TWITTER SPORTS @newsofbahrain BUSINESS 8 BAC, NBB ink airport banking services deal INSTAGRAM Albert Finney /nobmedia 18 steals the show LINKEDIN SATURDAY newsofbahrain JANUARY 2020 Albert Finney clinched the 210 FILS WHATSAPP seventh and main race of 38444692 ISSUE NO. 8360 the day yesterday at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing FACEBOOK /nobmedia Club (REHC) in Riffa, lifting the Al Salam Bank MAIL [email protected] Cup and taking home the lion’s share of the BD4,000 WEBSITE newsofbahrain.com total prize. P12

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he number of people Talready infected by the triumph mystery virus emerging in is far greater than of- ficial figures suggest, scien- Bahrain JCW X-Raid Team’s Sainz wins Dakar Rally title tists have told the BBC. There have been 41 lab- oratory-confirmed cases of the new virus, but UK ex- perts estimate the figure is closer to 1,700. Two people are known to have died from the virus, which appeared in Wuhan city in December. “I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago,” disease outbreak scientist, Prof Neil Fergu- son, said. The work was conduct- ed by the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, which advises bod- ies including the UK govern- ment and the World Health Organisation.

HH Shaikh Mohammed at the closing award ceremony of the Dakar 2020 Rally. Sainz, front row fourth from left, celebrates with teammates, officials and supporters after completing the 12th Iran’s leader and final stage yesterday to seal his victory. defends military who finished the rally in third po- tracted global investments, such His Highness Shaikh Moham- Tehran Sainz won despite sition around 10 minutes behind as US manufacturer OMP Bell med bin Salman bin Hamad Al • Sainz and Cruz on the general Racing Helmets, which recently Khalifa yesterday attended the ran’s Supreme Leader finishing sixth in the ranking for cars. His Majesty’s support has launched its regional headquar- closing award ceremony of the IAyatollah Ali Khamenei 12th and final stage Sainz won despite finishing had a profound impact on ters in Bahrain, to supply equip- Dakar 2020 Rally. has defended the country’s yesterday, while sixth in the 12th and final stage the Kingdom advancing ment for the GCC market. During the ceremony, HH Shai- armed forces after it admit- Peterhansel was fifth. yesterday, while Peterhansel was towards its desired goals Of Sainz’s victory, Bahrain Mo- kh Mohammed bin Salman high- ted shooting down a passen- fifth. under its comprehensive tor Federation president Shaikh lighted that the victory for the ger plane by mistake. “I feel very happy,” said Sainz. Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa com- Bahraini team in the first edition He said the Revolutionary The rally began in “There’s a lot of effort behind this. development programme. mented: “This year’s Dakar Rally of the Dakar 2020 Rally held in Guard - the elite unit respon- the• port city of A lot of training, practice, phys- HH SHAIKH MOHAMMED victory is a great source of pride the Middle East, is testament to sible for the disaster - “main- and concluded ically, with the team. We started for Bahrain as we watched our the efforts of Team Bahrain which tained the security” of Iran. in the capital, , winning this Dakar on day one days. The route passed through talented drivers and continue to have a remarkable Widespread protests and and we have gone flat out from some of the most historical and Stephane Peterhansel rack up re- impact on the advancement of the criticism from abroad have covering 13 days. the beginning.” culturally significant locations peated stage wins to claim the Kingdom’s sporting sector and put growing pressure on Iran Sainz landed his third triumph in Saudi, including the UNESCO overall victory. overall development. over its handling of the in- Riyadh in the Dakar Rally in his long rac- World Heritage site of Al Ula. “As the X-Raid Team spon- HH Shaikh Mohammed further cident. ing career. Each of his wins has The Bahrain-sponsored X-raid sor, we congratulate Carlos and highlighted that this accomplish- But the ayatollah tried to ahrain JCW X-Raid Team’s come in a different car, including team won in their first-ever Stephane on their monumental ment will be a further addition rally support as he led Fri- Carlos Sainz claimed a su- a Volkswagen in 2010, a Peugeot self-developed and constructed victory and wish them every suc- to the Kingdom’s many achieve- day prayers in Tehran for the Bperb victory yesterday in in 2018 and a Mini in 2020. Mini John Cooper Works and cess in their endeavours for the ments in motorsport . first time since 2012. the 2020 Dakar Rally, which came Bahrain has a long history of Mini John Cooper Works Buggy. rest of 2020. HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Sal- to a close in after 12 supporting the motorsport in- The new partnership with “And from one Kingdom to an- man emphasised that the King- stages and 13 gruelling days of dustry, having hosted the region’s Team X-Raid builds on Bahrain’s other, we must also thank our dom’s sporting sector continues competition. first ever Grand Prix in 2004. The investment in McLaren Group, neighbours Saudi Arabia for their to advance in line with the vision A total of 550 drivers and riders 2020 edition of the rally marks which includes the Formula 1 successful hosting of this year’s and aspirations of HM the King, from 62 nations faced a total of another motorsport milestone Team, McLaren Automotive and rally across 7,500km of truly un- and continues to receive the sup- 7,500 km in the world’s most fear- for the Middle East, with Saudi the recently launched McLaren forgettable landscapes.” port of HRH the Crown Prince DON’T MISS IT some off-road race, with Sainz and Arabia becoming the first country pro cycling team, to showcase The Dakar Rally, an annual through the many initiatives co-driver completing in the region to play host to the the progressive opportunities the event which was first launched and programmes adopted. “This the event in an overall time of 42 challenge, gaining the right to Kingdom is placing on further in Paris 1979, ran from Europe to support has had a profound im- hours, 59 minutes and 17 seconds. hold it for the next five years. establishing itself as a hub for the Senegalese city it is named pact on the Kingdom advancing Bahrain’s The Bahrain-sponsored victors The rally began in the Red Sea strategic sporting development. after for decades, then moved to towards its desired goals under voluntary also included Stephane Peterhan- port city of Jeddah and concluded Indeed, this home-grown en- in 2009, where it its comprehensive development 02 work tradition sel and co-driver Paulo Fiuza, in the capital, Riyadh, covering 13 thusiasm for the sport has at- remained until this year’s event. programme.” stressed ASSETS FREEZE Liquidity Support Fund: Application 03 deadline ends for larger UK adds entire Hizbollah group to terror blacklist enterprises Beirut Hizbollah had “publicly de- continued wrangling in Leb- specialists, at a time when they nied a distinction between its anon over the formation of a are openly disputing over shares BACA president he UK yesterday said it military and political wings,” new government comprising and ministries, as if we are living hails Premier’s had added the whole the treasury said on its web - This listing includes 18 ministers from one political in a normal situation with no THizbollah movement to site. “The group in its entirety the Military camp: Hizbollah and its allies. crisis in the country, nor pro- 04 support for fine its terrorism blacklist and fro- is assessed to be concerned in Wing, the Jihad Three main political parties testers in the streets.” arts movement zen all its assets. terrorism and was proscribed Council and all — the Future Movement, the The country has been roiled HM Treasury previously tar- as a terrorist organisation in Progressive Socialist Party and by demonstrations, political in- units reporting to 210 fils (includes VAT) geted the movement’s military the UK in March 2019. This list- the Lebanese Forces — are boy- stability and an economic crisis. wing, but the new sanctions ing includes the Military Wing, it, including the cotting the new government. Former Prime Minister Saad classify all Hizbollah organi- the Jihad Council and all units External Security Former Prime Minister Najib Hariri’s government resigned sations and institutions under reporting to it, including the Ex- Organisation. Mikati said: “They claim that on Oct 29, two weeks after the the Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act ternal Security Organisation.” HM TREASURY they are about to form a gov- start of peaceful protests against 2020 and freeze all its assets. The sanctions come amid ernment of technocrats and tax increases and corruption.