www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

BUSINESS | 12 SPORT | 21

Low oil prices could Qatar’s Al Attiyah be an impetus for extends lead in GCC reforms Kuwait

SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 • 17 Jumada II 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6747 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Flying restaurant Emir sends Bye-laws greetings to Greek President

DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh on residency Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yester- day sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Hellenic Repub- lic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos,on the occasion of his country’s Inde- pendence Day. likely soon The Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday sent a cable of congratu- late last year, amending a previous lations to President of the Hellenic legislation. Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, on The law regulating It is to be implemented from the occasion of his country’s Inde- the entry, exit December this year, reports Al pendence Day. Sharq. The law was published in Prime Minister and Interior and residency of the official gazette on December Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin foreign workers was 13, 2015. It is to be implemented Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani also exactly a year after its publication sent a similar cable to President issued late last year, in the official gazette. of Greece. amending a previous The daily said the executive legislation. It is to be regulations to help put the new law in force from December 2016 22 dead in implemented from is being readied and will be out December this year. soon. Aden suicide A campaign will be launched The flying restaurant at the Qatar International Food Festival at MIA Park yesterday. in the local media as well as Pic: Baher Amin/The Peninsula bombings through the social media to The Peninsula explain the new law and the executive regulations. ADEN: Three suicide bombings The new legislation will replace yesterday struck checkpoints of the sponsorship system and make Yemeni loyalist forces in Aden, DOHA: The executive regulations to the employment and stay of expa- Al Fazaa vehicles to be fitted with cameras killing 22 people, including 10 help implement the new law regu- tiates here entirely contract-based. civilians, a security official said. lating the entry, exit and residency Job contract will need to be Two bombs went off simulta- of foreign workers are expected to signed by a foreign worker before The Peninsula including fire and road mishaps. fitted atop the vehicles there would neously at separate checkpoints in be out soon. he lands here once the new law is The cameras are to be mounted be no need for Al Fazaa personnel to Shaab district, on Aden’s western Executive regulations are bye- in effect from later this year. atop the vehicle. give details as operation room staff- outskirts, before gunmen attacked laws that explain each article of a Also, employment contracts Currently, Al Fazaa personnel ers would be able to watch the details a nearby base of the Saudi-led mil- law and explain in detail how they of all expatriate workers who are DOHA: Al Fazaa patrol vehicles are manning the patrol vehicle need themselves, reports Al Sharq. itary coalition, the official said. are to be put in force. already here will be replaced with to be fitted with video cameras so to inform about the accidents to From these cameras footages of A third explosive device The law (Number 21 of 2015) new contracts. that people sitting in the central the operation room and provide an accident would be transmitted planted in an ambulance was deto- regulating the entry, exit and resi- operation room of the Ministry of details. directly to the operation room of the nated at checkpoint near Mansura, dency of foreign workers was issued → Continued on page 2 Interior are able to watch accidents, However, once the cameras are interior ministry. in central Aden, the official said. Syrian army takes Palmyra citadel; IS commander killed

Reuters reported. The citadel overlooks Human Rights monitoring group some of the most extensive ruins said an Islamic State leader was of the Roman empire. killed when his car was targeted Many of Palmyra’s temples and in a strike on Raqqa on Thursday BEIRUT/WASHINGTON: Islamic tombs have been dynamited by IS night. State (IS) fighters were on the fighters in what the United Nations It did not identify the dead mil- retreat in the strategic Syrian city described as a war crime, although itant, but US Defence Secretary Ash of Palmyra yesterday, as the United television footage showed that at least Carter said the group’s top finance States said it probably killed sev- some colonnades and structures still officer and other senior leaders eral senior leaders of the militant standing. were likely killed this week in a group this week including its top The recapture of Palmyra, which major offensive targeting its finan- finance officer. the IS militants seized in May 2015, cial operation. The double blow to the hardline would mark the biggest reversal for Carter said the United States group in its self-declared caliphate, Islamic State in Syria since Russia’s believes it killed Haji Iman — an which covers huge areas of Syria intervention turned the tide of the alias for Abdurahman Mustafa Al and Iraq, came three days after IS five-year conflict in President Bashar Qaduli, a senior Islamic State leader suicide bombers killed 31 people in Al Assad’s favour. in charge of the group’s finances Brussels, the worst such attack in Bel- The city controls routes east into as well as some plots and exter- gian history. the heartland of territory held by the nal affairs. “We are systematically Syrian soldiers fighting to militants, including province of Deir eliminating ISIL’s cabinet,” Carter told retake the desert city of Palmyra Al Zor and the IS’s de facto capital reporters at a briefing at the Penta- Children carry Islamist flags as they pose for photos during an anti-government protest in the rebel-controlled from IS forces recaptured its old in Raqqa. gon, using an acronym to refer to the city of Idlib in Syria, yesterday. citadel yesterday, various media The Syrian Observatory for group. UN slams gruesome killing of wounded Palestinian

AFP the occupied West Bank,” UN Special perpetrator. The Israeli army on violence that erupted in October. debate over Israeli forces’ response criticism of the soldier involved in Coordinator for the Middle East peace Thursday arrested a soldier caught The incident was immediately to the current wave of violence which Thursday’s killing was damaging to process Nickolay Mladenov said in a on video shooting a wounded Pal- condemned as an “execution” by has left 200 Palestinians and 28 Israe- the country. “The attacks on a sol- statement. estinian in the head as he lay on the Israeli rights group B’Tselem and as lis dead. Most of the Palestinians dier who protects all of us before the JERUSALEM: The United Nations “This was a gruesome, immoral ground after stabbing another soldier, a “war crime” by Palestinians. killed were carrying out knife, gun investigation has even started harms condemned yesterday the gruesome and unjust act that can only fuel more his knife lying beyond his reach. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin or car-ramming attacks, according the military, harms Israel’s standing killing of a wounded Palestinian violence and escalate an already vol- The clip, which was widely shared Netanyahu said the soldier’s behaviour to Israeli authorities. in the world, and is harmful towards assailant by an Israeli soldier in the atile situation.” online and shown by state-owned was not in keeping with the army’s val- But the Israelis have also been our attempts to thwart future attacks,” occupied West Bank, after a video of He welcomed, however, Israeli and commercial Israeli TV channels, ues and Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon accused of using excessive force he said in a statement. the death spread widely online. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon’s shows what appears to be one of the vowed that the incident was being in some cases, charges which they Former foreign minister Avigdor “I strongly condemn yesterday’s condemnation of the incident and most flagrant cases of Israeli forces’ treated with “utmost severity”. have firmly denied. Education Min- Lieberman also defended the shoot- apparent extra-judicial execution of called on the Israeli authorities to alleged use of excessive force so far The incident also fired up Israeli ister Naftali Bennett, who leads the ing, saying it was “hypocritical and a Palestinian assailant in Hebron in “swiftly bring to justice” the alleged in the wave of Israeli-Palestinian politicians and added heat to the far-right Jewish Home party, said unfair to gang up against the soldier.” 02 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 HOME Bollywood star mesmerises crowd as Kalyan enters Qatar

brand ambassadors of Kalyan Jew- Rayyan, Asian Town and HBK Signal India’s regional film elleres, which is among India’s top along with the other ambassadors. jewellery brand. Earlier, the showrooms at Al Khor, mega stars made The superstar arrived on the Abu Hamour and Barwa Village were public appearance stage at 4pm amid huge cheers by the inaugurated by Nagarjuna, Prabhu crowd. During his five-minute brief and Manju Warrier. to open seven appearance on the stage, he waved “It was wonderful to see huge showrooms of Kalyan and welcomed the crowd. Bachchan crowds at our showrooms and vin- sang few lines of popular song Kabhi dicates Kalyan’s popularity as a Jewellers in Qatar Kabhi mere dil me khyaal aata hai... preferred jewellery brand in the yesterday. in his deep, baritone voice from his GCC. Customers can look for- movie Kabhi-Kabhi’ which evoked ward to having a great shopping Yusuff Ali MA, Chairman of Lulu Group, with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin huge round of clapping and applause experience with our compelling from the crowd. range of gold and diamond jewel- Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. Also seen is Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu. By Sachin Kumar “This is my first trip to Qatar and lery, and studded jewellery,” said The Peninsula I am overwhelmed by the affection Kalyanaraman. showered by the people of Qatar. I “The launch of seven showroom promise this is not the last trip and on a single day and the special inau- Lulu Group plans expansion in Qatar I am going to come again,” said gural offer of “Win 100gm Everyday” DOHA: Huge crowd gathered at Bachchan. is a reiteration of our commitment Asian Town yesterday where bolly- “My relationship with Kalyan to provide the best jewellery buying wood superstar Amitabh Bachchan Jewellers goes a long way. I believe experience in Qatar and ensure that The Peninsula retailer in Qatar and already operates growth of the country. and India’s regional film mega stars that you will love them and support we can reach out to more custom- four hypermarkets, one department The Lulu Group chairman said made public appearance to open seven them the way you have been support- ers through. Our stores will offer an store, an express supermarket & and he strongly believe in the noble val- showrooms of Kalyan Jewellers. ing me over the years. I hope I get exquisite collection of contemporary a shopping mall. ues for which everybody in Qatar is The stars were overjoyed with to see you again,” he added. Before and traditional designs that will fulfill DOHA: Prime Minister and Interior Yusuf Ali expressed his gratitude well-known that gives us the assur- the massive turnout of fans and yet, leaving the stage, he obliged crowd distinct needs of the evolved Qatari Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin for the support provided by Qatar’s ance, and reiterated his commitment a bit overwhelmed with the magni- by taking a few selfies. consumer,” he added. Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani received wise leadership to develop the busi- to reciprocate to Qatar’s generosity tude. The audience was completely Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Prabhu Kalyan Jewellers has announced at his office in Doha Yusuff Ali MA, ness sector which is one of the vital in view of the advantages and facil- star-struck with the popular movie Ganesan, and Manju Warrier were a special 45-days inaugural cam- Chairman of Lulu Group Interna- sectors in the country and hailed ities offered to the business sector stars. The appearance of Indian welcomed on the stage by T S Kaly- paign “Win 100 gms Gold Everyday” tional. Qatar’s leadership and the people in and praised the good atmospheres cinema’s biggest icon Amitabh anaraman, Chairman and Managing wherein customers stand a chance The Prime Minister was briefed supporting the economic sector and enjoyed by the business community Bachchan, who has a huge fan fol- Director of Kalyan Jewellers. to win 100gms of gold everyday by by Yusuff Ali about his compa- for continuous growth of investments over the decades. lowing in Qatar, created frenzy, with Bachchan made a whirlwind visit making a minimum purchase of ny’s expansion plan in Qatar. Lulu in Qatar. The Prime Minister praised The meeting was also attended by crowds jostling to get a glimpse of the to Qatar for a little over six hours QR500 across all the Kalyan Jew- Group which operates Lulu hyper- Yusuff Ali for his efforts and contri- the Director of Lulu Group Mohamed film icon. that will be remembered for a long ellers showrooms in Qatar. Those markets in the GCC region is a leading butions towards building economic Althaf, Bachchan was accompanied with time. He landed in Qatar at 11am on who buy gold will receive one cou- regional film stars Nagarjuna, Pra- Kalyan Jewellers’ private jet — the pon, whereas those buying diamonds bhu Ganesan, and Manju Warrier Embraer Legacy 650. Amidst tight will receive two coupons. This ini- yesterday to open Kalyan Jewellers security, he proceeded to inaugu- tiative will run from March 25 until showrooms. These stars are global rate the showrooms at Al Gharafa, Al May 10, 2016. 7-day ISAFA conference concludes

The Peninsula

DOHA: The 2016 edition of the ISAFA, International Science and Football Association event in Qatar provided the opportunity to students and delegates to interact first-hand with world’s leading coaches and scientists speakers and more impor- tantly with each other and share their experience. The seven-day event organised by the Qatar University College of Arts and Sciences’ Sport Science Pro- gramme from March 19 concluded yesterday. The second ISAFA con- ference has attracted 61 abstracts; 41 abstracts are presented orally and 20 as posters, including young investi- gators forum. The opening of the event was attended by the Vice-President for Student Affairs Dr Khalid Mohamed Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan (third left), with other Indian cine stars Nagarjuna, (second right) Al Khanji, the Turkish Ambassador Prabhu Ganesan (left) and Manju Warrier (right), Chairman and Managing Director of Kalyan Jewellers T S in Qatar Ahmet Demirok, CAS Dean Kalyanaraman,( centre), Executive Directors Rajesh Kalyanaraman (third right)) and Ramesh Kalyanaraman Dr Eiman Mustafawi CAS Associ- (second left) during the Opening Ceremony of Kalyan Jewellers at Asiantown Doha, yesterday. ate Dean for Research and Graduate Officials during the 2016 edition of International Science and Football Pic: Kammutty VP/The Peninsula Affairs Dr Mohamed Ahmedna, Chair of the ISAFA, Qatar Olympic Association event in Qatar. Committee Professorial, Chair in Sport Science Program Dr Monèm to building the future generation of that many sports, such as, athletics, Workers will have to sign new contracts Jemni, Director of Sport Science football professionals and modelling swimming, cycling, motor sports and Programme Dr Ruben Goebel. the coming stars in the run-up to the have taken advantage of scientists’ QU President Dr Hassan Rashid FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and input in order to break records with → Continued from page 1 contract will be signed for two or five inform his employer about his Al Derham, said: “QU is always proud beyond.” milliseconds…. It is time for the foot- years’ duration and both the sides departure. Also, workers leaving of leading the way to cutting edge The ISAFA acts in this domain. Its ball sector to take more advantage of In other words, all expatri- will be obliged to follow its clauses a job and coming back to Qatar to events, where academics and scien- mission is to ‘To share science-based these sciences in to progress. ate workers will have to sign new that will contain terms and condi- take up another job (with a different tists could share best practices and knowledge around football between The Turkish Ambassador said: contracts with their employers in tions. Once the new law is in effect, employer) would not need to wait for apply their theories to impact soci- scientists, technicians, medicals and “I’m very pleased to see such an compliance with the provisions of the exit permit system whereby a two years to return. They can come eties and the end users. The ISAFA field practitioners.’ It focuses on the important event organised at QU as the new law (No 21 of 2015). foreign worker needs written per- back at after two to three days after 2016 is with no exception, a unique scientific aspects behind football and Qatar drives its preparations for the This contract will form the basis mission from his sponsor to travel the new legislation is in force pro- event, where academics gathered to render this sport mostly based on 2022 FIFA World Cup. I’m looking for- of the relationship between a for- overseas will also end. vided they have a new job agreement from different parts of the globe clear science-based sport to creat- ward to getting the recommendations eign worker and his employer. The A worker would only need to and fulfil visa requirements. will be exchanging their knowledge ing champions. There is no doubt of ISAFA into reality”.

MoPH, HMC and Eid Charity Talk on healthy eating mark World Tuberculosis Day

The Peninsula

DOHA: On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, observed globally on March 24, every year, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with Eid Charity and other partners, organised a series of activities aimed at raising public aware- ness about Tuberculosis (TB). The activities were held on Thursday from 4pm to 10pm at Aspire Park. The event featured mini presentations for the public in Arabic, Hindi and English; a choral presentation by staff from HMC’s Communicable Diseases Unit; a pop quiz with prizes for children; video presentations about TB in four different languages; distribution of information pamphlets; and free medical check-ups for visitors to the park. People who present with signs and symptoms of TB during check-ups will be referred to the Communi- cable Disease Clinic at HMC for further evaluation and possible treatment. Ali Al Khater, Chief Communications Officer, HMC’s Corporate Commu- French nutritionist Valerie Espinasse delivers a talk on healthy eating at the Healthy Food Show at the Museum of Islamic Art Park nications, said: “This year’s theme ‘Unite to End TB’ calls on governments yesterday. The show, held as one of the features of this year’s Qatar International Food Festival, was part of the healthy food campaign and societies to work together to eliminate TB, which today remains one of initiated by Qatar Museums. Pic: Baher Amin/The Peninsula the world’s top infectious causes of death.” MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 03

24 militants killed Trial of Turkish as Turkish military scribes behind strikes PKK DIYARBAKIR: Turkish warplanes struck Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq and killed 24 PKK fighters in southeast closed doors Turkey on Thursday, the army said, as the militants launched a car bomb attack on a military instal- lation in the region. to truck weapons to Syria in 2014. Thursday night’s bombing Erdogan, who has cast the news- killed three security force mem- The prosecutor paper’s coverage as part of an attempt bers and wounded 24 at a security argued for a to undermine Turkey’s global stand- outpost near the southeast’s largest ing, has vowed Dundar will “pay a city of Diyarbakir, the military said confidential trial heavy price”. The two journalists in a separate statement on Friday, because some could face life in prison if convicted. confirming a report from security Anti-government chants rang sources. evidence involved out as the decision to take their trial A witness said the installation state secrets, while behind closed doors was announced suffered severe damage in the blast in the Istanbul courtroom, packed on the highway between Diyarba- lawyers for the with journalists, opposition politi- kir and the town of Lice. Security journalists argued cians, rights groups, relatives and a forces imposed tight security in the that evidence could handful of European diplomats. area and erected screens to con- “We will try you in stadiums” ceal the site. be read in closed shouted some of the protesters. “You The PKK claimed responsi- session while the rest will get lost in the depths of that bility for the attack in a statement palace” said others, in reference to on one of its websites. It said 28 of the trial should Erdogan’s vast new palace complex Can Dundar, Editor-in-Chief of the Cumhuriyet newspaper, arrives at Istanbul Courthouse for his trial in soldiers were killed and 32 were remain open. in Ankara, as security guards ush- Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday. wounded in the attack. The army ered them out. and PKK generally give vastly dif- The prosecutor argued for a con- ferent death tolls for attacks and fidential trial because some evidence who Erdogan says is bent on discred- a once-vibrant press. EU enlargement “They have done their jobs as clashes. The figures could not be involved state secrets. Lawyers for the iting him and the Turkish government. chief Johannes Hahn described the investigative journalists, serving the verified. Reuters journalists argued that evidence could A 473-page indictment says the trial on his Twitter account as a “test public interest in pursuing a story that President Tayyip Erdogan be read in closed session while the editors aided a “terrorist” network led case for press freedom and rule of law is significant not just for the country, said on Friday 300 members rest of the trial should remain open. by Gulen. Ahead of the trial, Dundar in Turkey”. but the region,” she said, describing of the security forces had been Erdogan has acknowledged that said he would use the hearings to Dundar and Gul spent 92 days in the trial as part of a “massive crack- killed since the conflict flared up ISTANBUL: A Turkish court took the trucks, which were stopped by refocus attention on the story that jail, almost half of it in solitary con- down on press freedom”. last year, triggering the heaviest the trial of two prominent journal- gendarmerie and police officers en landed him in the dock. finement, before the constitutional Authorities this month seized clashes since the 1990s. Erdogan ists charged with espionage behind route to the Syrian border, belonged to “We are not defendants, we are court ruled last month that pre-trial control of Zaman, Turkey’s top-sell- said the PKK losses were at least closed doors yesterday and accepted the MIT intelligence agency and said witnesses,” he said in an interview at detention was unfounded because ing newspaper, on charges it funded 10 times as high. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they were carrying aid to Turkmens his office, promising to show the foot- the charges stemmed from their Gulen’s network. A few weeks ear- A round-the-clock curfew was a complainant, in a case which has in Syria. Turkmen fighters are bat- age in court despite a ban. journalism. lier the pro-Kurdish IMC channel was declared in areas of the Silvan dis- drawn international condemnation. tling both President Bashar al-Assad “We will lay out all of the ille- Both were subsequently released pulled off the air over allegations of trict of Diyarbakir province on Can Dundar, Editor-in-Chief of and Islamic State. galities and make this a political pending trial, though Erdogan said he “spreading terrorist propaganda”. Friday, the local governor’s office Cumhuriyet, and Erdem Gul, 49, the But he has said that prosecutors prosecution ... The state was caught did not respect the ruling. Dundar took the helm at Cum- said. Such curfews have been newspaper’s Ankara bureau chief, had no authority to order the trucks in a criminal act and it is doing all that “Elsewhere in the world (Dundar huriyet, which has a circulation imposed in the past to pave the stand accused of trying to topple the be searched and that they were part of it can to cover it up.” and Gul) would be lauded for their of 52,000, last year and worked way for operations against PKK government with the publication last what he calls a “parallel state” run by The trial comes as Turkey deflects efforts to dig into this issue,” said Nina to overhaul the staunchly secular militants. May of video purporting to show Tur- his ally-turned-foe Fethullah Gulen, criticism from the European Union Ognianova of the Committee to Pro- 92-year-old daily into a left-leaning key’s state intelligence agency helping a United States-based Islamic cleric and rights groups that say it is bridling tect Journalists (CPJ). outlet with more readers. South Sudan accuses North of Egypt police kill gang members linked to Italians’ murder bombing raids

AFP abduction and killing provoked accu- the men, who were posing as police, evening of January 25, the anni- everything to shed light (on the case) JUBA: South Sudan accused north- sations in Italy of Egyptian police inside a van and exchanged gunfire versary of the 2011 uprising that and we will get to the truth,” he told ern neighbour Sudan of aerial involvement, something Cairo had with them, killing them all. overthrew veteran strongman Hosni La Repubblica newspaper. bombing raids and backing rebels, CAIRO: Egyptian police said on strongly denied. “When they saw the police they Mubarak. The statement on Thursday said the army spokesman said yester- Thursday they had identified people Regeni, 28, had been researching fired at them. The police returned fire, Police were out in force that day to an unidentified corpse with a gun- day, days after Khartoum said the linked to the murder of Italian student labour movements in Egypt, a sen- resulting in their deaths,” the interior prevent protests, and Regeni was last shot wound was found in the gang’s south was backing rebels on its Giulio Regeni, after killing four mem- sitive topic, and had written articles ministry said. heard from as he walked to a metro van, along with an assault rifle, territory. bers of a criminal gang and finding critical of the government under a Police then tracked down Rege- station to meet a friend. an electric prod and fake police “An Antonov belonging to the victim’s passport at one of their pen name. ni’s belongings at the home of one of The interior ministry had said identification. Sudan Air Force bombed our apartments. The incident threatened relations the gang members’ sister. they believed criminals were behind The gang had been responsible for defensive positions at Babaneis, The interior ministry said in a between Egypt and Italy, a strong sup- “Italian security has been has Regeni’s abduction and his brutal at least nine robberies, including one east of Renk town in Eastern Nile statement that it has shared its find- porter of President Abdel Fattah Al been notified about the results,” the killing. involving another Italian, according State, a total of 12 bombs were ings with Italy, which was helping Sisi whose security services have been statement said. His body was found a week later to the ministry. dropped,” South Sudan army investigate the abduction and murder accused of abusing dissidents. After Regeni’s body was found, at the side of a road on Cairo’s out- Their investigation led them to the spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said. of the Cambridge University gradu- The ministry had announced ear- activists in Egypt and the Ital- skirts, bearing the signs of brutal apartment of one of the slain suspects’ “It’s good to inform our forces, ate whose mutilated body was found lier on Thursday that police had killed ian press initially pointed a finger torture. sister, where they found a leather bag people of South Sudan, region and in Cairo in January. four members of a criminal gang that at the Egyptian security services, In an interview with an Italian that contained Regeni’s passport wal- the international community that The ministry also released photo- had kidnapped and robbed foreigners which deny allegations by rights newspaper this month, Sisi promised let, the statement added. the aerial bombardment by Sudan graphs of Regeni’s passport, university in Cairo in a shootout, without men- groups that they abduct and abuse to “do everything” to find Regeni’s The suspect’s wife was also Air Force were launched without identification cards and a wallet. tioning Regeni. dissidents. killers. arrested at the apartment and said provocation and constitutes vio- The manner of Regeni’s A later statement said they found Regeni had gone missing on the “I promise you that we will do the bag belonged to her husband. lation of our air space.”

Sadr: Protests UN chief visits refugee camps Emergency declared will remain non-violent in Libyan capital

BAGHDAD: Iraqi cleric Moqtada AFP causing the government backed by Sadr yesterday urged Prime Min- the internationally recognised par- ister Haider Al Abadi to propose liament to flee east. a “convincing” reform package TRIPOLI: Authorities in control of The United Nations has been but hinted that further protests Libya’s capital yesterday declared a pushing for the two sides to cede if he did not would remain non- “maximum state of emergency” after power to a unity government under violent. a UN-backed unity government that a power-sharing deal announced in In a speech read by another they reject said its members would December, but both have rejected cleric, Asaad Al Nasseri, to thou- head to Tripoli to begin work. the new authority headed by prime sands of supporters gathered in The city is under the control of minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj. Baghdad, Sadr said Abadi should an administration backed by armed The Tunisia-based presidential unveil a reform package on groups including Islamists that is not council headed by Sarraj said this Saturday. internationally recognised. week that the unity government “I hope that on Saturday the The head of the Tripoli author- would start work in Tripoli “within prime minister comes up with ities Khalifa Ghweil called on his the coming days”. reforms towards an independ- interior and defence ministries The council earlier this month ent government of technocrats and allied armed groups to “take said the unity government would that are convincing for the peo- all security measures necessary take office on the basis of a petition ple,” he said. to preserve the country’s stability signed by a narrow majority of Lib- Sadr supporters set up protest by increasing patrols and security ya’s elected lawmakers. camps in front of the entrances of checks”, a statement on his admin- UN special envoy Martin Kobler the restricted “Green Zone”, where istration’s website said. was on Wednesday prevented the country’s top institutions are But streets were calm on Friday from travelling to Tripoli to work located, a week ago to push for morning, an AFP photographer said, on installing the power-sharing reforms. with police cars deployed at their administration. The young Najaf-based cleric’s usual positions around the city, but Libya has descended into chaos movement says the sit-in is aimed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) listens to UNRWA project manager John White, no signs of extra security measures. since the 2011 ouster of longtime dic- at offering Abadi the kind of street (back, right) as he explains to him on a map the ongoing reconstruction of the Palestinian refugee Libya has had two rival admin- tator Muammar Gaddafi, allowing power he does not have to over- camp of Nahr El Bared near the northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon, yesterday. Ban Ki-moon is in Lebanon istrations since mid-2014 when an jihadists including the Islamic State come resistance to reforms from for a two-day visit to meet with Lebanese officials and visit Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps. armed alliance overran the capi- group to gain ground in the oil-rich within his own political bloc. tal, setting up its own authority and country. 04 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 ASIA / PHILIPPINES

Philippines Sergei Ivanov visits China China secures airports after frees N Korea Brussels attack BEIJING: China stepped up its airport secu- rity in response to the Brussels attacks, the avi- cargo ship ation administration said yesterday. Surveillance is heavy Council delisted it from the annex of and widespread in the US Resolution 2270,” Charles Jose, a People’s Republic, which No team from UN foreign ministry spokesman, said in has long had manda- came to inspect a text message. tory bag screenings and No team from the United Nations ID checks at train sta- the ship but local came to inspect the ship but local tion entrances, although authorities did not authorities did not find any contra- airport terminals have band on board except some broken generally not been subject find any contraband aids to navigation equipment, the to such measures. on board except coastguard said. The measures came Tough new UN sanctions, passed days after suicide bomb- some broken aids in March to punish North Korea after ings killed 31 people at the to navigation its fourth nuclear test in January, airport and metro of Brus- equipment. blacklisted 31 ships owned by North sels, capital of Belgium Korean shipping firm Ocean Mari- and home to the head- time Management Company (OMM). quarters of NATO and the The sanctions aim to starve North European Union. China’s President Xi Jinping (right) meets with Russian Presidential Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov at the Reuters Korea of money for its nuclear weap- ons programme. But the UN Security Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, yesterday. Council agreed earlier this week to China’s request to remove sanctions Kazakh house MANILA: The Philippines has on four ships blacklisted for ties to released a North Korean freighter Pyongyang’s arms trade. China said votes to keep it seized nearly a month ago under the ships were not OMM ships and tough new UN sanctions, after no secured a commitment that the ships Masimov as PM contraband was found onboard and would no longer use North Korean About 100 Chinese fishing boats the ship was cleared by the United crews. The four ships included the ASTANA: Kazakhstan’s Nations, officials said yesterday. Jin Teng, detained by the Philippines lower house of parliament The M/V Jin Teng, a 6,830 dead- days after the sanctions took effect. voted yesterday to keep weight tonne (dwt) cargo ship with Jin Teng, flying a Sierra Leone encroach into disputed sea: Official in place the government its 21 North Korean crew, left on flag, arrived in the Philippines on of Prime Minister Karim Thursday afternoon for China after February 27 and was unloading palm Masimov after a parlia- clearing immigration, customs, kernels when it was seized. Reuters Agency official said they were fishing fleet. “Our orders are not to provoke mentary election in which quarantine and port authorities, said The Jin Teng has called at Pale- boats guarded by two Chinese coast- them in any way,” said the official the ruling Nur Otan party coastguard spokesman Commander mbang, Indonesia, and Kaohsiung, guard vessels. China claims most of who declined to be identified as he retained its overwhelming Armand Balilo. “At the policy level, Taiwan, since the beginning of this the South China Sea through which is not authorised to speak to media. majority. there is no more basis to continue to year, ship tracking data available on KUALA LUMPUR: About 100 Chi- about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade This week, Indonesia protested to The vote is a consti- hold M/V Jin Teng after UN Security the Reuters Eikon Terminal showed. nese fishing boats have been detected passes every year. Its Southeast Asian China about an incident involving an tutional procedure which encroaching in Malaysia’s waters neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Indonesian patrol boat, and a Chinese automatically follows in the disputed South China Sea, Philippines and Vietnam, also claim coastguard vessel and fishing boat in elections. Malaysia’s state news agency and a parts of the sea, as does Taiwan. what Indonesia said was its waters. President Nursul- coastguard official said yesterday. China’s foreign ministry spokes- China has said its vessels were tan Nazarbayev, who also The reported encroachment man, Hong Lei, asked about the operating in its fishing grounds and leads Nur Otan, said last on Thursday is the latest action by Malaysian report at a briefing on Fri- its coastguard vessel did not enter week he saw no need Chinese vessels to raise concern in day, said he did not “understand the Indonesian waters. for a major government Southeast Asia, where four countries details” of what Malaysia had said. Indonesia is not embroiled in the reshuffle. object to China’s claim to virtually the “Now is the fishing season in the rival claims and has instead seen Nur Otan won 82 whole of the South China Sea. South China Sea ... At this time of itself as an “honest broker”. percent of the vote in Sun- Malaysia’s national security year, every year, Chinese trawlers China says it is committed to day’s snap election that minister Shahidan Kassim said are in the relevant waters carrying resolving the disputes but only via was criticised by Western assets from the Malaysian Maritime out normal fishing activities,” Hong bilateral talks. Speaking at a confer- observers as falling short Enforcement Agency and the navy said. He did not elaborate. ence in China, Vice Foreign Minister of democratic standards. have been sent to the area near the Shahidan said Malaysia would Liu Zhenmin repeated that position. Nazarbayev called the Luconia Shoals to monitor the sit- take legal action if the boats were “We rarely see multilateral nego- vote in January, appar- uation, the Bernama news agency found to have trespassed into its tiations are able to resolve complex ently favouring an early reported. exclusive economic zone, Bernama and sensitive territorial and maritime election in case the econ- Shahidan did not specify what cited him as saying. The Malaysian boundary disputes,” Liu said, accord- omy, hit hard by the slump The North Korean ship, Jin Teng, at the former US naval base at Subic type of Chinese vessels had been maritime agency official said three of ing to a transcript provided by China’s in the price of oil. Bay, north of Manila, yesterday. spotted but a Maritime Enforcement its boats were monitoring the Chinese foreign ministry.

Beijing not keen Pressure grows on Indonesia to Cherry blossom in Japan as Panama tackle indigenous rights abuses invites Taiwan Reuters from local government but instead Reuters we were blamed, captured, crim- inalised for defending our own lands.” JAKARTA: Indonesia’s government The expropriation of customary TAIPEI: China reacted frostily yes- is under pressure to boost protection forest for timber concessions, mines, terday after Taiwan ally Panama for indigenous peoples’ rights, after a plantations and government-backed said it had invited leaders from state-led inquiry identified 40 cases resettlement violated the Dayak both China and self-ruled Taiwan in which they were violated, prompt- Benuaq people’s rights to a healthy to attend the inauguration of the ing calls for the president to set up a and safe environment, property expansion of the Panama Canal task force to deal with the problem. ownership, cultural activities, edu- in late June, in what would be an The National Commission on cation, traditional knowledge and awkward diplomatic encounter. Human Rights (Komnas HAM) a life free of fear, the inquiry found. Panama is one of just 22 allies launched the inquiry in April 2014 Masrani testified to the inquiry which maintain formal diplomatic after mounting reports of human that the loss of land had created ties with Taiwan. China claims Tai- rights abuses related to land in for- tension between his community wan as a wayward province and est areas. and neighbouring villagers who says it has no right to have diplo- Of the thousands of cases had chosen to sell their territory to matic relations with anyone. reported to the commission, 40 companies. A woman reacts as she poses for a friend in front of a cherry tree that stands in full bloom in the East Both China and Taiwan were were selected from seven regions He also recalled intimidation Garden of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. invited because “this is the inau- - Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, from “men with guns” who had guration of the expanded canal. Sulawesi, Bali-Nusa Tenggara, attacked the village in 1998-99, forc- China, as an important user, needs Maluku and Papua - as test cases ing him and his family to take refuge to attend”, Panama’s foreign min- for investigation. in the forest. istry said. One was a long-running land In the eastern province of The strategic waterway is one conflict in Muara Tae village in East Maluku, a tribe native to the Aru of the world’s busiest maritime Kalimantan province’s West Kutai Islands was taken unawares by a Chinese media lauds US spying routes and China is its second- district. Here the Dayak Benuaq plan to develop a sugarcane plan- biggest user. indigenous people have struggled tation in 2012. Local people later Asked whether Chinese Presi- since the early 1970s to claim rights discovered that the head of Aru dis- AFP including plans for transport planes an editorial in the Global Times, a dent Xi Jinping would be going and over their customary forests in the trict had granted permits in 2010 for and fighter jets. In a plea agreement nationalistic newspaper with close if he might meet Taiwan’s presi- face of encroachment by logging companies to use customary forest filed on Wednesday, he admitted to ties to the ruling Communist Party. dent-elect Tsai Ing-wen, who and mining operations, and more without the tribe’s knowledge or conspiring with two unnamed per- “On the secret battlefield with- assumes office in May after a land- recently oil palm plantations. consent. BEIJING: Spying on the US is a sons in China to try to acquire plans out gunpowder, China needs special slide election victory in January, “Our ancestors have been pro- Of the district’s 600,000 hec- service to China, state-run media for F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and C-17 agents to gather secrets from the US,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes- tecting (our) customary forest for tares, the permits covered nearly said yesterday, singing the praises transport aircraft. it added. man Hong Lei would not answer generations,” said Masrani of the 500,000 hectares, and 90 out of 117 of a man who confessed to hacking Boeing, the American aeroplane But it also questioned whether the directly. Beijing has repeat- Dayak Benuaq, who came to Jakarta villages were located in concession American defence contractors on manufacturer, was among the com- plea agreement reflected the truth edly warned against any moves for the launch of the inquiry report areas. “So where do you suppose we Beijing’s behalf. panies hacked. of the matter, saying that while the towards independence after wins in mid-March. should live?” asked Mamado, an Aru Chinese national Su Bin, 50, If he had done so, “we are will- US has arrested “quite a few ‘Chi- by Tsai. Tsai has said she would “We did all we could to protect traditional leader. In 2014, after an pleaded guilty to stealing trade ing to show our gratitude and respect nese spies’... most of them proved to maintain peace with China. the forests. We tried to seek help intense social media campaign, secrets from the companies, for his service to our country”, said be innocent”. ASIA / AFRICA SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 05 Man admits to Ready to attack Blue House: N Korea stealing N Korea Reuters

SEOUL: North and South Korea, locked for weeks in exchanges military secrets of angry rhetoric and heightened military readiness, traded more threats yesterday, with Pyongyang of the US and South Korean govern- saying its military had trained to ments and deeply apologised for attack Seoul’s presidential Blue Kim Dong Chul his crimes, the North’s KCNA news House. admitted to agency said. Isolated North Korea is “The extraordinary crime I com- renowned for its sabre-rattling, committing mitted was defaming and insulting and often makes threats of attack “unpardonable the republic’s highest dignity and its and even annihilation against system and spreading false propa- South Korea and the United States. espionage” under ganda aimed at breaking down its However, its tone has been the direction of the solidarity,” KCNA quoted Kim as say- especially belligerent in recent ing. A source in the North Korean weeks and personally aimed at US and South Korean capital of Pyongyang told Reu- South Korean President Park governments and ters that diplomats were notified in Geun-hye following her warnings deeply apologised the morning of the confession and of regime collapse in Pyongyang Kim’s comments were similar to the after it conducted a nuclear test for his crimes. recent confession of another Ameri- and rocket launch earlier this year. can being held there, Otto Warmbier. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Warmbier was sentenced to 15 Un guided what state media said years of hard labour this month for on Friday was the North’s largest Reuters trying to steal a propaganda ban- ever exercise of long-range artil- ner. The North is also holding a lery training, with a simulated Artillery pieces are seen being fired during a military drill in North Korea, yesterday. Korean-Canadian Christian pas- attack on South Korea’s presiden- SEOUL: A Korean-American man tor, who is serving a life sentence tial and government offices. detained in North Korea has con- for subversion. Kim ordered his military to be been high on the Korean peninsula ahead of a rare congress of the North’s the illusion” that it will benefit from fessed to stealing military secrets Kim apologised for trying to steal on high alert “so that it may merci- since the North conducted a nuclear ruling Workers’ Party in May. Some nuclear armament, ordering her coun- and plotting subversion with South military and state secrets in collu- lessly pound the reactionary ruling test in January and a long-range rocket analysts expects Kim to claim a sig- try’s military to maintain “maximum Koreans, the North’s official news sion with South Koreans, and said he machines in Seoul, the cesspool launch in February, which prompted nature achievement, such as another combat power.” agency and foreign media reported was paid for doing it. He described of evils, and advance to accom- new sanctions earlier this month by nuclear test, in the run-up to the con- “Reckless provocation will be the yesterday. the acts as aimed at overthrowing plish the historic cause of national the United Nations Security Council. gress as he looks to bolster his stature road to destruction for the North’s North Korea, which has been the North Korean regime, KCNA said. reunification, once it receives an Annual US-South Korea military exer- at home. regime,” Park said at an anniversary criticized for its human rights record, Kim said he was born in Seoul in order for attack,” the official KCNA cises, which are ongoing, have added Park warned the North to end pro- event for the 2010 sinking of a naval has in the past used detained Amer- 1953 and moved to the United States news agency said. Tensions have to the jitters. The tensions also come vocative actions and “escape from ship that killed 46 people. icans to extract high-profile visits when he was 19. from the United States, with which He said he set up a business in it has no formal diplomatic relations. the North Korean special economic Kim Dong Chul (pictured), who zone of Rason in 2008. He said his has previously said he was a natu- two daughters lived in New York ralised American citizen and was and he had siblings in South Korea. 800 held by Boko Haram freed arrested in North Korea in October, N Korea faces the prospect of further admitted to committing “unpardon- international isolation after the UN able espionage” under the direction imposed new sanctions. AFP axes and a motorcycle. The mili- advancing on them they fled, leaving UN helicopters tary operations came on the same the women to their fate,” said Mada- day that Boko Haram abducted 16 gali resident Garba Barnabas. attack Ugandan women, including two girls, in neigh- Two women who escaped by LAGOS: Nigerian troops have freed bouring Adamawa state. jumping into the river and pretending more than 800 people held by Boko “We received report of the kid- to have drowned later returned to the rebels in Congo Haram Islamist fighters in multi- nap of 14 women and two girls by village to raise the alarm, he added. GOMA: UN helicopter guns ple villages in the country’s restive gunmen believed to be Boko Haram Human rights groups have said ships yesterday attacked northeast, the army said yesterday. insurgents near Sabon Garin Mada- fighters have kidnapped thousands Ugandan rebels active in All the hostages were rescued in gali village”, said Adamawa state of women and young girls, includ- the Democratic Repub- Borno state with 520 recovered in police spokesman Othman Abubakar. ing more than 200 schoolgirls who lic of Congo’s volatile east, Kusumma village on Tuesday after Locals said the hostages were were abducted from the Borno town inflicting casualties, a sen- a confrontation with Boko Haram seized in the bush while fetching fire- of Chibok nearly two years ago. ior UN official said. fighters, and a further 309 from 11 wood and fishing in a nearby river At least 17,000 have been killed Jean Baillaud, the other villages under the Islamist under the escort of two civilian vig- since Boko Haram launched an insur- deputy military chief of group’s control. ilantes assisting the military against gency in 2009 to carve out an Islamic the UN peacekeeping Three Islamists were killed and the Islamist insurgents. state in northeast Nigeria. mission in DRC known one was captured alive during the “When the civilian vigilan- More than 2.6 million people have by its French acro- second raid on the 11 villages. Usman tes escorting the women saw the fled their homes since the start of the nym MONUSCO, said the said items recovered included arms, heavily armed Boko Haram fighters violence. operation was being conducted jointly with Congolese troops. “Our combat helicop- ters have inflicted losses China extends leave for new parents for having more children in the ranks of the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) and the operations are continuing,” he said. It Reuters population, meaning it could be the the cost of raising two children in an according to state media. Mothers paternity leave policies, state media was the first time that the first country in the world to age before increasingly expensive country. in Beijing can extend their leave to has reported. UN mission had engaged it first gets rich. The state-run China News Agency, a maximum of seven months if their China’s population is set to peak in military cooperation Last year, the ruling Chinese in reporting the new rules for leave employers agree, the news agency at about 1.45 billion by 2050 when with the Congolese since BEIJING: Authorities in China’s cap- Communist Party announced it would for new parents, did not link them to said, which is 30 days longer than one in every three people is expected February, when it was ital will extend leave from work for relax its long-standing and controver- hopes people would have more chil- now. Under the new regulations for to be more than 60 years old, with suspended after DRC new mothers and fathers, state media sial “one-child policy”, allowing all dren. Fathers in Beijing will now be Beijing, couples who already have a shrinking proportion of working authorities named two reported yesterday, in what appeared couples to have two children. entitled to 15 days of paternity leave a child each from a previous mar- adults to support them. generals accused of gross to be the latest incentive to encour- The government, keen to address under the new regulation, the news riage can have another baby, the The one-child policy was intro- human rights abuses to age families to have more children. the looming ageing crisis, is con- agency said. New fathers in China news agency said. Several provinces duced in the late 1970s to prevent oversee joint operations. The world’s largest economy faces cerned many people will choose not now get three to 10 days paternity and major municipalities have sim- population growth spiralling out of a shrinking labour force and ageing to exercise that right, worried about leave depending on where they live, ilarly amended their maternity and control. Nigeria accuses army officers in Australia slams Japan’s Soldier faints during Parade corruption probe ABUJA: Nigeria has accused 300 firms and Antarctic whale hunt individuals, including army officers, of embezzling $241.45m through over- paid defence contracts or AFP throwback to an earlier age... There is no fraud, the presidency said scientific justification for lethal research.” yesterday in a widening a Japan was forced to abandon its 2014-15 crackdown on graft. hunt after the International Court of Justice Muhammadu Buhari SYDNEY: Australia yesterday branded said the expedition was a commercial activ- was elected a year ago Japan’s killing of 333 whales “abhorrent”, ity masquerading as research. on a pledge to root out saying there was no scientific justification Hunt criticised Japan for going ahead corruption that has held for the Antarctic hunt. with the killings “in spite of a resolution by most of the 180 mil- The Japanese fleet set sail for the South- the (International Whaling) Commission call- lion Nigerians in poverty. ern Ocean in December despite a worldwide ing on it not to go whaling”. “A committee set up to moratorium and opposition led by Australia Tokyo claims it is trying to prove the probe contracts awarded and New Zealand, using a loophole in the ban whale population is large enough to sustain by the Office of the that allows for lethal research. a return to commercial hunting, but the meat National Security Adviser On Thursday, Japan’s Fisheries Agency still ends up on dinner tables and is served from 2011 to 2015 has announced enough whales had been up in school lunches. Environmental activist indicted more than 300 killed for “scientific research” as the boats group Sea Shepherd criticised the Australian companies and prominent returned to port. “The Australian govern- and New Zealand governments, saying they citizens including serving ment opposes so-called ‘scientific’ whaling had not done enough to stop the whaling. and retired officers of the A member of the Malaysia’s Federal Reserve Unit faints during the 209th Police Day clearly, absolutely and categorically,” Aus- Some experts say that Japan’s refusal to armed forces,” the presi- tralian Environment Minister Greg Hunt said. give up the Antarctic mission is largely due to parade in Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. dency said. “It is in my view abhorrent and a a small group of powerful politicians. 06 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 PAKISTAN

Govt still unsure Protest lodged over expats’ with India after right to vote Internews spy’s arrest ISLAMABAD: The government is apparently still undecided over inclusion of overseas Pakistanis in the electoral system as the author- yesterday, referring to a message ities yesterday failed to provide a conveyed to India’s ambassador. satisfactory reply in the lower India said the RAW is India’s Research and house of parliament. arrested man has Analysis Wing, the country’s main When asked whether overseas external intelligence agency. Pakistanis could cast their votes ‘no link with the Pakistan believes that India in the general elections in 2018 or government since is supporting separatists in the not, Parliamentary Affairs Minister resource-rich Baluchistan province, Sheikh Aftab Ahmad was unable his premature as well as militants fighting the state to provide a definitive reply or a retirement from the from the lawless tribal areas. It also time-frame for bringing the issue sees India as fuelling strife in the to parliament. Indian Navy.’ volatile city of Karachi. There has been an inordi- India denies any such interfer- nate delay in introducing a voting ence and has itself accused Pakistan system for the Pakistanis living of backing militants fighting Indian abroad. Reuters security forces in its part of the Speaking during the question- divided Kashmir region, of helping hour in the National Assembly, he militants to launch attacks elsewhere said that at the time of 2013 elec- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (right) greets Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on his arrival at the military in India and backing the Taliban in tions, a presidential ordinance was base in Rawalpindi yesterday. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan made an Afghanistan. enforced to include the overseas official protest to India yesterday Pakistan say it only offers diplo- Pakistanis into the voting process after detaining a man it says is an matic support to the Muslim people but it could not be implemented Indian spy who illegally entered the of Kashmir living under what it due to time constraints. country and was captured on Thurs- says is heavy-handed Indian rule. Pakistan and Iran plan to open new For the next elections, he day in the violence-plagued province A Pakistani military official in Bal- added, the relevant parliamen- of Baluchistan. uchistan said the alleged RAW spy tary committee had constituted a India’s foreign ministry spokes- was an Indian navy officer. Another sub-committee headed by Mem- man confirmed that Pakistan’s Pakistani official gave the same border crossings to strengthen ties ber of National Assembly (MNA) Dr foreign secretary had taken up the information. Arif Alvi to review the voting sta- matter with the Indian High Com- Both declined to be identified tus of overseas Pakistanis. missioner in Islamabad but denied because they were not authorised Reuters boosting trade relations and reviv- Iran currently exports around He said all party heads were the man is a spy. to give details of the incident to the ing plans for a gas pipeline between 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity participating in the sub-commit- “The said individual has no link media. One of the officials said the the two countries. to the areas of Pakistan that border tee and there was no difference with the Government since his pre- man had been moved to Islamabad “These additional crossing points Iran. Pakistan is in the final stages of of opinion. While Ahmad said the mature retirement from the Indian for interrogation. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will open will greatly reduce the (transit)... time negotiating a deal that will increase body would present its report, Navy,” the spokesman said in a state- The neighbouring countries have two new crossing points on its bor- between our two countries and con- that to 1,000 MW, the ministry of none of the ministers gave a ten- ment. “We have sought consular fought three wars since 1947, two of der with Iran, Prime Minister Nawaz tribute towards economic integration water and power has said previously. tative deadline for it. access to him.” them over Kashmir, which they both Sharif said yesterday, helping to of our region,” the Pakistani PM said. Energy-starved Pakistan suf- Alvi said the sub-committee Tensions are already high claim in full but rule in part. encourage trade hampered by years Trade between Pakistan and Iran fers about 12 hours of power cuts had been working to ensure the between the nuclear-armed nations Baluchistan’s provincial inte- of Western sanctions against Tehran. fell to $432m in 2010-11 from $1.32bn per day and is keen to import Iranian possibilities of electronic voting after India blamed Pakistan-based rior minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, Sharif spoke at a news confer- in 2008-09, according to the Trade oil, gas, iron and steel. Iran is inter- machines and biometric verifica- militants for a January attack on an told reporters that the arrest ence with Iranian President Hassan Development Authority of Paki- ested in Pakistani textiles, surgical tion of overseas Pakistanis. Indian air base, in which seven mil- “proved Indian involvement” in Rowhani, who arrived in Islama- stan, after western powers imposed goods, sports goods and agricultural He added voting for Pakistanis itary personnel were killed. his province. bad yesterday on a two-day trip, the sanctions aimed at halting a nuclear products. abroad was not possible through “(Pakistan) conveyed our protest Last year Defence Minister Kha- first by an Iranian head of state in programme they suspected was Pakistan also plans to set up postal ballots as it was a time-con- and deep concern on the illegal entry waja Asif said that the RAW was 14 years. aimed at developing a nuclear bomb. industrial sites in the impoverished suming process. A postal voting into Pakistan by an RAW officer and determined on annihilating Paki- Prior to the visit, Pakistan’s for- Most of the sanctions were lifted border area, especially petrochemical system was ruled out, because of his involvement in subversive activ- stan. “RAW has been formed to undo eign ministry said bilateral talks in January in return for Iran com- storage, and link the infrastructure to time constraints and unavailabil- ities in Baluchistan and Karachi,” Pakistan and to wipe Pakistan off would focus on increasing Paki- plying with a deal to curb its nuclear a $46bn project with China dubbed the ity of a proper delivery system in foreign ministry said in a statement the map,” Asif said in an interview. stan’s electricity imports from Iran, ambitions. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. some countries.

Ram-fighting in Kabul Women legislators call for review of inheritance laws Explosion near US

embassy in Kabul Internews review implementation mechanisms in order to strengthen them. KABUL: An explosion Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, close to the US Embassy who is also Prime Minister’s Focal and other diplomatic mis- ISLAMABAD: Women parliamen- Person on Polio, gave a presenta- sions in the Macrorayan tarians have called for joint efforts tion on Compulsory Immunisation area of Kabul wounded to facilitate women’s access to justice and Protection of Health Workers one person yesterday, with special reference to inheritance Bill 2015. breaking a rare period rights, particularly for widows. Parliamentarians carried out of calm in Afghani- The legislators discussed the deliberations on the subject matter stan’s capital. “Explosives issue in a meeting of the general and showed their satisfaction on planted in a bicycle went assembly of the Women’s Parlia- comprehensiveness of the bill. off,” Kabul’s Deputy Police mentary Caucus (WPC) at Parliament WPC members also appreci- Chief Salem Almas said. House held yesterday. ated efforts of Senator Farooq and He said one person The meeting was presided over assured full support once the bill was wounded but could by Shaista Pervaiz, WPC Secretary was tabled in National Assembly not give details of the and Member of National Assembly for passage. intended target. (MNA). It may be noted that the Sen- Suicide bombings and The members of the WPC ate has already passed the bill in other attacks by Taliban observed the need for a review of December 2015. insurgents routinely tar- the existing inheritance law and In her concluding remarks, Per- get Afghan government called for amendments in the light vaiz reaffirmed WPC’s commitment forces and NATO allies, of Islamic injunctions. to make every possible effort to build but Kabul had recently Afghan men watch a ram-fighting game on the outskirts of Kabul yesterday. They agreed that implementa- consensus and a joint strategy for enjoyed several weeks of tion of existing laws was a major women-friendly legislation and relative calm. challenge and that the caucus will implementation. US citizen deported ISLAMABAD: A US citi- Military academy poised for major upgrade zen who arrived without a visa was deported from Islamabad airport yesterday, said a spokes- Internews additional land and organising civil for access to Gwadar port. Under the Last month army chief Gen Raheel Pakistan-Afghanistan border cross- person for the ministry works expand PMA Kakul were dis- CPEC Framework Agreement, Kash- Sharif visited the headquarters of the ing points at Torkham and Chaman. of interior. Joseph Henry cussed in a meeting held yesterday at gar will be linked to Gwadar. newly raised Special Security Division Pakistan is also beefing up secu- was deported by the the finance ministry. The QMG briefed the finance min- (SSD). He was given a detailed brief- rity along the Afghan border to same Oman Air flight ISLAMABAD: The government has Pakistan Army Quarter Master ister on the development, upgradation ing on progress in raising the force consolidate gains of Operation Zarb- which had brought him. decided to expand training facilities at General (QMG) Lieutenant-General and expansion of training facilities and wide-ranging security aspects e-Azab and curb smuggling. Under the stand- the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Javed Mahmood Bukhari apprised of Pakistan Army, an official finance of CPEC. The finance minister stated that ard policy, a notice of in Kakul to create additional space to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar about the ministry handout said. Gen Raheel reiterated the army’s the development of these border fine has been issued to cater to the needs of the Special Secu- financial requirements. Pakistan is in the process of rais- commitment to provide security for terminals is an important initia- the Oman Air. According rity Division being raised to protect In the first phase, land is being ing a roughly 15,000-strong force to CPEC and the work force involved. tive, which will not only ease travel to the policy airlines are the China-Pakistan Economic Cor- acquired to expand the facilities, said protect the corridor. During the visit, he had termed CPEC between the two countries but also bound not to bring any ridor (CPEC). a finance ministry official. The Gen- It aims to make the Special Secu- a game-changer for Pakistan, which give a boost to bilateral trade, by passenger without a visa It will be fourth expansion of PMA eral Headquarters (GHQ) has taken rity Division operational within this has the potential to transform the reducing the transit time for the cargo or a deportee without Kakul and will significantly increase the responsibility of ensuring secu- year. lives of people of the country to and from Afghanistan. verification of his nation- the capacity of the country’s premier rity of convoys and the routes of CPEC. The existing facilities are not suf- The finance ministry stated that He said that once completed, ality status and grant of military training institute to train China has offered Pakistan $46bn ficient to impart training to the newly the QMG also gave a briefing on the these facilities will also be helpful in formal permission. officers. in loans to develop infrastructure inducted forces and required massive occasion about progress with regard promoting greater trade and com- The financing needs for acquiring and build energy projects in return expansion, said the officials. to setting up modern terminals at merce with the Central Asian States. INDIA SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 07

Headley: LeT tried to trade Indian envoy to Qatar meets Bachchan Kasab with Israeli hostages

Jundal, one of the prime accused in India-Pakistan war which saw the the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. dismemberment of East Pakistan that After Kasab was After Kasab was nabbed alive became Bangladesh. nabbed alive by by the Indian forces early morning The childhood incident when of November 27, 2008, at the height he was barely 10 years old left such the Indian forces, of the terror strikes, Headley’s main an imprint on his tender mind that Headley’s main contact in LeT — Sajid Mir — had Headley decided to join the Lashkar- ordered the attackers of Chabad e-Taiba later to avenge the bombing contact in LeT had House in Colaba to keep the Israeli of his school. ordered the attackers hostages taken there at gunpoint. He admitted that it was one of They were to contact the Israeli the reasons why he joined the LeT of Chabad House prime minister and its embassy in a years later. to keep the Israeli bid to build pressure on the Indian In another disclosure, Headley, hostages taken there government for securing Kasab’s 56, said he made attempt to organ- release, Headley said. ise a fund-raising programme for the at gunpoint. However, to a question by lawyer Shiv Sena party and even invite the Khan, Headley added that he never party’s founder-patriarch, the late personally spoke with the Israeli Bal Thackery to the US, but he had embassy officials since he was in no plans to attack him there. Indian ambassador to Qatar Sanjiv Arora and Amitabh Bachchan exchanging views on cultural affinities IANS Lahore at the time of 26/11. Incidentally, on February 12 he between India and Qatar at the end of the Bollywood superstar’s short visit to Doha, yesterday. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal had revealed a plot to kill the late Bal Nikam later informed media persons Thackeray and on March 24 (Thurs- that Headley had sought honouring day) he spoke of an attack made on MUMBAI: Pakistani-American LeT the nine terrorists killed in 26/11 with him (Thackeray) with the attacker terrorist-turned-approver David Pakistan’s top military gallantry caught but managed to escape from Coleman Headley said yesterday award, the ‘Nishan-e-Haider’. police custody. that attempts were made to trade Meanwhile, Headley also said Headley said that he was in touch Woman in Brussels blast photo is stable Israeli hostages in Mumbai in return that nursed a hatred towards India with the then Shiv Sena Public Rela- for the release of Ajmal Kasab, the and Indians since December 1971 tions Officer Rajaram Rege whom he Pakistani terrorist nabbed alive in when his school was bombed by had earlier befriended in connection the 26/11 strike. Indian fighter planes during India- with the planned trip for the late AFP was in a stable condition and not in surfaced soon after two massive Headley said he had also sug- Pakistan war which saw the creation Thackeray. a coma as some reports had stated. suicide blasts hit Zaventem Airport, gested to his handlers in terror group of Bangladesh. Though Headley never met the “We have spoken to the doctor at became one of the most widely pub- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to “honour” “I have this hatred... towards late Thackeray, he was open to invit- the (Brussels) hospital where Jet Air- lished images of the bombings. the nine other terrorists slain during Indian since December 7, 1971... ing some other Sena leader after Rege MUMBAI: An Indian flight attendant ways crew Nidhi Chaphekar is under The attacks, which also targeted 26/11 by the Indian security person- When Indian planes had bombed my informed that the senior Thackeray who was pictured covered in dust and treatment. a metro train in the city, left 31 peo- nel with ‘Nishan-e-Haider’, Pakistan’s school... The school was destroyed was old and unwell, he said. blood after the Brussels attacks, mak- “The doctor has confirmed that ple dead and 300 injured. highest gallantry award. and many people who worked Headley is being cross-examined ing newspaper front pages around the Nidhi is in a stable condition and not In the photo shared by millions Headley made the revelations there had died,” Headley claimed by Khan via video-conferencing from world, is under sedation in hospital, in coma. She is resting and under on social media, the mother of two before Special Judge G A Sanap in his on the third day of his ongoing an unknown location in the US where her employer said yesterday. sedation for her comfort,” read the is seen in the tattered remains of her responses during his cross-examina- cross-examination. he is currently undergoing a 35-year Indian airline Jet Airways said in statement. yellow Jet Airways jacket, missing a tion by Abdul Wahab Khan, lawyer Headley was referring to the jail sentence for the 26/11 and Den- a statement that 40-year-old Nidhi A haunting photograph of a dazed shoe and with blood running down for Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu bombing of his school during the mark terror strikes. Chaphekar, who is from Mumbai, Chaphekar covered in debris, that her face. Mamata holds EC responsible for party workers’ killings

IANS Her close lieutenant and Trina- In the past seven days, eight Trina- you have to live in your locality in have been killed. “If a murder or any mool vice president Mukul Roy too mool Congress workers were killed peace,” she said. other untoward incident happens, Kejriwal in list of echoed the party supremo’s view and by the CPI-M.” Roy, who called on the chief elec- the responsibility is yours. A Trina- even threatened to bring the bodies In an obvious reference to the toral officer in Kolkata during the day mool party office has also been burnt. Fortune’s 50 LALGARH/KOLKATA: Claiming to the EC’s West Bengal office if the EC machinery, Banerjee said: “Some to lodge a complaint about the “kill- Will the EC take responsibility?” that eight of her party workers were killings of Trinamool workers did may feel, during the elections, they ings” of party workers, was more “From now on, even if one worker of greatest leaders murdered by the CPI-M supporters in not stop. can threaten, intimidate. Let them. Be direct in training his guns on the EC. our party is killed, we will bring the seven days, West Bengal Chief Min- Banerjee said: “Now that elec- with the people, the voters.” “We have come here to protest dead body to the Election Commis- NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief ister Mamata Banerjee yesterday tions have been declared, police are “If somebody from outside tries to against the murders. We have told sion office.” Minister Arvind Kejriwal virtually held the Election Commis- under the Election Commission. The boss around, tries to intimidate you, the Election Commission to initi- Since the day the elections were was yesterday named sion (EC) responsible for political EC is keeping a watch on police. Now don’t be afraid. They are here today, ate proper steps. Law and order is in declared, Banerjee has been up in by Fortune magazine as killings. the EC is looking after law and order. won’t be there after a few days. But your (EC) hands. Six of our workers arms against the EC. one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders — for his innovative odd-even traffic scheme to battle pollution. Rains in Srinagar Nine held for beating The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader took the 42nd place in the list. dentist to death in Delhi Responding to con- gratulatory messages, Kejriwal said: “They IANS doctor, who was also badly attacked, (have) included my name was being treated in a private hos- for odd-even, credit pital and his condition was stated to for which goes to peo- be out of danger. ple of Delhi who made it NEW DELHI: A 41-year-old den- Police arrested five people, successful.” tist was beaten to death by a group including a woman, and appre- The Fortune magazine of people after a cricket ball he hended four juveniles for the attack. gives credit to Kejriwal and his son were playing with hit a The woman, in her 30s, was for his efforts to curb motorcyclist on the road, police said identified as Mayassar. Two of the pollution in the national yesterday. accused have identical name: Aamir capitalNew Delhi through The horrific killing took place Khan. The other two were Gopal the scheme of allowing just after midnight on Wednesday Singh and Naseer Khan. vehicles of odd and even in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri area when A police officer said that Naseer numbers on alternate Pankaj Narang and his son were Khan was one of the prime accused days on roads. playing cricket inside their house. and he was riding the motorcycle A heated argument took place as with a juvenile on the pillion. the ball flew out of their balcony and Naseer, however, disputed the Airbase attack: hit a motorcycle rider. ball story and told police that it was The rider called some 10 of dentist who picked up a quarrel Visas granted to his friends, who dragged the den- with him. According to him, Narang tist out of his house and beat him stopped him and told him not to ride Pakistani team mercilessly with wooden sticks and the motorcycle at high speed at night, bricks, leading to his death, police especially in residential areas. NEW DELHI: India has said, quoting the victim’s family. This led to a heated argument — granted visas to five People walk over a wooden bridge during rains in Srinagar, yesterday. Kashmir is witnessing rainy As Narang collapsed, the attack- and scuffles. Naseer left the spot and members of a Pakistani weather and the Meteorological department has predicted two more days of rain. ers fled from the spot. returned with his associates, said the team probing the cross- Police said a relative of the officer, providing Naseer’s account. border terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in January this year. The Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) BJP names Nirmal as deputy CM in PDP govt in J&K has sought seven-day visas after it reaches India on Sunday, it was learnt yesterday. IANS first woman chief minister of India’s The state has been without a gov- governor together to stake claim,” he while from BJP its state president Sat The attack derailed only Muslim-majority state. ernment ever since the demise of said. He said it may take “two-three Pal Sharma, Jugal Kishore and Nirmal the proposed Foreign The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) PDP patron and chief minister Mufti days” before the new Jammu and Singh were present. “After the meet- Secretary-level talks also elected Nirmal Singh as its leader Mohammad Sayeed on January 7 due Kashmir government is formed. ing, BJP leaders appraised BJP national that were scheduled for JAMMU: The BJP yesterday pledged in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly to multi-organ failure. Later, a joint coordination com- general secretary Ram Madhav about the middle of January support to the Peoples Democratic and nominated him for the deputy BJP state president Sat Pal Sharma mittee meeting of the two alliance their deliberations with PDP leaders,” after the two countries Party (PDP), paving the way for the chief minister’s post in the new PDP- said the BJP had decided to extend partners was held last evening. “Sen- BJP sources said. The sources said agreed in December formation of a new government in BJP alliance government. support to Mehbooba Mufti, the daugh- ior leaders Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, that the leaders of the alliance part- last year to start a com- Jammu and Kashmir under Mehbooba Mehbooba was on Thursday ter of Sayeed, to head the new PDP-BJP Tariq Hameed Karra and Haseeb ners will call on Governor N N Vohra prehensive bilateral Mufti’s leadership. elected leader of the PDP’s legisla- government. “We have to discuss cer- Drabu represented the PDP at the in two to three days jointly to discuss dialogue. Once sworn-in, she will be the ture party. tain issues before both of us visit the joint coordination committee meeting government formation. 08 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 EUROPE / UK

Greece Independence Day Russia to deploy Brexit not to hit missile systems UK security: on Kuril islands AFP

MOSCOW: Russia will deploy a Ex-CIA chief range of coastal missile systems on the far-eastern Kuril islands, claimed by Japan, as part of its military build-up in the region, Minister David Cameron and others Russian Defence Minister Sergei said recent attacks showed greater Shoigu said yesterday. The issue of security intelligence cooperation was needed. “The planned rearmament of has become one of “The union is not a natural con- contingents and military bases on tributor to national security of each Kuril islands is under way. Already the main arguments of the entity states and in fact in this year they will get Bal and Bas- between those who some ways gets in the way of the tion coastal missile systems as state’s providing security for its well as new-generation Eleron-3 want Britons to vote own citizens,” Michael Hayden, ex- unmanned aerial vehicles,” Shoigu to stay in the EU and director of the CIA and the National said during a ministry meeting. Security Agency, said. Asked if a Brit- Russia has been investing in those who want ish EU exit, or “Brexit”, would upset military infrastructure on Kuril to leave. US intelligence officials, he said: Greek army soldiers march past during a military parade in central Athens yesterday during the islands, which Japan considers its “With regard to this specific line anniversary of Greek Independence Day. territory, over the last few years. of national security ... it wouldn’t Shoigu said at the meeting that have much effect certainly on the the military is focusing on “devel- Reuters American ability to cooperate with oping military infrastructure in the national security services.” Arctic and Kuril island zones.” Hayden said he agreed with Relations between Moscow comments published from Richard Calais ‘Jungle’ Iranians end hunger strike and Tokyo have been strained LONDON: The European Union is Dearlove, the former head of Brit- for decades because of the status not a “natural contributor to national ain’s MI6 foreign intelligence service, of the four southernmost islands security” and a British exit from the who said leaving EU would do little AFP frail-looking men left to have their and refugees hope to smuggle aboard in the Kuril chain, known as the bloc would have a limited impact damage to British national security stitches removed and receive treat- lorries to Britain. Northern Territories in Japan. on US intelligence cooperation, the and could reap security gains. ment from aid workers. French authorities promised ear- The Russian navy’s Pacific former head of the US Central Intel- “Whether one is an enthusias- “We have decided to end our hun- lier this month to work with NGOs to fleet next month will embark on a ligence Agency (CIA) has said. tic European or not, the truth about CALAIS, FRANCE: Nine Iranians ger strike... out of respect for those improve conditions in remaining part three-month mission to the Kurils The issue of security has become Brexit from a national security per- who sewed their mouths shut in pro- who wished for us to do so, who are of the camp, which the hunger strik- to explore whether the islands one of the main arguments between spective is that the cost to Britain test at the demolition of the “Jungle” worried about our well-being, as ers said they considered a “victory”. could serve as a naval base as well. those who want Britons to vote to would be low,” Dearlove had writ- migrant camp in the northern French well as to show our confidence in Clearance of southern half of the This year and next year Rus- stay in the EU and those who want ten in a newspaper. port of Calais ended their hunger the intentions of the state to protect camp finished last week, affecting sia is set to put up more than 350 to leave ahead of a June 23 referen- However, the head of EU-wide strike yesterday. us and improve living conditions of between 800 and 3,050 migrants buildings for military needs on the dum on British membership. police body Europol and other The men had been on hunger residents in the northern zone of the and refugees. The Iranians said they Kuril islands of Iturup and Kuna- Attacks in Brussels on Tuesday former British security chiefs have strike since March 2, shortly after camp,” the lawyer read. hoped for better security, medical shir, called Etorofu and Kunashiri have fuelled the differences, with argued intelligence sharing would French authorities began demolish- The “Jungle” was the biggest of and legal access, running water and in Japan. Some 19,000 Russians advocates for leaving arguing the suffer and it would be harder for ing the southern half of the camp. the makeshift camps to spring up a paved route to allow entry by emer- live on the rocky islands, which bloc’s open border policy allowed British police to protect citizens from Their lawyer, Orsane Broissin, along the northern French coast, gency services, as well as help for were occupied by Soviet troops for killings to take place while Prime militant attacks if it left the bloc. read a statement before the nine from which thousands of migrants minors in what remains of the camp. in the dying days of World War II. Macedonian Lawyer for suspected Russian soldier murdered in Ukraine court jails 6 AFP Ukraine alleges that Aleksandrov commanders and were enrolled in a shot fired” to make his death certain. Matios said the men confessed Islamists as 5 and fellow special operations captain military intelligence unit at the time. The prosecutor said two sus- to attaching a bracelet packed with Yevgeny Yerofeyev were members of Attorney Grabovsky was last seen pects had been detained and one an explosive to the lawyer’s leg and the Russian armed forces when they in the government-controlled south- had already confessed to the crime warning him that he would be blown more on trial KIEV: The body of a Ukrainian law- were captured in the pro-Moscow ern Ukrainian port city of Odessa on and helped locate the lawyer’s body. up should he try to flee or report his yer representing one of two purported separatist region of Lugansk in May March 5. He was soon reported miss- “These are Ukrainian citizens, one kidnapping. Russian soldiers on trial in Kiev was 2015. Russia says both had resigned ing and the local police launched a of whom used a fake special service The prosecutor did not say when Reuters discovered yesterday buried in a farm from active duty before crossing into murder investigation on March 10. agent ID,” Matios said. or why the men then decided to drive with signs of a violent death. the war zone of their own free will. Chief Ukrainian military prosecu- He added that the suspects “had him out of the city in order to kill him. Yuriy Grabovsky defended Rus- But the two wounded men told tor Anatoliy Matios said Grabovsky’s received a lot of money” for carrying The Russian foreign ministry yes- SKOPJE: A Macedonian court sian sergeant Aleksander Aleksandrov reporters from their Kiev hospi- body was discovered in an abandoned out the killing and “did everything to terday angrily blamed the attorney’s sentenced six people, including in a high-profile case that has further tal beds in May that they had been farm about 125km south of Kiev. create their alibis.” The accomplices death on the “Russophobic hysteria” an imam, to up to seven years in strained relations between Moscow sent across the border on recon- Matios said the 43-year-old law- allegedly drugged Grabovsky in allegedly being fanned by Ukraine’s prison yesterday for fighting along- and Kiev. naissance missions by their Russian yer was murdered, with an additional Odessa before taking him Kiev. pro-Western leadership. side Islamist insurgents in Syria and Iraq or recruiting others to join the fight, the court said. The group was arrested last August in a security sweep in four ICRC expresses concern Celebrating Purim festival Macedonian towns when police searched 21 houses, an Internet cafe and a mosque in the capital Skopje. over Kosovo war missing The six people, including an imam from Skopje, were sentenced to between five-and-a-half and AFP of progress,” said the ICRC’s Laurent seven years in jail after entering Burkhalter, who chaired the meeting. a plea bargain. “They feel their right to know The trial will continue for and have closure is being ignored. another five defendants, the court BELGRADE: The International It is high time that the political will of said in a statement. Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the authorities were translated into The court did not specify expressed “deep concern” yester- action, and hence results.” which Islamist organisation or day over the 1,666 people who are The 1998-1999 war pitted Ser- organisations the six were work- still missing from the late 1990s war bian forces against separatist ethnic ing with. between Serbia and Kosovo. Albanians in the southern province Authorities in the former Yugo- Only four cases of missing peo- of Kosovo, and the fighting ended slav republic estimate that as many ple were resolved in 2015 — the after a Nato bombing campaign as 130 people have fought or are lowest annual figure recorded since against Serbia. currently fighting alongside Islam- the end of the fighting, ICRC said Kosovo subsequently became ist groups in Syria and Iraq and after a meeting in Belgrade. a United Nations protectorate and that another 16 Macedonian citi- The humanitarian group declared independence in 2008, a zens have been killed there. expressed “deep concern over move Serbia does not recognise. Most of the ethnic Albani- numbers of people still missing in In 2013, Amnesty International ans who make up one third of the Kosovo”, saying the process had “vir- denounced what it called the UN country’s 2 million population are tually stalled” last year. mission in Kosovo’s failure to investi- A Jewish family dressed in costumes celebrates the festival of Purim in Stamford Hill in north London, Muslim, but practise a moderate “The families are right to express gate the fate of civilians still missing Britain, yesterday. form of Islam. their disappointment about the lack after the conflict. Putin endorses Chechnya leader, but says must respect Russian laws

Reuters that govern the rest of the country federal organs of power, especially on when he said he hoped that voters Since he was formally appointed Large rallies have been staged in and Putin’s warning will be seen as security matters,” Putin told Kadyrov would recognise all Kadyrov had by Putin in 2007, Kadyrov has over- Chechnya in his support with some an attempt to rein him in and remind during a meeting in his Kremlin office. achieved. In previous elections in seen the rebuilding of the Chechen attendees complaining they had been him who is the boss. “You must do everything to ensure Chechnya in the past few years, can- capital Grozny, devastated in 1994- forced to attend. Kadyrov had also MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin Although Kadyrov, swears loyalty that Russian law in all spheres of life didates endorsed by the Kremlin have 96 and 1999-2000 wars by Russian lashed out at Russia’s liberal oppo- yesterday gave blessing for Ramzan to Putin, critics say he has carved out is observed. I want to underline in all won by huge margins. forces intent on keeping Chechnya sition calling them “enemies of the Kadyrov, head of Russia’s Chechnya, a state within a state enforcing a strict spheres of life.” Putin’s decision was widely in Russia. people” who deserved to be tried for to carry on in the job, but warned the Islamic “code of virtue” for women Kadyrov, who has ruled Chech- expected. Alienating Kadyrov, who In the run-up to yesterday’s meet- sabotage. unpredictable former warlord that and using methods against insur- nya since 2007, said he would do his commands tens of thousands of ing, Kadyrov had become increasingly He had also been forced to repeat- Russian law must be strictly enforced gents human rights groups see as best. His current term of office expires armed loyalists and has concentrated unpredictable and outspoken, a sign edly comment on the murder in in the majority Muslim region. rights abuses. next month. Putin said he had signed power in his hands, would have risked his critics said betrayed his nervous- Moscow last year of opposition leader Kadyrov, a former Islamist rebel, “It’s essential to coordinate more a decree appointing him acting leader re-igniting an Islamist insurgency in ness about whether Putin would let Boris Nemtsov whose supporters have often pays little heed to the rules closely when it comes to working with until regional elections in September the country. him stay on in the job. pointed the finger at Kadyrov. EUROPE SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 09 Suspect held in major Brussels police operation

November that killed 130. three were released and three were Heavily armed police and troops remanded in custody facing possible Nine people in total cordoned off in northern Brussels charges. Three others were detained were arrested since borough of Schaerbeek. Three blasts yesterday following the arrest in could be heard, which the local mayor France of Reda Kriket, a 34-year-old Thursday in Belgium Bernard Clerfayt said were control- Frenchman sentenced to 10 years in and two in Germany, led explosions. Brussels in absentia in July as part of Belgian public broadcaster RTBF a Islamist recruiting network dubbed as authorities have quoted Clerfayt as saying the suspect the Syrian Connection. swooped on militants. was detained after being wounded Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine and that he was linked to Tuesday’s said German police had arrested two suicide bombings in Brussels. It said people, one of whom had received he had been found to be in possession phone messages with the name of the Reuters of a suitcase full of explosives. metro station bomber and the word Witnesses told local media police “fin”— French for “end”—three min- had shot the man in the leg at a tram utes before the metro blast. stop after he failed to respond to their A person familiar with the inves- BRUSSELS: Belgian police captured a orders. One witness said the man had tigation in Belgium said one of the suspect carrying what a broadcaster a girl of about eight with him. people arrested there was believed said was a suitcase full of explosives “I heard two explosions, they were to be a suspected accomplice caught yesterday, after shooting him in the shooting. I opened the window and on security camera footage with the leg during a major police operation saw a man lying near the tram stop. metro station bomber. following Tuesday’s suicide bombings The police ordered him to show his “We have strong indications this in Brussels. hands, remove his jacket. They said is the suspect who was hunted for last Police use a robotic device as they take part in a search in the Brussels borough of Schaerbeek following The federal prosecutor’s office that if he did not comply, they would couple of days. The identification is Tuesday’s bombings in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday. said the arrest was one of three in use their weapons,” a witness who still on,” the source said. He said those Brussels yesterday linked to the arrest lives nearby told La Libre newspaper. arrested before midday yesterday did in Paris the previous day of an Islam- Video from the scene showed not include a third suspect seen on dead. French and Dutch, expressing solidar- attacks, but Clerfayt, the Schaerbeek ist convicted in Belgium last year and the man lying on his side, shattered video alongside the two who blew “The United States is praying for ity in its two languages that he too felt mayor, said the man wounded yester- suspected of plotting a new attack. glass from the tram shelter smashed themselves up at the airport. the loved ones of those cruelly taken a citizen of the Belgian capital. day was linked to both investigations. Nine people in total were arrested by bullets at his feet. A bomb squad US Secretary of State John Kerry from us, including Americans, and In Paris on Thursday, authori- Belgian prosecutors confirmed since Thursday in Belgium and two robot approached the wounded man, arrived in Brussels yesterday to offer for the many who were injured in ties arrested Reda Kriket, a French the second airport bomber was Najim in Germany, as European authorities checking for explosives. US assistance in security. Two of the the attacks,” Kerry said after meet- national suspected of belonging to a Laachraoui, a veteran Belgian Islamist have swooped on militants they link The Belgian federal prosecu- Brussels victims were Americans. ing Prime Minister Charles Michel. militant network planning an attack fighter in Syria suspected of making both to the Brussels attacks that killed tor’s office said six people were held China and Britain said one each of “Je suis bruxellois. Ik ben Brus- in France. French officials did not explosive belts for November’s Paris 31 people and to attacks in Paris last in Brussels on Thursday, of whom their nationals were also among the sel,” Kerry said after brief remarks in directly tie that plot to the Brussels attacks.

12 Portuguese dead New beach opened in Germany Bulgaria to in French bus mishap build fence on its border

AFP An initial inquiry said the driver of the minibus was not under the with Greece influence of alcohol, and police have opened an investigation into Reuters LYON: Twelve Portuguese passen- the cause of the crash. gers, including a seven-year-old The road “is quite monotonous, girl, died when their minibus col- the speed limit is 90km per hour. lided with a heavy goods truck on a There are those who are impatient SOFIA: Bulgaria is ready to build road in central France known locally and those who fall asleep,” said a a fence on its border with Greece as “the road of death”. source close to investigation, add- to keep out migrants amid fears The crash occurred on late ing that there are only four passing they could head its way after the Thursday as the minibus was trav- zones in the area. “They’ve been Western Balkan route was closed, elling from Switzerland to Portugal, talking about adding a second lane Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said taking the passengers home for for 40 years,” he added. yesterday. Parliament last month Easter holidays. “The twelve pas- A local official told reporters: “It’s voted to let its army assist police sengers of the minibus, who were all the deadliest road in France. When in guarding the European Union Portuguese, are dead,” said a state- you add it up, we’ve had 15 deaths member’s borders to avoid a ref- ment from the local authority. in a year.” ugee influx that has overwhelmed Authorities said the minibus Locals have nicknamed it “the some of its neighbours. Bulgaria swerved for an unknown reason and road of death,” added this official. shares a border with Greece to its slammed head-first into the truck A local village hall was being south that is about 500km long. on a traffic blackspot near Moulins. used as a temporary morgue. “The main threat is coming The minibus driver and two Ital- The road was closed following from the Greek border,” Borisov ian drivers of the truck sustained the accident, and was expected to People walk holding umbrellas on the opening day on Wannsee lido, a public beach in Berlin, Germany, said. “It is long and unprotected, injuries and they are expected to remain shut until 9am (0800 GMT) yesterday. and our concern is that the Greek survive. yesterday. government did not take measures in recent months. We are ready to erect a barrier if necessary.” Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said a fence should Moscow says Karadzic genocide conviction ‘politicised’ be erected on the Macedonian and Bulgarian borders with Greece to curb the inflow of migrants. Earlier this month, Bulgaria AFP In the first comment by a senior told the local Interfax news agency. “We consider that such a slant 2008 unilateral declaration inde- and its neighbour Macedonia held Russian official on the verdict, Gati- Asked if Karadzic’s conviction on in the activity of the tribunal is pendence, recognised by more than joint air and land operations along lov also accused the International Thursday by the UN war crimes tribu- unacceptable.” 100 countries. their common border to ensure Criminal Tribunal for the former nal was also politicised, he answered Wartime Bosnian Serb leader The widow of Serbian strongman control of it amid an increased MOSCOW: Russia’s deputy foreign Yugoslavia of overlooking crimes “Yes,” the Interfax reported. Karadzic was sentenced on Thursday Slobodan Milosevic, who died in 2006 flow of migrants. Defence Minister minister Gennady Gatilov yesterday committed by Kosovars. “Unfortunately all the cases that to 40 years in jail after being found while on trial for war crimes at The Nikolay Nenchev requested an addi- said the genocide conviction of former “We have said for a long time have been examined have been one- guilty of genocide and other crimes Hague, fled to Russia in 2003. tional $860,000 to provide essential Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karad- that the activity of the international sided,” Gatilov said, adding the court during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. Milosevic’s brother, a retired dip- equipment to army personnel taking zic was “politicised” and accused UN criminal tribunal for the former did not examine “crimes by Kosovar Russia is a close ally of Serbia lomat, also lived in Russia before his part in border protection and con- war crimes judges of bias. Yugoslavia is politicised,” Gatilov leaders and the military.” and does not recognise Kosovo’s death in 2013. trol jointly with police. Outrage in France as video shows police punching teen protester

AFP ‘get up, get up’ and punched me ... my and made dozens of arrests. Two head was spinning,” the boy said. policemen were injured in the vio- Both Interior Minister Bernard lence. Dozens of the injured boy’s Cazeneuve and Paris police chief fellow pupils gathered for a quiet PARIS: A video of a police officer Michel Cadot described the images demonstration yesterday outside his punching a teenager sparked fury in as “shocking.” Paris school. France yesterday, with high school French students reacted angrily, “I was shocked,” said Brelotte, pupils staging violent protests outside pelting two Paris police stations with 15. “The policeman’s punch was too police stations in the capital. stones and setting off tear gas can- much. He was on the floor and under The video shows two policemen isters. The youngsters tried to smash control, what was the point?” holding up a 15-year-old boy while the reinforced windows of one sta- The Paris prosecutor has opened another violently punchs him, on the tion with planks of wood, while one an investigation into the incident. sidelines of student protests against had also scrawled “Death to cops” on “These images are shocking and proposed labour reforms. the wall, an eyewitness said. shocked me,” said Cazeneuve. The boy, attending a protest in Police allowed the youngsters to Paris police chief Cadot said: Paris, was lying on the floor sur- leave the area before stationing riot “If there was an error, it will be rounded by police when one of police out front. punished. them shouted at him to get up before Student protests were held across “There was no doubt provoca- punching him. France against proposed labour tion from the students but this doesn’t “We were protesting, throwing reforms which saw cars torched justify security forces not controlling eggs. A policeman ... charged at me, in the capital and clashes with riot their behaviour, that is what makes French riot police stand next to a fire as they take position after clashes erupted yesterday in Nantes, France, hit me to the ground then he told me police, who responded with tear gas the job difficult,” he said. during a demonstration against the French government’s proposed labour reforms. 10 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 OPINION

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 Israeli atrocity Russia ‘weaponising’ migration ne more case of Israeli brutality has come to light to destabilise Europe with the gruesome killing of a wounded Palestinian assailant by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, Speaking to an audience at fervour is helping to raise support rape never occurred. It was first Oafter a video of the shooting went viral. The clip, the German Marshall Fund Brus- for right-wing populists in “virtu- reported in the Russian media, after which was aired even by Israeli channels, shows sels Forum last weekend, Estonian ally every single European country which Russian-speaking Germans an Israeli soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian assailant in President Toomas Hendrik Ilves today” and that if more of them and right-wing activists protested the head as he lay on the ground after stabbing another soldier, alleged that these migrants often come into power, international in the streets of several German cit- his knife lying beyond his reach. It was another eloquent and hide their status as permanent res- agreements that the US values ies. Lavrov’s comments were seen idents of Russia. could come unravelled. in Europe as intentionally pouring grim example of how Israel has been using excessive and brutal “You’ve seen several thousand European leaders who share fuel on the fire. force in the wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that erupted coming from Finland across the some of Russia’s goals have cap- “That is instrumentalising in October. Israel has been justifying its gruesome killings of Russian-Finnish border,” he said. italized on the anti-refugee a tragedy in Europe,” said Ilves. Palestinians calling its action a response to ‘acts of terrorism’, “There is something very fishy momentum. Zsuzsanna Szelenyi, a “And that sums up the situation but the western world has failed to notice Israeli excesses and going on.” member of the parliament and the in Europe right now.” By Josh Rogin condemn them. Russia encourages these opposition party in Hungary, told Even if Russia is not pushing its Bloomberg migrants, according to Ilves and me that her nation is one exam- own Muslim residents over the bor- The video created an international outcry and the other European officials at the ple, as the prime minister has won der, said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, government of Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to respond forum, because they strain Euro- support for anti-democratic and Moscow’s goal is to create instabil- and at least show it does not condone such acts. A military pean governments and stoke anti-EU policies. ity in Europe as a means of creating spokesman said the soldier was being “detained on suspicion ome officials in Europe see anti-Muslim sentiment that ben- “There’s not a single refugee in a relative advantage. of murder.” Netanyahu said the soldier’s behaviour was not in Russia’s hand in the rising efits the far-right parties Russia Hungary, but his popularity based “Whether that’s deliberate or keeping with his army’s values and a army officials said that the migration crisis, accusing has supported. Pro-Russian parties on this anti-refugee campaign is inadvertent, Russia still achieves shooting was being treated with great severity. the Kremlin of exacerbating have gained influence in Slova- rising,” she said. “The Russians use the same outcome,” the New Hamp- Santi-Muslim sentiment to bene- kia, Greece, Hungary, France and it to distract Europe, and I think it shire Democrat said. “And I think The current wave of violence has left 200 Palestinians and fit right-wing parties at a fragile elsewhere. They tend to support is successful.” Russia is going to look at agitating 28 Israelis dead. Most of the deaths on the Palestinian side are moment for the European Union. the weakening of European Union Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s wherever they can to create dis- caused by the Israeli army with their excessive reaction. The Even before the latest terror institutions and favour closer ties permanent representative to the affection in Europe.” army has been following a policy attacks in Brussels, anti-Muslim and to Russia, including through the European Union, told me that Ilves’s Europe has a number of prob- of eliminating any Palestinian who anti-refugee sentiment in Europe end of sanctions. claims about the number of Mus- lems, including the radicalisation One more attacks an Israeli soldier or civilian, had been on the rise. Most of the Russia’s campaign of airstrikes lim migrants coming from Russia of Muslim youth, the threat of ter- refugees arriving in Europe are in Syria, which has largely tar- into Europe were exaggerated. The rorism, the influx of refugees and even if these attacks are minor. case of Israeli escaping war and poverty in the geted civilian areas, also adds overall theory that Russia is stoking the economic strains on member brutality Interestingly, the latest murder has Middle East and seeking a better to the waves of Muslim migrants migration to sew political unrest states. Russia did not initiate any triggered a debate in Israel about their life in the West. But according to entering Europe through Greece. in Europe, he said, “is the product of these problems, but it is making has come to forces’ response. Human rights groups European officials, other migrants General Philip Breedlove, Nato’s of a very inflated mind.” them all worse. In destabilising light with the and leftists in the country have been are travelling into the Nordic and supreme allied commander in In January, Russian Foreign Europe, Russia is trying to roll gruesome highly critical of their government, but Baltic states from Russia and are Europe, said earlier this month that Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly back the post-World War II order unfortunately, Netanyahu has been not fleeing the fighting in Syria, Russia was “womanising migra- accused the German govern- that Europe and the US built over killing of a Iraq or Afghanistan, but rather have tion,” as a means to “overwhelm ment of covering up a gang rape decades. The end game is to pull following a hardline and extremist been living in Russia and are being European structures and break of a 13-year-old girl by Muslim ref- as many European countries as wounded policy both to punish Palestinians and encouraged by the Kremlin to join European resolve.” ugees in Berlin. possible into the Russian sphere of Palestinian kill the idea of a two-state solution. the tide in Western Europe. Ilves added that anti-immigrant Berlin prosecutors said such a influence and away from the West. by an Israeli Meanwhile, in a victory for Palestinians, the UN Human Rights soldier. Council (UNHRC) on Thursday adopted a resolution to compile a ‘blacklist’ of Israeli and international companies Millennials like socialism – until they get jobs who do business with illegal Israeli settlements. In addition, the Council also adopted three other resolutions -- first, on the himself a “democratic socialist.” 69 percent of millennials favour a Similarly, a Reason-Rupe poll inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; Yet millennials tend to reject government guarantee for health found that while millennials still second, on violation of Palestinian human rights like closures the actual definition of socialism insurance and 54 percent support on their parents’ health-insurance by the Israeli occupation forces in areas under occupation - government ownership of the a guarantee for a college educa- policies supported the idea of pay- means of production, or govern- tion. Perhaps most striking is ing higher premiums to help cover as well as home demolitions, violations of religious sites, and ment running businesses. Only 32 that millennials favour a bigger the uninsured (57 percent), sup- extrajudicial killings carried out by the IOF and third, for percent of millennials favour “an government that provides more port flipped among millennials enacting proper investigative systems to ensure accountability economy managed by the gov- services - 52 percent of them do, paying for their own health insur- for violations carried out by Israel in the occupied Palestinian ernment,” while, similar to older compared with 38 percent of the ance with 59 percent opposed to territory. Though these resolutions will in no way persuade Israel generations, 64 percent prefer nation overall. higher premiums. to refrain from such crimes, they at least give a ray of hope that a free-market economy. And as So, will it last? Are millennials When tax rates are not By Emily Ekins millennials age and begin to earn ushering in a sea change of public explicit, millennials say they’d the world is still noticing the Israeli atrocities. The Washington Post more, their socialistic ideals seem opinion? Do they signal the trans- prefer larger government offer- to slip away. formation of the United States into ing more services (54 percent) to So what does socialism a Scandinavian social democracy? smaller government offering fewer actually mean to millennials? It depends. There is some evi- services (43 percent). However illennials are the only Scandinavia. Even though coun- dence that this generation’s views when larger government offer- age group in America in tries such as Denmark aren’t on activist government will stick. ing more services is described as Mwhich a majority views socialist states (as the Danish However, there is more reason to requiring high taxes, support flips Quote of the day socialism favourably. A national prime minster has taken great expect that support for their Scan- and 57 percent of millennials opt Reason-Rupe survey found that pains to emphasize) and Denmark dinavian version of socialism may for smaller government with fewer 53 percent of Americans under 30 itself outranks the United States on wither as they age, make more services and low taxes, while 41 The United Nations will have a favourable view of socialism a number of economic freedom money and pay more in taxes. percent prefer large government. compared with less than a third of measures such as less business The expanded social welfare Millennials wouldn’t be the spare no effort in seeking those over 30. regulation and lower corporate state Sanders thinks the United first generation to flip-flop. In the to put an end to the conflict Moreover, Gallup has found tax rates, young people like that States should adopt requires eve- 1980s, the same share (52 percent) in Syria and to reach a just, that an astounding 69 percent of country’s expanded social wel- ryday people to pay considerably of baby boomers also supported millennials say they’d be willing to fare programs. more in taxes. Yet millennials bigger government, and so did lasting and comprehensive vote for a “socialist” candidate for Coming of age during the become averse to social welfare Generation Xers (53 percent) in peace in the Middle East. president — among their parents’ Great Recession, millennials spending if they foot the bill. As the 1990s. Yet, both baby boomers generation, only a third would do aren’t sure if free markets are suf- they reach the threshold of earn- and Gen Xers grew more skeptical so. Indeed, national polls and exit ficient to drive income mobility ing $40,000 to $60,000 a year, of government over time and by Ban Ki-moon polls reveal about 70 to 80 percent and thus many are comfortable the majority of millennials come about the same magnitude. Today, UN Secretary-General of young Democrats are casting with government helping to pro- to oppose income redistribution, only 25 percent of boomers and 37 their ballots for presidential can- vide for people’s needs. Indeed, including raising taxes to increase percent of Gen Xers continue to didate Bernie Sanders, who calls a Reason-Rupe study found that financial assistance to the poor. favour larger government.

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers, not of the newspaper. All correspondence regarding Opinion page should be mailed to the Editor-in-Chief.

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] AMERICAS SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 11 Hillary rebukes Trump and Cruz’s Muslim stand

Muslim community leaders, Clin- a decade ago, it’s become harder ton pushed back on Cruz’s calls for and harder for moderate, reason- “I want to elevate increased policing of Muslim neigh- able voices to be heard,” she said. what works borhoods. She did not call out either “Think about it: The way you get of the two Republican presidential eyes or ears is to be provocative, because dividing us, candidates by name as she had done even extreme, to say things that are engaging in hateful, a day earlier during a speech at Stan- going to draw attention, that will get ford University. you invited back or that will get you discriminatory “I want to elevate what works more responses to whatever you’re rhetoric does because dividing us, engaging in posting.” hateful, discriminatory rhetoric does It’s up to leaders like her and not work,” the not work,” she told reporters. “It plays Garcetti, she added, to help change Democratic into the hands of the terrorists. And the conversation. candidate said. I am not about to do anything that “We’ve got to do a better job, does that.” which is one of the reasons why Trump this week accused Mus- the mayor and I are here, and we lims in the United States and the thankfully have a lot of media here. United Kingdom of ignoring terror We want to do a better job using our Agencies threats in their own communities. platform to elevate the voices and the US Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (centre) participates in a Homeland Security Roundtable “They are absolutely not reporting views and the activities who are liv- with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (left) and Salam Al-Marayati, President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, it, and that’s a big problem,” he said ing this every single day,” she said. at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. on ITV’s “Good Morning Britain.” Campaigning in Wisconsin, Cruz NEW YORK: Hillary Clinton offered Cruz said that US law enforce- stood by his call for increased patrols a rebuke of the anti-Muslim rheto- ment officials need to be empowered in Muslim neighbourhoods. ric coming from Donald Trump and “to patrol and secure Muslim neigh- “These are standard law enforce- Ted Cruz as she convened a discus- borhoods before they become ment tools. If you’re focused on gang Cruz blasts tabloid charges of affairs sion on how Muslim Americans are radicalised.” His comments have violence, naturally what you do to combating terrorism in their own drawn rebukes from President deal with gang violence is you direct communities. Barack Obama, New York Police law enforcement resources to com- Reuters his henchmen,” Cruz told reporters in National Enquirer is his and his alone, “We like to say in my campaign Chief William Bratton and, Clinton, munities that are plagued by gang Wisconsin, as the battle for the Repub- and while they were right about O J that love trumps hate,” Clinton said who said “it’s wrong, it’s counterpro- violence,” Cruz said at a factory in the lican presidential nomination reached Simpson, John Edwards, and many at the end of a roundtable discussion ductive, it’s dangerous.” town of Dane. “You work proactively new levels of personal rancor. others, I certainly hope they are not on the campus of the University of Clinton didn’t directly reference and cooperatively with the commu- WASHINGTON: Republican Ted Cruz Trump issued a statement saying right about Lyin’ Ted Cruz.” Southern California, invoking a slo- what either of the leading Republican nity, and you get the gang members yesterday denounced an article in the he was not responsible for the article. The National Enquirer could not gan her campaign first used after presidential candidates have said this off the streets. That is common sense, National Enquirer tabloid claiming he “I have nothing to do with the immediately be reached for comment. Trump proposed barring Muslims week, but she did offer a critique of effective law enforcement.” had extramarital affairs as “garbage, National Enquirer and unlike Lyin’ As they battle to represent the from entering the United States. the media environment that’s helped Meanwhile, a report from complete and utter lies” and accused Ted Cruz I do not surround myself Republican Party in the November At the meeting arranged after them thrive. Washington quoted US presidential his opponent Donald Trump of being with political hacks and henchman 8 presidential election, Cruz said the Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels featur- “We have so much information candidate Ted Cruz saying he is the the source of the story. and then pretend total innocence,” story was evidence that Trump is unfit ing Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti that is just swirling around us in most consistent conservative left in “It’s tabloid smear, and it is a smear Trump said in the statement. to be president. “This man would be an and local counterterrorism and ways that were unimaginable even the Republican race. that has come from Donald Trump and “Ted Cruz’s problem with the embarrassment,” Cruz said. Hillary email row: Many Attempt to unlock iPhone could impact NY case: Apple

Reuters in Justice Department’s appeal of Apple’s assistance.” Apple asked District Judge Margo unaware of techie’s role a ruling that protects Apple from Apple said that could affect the Brodie, who is presiding over the unlocking an iPhone in a drug case. Justice Department’s appeal of a appeal, to delay briefing schedule The letter came after US pros- February 29 ruling by US Magistrate in the case by at least 10 days after Reuters be asked,” Clinton said earlier this NEW YORK: Apple Inc said the US ecutors disclosed that “an outside Judge James Orenstein that he did the Justice Department files a status month. State Department spokesman Justice Department’s new attempts party” had presented a possible way not have authority to order Apple report on April 5. John Kirby declined to say whether to unlock an iPhone used by one of to open the phone in the San Ber- to disable the security of an iPhone Apple in its letter said the Justice this was correct. the San Bernardino shooters without nardino investigation, which they seized during the drug investigation. Department did not oppose the delay. NEW YORK: Soon after Hillary Clin- Before joining the department, the tech giant’s help could eliminate said could eliminate the need for an “On the other hand, if the DOJ The phone in the Brooklyn case ton’s arrival at US State Department Pagliano had worked on Clinton’s the government’s need for its assist- order requiring Apple’s help. claims that the method will not work belonged to Jun Feng, who pleaded in 2009, officials in the information unsuccessful presidential cam- ance in a similar dispute in New York. Apple said if the method being on the iPhone here, Apple will seek to guilty to participation in a metham- technology office were baffled when paign the previous year, and Clinton The company’s position was laid evaluated in the San Bernardino case test that claim, as well as any claims phetamine distribution conspiracy. The told that a young technician would paid him separately to maintain the out in a letter filed in federal court in can also be used in the Brooklyn drug by the government that other meth- Justice Department sought to unlock join them as a political appointee, server, her campaign staff have said. Brooklyn, seeking to delay briefing case, “it would eliminate the need for ods cannot be used,” Apple said. . Feng’s phone to find other conspirators. newly disclosed emails show. Pagliano is cooperating with the The technician, Bryan Pagliano, FBI in exchange for a promise of a was running the off-grid email form of prosecutorial immunity, but server that Clinton had him set up in it remains unclear whether even he Blizzard sweeps her New York home for her work as knew Clinton was using the server Demonstration in Brazil secretary of state. But even as years for her work as the nation’s most passed, Pagliano’s supervisors never senior diplomat. through US learned of his most sensitive task, Clinton spokesman Brian Fal- according to the department and one lon declined to answer questions, Midwest; 2 die of his former colleagues. but said he was glad that Pagliano Pagliano’s immediate supervi- was speaking with the FBI because sors did not know the private server “there was nothing inappropriate in accident even existed until it was revealed in about the IT services he provided.” news reports last year, the colleague The department gave copies of said, requesting anonymity. emails to Senate’s Republican-led Reuters Clinton’s decision to side-step the Judiciary Committee, which is inves- official state.gov email system has tigating the email arrangement, and since shrouded her campaign for the they are cited in a five-page letter presidency this year in controversy that committee chairman, Sena- CHICAGO: The blizzard that and legal uncertainty. The Federal tor Chuck Grassley, sent last week blasted Colorado and shut down Bureau of Investigation is conducting to Kennedy. Denver’s airport swept through the inquiry into the arrangement, which Kennedy shared Pagliano’s US Midwest, leading to at least two saw classified information passing résumé in 2009 with Susan Swart, weather-related traffic deaths and through her unsecured clintonemail. the then head of the department’s dumping up to 30 cm of snow in com account. Bureau of Information Resource Wisconsin, officials said. The newly disclosed emails show Management and chief adviser to the A woman and her 15-year-old Patrick Kennedy, the department’s secretary on the department’s infor- sister died when their van crossed under secretary for management, mation technology systems, and her over the median of a slippery high- oversaw the hiring of Pagliano. But deputy, Charlie Wisecarver. way in the city of Hartford and Clinton and the department con- “How did the conversation go crashed into an oncoming semi- tinued to decline this week to say and have you reached an arrange- truck, the Washington County who, if anyone, in the government ment?” he asked them, referring to Members of the Landless Workers Movement take part in a demonstration in Sao Paulo, Brazil to Sheriff’s Office said. The truck was aware of the email arrangement. Pagliano, in another email, accord- defend a programme of reforms, demilitarisation of police and democracy. driver, a 61-year-old from Ontario, “There was no permission to ing to the letter. Canada, was not injured. National Weather Service meteorologist Bob McMahon in Milwaukee said sleet was falling in Washington County before it Argentine cleaner’s double life as prize-winning writer received as many as two inches of snow. McMahon said northern and central Wisconsin bore the brunt of the storm, pummeled by a band AFP good enough,” he said. labourers who write, paint or play published in France, Mexico and Italy. that dropped up 30 cm of snow. A representative for cleaning and music,” says Ferrari, an easygoing Previously he won a prize in Cuba Wisconsin Governor Scott other unskilled staff in the subway man who himself laughs about his for Lo Que No Fue (What Was Not), a Walker had declared a state of workers’ union, he is seen as a curios- disparate vocations. “It is a peculi- political thriller set in Barcelona dur- emergency in response to severe BUENOS AIRES: When the Buenos ity: a decorated writer who has never arity of capitalists and the bourgeoisie ing the Spanish civil war. winter weather and blizzard Aires subway closes at night, Enrique been to university. to think that we workers have no cul- In the subway, he clears up com- conditions. Ferrari (pictured) goes underground The author—and his gritty, suc- ture,” adds the novelist. muters’ rubbish in an environment Snow is predicted again for to mop the platforms—and to polish cinct prose — has caught the media’s Ferrari, known as Kike, has pub- that reflects the dark settings of his parts of Colorado today, but con- his next thriller. eye, appearing on television, radio lished five novels and two collections crime fiction. ditions will not be as severe as they The Argentine station cleaner, and in news reports where he has of short stories. “I work in an abandoned city. In were on Wednesday, when areas 44, with bags under his eyes, is also been dubbed the “subway writer”. His murder mystery Que de lejos a universe which is always overpop- of the state saw up to more than a prize-winning crime novelist. But he is fed up with the sobriquet. parecen moscas (They Look Like Flies ulated, I come along after the party.” two feet of snow and the Denver He has been published in sev- “I understand that people find From A Distance) won a prize at the In the brief breaks during his International Airport shut down, eral countries, but it is the nighttime table for his three children. it surprising, but I am not a strange prestigious Gijon crime writing fes- cleaning shift, he switches on an old National Weather Service fore- cleaning job which puts food on the “Live off writing? The money isn’t creature. There are lots of we tival in Spain in 2012. That got him laptop and polishes his manuscripts. caster Andrew Orrison said. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 13 PAGE | 14 QE 10,285.50 -166.78 PTS France trims DOW 17,515.73 + 13.14 PTS Japan inflation public sector FTSE100 6,106.48 -92.63 PTS unchanged at defecit zero in February BRENT $40.44 -$0.03

SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 • 17 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Low oil prices could be an impetus for GCC reforms: Expert

The Peninsula provoked by low oil prices. In an announcements such as subsidy cuts structural reform. So far, the cham- environment where western mon- and taxation. As a result, inflation has pions have been China, the Eurozone According to Dr etary and fiscal policies are largely risen and will rise further when VAT and Japan, in that order. However, Marie Owens, many exhausted and structural reform is is introduced. there is now a worrying global trend DOHA: Low oil prices could be an GCC countries difficult to enact, low oil prices are At this stage, it is important to that seems to suggest a slowdown impetus for change and reforms the one pro-growth factor that has note that GDP growth is still posi- in the pace of reform. In an ideal across the hydrocarbon-based econ- have already generally supported the positive job tive, and inflation is under control. world, the GCC could potentially fill omies of the GCC region. As there is reacted to low oil creation, higher real income, and However, there is arguably a time that void when it comes to structural immense pressure on state revenues low inflation environment which limit to this – the longer the oil price reform”, she said. due to lower oil prices, this is clearly prices with policy the world’s major economies are stays at extremely low levels, the more Increasingly amongst GCC policy- a time to push for change in the GCC announcements such experiencing. precarious the situation for the econ- makers, there is a call for innovation, countries, an expert from Indosuez With around 3 percent global omies in the region. workforce transformation, technical Wealth Management said. as subsidy cuts and GDP growth which is close to the “Structural reform is a key selec- education, deregulation, divestment, Lower oil revenues have changed taxation. 30-year average of 3.5 percent, this tion criterion for asset allocation. taxation, subsidy cuts, reduced the fiscal landscape in the region, and foreign direct investment than most is clearly not a recessionary envi- Of all the many macro-economic spending, inward investment, mar- highlighted yet again the perils of countries. Foreign direct investment ronment. It is, however, a context variables one can use for choos- ket friendly laws, and private sector over-dependence on one export com- Marie Owens Thomsen (pictured), tends to bring with it innovation and that favours oil importers, and hurts ing where to invest, we believe that growth. Most GCC economies need modity. There is a greater urgency for Chief Economist, Indosuez Wealth productivity gains that tend to lift eco- oil exporters. structural reform is one of the most to shift from the traditional oil rev- regional economies to embark upon Management. nomic growth in a sustainable way,” According to Dr Marie Owens, important. Investors around the enue reliant, government sector led wider diversification and potentially GCC countries need to make she said. many GCC countries have already globe would do well to seek expo- economy model to a private sector- lift the non-oil growth rate, said Dr themselves even more attractive to Global recession has never been reacted to low oil prices with policy sure to the countries that undertake led diversified economic model.

Taqa in talks New LG smartphone EU mulls easing with banks to bank-failure rules refinance $1bn DUBAI: Abu Dhabi National Energy Co, the government-owned Bloomberg Koenig’s Single Resolution utility that produces crude and Board is watching the policy debate natural gas from Canada to the UK, closely, and she’s not alone. While is studying proposals from banks the euro area currently has eight to refinance $1bn of debt maturing BRUSSELS: The European Union banks on the FSB’s top-30 list, in October, according to two peo- is considering easing bank-failure two other EU nations, the U.K. and ple familiar with matter. rules introduced to end the era of Sweden, count five more between The company, known as Taqa, expensive taxpayer-funded bailouts. them, including HSBC. will decide in about a month A discussion paper prepared by The FSB requires banks to issue whether to tap the loan or bond the European Commission, the EU’s ordinary shares, subordinated debt markets, the people said asking not executive arm, envisions setting EU and other potentially loss-absorbing to be identified because the infor- loss-absorbency requirements for its securities equivalent to 18 percent of mation is private. A spokesman for biggest banks, led by HSBC Holdings risk-weighted assets by 2022. A 6.75 Taqa had no immediate comment. Plc and Deutsche Bank AG, in line percent leverage ratio requirement The Abu Dhabi-based com- with those issued in November by will also apply. pany has slashed 22 percent of its the Financial Stability Board for the Koenig has consistently spoken oil and gas jobs last year after the world’s 30 most systemically impor- of a loss-absorbing baseline for top plunge in oil prices. It also hired tant lenders. banks of 8 percent of total assets; investment and advisory firm The paper, dated this month and in December, she said this equated Blackstone Group LP to review seen by Bloomberg, “explores pos- roughly to 24 percent on a risk- options for its debt obligations, sible options” for implementing the weighted basis. two people with knowledge of the A model with LG Electronics’ new smartphone G5 and its removable battery during its launch event FSB rule in the EU and isn’t binding This 8 percent figure cor- matter said in June. The company on the Brussels-based commission. responds to the amount of total reported two consecutive annual in Taipei, Taiwan, on Thursday. Yet Elke Koenig, head of the euro liabilities, including own funds, losses in 2013 and 2014. area’s bank resolution authority, has that must be wiped out under EU repeatedly said that the currency law before a bank in resolution can bloc would exceed global stand- tap into rescue funds built up from ards to ensure its biggest banks can levies on the industry. be restructured and recapitalized The commission’s discussion New Airbus cabin brand adds more seats to planes without threatening financial sta- paper states that European firms bility. “On nine out of 10 occasions,” on the FSB list would be held to the requirements in the banking union greater of the two standards — based would be stiffer than the FSB’s rules on risk-weighted assets or a leverage Reuters what cabin layout they want but with on the same amount of space but Boeing has a cabin brand called on total loss-absorbing capacity, or ratio exposure measure — as laid out the new designs an A330neo will on because of the cleverness and the way Sky Interiors and recently unveiled TLAC, she said in December. by the Basel-based global regulator. average gain 10 seats compared with we have designed it we don’t have to projections of light and images on As the EU prepares to implement In addition to the potentially the existing A330 model, which can compromise on comfort,” Airbus’s ceilings and walls. global banking standards including lower minimum loss-absorbing LONDON: European plane maker take up to 300 passengers. executive vice president of strategy Airbus said its new brand would TLAC, the leverage ratio and the net requirement for big lenders, the Airbus unveiled a new cabin brand Airbus and rival Boeing are vying and marketing Kiran Rao said. include a quieter cabin and new stable funding ratio, it’s struggling paper sets out a series of conditions designed to help cost-conscious to add more seats to make their jets The same set of options will later ambient lighting options as it tries to to boost lending and kick-start the to be met before bank-specific add- airlines carry more passengers on more economically attractive for be available on the long-haul A350 address the growing importance of economy. ons could be applied. Authorities long-haul flights while avoiding addi- airlines while claiming passengers and A380, adding 12 seats and 50 cabins on social media, where pas- As a result, Jonathan Hill, the would need to consider a “resolv- tional discomfort. will not feel the difference, though seats respectively, Airbus said. sengers post reviews and photos, and EU’s financial-services commis- ability assessment” of the bank and The move reflects the rivalry many consumer groups say cabins Adding seats is one way to reduce make decisions based on them. sioner, has said he’ll take into whether extra requirements are between major plane makers to jazz feel increasingly crowded. operating costs per seat, a key indus- Analysts also said a standard- account the impact these rules could “proportionate and necessary,” it up interiors and give airlines more The trend has produced increas- try barometer, alongside changes to ized palette of cabin options could have on European business. states. flexibility on cabins as the indus- ingly bitter industry branding wars in the structure of the aircraft itself or help to reduce the delays which have “That’s the approach to legis- A high MREL requirement try struggles to capture more traffic recent years, with each of the world’s more efficient engines. plagued the plane cabin industry and lation we will be bringing forward “would need to be substantiated as without angering passengers. two largest plane makers accusing At the same time, plane makers threatened some deliveries as airlines this year to implement the total loss necessary on grounds of potential Airbus said the “Airspace by the other of sacrificing comfort. are increasingly stepping into areas demand more and more customized absorbing capacity requirement,” loss absorption needs,” accord- Airbus” brand would debut on its Airbus said by rearranging galley previously jealously guarded by air- features. Hill said last month, vowing to come ing to the document, meaning the upgraded A330, the A330neo, which and lavatory space, the extra seats lines and specialist cabin suppliers by Fabrice Bregier, president of plane forward by the end of the year with authority would need to show “that is due in service from late 2017, before would be added to the A330neo with offering eye-catching effects, com- making at Airbus has said French “a proposal on how to apply these the bank is likely to incur the extent the new designs are rolled out to other no reduction in seat width and still peting more on cabin experience seat maker Zodiac, which has been rules in a way that makes sense for of losses that justify such a high jets. with eight seats across each row. rather than launching costly new dogged by production delays, would Europe.” calibration”. Airlines will still be able to choose “We are putting more passengers models. not be involved with the A330neo. BUSINESS SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 13

VW to recall 800,000 vehicles Turkey’s central US fourth-quarter GDP bank should have cut rates further: growth revised up Erdogan aide Reuters

consumption of services than pre- undercut the earnings of multi- viously estimated accounted for the national companies. ANKARA: Turkey’s central bank Consumer spending, revision. Profits after tax with inventory should have cut interest rates more which accounts for The fairly solid pace of consumer valuation and capital consumption at this week’s policy meeting, an more than two thirds spending underscores the economy’s adjustments declined at an annual aide to President Tayyip Erdogan underlying strength and should fur- rate of 8.4 percent, the biggest drop said yesterday, in a sign the cen- of US economic ther allay fears of a recession, which since the first quarter of 2014, after tral bank is likely to remain under activity, rose at a 2.4 triggered a massive stock market dropping at a 1.7 percent pace in the pressure to lower the cost of bor- sell-off early this year. third quarter. Profits from current pro- rowing. percent pace. Spending is being supported by duction fell $159.6bn after decreasing The bank kept its benchmark a tightening labour market, which $33bn in the third quarter. For all of rate steady for the 13th straight is steadily lifting wages, and ris- 2015 profits dropped 5.1 percent, the month on Thursday, but cut the ing house prices. Gasoline prices largest decline since 2008, after slip- upper end of its rate corridor for Reuters around $2 per gallon are also helping ping 0.6 percent in 2014. the first time since February 2015. to underpin household discretion- Part of the drop in profits in the Presidential aide Cemil Ertem ary spending. fourth quarter was due to a $20.8bn told broadcaster TRT Haber that A moderately growing econ- transfer payment related to the BP the 25-basis point cut in the over- WASHINGTON: US economic growth omy, combined with a strong jobs oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, night lending rate - the highest of slowed in the fourth quarter, but not market and firming inflation, likely which was the largest-ever US off- the three rates the bank uses to set as sharply as previously estimated, keeps the Federal Reserve on a path shore oil spill. Profits from the rest policy - would not be enough to with fairly strong consumer spend- to gradually raise interest rates this of the world decreased $6.5bn in the have an impact, however. ing offsetting the drag from efforts year. The dollar rose against a bas- final three months of 2015 after slid- “If it had at least cut the upper by businesses to reduce an inventory ket of currencies after the report. The ing $23.1bn in the third quarter. band by 75 basis points it would overhang. US stock and Treasury debt markets Manufacturing profits declined have had a more positive impact,” Gross domestic product increased were closed for Good Friday. $139.2bn during the last quarter Ertem said, adding the bank’s at a 1.4 percent annual rate instead Inventory investment was revised after decreasing by $4.1bn in the move will constrain growth. of the previously reported 1.0 percent lower in the fourth quarter. Still, July-September period. Profits in the The central bank controls the pace, the Commerce Department said inventories remain high relative to petroleum and coal products sector corridor between its lending and on Friday in its third GDP estimate. domestic demand. Businesses accu- tumbled $124.3bn after rising $7bn borrowing rates by adjusting the GDP growth was initially esti- mulated $78.3bn worth of inventory in the third quarter. volumes of money available at each mated to have risen at only a 0.7 rather than the $81.7bn reported last The dollar gained 10.5 percent rate. As a result, a reduction in the percent rate. The economy grew at month. As a result, inventories sub- last year versus the currencies of upper band does not necessarily a rate of 2.0 percent in the third quar- tracted 0.22 percentage point from the United States’ main trading part- mean a change in borrowing costs. ter and expanded 2.4 percent for all GDP growth instead of the previously ners, putting a squeeze on the profits Instead, some analysts saw the of 2015. reported 0.14 percentage point. of multinationals such as Procter & move as a sop to Erdogan at Gov- Economists polled by Reuters had First-quarter GDP growth esti- Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. ernor Erdem Basci’s last meeting expected that fourth-quarter GDP mates are around a 1.5 percent rate. A more than 60 percent plunge before his term ends next month. A file picture of Porsche Cayenne models parked in a lot at growth would be unrevised at a 1.0 But with the inventory pile still large in crude oil prices from highs above Erdogan has repeatedly called for percent rate. The upward revision and shipments of capital goods $100 a barrel in June 2014 has also the Porsche plant in Leipzig, eastern Germany, waiting to be lower rates and has said high inter- reflected a stronger pace of consumer ordered by businesses weak in Janu- hurt the profits of oilfield serv- dispatched to clients around the world. German carmaker est rates lead to high inflation. spending than previously estimated. ary and February, the risks to growth ice firms like Schlumberger and Volkswagen said it was recalling around 800,000 vehicles “There is very little economic Consumer spending, which are tilted to the downside. Halliburton But with the dollar’s worldwide over a potential footpedal problem. The group said justification for lowering interest accounts for more than two thirds There was some bad news in the appreciation slowing since the start the recall affected 391,000 vehicles of its Toureg model and rates,” William Jackson of Capital of US economic activity, rose at a 2.4 GDP report, with corporate profits of the year and the oil price slide ebb- more than 400,000 of its Porsche Cayenne model built between Economics said in a note follow- percent pace and not the 2.0 per- falling for a second straight quar- ing, corporate profits are poised to 2011 and this year. ing the decision. “The damage this cent rate reported last month. More ter as a strong dollar and cheap oil rise, helping to underpin job growth. does to the Bank’s credibility is all the more worrying in light of con- cerns that a government loyalist will be appointed to take over at the helm of the Bank once Gover- World Bank plans to lend Tunisia $5bn over five years nor Basci’s term ends next month.” Basci’s future is uncertain, with markets waiting to see whether he is reappointed for another five-year Reuters “The bank has developed a strat- militants who targeted the country’s stages of talks over a $2.8bn credit stations in the worst violent protests term after April 19. In a presenta- egy for five years and plans to lend tourism industry, which accounts for over four years to help to support since 2011. Tunisia also plans to issue a tion to economists published on its Tunisia $1bn per year,” Eileen Mur- 7 percent of gross domestic product. the country’s economic reform pro- Euro-denominated bond in the second website on Friday, the bank said it ray, Tunisia country manager for the Gunmen killed foreign visitors at a gramme, an IMF delegation said this half of April and will begin the proc- had decided to take a “measured” TUNIS: The World Bank plans to World Bank, said. “We have confi- museum in Tunis and a beach resort month. The World Bank manger in ess, including sounding out potential step towards policy simplification, lend Tunisia $5bn over five years to dence in Tunisia’s transition and will in Sousse, forcing tour companies Tunisia said the bank will support demand, at the end of this month. given the easing in global volatility support democratic transition in the continue to support its economy and to suspend some operations in the reforms to create an environment Murray said that economic and the lessening need for a wide North Africa country and revive its to finance infrastructure projects and country. conducive to stimulating investment reforms are heading in the right interest rate corridor. economy, Tunisia country manager financial and education sectors.” Economic growth in Tunisia was and job creation. It also plans to inten- direction but will take more time. That was a sign that there may for the World Bank said yesterday. The country’s economy has fal- 0.8 percent last year and officials sify efforts to support development in She urged Tunisia to continue be more cuts to come, said Ugur The North African country is tered since the 2011 revolt against expect 2.5 percent this year, but disadvantaged areas. reforms in the financial sector and Kucuk, principal economist at struggling with lower tourism reve- autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, unemployment stands at 15.1 percent Last January violent protests in transparency to attract foreign Garanti Bank. “The message we nue after Islamist militant attacks last which sparked the Arab Spring rev- and is far higher among young peo- erupted in the impoverished central investment and boost employment. got from the central bank presen- year, protests over unemployment and olutions across North Africa and the ple in a country where more than half city of Kasserine to demand jobs. The The World Bank chief will visit Tuni- tation meeting today is they will slow progress on economic reforms Middle East. the population is under 29. unrest quickly spread to other towns sia next week to show support and continue to cut the upper band of that have lagged political advances Its problems have been exacer- The International Monetary Fund in the north and south of the coun- discuss with Tunisian leaders their the interest rate corridor if global made since its 2011 uprising. bated by last year’s attacks by Islamist and Tunisia are in the advanced try with protesters storming police reforms, Murray said. conditions let them do so,” he said.

LINE mobile France trims public sector deficit

AFP target of 3.8 percent for the year. France’s gross public debt how- “It’s our budgetary rigour which ever grew slightly in 2015, to 95.7 has allowed us to attain these good percent of GDP amounting to more results,” Finance Minister Michel than two trillion euros, Insee said. PARIS: France put tighter reins on Sapin (pictured) said in a state- Growth in the eurozone’s second its public sector deficit last year than ment. He said the reduction was “all biggest economy, meanwhile, was expected on the back of slightly bet- the more notable” as the government slightly better in 2015 than origi- ter growth, data showed yesterday, as had faced unforeseen spending such nally thought. the country struggles to meet euro- as on ramping up security and said Insee revised its growth figure zone rules. France would continue reducing the for France up to 1.2 percent from a France’s public deficit fell to 3.5 deficit this year and next while still previously announced 1.1 percent percent of gross domestic prod- financing its priorities. but left its fourth-quarter estimate jump in joblessness in two and a half uct (GDP) last year from 4.0 percent EU rules set the limit on pub- unchanged at 0.3 percent. In 2014, years. President Francois Hollande the previous two years, according lic deficits at three percent of an French growth was 0.2 percent. has made jobs his government’s top to national accounts published by economy’s total annual output. The On Thursday, France reported a priority, and has said he will not seek the statistics agency Insee. That was threshold for total public debt is 60 rise in unemployment of 1.1 percent reelection in 2017 if he fails to bring slightly better than the government’s percent of output. in February, the biggest monthly down the unemployment rate. Cyprus opens new round of gas exploration

AFP industry’s not so favourable condi- Energy Minister George Lak- billion cubic metres (4.54 trillion tions,” said government spokesman kotrypis said on Thursday that the cubic feet) of gas. Israeli firms Delek Nicos Christodoulides. geological landscape of the three blocks and Avner have a 30-percent stake in Nicosia has put blocks 6, 8 and were similar in structure to the Zohr the venture. Noble has handed over NICOSIA: Cyprus launched a third 10 up for grabs close to where Italy’s field. “They have been interpreted to a 35-percent share to Britain’s BG licensing round for offshore oil and ENI made a huge find in Egypt’s off- contain carbonate structures as in the International. gas drilling off the Mediterranean shore “Zohr” field that could hold 30 case of Zhor discovery,” he said. The Block 12 has been declared com- Jun Masuda, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of Japan’s island’s southern coast. trillion cubic feet of gas. The field sits deadline for expressions of interest in mercially viable but an action plan on largest social networking service company LINE Corp, announces “The decision to launch this adjacent to a Cyprus block licensed to the three blocks is July 22. the next steps has yet to be finalised. its new service LINE Mobile during a conference in Urayasu, Chiba licensing round was based on the French energy giant Total. The record US firm Noble Energy made the Italian-South Korean venture Prefecture, east of Tokyo, Japan on Thursday. LINE announced it huge interest by international com- Zhor find last August has raised hopes first find off the southeast coast in ENI-Kogas has so far failed to dis- will start mobile phone service LINE Mobile this summer. panies to carry out explorations that there is more untapped wealth to 2011 in the Aphrodite field (block 12), cover any exploitable gas reserves in offshore Cyprus despite the energy be found off Cyprus. which is estimated to contain 127.4 deep-sea drilling off the island. 14 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 BUSINESS

Vietnam’s GDP Myanmar launches first shares on bourse growth slows in first quarter Commission, said it marked a “great day” for the country, which would AFP YSX started trading now leave the tiny club of nations with just a single without a functioning stock exchange. firm, First Myanmar “We can now proudly and mightily HANOI: Vietnam’s economy proclaim to the world that we are no slowed in the first quarter of 2016, Investment, which is longer a backward nation,” he told an official figures showed yesterday, one of the country’s assembled crowd of business lead- hampered by low oil prices and an ers at the YSX’s restored colonial era ongoing drought that has hit the largest companies building in downtown Yangon. agricultural sector hard. with stakes in Suu Kyi’s incoming government The dip followed last year’s will next week replace a transitional record GDP growth at 6.68 per- financial services, administration of retired generals cent, a boom fuelled by a flurry of real estate, aviation who oversaw five years of political international interest in the com- and economic reforms that pumped munist country. and health industries. life back into the resource-rich coun- The first three months of 2016 try of 51 million people. saw GDP growth drop to 5.46 per- But significant hurdles lie ahead cent, down from 6.12 percent for in a nation that still lacks a credit rat- the same period last year, accord- AFP ing and is grappling with entrenched ing to data released by the General corruption and widespread poverty. Statistics Office. YSX started trading with just a “Cold spells in the north, single firm, First Myanmar Invest- drought... had a major impact on YANGON: Myanmar launched its first ment, which is one of the country’s domestic production, especially stock exchange with just one listed largest companies with stakes in agriculture, industry and exports company yesterday in the hopes of financial services, real estate, avia- during the period,” GSO director boosting the country’s economy as it tion and health industries. Nguyen Bich Lam told the official emerges from decades of isolationist With its sister firm Yoma Strategic VietnamPlus news website. military rule. Holdings listed in Singapore, and with Lower global oil prices have A man takes a photograph of an electronic board showing the FMI (First Myanmar Investment) index at The Southeast Asian nation is in around 6,800 shareholders through also weighed on growth, affecting the midst of a dramatic transition an in-house system, FMI already Yangon Stock Exchange, in Myanmar, yesterday. the country’s income from crude from a graft-soaked backwater to a has experience of stock trading and production, independent econo- vibrant emerging economy, with Aung open investor relations, a rarity in companies,” said Myanmar tycoon divided between Japanese partners But with little practical experience mist Le Dang Doanh said. San Suu Kyi’s party days away from Myanmar. According to the YSX offi- Serge Pun, who runs FMI, at the open- the Japan Exchange Group and Daiwa of shareholding, dozens of people “The price of the global crude forming a civilian government. cial website shares closed yesterday ing ceremony. Institute of Research. The bourse is every week have flocked to classes oil, a lengthy holiday for Lunar The Yangon Stock Exchange offi- up 19.2 percent at a value of 31,000 Several other firms have been currently open only to domestic run by YSX to learn about the risks New Year (in February) and a slide cially opened for trading, 20 years kyat ($25.6), with a trading volume of granted provisional approval to list, investors and firms, although there and rewards of trading. in the price of agricultural prod- after it had first been conceived, with 112,845 shares. including the Japan-backed Thilawa are plans to allow foreign involvement “I have learned a lot from books ucts” have all affected growth, the clang of a bell and cheers from “We look forward to a buoyant Special Economic Zone, but have yet in the future. because I think that a stock market is he said. Crude oil exports have a business elite who are hungry for economy and we look forward to a to finalise their preparations. Officials hope to attract between good for our country,” said Soe Myint, accounted for around one tenth of investment. robust Yangon Stock Exchange that State-owned Myanma Economic 30 and 50 firms to list in the next five 64, a retired officer from the Ministry state income in the past, accord- Maung Maung Thein, head of will help many companies in Myan- Bank has a controlling 51 percent years. The bourse has been greeted of Energy who had arrived at the YSX ing to Bloomberg News. Inflation Myanmar’s Securities and Exchange mar access capital and build their stake in YSX, with the remainder with enthusiasm by local investors. hoping to buy FMI shares. was also up in the first quarter, by 1.25 percent against that of 2015, according to GSO figures. Earlier this week, the govern- ment said it was aiming for growth Japan inflation unchanged of between 6.5 and seven percent by the end of 2016. “If there are no further efforts on economic at zero in February reforms, the government may not be able to meet the set target,” economist Doanh said. Communist Vietnam is part Agencies of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the world’s largest free trade deal between 12 nations, including the US and Japan, which is grinding TOKYO: Japanese consumer infla- slowly towards ratification. tion stuck at zero in February for But many analysts say Viet- the second straight month, mark- nam’s economic progress remains ing another blow to Prime Minister vulnerable due to high public debt, Shinzo Abe’s struggle to end nagging inefficiencies in the sprawling deflation. state-owned sector and rampant Abe came to power in December corruption. 2012 vowing to reverse the pro- longed and debilitating decline in report was released. “It’s gradually consumer prices that has plagued becoming clearer that Kuroda won’t Egypt fails to Japan’s economy on and off for years. attain the price target as he projects.” Bank of Japan Governor Kobayashi expects consumer secure April Haruhiko Kuroda (pictured) has prices excluding fresh food will drop used unconventional tools, includ- by as much as 0.5 percent in May or LNG shipments ing massive buying of government June, and the bank will probably bonds and, since January, a nega- have to add stimulus in July, he said. Shoes are seen in the window of Arezzo & Co.’s Schutz store on Madison Avenue in New York. tive interest rate, in efforts to boost There is little sign of inflation- MILAN: Egypt’s state-owned EGAS prices and spur the world’s third- ary pressure in Japan. The economy has so far failed to fill a tender largest economy. contracted last quarter, wage growth to buy two liquefied natural gas Arezzo strides deeper into US market But yesterday’s data offered fresh is slow, the yen has strengthened — (LNG) shipments due in April, trade evidence of the challenges faced by driving down import prices — and sources said. the government and BoJ, which says although oil has risen about 10 per- EGAS launched a tender last Bloomberg Brazil that has afflicted even its Los Angeles location on April 19 its forecast 2.0 percent inflation rate cent this year, its price is still about week, open only to some of its once-booming shoemakers. Years with a coterie of fashion bloggers in will not now be reached until next half of what it was at the end of Feb- existing suppliers, for the deliv- of overheated inflation and an over- attendance. The brand is aiming for year. It originally said this would ruary 2015. ery of one cargo in April 1-7, and valued currency meant few Brazilian a niche between Chinese imports happen in 2015. The price gauge Kuroda often another in April 27-28. Traders said SAO PAULO: Shoemaker Arezzo & companies could take on rivals in the that cost less than $100 and Euro- The Internal Affairs Ministry cites also is showing weakness. The the first delivery window was diffi- Co is fighting for a bigger share of world’s largest economy. pean heels running north of $250, announced that core consumer BOJ’s price index, which excludes cult to arrange given the short notice the cutthroat US market, a place But crashing raw material prices Birman said. prices, which exclude volatile fresh energy and fresh food, gained 1.1 period. For the late-April cargo, many other Brazilian manufactur- have plunged Brazil into a deep Schutz’s hip designs have paid food prices, were unchanged in Feb- percent in February for a second EGAS lined up commodity trader ers fear to tread, with a flagship recession and weakened its currency off with high-profile early adopters. ruary from a year ago. month, down from 1.3 percent in Trafigura as the supplier, but the Los Angeles store opening next to record levels, from 1.60 per dollar A photo of reality show star Kylie The data came on the heels of December, according to a central deal ran into difficulties after EGAS month and a planned nationwide in 2011 to 3.60 per dollar this week, Jenner wearing brown Schutz over- the same number in January, and bank report on Friday. tried to bring forward delivery to the rollout in 2017. opening a window of opportunity in the-knee boots has received nearly rises of 0.1 percent in both Decem- Junichi Makino, chief economist middle of April, traders said. With its competitive prices, edgy Birman’s eyes. 1 million likes on Instagram since ber and November. at SMBC Nikko Securities, said worse EGAS is understood to be still styles and fast design cycles, Arez- “In clothing, there’s no way February. Falling energy prices, coupled news was ahead, with prices likely in talks with potential suppliers, zo’s Schutz brand can rival Chinese Brazil can compete with China, “We don’t see a clear leader in with a higher yen driving down the to fall. “Prices of food... and energy they said. Egypt became a major and European imports to the United but we’ve got a shot with shoes,” U.S. footwear retail today, like Nine cost of imports, have continued to were all weak,” Makino wrote in market for LNG shippers after the States, Chief Executive Alexandre Bir- said Birman, who cut his teeth in West used to be,” Birman said, refer- weigh on core consumer prices. a report. “It is difficult to expect launch of two floating import ter- man, 39, said. the American market before taking ring to the shoe company whose “Inflation hasn’t hit bottom yet — sustained price increases in the minals last year as the country Arezzo, which already has a over the family business. “In fashion bonds have tumbled since a 2014 lev- it’s going down further,” Shinichiro immediate future,” he added, stress- looks to plug an energy shortage Schutz store on Madison Avenue, footwear, we’re competitive with eraged buyout by private equity firm Kobayashi, a senior economist at ing the weakness of Japan’s overall that has halted industrial produc- is going against a tide of dwin- China at 3.50 per dollar.” Sycamore Partners. Nine West did not Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Con- economy, which contracted during tion during summer months and dling manufactured exports from Schutz will open a Beverly Drive, respond to a request for comment. sulting in Tokyo, said before the the final three months of last year. caused rolling blackouts. Acer announces reshuffle amid profit fall

AFP Acer revealed in a separate state- largest PC maker — has struggled the company after it sunk into deep ment that it would form a holding as demand tapered and competition losses. His son Maverick Shih was company to manage its new busi- increased from the likes of Apple. appointed Thursday to co-head Acer’s nesses, which it said would help speed Analysts say the hiving off of its new build-your-own-cloud (BYOC) service TAIPEI: Taiwan’s struggling personal up the “overall company transforma- businesses will pave the way for any and smart device division. Still, Fubon computer maker Acer saw its 2015 tion”. “The new structure will address future sale of the company’s divisions. says a turnaround for Acer is not hap- earnings plunge by two-thirds as it the diverse development needs of IT “By establishing an investment pening any time soon as outlook for announced a corporate reshuffle that hardware products versus cloud serv- holding company, Acer will likely its core business of selling hardware separates off its new businesses, includ- ices, smart devices and e-businesses,” sell off or introduce new sharehold- continues to be bleak. ing cloud services and smart devices. Acer said. ers to any subsidiary company under “None of this affects our nega- Full-year net profit came in at It did not give any detail as to the holding structure,” Fubon analysts tive view on the company’s future, Tw$603.7m ($18.5m), down 66 per- whether the reshuffle would mean said. Analysts also say the reshuffle given the end of the PC and slowing cent from a year earlier, while revenue job losses and the company was not may be part of a succession plan by smartphone growth, and the lack of fell 20 percent to Tw$263.78bn, the immediately contactable yesterday. founder Stan Shih, who returned from any significant server business for company said. Acer — once the world’s second retirement for a short stint to salvage Acer,” it said. BUSINESS VIEWS SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 15

Pressure on Brazil’s Rousseff may rise as Oil price war threatens US jobless lose benefits sense of energy security

By Silvio Cascione mid-April on whether to send her Reuters for trial in the Senate. If approved, Rousseff could face trial in the Senate as soon as May and would be suspended from ORE than 2 million Bra- office while the case is being heard. zilians are set to lose Like many who are unemployed, unemployment benefits Fabio Lorusso’s patience is wear- by June, data obtained ing thin. The 30-year-old public Mby Reuters show, threatening to relations professional was fired erode support for embattled Pres- in July and has lived with his par- ident Dilma Rousseff among her ents since his benefits ran out in core working class supporters when December. He blames the Petro- she needs them most. bras scandal, in which prosecutors The expiration of benefits have uncovered billions of reais in could fuel frustration and feed a political kickbacks to ruling party growing wave of protests against politicians, for deterring investment. Brazil’s left-leaning government “It is the greed of our politicians just as some wavering Congress- — the people who are robbing us — men throw their weight behind that is tainting our image abroad impeachment proceedings against and giving us fewer opportuni- Rousseff that began last week. ties,” he said. In a nation of more More than 1 million Brazilians than 200 million, an estimated 9 have participated in street demon- million are unemployed. Nearly strations this month. Among the 2.5 million Brazilians are living on reasons for discontent is a corrup- unemployment insurance, which tion scandal at state oil company lasts five months. By comparison, Petrobras that has curbed invest- an average of 3 million people were By John Kemp and a wave of technical innovation and consumption and has favourable banking, ment in Latin America’s largest living on benefits in 2014, accord- Reuters entrepreneurship. legal and physical infrastructure. economy amid recession. ing to Reuters calculations based The shale revolution had almost nothing Imports will almost certainly increase Economists expect the down- on Labour Ministry data. to do with the political class, though politi- further over the remainder of the year as turn, the worst in a generation, to But the current wave of job cians have been quick to claim the credit for refineries ramp up production to meet linger through the rest of the year, losses is expected to take years HE political economy of oil prices an American success story. But just as ris- record petrol consumption and US crude driving the unemployment rate to reverse, in part because, unlike in the United States is complicated. ing prices and production banished concerns output continues to decline. to more than 10 percent from the in previous downturns, compa- The United States is the world’s about import dependence, so falling prices US crude production is forecast to current 9 percent. The number of nies have taken on more debt largest oil consumer and one of and output could reawaken them if pushed drop from 9.4 million barrels per day in jobless people losing unemploy- that will make it more difficult to its biggest importers. But it is also too far (“Market madness: a century of oil 2015 to 8.7m b/d in 2016 and 8.2m b/d ment benefits may become a more return to growth. According to a a substantial producer with large panics, crises and crashes”, Clayton, 2015). in 2017 (“Short-Term Energy Outlook”, important source of discontent. Reuters poll, economists say they Toil and gas resources. And its oil is medium- US crude oil imports are rising for the first EIA, Mar 2016). Meanwhile US consump- Data provided by the Labor believe that the nation’s economy cost, more expensive to produce than the time for more than five years, a sign that Saudi tion of refined products is predicted to Ministry showed an average of will not return to its pre-crisis size large fields in the Middle East but cheaper Arabia is winning its war for market share increase by almost 100,000 b/d in 2016 492,000 benefits a month run- and employment level until 2019. than frontier areas like the Arctic. against shale producers. In the week ending and another 160,000 b/d in 2017. The ning out between February and Long lines of jobless people US politicians tend to be happiest with March 18, the United States imported nearly 8.4 growing gap between domestic oil pro- June, stripping many families of — applying for work or for unem- mid-priced oil: Not too expensive to upset million barrels per day of crude oil, according duction and product consumption can a crucial source of income. ployment insurance — have motorists but not too cheap to threaten the to the US Energy Information Administration. only be covered by additional imports The severity of the downturn formed in cities across Brazil in survival of domestic production and increase Weekly crude oil imports were the highest since of crude or refined products. means the jobless are struggling recent months. In Rio de Janeiro, dependence on imports. In the last century, July 2013 (“Weekly Petroleum Status Report”, Recapturing market share from shale for months without finding work. Globo TV found people illegally the country has swung between confidence EIA, March 23). Faster imports were driven by and other higher-cost producers has been a About a third of unemployed Bra- selling their place in queues. in its self-sufficiency and a surge in oil deliveries from Saudi Arabia, Ven- key objective for Saudi Arabia and Opec. But zilians have been without a job for More than 1.5 million jobs energy independence ezuela and Nigeria which cleared US customs there could be a political cost if the market more than six months - the high- already have been lost since the to extreme insecurity over the seven day period. share strategy is pushed too far, in the form est rate in 10 years, according to downturn began in early 2014, about its dependence Reported imports are subject to consid- of a backlash from the United States. official data. and companies continue to dis- on imported oil (“Oil erable week to week variability depending The rise in US domestic oil production “There is a vicious cycle in miss a net 100,000 workers a scarcity ideology in US on the timing of tanker arrivals and customs and reduction in imports has been hailed which political paralysis feeds month. Labour minister Miguel national security pol- clearance, so it is important not to place too by policymakers from both major parties as the economic downturn that rein- Rossetto told Reuters in an inter- icy”, Stern, 2012). much emphasis on one week’s figures. But an important achievement. Even if the con- forces the political crisis,” said view that the government is “very In recent years, the there is no mistaking the trend. Crude petro- cept of “energy independence” is an illusion Rafael Cortez, analyst at consul- worried” and expects a few more debate has been char- leum imports have been trending higher since in an interconnected oil market and global tancy firm Tendencias. months of job losses before a US crude oil imports acterised by optimism, the middle of 2015. economy, rising domestic production has Impeachment proceedings recovery in the second semester. are rising for the first even complacency, Daily crude imports averaged 7.9 million contributed to an improved sense of energy against Rousseff in Congress’ Already struggling to cope with about rising US domes- barrels per day over the last 13 weeks, up from security. But if the price war continues to lower house focus on allegations a fiscal deficit that topped 10 per- time for more than tic production and falling 7.1 million bpd in the 13 weeks ending July 3, harm domestic oil producers, it is likely to she manipulated government cent of gross domestic product five years, a sign that reliance on imports, but 2015. Imports are rising thanks to a combina- trigger a political response at some point. budget accounts - making them (GDP) last year, the government Saudi Arabia is winning that could easily change, tion of strong demand from U.S. oil refineries In 2012, the oil and gas industry tried look better than they were - to has no way to extend the benefits, as it has in the past. and falling domestic oil production from shale and failed to make domestic energy pro- benefit her reelection in 2014. The which vary between 880 reais and its war for market The shale revolution formations (“West African crude regains glow duction and energy security an election lower house is expected to vote by 1,542 reais ($245-$430) per month. share against shale transformed Ameri- in west as shale fades”, Reuters, March 17). issue, and it may not be salient this year. But ca’s sense of its energy Crude is also being imported and put the political climate is unusually febrile in producers. security but it occurred into tank farms. Traders favour storage in 2016 and falling oil production could play thanks to high oil prices the United States because it is a location of net into it in unexpected ways. Corporate China grubbing for cash as liquidity tightens

By Adam Jourdan and Umesh Desai Banks prefer to lend to state-owned even borrow from them, then the only options Businesses are also increasingly resorting Reuters enterprises, rather than the smaller busi- left are microcredit firms and loan sharks.” to selling their unpaid bills to a third party, nesses that provide 80 percent of urban The unmet needs of people like Wang suffering a discount on the face value of the employment and 60 percent of GDP, so rate and Pan are fuelling a boom in alternative debt but getting immediate access to cash. cuts and monetary easing steps from Chi- lending such as online loans brokered on Discounted bills now amount to 46 percent HINESE companies, with ever more na’s central bank are not making life much peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, in a country of the total, up from 20 percent at the end of cash tied up in stocks and unpaid easier for them. where regulators are already fretting about 2013, according to research firm CreditSights bills, are facing their tightest liquid- “The last two years, people often say things the hidden risks in its sprawling shadow - its highest level since monthly data began in ity crunch in a decade, according to a are okay, but then don’t pay up,” said a man- banking industry. 2011. With China’s growth set to slow further CReuters analysis, forcing some into more costly ager at Shandong Wansheng Stainless Steel in P2P loans shot up in the first two months from its 25-year low in 2015, and wary consum- and less secure borrowing to stay afloat. eastern China, who gave his surname as Wang. of the year to hit 243bn yuan ($37bn), versus ers paring back their spending, the cash crunch The analysis of Chinese listed companies “It has a big impact; it means we don’t have 69bn yuan for the same period in 2015. They for businesses can only get worse. that have reported 2015 earnings shows it enough capital and have to find other chan- quadrupled in 2015 to 982bn yuan, accord- GMM Nonstick Coatings, which has a takes them almost 170 days to turn working nels.” The squeeze is particularly acute for small ing to industry data provider Wangdaizhijia. plant in Guangdong province making coat- capital - broadly the net amount tied up in businesses like Gangye Machinery in Suzhou, P2P loans are more costly than bank loans, ings for rice cookers and saucepans, said its stocks and bills payable and receivable - into eastern China, which have less clout with sup- but they are quick, and speed can be critical China sales, which account for 10 to 20 per- cash. For the 141 of the companies that have pliers and lenders alike. to businessmen facing a cashflow crunch. cent of its total, are down 15 percent so far been around for at least a decade, the figure is Pan Zhengqiang, who owns the firm, said “They run a business and don’t need to in 2016. “When consumer (appetite) starts to Peer-to-peer (P2P) loans 130 days, compared with roughly one month his clients are taking two to three months to wait for three months before you are able to dip, stuff isn’t moving off the retailer’s shelf,” shot up in the first two 10 years ago, and both the amount clients owe pay, up from one to two months a year ago, tell them that they are qualified (for a loan) or said CEO Ravin Gandhi. them and the amount they owe suppliers are and his bills are piling up and his staff still not,” said Soul Htite, chief executive of online “As soon as the retailer sees that, they months of the year to at the highest level since at least 2006. need paying. He wants a bank loan, but says lender Dianrong.com, echoing complaints take their foot off the gas pedal for their sup- hit 243bn yuan ($37bn), The figures demonstrate the growing the banks have too many conditions for peo- from small firms who say they struggle to pliers.” That is already having consequences versus 69bn yuan for the strains on Chinese companies as banks, chas- ple like him, and they always find a reason borrow through regular channels. for GMM’s trade debtors; it is now imposing a tened by a doubling in bad loans last year, to turn him down. Dianrong.com now has 2,700 employees, 45-day payment period on domestic buyers, same period in 2015. become increasingly reluctant to lend into “If I can’t get a loan there, then I have to and its loan volumes grew over tenfold last down from 60 days at the end of 2015. “It rip- China’s slowing economy. go to relatives or friends,” said Pan. “If I can’t year against 2014, Htite said. ples all the way down the line,” said Gandhi. 16 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICES

A/C MAINTENANCE & ACCOUNTING SOFTWARES SERVICES CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE FLORIST

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: +974 44375654 E-mail: [email protected] "O
JOJUJBUJWF
PG
4BNB
(SPVQ
8--
5FM
44433199 .PC
55591717 'BY
4444 7709 - &NBJM
[email protected] ADVERTISING OVERSEAS NEWSPAPER BLASTING AND PAINTING

M. PALLONJI QATAR GEM ADVERTISING & PUBLICATIONS (Overseas Newspaper Advertisements) 10
#09

&NBJM
NQBMMPOKJ!RBUBSOFURB 5FM
44606822
'BY
44606977 GSM:55879234 5FM
44442001 - GSM: 55783303 BICYCLES & WATER SPORTS ATTESTATION GLASS COATING SKATE SHACK "M
"JO


4BMXB
3PBE
'PS
%JSFDUJPO
DBMM
5FM
446-92532 APOLLO ENTERPRISES GSM: 552-47885/779-36152 - www.skate-shack.com $SZTUBM
#POE
(MBTT
$PBUJOH
"HBJOTU
5IF
4VOÚT
)BSNGVM
3BZT
)FBU
3FTJTUBODF
4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44426664 BUSINESS SET-UP GSM: 55830870/33599574 &NBJM
[email protected] GENERAL TRADING LEADER MIDDLE EAST W.L.L. SERVICES 'PS
GBTU

SFMJBCMF
#64*/&44
4&561
-0$"-
410/4034
5SBEF
-JDFODFT
+PJOU
7FOUVSFT
1VCMJD
3FMBUJPOT
7JTBT

3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT 5FM
+974 55745147 &NBJM
CJ[RBUBS!ZBIPPDPN

CARPET AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL ORIENTAL CARPET COMPANY ,IBSBCB
4USFFU
#FIJOE
8IJUF
.PTRVF
&YDMVTJWF
)BOENBEF
$BSUQFUT
'VSOJUVSF

$SBGUT
5FM
44367555 'BY
44367999 GSM: 55875920/55860432 4VIBJN
#JO
)BNBE
4U
/FBS
3FE
-PCTUFS 5FM
44479794/44131850 GSM: 55569620 STAR PLUZ W.L.L. CLEANING & PEST CONTROL $PNQMFUF
(FOFSBM
$MFBOJOH
BOE
.BSCMF
1PMJTIJOH "MTP
1FTU
$POUSPM
BOE
(FM
4FSWJDF
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE .VHBMJOB
5FM
44371342 GSM: 55872811 AL SADEQ CLEANING & CONTRACTING 
)ST
$MFBOJOH
.POUIMZ:FBSMZ
$POUSBDUT .PCJMF
33020108/33020107 E-mail: [email protected] IMMIGRATION SERVICES COMPUTER & IT

GET FAST TRACK PERMANENT RESIDENCY OF CANADA UNDER EXPRESS ENTRY, WALK-IN FOR QUEBEC SKILLED WORKER* AND VARIOUS PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS FREE COUNSELLING COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE BECOME A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF ON ALL SEVEN DAYS AUSTRALIA WITH FAST TRACK From 10am to 8:30pm SKILLSELECT CATEGORY: •Good Quality of Life •Free Healthcare •Free Education for at WWICS OFFICE FAMILY COMPUTER CENTRE Kids •Excellent Wage Rates •Low FOR BOOKING CALL "M
3BZZBO
$PNQMFY
3BZZBO
3PBE Unemployment Rate •Vibrant Economy 50314381, 30509694, 70629014 5FM
44435361/44370779 'BY
44449130 PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH DEMAND IN or landline 44850723/725 CANADA & AUSTRALIA: All Engineers, Teachers, Professors & Lecturers, Nurses, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN CANADA, CAR SERVICE CENTRE Healthcare, Information Technology, Sales & USA, UK, AUSTRALIA, NZ, EUROPE & Mktg, Banking, Insurance, Finance & CARIBBEAN ISLANDS Accounts Professionals, Insurance Adjusters, APPLY FOR USA GREEN CARD Technicians, Trades Persons & many more... under US EB-5 Visa Apply CHAUFFEUR SERVICE CENTRE STUDY IN CANADA, USA, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, UK, SINGAPORE & EUROPE* 4FDPOE
UP
OPOF
DPNQSFIFOTJWF
BOE
HFOFSBM
NBJOUFOBODF

Devinder Sandhu & Parvinder Sandhu, WWICS/ Its Staff/ Associates are Members of CAPIC, ICCC,

TFSWJDFT
PG
BMM
LJOET
PG
WFIJDMFT
"MTP
EFBMT
JO
TBMFT
PG
QBSUT
Sr. Directors are members of ICCRC. PHDCCI, CII, FICCI, ICBC, CMA, APIEC, IACC & MARA. *Conditions etc. $BMM
55820652 WWICS has a global presence with Associate Offices in CANADA- Toronto, AUSTRALIA- Sydney, UAE- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, QATAR- Doha, BAHRAIN, KUWAIT, OMAN- Muscat, KENYA- Nairobi & INDIA- 16 Offices. DENTAL CLINIC WWICS QATAR WORLD'S LARGEST RESETTLEMENT GROUP Mezzanine Floor, IBQ Bank Building, Adjacent to HSBC Bank Building, Airport Road, Ummughlina Area, Doha, Qatar, PO Box 200274 Ph: +974 44850723/25 Website : www.wwicsgroup.com

INVEST IN QATAR

HELPLINE GROUP OF COMPANIES 8F
QSPWJEF
"
UP
;
TVQQPSU
GPS
UIF
$PNQBOZ
'PSNBUJPO
$PNNFSDJBM
3FHJTUSBUJPO
130
4FSWJDFT

3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT
$BMM
/PX
77711129/44351974/44919213 - www.helplinegroups.com QUEENS LAND SERVICES Business Set-up and Sponsorship. GULF DENTAL CENTER GROUP %FCU
$PMMFDUJPO
3FBM
&TUBUF
4FSWJDFT
)JMBM
#SBODI
44670701/2 %VIBJM
#SBODI
44217338 .PC
77776917 &NBJM
[email protected] 8BLSB
#SBODI
44771011/22 JOB PORTAL MANILA DENTAL CENTER 0ME
"JSQPSU
#BDLTJEF
PG
-VMV
)ZQFSNBSLFU 5FM
44414461/2

ELECTRONICS

FURNITURE

ASIA TRANSLATION & SERVICES CENTRE CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY W.L.L. -FBEJOH
-FHBM
5SBOTMBUPST

%PDVNFOU
-FHBMJ[BUJPO
4JODF

*OEJBO
$FSUJûDBUF
$PNQMFUF
(FOFSBM
$MFBOJOH
4FSWJDFT
GPS
0ME
BOE
/FX
7JMMBT APOLLO FURNITURE "UUFTUBUJPO
)FBE
0GûDF


"M
)JMBM
#SBODI


4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44582257 .PCJMF
33189899/ 55565328 4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44689522 (3 Lines) #SBODI

.PCJMF
$POUBDUT
4VûZBO

:PPOVT

 E-mail: [email protected] XXXBQPMMPGVSOJUVSFPOMJOFDPN CLASSIFIEDS SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 17

SERVICES FOR RENT

APOLLO REAL ESTATE FLATS JEWELLERY PEST CONTROL %PIBÚT
MFBEJOH
3FBM
&TUBUF
"HFODZ
DBO
PGGFS
ZPV
B
XJEF
TFMFDUJPO
PG
BWBJMBCMF

t

#FESPPN
''

%PIB
+BEFFE
23  QSPQFSUJFT
"QBSUNFOU
UP
DPNQPVOET
BOE
PGûDF
TQBDF
(JWF
VT
ZPVS
SFRVJSFNFOUT
BOE
MFU
VT
ûOE

t

#FESPPN
''

%PIB
+BEFFE
23  CANARA JEWELLERY ZPV
B
QMBDF
UIBU
ûUT
8JUI
PWFS

ZFBST
FYQFSJFODF
JO
%PIB
XF
LOPX
UIF
NBSLFU
t

#FESPPN
''

0ME
"JSQPSU
23  "M
.BOTPVSB
#JO
%JSIBN
4USFFU
Qatar’s first Real Estate Company under British Management
t

#FESPPN
'VMMZ
'VSOJTIFE
XJUI
4XJNNJOH
1PPM


5FM
44422071, 44357283
&NBJM
DBOBSBKFXFMMFSZ!ZBIPPDPN

/FBS
$PSOJDIF
23  Call: Office: 44689522, Maureen 55864352 DBOBSBKFXMMFSZ!HNBJMDPN

XXXDPN
t

#FESPPN
4'

0ME
"JSQPSU
23  Abubakar 55850815, Peter 55506803, Dexter 55872145
t

#FESPPN
6'

/BKNB
#BDIFMPST
23  MASSAGE www.apollopropertiesonline.com
t

#FESPPN
6OGVSOJTIFE

/BKNB
23 
t

#FESPPN
4FNJ'VSOJTIFE

.VOUB[B
23  ANNOUNCEMENTS
t

#3
4'
&VSPQFBO
0OMZ

/BKNB
23 
t

#FESPPN
''

#JO
0NSBO
23 
t

#FESPPN
6OGVSOJTIFE

0ME
"JSQPSU
23 

BUYING A ONE REAL ESTATE
t

#FESPPN
''

%PIB
+BEFFE
23 
t

#FESPPN
''

/BKNB
23  We buy all kinds of used household
t

#FESPPN
6OGVSOJTIFE

)JMBM
23  items. Office Furniture, Electric and
t

#FESPPN
'VMMZ
'VSOJTIFE
XJUI
4XJNNJOH
electronics items.. Fridge, A/Cs,

1PPM

.VHMJOB
23  Freezer, TV & Computers. “NO AGENTS” Call: 55505773 CALL: 66725353, 44410851, 70047475

SERVICES

RESETTLEMENT SERVICES UNIFORMS

POLYCLINIC

FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC "M
8VLBJS
"M
.BTIBBG
5FM
44113556/7/8

KOTTAKKAL AYURVEDIC MASSAGE CENTRE RENT A CAR "ZVSWFEJD
.BTTBHF
1IJMJQQJOF

5IBJ
.BTTBHF /FBS
#BESJZB
4JHOBM
#JO
.FINPPE COUNTRY RENT A CAR - BARWA AL WAKRA 5FM 44360061 (4. 33453697 
.PEFM
,JB
$FSBUP
)POEB
$JUZ
%BJMZ.POUIMZ
3FOUBM

'VMM
*OTVSBODF
$PWFSBHF
'SFF
.BJOUFOBODF

3FQMBDFNFOU

)ST
3PBE
4JEF
"TTJTUBODF
5FM
44154467/44687507 (4.
55048720/ HERBOLIFE MASSAGE (AYURVEDIC) 5544042/66995238 &NBJM
JOGP!DPVOUSZSFOUBDBSDPN

#MEH
/P
4IPQ
/P *OEJBO

5IBJMBOE
3FKVWBOBUJPO
#BDL

+PJOUT
1BJO
1BSBMZTJT
3IFVNBUJD
%JTFBTFT
)PNF
4FSWJDFT
GO RENT A CAR %3JOH
3PBE
/VBJHB
)JMBM
$BMM 77521322/77995695 $PNQFUJUJWF
3BUFT
GPS
$BS
3FOUBM

-FBTJOH
5FM +974 44325500 'BY

44375753
(4.
33697075/ ROYAL THAI MEN SPA 66971703/55241629 &NBJM
JOGPHPRBUBS!HPSFOUBDBSNFDPN "VUIFOUJD
5IBJ
.BTTBHF
5IBJ
5SBEJUJPOBM
.BTTBHF
"SPNBUIFSBQZ
)PU
0JM
4BVOB
AL DAR CAR RENTAL #PEZ
4DSVC
'PPU
.BTTBHF
%Ú
3JOH
3PBE
)JHIXBZ
/FX
4BMBUB
/FBS
"M
"SBCJ

)PVST
#JO
0NSBO
"INFE
#JO
"MJ
4U
10
#PY

44666745 www.thaimassagedoha.com 4UBEJVN5FM 5FM
44877789
(4.
55599972/55732070

'BY
44866637 BMEBSDBSSFOUBM!IPUNBJMDPN MANPOWER SERVICES EUROCAR RENT A CAR CO LLC )FBE
0GûDF
BU
$3JOH
3PBE
5FM
44660677 Airport: 40108888 .PCJMF

66967787/ 55849587 &NBJM
NLUH!FVSPQDBSDPNRB AVIS RENT A CAR .BJO
0GûDF
BU
"M
4IBSJG
5SBEJOH

$POU
$P
#MEH
BU
UIF
KVODUJPO
PG
WRAPPING SERVICES "JSQPSU
4USFFU

4VIBS
4U
3PBE
5FM
44667744 / 40108887 'BY
44657626 &NBJM
BWJT!RBUBSOFURB
8FC
XXXBWJTRBUBSDPN BUDGET RENT A CAR 5IF
#FTU
$BS
3FOUBM
4FSWJDF
JO
2BUBS
)FBE
0GûDF

44310411 "JSQPSU
"SSJWBM

"JSQPSU
%FQBSUVSF
40108880 -55808638 (24 Hrs) NATIONAL CAR RENTAL $BST

8%T

1JDLVQT

#VTFT

$IBVGGFVS
%SJWF
$BMM
5547 8150/5547 8151 &NBJM
JOGP!OBUJPOBMRBUBSDPN CHAUFFEUR RENT A CAR :FBSMZ
BOE
.POUIMZ
XJUI
PS
XJUIPVU
ESJWFS
REAL ESTATE 5FM
44445456
.PCJMF
55820652 &NBJM
JOGP!DIBVGGFVSRBDPN ADAM REAL ESTATE COMPANY REGENCY FLEETS "
3FHFODZ
(SPVQ
$P "M
,VXBSJ
#MHE
UI
'MPPS
"M
4BEE
/FBS
4FCTUBJO
3FTU
4QFDJBM
$PSQPSBUF
MFBTJOH
BOE
3FOUBM
SBUFT
1SJDF
JODMVEFT
$PNQSFIFOTJWF
*OTVSBODF
5FM
44366932
'BY
44366931 .BJOUFOBODF
3FQMBDFNFOU
7FIJDMF
FUD
%SJWFO
CZ
7BMVFT
&NBJM
JOGP!SFHFODZüFFUT (4.
55500789 / 55803731 DPN

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

5FM
44153086 #FWFSMZ
)JMMT

5FM
44122131 .PWFOQJDL
5PXFS

4VJUFT
5FM
44966107/30122300 APOLLO REAL ESTATE 4BMXB
3PBE
(4.

55864352/55506803/ 55872145 E2E FLEETS - The Complete Transportation Solution 5FM
44689522 XXXBQPMMPQSPQFSUJFTPOMJOFDPN
#VT
3FOUBMT
4UBGG

4DIPPM
5SBOTQPSUBUJPO
1JDL
BOE
%SPQ
0GG
4FSWJDFT
FUD &NBJM
BQPMMPQSPQ!RBUBSOFURB 5FM 4460 5291 'BY
4460 2176
.PC
66728034 &NBJM
üFFUT!FFRBUBSDPN
8FC
XXXFFRBUBSDPN AL MUFTAH SERVICES 44634444/44010700 55542067/55823100 NICE RENT A CAR 5FM .PC
4PMVUJPO
GPS
5SBOTQPSU

-FBTJOH
BMM
UZQFT
PG
WFIJDMF

)FBWZ
&RVJNFOU &
.BJM
SFTFSWBUJPOT!SFOUBDBSEPIBDPN

5FM
44413392 (4.
55514223 'BY
44317896 8FCTJUF
niceqatar.com 8FCTJUF
XXXSFOUBDBSEPIBDPN &NBJM
[email protected]/ [email protected] SERVICED OFFICES AL SULAIMAN RENT A CAR .BJO
0GûDF
$
3JOH
3PBE
5FM
44911711 "JSQPSU
#SBODI

.PC

"M
,IPS
#SBODI
 &NBJM
JOGP!BMTVMBJNBODBSDPN
BJSQPSU!BMTVMBJNBODBSDPN

AL MUFTAH RENT A CAR WLL )0
%Ú
3JOH
3E
5


"JSQPSU

(SBOE
)BNBE
"WFOVF

3BT
MOVERS -BGGBO

"M
,IPS

&
.BJM
SFTFSWBUJPOT! SFOUBDBSEPIBDPN

8FCTJUF
XXXSFOUBDBSEPIBDPN E2E GLOBAL LINES (Q) PACKERS & MOVERS WLL OASIS RENT A CAR 8PSMEXJEF
%PPS
5P
%PPS
4FSWJDF
BOE
-PDBM

*OUFSOBUJPOBM
3FMPDBUJPO :06
3&/5
.03&
5)"/
"
$"3
8*5)
0"4*4 5FM 4451 6688 'BY 4468 8631 .PC 6613 7103 5FM
4413 0011 "MMFO 6641 7354 'BY: 4413 0033 WATER TANK CLEANING &NBJM
TIJQQJOH!FFRBUBSDPN
8FC
XXX
FFRBUBSDPN 3FOUBM!0BTJT$BST$PN

0BTJT$BSTDPN

(SFBU
EFBMT
PO
MPOH
UFSN
SFOUBMT METAL REPAIRS RECRUITMENT SERVICES

APOLLO ENTERPRISES SCAFFOLDING #FM[POB
1PMZNFSJDT

5FM
44426664 (4.
55871914/ 55524897 &NBJM
BQPMMP!RBUBSOFURB

JORVJSZ!BQPMMPDIFNJDBMTDPN APOLLO ENTERPRISES SCAFFOLDING DIVISION $POUSBDU)JSF4BMF

4BMXB
3PBE
5FM
44693334 PARTY ITEMS & 'BY
44416274
(4.
55521089/55560246/55536285 BALLOON DECORATION XXXBQPMMPRBUBSOFU

&NBJM
BQPMMPTDBGG!RBUBSOFURB

PARTY KINGDOM MALZAMAT QATAR W.L.L. /FBS
+BJEBI
'MZPWFS
/BTSBMMBI
$FOUSF
5FM
44353501/ 4UFFM

"MVNJOJVN
4DBGGPMEJOH
4BMF
)JSF

$POUSBDUJOH
44366431 - E-mail: [email protected] 5FM
44504266 'BY
44502489 (4.
66715063 www.malzamatqatar.com &NBJM
[email protected], [email protected] AL MUTWASSIT CLEANING & PEST CONTROL PAINTING & GYPSUM WORK ,IBSBCB
TU
#FIJOE
XIJUF
.PTRVF
TRANSLATION SERVICES 'BY
443679 99
(4. 55875920/55860432 AL SADEQ PAINTING WORKS CAPITAL CLEANING COMPANY 1BJOUJOH

(ZQTVN
8PSLT
BMPOH
XJUI
BMM
.BTPOBSZ
8PSLT HELPLINE $MFBOJOH
8BUFS
5BOLT

1FTU
$POUSPM
.PCJMF
33020108/33020107 $3JOH
3PBE
/FBS
(VMG
5JNFT
(4. 55565328/ 33189899 5FM
44582257 E-mail: [email protected] 5FM
44919213 .PC
77711129 www.helplinegroups.com E-mail: [email protected] 18 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 BREAK TIME

EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD

1234 5678 91011 CASA CHEWS CLOT

12 13 14 15 16 OMEN RENEW HERA ME T A EAGL E I M I N 17 18 19 ONTHEDL FRYCOOK 20 21 22 23 DOES I THAVEANN

24 25 26 27 28 I STHEREAG BALM FR I OCHO 29 30 31 32 ERA I GUESSM AOL

33 34 35 36 37 38 AEROSOL MCENROE DAKOTA HA I RDO 39 40 41 42 43 HOWABOUTH 44 45 46 NIKE ANYAS IMDB SK I D YOURS LADY 47 48 49 50 51 FEN CAT 52 53 54 55 56 WAG HANGMAN EYE Yesterday’s answer 57 58 59 60 61 62 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 73 Drunk’s ailment, for 28 Real go-getter short 29 Pooch’s sound Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 70 71 72 74 Prohibitionists 31 Muffler attachment 1 to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every 75 Picnic side dish 32 Modernize, as column and every 3x3 box contains all the 73 74 75 machinery digits 1 to 9. DOWN 35 Until due 1 Help for the 37 1980s-’90s courtroom ACROSS 36 Follower of “roger,” to a flummoxed drama 1 Did some gardening radioer 2 Roman emperor who 38 Dress shirt insert 5 Food product whose name is 39 Like cherries jubilee overthrew Galba 40 Straddled used nowadays mostly in a 41 Big name in appliances 3 Slippery ones 41 Hits sharply nonfood way 42 “Are you joking?” 4 Certain clergywoman 43 Celebratory cry HYPER SUDOKU 9 Pro-___ 44 Intl. treaty subject 5 Phoenix athletes 48 Financial guru Suze 12 One bit 45 Pass an exam with flying 6 Bust supporter 50 Wharton who wrote 14 Not connected colors 7 Capital ESE of Istanbul “Ethan Frome” 15 Danger for a small boat 46 Yuri’s love in “Doctor Zhivago” 8 Ruling family of 51 1964 Summer 17 Puccini title heroine 47 Flimflams Florence Olympics 18 Home that’s never left? 49 Gazed 9 Flagon fillers 52 Epic tale 20 Working as assigned 51 Comfortably warm 10 Socratic ___ 53 Flimflammed 22 Orpheus or Spartacus, by 52 [How horrible!] 11 Backup player 54 Makes cutting remarks birth 55 Our place in the universe 13 Relating to national toward 23 Swinish sound 57 Prefix with -dextrous governments 56 Places pigeons perch 24 Christmas edible 58 Entree 16 Order with a Grand 59 Secured Lodge 27 Ones powerless to move? 62 One of Goya’s Black Paintings 60 Calorie watcher 29 Word with code or road also known as “El Perro” 19 Jessica with an Oscar 61 Climb (up) for “Tootsie” 30 Volcanic peak in the 63 Frank Lloyd Wright 64 “Super” parts of the Cascades masterpiece, with “the” 21 Smidgen psyche 32 1978 Superman portrayer 66 Some bandage materials 24 Desert bloomer 65 Church service 33 Mesmerized 70 In olden times 25 “Step aside, I can help” 67 Eurasia’s ___ Mountains 34 ___ be tied 71 Satellite dish precursors 26 Certain stovetop 68 Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald hazard 72 Companion of Quasimodo 69 Espied

Yesterday’s answer How to play Hyper Sudoku: A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku. BABY BLUES BABY

How to play Kakuro: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can NOVO be of any size. It has rows and columns, and SHOWING AT KAKURO dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action) 3D 10:00am, VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER in a crossword, some of the dark cells will 11:30am, 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00pm & 12:55am 2D 10:30, 11:15, 11:30am, 12:00noon, 1:30, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00, 4:30, 5:15, 5:30, 6:00, 7:30, 8:15, 8:30, TEL: 444933989 / 444517001 contain numbers. Some cells will contain two 9:00, 10:30, 11:15, 11:30 & 11:55pm & 01:00am numbers. Every Secret Thing (2D/Drama) 10:00am, 2:00, 6:00 & 10:00pm However, in a crossword the numbers The Invitation (2D/Horror) 12:00noon, 4:00, 8:00 & 11:55pm reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers The Wave (2D/Action) 11:00am, 3:15, 7:30 & 11:45pm are all you get! They denote the total of the The Witch (2D/Horror) 1:15, 5:30 & 9:45pm digits in the row or column referenced by the Zootropolis (2D/Animation) 10:30am, 12:10, 2:20, 4:30 & 6:40pm number. London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 8:40, 10:40pm & 12:40am Within each Kung Fu Panda 3 (2D/Animation) 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, collection of cells - 9:00 & 11:00pm called a run - any of the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (3D IMAX/Action) numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, 11:00am, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm each number may only be used once. MALL

Yesterday’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) answer 2:30, 5:30, 7:00, 8:15, 9:00 & 11:00pm The Invitation (2D/Horror) 5:00pm Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Every Secret Thing (2D/Drama) 7:00pm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 5:30, 7:00, 8:15, 9:00 & 11:00pm Rocky Handsome(2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 11:30pm ALL IN THE MIND Kung Fu Panda (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 4:00pm Can you find the hidden words? They may Kapoor & Sons (2D/Hindi) 4:30pm be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or Khanet El Yek (2D/Arabic) 9:30pm backwards. Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) 11:15pm

ASIAN TOWN Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) 2:00, 3:30, 4:15, 5:45, 6:45, 8:00, 9:00, 10:15 & 11:15pm Puthiya Niyamam (Malayalam) 1:30, 6:45, 9:00 & 11:30pm Rocky Handsome (Hindi) 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30pm Action Hero Biju (Malayalam) 4:00pm ROYAL PLAZA

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2D/Action) 2:45, 5:30, 7:00, 8:15 & 11:00pm Kung Fu Panda (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 5:15pm Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 3:30pm Khanet El Yek (2D/Arabic) 5:45 & 9:45pm Rocky Handsome(2D/Hindi) 7:30 & 11:30pm Every Secret Thing (2D/Drama) 2:30, 9:45 & 11:30pm The Invitation (2D/Horror) 4:00pm

AL KHOR CARPALS, CLAVICLE, COCCYX, ETHMOID, FEMUR, FIBULA, HUMERUS, ILLIUM, ISCHIUM, MANDIBLE, MAXILLA, METACARPALS, PATELLA, PHALANGES, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Action) PUBIS, RADIUS, RIBS, SACRUM, SCAPULA, SKULL, 11:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, 6:00, 8:00, 9:00, STERNUM, TALUS, ULNA, VERTEBRA. 11:00pm & 12:00midnight Rocky Handsome (Hindi) 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm SPORT SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 19 WADA to investigate claims of NBA: Brooklyn Nets spoil James’ big night

Chinese swimming cover-up AFP NBA RESULTS Indiana 92 New Orleans 84 Brooklyn 104 Cleveland 95 LOS ANGELES: LeBron James NY Knicks 106 Chicago 94 China and Russia in scored 30 points but got little Oklahoma City 113 Utah 91 assistance from his supporting cast LA Clippers 96 Portland 94 swimming spotlight, as the first place Cleveland Cava- Adlington calls for liers slumped to a 104-95 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. getting outscored 24-12 in the fourth. full-on investigation Brook Lopez scored 22 points, The Nets (20-51) took a 10-point and the Nets withstood a strong lead into halftime and led by as performance by James, who was much as 13 in the first half. By the Reuters criticized for comments earlier this end of the third, Cleveland held a week where he said he would take 83-80 and appeared to be heading a pay cut to play with several of his to a strong fourth quarter. NBA friends. But the Cavaliers couldn’t con- James can become a free agent vert on three-pointers. During LONDON: The World Anti-Dop- at the end of this season. Brooklyn’s deciding run, James ing Agency (WADA) is to investigate James went scoreless in the missed a three-pointer, Irving failed allegations that Chinese swimming fourth quarter, and the Cavaliers on three attempts, and J.R. Smith also covered up positive tests ahead of managed just 12 points in the final misfired on three shots from beyond Olympic trials due to be held next 12 minutes. the arc. month, it said on Thursday. “Tonight we took a step back, “We came into this game say- The Times newspaper reported and we can’t afford to do that late ing you can’t overlook this Brooklyn claims by whistleblowers that five in the season like this,” James said. team,” Lue said. “We tried to come positive tests, two believed to have James made his first 10 shots. back and play hard, but it just wasn’t been failed in October and the others He missed two shots upon return- enough. We just have to play hard. at the turn of the year, were sup- ing in the fourth quarter and finished Every time, we have to compete.” pressed “to avoid a storm”. 13-for-16 from the field while adding Lue was also asked about a WADA, which has already said six rebounds and five assists. meeting he had with James after Sat- it will probe earlier claims in the Shane Larkin added 16 points for urday’s 21-point loss in Miami but Participants talk before the start of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Symposium for Anti-Doping newspaper of ‘systematic drug use’ the Nets. Bojan Bogdanovic tallied declined to offer any details. in Russian swimming, expressed Organizations in Lausanne, Switzerland, in this March 24, 2015 file photo. 12 points, while reserves Sean Kil- The New York Knicks completed concern. patrick and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson a back-to-back sweep of the Chicago “These are very serious allega- added 10 apiece as the Nets won for Bulls with a 106-94 win at Madison tions concerning Chinese Swimming that may otherwise go undetected.” “Any new allegations of doping the third time in their past 11 games. Square Garden on Thursday. that warrant further examination,” it China finished second to the WADA TO PROBE ‘SERIOUS in our sport, which are substan- In contrast, the Cavs bench New York defeated the Bulls 115- said in a statement. United States in the swimming medal ALLEGATIONS’ tiated by evidence and which scored just 26 combined points. 107 in Chicago on Wednesday. The “WADA is now fully scrutinis- table at the 2012 London Olympic have not already been addressed, “It’s not about LeBron, it’s about two losses cramp the Bulls’ run for ing the information that The Times Games, and top in the 2014 World will be investigated as a matter the team. We have to play hard for 48 the eighth and final playoff spot in newspaper has passed on to us so Aquatics Championships in Kazan, not? Is something going to come out of utmost urgency,” it added. The minutes, and if we don’t, things like the Eastern Conference. that we can determine exactly what Russia, with the host nation third. afterwards? Russian Swimming Federation this will continue to happen,” said Chicago fell 1 1/2 games behind the appropriate steps are and so that Rebecca Adlington, who won the “Something has to happen,” she said it condemned the taking of Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue. the Detroit Pistons in the race for we can address this matter head on.” 400 and 800 metres freestyle titles added. banned substances and “informa- Kyrie Irving shot six-for-22 and eighth place. Responding to concerns raised by at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said “FINA and the organisers really tion regarding the hiding of positive scored 13 points, while Kevin Love Kevin Durant scored 20 points to whistleblowers in The Times report swimmers at the Rio Games in August have to go into it further and have a doping tests is completely false.” had 11 points on five-of-14 shooting. lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to that they could not contact WADA needed to be confident they were rac- full-on investigation. That’s the only Russian sport was thrown into The Cavaliers shot four-for-21 while a 113-91 victory over the Utah Jazz. because of “state surveillance”, the ing against ‘clean’ opponents. way we are going to be able to say the turmoil last year when a report by organisation said it had been work- “This is a subject that, as a former sport is clean.” WADA exposed endemic cheating ing to enhance its whistleblowing athlete, I know all about,” said the An official reached by telephone and corruption in Russian athletics. process. Briton, now retired from competi- at the Chinese Swimming Associa- Russian track and field athletes LeBron James of the Cleveland “It is our hope that, with an tive swimming. tion’s news office, who would not give have been suspended from interna- Cavaliers shoots against the enhanced process, more individuals “We know what it feels like to his name, said he was unaware of the tional competition and will miss the Brooklyn Nets during their game with high-value information will be step up on your blocks at an Olym- newspaper report. Swimming’s world Olympics if the country cannot get the at the Barclays Center in New willing to come forward, enabling the pic Games and look sideways at the body FINA said on Wednesday that ban overturned, a humiliating blow York City on Thursday. Agency and its partners to actively other swimmers in the next lanes and it had asked the Times to share any to the pride and prestige of a sport- pursue anti-doping rule violations be thinking ‘are you clean? Are you information about Russian swimmers. ing superpower. Britain’s Farah happy with Tallent calls for Russia Rio Olympics preparations Rio ban

AFP AFP

SYDNEY: Australian Olympian Jared Tallent yesterday called for LONDON: Britain’s Mo Farah is con- Russian athletes to be banned from fident preparations for this year’s the Rio Olympics as he looked set Olympic Games in Rio remain on to be retrospectively awarded a course. gold medal on the back of a dop- Farah will run in the World Half ing ban. Marathon Championship in Cardiff Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin today as he continues his build-up to was stripped of the gold after the defence of both the 5,000 metres he was found guilty of doping, and 10,000 metres Olympic titles he clearing the way for Tallent, the won on home soil at London 2012. silver medallist in the 2012 Lon- “Training has gone well, I’m don Olympics’ 50km walk, to be pretty happy how it’s gone,” Farah awarded the medal. said told a press conference in Car- Russian athletes are serving diff yesterday. an indefinite ban imposed by the “Rio is looking good and, as long International Association of Ath- as I can stay injury-free, I should be letics Federations (IAAF) after a good for Rio. bombshell World Anti-Doping Panthers down Bruins “I’m really excited to be compet- Agency (WADA) report in Novem- ing here, it’s part of my journey to Rio. ber uncovered state-sponsored “It was a no-brainer to say yes to doping and widespread corrup- this race because I love the support tion at the heart of Russian track Agencies NHL RESULTS of the home crowd. and field. Florida 4 Boston 1 “Ever since I ran at (London) 2012 “I’m hopeful that Russia are New Jersey 3 Pittsburgh 0 in front of 80,000 people I want to still banned from the Olympics,” run at home. Tallent told reporters in Adelaide NEW YORK: Roberto Luongo Carolina 3 Columbus 2 “It’s going to be a tough race, but yesterday. turned the tables on his nemesis Toronto 6 Anaheim 5 hopefully having the home crowd “There has been talk that their Thursday. Detroit 4 Montreal 3 behind me will make a difference,” ban will be lifted before Rio. I’ll be The veteran goaltender, who Nashville 3 Vancouver 2 he said. incredibly disappointed if they are lived through a nightmare for the Minnesota 6 Calgary 2 Not for the first time in his career, there. Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Farah is set to have contend with “I’m very strongly against Rus- Stanley Cup finals and came in Winnipeg 4 Los Angeles 1 group tactics by a posse of Kenyan sia competing at the Olympics 14-15-1 lifetime against Boston in Philadelphia 4 Colorado 2 runners today, with defending World and I hope that the IAAF and the the regular season, made 34 saves Arizona 3 Dallas 1 Half Marathon champion Geoffrey IOC stand firm,” he added, refer- and backstopped the Florida Pan- Edmonton 6 San Jose 3 Kamworor leading a strong con- ring to the International Olympic thers into first place in the Atlantic tingent on the streets of the Welsh Committee. Division with a 4-1 victory over the capital. Russia scrambling to get its sliding Bruins. one goal in his first two starts, halted “A lot of things will be happening house in order before an IAAF In other match, Devils goalie two streaks: the Penguins’ six-game tomorrow,” said Farah. Council meeting in May which will Scott Wedgewood stopped 39 shots winning streak and captain Sidney “When it’s a longer race and there likely decide whether their athletes to shut out the NHL’s hottest team Crosby’s 12-game scoring run. are more people in the team then you will be allowed to compete at the in only his second career game, The Carolina Hurricanes broke can work better. So it works to their Games in August. Kyle Palmieri scored twice in the out of a two-period malaise with Britain’s Mo Farah pays homage to Jamaica’s Usain Bolt as he crosses advantage -- but I’m a lot more ahead Australia’s national Olympic first period and New Jersey beat the a flurry of goals early in the third, than I was last year,” he said. the line to win 3,000m final event during the IAAF Diamond League committee last year said it would Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 on Thurs- jumping the Columbus Blue Jackets “I always set goals and targets Anniversary Games athletics meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic support the banning of Russian day night. for a 3-2 win on Thursday in Nation- and I want to get a good result. Park Stadium in Stratford, west London, in this July 2015 file photo. athletes from the Summer Games. Wedgewood, who allowed only wide Arena. 20 SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 SPORTS

R evenge for Argentina, Thais close in on World Cup Ecuador leave it late qualification

AFP an offside position, Ecuador grabbed dream a share of the spoils. The late blow left Paraguay coach AFP Ramon Diaz distraught. MONTEVIDEO: Argentina avenged An injury-time goal also proved their Copa America final defeat to decisive in La Paz, where Colombia BANGKOK: Thailand revelled yes- Chile with a 2-1 victory on Thursday snaffled a 3-2 win over Bolivia thanks terday in a draw against Iraq that as Ecuador scrambled a late draw with to Edwin Cardona’s strike in the sec- propelled the War Elephants into Paraguay to preserve their unbeaten ond minute of stoppage time. the final World Cup qualifying stage. start to South America’s 2018 World The Colombians looked to have The dramatic 2-2 draw in Tehran Cup qualifying competition. squandered a straightforward vic- late Thursday handed the Thais the Goals from Angel Di Maria and tory after Bolivia fought back from point needed to top Group F in the defender Gabriel Mercado secured 2-0 down to level at 2-2 at the Esta- second qualifying round for the a vital three points for Argentina in dio Hernando Siles. 2018 World Cup in Russia. Santiago after Chile had taken an 11th- But just when the Bolivians were The joint-qualifier also secured Serena Williams of the USA in action minute lead through Felipe Gutierrez preparing to celebrate a well-earned Thailand’s place in the 2019 Asian against Christina McHale during their at the National Stadium. point, Colombia swept forward. Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Miami Open tennis tournament match Victory was sweet for Argen- Teenage winger Marlos Moreno The tense match saw Thailand played at Key Biscayne in Miami, tina, who were beaten on penalties broke down the left flank and picked seize the lead with five minutes Florida, USA on Thursday. Top seed by Chile at the same venue in the final out Mexico-based midfielder Car- remaining, sending the clutch of Serena beat McHale 6-3 5-7 6-2. of last year’s Copa America, extend- dona, who rifled a low shot into the visiting fans in the Tehran stadium ing the two-time world champions bottom right-hand corner. into a frenzy. title drought. Colombia took the lead after goals Iraq levelled with the final kick More importantly, the win got from Real Madrid star James Rod- of the game in injury time, but it Argentina’s 2018 qualification bid riguez and AC Milan striker Carlos was not enough to unseat the Thais firmly back on the road after a shaky Bacca after 41 minutes. from top spot. start last year which saw them win However Bolivia were thrown a A spokesman for Thailand’s only one of their opening four games. lifeline when Brazilian referee Wilton military government hailed the Serena bounces back Argentina recovered after a rocky Pereira Sampaio harshly adjudged “fun and exciting” game Friday opening spell which culminated with that Jeison Murillo had handballed and passed on congratulations Gutierrez’s header opener after 11 inside the area early in the second half. from junta chief and Prime Min- minutes. Juan Carlos Arce duly stepped up ister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. Yet Argentina got back on level to blast the penalty into the top corner Prayut will “cheer the Thai team terms after 20 minutes Paris Saint- and it got better in the 62nd minute in the next round,” the spokesman at Miami Open Germain star Di Maria exchanged when Alejandro Chumacero lashed added. passes with Ever Banega inside the in the equaliser for 2-2. The president of the Football penalty area and curled home a right- In Lima, Peru needed an injury- Association of Thailand (FAT), ATP AND WTA MIAMI OPEN SCORES footed strike past Chile goalkeeper time equaliser from substitute Raul ex-police chief Somyot Poompan- Serena, TENNIS: MIAMI Claudio Bravo. Ruidiaz to salvage a 2-2 draw with moung, also doled out praise in a OPEN MEN: FIRST ROUND Five minutes later Argentina took Venezuela. Venezuela, rooted to the Facebook message to fans after Radwanska the lead. bottom of the standings with no points the game. John Millman (AUS) bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 6-3, 6-2 came only days after Wil- Di Maria lofted a speculative after four games, looked poised for their The team fought well and didn’t advance as Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-3, 6-1 liams was beaten by Victoria pass into the Chilean penalty area first win after taking a 2-0 lead through buckle under “pressure from the Wickmayer Azarenka in the Indian Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and when Nicolas Otamendi’s knock- Romulo Otero and Mikel Villanueva. home fans,” said Somyot, who was upsets Safarova Wells final in California Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-2, 6-3 down found Messi, the striker held But Peru’s veteran striker Paolo voted into the FAT presidency last last Sunday. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 off the attentions of Chile defender Guerrero pulled a goal back for the month after running on campaign In her only other tour- Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 Mauricio Isla to square for Mercado, hosts and Ruidiaz popped up in the to clear the league of corruption. nament appearance this Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 who volleyed home from close range. fourth minute of time added on to “Thanks to all the footballers Reuters year, Williams lost the Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Brian Baker (USA) 6-4, 6-2 Chile upped the tempo after the grab a draw. and staff for making Thais happy,” Australian Open final to Tatsuma Ito (JPN) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 break and created the better chances, he added. Angelique Kerber in January. Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez causing SOUTH AMERICA 2018 WORLD CUP Thailand’s mens football team In other women’s sec- Denis Kudla (USA) bt Chung Hyeon (KOR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 nervous moments in the Argentina QUALIFYING RESULTS have never made the World Cup. MIAMI: Top seed Serena ond-round Miami matches, Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 7-5, 6-4 defence with a 52nd minute lob that But the team has crept up the FIFA Williams dropped the sec- third seed Agnieszka Rad- Damir Dzumhur (BIH) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 drifted wide. At Santiago rankings in the last few years, from ond set before bouncing wanska advanced with a Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) bt Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 Chile’s Fabian Orellana and Mau- Chile 1 (Gutierrez 11) Argentina 2 133 last year to 118. back to beat compatriot 6-0 6-1 cakewalk over ricio Pinilla both had good chances Thailand are among 12 teams Frederico Delbonis (ARG) bt Elias Ymer (SWE) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 (Di Maria 20, Mercado 25) Christina McHale 6-3 5-7 Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-3, 6-4 in the closing minutes but Argentina in the third qualification round. 6-2 in second-round action Fifth seed Simona Halep held on. At La Paz at the Miami Open in Flor- also moved into the third WOMEN : SECOND ROUND Elsewhere on Thursday, Ecuador ida on Thursday. round by beating Daria scrambled a 2-2 draw with Paraguay in Bolivia 2 (Arce 50-pen, Chumacero 62) Petra Kvitova (CZE x8) bt Irina Falconi (USA) 6-1, 6-4 Germany, England The eight-times win- Kasatkina 6-3 7-5. Quito thanks to a controversial injury- Colombia 3 (Rodriguez 10, Bacca 41, Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x30) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 ner of the event took more The biggest casualty time equaliser from Angel Mena. Cardona 90+2) to throw down than two hours to dispose was 11th-seeded Lucie Safa- Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x19) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 6-3, 6-1 Ecuador, looking to extend their of the world 56 and notch rova of the Czech Republic, Ana Ivanovic (SRB x16) bt Tellana Pereira (BRA) 6-3, 6-0 100 percent record from the opening At Quito her 14th consecutive vic- who fell to Yanina Wick- Madison Brengle (USA) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK x28) 7-5, 6-4 four matches, had looked to be head- Ecuador 2 (Enner Valencia 19, Mena 90+1) Euro 2016 marker tory against an American mayer of Belgium 6-2 6-3. Elina Svitolina (UKR x12) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-0 ing for their first defeat after Paraguay Paraguay 2 (Dario Lezcano 37, 58) opponent. In men’s events, Mar- Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-0, 6-1 recovered from Enner Valencia’s 19th AFP The last countrywoman cos Baghdatis unleashed a Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x11) 6-2, 6-3 minute effort to lead through two goals At Lima to beat her was big sister series of powerful forehand Heather Watson (GBR) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x20) 6-3, 6-0 from Dario Lezcano. Peru 2 (Guerrero 61, Ruidiaz 90+4) Venus in Montreal in 2014. winners to overwhelm Ben- Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x23) bt Vania King (USA) 7-5, 6-2 But when Mena latched onto a Venezuela 2 (Otero 32-pen, Villanueva 58) BERLIN: Germany host England at Playing on what almost jamin Becker 6-3 6-4 in the Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER x21) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 through ball from what looked like Berlin’s imposing Olympic Stadium amounts to her home court, first round. (7/2) today amidst security concerns as Williams was not in top Cypriot Baghdatis com- Julia Goerges (GER) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS x26) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 both teams look to throw down a form, making more than piled 26 winners, twice the Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Daria Gavrilova (AUS x31) 7-5, 6-3 marker for Euro 2016. 40 unforced errors, but she number of his opponent, and Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 The Brussels bomb attacks last finally wore down McHale broke the German’s serve Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x15) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 Tuesday means security personnel in the third set. three times. Simona Halep (ROM x5) bt Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3, 7-5 will be on a high state of alert with “She’s clearly capable The victory sets Bagh- a crowd of around 72,000 expected of playing great tennis. She datis up for a second-round for the high-profile match as two of showed it today,” a relieved clash, and his first career the favourites for June’s European Williams, speaking of her meeting, with Australian beat Croat teen Borna Coric months with a knee injury, championships meet. opponent, told Tennis Nick Kyrgios. 4-6 7-5 7-5. took to the court yesterday. Germany suffered a blow on Channel in an on-court In other first round The world number 76 Federer meets the man Wednesday when Manchester interview. games on Thursday, Denis plays Andy Murray in the sec- who beat him in the 2009 United midfielder Bastian Schwein- “Miami is such a special Istomin of Uzbekistan ond round. Novak Djokovic, U S Open final, Juan Mar- steiger tore the ligament in his right place to me. I live so close posted his first win of the coming off victory at Indian tin del Potro, while top seed knee and faces a race against time to here,” she added. year, and it took him nearly Wells, and Roger Federer, Djokovic faces Briton Kyle to be fit for Euro 2016 finals which The hard-fought victory three hours to do so as he who has missed almost two Edmund. starts on June 10. But Arsenal’s attacking mid- fielder Mesut Ozil is fit after picking up a knock in training. Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew showed his teeth on Tues- Spieth on fire, Day overcomes day by throwing Wolfsburg striker Max Kruse out of the squad for the friendlies against England, and then four days later against Italy, for off- back injury for wins field indiscretions. Both teams will experiment, especially England, who have sev- Reuters at the Masters in two weeks, moved Wednesday to beat Thai Thongchai eral injuries, including captain to 2-0-0 in the 64-man World Golf Jaidee 5&3. and record goal-scorer Wayne Championships event. day it was definitely sore. It’s a Rooney, who is sidelined with a Fellow American Mickelson, how- disc and when it gets inflamed, every- knee injury. AUSTIN: Jordan Spieth and Phil Mick- ever, said he had played poorly and thing just kind of goes into spasm and Goalkeeper Joe Hart, who is elson won their respective matches at been lucky to beat compatriot Dan- I can’t really move,” said Day, winner recovering from a calf injury, has the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas to iel Berger in a bizarre finish to their of the Bay Hill Invitational last Sunday. been included in the squad for the retain perfect records in contrasting match. “I came out today not really know- friendlies against Germany, then fashion, while Jason Day overcame a Five-times major champion Mick- ing if I was going to play or not. Warmed Holland next Tuesday at Wembley. back injury to join them with a vic- elson won 1-up when Berger conceded up very nicely on the range and decided Southampton defender Ryan tory on Thursday. defeat after injuring his wrist when he to give it a shot and came out and felt Bertrand is out after picking up an On a day that also saw third seed struck a rock trying to play his sec- OK, but I was stretching pretty much injury, but Liverpool striker Daniel Rory McIlroy win to improve to 2-0-0, ond shot at the final hole. every hole.” Sturridge and Arsenal midfielder world number one Spieth oozed con- “We both struggled today,” Mick- Northern Irishman McIlroy beat Danny Welbeck both return after fidence with the state of his game at elson said. “Fortunately I’ve got my American Smylie Kaufman 3&1 to long absences. Austin Country Club. instructor here and I’m going to get keep pace. Sturridge missed England’s “Very pleased to get today done a little practice session in and try to Every player contests three entire Euro 2016 qualifying cam- with quickly,” top seed Spieth told Golf get this right.” matches in his group in a round-robin Argentina’s Angel Di Maria and Chile’s Gary Medel vie for the ball paign with hip, knee, foot and Channel after dusting off Frenchman Australian Day also remained per- format, with 16 players advancing to during their Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup South American Qualifiers’ hamstring injuries while Welbeck Victor Dubuisson 5&4. fect when he shrugged off back spasms the knockout phase which was sched- football match, in Santiago on Thursday. Argentina beat Chile 2-1. was out for 10 months with a knee Spieth, who will defend his title that hit him after his tee shot at 15 on uled to start yesterday. problem. SPORT SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 21 Qatar’s Al Attiyah extends lead in Kuwait

overall at the end of the sixth stage in a Tok Sport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo- Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah The 11-time regional lution X. By the end of the leg, that champion looking to advantage was a mere 4.1 seconds. and his French co-driver Kuwait’s Meshari Al Thefiri pro- Matthieu Baumel drive their bag a record sixth win duced the standout local performance Skoda Fabia R5 to take lead in in Kuwait of the day in his Mitsubishi Lancer the Kuwait International Rally Evolution X to hold third overall and yesterday. second in MERC 2, despite a minor incident on the second stage when The Peninsula he damaged the intercooler. “I am very happy to finish the day in the top three,” said Al Thefiri. “The Turkish guy (Timur) is second. JULAI’A, KUWAIT: Qatar’s racing Four seconds between us. I lost time icon Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah may well in the sixth stage and the gap is very be able to hit the cruise control button small. I have the advantage tomorrow, on the final leg of the Kuwait Inter- because I know the stages very well. national Rally, after he surged into a The most important thing is to fin- staggering lead of 6min 23.2sec after ish to celebrate winning the national six timed special stages in the south- championship.” ern Kuwait deserts yesterday. Qatar’s Rashed Al Nuami and 2016 KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL RALLY – POSITIONS AFTER SS7: He and French navigator Matthieu Italian navigator Nicola Arena were Baumel were never troubled during a fourth and third in MERC 2 and Al Salem Al Sabah Motor Racing Club Nuwaiseeb and was located to the 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Skoda Fabia R5 1hr 09min 36.1sec faultless day, where their Skoda Fabia Attiyah’s brother Khalifa Al Attiyah (BMRC) under the chairmanship of east of Kuwait’s highway 40. But it 2. Yigit Timur (TUR)/Ufuk Uluocak (TUR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 15min 59.3sec R5 won every stage to take firm con- and Cypriot navigator Savvas Laos Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al Ahmad failed to change Al Suwaidi’s for- 3. Meshari Al Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 16min 03.4sec trol and push the 11-time regional rounded off the top five in their Sub- Al Sabah and in conjunction with the tunes and another storming time by champion towards a record sixth win aru Impreza. General Authority for Sport. Al Attiyah extended his advantage to 4. Rashed Al Nuami (QAT)/Nicola Arena (ITA) Subaru Impreza 1hr 16min 28.2sec in Kuwait. The Lebanese duo of Rodolphe Al Attiyah headed to the south- 42.7 seconds. 5. Khalifa Al Attiyah (QAT)/Savvas Laos (CYP) Subaru Impreza 1hr 16min 42.6sec “A perfect day for our team, Asmar and experienced co-driver ern extremities of Kuwait to tackle the Timur was in excellent form in 6. Rodolphe Asmar (LEB)/Joseph Matar (LEB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 18min 18.3sec really,” reflected Al Attiyah. “We win Joseph Matar held sixth and Saudi opening 13.95km Nuwaiseeb special, MERC 2 and he snatched the lead from 7. Rakan Al Rashed (SAU)/Jarkko Kalliolepo (FIN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 20min 18.9sec all the stages and I have a big lead rookie Rakan Al Rashed and Finn- located near to the Saudi Arabian bor- Al Thefiri with the quickest time after 8. Edith Weiss (DEU)/Anne Stein (DEU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 30min 08.0sec now. The objectives change now ish navigator Jarkko Kalliolepo were der, with a lead of 3.8 seconds over the Kuwaiti clouted a ditch and lost 9. Saleh Ali (KWT)/Othman Hamdar (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 1hr 30min 38.3sec though. We have to conserve that seventh. Germany’s Edith Weiss and Al-Suwaidi. The Qatari set the target turbo boost. Al Nuami moved up to 10. Elie Chachati (KWT)/Naji Sfeir (LEB) Subaru Impreza 1hr 33min 58.7sec lead and make no mistakes on the the Kuwaiti duo of Saleh Ali and Elie time of 7min 55.4sec and that was suf- third, but the leading six drivers were last day. It is very important for me Chachati rounded off the 10 survivors. ficient to extend his advantage to 20.8 closely matched and this set up the to win in Kuwait and extend my lead Qatar’s Khaled Al Suwaidi and seconds. The writing was already on prospect of a fascinating tussle for the Al Attiyah beat his morning time by 7.1 with his transmission woes before the in the championship.” Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernac- the wall for his rivals. podium. The final stage of the loop seconds, but Al Suwaidi was in seri- last stage. A fierce desert battle raged behind chini were a comfortable second in Al Thefiri led the MERC 2 contin- at Al Zour, close to a major new oil ous trouble and gearbox issues cost Today, teams tackle the remain- the leading drivers in the MERC 2 class their Ford Fiesta R5 until they lost over gent overnight and his Friday morning refinery project in the south, offered the Qatari just under five minutes and ing six desert special stages of the that could well become the highlight five minutes with a broken gearbox stage opener of 8min 32.1sec was an 23.87km. Al Attiyah was fastest again dropped him to eighth. event, commencing with the first of of the regional championship this in stage five and slipped to eighth impressive start. It gave the Kuwaiti and headed towards the midday There were no major dramas for two runs through the 16.61km of the year. overall. Ongoing problems cost them an MERC 2 lead of 21.02 seconds after regroup and service in Julai’a with a Al Attiyah in the stage and the Qatari Bnaider stage. The ceremonial finish Yigit Timur began to up his pace further time before they retired before the opening desert stage. lead of 1min 07.3sec. cruised to the overnight halt with a is scheduled for 16.30hrs outside the as the day progressed and the Turk stage seven. The third 23.87km Al Kheiran A repeat of the three stages was massive lead, but all eyes were on the Safir Hotel and Residences in Fintas, snatched the MERC 2 lead and second The event is organised by the Basil special was slightly further north of on the agenda for the afternoon and MERC 2 fight, as Al Suwaidi retired south of Kuwait City. Australia knockout Pakistan Windies reach semis after thriller

Agencies SCOREBOARD AFP SCOREBOARD AUSTRALIA A Shehzad c Coulter-Nile b Hazlewood 1 U Khawaja b Riaz 21 K Latif b Faulkner 46 SOUTH AFRICA WEST INDIES MOHALI: James Faulkner said Aus- A Finch b Wasim 15 U Akmal b Zampa 32 H Amla (run out) 1 J Charles c du Plessis b Wiese 32 tralia’s quest for the elusive World NAGPUR: The West Indies clinched Q de Kock b Russell 47 C Gayle b Rabada 4 Twenty20 trophy was back on track D Warner b Riaz 9 S Afridi st Nevill b Zampa 14 a spot in the World Twenty20 semi- yesterday after his record-break- S Smith (not out) 61 S Malik (not out) 40 finals with a thrilling three-wicket F du Plessis c Benn b Russell 9 A Fletcher (run out-Rossouw) 11 ing bowling performance knocked G Maxwell c Shehzad b Wasim 30 I Wasim c Coulter-Nile b Faulkner 0 win over South Africa at the Vidar- R Rossouw c Russell b Gayle 0 M Samuels c de Villers b Morris 44 out Pakistan and set up a must-win S Watson (not out) 44 S Ahmed c Khawaja b Faulkner 2 bha Cricket Association Stadium in A B de Villiers b Bravo 10 D Bravo c Wiese b Phangiso 8 showdown against India. Nagpur yesterday.

Extras (LB-8, W-5) 13 W Riaz Khawaja b Faulkner 0 D Miller b Gayle 1 A Russell c Miller b Tahir 4 Faulkner took 5-27 against Sha- Darren Sammy’s side success- D Wiese c Sammy b Bravo 28 D Sammy b Tahir 0

hid Afridi’s team, including four Total (for 4 wkts in 20 overs) 193 M Sami (not out) 4 fully chased down a target of 123 wickets in the final over, to seal a Did not bat: J Faulkner, P Nevill, A Zampa, N Extras (B-1, LB-1, W-1) 3 with just two balls to spare for a C Morris (not out) 16 C Brathwaite (not out) 10 21-run victory after Australian skip- Coulter-Nile, J Hazlewood. Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) 172 third consecutive Group One vic- A Phangiso (run out) 4 D Ramdin (not out) 1 per Steve Smith had earlier made an Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-42, 3-57, 4-119. Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-40, 3-85, 4-110, tory, becoming the second team to Extras (B-4, W-2) 6 Extras (LB-1, W-8) 9 unbeaten 61 in Mohali. Bowling: Amir 4-0-39-0; Sami 4-0-53-0; 5-147, 6-147, 7-164. qualify for the last four after New Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) 122 Total (for 7 wkts in 19.4 overs) 123 It was a clinical performance by Zealand. Riaz 4-0-35-2; Afridi 4-0-27-0; Wasim 4-0-31- Bowling: Hazlewood 4-0-26-1; Coulter-Nile Did not bat: K Rabada, I Tahir Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-34, 3-66, 4-87, Australia who posted 193-4 before It was South Africa’s second 2. 5-100, 6-100, 7-113. restricting Afridi’s men to 172-8 off 4-0-45-0; Faulkner 4-0-27-5; Watson 2-0-27- defeat of the tournament and means Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-13, 3-20, 4-46, 5-47, their 20 overs on a docile track. PAKISTAN 0; Zampa 4-0-32-2; Maxwell 2-0-13-0. England can secure a berth in the 6-97, 7-112, 8-122. Bowling: Rabada 3.4-0-38-1, Morris 4-0- Faulkner is the first Austral- S Khan b Faulkner 30 Result: Australia won by 21 runs. semis at their expense with a win Bowling: Badree 3-0-22-0; Russell 4-0- 33-1, Tahir 4-0-13-2, Wiese 4-0-19-1, Phang- ian to take five wickets in a T20 against Sri Lanka today. 28-2; Gayle 3-0-17-2; Brathwaite 2-0-11-0; iso 4-0-19-1. international. Zampa and Afridi was stumped after Punjab Cricket Association ground. The Windies rode on a gritty 44 Benn 4-0-20-0; Bravo 4-0-20-2. Result: West Indies won by three wickets. The stage for the Australian win he danced down the track to attempt Khawaja, enjoying a purple patch from Marlon Samuels to prevail in was set by an unbeaten 61-run knock an ambitious shot off the same bowler. with the bat, showed his aggressive a tense finish. Charles (32) set up the chase only Hashim Amla was run out for from Smith who shared key stands The Australians were in early intent early as he hit an off-colour They had earlier restricted for the team to lose their way in the one on just the third ball of the with Shane Watson (44 not out) and trouble but Smith, 26, batted sensibly Mohammad Sami (53-0) for two fours South Africa to 122 for eight after middle overs. innings. Captain Faf du Plessis Glenn Maxwell (30) to rescue his to ensure his side did not squander the in the first over of the innings. Sammy opted to field first. Andre Fletcher made 11 while came in and didn’t last long, scor- side from a shaky 57-3. Apart from advantage of batting first. The left-hander then lofted Riaz Imran Tahir grabbed two Chris Gayle smashed a four off his ing nine off seven balls before being Faulkner rookie leg-spinner Adam Smith hit seven boundaries in over the fence for a six but he was out wickets in the 17th over and the Car- first ball but was clean bowled by caught by Sulieman Benn off pace- Zampa chipped in with two wick- his 43-ball knock and completed his one ball later, losing his middle-stump ibbean side ended up going into the Rabada off his second. man Andre Russell. ets. Pakistan lost wickets at regular second half-century in T20 interna- to the fast bowler. final over requiring nine to win. Gayle had earlier claimed two It quickly got worse for the Pro- intervals and were never really in the tionals in the process. Watson, who Riaz then dismissed David Warner Carlos Brathwaite hit a massive wickets as South Africa suffered teas when Gayle, who has barely hunt despite a valiant counter-attack has announced he will quit interna- (nine) with a ball that knocked off the six before precocious fast bowler from lack of partnerships in a cru- turned his arm over in recent years, by Khalid Latif (46). tional cricket after the tournament, stumps in a spectacular fashion. Kagiso Rabada bowled a wide. cial game for their survival in the grabbed the wicket of Rilee Ros- After losing opener Ahmed She- came in lower down the order and Finch (15) was the next to go, fail- Brathwaite then grabbed a quick run tournament. souw. Rossouw’s dismissal, which hzad (one) cheaply in the third over, provided some late fireworks in a ing to read a slow and low ball from before Denesh Ramdin carried the Left-hander Quinton de Kock the dreadlocked Gayle celebrated Sharjeel tried to speed things up 21-ball knock which included three Wasim. Smith and Maxwell then Windies over the line with a single. top-scored for the Proteas with with a little jig, left South Africa before chopping on to his stumps off sixes. Australia opted for a new open- steadied the innings, with a quick- Samuels’ 32-run partnership 47 while David Wiese, batting at reeling on 20 for three after three Faulkner. ing pair in Aaron Finch and Usman fire 62-run partnership before Wasim for the third wicket with Johnson number seven, notched 28. overs. Umar Akmal (32) lost his wicket to Khawaja for the crunch tie at the made the breakthrough.

Qatar Open Table Tennis championship

Action from the third day of the Qatar Open Table Tennis championship at Ali bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena at Al Sadd yesterday. With $220,000 up for grabs, the event features the participation of players from 43 countries. The event is organised by Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) in coordination with the International Table Tennis Federation and Qatar Olympic Committtee. Qatar’s men’s squad includes; Ahmad Khalil Al Mohannadi, Fahad Al Mughni, Lee Beng, Mohammad Abdulwahab and Abdulrahman Al Najjar. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 19 PAGE | 20 FarahFara happy with Serena Williams Rio Olympics bounces back at preparations Miami Open

SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 • 17 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Steingruber grabs gold at World Cup Series

RESULTS Qatari gymnasts also impress home fans on Men’s Floor: 1: Diego Hypolito (Brazil) 15, 175 points opening day of finals 2: Rok Klavora (Slovenia) 15,000 at Aspire Dome 3: Sam Oldham (Great Britain) 14,925 Women’s Vault 1: Giulia Steingruber (Switzerland) 14,712 2: Teja Belak (Slovenia) 14.337 By Fawad Hussain 3: Tjasa Kysselef (Slovenia) 14,087 The Peninsula Men’s Pommel Horse 1: Harutyun Merdinyan (Armenia) 15,675 2: Robert Seligman (Croatia) 15,300 3: Oleg Stepko (Azerbaijan) 15,000 DOHA: Switzerland’s Giulia Stein- gruber yesterday maintained her Women’s Uneven Bars vault domination by clinching a gold 1: Jonna Adlerteg (Sweden) 14,925 medal while Qatari gymnasts also 2: Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) 14,250 impressed on the opening day of the 3: Filipa Martins (Portugal) 13,625 A gymnast in action during the men’s rings final of the Ninth finals at Ninth Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Rings World Cup Series in Doha. Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series at the Aspire Dome in 1: Eleftherios Petrounias (Greece) 15,875 As many as five finals were Doha yesterday. Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias secured 2: Vahagn Davtyan (Armenia) 15,800 points decided in the three-day event, the gold medal. The event will culminate today with as many as 3: Artur Tovmasyan (Armenia)15,775 which started on Thursday with the six titles are scheduled to be decided. qualification rounds. Watched by a good number of gymnastics enthusiasts at the iconic Aspire Dome, Steingruber looked at her best in the women’s vault final as she faced little difficulty in claiming the top spot. The 24-year old who has several triumphs to her name includ- ing the European all-round title, collected 14,712 points to finish ahead of Teja Belak of Slovenia who com- piled 14.337 for a silver medal. Tjasa Kysselef, also from Slovenia secured bronze medal with 14,087 points. In the men’s pommel horse final, Harutyun Merdinyan of Armenia emerged victorious after accumulat- ing 15,675 points, dethroning Stepko Oleg of Azerbaijan who was defend- ing his last year’s title. Robert Seligman of Croatia ended Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland (centre) poses with her medal after winning the women’s Vault, along up in second place with a tally of 15,300 points while Oleg had to be with silver medallist Teja Belak and Tjasa Kysselef of Slovenia who won the bronze medal. content with the bronze medal after he completed his display with a total gold medal in the competition with Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece because of the arrangements,” Euro- of 15,000 points. 14,925 points while Brazil’s Rebeca reigned supreme in the last final of the pean Union of Gymnastics President Although, Qatar’s Ahmed Al Andrade (14,925) and Portugal’s Filipa day by gaining 15,875 points in men’s Geogres Guelzec told reporters. Dayani failed to grab a medal, the Martins (13,625) won silver and bronze floor for the gold medal. Armenia’s “The Qatar Gymnastics Federa- 23-ytear-old amused home fans medals respectively. Vahagn Davtyan and his compatriot tion is holding this event successfully with impressive moves and finished The men’s floor final saw, Diego Artur Tovmasyan grabbed silver and since years. Hospitality has been good in seventh spot with 13,475 points in Hypolito winning the title with a nar- bronze medals respectively. as always.” the pommel horse final. row margin. The Brazilian’s tally of Several dignitaries and heads of “Qatar has gained a good experi- Qatar’s Farah Mahmoud also 15,175 points was just 175 points more top gymnastics bodies also visited ence and I am confident they will host Qatar’s Farah Mahmoud in action during the women’s uneven bars earned applause from home fans in that second-placed Rob Klavora of Aspire Dome and were left impressed the best World Championship in 2018.” final. She secured 10,250 points while Jonna Adlerteg of Sweden the women’s uneven bars final while Slovenia. Sam Oldham of Great Britain with arrangements and facilities at The event will culminate today won the gold medal. securing 10,250 points. occupied third place on the podium state-of-the-art venue. with as many as six titles are sched- Jonna Adlerteg of Sweden won with 14,925 points. “This is one of my favourite events uled to be decided. Almobty guides Zypern to QNB Doha Tour victory

The Peninsula QNB SHOW JUMPING RESULTS

CSI4* Accumultor with joker, Art.269.5, 145 CM DOHA: Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Abdulrah- 1. Khaled Abdulrahman Almobty (Saudi Arabia) Zypern 4. Time: 51.16 secs. Prize money: QAR 37,500 man Almobty won the CSI4* event on the 2. Abdelkarim Abbar (Saudi Arabia) Ziezo. 54.74 secs, QAR 30,000 second day of the third and final leg of 3. Abdullah Mohd al-Marri (UAE) Sama Dubai FBH. 50.43 secs, QAR 22,500 the QNB Doha Tour equestrian champi- onship yesterday. CS2* Table (A) against the clock with jump off, Art. 238.2.2, 135 CM At the makeshift arena in Katara, 1. Sheikh Ali Abdulla al-Qassimi (UAE) Saga De La Roque. Time: 35.34 secs. Prize money: QAR 13,750 Almobty riding his nine-year-old bay 2. Ghazi al-Jeraiwi (Kuwait) Prestigious. 35.51 secs, QAR 11,000 Zypern 4 emerged triumphant in the 3. Bader Mohammed Alfard (Saudi Arabia) Cover Girl G. 36.54 secs, QAR 8,250 CSI4* Accumultor with joker, Art.269.5, 145cm event. The pair came home in CSI2* - Pony class - Optimum Time, 60 cm 51.16 seconds for a prize money of QAR 1. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Jassim al-Thani (Qatar) Doddenhill Coral Lily. Time: 64.62 secs 37,500. 2. Khalifa Abdullah al-Khaldi (Qatar) Macando. 64.58 secs. Saudi’s Abdelkarim Abbar finished 3. Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali al-Thani (Qatar) Top Madame 64.42 secs. second in Ziezo, while Abdullah Mohd al-Marri of UAE came third with Sama Dubai FBH. In the CS2* Table (A) against the clock (Prestigious) came second ahead of involve ‘natural dressage’ and highlight with jump off, Art. 238.2.2, 135cm, Sheikh Saudi’s Bader Mohammed Alfard (Cover the beauty of a horse’s movement and Ali Abdulla al-Qassimi of UAE finished Girl G). the harmony and balance between man on top. Al-Qassimi paired with Saga The highlight of the event so far and animal. De La Roque to time 35.34 seconds to has been performance from Spanish Today, the QNB Doha Tour series come first and take home a pursue of horseman Santi Serra and his magnif- trophy will be awarded to the overall Spanish horseman Santi Serra and his horses perform during the third and final leg of the QNB QAR 13,750. icent horses. The show called Sercam champion, who has won the most points Kuwait’s Ghazi al-Jeraiwi has been wowing visitors. Sercam shows over the three legs. Doha Tour equestrian championship at Katara.

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER Minimum: 18o C Maximum: 29o C

FAJR 04.16 am ZUHR 11.40 am MAGHRIB 05.49 pm HIGH TIDE 06:15 - 19:00 Foggy at places at first becomes hazy to misty SHOROOK 05.32 am ASR 03.08 pm ISHA 07.19 pm LOW TIDE 00:30 - 12:30 and partly cloudy

MORNING BREAK SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2016 23

ONLINE CHART BUST Japanese scientists Singapore Pet Expo test Gravitational www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Wave Telescope

MOST READ QNA

Wyndham Grand Regency 1 Doha shines at QIFF -500 TOKYO: Japanese scientists yesterday Healthy eating tips at food began a test run of an underground tel- 2 festival 560 escope to detect gravitational waves and gain a better understanding of the uni- PM lays stone for QR11bn verse through their observations. 3 power plant The test run, which will continue until March 31, comes a month after a US-led team of scientists said it had identified the gravitational waves, theorized 100 TWEET OF THE DAY years ago by Albert Einstein, NHK world reported. The KAGRA telescope is installed inside a tunnel located more than 200 meters underground at the Kamioka mine site in the Gifu prefecture to min- imize seismic noise. Researchers confirmed, before the test, the laser beams were stable enough to grasp gravitational waves. The group, including researchers from the University of Tokyo and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, has A close up view of two poodles pictured in a pram at the Pet Expo 2016 held at the Singapore Expo overseen construction of the telescope convention hall in Singapore, yesterday. since 2012. Actress Gal Gadot to come as Wonder Woman INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

Reuters one of them is an archetype,” said Diana Prince, is an elusive force in the first standalone female superhero Amy Adams, who reprises her role as “Batman v Superman,” immaculately movie in a decade. Amitabh intrepid Daily Planet journalist Lois dressed, coyly intelligent and drawing “She’s as elegant as a supermodel Bachchan Lane. The film, which opens around the attention of Ben Affleck’s Bruce and she kicks it with the boys,” Adams at the open- LOS ANGELES: “Batman vs Super- the world this week, introduces Israeli Wayne - the playboy billionaire alter- said of Gadot’s Wonder Woman. ing ceremony man: Dawn of Justice” is centered on the actress Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman ego of Batman. “She’s been around, The superhero genre has long been of the Kalyan clash of two of the most recognizable and sees Holly Hunter as a senator she’s very experienced, she’s darker, skewed to male characters but female Jewellers at caped heroes of the comic book world determined to hold Superman account- she’s sassy, she understands a lot about characters have slowly become a larger Asian Town. but it is the women of the DC Comics able for the destruction caused by his mankind,” Gadot said of her character. presence in recent years. That poten- Pic Kammutty universe who defy expectations. actions. Diane Lane plays Superman’s Gadot, a former model who served tially broadens a film’s appeal for VP The movie has “four really great mother, Martha Kent. two years in Israel’s army, will reprise female audiences and its commercial female characters ... but not a single Wonder Woman, also known as her role in 2017’s “Wonder Woman,” success. Pakistan women rickshaw service struggles Ken Howard dies at 71

Reuters the pink-and-white rickshaws on AFP leader and it is an incredible loss for the road by mid-2016 but the man- SAG-AFTRA, for his family and for ufacturers have sent only six, and everyone who knew him,” said SAG- three are too old to use. “There are AFTRA acting president Gabrielle LAHORE: Pakistan’s first women- several women waiting to get the LOS ANGELES: Ken Howard (pic- Carteris, who starred in the 1990s only rickshaw service was meant to rickshaws,” said Aslam, who also tured), president of the prominent television series “Beverly Hills, provide its staff with a new way of runs the Environment Protection Hollywood actors’ union SAG- 90210.” gaining financial independence and Fund, a Pakistani non-profit agency. AFTRA, died Wednesday at age 71, “He led us through tumultuous its passengers with the chance of a The rickshaws cost about $3,000 the organisation said. times and set our union on a steady ride without being groped and har- each, and more if you add tracking Howard died at his home near course of excellence,” she said. assed by male drivers. But, after just and anti-theft systems. Los Angeles, the union said, without a year in business, the “Pink Rick- “The first few rickshaws we specifying the cause of death. shaw” in the Punjabi city of Lahore, bought were expensive but now An Emmy and Tony award- is struggling. we’re looking at cheaper models,” winning actor, Howard played an Help has been promised by a she said. “The only disappointment is instrumental role in the merger that Scotland-based charity, run by pop to get the funding for more rickshaws formed the union. star Annie Lennox, and Pink Rick- because the demand is out there and As director of the Screen Actors Parveen Bibi cleans her Pink Rickshaw as she prepares to drive around shaw founder, Zar Aslam, said she it is just a matter of getting all the Guild, a position which he held since hopes to get the money for ten rick- funds together,” Aslam said. looking for passengers in Lahore, Pakistan. 2009, he orchestrated the body’s shaws by September. That would help women who, merger with the American Federa- Aslam, who herself narrowly like Parveen Bibi, want to zip around being reported or punished. the service. “Women passengers are tion of Television and Radio Artists escaped kidnapping in a rickshaw town making a living and making Bibi is her family’s sole earner happy that they can now travel with in 2012 to form SAG-AFTRA, which when she was a student, told Reu- life easier in a country where sexual since the death of her husband, she a female tri-auto driver and feel com- now represents some 160,000 per- ters she had aimed to have 25 of crime is rife and often goes without says customers are pleased to use fortable,” she says. formers. “Ken was an inspirational Auction sales of Chinese living artists’ works slump: Survey

AFP most lucrative Chinese artists. Cui’s second-largest economy slowed to its came courtesy of a collaborative Journal: “I believe it was an accident.” off the loss. “These statistics measure works fetched $120.4 million, it said, weakest in a quarter of a century last painting he executed with Zeng Though many believe China’s art the flow of my works in the market - it far ahead of second-placed oil painter year at 6.9 percent, a far cry from the Fanzhi that sold at Sotheby’s in Hong market has been overheated in recent has nothing to do with me. I don’t get Zeng Fanzhi, who saw his sales value double-digit boom years of the past. Kong for $5.3 million. years, Cui told fellow artists that it was the money from these sales directly,” BEIJING: The Chinese art market crash by 62 percent. There were no Even so, greater China surpassed Cui was one of just eight artists a national imperative to increase the he told AFP. plummeted last year, with auction figures to indicate whether the aver- the US last year to become home to who saw an increase in sales, with value of their work. He pointed to a Mao pin on his sales of living artists’ works falling age price of individual works had the largest population of billionaires his revenues up 69 percent from 2014. “Our current downturn and back- lapel. “I worship Mao Zedong.” by 45 percent as slowing growth and decreased. in the world, Hurun said in a previ- He made headlines last April when an wardness shouldn’t discourage us; we Huang’s auction sales totalled a corruption crackdown under Presi- “A heady mix of the continued ous report -- indicating an increase eight-panelled snowy mountainscape artists should unite together and for $13.1 million last year, according to dent Xi Jinping took their toll, a survey anti-corruption campaign, which has in the pool of potential super-wealthy of his sold for $30 million at Poly Auc- the sake of our art market and our Hurun. Critics such as Xie Chunyan said yesterday. put a stop to gifting art to government art collectors. The 100 artists’ auction tion in Hong Kong -- the highest ever nation walk out towards the world, believe that focusing on auction val- By far the most valuable art- officers, and a slowdown in the econ- sales totalled $565 million. by a living Asian artist. hand in hand, striving ardently ues is a poor judge of Chinese artists’ ist was ink painter Cui Ruzhuo, 72, omy have combined to see both sales Only three artists on the list were At the same auction the year together,” he said. worth: “Just because this little Brit- who is known for his large-scale and the number of top works at auc- women. They included Chen Peiqiu, before, another of his landscapes Huang Jiannan, a self-taught art- ish guy Hoogewerf says he wants to traditional landscapes, said wealth tion pretty much halve,” said Hurun age 94, at number 16. A surprising that sold for $3.7 million was mistaken ist ranked seventh on Hurun’s list, saw find a common standard to measure publisher the Hurun Report, which Report chairman Rupert Hoogewerf. new entry was Jack Ma, CEO of inter- for rubbish and thrown out by clean- the auction value of his works drop by things 1, 2, 3 doesn’t mean that this is collated auction results for the 100 Growth in the world’s net giant Alibaba, whose inclusion ers, with Cui telling the Wall Street 45 percent last year, but he shrugged the best method.”