop- index of anticipated price swings in fell 1 percent to hit a three-month low, since August and the eighth day in row with Beijing, in a bid to help export- It closed on 2,966.3 points. ing world, he said, adding that the Treasury bonds rose 5.7 percent. the sixth straight day of losses. the PBOC had set a lower guidance ers, allowing the yuan’s depreciation Abu Dhabi market dipped 3.2 current environment has similarities China has pledged to increase the “When you look at the size of the rate. The benchmark emerging stock to accelerate. percent to end the day on 4,135 to 2008. Global currency, stock and yuan’s convertibility by 2020 and to moves there is certainly a big big wave index slid 2.5 percent to a 6 1/2-year Later, the top securities regulator points. The normally dormant commodity markets are under fire in gradually dismantle capital controls. of risk off,” said Vasileios Gkionakis, low as investors dumped risky assets. said that China will suspend “circuit Kuwait Stock Exchange followed the first week of the new year, with a Weakness in the world’s second-larg- Global Head of FX Strategy at UniCredit Spot yuan fell to 6.5956 to the dol- breakers” after the trading curbs were suit, losing 1.6 percent to trade at sinking yuan adding to concern about est economy remains even after the in London. lar, its weakest since February 2011. again triggered when share prices levels last seen 11 years ago. The the strength of China’s economy as People’s Bank of China has cut interest “You are looking at Chinese equi- Offshore yuan rates hit a record low tumbled more than 7 percent, halt- small Oman and Bahrain bourses it shifts away from investment and rates to record lows and authorities ties and oil down almost 12 percent in of 6.7600 to the dollar, before erasing ing share trading early for the second lost 0.5 percent and 0.7 percent manufacturing toward consumption pumped hundreds of billions of dol- the first four trading days of the year its losses after suspected intervention time this week. respectively. and services. Almost $2.5 trillion was lars into the economy. Facebook Messenger app GM unveils grows to 800m users electric Bolt

AFP using Messenger every month.” LAS VEGAS: General Motors unveiled He maintained that while the the production version of its Chev- number was impressive, it was still rolet Bolt electric car, on which the “early days” for Messenger. US auto giant is pinning its hopes for SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Improvements to the smart- the emerging segment. announced that the number of peo- phone messaging application last year The Bolt aims to appeal to con- ple using its Messenger application included ramping up speed, mak- sumers looking at a more affordable monthly has shot past 800 million, ing it easier to send photos, adding price tag than the luxury, market- with more features on the way to win video calling, letting businesses use leading Tesla. even more fans. it for customer service and adding “It’s more than a car, it’s a plat- “The Messenger team’s mission the ability to send money to friends. form that can be upgraded,” said GM is to make Messenger the best place Facebook also began testing on Chairman and Chief Executive Mary to communicate with all the people weaving its “M” digital virtual assistant Barra, speaking at the Consumer Elec- and businesses in the world,” Face- into Messenger. The test of enhancing tronics Show in Las Vegas. “Who are book head of messaging products Messenger with artificial intelligence our customers? Anyone who wants to Dave Marcus said in an online post. is “going well,” according to Marcus. save time, money and the environ- “I’m happy to report that we’ve Plans for this year include doing ment in a car that is truly fun to drive.” made a good step in that direction, and more to enable businesses and services The Bolt, set to go into production toward the end of 2015, we crossed to connect with people using Messen- General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra introducing the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV at its world debut later this year, is designed to travel the milestone of 800 million people ger, according to Facebook. during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in in Las Vegas, Nevada. 320km between charges. BUSINESS FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 15 Huawei opens road to ‘cloud’ at IT show

and in line with the country’s Vision 2030, it is Huawei’s aim to help make IT simple and The combined IT services business more agile. We are also committed to market of some of the make more contributions to Qatar’s 2022 FIFA countries in the region, World Cup efforts with our complete end-to- end IT products and solutions.” including Qatar, is Due to its popularity at last year’s road- expected to expand at a show, the Huawei Demo Truck will also be returning for a second year to give visitors the compound annual growth opportunity to experience first-hand Huawei’s rate of 12.5 percent over latest innovations in data center solutions, vir- tual servers and desktops, plus a wide range the coming years to total of vertical industry solutions. $1.82bn in 2018. The Demo Truck includes access to a fully-functional Huawei data center container operating in a live environment and provides an interactive demonstration platform to show- The Peninsula case its full IT solution portfolio. Huawei is currently one of the leading pioneers within Qatar’s technology sector pro- viding the most comprehensive IT portfolio DOHA: Huawei, a leading global ICT solutions in the industry to customers in the telecom, provider, has kicked off its annual nation-wide enterprise, and consumer space. The ICT ven- ‘ICT Road Show’ collaborating with represent- dor develops tailored solutions that enable IT atives from the government and private sector systems to talk to each other through a con- to showcase how organisations in Qatar can verged approach. benefit through new advancements in IT “cloud” According to Huawei, this allows for technology in the coming years. increased flexibility and allows for open sys- The Huawei Qatar IT Road Show will be tems that are easier to manage, more reliable running from January 10 to 12. and more cost effective to operate. Under the theme ‘Open Roads to Cloud’, Analysts at IDC have noted that the combined Huawei experts will offer guidance on how its IT services market of some of the countries in new cloud-based IT portfolio, which includes the region, including Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, both the Huawei Disaster Recovery solution and Kuwait, is expected to expand at a com- A senior official of Huawei Qatar giving a demonstration to Qatari officials about the company’s latest innovations in data centre and its Oceanstor Intelligent Storage solution, pound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5 percent solutions, virtual servers and desktops, in addition to a wide range of vertical industry solutions in Doha recently. can be applied in various vertical sector enter- over the coming years to total $1.82bn in 2018. prise environments. These include the fields of According to IDC, Qatar presents the strongest oil and gas, healthcare, education and bank- growth in the region and is expected to lead and the increase in the number of companies valuable and what is not remains a key chal- Oceanstor V3 is the industry’s first converged ing and finance. in IT services spending, fueled by large-scale, using cloud services. With much more data lenge for many organisations; one that this Road storage platform, which combines a cloud- “Societies across the globe are entering infrastructure-driven, and government-led being generated today in Qatar compared with Show will look to address in helping govern- oriented architecture with a powerful new into a new era of in-depth integration of the projects in the transportation, healthcare, and 10 years ago, participants recognise that much ments and enterprises to make more informed hardware and intelligent management software. digital and physical worlds, changing the way education sectors. of the technology deployed previously wasn’t business decisions. Huawei believes that it will bring new that organisations deliver on-demand serv- The cloud market in particular is expected designed to cope with the size and variety of data During the Road Show, Huawei will be show- changes in traditional enterprise IT and pro- ices to the public,” saod Zong Yan, CEO Huawei to continue perform strongly in 2016, spurred by types that exists today. Furthermore, deciding casing its Oceanstor V3 storage solution, which vide future-oriented storage solutions for Qatar. “In building a better connected Qatar the growing maturity of the Qatari ICT market how to process this data and sort out what is was recently unveiled in the Middle East. The businesses in the Middle East.

Apple paid CEO Tim Cook Algeria’s energy export $10.3m in 2015 volumes declined in 2015

Reuters Reuters down reserves to $121bn. Algeria’s addition to a 7.5 percent rise in demand central bank governor recently said from the population of 40 million, the falling energy revenue would cause ministry said. NEW YORK: Apple Inc Chief Exec- ALGIERS: Algeria’s energy export vol- foreign exchange reserves to drop to It did not provide further details utive Tim Cook’s compensation umes dropped 2.8 percent in the first $152.7bn in the third quarter of 2015 on production. rose 11.5 percent to $10.3m in 2015, nine months of 2015 due to a fall in from $178.94bn at the end of 2014. It said natural gas consumption the company said on Wednesday, output and a sharp rise in domestic Overall energy exports reached rose 8 percent to 30 billion cubic a year when its sales grew 28 per- consumption, the energy ministry said. 74.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent in metres, while demand for gasoline cent and profits by 35 percent but Energy exports had fallen in 2014 the first nine months of 2015 against and diesel oil increased 5.7 percent its shares fell for the first time since from the previous year as oil and gas 76.9 million tonnes a year earlier, the and 5.6 percent respectively. 2008. output declined in the North African energy ministry said in the latest edi- Algeria this week started imple- Chief Financial Officer Luca Opec member. tion of its magazine “Algeria Energy”. menting rises in subsidised electricity, Maestri’s annual compensation rose Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook. Algeria, a major gas supplier to Crude oil shipments increased for gasoline and diesel oil prices for the about 81 percent to $25.3m in 2015. Europe, relies heavily on energy earn- the January-September period of last first time in more than a decade in a In fact, Cook was the lowest-paid ings, which make up 95 percent of total year, it said, without giving a figure. bid to reduce consumption after strug- of the company’s top executives. most part under Cook. Sales in China shares that have not vested, poten- exports and account for 60 percent Algeria’s full-year crude exports gling to attract foreign investment to its Angela Ahrendts, the senior vice in the most recent quarter nearly dou- tially enabling him to earn over $310m of the country’s budget. had declined 16 percent in 2014 from energy sector. It has delayed an energy president for retail and online stores, bled from the same quarter in the prior based on the stock’s Wednesday clos- Its finances have been hit since the previous year. bidding round for foreign oil compa- was the highest paid, with a total year, for instance, and the iPhone con- ing price. The shares are expected global crude oil prices started fall- Natural gas sales abroad fell 7.5 nies previously planned for the third pay package of $25.8m. tinued to see record sales. to vest between August 2016 and ing in June 2014 and in the first nine percent, while oil refined products quarter of 2015. In 2014, it awarded Cook’s base pay increased about The company hit a rough patch August 2021. months of 2015, energy earnings fell exports dropped 5.3 percent for the only four of 31 oil and gas blocks on 14.4 percent to $2m last year, while towards the end of 2015, with shares Shares of the world’s most valua- 45 percent to $25.8bn. first nine months of 2015, according to offer to foreign consortiums. That fol- non-equity incentive compensa- falling about 4.6 percent for the year, ble company dropped below $100 for The government has already “Algeria Energy”. The decline in exports lowed a disappointing bidding round tion rose about 19 percent to $8m, the stock’s first negative year since the the first time in nearly five months said energy earnings would fall by was due to a 1.9 percent drop in over- in 2011 when it secured bids for just according to a regulatory filing. global credit crisis. As of September on Wednesday before regaining some 50 percent to $34bn in 2015 before all energy output, which reached 112 two of 10 fields in the auction. Apple had a good year for the 26, Cook held about 3.1 million Apple ground to close at $100.70. reaching $26.4bn this year, pushing million tonnes of oil equivalent, in Netflix service goes to over 130 countries except China

Reuters said. Netflix, which had expanded get to the practical parts of building into more than 60 countries before a business,” he said. Wednesday’s launch, previously said “And so we are doing that now and it aimed to reach 200 countries by getting to know people, both in gov- LAS VEGAS: Netflix Inc’s video- the end of 2016. However, all shows ernment and in partner companies.” streaming service went live in more will not be available immediately to “We’ll just keep working on the than 130 countries on Wednesday, cov- some Netflix fans. relationships,” he said. “We are very ering almost the entire globe except “We’re moving as quickly as we patient. Whether it is 2016, 2017, we’ll China, in a huge global push by Chief can to have global availability of all just keep working on it.” Executive Reed Hastings to counter the content on Netflix,” Hastings said Netflix on Wednesday added sim- slowing growth in the United States. at a press conference after his speech. plified and traditional Chinese to the Shares of the company, whose US government restrictions on 17 languages it already supports. popular shows include “Unbreaka- American companies mean Netflix “I think there’s been pent-up ble Kimmy Schmidt”, will not be available in Crimea, North demand for Netflix outside of the few “Daredevil” and “Narcos”, jumped Korea and Syria. geographies they were available in 9.3 percent to close at $117.68. The company is still exploring previously,” Brian Blau, research direc- India, Nigeria, Russia and Saudi options for providing its service in tor at Gartner, told Reuters. Netflix, Arabia were among the major coun- China, the world’s most populous coun- which has been spending aggressively tries where the service was launched, try. Asked if Netflix will make it into to expand globally, has said it planned Hastings said at a speech at the Con- the Chinese market in 2016, to “run around break-even through sumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Hastings said in an interview “we 2016” and then deliver profits. Accord- “(This is) much sooner and much hope so, but you never know.” ing to reports, Netflix plans to spend more ambitious than expected,” Wed- “With China, you really want to $6bn on content this year and has about Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, speaks during a keynote address at the 2016 CES trade show bush Securities analyst Michael Pachter build relationships first, before you 70 million customers globally. in Las Vegas, Nevada. 16 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 BUSINESS

QE INDICES SUMMARY QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE QE Index 9,767.22 3.02 % QE Total Return Index 15,181.74 3.02 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,585.21 3.02 % QE All Share Index 2,606.45 2.87 % QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 2,625.57 2.80 % QE All Share Industrials 2,984.8 2.25 % QE All Share Transportation 2,352.99 1.93 % QE All Share Real Estate 2,143.72 4.26 % QE All Share Insurance 3,856.2 3.82 % QE All Share Telecoms 965.69 2.06 % QE All Share Consumer Goods & Services 5,655.99 2.46 %

QE MARKET SUMMARY COMPARISON 07-01-2016 Today 06-01-2016 Previous day Index 9,767.22 10,070.89 Change 303.67 111.22 % 3.02 1.12 YTD% 6.35 3.44 Volume 6,491,145 3,506,895 Value (QAR) 267,988,873.72 143,944,547.18 Trades 4,183 2,852 Up 04 | Down 37 | Unchanged 01

WORLD STOCK INDICES Index Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year low All Ordinaries 5068.753 -109.257 -2.11 5379.6 5151.3 Cac 40 Index/D 4357.15 -123.32 -2.75 4586.11 4440.77 Dj Indu Average 16906.51 -252.15 -1.47 18351.4 15370.3 Hang Seng Inde/D 20333.34 -647.47 -3.09 21794.84 20947.3 Iseq Overall/D 6502.14 -185.02 -2.77 6791.68 6639.68 Karachi 100 In/D 32682.5 -285.76 -0.87 33304.4 32515.05 Nikkei 225 Index 17767.34 -423.98 -2.33 18951.12 18064.3 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 2134.72 1867.01

EXCHANGE RATE Currency Buying Selling US$ QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 UK QR 5.2631 QR 5.3376 INTERNATIONAL MARKETS - A LIST OF SHARES FROM THE WORLD Euro QR 3.8901 QR 3.9441 COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME CA$ QR 2.5494 QR 2.5992 NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED Swiss Fr QR 3.6164 QR 3.6667 Yen QR 0.0307 QR 0.0313 A B G INFRA-XC/d 147.2 -4.5 16713 ESCORTS-A/d 158.35 -8.35 277977 KALPAT POWER-B/d 248.05 -2.6 30993 TANFAC INDUST-/d 38.05 -1.3 4495 Aus$ QR 2.5209 QR 2.5716 A C C-A/d 1299.9 -26.65 32068 ESSAR OIL-T/d 259.75 -0.35 22814 KALYANI STEL-T/d 164.9 -11 61868 THIRUMALAI-B/d 205.3 -5.9 5002 Ind Re QR 0.0539 QR 0.0550 AARTI DRUGS-B/d 560.2 -27 4697 EVEREADY INDU-/d 300 -12.65 26958 KANORIA CHEM-B/d 73.25 -3.45 47051 TIL LTD.-T/d 440 -42.75 10512 ABAN OFFS-A/d 213.1 -12.4 350245 F D C-B/d 219.65 -9.45 9967 KG DENIM-B/d 56.8 -2.85 36111 TIMEXGROUP-T/d 35 -2.3 90869 Pak Re QR 0.0344 QR 0.0351 AEGIS LOGIS-B/d 103.9 -0.55 31923 FEDERAL BANK-A/d 52.55 -2.35 275436 KILBURNENGG-XD/d 81.7 -2.3 15875 TINPLATE-B/d 69.7 -3.05 67386 Peso QR 0.0766 QR 0.0781 ALEMBIC-B/d 46.85 -2.9 201544 FERRO ALLOYS-B/d 7.35 -0.46 158805 KINETIC ENG-B/d 110 -2.1 17077 UCAL FUEL-B/d 129.3 -8.4 34924 SL Re QR 0.0251 QR 0.0256 ALKYL AMINES-B/d 340.9 -6.9 2719 FINOLEX-A/d 296.5 -6.25 8173 KOPRAN-B/d 71.6 -4.4 132722 UCAL FUEL-B/d 129.3 -8.4 34924 ALOK INDUS-A/d 6.23 -0.43 2975684 GAIL-A/d 370.2 -1.95 91609 LAXMI PRCISN-B/d 53.2 -3.75 4800 ULTRAMARINE-B/d 120.9 -3.1 18982 Taka QR 0.0460 QR 0.0469 APOLLO TYRE-A/d 148.6 -6.7 196999 GALADA POWER-B/d 17 -0.9 3925 LGB BROTH-B/d 496.75 -10.75 2102 UNITECH P -A/d 6.58 -0.44 8564545 Nep Re QR 0.0339 QR 0.0345 ASAHI I GLASS-/d 164 -1.65 17759 GAMMON INDIA-T/d 19.25 -1.2 204255 LLOYD METAL-B/d 9.04 -1 50288 UNIVCABLE-T/d 86.15 -4.5 9030 SA Rand QR 0.2241 QR 0.2285 ASHOK LEYLAND-/d 91.05 -1.5 1097039 GANGOTRI TEX-T/d 2.18 0.1 17600 LOK.HOUS&CON-B/d 7.92 -0.81 295230 UPPERGSUGAR-T/d 74.8 -3.55 16496 BALLARPUR IN-B/d 18.95 -1.15 532896 GARDEN P -B/d 28.9 -1.75 21815 LUMAX IND-B/d 442 -20 1535 BANARAS BEAD-B/d 46.15 -2.5 1873 GODFREY PHIL-B/d 1305.5 -63.6 32804 LUPIN-A/d 1718.3 -35.85 96194 LONDON GOLD AND SILVER BATA INDIA-A/d 497.25 -3.55 51914 GOODRICKE-B/d 196.5 -8 40888 LYKA LABS-T/d 113.9 -8.9 133129 BEML LTD-A/d 1204.25 -52.1 20658 GOODYEAR I -B/d 545.5 -18 14146 MAFATLAL IND-B/d 338 -5.8 7927 3I GROUP/d 448.5 -17.1 909196 GOLD QR128.9882 per gram BH ELECTRONIC-/d1294.55 -57.6 33335 HCL INFOSYS-B/d 55.8 -2.25 460242 MAH.SEAMLESS-B/d 161.5 -6.5 3108 ASSOC.BR.FOODS/d 3120 -73 263099 SILVER QR1.6472 per gram BHANSALI ENG-T/d 23.2 -1.15 288672 HIM.FUT.COMM-T/d 21.15 -1.2 3044216 MANGALAM CEM-B/d 193.5 -4.8 2126 BARCLAYS/d 205.05 -6.7 20272840 BHARAT BIJLE-B/d 844 -36.5 11141 HIMAT SEIDE-B/d 219 -12.75 125643 MARAL OVERS-B/d 35.9 -3.15 35629 BG GROUP/d 921 -34.4 8834080 BHARATGEARS-B/d 89.5 -4.35 3589 HIND MOTORS-T/d 7.61 -0.29 70178 MASTEK-B/d 185.2 -8.3 44172 BP/d 328.488 -15.05 25055076 BHARTIYA INT-B/d 520.5 -15.75 12556 HIND ORG CHEM-/d 18.5 -1.4 117195 MAX INDIA L-A/d 500.35 -10.65 33095 BRIT AM TOBACC/d 3636.5 -91.5 977936 BHEL-A/d 153.85 -11.55 848439 HIND UNILEVER-/d 819.7 -21.7 55342 MRPL-A/d 67.2 -1.6 227731 BT GROUP/d 455.2 -12.15 7716818 BOM.BURMAH-B/d 474.5 -12.95 9820 HIND.PETROL-A/d 856.9 -25.3 101557 NAGREEKA EX-B/d 38.45 -3.45 7273 CENTRICA/d 207.8 -5.8 5756510 Gold touches BOMBAY DYEING-/d 61.6 -3.25 295324 HINDALCO-A/d 76.7 -3.8 1558263 NAGREEKA EX-B/d 38.45 -3.45 7273 GKN/d 275.6 -9.6 1648797 CAMPH.& ALL-B/d 587 -32 8408 HOUS DEV FIN-A/d 1179.8 -28.65 66613 NAHAR SPG.-B/d 123 -9.3 41260 HSBC HOLDINGS/d 501.55 -6.7 20410869 CANFIN HOMES-B/d 1020 -43.25 2853 I F C I-A/d 26.9 -1.5 1432234 NATION ALUM -A/d 36.95 -1.6 236042 IMPERIAL TOBAC/d 3558.5 -44 1078407 nine-week high CAPRIHANS-XC/d 98.3 0 45896 IDBI-A/d 77.8 -5.3 1054570 NAVNEET EDU-B/d 91.05 -4 18757 KINGFISHER/d 326.25 -11.8 2445266 CASTROL INDIA-/d 435 -6.35 28476 IFB AGRO-B/d 471 -22.8 4853 NEPC INDIA-T/d 2.44 0.11 57319 LAND SECS GROU/d 1145 -20 1061544 CENTURY ENKA-B/d 191.1 -7.6 17146 INDIA CEMENT-A/d 92.75 -5.4 398419 NEULAND LAB-B/d 782.25 -11.5 3122 LEGAL & GENERA/d 246 -10.3 7547321 CENTURY TEXT-A/d 561.5 -27.55 132310 INDIA GLYCOL-B/d 97.9 -6.1 12225 NRB BEARINGS-B/d 140 -1.7 2549 LLOYDS BNK GRP/d 69.19 -1.81 120377574 Reuters CHAMBAL FERT-B/d 63 -2.05 57271 INDIAN CARD-B/d 280.9 -28.6 5881 O N G C-A/d 226.7 -10.7 446136 MARKS & SP./d 431 -7.7 9879465 CHOWGULE ST-T/d 21.5 -0.3 6402 INDIAN HOTEL-A/d 117.55 -0.4 137018 OIL COUNTRY-B/d 30.25 -1.55 9196 PRUDENTIAL/d 1371 -61 2600269 CIMMCO-B/d 78 -5.35 8669 INDO-TCOUNT-T/d 1067.15 -15.95 10344 ONWARD TECH-B/d 100.1 -8.2 31093 RANK GROUP/d 279.3 -3.7 100473 CIPLA-A/d 639.15 -13.25 73410 INDUSIND-A/d 931.15 -12.7 184369 ORCHID PHARM-B/d 59.15 -2.95 261583 RENTOKIL INITI/d 154.9 -1.3 657627 LONDON: Gold climbed above $1,100 an ounce for the CITY UNION BK-/d 89.6 -0.9 24055 J.B.CHEMICAL-B/d 270.95 -7 34897 ORIENT HOTEL-T/d 26.4 -1.4 88952 ROLLS ROYCE PL/d 544.5 -15.5 2134715 first time in nine weeks yesterday as the dollar fell and COLGATE-A/d 914.8 -33.8 75473 JAGATJIT IND-X/d 67.9 2.45 24940 ORIENT.CARB.-T/d 570 -15.5 3613 RSA INSRANCE G/d 404.2 -9.6 1475406 investors channelled money into safer assets after wor- CONTAINER COR-/d 1265 -23.95 14825 JAGSON PHAR-B/d 53.35 -3.9 138765 ORIENT.CARB.-T/d 570 -15.5 3613 SAINSBURY(J)/d 236 -5 2577225 ries about the Chinese economy hit global stocks. DAI-TICHI KAR-/d 447 -9.7 3507 JAMNAAUTO-B/d 139 -6.2 413007 OUDH SUGAR-B/d 36.85 -1.45 3457 SCHRODERS/d 2699 -118 128369 European shares fell sharply after China accelerated DCM FINANCIA-T/d 1.32 0.06 12670 JBF INDU-B/d 217.65 -7.9 39180 PATSPIN INDIA-/d 13.02 -0.68 4125 SEVERN TRENT/d 2137.03 -15 181209 the deprecia- DCM SHRAM IND-/d 95.6 -3.7 10361 JCT ELECT P -B/d 0.45 -0.01 91700 PUNJAB CHEM.-B/d 176.9 -7.2 6609 SMITH&NEPHEW/d 1156 -20 829848 tion of the DHAMPUR SUGAR-/d 68.75 -5.05 102144 JCT LTD-B/d 9.29 -0.54 2420111 RADICO KHAIT-B/d 110.95 -0.65 246766 SMITHS GROUP/d 880 -27 650689 yuan and Asian DR. REDDY-A/d 2990.55 -56.8 69123 JENSON&NICH.-B/d 13.05 0.14 205284 RALLIS INDIA-A/d 168.95 -3.95 17684 STANDRD CHART /d 501.2 -14.4 4080564 shares hit a E I H-B/d 122.9 -6.95 34432 JIK INDUST-T/d 0.87 -0.03 5780 RALLIS INDIA-A/d 168.95 -3.95 17684 TATE & LYLE/d 578 0 659995 three-month Bullion was also E.I.D PARRY-A/d 186 -7.45 61183 JKTYRE&IND-A/d 106.7 -8.2 463141 RELIANCE INDUS/d 455.25 -46.75 231726 TESCO/d 137.73 -3.85 11226301 low. Spot gold supported by a EICHER MOTOR-A/d17066.3 -483.85 3567 JMC PROJECTS-T/d 249.9 -9.3 7724 RUCHI SOYA-B/d 29.8 -1.85 264638 UNILEVER/d 2768.5 -49.5 1013134 ELECTROSTEEL-B/d 22.95 -1.9 575128 KABRA EXTR-B/d 99.5 -4.5 7291 S BK BIKANER-B/d 517 -2.15 1776 UNITED UTIL GR/d 925.82 -10 433570 rose to a nine- softer dollar and week high of EMCO-B/d 32 -2.6 157363 KAJARIA CER-A/d 963.2 -3.05 5461 SALORA INTER-B/d 55.55 -4.45 2473 VODAFONE GROUP/d 215.3 -3.85 25540307 $1,106.80 an the release of the ESCORTS FIN-B/d 4.87 -0.08 433041 KAKATIYA CEM-B/d 147.8 -6.3 7456 SAUR.CEM-B/d 69 -3.7 177868 WHITBREAD/d 4128 -72 229745 ounce at one minutes of the US stage and was up 1.1 percent Federal Reserve’s last at $1,105.73 policy meeting. by 1503 GMT. U..gold futures Asian stocks shaken by China turmoil, oil slide also jumped for a fourth straight session to a nine-week high of $1,106.70. “Gold’s strength is probably going to be relatively Bloomberg daily reference rate by the most to a person familiar with the short term, but there is an upside risk to gold, if the since August. The situation going forward will depend discussions. view that China is going to pull the whole world into “Markets are nervous — in Japan’s Topix index fell 2.1 per- recession becomes stronger,” Citigroup metals strategist essence they don’t trust the pol- on the Chinese authorities, but it’s unclear cent, bringing its loss for the week David Wilson said. “But if the US and Europe continue SYDNEY: Asian stocks tumbled icymakers in China,” George whether they have tools that will be as to 5.8 percent, as the yen climbed to grow, gold will go weaker ... Chinese stock markets as a selloff in China triggered a Boubouras, chief investment 0.3 percent to 118.13 per dollar. had got massively overinflated because a lot of money trading halt in the nation’s equi- officer at Contango Asset Man- effective as they were last year. After the market close, billionaire piled into it and now people have come back to reality.” ties for the second time this week, agement in Melbourne, said. Tadashi Yanai’s Fast Retailing Co Palladium, however, which is more exposed to eco- deepening a global rout. A meas- “Investors don’t like the concept of cut its profit forecast by 10 percent. nomic weakness because it is used as an autocatalyst ure of mainland Chinese shares a fast-depreciating yuan, so there’s Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index metal, slipped to $482 an ounce, its lowest since August in Hong Kong closed at the low- a lack of confidence. They’re exit- concern last seen in August, when The Hang Seng Index declined lost 2.2 percent, the most since 2010. It followed weakness in crude oil and industrial est level since 2011. ing liquid markets in Hong Kong, US stocks entered their first cor- 3.1 percent to a more than two-year September 29, and New Zealand’s metals. “What is bad for most of the other commodi- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell Singapore and Australia as a proxy rection in four years. low, while the Hang Seng China S&P/NZX 50 Index declined 0.8 ties is currently good for gold, which is living up to his 2.1 percent to 124.38 as of 4:07 pm to lower their weightings in the “The situation going forward Enterprises Index retreated 4.2 percent. South Korea’s Kospi index reputation as a safe haven,” in Hong Kong. Turmoil has wiped region. We are positioned to be will depend on the Chinese author- percent to the lowest level since slipped 1.1 percent and Singapore’s Commerzbank analyst Daniel Briesemann said. Bul- about $2.5 trillion from the value defensive.” ities, but it’s unclear whether they October 2011. The CSI 300 of com- Straits Times Index dropped 2.5 lion was also supported by a softer dollar and the release of global shares in 2016, the worst The offshore yuan traded in have tools that will be as effective as panies listed in Shanghai and percent, poised for the lowest close of the minutes of the US Fed’s last policy meeting, assur- start to a year since 2000. Trad- Hong Kong tumbled to a five- year they were last year,” Ichiro Yamada, Shenzhen fell as much as 7.2 per- since 2012. Taiwan’s Taiex Index ing markets that interest rates would be increased only ing of Chinese stocks and index low after China’s central bank general manager of equities at cent before trading was suspended. fell 1.7 percent. gradually this year. futures was halted by automatic reduced its daily reference rate. Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance China’s securities regulator India’s benchmark stock index Gold, often seen as an alternative investment during circuit breakers after the CSI 300 China’s increasing tolerance for Co, said. “If there’s some hope that ended an unscheduled meeting slid to its lowest level since June times of geopolitical and financial uncertainty, benefited Index plunged more than 7 percent a weaker yuan signaled author- this will materialise the falls will on market conditions and circuit 2014. The Sensex tumbled 2.2 per- from the risk-averse sentiment after tensions escalated following the People’s Bank of Chi- ities are struggling to shore up stop, but right now we don’t even breakers without having decided cent, capping its steepest four- day in the Korean peninsula. na’s weakening of the currency’s economic growth and rekindled have hope.” on additional actions, according loss since August. BUSINESS VIEWS FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 17

‘Brexit’ suspense China panic clashes clouds Carney’s first interest rate move with slowdown outlook

By Scott Hamilton in the event of Britain voting Bloomberg to leave the EU. The BOE will leave its key rate at 0.5 per- cent on January 14, according or a man who likes to to a Bloomberg survey of guide investors, Mark economists. The decision and FCarney might be strug- the minutes revealing how gling to offer much more than each member voted will be suspense. released at noon in London. The Bank of England gov- “Without the Brexit refer- ernor was meant to start endum, the rate hike would 2016 at the midpoint of his be earlier,” said Alan Mudie, term poised to raise inter- head of investment strategy est rates, or at least have a at Societe Generale Private clearer view of when they Bank. might increase. “Late summer or early Thanks to Brit- autumn is a likelihood,” which ain’s planned — but still could push tightening as far unscheduled — vote on its back as the fourth quarter, he membership of the Euro- said. pean Union, the outlook for Whenever the date is the economy and tightening set, the referendum has the has clouded. Even whether potential to dominate policy Carney is halfway through discourse this year. Fifty-six his time at the BOE is now an percent of economists last open question. month cited either a Brit- With officials begin- ish exit from the EU or the ning discussions for next buildup to the referendum week’s decision, low infla- as the top threat facing the tion, a slump in oil prices economy. and cooling wage growth Officials may want to hold gives them scope to leave off on any policy changes A trader looks at her screen on the trading floor at the stock exchange in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, yesterday. China’s rates at a record low until the before the vote in case ongoing stocks slump is continuing to affect the global as well as the German stock market. implications of the ‘Brexit’ there’s a material or per- referendum become clearer. sistent impact, according to Uncertainty about the tim- Rob Wood, an economist ing and consequences of the at Bank of America in Lon- By Enda Curran to December, according to Goldman Sachs vote led economists at Bank don and a former BOE official. Bloomberg Group Inc. Meantime, evidence indicates that of America-Merrill Lynch and He shifted his prediction house prices are steadying, metals prices ING Bank on Wednesday to for the first rate increase to have picked up from historical lows and push back their forecasts November 2016 from May on demand for credit is reemerging. Surveys for the first increase in more Wednesday, citing the refer- he panic seen in Chinese financial of the services sector, while mixed, remain than eight years. endum and soft wage growth. markets this week, with a sliding in expansion territory. “It’s going to be a tough In October, Carney skirted yuan and stock trading suspensions, “The relationship between what happens year,” said Dominic Bryant, an the tense political battle sur- is increasingly out of whack with in China’s markets and what’s going on in the Stock investors have economist at BNP Paribas SA rounding the plebiscite with what economists anticipate will be economy has always been tenuous,” Bloomb- in London, who predicts the a speech that addressed the Tanother modest slowdown in the world’s No. erg Intelligence economists Tom Orlik and been spooked this week first move will be in May. “I UK’s relationship with the 2 economy. Fielding Chen wrote in a note. “At the start by the introduction of can see a case for a rate rise bloc, but offered no final con- While stock sell-offs in economies like of 2016, it’s showing signs of breaking down from the middle of the year clusion on its merits. That’s the US can pose major economic challenges completely.” circuit-breakers and but the big uncertainty is set to be a theme, as the cen- because of the impact on household wealth, Stock investors have been spooked this uncertain prospects when the vote comes for the tral bank pushes back against that’s less been the case in China. Retail sales week by the introduction of circuit-break- EU referendum. Until we get getting dragged into the grew through 2015 despite a market rout ers and uncertain prospects for the lifting of for the lifting of a some clarity on that it’s dif- debate. that at one stage erased $5 trillion in value, a suspension of certain sales. Another con- suspension of certain ficult to shape your forecast “It’ll try and avoid playing underscoring how a policy-driven shift to a cern has been China’s shift to target the yuan around it.” any sort of significant public consumption and services-fueled economy, against a basket of currencies; that’s seen sales. With Prime Minister David role,” said Charles Goodhart, instead of heavy industry, is gaining traction. the currency tumble versus the dollar this Cameron due to set the date a former BOE policy maker. “Sentiment about week, though it’s proving more stable when for the EU referendum any “But the question of what will China is so downbeat viewed on a trade-weighted basis. “China is time between June and the happen on Brexit will have a right now that there’s really walking on eggshells,” said Qian Wang, end of 2017 and opinion polls significant effect on what will a good chance of a Hong Kong-based senior economist for Asia be off of a base that’s almost $1 trillion big- inconclusive, companies may happen to the macro econ- positive surprise over Pacific at Vanguard Group Inc. “People are ger than in 2014. be less willing to invest in the omy in the short run and coming months,” said very easy to panic with some minor news.” To be sure, the economy is far from UK The lack of clarity means therefore the BOE will have to Mark Williams, chief The downs and ups of China’s stock mar- the old trajectory of 10 percent growth there’s dwindling prospect react to that.” Asia economist for Cap- ket are driven by individual equities investors, that helped stoke exports from Australia to of Carney following Janet In the final months of ital Economics Ltd in of which there are 99 million, accounting Brazil. A sharp rebound is unlikely — per- Yellen’s Federal Reserve with 2015, Carney backed away London, who previously for around 80 percent of trading. The ratio haps ever. A period of “L-shaped growth” tightening, even after eleven from an earlier assertion Sentiment about worked on China issues at of Chinese people exposed to the market is is in store, the Communist Party’s official quarters of uninterrupted UK that the decision on when China is so downbeat the UK Treasury. “There small, in a country of 1.4 billion people. In the People’s Daily reported on Monday, cit- growth. to increase the benchmark are signs that policy stim- US, a Gallup poll in April 2014 found that 55 ing an “authoritative” person who wasn’t There are already signs would come into “sharper right now that there’s ulus is having an effect. percent of those surveyed reported holding identified. “Under the current situation, it’s of faltering sentiment. Con- relief” at the turn of the year. a good chance of a Most of the more relia- stocks, down from 62 percent in early 2008. impossible to have a V- shaped recovery fidence in the service sector Since taking office in 2013 ble indicators of activity China’s gross domestic product growth via short-term stimulus,” the person said. dropped in December and he’s struggled to deliver clear positive surprise over have stabilised.” will slow this year by just 0.4 percentage The wild card may come from the yuan. JPMorgan Chase & Co warned messages and was branded coming months. Monthly indicators point, according to the median forecast of While the weakening currency should help that banks and insurers could an “unreliable boyfriend” by a due January 19 are poised Bloomberg economists —the same as in the exporters, it has also sparked capital to pull jobs out of the country UK lawmaker. to show continued gains past couple years and much less than the leave China at a record pace as investors in retail sales, and some roughly 2 percentage point deceleration of and companies rush to squirrel money out acceleration in industrial 2012, a year when Chinese equities eked out of the country and into rival currencies output from November a gain. The GDP advance this year will also like the dollar. Lower yields offer little relief for Canada mortgages

By Katia Dmitrieva housing agency to cool the housing market, interest rates were that low was 2009, and it the fees it charges banks to securitize mortgage and Ari Altstedter which the Bank of Canada has identified as kicked off a housing boom fueled by rising oil debt and the Department of Finance increased Bloomberg one of the major risks to the economy. Housing prices and cheap mortgage rates. This time the minimum down payment requirement for prices in Vancouver and Toronto have almost around, bond yields are falling because the insured mortgages. The Office of the Super- doubled in the past decade, raising concern economic trouble is hitting much closer to intendent of Financial Institutions, the bank that a market crash could lead to a rash of home, with a deteriorating outlook for exports regulator, also proposed higher capital buff- alling government-bond yields are loan defaults. and along with an inflated housing market. ers to back the loans. Canadian lenders hold usually good for homeowners in Can- Even as speculation mounts the Bank of The banks are feeling the pinch with higher 75 percent of the country’s mortgages. ada because mortgage rates tend to Canada could return interest rates to a record borrowing costs as pressures on the economy With the bank increases, the rate on a five- follow suit. Not this time. low this year, homeowners face higher mort- make them look less credit-worthy. Investors year fixed mortgage at Royal Bank rises to 3.04 FThree of Canada’s biggest lenders have gage costs as the banks look to protect their now demand about 129 extra basis points of percent on Jan. 8, from 2.94 percent. The five- raised mortgage rates and more increases are bottom lines in a deteriorating economy. This yield to hold five-year bonds from top-rated year variable rate, tied to the bank’s prime expected as new regulations, a weak economy week, Royal Bank of Canada became the lat- Canadian banks compared with government rate, rises to 2.6 percent from 2.45 percent. Bond yields are falling and higher costs prevent banks from capi- est lender to raise its mortgage rates, following benchmark notes, the biggest premium tracked Toronto-based Royal is the country’s No. 2 bank because the economic talising on lower borrowing rates in the debt Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank of Nova by Bloomberg data since 2010. That premium by assets. The government announcements market where they finance their mortgages. Scotia. was 51 basis points at the end of 2009. were made to cool a housing market that’s trouble is hitting much “When you look at the funding picture, Yields on five-year benchmark govern- “Given the Canadian banks are a play on been on a tear, with housing prices nation- closer to home, with a it’s getting more expensive for the banks,” ment bonds, the part of the market where the Canadian economy, a slowdown in the wide rallying 27 percent in the last five years, deteriorating outlook for Meny Grauman, a financial analyst at Cor- banks usually fund their mortgage lending, economy can’t really be seen as positive for according to the Canadian Real Estate Associ- mark Securities in Toronto, said by phone touched the lowest since August on Wednes- the banks,” Kris Somers, a Canadian debt ana- ation. Vancouver and Toronto have outpaced exports and along with an Wednesday. “We’ve started to see cracks in day as new signs of slowing growth in China lyst at Bank of Montreal, said by phone from other cities, prompting concern from the Bank inflated housing market. credit and we know that’s probably going to pushed the price of crude oil below $35 per Toronto. “Banks are paying more money for of Canada and Fitch Ratings Inc, among oth- continue to intensify. If it continues, the same barrel. That led derivatives traders to assign debt than they have in the past.” ers. Home sales flew to a record in Toronto logic that caused the banks to raise will con- a more than 50 percent chance the Bank of In addition to the higher borrowing costs and Vancouver in 2015 and prices continued tinue to apply.” Canada will cut the benchmark interest rate generally, new government rules are also their climb. The average price rallied 9.5 per- The higher mortgage rates add to measures to its record low of 0.25 percent by mid-year. imposing higher costs on mortgage lending. cent to C$609,110 in December in Toronto and by the federal government and the national The only other time Canada’s benchmark Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp increased jumped 19 percent to C$760,900 in Vancouver. 18 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICES

A/C MAINTENANCE & ACCOUNTING SOFTWARES SERVICES COMPUTER & IT IMMIGRATION SERVICES

ARTECH SAMA COOL Sage Accounting, Peachtree, QuickBooks, Dynacom, *OTUBMMBUJPO
.BJOUFOBODF
".$

0O
$BMM
BOE
4FSWJDJOH
PG
BMM
LJOET
%BD&BTZ
5BMMZ
104
#BS
$PEF
'JYFE
"TTFUT
4PGUXBSFÚT PG
4QMJU
1BDLBHF
6OJUT
'$6
")6
737
VOJU
BOE
$IJMMJFST
Tel: E-mail: +974 44375654 [email protected] "O
JOJUJBUJWF
PG
4BNB
(SPVQ
8--
5FM
44433199 RS NC OF 66797555 4444 7709 - [email protected] GET PER M A NE NT E IDE Y ADVERTISING OVERSEAS .PC
'BY
&NBJM
NEWSPAPER BLASTING AND PAINTING CADAAN GEM ADVERTISING & PUBLICATIONS (Overseas Newspaper Advertisements) AUSTRA ALI 5FM
44442001 - GSM: 55783303 M. PALLONJI QATAR ,, UK Z 10
#09

&NBJM
NQBMMPOKJ!RBUBSOFURB UASN ATTESTATION 5FM
44606822
'BY
44606977 GSM:55879234 AN D EURO PE GET PERMANENT RESIDENCY OF WALK-IN FOR BICYCLES & WATER SPORTS CANADA UNDER QUEBEC SKILLED WORKER, EXPRESS FREE COUNSELLING SKATE SHACK ENTRY & PROVINCIAL NOMINEE ALL WORKING DAYS "M
"JO


4BMXB
3PBE
'PS
%JSFDUJPO
DBMM
5FM
446-92532 COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE PROGRAMS FROM 10am - 6pm GSM: 552-47885/779-36152 - www.skate-shack.com BECOME A PERMANENT AT WWICS OFFICE RESIDENT OF AUSTRALIA WITH FAMILY COMPUTER CENTRE FOR BOOKING CALL: FAST TRACK SKILLSELECT 50314381, 30509694, 70629014 or BUSINESS SET-UP "M
3BZZBO
$PNQMFY
3BZZBO
3PBE CATEGORY landline 44850723/725 5FM
44435361/44370779 'BY
44449130 STUDY IN CAN, AUS, NZ, USA, WWICS has a global presence LEADER MIDDLE EAST W.L.L. CAR SERVICE CENTRE UK, SINGAPORE & EUROPE with Associate Offices in 'PS
GBTU

SFMJBCMF
#64*/&44
4&561
-0$"-
410/4034
5SBEF
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN CANADA- Toronto, AUSTRALIA- Sydney, CANADA, USA, UK, AUSTRALIA, UAE- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, -JDFODFT
+PJOU
7FOUVSFT
1VCMJD
3FMBUJPOT
7JTBT

3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT QATAR- Doha, BAHRAIN, KUWAIT, 5FM
+974 55745147 &NBJM
CJ[RBUBS!ZBIPPDPN
CHAUFFEUR SERVICE CENTRE NEW ZEALAND, EUROPE & OMAN- Muscat, KENYA- Nairobi 4FDPOE
UP
OPOF
DPNQSFIFOTJWF
BOE
HFOFSBM
NBJOUFOBODF

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS & INDIA- 16 Offices. CARPET TFSWJDFT
PG
BMM
LJOET
PG
WFIJDMFT
"MTP
EFBMT
JO
TBMFT
PG
QBSUT
PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH DEMAND IN CANADA & AUSTRALIA: etc. $BMM
55820652 Engineers (Civil, Mech., Software & Petroleum), Teachers, Professors Apply & Lecturers, Nurses, Healthcare, Information Technology, Sales & KASHMIR HANDICRAFT EMPORIUM Mktg, Banking, Insurance, Finance & Accounts Professionals, DENTAL CLINIC Insurance Adjusters, Technicians, Trades Persons & many more... )BOENBEF
$BSUQFUT
)BOEJDSBGUT

'VSOJUVSF
*Conditions "M
.JSHBC
4USFFU
"M
/BTFS
5FM
44432761 GSM: 55553407 Devinder Sandhu & Parvinder Sandhu, WWICS/ Its Staff/ Associates are Members of CAPIC, ICCC, Sr. Directors are members of ICCRC PHDCCI, CII, FICCI, ICBC, CMA, APIEC, IACC & MARA ORIENTAL CARPET COMPANY &YDMVTJWF
)BOENBEF
$BSUQFUT
'VSOJUVSF

$SBGUT
WWICS QATAR 4VIBJN
#JO
)BNBE
4U
/FBS
3FE
-PCTUFS WORLD'S LARGEST RESETTLEMENT GROUP 5FM
44479794/44131850 GSM: 55569620 Mezzanine Floor, IBQ Bank Building, Adjacent to HSBC Bank Building, Opp. New Quality Almeera, Airport Road, Ummughlina Area, Doha, Qatar, Ph: +974 44850723/25 E-mail: [email protected] CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE Website : www.wwicsgroup.com

JOB PORTAL

GULF DENTAL CENTER GROUP )JMBM
#SBODI
44670701/2 %VIBJM
#SBODI
44217338 8BLSB
#SBODI
44771011/22

MANILA DENTAL CENTER 0ME
"JSQPSU
#BDLTJEF
PG
-VMV
)ZQFSNBSLFU 5FM
44414461/2 ELECTRONICS

FLORIST

JEWELLERY

CANARA JEWELLERY "M
.BOTPVSB
#JO
%JSIBN
4USFFU
5FM
44422071, 44357283
&NBJM
DBOBSBKFXFMMFSZ!ZBIPPDPN DBOBSBKFXMMFSZ!HNBJMDPN

XXXDPN

MEDICAL SERVICES

FURNITURE

APOLLO FURNITURE 4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44689522 (3 Lines) XXXBQPMMPGVSOJUVSFPOMJOFDPN GLASS COATING

APOLLO ENTERPRISES $SZTUBM
#POE
(MBTT
$PBUJOH
"HBJOTU
5IF
4VOÚT
)BSNGVM
3BZT
)FBU
3FTJTUBODF
4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44426664 GSM: 55830870/33599574 &NBJM
[email protected] GENERAL TRADING SERVICES MASSAGE CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY W.L.L. $PNQMFUF
(FOFSBM
$MFBOJOH
4FSWJDFT
GPS
0ME
BOE
/FX
7JMMBT 5FM
44582257 .PCJMF
33189899/ 55565328 KOTTAKKAL AYURVEDIC MASSAGE CENTRE E-mail: [email protected] "ZVSWFEJD
.BTTBHF
1IJMJQQJOF

5IBJ
.BTTBHF /FBS
#BESJZB
4JHOBM
#JO
.FINPPE AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL 5FM 44360061 GSM: 33453697 ,IBSBCB
4USFFU
#FIJOE
8IJUF
.PTRVF
5FM
44367555 'BY
44367999 GSM: 55875920/55860432 INTERNATIONAL MASSAGE CENTER (AYURVEDIC) *OEJBO

5IBJMBOE
3FKVWBOBUJPO
#BDL

+PJOUT
1BJO
1BSBMZTJT
STAR PLUZ W.L.L. CLEANING & PEST CONTROL 3IFVNBUJD
%JTFBTFT
)PNF
4FSWJDFT
0QQPTJUF
$PNQMFUF
(FOFSBM
$MFBOJOH
BOE
.BSCMF
1PMJTIJOH "M
+B[FFSB
57
#JO
0NSBO
5FM 44218166 GSM: 77702421 "MTP
1FTU
$POUSPM
BOE
(FM
4FSWJDF
.VHBMJOB
5FM
44371342 GSM: 55872811 ROYAL THAI MEN SPA ASIA TRANSLATION & SERVICES CENTRE "VUIFOUJD
5IBJ
.BTTBHF
5IBJ
5SBEJUJPOBM
.BTTBHF
"SPNBUIFSBQZ
)PU
0JM
4BVOB
-FBEJOH
-FHBM
5SBOTMBUPST

%PDVNFOU
-FHBMJ[BUJPO
4JODF

*OEJBO
$FSUJûDBUF
#PEZ
4DSVC
'PPU
.BTTBHF
%Ú
3JOH
3PBE
)JHIXBZ
/FX
4BMBUB
/FBS
"M
"SBCJ
"UUFTUBUJPO
)FBE
0GûDF


"M
)JMBM
#SBODI


4BMXB
3PBE
INVEST IN QATAR 4UBEJVN5FM 44666745 www.thaimassagedoha.com #SBODI

.PCJMF
$POUBDUT
4VûZBO

:PPOVT

 For advertisements, call: QUEENS LAND SERVICES HELPLINE GROUP OF COMPANIES Pen.Mag Business Set-up and Sponsorship. 8F
QSPWJEF
"
UP
;
TVQQPSU
GPS
UIF
$PNQBOZ
'PSNBUJPO
$PNNFSDJBM
Tel: 44557857 %FCU
$PMMFDUJPO
3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT
44557857 3FHJTUSBUJPO
130
4FSWJDFT

3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT
$BMM
/PX
[email protected] .PC
77776917 &NBJM
[email protected] 77711129/44351974/44919213 - www.helplinegroups.com CLASSIFIEDS FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 19

8 January 2016 SERVICES FOR RENT SITUATIONS VACANT

APOLLO REAL ESTATE REQUIRED MASSAGE RENT A CAR %PIBÚT
MFBEJOH
3FBM
&TUBUF
"HFODZ
DBO
PGGFS
ZPV
B
XJEF
TFMFDUJPO
PG
BWBJMBCMF
Male / Female QSPQFSUJFT
"QBSUNFOU
UP
DPNQPVOET
BOE
PGûDF
TQBDF
(JWF
VT
ZPVS
SFRVJSFNFOUT
BOE
MFU
VT
ûOE
AL SULAIMAN RENT A CAR Data Encoder .BJO
0GûDF
$
3JOH
3PBE
5FM
44911711 ZPV
B
QMBDF
UIBU
ûUT
8JUI
PWFS

ZFBST
FYQFSJFODF
JO
%PIB
XF
LOPX
UIF
NBSLFU "JSQPSU
#SBODI

.PC

"M
,IPS
#SBODI
 Qatar’s first Real Estate Company under British Management For a website &NBJM
JOGP!BMTVMBJNBODBSDPN
BJSQPSU!BMTVMBJNBODBSDPN Call: Office: 44689522, Maureen 55864352 Send CV: [email protected] Call:66664693 AL MUFTAH RENT A CAR WLL Abubakar 55850815, Peter 55506803, Dexter 55872145 )0
%Ú
3JOH
3E
5


"JSQPSU
www.apollopropertiesonline.com 
(SBOE
)BNBE
"WFOVF

3BT
CHANGE OF NAME -BGGBO

"M
,IPS

&
.BJM
SFTFSWBUJPOT! SFOUBDBSEPIBDPN

8FCTJUF
XXXSFOUBDBSEPIBDPN FLATS t

4UVEJP
''
'MBU
1FBSM
2BUBS
23






OASIS RENT A CAR *
"-5"'
"-".
IPMEFS
PG
1BLJTUBO
1BTTQPSU
/P
:06
3&/5
.03&
5)"/
"
$"3
8*5)
0"4*4 t


#3
6'
'MBU
.VHMJOB
23 $#
2BUBS
*%
/P

IFSFCZ
5FM
4413 0011 "MMFO 6641 7354 'BY: 4413 0033 t


#3
''
'MBU
%PIB
+BEFFE
23 DIBOHF
NZ
OBNF
UP
ABDUL LATEF. 3FOUBM!0BTJT$BST$PN

0BTJT$BSTDPN

(SFBU
EFBMT
PO
MPOH
UFSN
SFOUBMT t


#3
''
'MBU
.VHMJOB
23






t


#3
''
'MBU
%PIB
+BEFFE
$FOUSBM
"$
23 E2E FLEETS - The Complete Transportation Solution #VT
3FOUBMT
4UBGG

4DIPPM
5SBOTQPSUBUJPO
1JDL
BOE
%SPQ
0GG
4FSWJDFT
FUD t


#3
''
'MBU
0ME
"M
(IBOJN
23 "OZ
PCKFDUJPO
QMFBTF
DPOUBDU
UIF
*NNJHSBUJPO
BOE
5FM 4460 5291 'BY
4460 2176
.PC
66728034 t


#3
''
'MBU
0ME
"JSQPSU
23 1BTTQPSU
0GûDF
XJUIJO

EBZT
GSPN
UIF
QVCMJDBUJPO
PG
&NBJM
üFFUT!FFRBUBSDPN
8FC
XXXFFRBUBSDPN t


#3
''
'MBU
4QPPM
/FBS
$PSOJDIF
23






UIJT
OPUJDF NICE RENT A CAR t


#3
6'
'MBU
8BLSB
23 4PMVUJPO
GPS
5SBOTQPSU

-FBTJOH
BMM
UZQFT
PG
WFIJDMF

)FBWZ
&RVJNFOU t


#3
6'
'MBU
.BOTPVSB
23 5FM
44413392 (4.
55514223 'BY
44317896 8FCTJUF
niceqatar.com t


#3
6'
'MBU
%PIB
+BEFE
23 COMPOUND VILLAS &NBJM
[email protected]/ [email protected] t


#3
4'
'MBU
/BKNB
23 REGENCY FLEETS "
3FHFODZ
(SPVQ
$P t


#3
''
'MBU
%PIB
+BEFE
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
-VRUB
23 4QFDJBM
$PSQPSBUF
MFBTJOH
BOE
3FOUBM
SBUFT
1SJDF
JODMVEFT
$PNQSFIFOTJWF
*OTVSBODF
t


#3
''
'MBU
8BLSB
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
"M
3PXEB
23 .BJOUFOBODF
3FQMBDFNFOU
7FIJDMF
FUD
%SJWFO
CZ
7BMVFT
&NBJM
JOGP!SFHFODZüFFUT t


#3
''
'MBU
/BKNB
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
)JMBM
23 DPN

5FM
44433822/44554046
'BY
44554047 Branches: "JSQPSU

5FM
44153086 #FWFSMZ
)JMMT

5FM
44122131 .PWFOQJDL
5PXFS

4VJUFT
5FM
44966107/30122300 t


#3
''
'MBU
0ME
4BMBUB
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
.VSBJLI
23 MANPOWER SERVICES t


#3
''
'MBU
4QPPM

.VHMJOB
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
"[J[JZB
23 COUNTRY RENT A CAR - BARWA AL WAKRA t


#3
''
'MBU

4QPPM

"M
/BTJS
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
"CV
)BNPVS


.PEFM
,JB
$FSBUP
)POEB
$JUZ
%BJMZ.POUIMZ
3FOUBM

'VMM
*OTVSBODF
$PWFSBHF
'SFF
.BJOUFOBODF

t


#3
''
'MBU

4QPPM
/FBS
$PSOJDIF
23 3FQMBDFNFOU

)ST
3PBE
4JEF
"TTJTUBODF
5FM
44154467/44687507 (4.
55048720/ A ONE REAL ESTATE




23
POMZ
&VSPQFBOT  t


#3
''
'MBU
1FBSM
2BUBS
23 5544042/66995238 &NBJM
JOGP!DPVOUSZSFOUBDBSDPN

#MEH
/P
4IPQ
/P t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"M
/BTJS
23 t


#3
6'
'MBU
8BLSB
23 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"JO
,IBMJE
23 GO RENT A CAR t


#3
''
'MBU
/KBNB23 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
8FTU
#BZ
23 $PNQFUJUJWF
3BUFT
GPS
$BS
3FOUBM

-FBTJOH
t


#3
''
'MBU
.BOTPVSB
23 5FM +974 44325500 'BY

44375753
(4.
33697075/ t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
"[J[JZB
23 66971703/55241629 &NBJM
JOGPHPRBUBS!HPSFOUBDBSNFDPN t


#3
''
'MBU
"M
4BBE
23 t


#3
6'
'MBU
.VOUB[BI
23 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"CV
)BNPVS
23 AL DAR CAR RENTAL t


#3
''
'MBU
.BOTPVSB
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
(BSBČB
23 
)PVST
#JO
0NSBO
"INFE
#JO
"MJ
4U
10
#PY

t


#3
6'
'MBU
0ME
"JSQPSU
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
(BSBČB
23 5FM
44877789
(4.
55599972/55732070

'BY
44866637 BMEBSDBSSFOUBM!IPUNBJMDPN t


#3
''
'MBU
.VOUB[BI
23 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
.VBJUIFS
23 t


#3
''
'MBU

4QPPM

"M
/BTJS
23 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"M
,IBUUJZBU
23
 EUROPCAR RENT A CAR CO LLC t


#3
''
'MBU

4QPPM

8FTU
#BZ
23 t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
8BLSB
23 )FBE
0GûDF
BU
$3JOH
3PBE
5FM
44660677 Airport: 40108888 .PCJMF

55827766/ 55849587 “NO AGENTS” t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
.VSSBJLI
23 &NBJM
"ENJO!FVSPQDBSDPNRB CALL: 66725353, 44410851, 70047475 A ONE REAL ESTATE t


#3
6'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"JO
,IBMJE
23
 AVIS RENT A CAR t


#3
''
$PNQ
7JMMB
"JO
,IBMJE
23
 .BJO
0GûDF
BU
"M
4IBSJG
5SBEJOH

$POU
$P
#MEH
BU
UIF
KVODUJPO
PG
ANNOUNCEMENTS t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"M
8BBC
23 "JSQPSU
4USFFU

4VIBS
4U
3PBE
5FM
44667744 / 40108887 t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
-BHPPO
23 44657626 'BY
&NBJM
BWJT!RBUBSOFURB
8FC
XXXBWJTRBUBSDPN t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
-BHPPO
23




BUYING BUDGET RENT A CAR t


#3
6'
$PNQ
7JMMB
"CV
)BNPVS
23 5IF
#FTU
$BS
3FOUBM
4FSWJDF
JO
2BUBS
We buy all kinds of used household t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
.VSSBJLI23 )FBE
0GûDF

44310411 "JSQPSU
"SSJWBM

"JSQPSU
%FQBSUVSF
40108880 -55808638 (24 Hrs) items. Office Furniture, Electric and t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
8BLSB
23 electronics items.. Fridge, A/Cs, t


#3
4'
$PNQ
7JMMB
-BHPPO
23 NATIONAL CAR RENTAL Freezer, TV & Computers. “NO AGENTS” $BST

8%T

1JDLVQT

#VTFT

$IBVGGFVS
%SJWF
Call: 55505773 $BMM
5547 8150/5547 8151 CALL: 66725353, 44410851, 70047475 MOVERS &NBJM
JOGP!OBUJPOBMRBUBSDPN CHAUFFEUR RENT A CAR SERVICES E2E GLOBAL LINES (Q) PACKERS & MOVERS WLL :FBSMZ
BOE
.POUIMZ
XJUI
PS
XJUIPVU
ESJWFS
8PSMEXJEF
%PPS
5P
%PPS
4FSWJDF
BOE
-PDBM

*OUFSOBUJPOBM
3FMPDBUJPO 5FM
44445456
.PCJMF
55820652 5FM 4451 6688 'BY 4468 8631 .PC 6613 7103 &NBJM
JOGP!DIBVGGFVSRBDPN STATIONERY & OFFICE WRAPPING SERVICES &NBJM
TIJQQJOH!FFRBUBSDPN
8FC
XXX
FFRBUBSDPN SUPPLIES RECRUITMENT SERVICES OFFICE EXPERTS METAL REPAIRS 3FHVMBS
4VQQMJFS
PG
0GûDF
4UBUJPOFSZ

4VQQMJFT
*5
1SPEVDUT
BOE
$POTVNBCMFT
BOE
PUIFS
(FOFSBM
$POTVNBCMFT
8F
EP
APOLLO ENTERPRISES GBTU
EFMJWFSJFT

"O
JOJUJBUJWF
PG
4BNB
(SPVQ
8--
#FM[POB
1PMZNFSJDT

5FM
44426664 5FM
44433199 - 'BY
4444 7709 - &NBJM
[email protected] (4.
55871914/ 55524897 &NBJM
BQPMMP!RBUBSOFURB

JORVJSZ!BQPMMPDIFNJDBMTDPN SCAFFOLDING POLYCLINIC APOLLO ENTERPRISES SCAFFOLDING DIVISION $POUSBDU)JSF4BMF

4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44693334 FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC 'BY
44416274
(4.
55521089/55560246/55536285 "M
8VLBJS
"M
.BTIBBG
XXXBQPMMPRBUBSOFU

&NBJM
BQPMMPTDBGG!RBUBSOFURB 5FM
44113556/7/8 PARTY ITEMS & MALZAMAT QATAR W.L.L. 4UFFM

"MVNJOJVN
4DBGGPMEJOH
4BMF
)JSF

$POUSBDUJOH
BALLOON DECORATION 5FM
44504266 'BY
44502489 (4.
66715063 www.malzamatqatar.com &NBJM
[email protected], [email protected] PARTY KINGDOM /FBS
+BJEBI
'MZPWFS
/BTSBMMBI
$FOUSF
5FM
44353501/ UNIFORMS 44366431 - E-mail: [email protected]

PEST CONTROL REAL ESTATE

AL MUFTAH SERVICES 5FM 44634444/44010700 .PC
55542067/55823100 &
.BJM
SFTFSWBUJPOT!SFOUBDBSEPIBDPN

8FCTJUF
XXXSFOUBDBSEPIBDPN

ADAM REAL ESTATE COMPANY "M
,VXBSJ
#MHE
UI
'MPPS
"M
4BEE
/FBS
4FCTUBJO
3FTU
5FM
44366932
'BY
44366931 (4.
55500789 / 55803731

APOLLO REAL ESTATE 4BMXB
3PBE
(4.

55864352/55506803/ 55872145 5FM
44689522 XXXBQPMMPQSPQFSUJFTPOMJOFDPN
&NBJM
BQPMMPQSPQ!RBUBSOFURB RENT A CAR SERVICED OFFICES WATER TANK CLEANING

AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL ,IBSBCB
TU
#FIJOE
XIJUF
.PTRVF
'BY
443679 99
(4. 55875920/55860432 CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY $MFBOJOH
8BUFS
5BOLT

1FTU
$POUSPM
(4. 55565328/ 33189899 5FM
44582257 TRANSLATION SERVICES E-mail: [email protected]

HELPLINE $3JOH
3PBE
/FBS
(VMG
5JNFT
For advertisements, call: 44557857 5FM
44919213 .PC
77711129 www.helplinegroups.com 20 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 SPORT

Local schools greet Hosts Qatar’s preparations on track for AFC U23: Al Harami AFC U23 mascot

The Peninsula “The LOC consists of the Min- and squares in addition to the mascot A total of 16 top teams will partic- The Peninsula istry of Youth & Sports, QFA, QSL, (Najim) tours. We would like to encour- ipate in the AFC U23 Championship Supreme Committee for Delivery & age the fans to come to the stadium finals with the top three teams will Legacy, Aspire and Aspetar. All of these for the matches.” qualify automatically to the men’s foot- DOHA: The Local Organising DOHA: AFC U23 Championship Qatar organizations have played a major part Al Harami also had some words on ball Olympic tournament 2016 in Rio Committee (LOC) has launched its 2016 Local Organising Committee COO in the delivery and planning of this the opening of the tournament. De Janeiro. promotional activities of engaging Ahmed Al Harami (pictured) has tournament,” Al Harami said. “The official opening ceremony will Tickets for all the matches are avail- schoolchildren ahead of the AFC assured that the preparations for the Commenting on the coordination be on Tuesday (January 12) at Lekhwiya able online from the Qatar Football U23 Championship. upcoming AFC U23 Championships with the AFC, Al Harami said: “We are Stadium at exactly 07:00pm, half an Association website: www.qfa.qa. The high profile event will be in Qatar are on track ahead of the big holding regular meetings with the AFC, hour prior to the game between Qatar Tickets are also available at Land- held in Qatar from January 12 to kick-off on January 12. we are currently in the final phases of and China, which is preceded by the mark &Villagio malls from 4pm to 10pm 30 at four venues. Al Harami noted that the LOC has hosting this prestigious competition.” opening game between Syria vs Iran daily besides the venue. ‘Najim’, the official event mascot, relied on mixture of young Qatari talent Al Harami also commented that the at 04:30 at Jassim Bin Hamad venue.” visited Pakistani, British, Bangla- supported by the experienced profes- official accreditation center is located deshi and Sri Lankan schools in sionals to host the event in a befitting in Hamad Bin Attiya Indoor Hall. TICKET CATEGORIES AND PRICES Qatar. manner . Stadium in Al Arabi Sports Club and “The accreditation center com- Large crowds gathered during Al Harami added that all prepara- Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar menced work on January 6 to deliver up Category Opening Match Group Stage Q/f S/f Final the LOC visits to the schools which tions are on track for the tournament. Sports Club are all ready and settled to 4000 accreditations for the national saw schoolchildren mingling with VIP QR100 QR50 QR50 QR50 QR100 “In terms of the facilities, there for hosting the key events along with teams, delegations and media repre- football officials and having their are already in place special arrange- official hotels allocated for the par- sentatives,” said the official. CAT 1 QR50 QR30 QR30 QR30 QR50 photos taken with ‘Najim’. ments,” he said. ticipating national teams.” Al Harami also had some positive CAT 2 QR30 QR10 QR10 QR10 QR30 LOC officials said more schools “The four main venues; Abdullha Al Harami explained that the words on the marketing campaign for are on the list in the coming days. Bin Khalifa stadium in Lekhwiya Sports preparations for the event has been the tournament: Children Free Free Free Free Free The officials also distributed Club, Jassem Bin Hamad Stadium in accomplished in coordination with sev- “The promotional campaigns Disabled Free Free Free Free Free literature detailing the event sched- Al Sadd Sports Club, Grand Hamad eral entities which should be thanked. already in place within the streets ule and venues. Bayern seek ‘foundations’ for success in Doha

Sammer wants squad to hit top form as German champions train at Aspire Zone

Reuters

DOHA: German champions Bayern Munich must hit top form when the season resumes this month after a win- ter break and avoid the “catastrophic consequences” that could be caused by a lack of focus, sports director Mat- thias Sammer said yesterday as the football giants started their winter training camp in Qatar . Bayern, eight points clear at the top of the table and eyeing a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title, face Juventus in the last 16 of the Champi- ons League in February and are also still in the hunt for German Cup glory. The Bavarians enjoyed a near- perfect first half of the season but the players cannot be complacent fol- lowing the one-month winter break, Sammer said. “We have to get into our best possi- ble form as quickly as possible,” he told reporters at the training camp in Doha. Bayern Munich’s players during a training session at Aspire Zone yesterday. Picture: Baher Amin/The Peninsula “This has to be our message today. “Of the first 10 games in all com- petitions seven are away and we are when Spaniard Pep Guardiola will give after 2013? Saying things like that is FOOTBALL: BAYERN MUNICH START playing opponents such as Juven- way to Italian Carlo Ancelotti. nonsense,” Sammer said. tus, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia The decision to stand down from TRAINING CAMP IN DOHA “You do not win the Champions Dortmund. Even one percent of wrong Guardiola, who wants to move to the League, it comes to you if you have thinking could have catastrophic con- English Premier League but has yet to said before adding that Bayern could earned it and that happens if you have sequences at this level. decide on his new club, and the deal now focus on winning silverware. the right momentum. “Concentration must be 100 per- with Ancelotti was announced at the He played down expectations of “We have to set the foundations cent and the head must be clear.” same time, nipping any media spec- another treble-winning season, say- for that here in Doha.” Sammer is pleased with the way ulation about his possible successor ing everything would have to fall into Bayern’s first game back in the Bun- Munich’s Thomas Mueller (right) smiles while head coach Pep Guardiola the club have dealt with the planned in the bud. place to allow that to happen. desliga will be a trip to Hamburg SV gestures during their first training session in Doha yesterday. change of coach at the end of the season “We closed that vacuum,” Sammer We have to win the treble again on January 22.

Al Gharafa and Al Sabri secures Air Pistol title at Losail Wakrah claim wins

The Peninsula at Qatar League

QNA DOHA: Mohammed Sabri topped in the Men’s Air Pistol 10m of the Qatar Open at the Losail Shooting Range DOHA: Al Gharafa recorded an impor- on Wednesday. tant 73-60 win over Al Arabi Sports While Sabri clinched the title, Club in the Qatar Basketball League Abdullah Al Sunaidi finished sec- on Wednesday. ond after a tough contest. The four quarters of the match were The third position in the event in Al Gharafa’s favour and ended 15-14, went to Ali AlMohannadi. 17-7, 21-20 and 20-19. In the Youth category, shooter By this victory Al Gharafa took their Mohammed Al Mubarak displayed tally to 18 points, one point behind Al brilliant skills and accuracy to win Rayan, the leader and Al Sadd. the gold medal, The the second match of the day Ahmed Al Ali took the silver and saw team work helped Al Wakrah to Fahad Al Mirqab clinched the bronze beat Al Khor 114-94. medal. Al Khor was behind by 30-24, 33-24 The event comes as a preparation and 31-23 during the first three quar- stage for the Qatar national team ahead ters and managed their way to have of their participation in the upcom- the fourth quIn the general ranking, ing Asian Shooting Championship in Al Wakrah is in the fifth position New Delhi, which serves as qualifying with 15 points, and Al Khor in the sixth tournament for the Rio 2016 Olym- position with 15 points as well, but pic Games. Wakrah lead with the goal difference. Aysha Al Suwaidi claimed the gold In matches on Tuesday, Al Rayyan medal in the women’s 10m Rifle event and Al Sadd secured big victories over while Hanadi Salem took the gold in the their respective opponents. 10m Pistol event earlier in the event. Al Rayyan dominated Al Ahli from Bahiya Al Hamad finished second the beginning to record a 110-53 while Medal winners at the Qatar Open pose for a picture along with the Action from a match at the Qatar Basketball League in Doha on 10m Rifle while Mahbouba Akhlaqi Al Sadd overcame Qatar SC, thanks settled in third place. officials at Losail Shooting Range on Wednesday. to 24 points by Abdulrahman Saad. Wednesday. SPORT FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 21

New Zealand in tense win Warner blasts quick-fire in first Sri Lanka T20

Reuters T20 CRICKET: SRI LANKA VS NEW ZEALAND

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Trent Boult ton in drawn SCG Test produced an economical spell of bowl- game with 49 runs in 32 balls after ing to take three wickets and help Boult, Matt Henry and leg spinner New Zealand to a tense three-run win Ish Sodhi had reduced the visitors CRICKET: over Sri Lanka in their first Twenty20 to 84-5 in the 10th over. The feisty batsman AUSTRALIA VS WEST INDIES international yesterday. The match had been billed by New Boult combined his speed with Zealand coach Mike Hesson as the who was named strict line and length to finish with start of an extended run of selection player-of-the-match, given free admission into the Syd- 3-21 off four overs and had the dan- matches ahead of the World Twenty20 ney Cricket Ground. gerous Milinda Siriwardana caught in India with limited overs special- reached his 16th Test Warner provided plenty of enter- in the deep for 42 to leave the visitors ist Colin Munro brought back into century off 82 balls tainment, clubbing spinner Jomel needing 30 runs off the final three the side. Warrican for two sixes in three balls overs. The left-armer then took a vital Munro did his chances no harm on the way to plundering 16 runs from catch to dismiss Nuwan Kulasekara with the bat, scoring 36 while batting one over. for 14 in the final over bowled by Grant at number three, but his medium pace AFP “We tried to go out there and be as Elliott, before Chamara Kapugedera bowling was too full and did not put positive as we could,” Warner said. “We was brilliantly run out by Martin Gup- pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen tried to score some runs at a nice rate till with a bullet throw for 17. as he conceded 17 runs in two overs. to give the fans something to watch.” The visitors needed 13 runs off New Zealand’s total had been set SYDNEY: Australia’s David Warner Warner and Joe Burns raised their the final over but fell short as Elli- up by a century stand by Martin Gup- lit up the final day of the rain-ruined 100-run stand off 92 balls, with Warner ott, back after a broken hand, sent till (58) and Kane Williamson (53), third Test with the fastest Test century contributing 74 runs. down composed six deliveries that who has taken over the captaincy at the Sydney Cricket Ground as the Burns was out soon after, attempt- kept them off balance and they fin- from Brendon McCullum. match meandered to a draw against ing to hoist Warrican over mid-on only ished on 179-9 chasing New Zealand’s Ross Taylor (22) and Elliott (10) put the West Indies yesterday. to be taken head-high by Kemar Roach 182-4 in their 20 overs. on 19 in the final 10 balls after Sri Man-of-the -match Warner, deter- for 26. Siriwardana and Thisara Perera Lanka’s bowlers had slowed their run mined to finish an undistinguished Under-used Mitchell Marsh and (28) had got their side back into the rate in the latter part of the innings. series on a high, reached his 16th Test wicketkeeper Neville were promoted century off 82 balls before a small in the order. Sydney crowd in the last rites to a Marsh, in only his third bat of the SCOREBOARD frustrating Test. It eclipsed Matthew series, was caught at slip for 21 giv- Hayden’s 84-ball ton against Zimba- ing spinner Jomel Warrican his fifth New Zealand T Dilshan c Ronchi b Boult 0 bwe in 2003. wicket of the series and making him M Guptill run out (Kapugedera) 58 D Chandimal c Sodhi b Henry 7 David Warner The buccaneering opener had a his side’s leading wicket-taker over K Williamson c Lakmal b Kulasekara 53 S Jayasuriya c Ronchi b Boult 4 highest score of 64 in the two previous the three Tests. celebrates after scoring C Munro c & b Kulasekara 36 A Mathews c Elliott b Henry 4 Tests as team-mates helped themselves The West Indies earlier reached a century against the to six centuries against the tourists’ their highest score of the series before C Anderson c Siriwardana b Vandersay 2 M Siriwardana c McClenaghan b Boult 42 West Indies on the innocuous bowling attack. being dismissed at lunch. R Taylor (not out) 22 T Perera c Guptill b Henry 28 final day of their third Warner was hell-bent on rectify- It was the first time the West Indies G Elliott (not out) 10 C Kapugedera runout (Guptill/Ronchi) 17

cricket Test in Sydney

ing that deficiency and attacked the had passed 300 in their last nine Test Extras (W1) 1 N Kulasekara c Boult b Elliott 14 yesterday. bowling from the first ball to raise his innings against Australia. Total (4 wkts; 20 overs) 182 J Vandersay (not out) 4 maiden ton against the West Indies. Spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve When the match was called off O’Keefe each took three wickets to Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-131, 3-135, 4-163 S Lakmal (not out) 1 SCOREBOARD at 4:50pm local time (0550 GMT), finish off the first innings which had Did not bat: L Ronchi, M Henry, M McClena- Extras (LB6, W4, NB2) 12 Warner was unbeaten on 122 off 103 remained on hold since Monday after ghan, I Sodhi, T Boult Total (9 wkts; 20 overs) 179 West Indies (I innings) Bowling: Hazlewood 18-5-49-1, Pattinson balls with Peter Nevill on seven and two days of unrelenting rain. Bowling: Lakmal 3-0-39-0, Perera 3-0-39-0 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-27, 3-33, 4-42, 5-84, K Brathwaite c Smith b Lyon 85 18-3-76-2 (1nb), Lyon 46-12-120-3, Marsh Australia 176 for two in reply to the Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (w1), Kulasekara 4-0-26-2, Jayasuriya 4-0- 6-133, 7-153, 8-173, 9-174 4-1-15-0, O’Keefe 26.1-7-63-3 28-0, Vandersay 4-0-30-1, Dilshan 2-0-20-0 S Hope c Nevill b Hazlewood 9 West Indies’ 330. pushed his score to 62 after the West Bowling: Henry 4-0-44-3 (nb1), Boult 4-0- Australia (I innings) The match was destined to a draw Indies surprised by deciding to bat D Bravo c Khawaja b Pattinson 33 Sri Lanka 21-3, McClenaghan 4-0-40-0 (w4, nb1)), G D Warner (not out) 122 after two days were washed out with on and not declare. Play finally got M Samuels run out (Hazlewood) 4 D Gunathilaka c Taylor b Sodhi 46 Elliott 2-0-18-1, Sodhi 4-0-33-1, Munro 2-0- J Burns c Roach b Warrican 26 only 86.2 overs possible before the under way under sunny skies, just over 17-0 J Blackwood b Lyon 10 anti-climatic fifth day. 70 hours after the previous ball was M Marsh c Blackwood b Warrican 21 D Ramdin c Smith b O’Keefe 62 Skipper Steve Smith revealed after bowled on Monday’s second day. Days P Nevill (not out) 7 J Holder c Burns b O’Keefe 1 play that he had offered to contrive a three and four were totally washed out, Extras 0 C Brathwaite b Pattinson 69 result through declarations, but said making it the first time that two con- Total (2 wickets; 38 overs) 176 that his West Indies counterpart Jason secutive days had been lost to rain in K Roach c Burns b Lyon 15 Naib stars as Afghanistan Fall of wickets: 1-100, 2-154 Holder declined the offer. a Test in Australia in almost 26 years. J Taylor c Lyon b O’Keefe 13 “Unfortunately, they didn’t come Australia had already won the Bowling: Taylor 4-0-27-0, Holder 4-1-15-0, J Warrican (not out) 21 to the party,” Smith said. series and retained the Frank Worrell seal Zimbabwe series Roach 4-0-29-0, Warrican 15-1-62-2, C When play resumed the West Indies Trophy after huge wins in the Hobart Extras (B5, LB2, NB1) 8 Brathwaite 7-0-23-0, K Brathwaite 4-0-20-0 Total (all out; 112.1 overs) 330 added 82 runs before being dismissed and Melbourne Tests. Result: Match drawn for 330. The players wore black arm bands AFP had appeared to be on course for a

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-104, 3-115, 4-131 , 5-158, Man of the match: David Warner (AUS) Australia, and Warner in particu- as a mark of respect for the father of third successive win in the series. 6-159, 7-246, 8-296, 9-300, 10-330 Man of the series: Adam Voges (AUS) lar, went after the tourists’ total with West Indies batsman Rajendra Chan- Hamilton Masakadza had hit 110 gusto to entertain the small crowd drika, who passed away this week. after Zimbabwe batted first while Peter SHARJAH: Gulbadin Naib hit a career Moor (42) and Richmond Mutumbami best, undefeated 82 as Afghanistan (40) also starred as the African side defeated Zimbabwe by two wickets had been 167-3. to win the fifth one-day international Afghanistan were 66-3 in reply P aceman Amir granted New Zealand visa and take the series 3-2 on Wednesday. after fast bowler Luke Jongwe sent Naib smashed six sixes and three back Mohammad Shahzad, Noor Ali boundaries in his 68-ball knock as Zadran and Narwoz Mangol. Afghanistan chased down their 249- But Hashmatullah Shahidi and AFP CRICKET: to play three Twenty20 matches and considered factors including the sup- run target to claim a second successive Mohammad Nabi steadied the innings PAKISTAN’S TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND three one-day internationals subject port of the New Zealand and Pakistan series win over Zimbabwe after win- before Naib took charge with his man to clearance from Immigration New Cricket Board and that Mr Amir had ning in Africa in October. of the match performance. Zealand (INZ). served his sentence for his previous Naib’s final six came off the third Brief scores: WELLINGTON: Mohammad Amir has man had been granted a visa despite INZ area manager Michael Carley actions.” last ball after his team had been 121-5 Zimbabwe: 248 all out in 49.5 been cleared to play in New Zealand a conviction for spot-fixing. Amir, who told Fairfax Media that a visitor visa Amir said he was “delighted” at at one stage. His partnership of 85 overs (Hamilton Masakadza 110) this month with officials confirming served three months in jail in 2011, had had been approved. the news. “I can’t wait to board the with Rashid Khan for the seventh Afghanistan: 254-8 in 49.4 overs yesterday that the Pakistan pace- been included in the Pakistan team “In making this decision, INZ plane come Sunday,” he said. wicket proved key after Zimbabwe (Gulbadin Naib 82 not out) Panarin double secures LeBron shoots high to put Cavaliers on top win for Blackhawks Agencies LeBron James of the Cleveland Agencies NHL Results Cavaliers dunks during the Colorado 4 St. Louis 3 WASHINGTON: LeBron James scored second half at Vancouver 3 Carolina 2 34 points and Kyrie Irving had 19 of his Verizon Centre CHICAGO: Artemi Panarin scored Anaheim 0 Toronto 4 32 in the fourth quarter as the Cleve- on Wednesday in two goals including the game-win- Chicago 3 Pittsburgh 1 land Cavaliers won their fifth straight Washington, DC. ner for the second consecutive night Montréal 2 New Jersey 1 game with a 121-115 victory over the to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Cavaliers won, 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins James helped stake the Cavaliers 121-115. at the United Centre on Wednesday. 19 shots for the Canadiens while coun- (24-9) to an 18-point lead by hitting Coming off a two-goal perform- terpart Cory Schneider made 23 saves all four of his three-pointers less than ance, including an overtime winner, for New Jersey. four minutes into the third quarter. in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 win over the Canucks 3, Hurricanes 2 Mavericks 98, Pelicans 89 Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Bo Horvat scored his second goal Meanwhile Raymond Felton scored Panarin was again the difference in of the game on a power play with 1:06 the second game of the back-to-back. left in the third to give the Vancouver NBA Results He scored the clincher with a shot Canucks a 3-2 victory over the Caro- NY Knicks 98 Miami 90 from the right circle at 8:56 of the third lina Hurricanes. Indiana 95 Orlando 86 period to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 Maple Leafs 4, Ducks 0 advantage. Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier tied Cleveland 121 Washington 115 Canadiens 2, Devils 1 a season high with 39 saves for his sec- Detroit 99 Boston 94 Special teams were the difference ond shutout while Pierre-Alexandre Toronto 91 Brooklyn 74 a team-high 22 points, and Chandler BASKETBALL: Raptors 91, Nets 74 as the Montreal Canadiens edged the Parenteau scored two goals to lead Denver 78 Minnesota 74 Parsons scored 19 of his 21 points in the WEDNESDAY’S NBA RESULTS In another NBA game played later New Jersey Devils 2-1 at the Bell Centre. Toronto to a 4-0 rout of the Anaheim Dallas 100 New Orleans 91 first half, to lift the shorthanded Dal- on Wednesday, Jonas Valanciunas col- Max Pacioretty and Torrey Mitch- Ducks at the Honda Centre. San Antonio 123 Utah 98 las Mavericks to a 98-89 victory over lected a season-high 22 points and ell scored for Montreal (23-16-3) while Avalanche 4, Blues 3 (overtime) the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie grabbed seven rebounds to lead the grabbed 11 rebounds as the Toronto Phoenix 111 Charlotte 102 Adam Henrique replied for the Dev- Gabriel Landeskog scored at 4:44 King Centre. Indiana Pacers to a 95-86 victory over Raptors pulled away in the second half ils (20-16-5). of overtime as the Colorado Avalanche Oklahoma City 112 Memphis 94 Pacers 95, Magic 86 the Orlando Magic at the Amway Cen- en route to an 91-74 victory over the Goaltender Mike Condon stopped beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3. LA Clippers 109 Portland 98 Paul George scored 20 points and tre on Wednesday. Brooklyn Nets. 22 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 SPORT

Qatar Open Amateur Championship Suarez faces ban for ‘waste of space’ jibe

AFP “That provoked a clash between players from both clubs forcing security personnel present and the managerial BARCELONA: Barcelona striker Luis staff from both teams to intervene.” Suarez (pictured) faces a ban of up Espanyol’s physical approach had to three Copa del Rey matches after frustrated Barca in an equally fiery being cited in the referee’s report for clash between the two in La Liga on calling Espanyol players “a waste of Saturday which finished 0-0. space” at the end of a heated Cata- And Barcelona boss Luis Enrique lan derby. praised the referee’s more strict Barca won the first leg of the Copa approach to Espanyol’s roughhouse de Rey last-16 tie between the sides tactics in midweek, comparing the 4-1 on Wednesday as Espanyol had visitors’ style to American football. two players sent-off and were lucky Suarez’s controversial career to escape further punishment as goal- has seen him receive four long bans; keeper Pau Lopez’s violent stamp on three for biting opponents and once Lionel Messi went unseen. for allegedly racially abusing French However, it is Suarez, who was defender Patrice Evra during his time also booked for a clash with Lopez, at Liverpool. who is expected to receive a one to Yet, the Uruguayan’s behaviour three-game Cup ban for sparking a the dressing rooms, he (Suarez) waited since joining Barcelona 18 months brawl in the tunnel after the game for them and confronted them say- ago has been exemplary and a sus- Action from the Qatar Open Amateur Championship which teed off yesterday at Doha Golf Club. A that security personnel had to inter- ing on various occasions: “Here I am pension would be his first since the total of 126 golfers including 11 Qatari participants are vying for top honours at the three-day event vene to break up. waiting for you, come here; you are four-month ban he received for his hoping to win a berth at the prestigious Qatar Masters to be held later this month. “Whilst all the Espanyol players a waste of space,” referee Juan Mar- latest bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the climbed the stairs in the tunnel towards tinez Munuera wrote in his report. 2014 World Cup. Bastia test for leaders PSG as Lyon open new ground

FOOTBALL: LIGUE 1 PREVIEWS Laurent Blanc’s Parisians go into the clash today with a at the halfway stage. Their poor form cost coach Hubert Real Madrid’s new French coach Zinedine Zidane (right) looks at 19-point lead Fournier his job and Bruno Genesio has replaced him after being promoted forward Karim Benzema during his first training session as coach of from his backroom role. Real Madrid at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of Madrid, on Tuesday. AFP Genesio’s first game was the 7-0 Cup win against minnows Limoges and nothing less than a victory will do against a Troyes side who prop up the PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain will hope division having failed to win a league All eyes on Zidane’s first the winter break has not removed any game all season. of their sharpness as the runaway Ligue One man who will not feature for 1 leaders welcome Bastia to the Parc Lyon is Serbian defender Milan Bise- des Princes today. vac, who has left the club to join Serie match with Real Madrid PSG sat an enormous 19 points A side Lazio. clear of the chasing pack at the sea- Second over the winter break, son’s mid-way stage as they set a new Monaco are at home to Gazelec Reuters leading performers to show more record points tally for the first half of Ajaccio and will be without the sus- willingness to track back. the campaign in France. pended Lacina Traore after the giant Real’s attacking trident are as Laurent Blanc’s side have not lost striker scored four goals and was then BARCELONA: All eyes will be on new prolific with league goals as Lionel domestically since March last year and sent off in a 10-2 Cup win against Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez at few will give Bastia a chance of ending Saint-Jean-Beaulieu. and on how he delivers his brand of Barcelona but it is in other facets to that statistic in the capital, where Paris Third-placed Angers host Caen attacking football spearheaded by their play that the difference shows. have been especially strong. having been weakened by the sales the ‘BBC’ in his first match in charge Both trios have hit 35 La Liga goals The Corsicans sit just three points of Razza Camara and goalkeeper against Deportivo La Coruna in La this season but the perception is that clear of the relegation zone but they Ludovic Butelle to Derby County and Liga tomorrow. Real’s players have been less willing have lost just one of their last six games, Club Brugge respectively. So far the quietly-spoken French- to defend. while PSG laboured to a 1-0 victory Yoann Gourcuff could make his man has given little indication of the Former France great Zidane’s against fourth-tier minnows Wasque- first appearance since returning to way he plans to breathe new life into illustrious career as a player demands hal in the French Cup last weekend. first club Rennes in Saturday’s Brittany a side that boasts plenty of talent but the respect of the squad even though “It was one of our most difficult derby against Lorient, while Montpel- failed to perform in big games under this is his first stint as a top-flight matches this season. Different qual- Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) handing over his lier’s first league game under the new former coach Rafa Benitez. coach. ities are required to win games like captain’s arm band to a team-mate during the friendly match against management team of Pascal Baills “The idea is to play with the three Third-placed Real are four points thse,” said Paris goalkeeper Salva- Inter Milan in Doha, in this December 30, 2015 file photo. and Bruno Martini will be up against of them,” Zidane told reporters as he behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who tore Sirigu, who is a fitness doubt for Bordeaux. explained the roles of top-notch for- are away to Celta Vigo on Sunday, this weekend, although Kevin Trapp wards Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and two adrift of Barcelona who host is likely to start in goal with the Ital- Francois Kamano has returned to Lyon are hoping it can generate 70-100 Ligue 1 Fixtures and Cristiano Ronaldo, known in Spain Granada on Saturday. ian being tipped to leave the club this training after three months out with million euros per year and therefore Today as the ‘BBC’. It was the first time since Feb- month. a fractured metatarsal. help them compete with the very best Paris Saint-Germain v “It is important to see attractive ruary that a side comprising Messi, The return to fitness of Javier Pas- Tomorrow will be an historic clubs in Europe once again. “That is Bastia (1930 GMT) football and that is the line I will look Neymar and Suarez failed to score tore means Blanc has a near fully-fit day for Lyon as they open their new why we began this adventure in the Tomorrow to go down. Attacking and balanced.” as Barca drew 0-0 with Espanyol squad to choose from now and the 59,000-seat stadium against bottom first place. When we started thinking Lyon vs Troyes (1600 GMT), Rennes Benitez was never able to win over last weekend but they quickly got likes of Angel di Maria, Edinson Cav- club Troyes. about it at the beginning of the last vs Lorient, Monaco v Gazelec Ajaccio, the dressing room with his studious back on track with a 4-1 win over ani and Thiago Silva are set to return The ground in Lyon’s eastern sub- decade, we were the champions of Montpellier v Bordeaux, Angers vs approach following the departure the same opponents on Wednesday here after being rested last weekend. urbs will be one of the venues for Euro France and selling out every match,” Caen, Reims vs Toulouse of the more easy-going Italian Carlo in the King’s Cup. Bastia welcome back skipper Yan- 2016 and while most clubs in France said Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas. Sunday Ancelotti in the close season. A magical Messi display saw him nick Cahuzac after he missed last rent stadiums from local authorities, The current state of the Lyon side Nantes v Saint-Etienne (1300 GMT), Fans and the media also criticised score twice and set up goals for Gerard week’s French Cup win at Sedan due Lyon have funded it themselves. is a concern to fans with last season’s Lille v Nice (1600 GMT), Marseille v the Spaniard for being too defensive Pique and Neymar as Barca strolled Guingamp (2000 GMT) to suspension, while Guinea forward It cost 450m euros ($484m) but runners-up languishing in ninth place and Zidane will now need his three to victory in the last-16 first leg clash.

Brisbane International Results Men’s Singles Second round Qatar U-23 meet Belgian side Eupen in Doha Lucas Pouille (FRA) bt David Goffin (BEL x6) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 Milos Raonic (CAN x4) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-4 Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-2, 6-1 Women’s Singles Quarter-finals Angelique Kerber (GER x4) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-4 Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-3, 6-0 Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x8) 6-1, 6-2 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x8) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 Hopman Cup Round robin - Group A Ukraine bt Australia Gold 2-1 Women’s singles: Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Jarmila Wolfe (AUS) 6-3, 6-3 Men’s singles: Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Mixed doubles: Wolfe/Hewitt (AUS) bt Svitolina/Dolgopolov (UKR) 3-6, 7-5, 10-5 (match tiebreak) ATP Chennai Open Men’s singles Second round Benoit Paire (FRA x3) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 7-5, 7-5 Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) bt Gilles Muller (LUX x6) 6-4, 7-5 Action from the friendly match between Qatar U-23 and Belgian side Eupen in Doha yesterday. The friendly match comes in the frame of Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) bt Alexander Kudryavtsev (RUS) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 the Olympic team’s preparation for the upcoming AFC U-23 Championship which will take place from January 12 to 30 in Doha. Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Luca Vanni (ITA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 21 PAGE | 20 Warner blasts Bayern seek quick-fire ton in ‘foundations’ for drawn SCG Test success in Doha

FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 • 28 Rabia I 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Tennis professionals Djokovic, Nadal through to semis coach children at ExxonMobil Qatar

The World number The Peninsula one beats Mayer while Nadal overcomes DOHA: Children from the ExxonMobil Qatar commu- Kuznetsov to nity took part in tennis clinics specially organised for children during the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016 remain on collision yesterday. course Professional coaches from Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) spent over an hour with the children, encourag- ing them to learn new skills while promoting fun and enjoyment during the session. The coaches also briefly By Rizwan Rehmat explained the rules of the game in addition to general The Peninsula skills, such as technique, movement, balance, speed and coordination. This is the third year the clinics have been offered to children as part of the broader tournament. DOHA: World number one Novak During the 2014 tournament, ExxonMobil Qatar Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a ball to Russian Andrey Kuznetsov Djokovic of Serbia and arch-rival expanded the scope of participation from the Doha Rafael Nadal yesterday remained during their quarter-final match. Nadal won 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. community, inviting children from the Qatar Orphans on collision course in Doha after Foundation (Dhreima) to join the fun. they reached the semi-finals of the QTF and ExxonMobil Qatar organize the clinics to Qatar ExxonMobil Open. the ante by bringing out his full in the semi-finals. promote a love for tennis, and to help children develo- Top seed Djokovic of Ser- wingspan into play on forehand “I don’t know what the prob- pan interest in physical activities, as part of leading a bia sealed his semi-finals berth shots from the baseline to close the lem is. I am not a physio. I will see healthy lifestyle. with a straight-set win over eighth first set at 6-3 in just 36 minutes. what the issue is and I will try to ExxonMobil Qatar is committed to providing the seed Leonardo Mayer of Argen- In the second set, a feisty bat- be ready for the semi-finals,” the energy to drive human potential in the State of Qatar. tina. Djokovic won 6-3, 7-5 in 93 tle ensued from the baseline as the tall Ukrainian added. Through a variety of partnerships with local organiza- minutes. two players trade service breaks “ I was controlling the game. I tions such as QTF, ExxonMobil Qatar invests in programs Earlier former champion regularly. Kuznetsov, matching was up 5-0. Nothing you can really that support education, professional workforce devel- Nadal stuttered for a while before shot for shot, broke Nadal in games add to that,” Marchenko said. “And opment, and active and healthy lifestyles within Qatar’s composing himself to beat young three, eight and 12 to draw level then I lost a bit of focus. Got a bit community – critical to building a skilled and produc- Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, in the match. nervous at the end but still hold tive workforce that can sustain Qatar’s future. The world noumber one and top seed of the tournament, 5-7, 6-4 in 2 hours 7 minutes on A powerful backhand from the my serve at 5-3. Such a workforce is the key to a sustainable, knowl- the Centre Court at Khalifa Ten- Serbian Novak Djokovic returns a shot to Leonardo Mayer of baseline gave Kuznetsov the second edge-based economy, as outlined in the Qatar National nis Complex. Argentina during the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016 quarter finals set that lasted 53 minutes. Kuznet- ORDER OF PLAY Vision 2030. Champion in Doha two years men’s single match at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash sov fired four aces against none Centre Court start 4:30 pm ago, Nadal clearly enjoyed the Complex in Doha yesterday. Djokovic won in straight sets 6-3, from the former world number crowd’s support as he went about 7-5. Pictures by: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula one who also broke the Russian Doubles final battling the strong baseline game in games five and seven. P. Petzschner (GER)/A. Peya (AUT) vs of Kuznetsov who won the sec- In the deciding set, the two con- F. Lopez (ESP) / M. Lopez (ESP) ond set after breaking the former The Serb added: “I was on the second set but I won the tough tinued with their dogfight until world number one three times. verge of losing the second set but I situations. That was the key,” the game nine when a fired up Nadal Followed by In the semi-finals today Nadal am just very pleased to get through. world number five said. broke Kuznetsov from the base- I. Marchenko (UKR) vs [2] will meet giant-killer Illya March- He could have won the second set “He’s a very good player. He line. Nadal held serve in game 10 R. Nadal (ESP) enko of Ukraine. and the match was open. You just played really well today,” the sec- to seal his place in the semi-finals Followed by After conqueror of defending have to believe in yourself and I ond seed added. in what was his 22nd win on Doha champion David Ferrer on Tues- have been in such situations before When asked about Marchenko, courts. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] or Leonardo day, Marchenko yesterday shocked so experienced helped me tonight.” Nadal said: “I have seen him play Earlier, Marchenko crushed Mayer (ARG) [8] vs Tomas Berdych seventh seed Jeremy Chardy of Crowd favourite Nadal was here. He’s a tough player. He is play- 7th seed Chardy to reach the semi- (CZE) [3] or [Q] Kyle Edmund (GBR) France 6-3, 7-6 to reach his first clearly delighted after prevail- ing a high level of tennis. I would finals despite back issues. RESULTS major semi-finals in his star-stop ing over Kuznetsov who is yet to call him a very tough opponent.” Playing feisty tennis for most Results from the fourth day of career since 2010. beat the Spaniard in two meet- In what was the second quar- part of the quarter-final, March- the Qatar Open on Thursday Djokovic sounded pleased with ings on the ATP Tour. ter-final of the day, Nadal picked enko used his tall frame to win Quarter-finals his performance. “I am happy to have fought so up early momentum as he set about 6-3, 7-6 in 94 minutes. “It was a tough match for me well, especially in the tough situ- dismantling 25-year-old Kuznet- Marchenko twice called for Novak Djokovic (SRB) bt Leonardo - the toughest for me this tourna- ations. The way I finished pleased sov. Nadal broke the Russian in medical time-out but still managed Mayer (ARG) 6-3, 7-5 Children from the ExxonMobil Qatar community ment. I was expecting some long me,” Nadal said after the game. game 2 and then moments later to finish the match in straight sets. Illya Marchenko (UKR) bt Jeremy with the professional tennis coach at the exchanges from him. He is a very “he’s a tough opponent. He enjoyed held his serve in game three to “I had the energy to play the Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) solid player from back of the court. a good start in the second set,” jump to 3-0 lead. third set, I was mentally ready for conclusion of tennis clinics specially organised Rafael Nadal (ESP) bt Andrey Kuznet- for children during the Qatar ExxonMobil Open He plays good shots and he has a Nadal said. Kuznetsov held his serve on it,” Marchenko said later. “I worked sov (RUS) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 very good serve,” Djokovic said. “I was a bit cautious in the three occasions but Nadal upped so well tonight. I feel happy to be 2016 yesterday. ATP Tour: Doha named one of four best tournaments in 2015

Agencies into putting on these world class tournaments.” For the first time since 2004 and the fourth time overall (since 1986), two events have been named joint winners in the ATP World Tour 250 category. The 24th LONDON: Doha, host of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open is now in progress, has joined St Petersburg, Indian Wells and Queen’s as the boasting a field that includes four Top 10 players: Novak top four tournaments on the ATP Tour in 2015. Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych and David Fer- Doha and St Petersburgh are the two newcomers to rer. The St Petersburg Open celebrated its 20th edition the 250 series list,according to a list announced by the in 2015 as it returned to the ATP World Tour calendar. ATP in the 2015 ATP World Tour Awards presented by “Our aim is always to make a great event where play- Moët and Chandon. ers can feel relaxed and at home, where they can perform The Tournament of the Year awards, voted annu- at their best, where they want to return year after year,” ally by ATP players, recognise the leading standards Karim Alami, Tournament Director of the Qatar Exxon- set across the three tournament categories on the Tour. Mobil Open, said. Indian Wells repeats at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 “We are always listening to the opinions and feed- level, while The Queen’s Club in London wins in its first back from the organisation and from the players and year as a 500 tournament. In the 250 category, first- trying to learn from our mistakes and past experiences time winners Doha and St. Petersburg share honours. to keep improving and to keep raising the bar every year. ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode “To achieve the recognition of the players for these said: “Many congratulations to these four tournaments efforts and be selected by them as the best ATP World for setting the standard in their respective categories Tour 250 tournament for the year 2015 makes us all in 2015. They are each outstanding events in their own very proud and gives us the strength and motivation to right, and this is a fitting recognition, as voted by the continue improving and making our event better and Spectators watching the action during the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2016 quarter-final stage at the Khalifa players, for all the hard work and dedication that goes better,” Alami said. International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. Picture by: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER Minimum: 16o C Maximum: 23o C

FAJR 05.00 am ZUHR 11.40 am MAGHRIB 05.02 pm HIGH TIDE 04:30 - 14:45 Misty to foggy at first becomes moderate SHOROOK 06.21 am ASR 02.40 pm ISHA 06.32 pm LOW TIDE 11:15 - 21:15 temperature during day with some clouds later, relatively cold by night.

24 FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2016 Icebreakers at work ONLINE CHART BUST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

MOST READ 1 Netflix officially goes live in Qatar

Tunisia charter a key achievement, 2 says official 3 Qatargas wins GCC Environment Award

TWEET OF THE DAY

Icebreakers are engaged on the frozen Dabie lake in Szczecin, Poland, yesterday. Four icebreakers are working on the Oder River and Dabie Lake to free it from ice and prevent from massive blockage. Star Wars passes Avatar for North America box office record

AFP Awakens’ became the highest-gross- ultimately to challenge for the top spot. box office to a record $11.1bn last year, ing film of all time in the domestic “’Star’ Wars has always been one the Rentrak website reported. market,” Disney said in a statement, of the most beloved franchises in all Robert Thompson, a professor of INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY without providing figures. of filmdom... it was just a matter of popular culture at Syracuse Univer- LOS ANGELES: Star Wars: The Force The “humbled and grateful” com- finally having a deserving sequel to the sity in New York, said the hype and Awakens soared past “Avatar” on pany thanked its fans for helping it original trilogy that tipped the scales marketing surrounding the latest “Star Wednesday to become the top-gross- reach the milestone, saying that with- and topped ‘Avatar,’” said Jeff Bock, of War” had helped ensure its success but Action from ing movie of all time in North America, out them “there is no Star Wars.” industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. so was the fact that it is a good movie. the seventh riding on hype, nostalgia and an inven- “There has indeed been an awaken- The upcoming release on Satur- “Had the film been a disappointment, Qatar Inter- tive script. ing — and it’s all thanks to you,” it said. day in the huge Chinese market of the the numbers after the first weekend national Disney said the seventh film in the At $1.56 bn in global earnings, film directed by J J Abrams could help would have been a very different story,” Falcons and “Star Wars” saga had grossed $758.2m “The Force Awakens” still has some give it a further push to light speed. he said. “My prediction is that ‘Avatar’ Hunting Fes- through Tuesday, when it took in $8m, work ahead on that scale to overtake The success of “The Force Awak- will retain its global crown, but I could tival (Marmi and surpassed on Wednesday the “Avatar” ($2.79bn) or another Cameron ens” — detailing the adventures of certainly be wrong on that.” the Chal- $760.5m earned by James Cameron’s blockbuster, “Titanic” ($2.19bn). It is now classic “Star Wars” characters Prin- Disney, which purchased Lucas- lenge) at Oscar-winning sci-fi epic “Avatar.” fourth in all-time worldwide revenues, cess Leia and Han Solo as well as new film from “Star Wars” creator George Sealine. “This afternoon, with early box also trailing “Jurassic World” ($1.67bn). heroes like Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron Lucas for $4bn in 2012, plans two more office results in, ‘Star Wars: The Force But many observers expect the film — helped propel the overall American films in the space saga and a spinoff.

Double honour Twitter files Janet says she’s getting lawsuit against Turkish fine better after tour halt

AFP Reuters

ISTANBUL: Micro-blogging NEW YORK: Janet Jackson (pic- site Twitter filed a lawsuit in tured) says she’s getting better and an Ankara court yesterday, doesn’t have cancer as speculation seeking to annul a fine by the swirls over a mystery malady that Turkish authorities for not led the pop superstar to suspend her removing content Turkey says world tour. is “terrorist propaganda”, a The 49-year-old singer on Christ- source familiar with the case mas Eve announced that she was told Reuters. postponing an unspecified number A Turkish official said of concerts as doctors told her she much of the material in needed an operation “soon.” Actress Melissa McCarthy with her awards for Favorite Comedic Movie and TV Actress, during the question was related to the While she had insisted that she People’s Choice Awards 2016 in Los Angeles, California, yesterday. Kurdistan Workers Party would not comment further, Jack- (PKK) which Ankara deems son released a new message late as a terrorist organisation. on Wednesday to refute reports on A spokesperson for Twit- her condition. ter confirmed the company “The rumours are untrue. I do not US diet guidelines urge people has taken legal action over have cancer,” wrote Jackson, who still the fine without providing did not specify her ailment. further details. “I’m recovering. My doctors have Ankara has taken a tough approved my concerts as scheduled in to eat less sugar stance on social media under Europe, and as I promised, the post- President Tayyip Erdogan poned shows will be rescheduled,” and the ruling AK Party he she said, giving a clearer indication founded. on when she will resume her tour. AFP guidelines as an important step for- Eating less red meat is linked to a It has temporarily banned Jackson is due to open the Euro- her song “The Great Forever” off her ward in a nation where more than lower risk of heart disease and stroke, access to Twitter site several pean leg of her “Unbreakable” album’s latest album, in which she sings, “Not one-third of adults — or nearly 79 mil- as well as a lower risk of obesity, type times in the past for failing tour on March 30 in Birmingham, too pleased with what you’re digging lion people — are obese. 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, to comply with requests to England. / I’m just busy living my life.” MIAMI: Added sugars in foods should The guidelines come on the heels of the guidelines say. They also recom- remove content. She has more than two months Jackson had temporarily retreated make up less than 10 percent of daily an advisory committee’s recommen- mend a healthy lifestyle that includes But the 150,000 lira of concerts scheduled before then from the public eye after her brother calories, said US government dietary dations in February last year, urging regular exercise and a diet based on ($50,000) fine, imposed by around North America. Michael died in 2009 but returned guidelines issued yesterday that for less red meat consumption, but were vegetables and whole grains. the BTK communications Jackson began her tour on August two years later with a global tour. the first time urged specific limits on also less concerned with cholesterol “The advice presented in the 2015 technologies authority, was 31 in Vancouver and has already per- “Unbreakable,” with a sound often sweets. intake than in years past. Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the first of its kind by Turkish formed extensively across North eerily reminiscent of her late broth- Saturated fats should also make up The 2015-2020 Dietary Guide- sound, sensible, and science-based,” authorities on Twitter. America, along with several dates er’s, is her first album since the King less than 10 percent of a day’s food intake, lines no longer contain advice to limit said Michael Jacobson, president of Twitter, in its lawsuit, in Japan. Jackson released the update of Pop’s death. said the guidelines which are released cholesterol from eggs in its “Key Rec- the nonprofit Center for Science in is arguing that the fine is on her health through social media Jackson in the 1980s became a every five years by the US Department ommendations,” which now urge the Public Interest. against the law and should in the form of a silent message on superstar in her own right, pursu- of Agriculture and the Department of people to consume “as little dietary “If Americans ate according to that be annulled, the source said. a black screen at the end of a two- ing elaborate stage formations and Health and Human Services. cholesterol as possible while consum- advice, it would be a huge win for the minute video. socially conscious messaging on works Some consumer groups hailed the ing a healthy eating pattern.” public’s health.” The clip begins with a snippet from such as “Rhythm Nation.”