www.thepeninsulaqatar.comm BUSINESS | 23 SPORT | 32 No IMF plan Amla, Bavuma needed for bat South Africa Nigeria: Lagarde to safety WEDNESDAY 6 JANUARY 2016 • 26 Rabia I 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6667 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Qatar to host Emir watches Qatar ExxonMobil Open match regional human rights meeting dialogue on roles, best practices and Some 220 overseas expectations of various stakehold- ers in protecting human rights in the delegates, 15 Arab region. foreign ministers to The conference will come up with recommendations at three levels: for participate in meet to the regional office of the HCHR, for start on January 13 governments and civil society organ- isations, said the official. Media committee will be estab- lished from the local newspapers By Mohammed Osman including The Peninsula to coordi- The Peninsula nate with the media section at the NHRC to cover the event, said an offi- cial from the media section. Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open tennis tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis and The conference is to highlight Squash Complex in Doha yesterday. The Emir watched the match between Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych and Ukraine’s S Stakhovsky. DOHA: The Regional Conference on appropriate approaches of the UN Berdych won the match, qualifying for the second round of the tournament. → See also page 29 the Role of the Office of the High Com- human rights system, particularly missioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) the role of OHCHR to promote and in Promoting and Protecting Human protect rights in the current context Rights in the Arab Region will kick of the Arab region; assess the state off here on January 13. of cooperation between Arab coun- Some 220 foreign delegates will tries and the UN human rights system Kuwait recalls envoy from Iran 36 migrants take part in the two-day event and and share lessons learnt and support they will include 15 foreign minis- efforts of the UN regional office to ters, including GCC ministers, said a strengthen human rights in the region. drown off Qatar National Human Rights Com- According to a press release as diplomatic feud festers mittee (NHRC) official here yesterday issued by NHRC, the conference at a press conference. also intends to discuss and create a Turkey The conference will be held under common understanding of thematic Agencies Riyadh on Saturday. In a press state- derail efforts to resolve conflicts from the patronage of Prime Minister and rights priorities in the region including ment, Al Zayani said the meeting, to Syria to Yemen. The Security Coun- Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdul- freedom of expression, association, be chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister cil joined those calls late on Monday, ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities yes- lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. human rights education, responses Adel Al Jubeir, will discuss the recent issuing a statement urging all sides terday found the bodies of at least The conference will bring together to regional basic human rights issues RIYADH: The diplomatic crisis sur- attacks on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran to “take steps to reduce tensions in 36 migrants, including several chil- around 190 representatives of inter- amid war and conflicts. rounding Saudi Arabia and Iran and its consulate in Mashhad. the region”. dren, washed up on beaches and national and regional organisations, There will be several work papers widened yesterday as Kuwait recalled Tensions between Saudi Arabia The statement by the 15-member floating off its western coast after human rights institutions, civil soci- presented at all the sessions and work- its ambassador to Tehran and Bahrain and Iran have erupted this week into council condemned “in the strongest their boats sank while crossing the ety groups as well as human rights shops. Papers will address issues such severed air links in the face of grow- a full-blown diplomatic crisis, spark- terms” the attacks which saw pro- Aegean Sea to EU member Greece. and legal committees of Arab par- as Arab countries’ cooperation with ing international concern. ing widespread worries of regional testers firebomb the Saudi Embassy The tragedies, the deadliest so liaments and Advisory Council, GCC UN human right organisations, rati- Joining Riyadh and its Sunni Arab instability. Iran lashed out again at in Tehran and its consulate in Iran’s far reported in the Aegean in 2016, secretary General and the Organi- fication of core human right treaties. allies in taking diplomatic action, Saudi Arabia for the execution yester- second-biggest city Mashhad. come as the EU seeks to push Turkey zation of Islamic Conference States. In addition to Arab countries’ engage- Kuwait said it was withdrawing its day, with President Hassan Rowhani But the council made no mention to halt the flow of migrants across The senior NHRC official address- ment with the UN human rights envoy over a weekend attack on the accusing Riyadh of seeking to “cover of the event that set off the crisis — its borders in exchange for finan- ing the press meet didn’t wish to be mechanisms including Treaty Bodies Saudi Embassy in Tehran. its crime” by severing ties. Saudi Arabia’s execution on Saturday cial help. named. and special procedures and imple- Kuwait’s move came after the UN “One does not respond to criti- of Sheikh Nimr Al Nimr, a cleric and A spokesman for the Turkish The High Commissioner for mentations of the Universal Periodic Security Council strongly condemned cism by cutting off heads,” Rowhani activist whose death sparked wide- coastguard told AFP that the bod- Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad, Review recommendations. the attack, carried out by protesters said, referring to the usual Saudi prac- spread protests among Shias. ies of 36 migrants had been found, will take part in opening the con- In addition to QNHRC, OHCHR, angry over Saudi Arabia’s execution tice of carrying out executions with Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties including 29 recovered by the Turk- ference, his first official visit to Qatar, Arab League and Arab Network for of a prominent Shia cleric. beheading by the sword. with Tehran in protest at the attacks ish gendarmerie and seven by the along with the Secretary-General of National Human Rights Institu- GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdul Washington and other Western on Sunday and has severed air links coastguard. the UN. The conference will not focus tions are partners of the conference Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani said yester- powers have called for calm amid with Iran. It was not immediately clear on certain countries or groups and which will be organised in Arabic day that the bloc’s foreign ministers fears the dispute could raise sectar- how many boats had sunk in the will serve as a forum for an interactive and English. will hold an emergency meeting in ian tensions across the Middle East and → See also page 6 high seasonal winds although the Dogan news agency said at least two separate incidents were involved. Two dozen migrants seeking to reach the Greek island of Les- Snow-covered destruction Obama weeps while bos set out before dawn aboard a rubber boat but it capsized in bad weather and high seas, the Dogan reported. The bodies were found pushing gun control either washed up on the beach near the resort of Ayvalik or in the sea nearby, Dogan said. Eight more Reuters migrants had been rescued. WASHINGTON: US President Barack Power consumption Obama yesterday described new steps his administration will take to tighten peaked on Sept 1 gun rules and urged Americans to vote for candidates who do more to prevent gun violence, wiping back tears as he DOHA: The highest daily electricity remembered children who died in a mass consumption in Qatar last year was shooting. recorded on September 1 at 7,270 As Obama delivered a powerful mega watt (MW), with eight percent address in the White House, surrounded increase compared to the previous by family members of people killed in US President Barack Obama sheds a year, according to data released by shootings, his voice rose to a yell as he tear while speaking on gun violence the Qatar General Electricity and said the constitutional rights of Ameri- in the White House yesterday. Water Corporation (Kahramaa). cans to bear arms needed to be balanced The highest consumption by the right to worship, gather peacefully recorded in 2014 was on Septem- and live their lives. day,” he said, after being introduced by ber 7 at 6,740MW. Obama has often said his toughest time Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son was September witnesses the high- in office was grappling with the Decem- killed in the shooting. “My hope earnestly est demand for electricity with a ber 2012 massacre of 20 children and six has been that it would change the coun- combination of high temperature adults at an elementary school in New- try.” After that tragedy, the Democratic and return of Qatari and expatri- town, Connecticut. president failed to persuade Congress to ate families to the country after the Boys walk past damaged buildings covered with snow in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret “Every time I think about those kids, toughen US gun laws. summer holidays. Al Numan town in Idlib province of Syria yesterday. it gets me mad,” Obama said, tears rolling down his cheek. “That changed me, that → See also page 18 → Continued on page 4 02 WEDNESDAY 6 JANUARY 2016 HOME Deputy Emir chairs second meeting of Qatar University Board of Trustees First Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Centre opens on Jan 17 DOHA: Minister of Pub- lic Health H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani will inau- gurate the first Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Centre on January 17 at Al Wakrah Health Centre.