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MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 • 17 Jumada II 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6392 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

Qatar win volleyball gold Nigeria frees Rogue Nepal Al Jazeera journalists DOHA: Two Al Jazeera televi- sion journalists who had been recruiters to detained by the Nigerian mili- tary since March 24 have been freed, the broadcaster said in a statement yesterday. Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa, both Nigerians, have been allowed be punished to leave the Maiduguri hotel where they were detained and return to the network’s Abuja office. Qatar needs more workers: Minister “We’re pleased for Ahmed and DOHA: Qatar and Nepal have mulling providing life insurance Ali that their ordeal is over,” said vowed to punish manpower cover to Nepalese workers. Salah Negm, director of news for agencies in the Himalayan Gurung said at a press confer- Al Jazeera English. “They’re look- nation if they illegally charge ence after meeting Al Khulaifi ing forward to spending some time Qatar-bound Nepalese workers that Qatar and Nepal had vowed with their families and loved ones. money. to clamp down on manpower agen- I know that both of them want to Qatar said categorically yester- cies that illegally took money from thank everyone that helped secure day that its laws did not permit Qatar-bound Nepalese workers. their release, including NGOs, foreigners hired to work to pay a He said Nepalese manpower politicians and fellow journalists,” single penny in the process. agencies charged workers bound Negm added. All expenses involved in hiring a for Qatar anything between The pair were detained in the foreign worker are paid by Qatari Rs70,000 and Rs100,000 (QR1 is northeast, where troops were bat- companies, said Qatar, adding that equivalent to Rs27.51). tling Boko Haram militants. it needs more migrant workers for “It is illegal. We will blacklist Action during the volleyball final between Qatar A and Oman B in the GCC Beach Games, at Al Gharafa Club AFP the 2022 FIFA World Cup projects. those manpower companies that yesterday. Qatar won the gold medal. See also page 28 “Our law requires Qatari com- charge money from Qatar-bound panies to pay for everything to Nepalese workers,” the minister hire migrant workers and anyone was quoted as saying. who does not abide will be pun- He added that Qatari compa- ished,” said Qatar’s Minister of nies that hired migrant workers Labour and Social Affairs. paid for everything — from their Changes to traffic law on the cards H E Dr Abdullah bin Saleh visa fee to air ticket. Al Khulaifi told reporters in Al Khulaifi reiterated at the DOHA: Car owners putting designed to discourage bad driving. their and others’ safety on the will be deducted from the sale pro- Kathmandu on the second day of news conference that Qatari laws stickers on their vehicles offer- The drivers would be sent to the roads, rather than on punitive ceeds of the car and the remaining his four-day official visit to Nepal: required that companies hiring ing them for sale and leav- rehabilitation centre only once a action for violations. amount will be given to the owner. “All hiring and travel expenses for migrant workers bear all expenses ing them in public places like year if they cross the ceiling, to Overtaking from the right side, If the proceeds are less than the migrant workers are borne by our or face the music. grounds, parking lots or by the be fixed by the traffic authorities. breaching the speed limit and dues, legal measures will be taken companies”. The online newspaper nepal- roadside may soon have to seek A draft law is awaiting approval jumping a red light will continue if the owner fails to pay the dif- Al Khulaifi earlier met Nepal’s times.com said, citing a report by written permission from the by the Advisory Council and it to be breaches that will need more ference, local Arabic daily Al Raya Minister of State for Labour Nepal’s Department of Foreign authorities. carries extensive amendments to deterrent punishment. reported. and Employment, Tek Bahadur Employment, that there were Automobile showrooms as well five articles (Articles 1, 2, 41, 82 The draft law also seeks to fix The draft allows new cars to Gurung, after meeting Foreign over 400,000 Nepalese workers in as auctioneers using open grounds and 89) of the existing traffic law the rent for desert motorcycles be issued road permits for three Minister Mahendra Bahadur Qatar. or roadsides to park cars for dis- (Law No. 19 of 2007). and buggies that are rented out years. The year of expiry of the Pandey, Qatar News Agency In his meetings with Nepalese play and sale will also need permis- The law is being amended to to picnickers in areas like Sealine, permit will be prominently men- (QNA) reported. officials, Al Khulaifi promised that sion from the traffic department keep pace with the growing popu- for instance. tioned on its number plate. “Talks during the meeting (with Qatar will ensure good living and to do so once a law that is in the lation of people and vehicles. The traffic authorities will not The traffic department would Gurung) dealt with key topics of working conditions, occupational offing sees the light of day. Fines for violations related to be responsible for damage to a car also license and monitor car show- mutual interest,” QNA said. safety and “life insurance for Also, plans are afoot to set up parking might be substantially being seized and will have the right rooms, garages and car decorators Citing details, nepaltimes.com Nepalese migrant workers”. rehabilitation centres for errant reduced in the new law, which will to auction the car if its owner does and the rules will be part of execu- reported that Al Khulaifi said that Continued on page 4 drivers who breach a certain ceil- focus on making drivers aware of not reclaim it after paying the rel- tive regulations to be issued later. among other things, Qatar was THE PENINSULA ing in the demerit points system its provisions and of the need for evant fines or arrears. The dues THE PENINSULA

Dust returns Full-fledged paediatric GCC national jailed for fighting hospital to be set up with police DOHA: There is a plan to set The proposed paediatric hospital DOHA: A Criminal Court has up a full-fledged paediatric hos- will have an emergency unit on sentenced a young GCC national pital in Qatar that will even- the ground floor and an inpatient to a year and three months in jail tually replace the Paediatric unit on the upper floor, Al Amri and fined her QR18,000 for fight- Emergency Center (PEC) in said in an interview with local ing with a police officer, insult- Al Sadd, a senior official has Arabic daily Al Arab. ing a taxi driver and disturbing disclosed. He said the expansion and others while in a drunken state. The proposed hospital is renovation under way at the Al The court sentenced her in expected to address space con- Sadd facility will be completed absentia to 15 months in jail and straints at the Al Sadd facility in July this year. The existing fined her QR10,000 for fight- by bringing together emergency premises will be linked to the ing with a police officer on duty, and inpatient services under one new facilities that are expected imposed a QR5,000 fine for dis- roof, according to Dr Mohammed to become operational by the end turbing people after consuming Hammoud Al Amri, PEC’s dep- of this year. liquor, and a QR3,000 fine for uty director. The expansion will increase abusing a taxi driver. He said the crowding was the capacity of the emergency The convict left the country caused mainly by a shortage of unit by 25 to 30 percent. before the trial began. A summons beds at hospitals that are sup- Continued on page 4 was sent to her recent address but Towers in West Bay as seen through a haze of dust after Doha was lashed by strong winds accompanied by dust posed to admit long-stay patients. THE PENINSULA she did not appear in the Court, yesterday. Poor horizontal visibility is expected today as well due to the same weather conditions. BAHER AMIN Al Raya reported. Details of the case suggest that the convict, after consuming some alcohol in a hotel, took a cab. She differed with the driver on the fare and began abusing him. The cab Yemen rebels ready for talks, advance in Aden driver called Al Fazaa personnel, whose car was parked nearby. The ADEN: Yemeni rebels made adviser to President Abdrabuh oversee the dialogue,” Sammad committees” militiamen loyal to heart of which sits on an extinct two police officers in the patrol new gains in the battleground Mansur Hadi, also said that said. President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, volcano jutting out into the sea. vehicle approached the woman. southern city Aden yesterday as Yemenis rejected the return of The coalition kept up its night- who has fled to Saudi Arabia. The rebels also fired mortar She was drunk and tried to run a Saudi-led coalition trying to Hadi, who escaped to Saudi Arabia time raids against rebel positions The rebels bombarded residen- rounds at an Aden television sta- away, at which one of the police halt their advance faced grow- after Shia Houthi fighters edged and arms depots, particularly tial areas, setting fire to several tion loyal to Hadi, forcing it off officers made her sit in the back ing calls for a humanitarian closer to his southern base of Aden around the capital Sana’a and buildings and damaging others, the air. of the taxi and took the front seat pause in air strikes. last month. Saada, the northern stronghold witnesses said. Pro-Hadi forces also said they to take her to a police station. On A senior Houthi member said “We have no conditions except of the Iran-backed rebels. At least five civilians were retook the rebel-held southern the way, the woman started fight- the rebels were ready to sit down a halt to the aggression and sit- In the main southern city Aden, killed and 14 wounded in the town of Loder in Abyan prov- ing with the officer. for peace talks as long as a Saudi- ting on the dialogue table within the rebels advanced into the cen- latest clashes, according to the ince yesterday after fierce clashes The convict admitted dur- led air campaign was halted and a specific time period ... and any tral port district of Mualla, cap- city’s health department director reportedly killed 24 people, includ- ing questioning by the Public the negotiations were overseen by international or regional parties turing the provincial government Al-Kheder Lassouar. ing 21 Shia militiamen. Prosecution that she was drunk “non-aggressive” parties. that have no aggressive positions headquarters, a local official said. Residents said dozens of families AGENCIES but denied fighting with the police Saleh Al Sammad, who was an towards the Yemeni people can Mualla is defended by “popular had fled their homes in Aden, the See also page 10 officer. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Condolences Ministry holds sent to Kenya QSTP backs research projects forum for Qatari DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani students in US yesterday sent a cable of con- Eight projects to benefit from three-month programme LOS ANGELES: The Foreign dolences to Kenyan President Ministry organised its first Uhuru Kenyatta on the vic- DOHA: Qatar Science & Engineering Innovation. Engine Games is creating an problem-solving session where forum for students dispatched by tims of Garissa University Technology Park (QSTP), part Biomolecular Genetic Markers instructional video game to help teams worked together to create the ministry to study in the US. attack. of Qatar Foundation Research is developing a diagnostic kit undergraduate engineering stu- solutions addressing challenges or Based on instruction by Foreign Deputy Emir H H Sheikh & Development (QF R&D), has that can identify gene muta- dents understand the fundamen- filling market gaps. These projects Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani announced support for eight tions associated with Essential tals of a combustion engine in an include: Qatar Robotics Institute Mohamed Al Attiyah, the forum also sent a cable to Kenyatta. late-stage research projects. Thrombocythemia — a blood dis- engaging and educational way. for Development (QRID), which in Los Angeles sought to identify Prime Minister and Interior As recipients of the Qatar order, and Primary Myelofibrosis Similarly, TurboAero, one of the developed a low-cost robotic issues and obstacles facing stu- Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah Innovation Promotional Award, — a serious bone marrow disor- winning projects announced today hand prototype with an appli- dents to find solutions and discuss bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani each project will benefit from a der. The technology enhances by QSTP, is working to refine and cation in upper limb prosthesis; follow-up and coordination mecha- sent a similar cable to Kenyatta. rigorous three-month programme the accuracy with which the two redesign a turboprop engine used Thinkerbox, a digital publishing nisms with universities where they at QSTP, offering researchers and mutations can be spotted. by light aircraft. Trackers, which platform for newspapers; and Fat are studying. Cultural ties entrepreneurs access to the park’s The technology’s creators also benefits from QSTP’s exper- Stat On Demand (FSOD), a body Director of the ministry’s world-class resources and com- indicated that those two muta- tise, is a software solution to help fat measurements on demand and Human Resources Department, reviewed mercialisation expertise. tions have been identified in crime fighters rapidly identify and on the go. Ambassador Abdulaziz Abdul The teams will emerge from 60-70 per cent of Essential analyse shoe prints at a live crime Managing Director of QSTP, Qader Al Ahmad, conveyed the DOHA: Minister of Culture, the programme with a carefully Thrombocythemia and Primary scene. Hamad Al Kuwari, said: “In Minister’s greetings to students Arts and Heritage H E Dr crafted, competitive business Myelofibrosis cases in Qatar, The iFacility project, which our next phase of development, and underlined the attention given Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al strategy and the option of creat- enhancing the potential impact holds promise for Qatar’s and the Qatar Science & Technology Park by the ministry to them to meet Kuwari yesterday met Scottish ing a venture as a small medium and commercial viability of the region’s booming facilities manage is doubling its commitment to their needs and overcome difficul- Minister for Europe and enterprise tenant on QSTP’s cam- product locally. sector, is investigating how Radio identifying late-stage research ties that may face. International Development, pus, pursuing funding, or develop- The Biomedical Engineering Frequency Identification (RFID) and strategic technologies that He said Qatar, under the leader- Humza Yousaf, who is visiting ing the business independently. Innovation project is develop- technology can improve building arise from the country’s world- ship of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim Doha. QSTP supports Qatar ing a device that can screen for construction management, asset class research cycle thus sup- bin Hamad Al Thani, attaches They discussed cooperation Foundation for Education, Science certain cancers in a fraction of management and emergency porting those ideas with the best great importance to acquisition of between the two sides and ways and Community Development’s the time and less invasively than management. resources in the region.” knowledge and education as it is of enhancing it, especially in the (QF) unique cycle of education, other technologies or procedures. The eighth and final project “Today’s announcement ush- the first pillar of development. cultural and artistic fields, and research and commercialisation, The device can quickly dif- unveiled today aims to develop ers in a new era for QSTP as we Qatari Ambassador Mohammed positive results of the Qatar-UK helping deliver economic diver- ferentiate between healthy and green building infrastructure continue to build a competitive bin Jaham Al Kuwari told the stu- Cultural Year 2013. QNA sification and innovative home- cancer cells and is expected to capable of actively reducing technology innovation ecosystem dents that the doors of the embassy grown technology that will benefit enhance early detection specifi- energy consumption. in Qatar, where larger multina- and consulate are open to them at SCH caution over the country and the rest of the cally for breast cancer, colon can- A QSTP selection committee tional enterprise champions work any time to discuss their academic world. cer, brain tumours and childhood evaluated the projects for their alongside innovators to develop and other issues. Qatari Consul sand and dust The eight selected projects span cancers. It is estimated that the business potential, innovative home-grown technology-based General in Los Angeles Khaled the ICT, health care, energy and technology has the potential to approach and feasibility. All teams businesses that will thrive in the bin Yousif Al Sada expressed the DOHA: With recurring dust environmental technology sectors, increase the effectiveness of cer- were interviewed by the commit- market.” consulate’s readiness to organise winds hitting the country, the in line with the Qatar National tain treatments by a factor of five tee, which factored team strength Each team will emerge from training courses in Qatari diplo- Supreme Council of Health Research Strategy (QNRS) and the potential to reduce costs into the anticipated success of the programme with a carefully matic missions in the US and brief (SCH) has advised people with within the Qatar National Vision by fifteen-fold. each venture. The winners will crafted, competitive business them on services provided by the asthma and lung ailments, 2030 and QSTP’s overall approach In the energy sector, Alyal be the first to benefit from the strategy and the option of cre- consulate. The forum is part of a particularly the elderly, to stay to technology development. Power aims to deliver a Hydraulic special three-month programme. ating a venture as an SME ten- series of meetings organised by indoors and avoid direct expo- In the healthcare sector, two Energy Storage System or battery This cycle of the programme ant on QSTP’s campus, pursuing the ministry for around 200 stu- sure to sand and dust. projects have been awarded that can efficiently store energy, also includes three projects funding, or developing the busi- dents on scholarships in the US, “People who have undergone QSTP support: Biomolecular from a variety of sources, for use from a recent QSTP Hackathon ness independently. the UK, France, Canada, Australia eye and nose surgery recently Genetic Markers and Biomedical later on. – an innovative, structured THE PENINSULA and Arab countries. QNA should avoid exposure to dust and ensure windows and doors are properly shut and plug holes in windows and gap beneath Rainwater doors by stuffing wet towels,” the SCH said in a statement ibTECHar, SEK yesterday. The SCH advised people to wash face, mouth and nose frequently and wear protec- International tive masks or use moist tissue papers to cover nose and mouth to prevent dust entering lungs. Eyes should not be rubbed School sign deal vigorously in the event of dust entering them. People vulnera- DOHA: Qatari-based “Our students are really ble to allergies have been advised educational technol- excited to start working to use antihistamines prescribed ogy start-up ibTECHar with the 3D printer and by authorised medical centres and SEK International they hope to make many and practitioners. School Qatar have signed functional and creative The SCH has advised profes- a Memorandum Of designs. sionals who work outdoors to Understanding (MoU) to SEK-Qatar is pleased to adjust their duty schedules to pilot the use of Making & be one of the first schools reduce exposure to dust. Discovery technologies in in Doha to develop such “If people notice symptoms of schools in Qatar to enrich a partnership with ibTE- allergies, such as watering eyes, Science, Technology, CHar and we value their coughing and asthma attacks Engineering and input working with our and whizzing sound while Mathematics (STEM) community of learners breathing should immediately education. over the coming weeks,” report to emergency health Logged rainwater can still be spotted in several low-lying areas of Doha and its suburbs after nearly two weeks of intermittent The pilot entails pro- said Vivian Arif, School department,” the SCH said. rains on March 22. The accumulated water, such as the one shown in the picture near Grand Hamad Street, provides favourable viding the infrastructure Principal. THE PENINSULA breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes. KAMMUTTY VP of this technology, design “Our partnership with lesson plans matching SEK International School the school curriculum, is a way to emphasise how and train the instruc- important to support local tors on how to use these start-ups/SMEs to create technologies. a flourishing future for This partnership aims the country and encourage at publishing a case study innovation combined with that contributes to enrich- building local capacity. ing STEM education in And today ibTECHar Qatar schools, through marked an important the Making and Discovery milestone in that direc- philosophy, within real life tion by building an insti- context. tutionalized approach with It hopes to improve one of the best schools in STEM education by intro- Qatar towards carrying ducing the proper tools the message,” said Khalid and technologies to school Aboujassoum, founder and infrastructure in Qatar, manager of ibTECHar. and jumpstart an organic IbTECHar and SEK grassroots Making and International School Discovery culture. expect this partnership “SEK International to be a key milestone and schools place a high prior- a first step in integrating ity on technology and this the private sector with the project supports our aim to schools and education eco- encourage our students to system in Qatar. be innovators. THE PENINSULA

Alternative road opened

Ashghal has opened a three-lane alternative road following the closure of the main Doha-Al Wakra Road. MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 SCH to assess environmental impact on mother-child health

DOHA: The Supreme Council The samples will be analysed Among the outcomes that research institutions such as of Health (SCH) is planning to using novel tools including will be examined in mothers Primary Health Care centers, conduct a study to assess early- “omics”-based approaches to are gestational diabetes, meta- Qatar Bio bank, Weill Cornell life exposure to a wide range study genomic expression pro- bolic syndrome and postpar- University, Sidra Research of environmental, biological files, protein profiles, metabolic tum depression, breastfeeding Centre, Hamad Medical and lifestyle hazards and link profiles, and biomarkers. and nutrition, lifestyle patterns Corporation, Qatar Biomedical these with major mother and The study will apply inno- including physical activity, sleep Research Institute, anti-Dop- child health outcomes. vative methods to assess the and timing of activities and psy- ing Lab, Qatar Environmental The Birth “Cohort” study, effect of environmental factors chosocial factors. and Energy Research Institute, which is the first of its kind on health via remote sensing Child health outcomes include Texas A&M University Qatar, in the Middle East, will be systems based on geographic preterm births and low birth Qatar University and CREAL conducted by The Biomedical information systems. weight, obesity and metabolic Centre, Spain. Research Department at SCH Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain related disorders, neurodevelop- The research teams will work over a period of five years. Ali, assistant secretary general ment, immune system, asthma closely together to ensure high The primary goal of the study for policy affairs at SCH, said and allergies. Special emphasis quality research is being con- is to improve national reproduc- that based on the outcomes of will be put in the evaluation of ducted via validated protocols. tive health in Qatar. A certain the study, preventive measures air-pollution using advanced Memoranda of Understanding www.swiss-belhotel.com number of pregnant women will be implemented in collabo- techniques allowing personal (MoU) between Supreme Tel will be selected from the pri- ration with the Primary Health monitoring in a rapidly chang- Council of Health and collabo- mary health care centres for Care Corporation (PHCC) to ing urban environment in Doha. rative research institutes have Fax the study and biological sam- promote and develop strategic To conduct the study, the been exchanged, the Qatar News ples will be collected from the measures to improve reproduc- Research Department at SCH Agency reported yesterday. participants. tive health in Qatar. will collaborate with various THE PENINSULA Tel Fax

Buildings being added with illegal floors Tel due to shortage of affordable housing Fax Tel + 974 44298888 DOHA: Thanks to a yawning surprising how these build- of illegal floors to ramshackle shortage of affordable hous- ings that were made years ago buildings are going on in the Fax ing, in some areas of the city in violation of civic laws were area in flagrant disregard for people have now begun adding provided electricity and water people’s safety. illegal floors to buildings, most connections by Kahramaa, the Naturally, those indulging in Tel of which are illegal them- utility distributor. such illegal activities are not Fax selves, says a civic councillor. According to Al Atiq, the bothered about engineering and In Madinat Khalifa (South), situation as regards affordable technical specifications for flats, for example, there are over a housing has come to such a pass villas and buildings and safety hundred buildings whose ten- that now even illegal sub-ten- requirements. Tel ants have built illegal make- ants living in dangerous make- This is going on despite the Fax shift structures on rooftops or shift homes have begun further fact that memories are fresh in illegally partitioned apartments partitioning their living quar- people’s mind about two crashes and villas. ters into pigeonholes for rental that took place in the locality. “Until a year ago, such build- income to pay increasing rent. In one crash workers living Tel ings in the area were only about Five families are sharing a in a building were out on duty Fax 40 to 60. Their number has gone apartments in these buildings space which is actually meant when it collapsed. One worker up to over a 100 and the next in violation of municipal laws, for two, putting immense pres- was inside at the time and he www.doha.hilton.com year, I am sure it would double,” so one can imagine the kind sure on services like electricity, was seriously injured. said Mohamed Shaheen Al Atiq of danger they pose to people’s water and sewage. “Then, imag- In another collapse, a build- Tel 44233333 974+ (pictured). safety,” he said in comments ine their safety!” ing caved in near a construction A member of the Central published by local Arabic daily In other cases, small accom- site. The thing is such buildings Fax 44233000 974+ Municipal Council (CMC) from Al Raya yesterday. modations meant for fewer were constructed using sub- the area, he said many of these Talking of illegal floors, he people are being shared by no standard materials. over 100 buildings were made said tenants are building struc- less than 20 to 30 low-income Al Atiq said he has informed illegally themselves so they lack tures made of wood and cement workers. the municipality concerned safety requirements. blocks on rooftops without The CMC member said that of the violations but for some “On top of it, people are add- informing landlords. illegal partitioning of apart- strange reasons they are least ing illegal floors or partitioning Al Atiq said he finds it ments and villas and addition bothered. THE PENINSULA

Tel Language Centre invites applications for summer courses Fax

DOHA: The Language until June 17. “The centre seeks to serve the restrictions, those interested in Centre at the Translation and In addition to Modern language-training needs of the taking language classes over the Tel Interpreting Institute (TII) of Standard Arabic, courses focus- wider community in Doha and summer are encouraged to reg- Fax Hamad bin Khalifa University ing on colloquial Khaleeji and uses proficiency-based, learner- ister early. (HBKU), a member of Qatar Egyptian Arabic, as well as on centred curricula. This summer Two-week immersion pro- Foundation, is now accepting Arabic for medical profession- we are focusing on improving grammes in Spain, France, or applications for its summer als, are also being offered. the oral / aural and communi- England are also being offered Tel 2015 programmes. This summer, TII will also cative skills of our students in to students wishing to develop Fax Registration for courses offer Executive English lan- target language communities. their Spanish, French, and in various proficiency levels guage workshops, specifically “We are especially excited English language skills in a in Arabic, French, Spanish, targeting working professionals to offer for the first time col- native setting. More informa- English, and Mandarin Chinese who wish to improve their pro- loquial Khaleeji Arabic for stu- tion can be found at Http:// will remain open until April 23. fessional English language skills. dents interested in learning the www.tii.qa/language-center. Tel The centre’s summer courses Mounir Ouanaimi, Director of Qatari dialect.” THE PENINSULA Fax will begin on May 3 and continue TII’s Language Centre, said: Due to popularity and space

Accident in Al Wakra Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax www.marriottmarquisdoha.com

Tel + 974 44195000 Fax + 974 44195100

D amaged vehicles involved in an accident near Al Wakra Hospital early afternoon yesterday. Details about the mishap were not available. SALIM MATRAMKOT MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Dusty weather

D usty weather led to poor visibility across Doha yesterday. Seen above are the West Bay along the Corniche and Grand Hamad Street. KAMMUTTY VP

Minister meets World Kidney Day activities conclude Kyrgyz Mufti DOHA: Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs H E Dr Ghaith Symposium focuses on kidney disease, disorders bin Mubarak Al Thani yesterday met the Mufti DOHA: The link between fetal complications during the to donate their organs,” D of Kyrgyzstan, Sheikh kidney disease and diabetes, latter half of pregnancy. Abdulsattar said. Maqsad Beck. metabolic and gestational Dr Riadh Abdulsattar, “Since its inception four They exchanged views on disorders was highlighted at Consultant of Nephrology years ago, the accord has had a topics of mutual concern. a symposium held by Hamad and Head of Qatar Centre positive impact on the number QNA Medical Corporation (HMC) for Organ Donation (Hiba), of organ donors. to conclude World Kidney shared information about “A remarkable increase Day activities. the Doha Donation Accord, has also been recorded in More than 300 healthcare describing it as a viable the number of both live and Online fancy professionals attended the approach with strategies cadaveric (after death) dona- two-day event which fea- designed to address the short- tions,” he added. car numbers tured a series of scientific lec- age in the number of organ Activities marking the day tures and presentations that donors in Qatar. were also held at Hamad auction set focused on kidney disease, a “The accord applies best General Hospital, some condition in which kidneys are practices in organ donation schools, Qatar University and DOHA: Online auction damaged and can no longer and is tailored to suit the Landmark Shopping Mall. for some special car num- perform their usual function demographic, economic, and These included blood pres- bers begins tomorrow, of removing wastes and excess social conditions in Qatar. sure and blood sugar check- the Traffic Department water from the blood. It incorporates the prin- ups, in addition to health has said. Professor Ayub Akbari, a ciples of fairness and equal educational sessions held by The auction through renowned Canadian nephrolo- opportunity to all residents HMC’s kidney health educa- Metrash 2 will begin at gist, spoke about gestational of Qatar, regardless of nation- tors Muna Abdulbaseer, Faten noon and continue until hypertension which he said ality and it respects the dig- Jamal and Dr Jamal Aashour, Thursday 10pm, the can be linked to kidney dis- nity of all donors, in addition also a nephrology Specialist. department said on its ease and other maternal and to encouraging individuals THE PENINSULA Qatari artists perform at one of the events marking World Kidney Day. Twitter account. Bidding will start from QR100,000 and partici- pants, as per rules, are required to make a deposit of QR20,000 as insurance. Al Sadd facility to be cancelled once paediatric hospital is ready THE PENINSULA Continued from page 1 number of beds will increase to 55 received a total of 553,961 visi- from 15 minutes to 21 minutes PEC recorded 26 cases of child Man gets jail There will be 13 new beds and and the consulting/diagnosis rooms tors last year. Al Sadd PEC had depending on the urgency of the abuse, found during medical four new consulting rooms and will become 17. the highest number of visitors at cases. examinations. for stealing two new rooms for preliminary “When the paediatric hospital is 326,031. The other units are based In rare cases, the waiting can “ In such cases, we inform the check-up (blood pressure and body ready, the Al Sadd facility will be in Al Rayyan, Airport area, Al go up two hours, especially when police immediately even with- purse from car temperature). cancelled,” said Al Amri. Daain and Al Shamal. there is a rush and this happens out knowledge about the parents With this expansion, the total He said the five PEC units in Qatar He said the main challenge mostly during winter and the because they need to be investi- DOHA: A criminal court faced by the paediatric centers is evening shifts. gated. Sometimes we admit them has sentenced a Pakistani a lack of cooperation from some He said the PEC investigates for further treatment,” Said Al to six months in jail for parents. when it receives complaints about Amri. snatching a lady’s purse “They cannot wait even for a medical errors. He said the PEC also received from a car at a petrol while. Our priority is based on Some parents resort to ver- abandoned children found in front station in Al Waab and the case and not by nationality,” bal assault against doctors and of mosques, near garbage bins and ordered him deported he added. nurses and there were also few other places. There is a special after serving his term. He said currently waiting time incidents of physical assault, section at the Hamad Medical The convict parked his at PEC for most urgent cases that were referred to the Public Corporation to deal with such car near the petrol station is not more than five minutes. Prosecution. children. where he saw a woman Waiting time for other cases vary Al Amir said during 2014, the THE PENINSULA getting down from her car, leaving the doors opened. He went up to the car, grabbed the purse inside and ran away. A housemaid inside the car testified as a witness. The purse included QR2,100 and health and bank cards, the local daily Al Raya reports. However, it did not say how he was caught. The convict confessed before Public Prosecution but denied the charges in the court. Based on the witness’ testimony, the court ruled. THE PENINSULA No compromise on migrant workers’ safety Continued from page 1 “We need more migrant workers to build the 2022 World Cup infrastruc- tures,” Al Khulaifi was quoted as saying at the press briefing. “But, we do not want to compromise on their health and safety,” he added. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 QU Student Representative Aspetar develops Board holds biennial elections DOHA: Qatar University in the elections,” he said. Student Representative Board “This event also highlights QU’s (QUSRB) recently held its bien- commitment to unlock students’ first aid dental kit nial elections aiming to engage potential and provide them with students on life beyond the the opportunity to excel and DOHA: Aspetar, Orthopaedic classroom and provide them achieve, through outstanding sup- and Sports Medicine Hospital, with a significant opportunity port services. It is also an oppor- has introduced a first aid den- to elect their representatives tunity to integrate and engage tal kit, which can provide pain through democratic voting students in the campus activities, relief and treatment of oral and process. and help them strengthen links dental injuries in athletes on Ninety-two candidates from all with faculty and exchange their the field and far away from a colleges across QU participated, views.” hospital or dentistry unit. and 15 students were elected as CAS representative Osama Ali A purposeful design was chosen new members of the Board. Dari said: “I am very happy to be for the kit to include a number of The new representatives chosen to represent my colleagues drugs and instruments to allow included Halima Ali Al Khawar, Dr Omar Al Ansari, QU Vice- at the College, and to serve and for treatment of the most fre- Jawahar Mardef Al Marri, Osama President for Student Affairs, act in the interest of QU commu- quent oral and dental injuries in Ali Dari and Mohamed Ahmad Al speaking at the event. nity in general and all students in athletes during competition and Marri, College of Arts & Sciences particular. I will work closely with training. (CAS); Safia Elmubarak Elzain the other members of the Board The first aid dental kit is Zaroog and Mohammed Saad board and thanked the ex-mem- to transmit the challenges that unique and it’s first of its kind Al Khaldi, College of Education bers for their invaluable efforts students are facing within their in the Middle East. It has been (CED); Sara Tariq Abdurhman and contributions in ensuring colleges, and help to promote the developed by Dr Mohammed and Ehab Mohammed Miqdad, the board’s objectives and in university’s mission to maintain Alsaey, Director of Aspetar Dr Mohammed Alsaey, Director of Aspetar Sports Dentistry Department, College of Engineering (CENG); transmitting students’ thoughts quality education and academic Sports Dentistry Department. Dr with a patient and (below) an official speaks about the kit. Amna Jaber Al Marri and Ahmad and opinions on issues related to excellence.” CENG student Ehab Alsaey holds the German board Nooh Al Thani, College of Law various QU services facilities and Mohammed Miqdad said: “Being certification in Oral Surgery and (LAWC); Maryam Rashid Al resources. elected gives me a great oppor- a UK Sports Dentistry diploma. Sulaiti and Gaber Algabri Al Ajji, “We are pleased to see our stu- tunity to contribute strengthen- The small-size kit of only 20cm College of Business & Economics dents involved in this democratic ing the links between students length and 20cm width contains (CBE); Radoa Abdulla Al Ansari, process which is a great opportu- and the university, and advance carefully selected, highly specific College of Pharmacy (CPH); nity for them to choose their own student-faculty exchange. I am items that help to protect ath- and Abeer Jehad Almousa and representatives. This year, the pleased to have been chosen to letes’ teeth after an injury and Mohamad Ali Abdulmonem number of candidates increased represent my colleagues and keep them pain free until they Alabrash, College of Shariah and considerably to 92 compared to showcase their concerns and arrive at a hospital or dentist for Islamic Studies (CSIS). the last elections. This is due to problems in order to find efficient definite treatment. QU Vice-President for Student the online voting through the solutions which will enable them Dr Alsaey said, “This is a big Affairs, Dr Omar Al Ansari, wel- myBanner Self-Service System, to achieve their goals.” step in Sports Dentistry, because comed the new members of the a procedure used for the first time THE PENINSULA dental injuries were not consid- ered enough so far. A lot of ath- letes are prone to oral and dental injuries in their sport, in addition Deals with four private schools to to fractures of the jaw or cuts in the tissues of the mouth, often not usually include items to treat team explained and practically accompanied by severe pain. This oral and dental injuries which is demonstrated the use of the den- open branches in Lusail City dental kit will be a first aid that why Aspetar’s new dental kit tal kit on models. Each doctor relieves pain and increases the extremely useful. Careful atten- then received his own personal DOHA: The Lusail City has signed agreements Two of the schools will have kindergarten up to prospect of complete healing of tion has been paid to not include kit. with four private schools to open their branches secondary levels and a capacity of 3,400 students these injuries.” medications containing sub- It is planned to further dis- in the new city. together. The dental kit is expected stances on the Prohibited List of tribute the new Aspetar dental Minister of Finance H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi, A third elementary school will have a total of to contribute dramatically to the World Anti-Doping Agency. kit among the GCC countries in Minister of Education and Higher Education H E 550 students. All schools will operate starting the improve care and protect dental The dental kit was introduced order to help athletes with oral Dr Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi and 2018/2019 academic year. health of athletes, especially since at a special workshop organised and dental problems and any Qatari Diar CEO Khaled Mohammed Al Sayed were The city’s plan is to eventually build 26 schools for most of the doctors of clubs and by Aspetar for the club and fed- resulting pain they might face present at the signing ceremony. 26,000 students, including five Independent schools, federations out in the field are not eration doctors in Qatar through during training or competition far Lusail City Real Estate Development Company the Qatar News Agency has reported. trained in treating dental injuries. the National Sports Medicine away from dental specialist care. has allocated 75,000 meters to establish the schools. THE PENINSULA A classical first aid bag does Programme. Dr Alsaey and his THE PENINSULA MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Forum on crime prevention and criminal justice from tomorrow

DOHA: The Doha Youth of 16 and 26. Among the stu- Forum on Crime Prevention dents selected to participate in and Criminal Justice will the Forum, 31 students are from begin tomorrow with an aim Qatar, 15 from India, 11 from to actively engage young people Pakistan, nine from Egypt and in discussions related to crime seven from Jordan. prevention and criminal justice. Jassim Mohamed A The three-day forum will be Telefat, Executive Director of held at Qatar National Convention Management, Department of Centre in advance of 13th UN Health, Safety, Security and Congress on Crime Prevention Environment, QF, told a press and Criminal Justice. The forum, conference yesterday that the which is the-first-of-its-kind in forum is a unique initiative the Middle East, is host by Qatar launched by the State of Qatar Foundation (QF) in collaboration to actively engage young people with the Organising Committee in discussion related to crime pre- of the United Nations 13th vention and criminal justice. Conference on Crime Prevention “The forum will help develop and Criminal Justice. capability of young people and Ban Ki-moon, he said young peo- The forum is a unique initia- enable them to take future leader- ple represent the future genera- Experts at the event. tive launched by Qatar to actively ship and participants in the forum tion and it is they who should engage young people in discus- are from wide variety of culture discuss the subjects to take the sions related to crime prevention and background and it will enrich leadership of the future rectifying and criminal justice, and familiar- the discussions,” he added. our mistakes. ise them with the role and func- Dimitri Vlassis (pictured), Minister of Youth and Sports tions of the UN. Chief of Corruption and Economic H E Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser Qatar University college The forum aims to discuss Crime Branch, UN Office on Al Ali will open it in the presence issues faced by students in the Drugs and Crime, stressed the of dignitaries such as Qatar’s UN region and the problems caused importance of the congress as the Ambassador Sheikha Alya bint by crime and how to prevent it first of its kind and an initiative Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Naser through concrete and practical from Qatar to involve the youth in Al Nasser, former representative hosts autism seminar solutions. topics related with the congress. of Qatar at UN and others. QF received 185 applications “It was a dream to create an On the third day, Minister of of which 123 have been accepted. event for the youth to shape the Education and Higher Education Aim to increase awareness about the condition This comprised of 46 males and future. Now it has become a real- H E Dr Mohammed Abdul Wahed 77 female students. Most of the ity,” he added. Ai Al Hammadi, the will address DOHA: With an aim to The programme agenda fea- national priorities on education applicants are between the ages Quoting UN Secretary- General the forum. THE PENINSULA increase the community’s tured an open session delivered by reform. awareness about the employa- AGU coordinator of Intellectual “The college serves as a signif- bility of people with autism, the Disability and Autism Programme icant link between the govern- Department of Psychological Dr Maryam Isa Alshirawi who ment, the education sector and Sciences in Qatar University gave a presentation focused on the society in engaging dialogue College Education (QU-CED) AGU’s various programmes and on timely issues such as inclusion hosted a seminar recently. teachers’ professional develop- of persons with disabilities in all The seminar was held to ment, as well as the programmes areas of society.” support the World Autism offered by AGU’s non-govern- Al Shafallah Executive Director Awareness Day, under the mental partners. Mohamed Al Sada said, “We are theme ‘Employment: The Autism It also included lectures by proud to collaborate with the Advantage.’ CED members -- Department international community, and Organized in partnership head and event coordinator Dr share Qatar’s great efforts in sup- with Al Shafallah Centre for Asma Al Attiyah, associate pro- port of World Autism Awareness Children with Special Needs and fessor of Psychological Sciences Day to shed light on this impor- the Intellectual Disability and Dr Hatem Al Khamra, and tant issue. Autism Programme at Arabian associate professor of Special “Through several programmes, Gulf University (AGU), the two- Education Dr Kholoud Dababneh. advanced services, human exper- day event also aimed to increase Lectures were also conducted by tise and community outreach at awareness about people with Al Shafallah members — direc- the centre, we aim to rehabilitate autism and how they could ideally tor of Psychological and Family children with disabilities and suit to certain types of employ- Support Dr Mohammad Al integrate them into the society, ment, such as software testing, Attrash, and psychologists Hani as well as promote equality for data entry, lab work and proof- Al Sayed and Faten Saleh. Topics them to become active members reading, among others. discussed included autism defi- in the community. The event drew over 100 par- nition and characteristics, and “This is achieved with the ticipants which included faculty Applied Behaviour Analysis collaborative efforts with the from QU and AGU, Al Shafallah (ABA) services. different institutions in Qatar, members, officials from the In her remarks, CED dean Dr contributing to a higher level of Omani Autism Society, QU staff Hissa Sadiq said, “CED contin- awareness and the fulfilment of and students, and government ues to showcase its capacity to this vision.” Officials at the press conference. and civil society partners. address issues that reflect on the THE PENINSULA QDA spreads diabetes awareness among Qapco employees

DOHA: Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) Q.S.C. recently welcomed a team from Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA), a mem- ber of Qatar Foundation, in its headquarters in Doha in order to raise awareness about diabetes and its prevention among employees. Qapco places the fitness and wellbeing of its employees and their knowledge of health related issues as a priority. Throughout the year, Qapco’s Medical Section, in conjunc- tion with the sport team of the Qapco Club, organizes a number of health-oriented initiatives in order to promote healthy life- Officials at the event. styles within the company. In 2015, Qapco launched the diabetes. The impact of Qatar Several tests were offered and The percentage of diabetic Be Fit, Be Healthy, Be Happy Diabetes Association’s noble conducted, such as blood sugar people in Qatar according to the campaign where diabetes pre- action is evident and benefits testing, for people with diabetes reports of the Qatar National vention plays an instrumen- the Qatari society as a whole.” screening for the retina and foot Diabetes Survey, also know tal role shaping a healthier Qapco takes diabetes pre- were performed with one on one as the Prevalence of Diabetes community. vention very seriously. Qapco as well as dietary advises were Mellitus, was 15.07 percent in Ahmed Yassen Al strongly believes in encouraging provided. 1999, 16.7 in 2008 and 16.7 in Hammadi Public Affairs and its employees to adopt healthy Dr Abdullah Al Hamaq, QDA 2012. The stable rates from 2008 Communication Manager of lifestyles and to make healthy Executive Director, stated: to 2012, highlights the progress Qapco, mentioned: “At Qapco, choices in order to prevent and “QDA is pleased to be able to achieved those past 10 years, as as a responsible corporate citi- fight conditions such as obesity, provide its mobile clinic serv- a result of expanded Community zen, and in alignment with the heart diseases and diabetes. ices to Qapco’s staff members awareness programmes about Qatar National Vision 2030, Qapco was delighted to team- to promote diabetes awareness. the disease. Qapco welcomed we believe in raising awareness up with the QDA in an effort Many of them had the chance the initiative from the Qatar about diabetes amongst our to increase diabetes awareness to take the blood sugar test and Diabetes Association and con- employees and our community and prevention. QDA promotes feet examinations and discussed sidered the day was a real by highlighting the importance healthy lifestyles and self-man- the results with our mobile unit success. Numerous employees of adopting healthy lifestyles. agement for diabetes. medical team to discover new attended the QDA’s awareness “I thank the Qatar Diabetes The QDA medical team ways of following a healthy sessions about diabetes. Association and its team for brought along its Mobile Clinic lifestyle.” Qapco praised QDA’s role having visited Qapco and for to the Qapco headquarters on “QDA also provided dietary and thanked volunteers who having raised awareness about C-Ring Road and provided counselling to all interested participated in this day dedi- various treatments possible in health education about dia- staff and distributed pamphlets cated to diabetes prevention. order to best fight and prevent betes for over Qapco staff. on diabetes,” added Al Hamaq. THE PENINSULA MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Israeli premier lambasts Iran N-deal again Too early to judge pact: US senator

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime “They’re not going to use it for Minister Benjamin Netanyahu schools or hospitals or roads... yesterday again denounced the they’re going to use it to pump up agreement between Tehran and their terror machine worldwide world powers as a “bad deal” and their military machine that is that “endangers” Israel and will busy conquering the Middle East leave Iran with a large nuclear now.” infrastructure. Relations between Israel and An outline deal agreed in US are at a low and were hugely Switzerland on Thursday paves damaged when Netanyahu took the the way for Tehran to curtail unprecedented step of addressing its nuclear activity in exchange Congress last month to attack the for relief from punishing eco- nuclear negotiations with Iran. nomic sanctions. “It doesn’t roll When asked if he trusts back Iran’s nuclear program,” US President Barack Obama, Netanyahu told CNN, one of sev- Netanyahu replied: “I trust that the eral US networks he appeared on president is doing what he thinks to slam the deal yesterday. is good for the United States, but “It keeps a vast nuclear infra- I think that we can have a legiti- structure in place. Not a single mate difference of opinion on this centrifuge is destroyed. Not a because I think Iran has shown to single nuclear facility is shut be completely distrustful.” down, including the underground One part of the complex deal facilities that they built illicitly. would see Iran slash by more Thousands of centrifuges will than two-thirds the number of A bomb detonation expert in his suit, accompanied by security personnel (obscured), checks the area after a bomb exploded on a bridge in the Cairo keep spinning enriching uranium. uranium centrifuges — which can district of Zamalek, yesterday. A policeman was killed and three others were wounded. That’s a bad deal.” make fuel for nuclear power but Israel’s government reacted also the core of a nuclear bomb angrily to the historic agreement, — to 6,104 from around 19,000 for which aims for a June 30 deadline 10 years. Egypt ‘kills’ head of jihadist group after blast for a final deal, with Netanyahu California Democratic Senator demanding that Iranian recogni- Dianne Feinstein, also speaking CAIRO: A bombing in an afflu- Hours later, the interior min- The jihadist group has said it coordinated attacks on Thursday. tion of the Jewish state’s right to on CNN, said Netanyahu’s com- ent Cairo neighbourhood killed istry said security forces had deliberately uses low-yield bombs The group changed its name exist be written into the agreement. ments could “backfire on him”. “I a policeman yesterday, police killed Ajnad Misr chief Hammam to avoid harming passers-by, but last year to Sinai Province after “If a country that vows to anni- wish that he would contain him- said, as Egypt’s interior min- Mohamed Attiyah in a shootout there has also been a rise in civil- pledging allegiance to IS, which hilate us and is working every day self because he has put out no real istry said later the head of the during a raid on an apartment in ian casualties. controls large areas of Iraq and with conventional means and alternative,” Feinstein said. group behind the attack had south Cairo’s Giza district. A bombing outside Cairo Syria. Egypt’s military says it unconventional means to achieve Ben Rhodes, the US deputy been killed. No date was given for his University last month wounded has killed a number of jihadists that end, if that country has a national security adviser for The bomb had been left beside reported death, and there was four civilians and four policemen. in Sinai, and yesterday released deal that paves its way to nuclear strategic communications, said a checkpoint on the May 15 bridge no immediate confirmation from Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood, footage of bodies of suspected weapons, many nuclear weapons, Netanyahu was wrong because in the Zamalek neighbourhood, the militants. Interior Ministry the strongest political move- militants. it endangers our survival,” the no deal could be reached that officials said. Two people includ- spokesman General Hani Abdel ment before his overthrow, has Attacks have dwindled in the prime minister said. involved Iran dismantling its ing a woman were wounded in Latif, describing Attiyah as a been designated a terrorist group past year as the government tries “I’ll tell you what else will hap- nuclear programme. “Obviously the blast which tore the victim’s “fugitive terrorist”, said he had despite saying it rejects violence. to attract investment and tour- pen,” he added. “I think it will that’s the preferable solution,” body to pieces, a health ministry been “plotting and preparing to However, some Brotherhood ism. But the latest attacks have also spark an arms race with the Rhodes told CNN. “But the fact is official said. carry out criminal plans”. members are believed to have shown militants can still operate Sunni states,” a reference to Gulf Iran was never going to agree to a Police said the device exploded as Ajnad Misr “is accused of car- resorted to plotting attacks on despite the crackdown and harsh monarchies. Saudi Arabia fears deal in which they got rid of their a minivan driver stopped to ask the rying out 26” attacks on police, policemen after the crackdown verdicts against those convicted. that if too much of Iran’s nuclear entire nuclear infrastructure. policeman a question, probably for mainly in Cairo, that have killed drove them underground. Civilian and military courts programme is left intact, it will Republican Senator Bob directions. Militants have repeat- several people, he said. The interior ministry state- have sentenced dozens of people still have the ability to obtain an Corker, the chairman of the edly targeted police checkpoints The group says its attacks are ment said Attiyah had been in to death, although only one execu- atomic bomb, and there are con- United States Senate Committee and vehicles in Cairo with bombs. in retaliation for the deaths of the jihadist Ansar Beit Al Maqdis tion has been carried out so far, cerns that Riyadh could seek its on Foreign Relations, said it The attack was claimed hundreds of Islamist protesters — now affiliated with the Islamic by hanging. own nuclear capability. was too early to judge the deal. by jihadist group Ajnad Misr killed in a government crack- State group (IS) — but broke Mursi himself could face the Netanyahu told ABC News that “There’s a lot of water that needs (Soldiers of Egypt), which has down since the ouster of president away in 2013 to found Ajnad Misr. gallows if convicted in one of his the money that will flow back into to go under the bridge here. Many, previously admitted being behind Mohamed Mursi in July 2013. Ansar Beit Al Maqdis — Partisans trials on charges of espionage with Iran as sanctions ease will not be many details are unknown at this similar attacks on security forces Ajnad Misr has claimed respon- of Jerusalem in English — is foreign powers and collusion to used to help the population. “It point,” Corker told Fox News. in the city. “Once again Allah sibility for bombings outside the Egypt’s deadliest militant group. carry out attacks with militants lifts the sanctions on them fairly “I don’t know how anyone could allowed our brave soldiers to plant presidential palace and foreign It is based in the restive Sinai before he became the country’s quickly and enables them to get really ascertain whether this is a bomb targeting an assembly of ministry that last year killed four Peninsula, where it has killed first democratically elected presi- billions of dollars into their cof- something good or bad yet for the the criminal forces,” Ajnad Misr policemen, two of them explosives scores of security personnel, dent in 2012. fers,” he said. American citizenry.” AFP said on its Twitter account. experts. including at least 15 soldiers in AFP

Second round of Syria talks in Moscow today Frozen tax monies:

MOSCOW: The Syrian govern- ment and some opposition fig- Abbas may move ICC ures will start a second round of talks in Moscow today focus- RAMALLAH: Palestinian amount, he said. “We will not ing on humanitarian issues, President Mahmoud Abbas take the money until we get all although a broader agreement (pictured) threatened yester- of it: either you give us the full is unlikely as Syria’s main oppo- day to turn to the International amount or we go to the ICC.” sition group continues to boy- Criminal Court over Israel’s When the announcement was cott the talks. refusal to fully release hun- made on Friday, Israel did not Participants say they do not dreds of millions of dollars in say how much money would be expect any big breakthrough tax monies owed the Palestinian transferred nor whether it would towards ending a conflict that has Authority. resume the normal killed more than 220,000 people in In early January, monthly payment Syria since early 2011. Israel froze the of around $127m in January’s unproductive first monthly transfer customs duties. The round of consultations in Moscow of funds it collects move comes after was shunned by the main political on behalf of the heavy international opposition group, the Western- PA as a punitive pressure on Israel to backed Syrian National Coalition. measure after the release the monthly It said it would take part only Palestinians moved funds, which account if the talks were to lead to the to join the ICC. But for two-thirds of the departure of Syrian President on Friday, Israel Palestinians’ annual Bashar Al Assad, an ally of Russia. agreed to release budget, excluding The Istanbul-based SNC has the funds after foreign aid. said it will also stay away from deducting debts Under an eco- the second round of talks, due to due for electricity, nomic agreement last until Thursday. Russia says water and medical between the sides fighting terrorism in Syria should services. signed in 1994, be the top priority now and has Speaking yesterday, Abbas con- Israel transfers to the PA tens called on the opposition to work firmed that two thirds of they of millions of dollars each month with Assad to that end. money had been transferred. in customs duties levied on goods Randa Kassis, a former SNC Residents and rebel fighters inspect fire at a damaged site after what activists said was shelling by forces loyal “They said they were going to destined for Palestinian markets member who now favours talking to Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad on Al Dubeit neighbourhood in Idlib city yesterday. send the money and in the end that transit through Israeli ports. to Damascus because of the rise of they did, but a third of it was Although the sanction has radical Islamists in Syria, said the opposition figures will attend. But said Syrian authorities had attempt by Damascus to tie the deducted - why?” he asked dur- been imposed many times, it has talks would focus on confidence- the line-up is likely to be similar released 650 prisoners from at release of these people to the talks ing a speech in Ramallah. rarely lasted more than one or building measures including to January, when more than 30 least three prisons in Damascus would be “just an act”. “Now we have a new file to two months, except in 2006 when ensuring access for humanitar- representatives of various groups on March 25-27, including women, “We’ll see what the government take to the ICC, first there was Hamas won a landslide victory in ian aid. attended, most from groups toler- children, political prisoners and delegation comes up with, includ- the (summer) war in Gaza, then Palestinian legislative elections “We won’t get to a political ated by Assad or who agree that fighters. ing on the humanitarian front, there was the settlements and and Israel froze the funds for transition without slowly giving working with Damascus is neces- A Moscow-based member but I am not hopeful for anything now the Palestinian leadership is six months. Blocking the money and taking,” Kassis, who now sary to combat the rise of Islamic of moderate Syrian opposition special. It’ll be more of a continu- considering presenting this issue also prevents the PA paying its heads the Movement of Pluralistic State. group the National Coordination ation of dialogue at best,” said the to the court in due time.” roughly 180,000 employees, which Society, told Reuters. The Syrian Observatory for Committee said that this was not representative, who declined to be The Palestinians would not costs almost $200m a month. Moscow has not said which Human Rights monitoring group enough, however, and that any named. REUTERS accept anything but the full AFP MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Give peace a chance Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

OICES of resolving conflict through dialogue in Yemen are a welcome sign as the ongoing war has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the Arabian VPeninsula state. According to Reuters reports, the African campaigners take Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has said the kingdom is ready for a political meeting of Yemeni parties under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). There are also reports that aim at immovable leaders Houthis are ready to sit down for talks. Fighting has been going on in Yemen since January 22, when the legitimate government of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi ED UP with immovable the multi-party politics which began experiences by linked-up civil groups African presidents and politi- to emerge in the 1990s. across the continent, they are not yet was removed by force, provoking the recent military campaign cal dynasties, campaigners Twenty years on the campaigners are in a position to take concrete action. by a coalition of 10 countries lead by Saudi Arabia. It will be Facross the continent are join- seeking to energise ordinary people and In the central African nation of sensible for Houthis to sit on the table for dialogue because they ing forces to “turn the page” on leaders make a round of elections throughout Burundi, ahead of elections in May do not have support of the international community whereas who see power as an end in itself. Africa over the next couple of years and June, civil groups and local media military operations launched by Gulf countries enjoy the broad As Nigeria marked its first demo- result in an end to the dynasties. say they are paying the price for cam- cratic change of power following “We realised that Congolese civil paigning against President Pierre support of Arabs and the West. The violence unleashed by national elections, a report published society was becoming more amor- Nkurunziza’s bid to defy a two-term Houthis and their capture of territories are illegitimate and a this week by the Tournons La Page phous... and was not playing its role,” limit and stay in power for another five violation of agreements and international law. (Turn the Page) campaign group said Jean-Chrysostome Kijana, head of years. Houthi fighters seized the capital Sana’a six months ago highlighted how unusual incumbent the New Dynamic of Civil Society group There are allegations of widespread and last month launched an offensive on the south, backed by Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to con- founded in the Democratic Republic of harassment and threats of violence, army units loyal to long-time ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. That cede defeat was. According to the Congo in 2013. and even talk of a hit-list containing report, 88 percent of Togolese and 87 He was in Paris for a conference the names of opposition figures, civil prompted Saudi Arabia to launch a campaign of air strikes on percent of people in Gabon have only organised by ‘Turn the Page’, at which society activists and journalists ahead March 26 alongside regional Sunni Arab allies. known one ruling family. he spoke alongside campaigners from of parliamentary polls in May and the Only time will tell which side will emerge victorious from Burkina Faso dictator Blaise Cameroon, Congo Gabon and Togo. presidential election in June. this war but one thing is sure — Compaore was driven out by his peo- New movements are springing up Bob Rugurika, director of the popular People unable to innocent people have emerged the ple last October after 27 years of rule and inspiring each other; “Enough is independent African Public Radio, is biggest loser. The United Nations says while President Enough” in Senegal and the “Citizens’ among those who have been arrested, Paul Biya of Broom” in Burkina Faso were trailblaz- picked up in January after implicating migrate to other more than 500 people have been killed Cameroon and his ers, recently joined by similar groups in intelligence officials in the recent mur- countries are in the past two weeks in Yemen and Congolese coun- Chad and the Democratic Republic of ders of Italian nuns. nearly 1,700 wounded. New movements terpart Denis Congo. The fall of Compaore in Burkina In the neighbouring Democratic now struggling People unable to migrate to other are springing up Sassou Nguesso Faso and the proposal by Senegal’s Republic of Congo President Joseph countries are now struggling for basic have each accu- President Macky Sall to reduce his Kabila is suspected by the opposition mulated more own mandate by two years have fuelled of seeking to hang on to power at the for basic needs needs like food, water, shelter and and inspiring each than thirty years hopes that public mobilisation else- end of his second term in late 2016. like food, water, electricity. Aid workers and volunteers other; “Enough in power. where can bring about change. US President Barack Obama this engaged in relief works are finding is Enough” in Cameroon’s “We have to understand, in Africa week urged him to respect his coun- shelter and democracy hunt- too, that we are able to offer an exam- try’s constitution. Protests against a it hard to bring in medical supplies. Senegal and the electricity. Private homes, hospitals, education ers may well be ple, and that power is not an end in draft revision of the electoral law were facilities and infrastructure in several “Citizens’ Broom” casting envi- itself,” Sall said last month as he made bloodily repressed in January. This was ous glances over his announcement. His move followed followed by an Internet shutdown and locations have been destroyed, making in Burkina Faso the border to a plea by UN Secretary-General Ban the blocking of social network sites. life more difficult for the people in the war-torn country. were trailblazers, Nigeria where Ki-moon to African leaders gathered In mid-March, 30 Congolese activ- According to reports doctors are overwhelmed by the flood of Muhammadu for an annual summit in January not to ists, along with others from Senegal victims, including civilians struck by shelling or gunfire. recently joined Buhari scored cling to power and to respect the wishes and Burkina Faso, were arrested for The slight relief for civilians has just come in that the by similar groups a narrow elec- of their people. taking part in a meeting in Kinshasa on International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received toral victory over “We are in communication with democracy and good governance. in Chad and Jonathan in the Citizen’s Broom in Burkina. We share “This is the behaviour of dictators approval from the Saudi-led coalition to bring in vital medical country’s March our experiences,” said Kijana. and thugs”, said rapper Serge Bambara, supplies and aid workers. International agencies have appealed the Democratic 28 poll. “I think we can make many links known as Smockey, a founding figure of both sides to resolve the conflict through talks. The United Republic of Congo. With a raft of between African civil groups and that the Citizens’ Broom movement. Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged upcoming elec- will send a message to the ‘dictators’ “We talk about the Arab Spring. all sides to protect civilians from harm and resolve their tions in mind, the union’,” said Brigitte Ameganvi of the Now we must speak of the African regional appeal to turn the page was Synergie Togo group. “Each country has Harmattan (a hot dry wind from west differences through dialogue rather than through the use of launched late last year by NGOs in 30 its own people and each organises in its Africa) because it’s time for the prevail- military force. The ICRC called for an immediate pause in African and European countries and own way,” said Marc Ona, a Gabonese ing wind to move the people,” he added. hostilities to deliver life-saving medical aid, saying three of its signed by prominent African figures participant at the Paris event. “We’ve In his sights is President Kabila, but shipments remained blocked. including Senegalese singer Youssou got the smartphones, the social net- also Chad’s Idriss Deby who came to The best decision at this juncture will be to give peace a N’dour and Cameroonian historian works, it’s impossible to block the flow power by force in 1990 and Cameroon’s chance because a prolonged war will only increase the killings Achille Mbembe. of information today.” Paul Biya, all of whom he described as The call for change harks back to But despite the exchange of ideas and “dinosaurs.” AFP of innocents. The other side Quote of Economy is still missing at least 3 million jobs the day

HE Federal Reserve must Department estimates, bringing the by the economists David Blanchflower the job market. If so, wages should be answer a tough question in three-month average down to 197,000. and Andrew Levin. accelerating as employers compete deciding when and how quickly The unemployment rate held steady at To gauge the number of jobs still for a smaller pool of willing and able Tto remove stimulus from the 5.5 percent, a few tenths of a percent- needed to reach full employment, workers. So far, despite reports that US economy: How much more can age point above the level economists Bloomberg View did its own analysis, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are boosting Uranium enrichment employment grow before it becomes define as “full employment” -- the point borrowing the methods of Blanchflower pay for some workers, that’s not hap- an inflationary force? beyond which the demand for goods and Levin to account for all the peo- pening. As of March, average hourly and all our nuclear Judging from Friday’s labour market and workers tends to stoke inflation. ple expected to rejoin the labour force earnings stood at $24.86, up just 2.1 technology is solely data for March, we’re still a few million The headline numbers, though, don’t and switch from part-time to full-time percent from a year earlier. jobs away from that point. The Fed can fully reflect the damage still left over work. As of March, the employment In other words, there’s little sign that for the development do plenty more to get people back to from the financial crisis and recession gap came to about 3 million -- a great the Fed’s efforts to improve the lot of of Iran and it will work. of 2008. Millions have left the workforce improvement over a few years ago, but millions of unemployed and underem- Friday’s employment report ended for lack of opportunities, or are stuck still very far from ideal. Here’s how that ployed people are threatening infla- not be against any what had been the longest streak of in part-time jobs. If the unemployment looks: tion. Until such evidence becomes countries in the outsized monthly job gains in a dec- rate counted those people, it would It’s possible, of course, that some overwhelming, the Fed needs to keep ade. Nonfarm employers added just be at least a couple percentage points of those people have lost the skills trying. region or the world. Hassan Rowhani 126,000 jobs in March, the Labour higher, according to a recent analysis and motivation they need to return to The Washington Post Iranian President MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Putin’s Ukraine gamble brings mixed results without a well-thought-out plan, As a shaky truce appears to be taking observers said. “There was a set of tasks and hold in Ukraine, Russia has apparently Napoleon’s famous maxim, ‘On s’engage et puis on voit’ (Let’s managed to put the worst of the fallout jump into the fray and then figure out what to do next),” Konstantin behind it. Kalachev, head of the Political Expert Group think tank, said of year since the start of its economy shattered and Nato the president’s attitude. the fighting in eastern membership a very distant, if not Even if his tactics have often Ukraine, Vladimir Putin impossible, prospect. defied comprehension, Putin has Amay not have emerged “They managed to keep Ukraine made his message abundantly the winner in his showdown with out of Nato because it is struggling clear: the West should understand the West but he has not lost either, with two unresolved territorial that a new, post-Soviet Russia is a analysts say. disputes,” Alexander Baunov, a force to be reckoned with. By supporting Ukrainian sepa- senior associate at the Carnegie “Putin will neither give up nor ratists, they say, he took a huge Moscow Center, said. back off,” Dmitry Trenin, director risk but it largely paid off as it If Putin gambled that the West of the Carnegie Moscow Center, allowed him to punish Kiev’s pro- would not move to burn all its wrote in a recent report. Western authorities for seeking bridges with Russia nor engage the “Moscow will continue to defy to turn their back on Russia and former Cold War foe militarily, he US global hegemony and act in stand up to the West. was right. its own self-interest, guided by Most importantly for the While Washington has been its own set of values and without Kremlin, the annexation of vocal in its assertion that Moscow seeking prior US or EU approval.” Crimea and support for fellow has been sending troops over the The fighting has exacted a huge Russian speakers in Ukraine’s east border to buttress Ukrainian sep- human toll. have given a huge boost to Putin’s aratists, it has held off on supply- According to official statistics, popularity ratings at home. ing Kiev with lethal weapons over more than 6,000 people have died According to a February study fears of escalation. in eastern Ukraine since last Pro-Russian separatists together with observers from the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe from the Levada Centre independ- Economy-wise, the US and April, and human rights activists ent polling group, the number of European Union have forged a walk at the destroyed Donetsk International Airport, in Donetsk, Ukraine. say scores of Russian troops sent people who want Putin to seek united front, slapping Russia with over the border may have also per- a fourth term in 2018 has more several rounds of sanctions, but but naysayers predicting immi- international condemnation when But as a shaky truce appears to ished in the ex-Soviet country. than doubled to 57 percent since decided against radical measures nent financial collapse have been a Malaysia Airlines Boeing came be taking hold in Ukraine, Russia Ties between ordinary Russians December 2013. like cutting Moscow off from the floored. down over rebel-held Ukraine, has apparently managed to put the and Ukrainians have also been “What Putin wanted was clear SWIFT banking system. In a sign that Putin may be killing all 298 people on board. worst of the fallout behind it. torn apart, with observers saying a year ago — he wanted a blocking Russia has withstood the blow, getting ready to break out of The West and Kiev claim that That may explain Putin’s jokey years — if not decades — will be stake in Ukraine or — the next and the government recently Western isolation, he is consider- Moscow-backed rebels shot the jet mood at the triumphant celebra- needed to heal the rift. best option — a manageable con- declared that the worst was over ing whether to travel to New York out of the skies by mistake, with a tions marking one year since the While the fighting has largely flict,” Nikolai Petrov, a professor at for the recession-hit economy. to speak at the 70th session of the missile provided by Russia. takeover of Crimea last month died down, an end to the Ukrainian the Higher School of Economics, After a shock slump late UN General Assembly this fall, the In a bid to counter raging when he quipped that Russia crisis is nowhere in sight. said. last year, the Russian ruble has Kremlin said. It would be his first accusations that he was person- “will overcome the difficulties “The crisis is dragging on “To a large degree the Kremlin recently rebounded following a UN visit over the past 10 years. ally guilty, an ashen-faced Putin that we have so easily created for through inertia, which is danger- has achieved what it wanted.” lull in fighting in Ukraine and the Such a move would have recorded an unprecedented night- ourselves.” ous,” said Petrov of the Higher Ukraine marks the first anni- steadying of oil prices. appeared unimaginable several time video address, urging the To a large extent, Putin has School of Economics. “It has versary of the start of the conflict Economists have forecast stag- months ago when Putin appeared West and Kiev not to exploit the been lucky, after rushing into become a necessity to a large in a hugely demoralised state with nation over the next few years crushed under the weight of tragedy for political gains. the confrontation with the West number of people.” AFP Obama repeats old US mistake in Egypt Why women need a stronger BY ROBERT KAGAN and 2013 coup, has run amok. After the shoot- voice in UK politics MICHELE DUNNE You would think we ing of activist Shaimaa Al Sabbagh in the back by a masked police officer, during a s Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al would have learned small, peaceful march in Cairo in January, BY YVONNE ROBERTS Sisi really an ally in the ongoing strug- was caught on video, public outrage forced Igle against Islamic jihadism and ter- from experience. The the government to investigate the killing hat is Westminster’s problem with women? Or, more accurately, what rorism in the Middle East? That seems and arrest the perpetrator. But the secu- is women’s problem with Westminster? to be the prevailing view these days. The idea of supporting rity apparatus then took its revenge by W Almost 100 years after women won the vote, a vast and, it seems, Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens called arresting a witness who stepped forward growing number are undecided about which party to support — a third according him a “geopolitical godsend.” The Post’s to give testimony. to recent polls, against a quarter of men. George Will suggested on Fox News that dictators as proxies in a In this environment, is it surprising In 2010, 36 percent of women voted Conservative, 31 percent Labour and 26 he be given a Nobel Prize (for mass killing that reports surface regularly about the percent Lib Dem, but 9.1 million women, a million more than men, declined to and torture, perhaps. A new category.). fight against radicalism trend of radicalisation of Egyptian youth, vote. Only half of the UK’s women with children exercised their democratic right. Last week, President Barack Obama gave including previously peaceful Islamists? While democracy is flourishing in much of the rest of the world — see Nigeria Sisi the ultimate benediction, restoring in the Middle East is not Sisi’s brutal actions speak far louder than — in England and Wales, it is shrinking fast, with no sign of the revival that the military assistance that had been sus- his few words about reforming Islam; to Scotland saw in the referendum. On Thursday, in the televised leaders’ debate, pended following the 2013 military over- new. Nor is the abject believe that he, or the religious institu- some declared the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon the winner. What stood out was that throw of the first freely elected president tions of his government, can have a posi- she, along with Natalie Bennett of the Greens and Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru, in Egypt and despite the government’s failure of that strategy tive impact on young people susceptible to defended the public realm — the social infrastructure that includes health and unrelenting campaign of human rights radicalisation is beyond wishful thinking. care — far more effectively than the four male leaders. abuses. The decision came just days after any secret. It would be laughable if it were not dan- Women are not a homogenous mass, of course, but what affects them all, as Egypt announced it was sending four gerous self-delusion. long as they remain, willingly or otherwise, the chief cooks and bottlewashers warships to aid Saudi Arabia in the fight well-regarded Egyptian rights organisa- You would think we would have learned in the domestic domain, is what is publicly shared and protected rather than against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. tion estimates that 42,000 political pris- from experience. The idea of supporting privately owned. So Obama’s decision looks like a reward oners are being held; torture and sexual dictators as proxies in a fight against radi- While the three main party leaders are regularly portrayed in hard hats and for Egypt’s enlisting in that fight. assault in the course of arrest or detention calism in the Middle East is not new. Nor high-vis jackets, surrounded by men and machinery, female disengagement keeps Unfortunately the idea that Sisi will reportedly are rampant. There has been is the abject failure of that strategy any on growing — not least because the sharply serrated edge of the cuts has hit more be an effective ally against Islamic ter- no accountability for the mass killings of secret. We supported the shah of Iran, of them, harder than men — proof of Westminster’s myopic male view. rorists is misguided. He has, in fact, 2013. Amnesty International listed Egypt who stamped out moderate as well as Before 1994, greater numbers of women supported the Conservative party, and become one of the jihadists’ most effec- as one of the top two countries issuing radical opposition, only to see him over- class influenced voting habits. Then Tony Blair was elected leader of the Labour tive recruiting tools. The simple truth is death sentences, with 509 people con- thrown by the most significant radical party, and he was liked. “Worcester Woman”, the working class woman with chil- that, since Sisi took power, the frequency demned in 2014. Islamic movement of the past century. We dren and allegedly little interest in politics, came to the fore and the vote hunters of terrorist attacks in Egypt has soared; Much of the political opposition, includ- supported the Pakistani military dicta- gave chase. Women mattered, and they gave New Labour their vote. there have been more than 700 attacks ing secular youth activists as well as the tor Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, who presided Subsequently, thanks to prodding by female activists, trade unionists and Labour over 22 months, as opposed to fewer than Muslim Brotherhood, which won the over a period of unprecedented Islamic politicians such as Harriet Harman, now deputy leader, aspects of women’s lives 90 in the previous 22 months. Harder to greatest share of votes in 2012 elections, radicalisation. We supported the Saudis were, for a short time, reflected more prominently in national priorities and poli- measure is the number of young people is in prison, and those still free face legal and the milder Egyptian dictatorship of cies, including the national minimum wage, childcare support, Sure Start, carers’ radicalised by Sisi’s repression, but we can and extra-legal harassment. The internal Hosni Mubarak, only to watch as their rights and flexible working. assume it is significant and growing. A security apparatus, reinvigorated after the repression produced Al Qaeda and the Since then, the wholesale monetising of society has downgraded what we ought perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. to value, namely time, care and work patterns that do not conform to the alpha- The funny thing is, Sisi didn’t need the male City norm. The ignorance of many women’s lives displayed at Westminster weapons. Egypt has large back stocks, and means females have experienced, since 2010, what feminist economists in the in any case the United States has all along Women’s Budget group call “triple jeopardy”. They have been hit hardest by the provided critical counterterrorism assist- bedroom tax and other benefit changes; by the axing of thousands of public sector ance. What Sisi wanted and needed was a jobs; and by the disintegration of public services, including care for the elderly. signal of full endorsement by the United Add to that the pandemic of underemployment in which overqualified women are States to strengthen his legitimacy. The forced to take part-time dead-end jobs because a “proper” position does not come Obama administration has now duly pro- with the flexibility or the income to pay £10,000 a year for a full-time nursery place. vided this gift. And in return for what? This is not about “women’s issues” — it goes to the heart of the country’s pro- Do we need to pay Sisi to fight radical- ductivity crisis. It is the padlock that means men who want a greater hand in ism? This is another great folly of US bringing up their children cannot afford the lost income. foreign policy: the idea that we have to Children, care and a real career in a part-time occupation are not the only ply dictators with hundreds of millions concerns of women — and may not bother some women at all. But whether they of dollars to get them to do what they are Tory devotees who run successful businesses or election refuseniks strug- already want to do. Sisi is going to fight gling to find a home they can afford, women’s views on the economy, the NHS, radicalism in his special way whether we foreign affairs, taxation, Trident, immigration, the European Union, crime et al is pay him or not. The only difference is our refracted through the prism of their female experience — and that has too small complicity. Now when our “ally” locks up a place in Westminster. and tortures young Egyptians, perhaps Once upon a time, a hope for change lay in the election of more women MPs — converting them to terrorism, they’ll have and Labour’s all-female shortlists helped. In 1997, 101 Labour women MPs had the a bigger target to aim at. indignity of being labelled “Blair’s Babes” . Now, no matter what the permutations We are back on the same old course in of this election, the numbers of female MPs will increase, predicts the Electoral Egypt. It’s the Nixon Doctrine all over Reform Society, from 148 to 192, an all-time high of 29.5 percent of all MPs, even again, and we are falling prey to the same as female electoral disengagement escalates. illusions that dictatorship equals stabil- Paradoxically, unless women vote, a critical mass will never be reached. A critical ity, that brutal repression is the answer mass, in all the parties, means that the chances of the unthinkable becomes the to radicalism. We lionise Sisi just as we eminently reasonable. Free universal childcare? Free social care? Decent benefits lionised the shah, Mubarak and the other for the first six months of unemployment? A citizen’s income? Policies that are sus- Middle East dictators before him. He is tainable and paid for by more women on decent salaries, off benefits, paying taxes. our guy, right up until the day his regime In May, female politicians, whether on the backbenches or in cabinet, will Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi giving a statement in Cairo after a meeting with the collapses. Geopolitical godsend? Try geo- continue as visitors in an old boys’ club. One that is arid, bland, white and pri- Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. political time bomb. vately educated, blindly ruling Westminster as the institution’s very foundations BLOOMBERG crumble away. THE GUARDIAN MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 MIDDLE EAST 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Saudi to raze deserted border villages: Report Red Cross gets nod from coalition for Yemen aid

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will the Saudi-led military coalition, The coalition says it has set up raze 96 deserted border villages an ICRC spokeswoman said. a special coordination body for aid to prevent their use by infiltra- The aid agency has been negoti- deliveries and asked NGOs and tors from neighbouring Yemen, ating for nearly a week to deliver governments to work with it to where the kingdom is leading life-saving supplies and equip- ensure humanitarian aid can be air strikes on rebels, a report ment to Yemen, where the coa- brought into Yemen and foreign said yesterday. lition has conducted 11 days of nationals can be evacuated safely. Ten villages have already been air strikes against Iran-backed The ICRC deploys 300 aid demolished since a Saudi-led mili- Shi’ite Houthis. The coalition now workers, including foreigners, tary coalition began air strikes on controls the country’s ports and in Yemen, the Arab peninsula’s Shia Houthi rebels on March 26, air space. poorest country. On Saturday it the Saudi-owned Al-Hayat news- “We have received permis- called for a 24-hour humanitarian paper reported. It cited the border sion from the coalition for two pause in the conflict to allow aid to guard chief in the area, Hassan planes now, one carrying sup- reach people cut off by air strikes Aqili, as saying that the move plies and one with staff,” ICRC and to save the lives of “streams Yemenis dig through the rubble of a building, reportedly targeted by Shia Houthi rebels yesterday in the Crater was to prevent the empty houses spokeswoman Sitara Jabeen told of wounded”. The United Nations district of Aden. The rebels bombarded residential areas, setting fire to several buildings and damaging others. from turning into “a safe haven Reuters yesterday. said on Thursday that more than for traffickers and infiltrators”. The ICRC hoped that the air- 500 people had been killed in two The 15,000 inhabitants were craft could land today in the capi- weeks of fighting in Yemen. resettled following a 2009-2010 tal Sana’a, she said. However, it In a related development, Tribesmen deploy in Mukalla conflict that saw Houthi rebels was still awaiting approval for Algeria evacuated 160 of its citi- cross into Saudi Arabia from their an ICRC surgical team it plans zens from Yemen, national news ADEN: Armed Yemeni tribes- with troops at a checkpoint before may offer AQAP an opportunity stronghold in northern Yemen. to bring by boat into the south- agency APS reported. President men deployed in the streets of dawn yesterday, killing two sol- to entrench in Yemen’s sprawl- The same rebels forced Yemeni ern city of Aden, where fighting Abdelaziz Bouteflika called for the Mukalla yesterday, residents diers, tribal sources said. One ing eastern Hadramawt prov- President Abdrabuh Mansur remains intense. operation after monitoring the said, pushing Al Qaeda fighters tribal fighter was killed, they said. ince, although they appeared to Hadi to flee the country to Saudi In Riyadh, a spokesman for the deteriorating security situation out of much of the eastern port A citizen’s group in the port city withdraw from much of Mukalla Arabia last month as they swept Saudi-led coalition said arrange- in Yemen in recent days, foreign town three days after the mili- calling itself the Popular Committee without offering serious resist- towards his southern refuge in ments had been made for at least minister Ramtane Lamamra said. tants overran it. for Security and Defence issued ance. Local officials and residents Aden after seizing power in the one Red Cross aid delivery yester- Algeria has refused to pro- The tribal fighters entered a statement calling for residents said that Al Qaeda fighters had capital. day morning, but the ICRC had vide manpower from its power- Mukalla on Saturday, pledg- and employees to defend hospitals completely pulled out of the port Three Saudi border guards pulled out of the arrangement. ful armed forces for the coalition ing to restore security after the and public buildings, to prevent a town. But witnesses later said have been shot dead by gunfire “There was a trip fixed for carrying out air strikes against militants broke into its jail on repeat of Thursday’s looting. militants were still present in from within Yemen since Riyadh them at 9 this morning ... They Houthi rebels. APS added that 40 Thursday, freed a local Al Qaeda One of the prisoners freed some neighbourhoods. launched air raids against the informed us, after the time was Tunisians, 15 Mauritians, eight leader, ransacked banks and took from Mukalla prison on Thursday Elsewhere in Hadramawt, resi- Iran-backed rebels. set, of a request to delay the Libyans, three Moroccans and a over local government buildings, was named by Yemeni officials dents of Al Qatn town reported Meanwhile, the International flight,” Brigadier General Ahmed Palestinian were also flown out of residents said. as Khaled Batarfi, a prominent explosions and heavy gunfire Committee Red Cross hopes to Asseri told reporters, adding that Sana’a to Cairo on a plane pro- The turmoil in Mukalla is member of Al Qaeda in the as suspected Al Qaeda fighters bring vital medical supplies and this was because the company vided by Algerian national carrier another sign of Yemen’s collapsed Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) who attacked an army base housing aid workers into Yemen today from which they had chartered Air Algerie. AGENCIES central authority. Just outside was arrested four years ago. troops allied to the Houthis. after receiving approval from the plane could not fly to Yemen. Mukalla, the tribesmen fought The current security vacuum REUTERS

Gaddafi’s palaces reduced to wasteland Kuwait top court upholds

TRIPOLI: The sprawling palace compounds from which Libyan jail term for activist leader Muammar Gaddafi ruled for four decades have been KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s the Emir at an opposition gather- reduced to garbage dumps and Supreme Court yesterday ing in 2012. The Supreme Court is pet markets by the 2011 revolu- upheld a two-year jail sentence due to hear his appeal on April 13. tion which toppled him. for opposition activist Ayyad The public prosecutor, mean- In the heart of Tripoli, the Al Harbi over tweets deemed while, freed on bail two Shia once feared but now humbled offensive to the Gulf state’s activists after they had been held Bab Al Aziziya compound resem- ruler. for five days for questioning over bles a wasteland. During his Harbi, a journalist in his 20s at tweets about Yemen, their lawyer rule, Libyans would be nervous the Sabr news website, has been Jalil Al Tabbakh said. just walking anywhere near the behind bars since May after an Khaled Al Shatti, a lawyer fortress-like seat of the Gaddafi appeals court confirmed the origi- and former MP, and Salah Al regime. “People were afraid even nal prison sentence. Online activ- Fadhli, a writer and academic, to look at the walls, for fear of ists strongly criticised the ruling, were arrested on Wednesday over being arrested,” said Hassan, a which is final. comments they wrote on Twitter Tripoli taxi driver. They said Harbi had only re- deemed offensive to the Emir and All that remains of the com- posted on Twitter verses in which critical of Saudi Arabia. pound, which had been hit in a Iraqi poet Ahmad Matar blasted The tweets criticised the Saudi- 1986 US air strike before being Arab rulers. Criticising the Emir led air strikes against Houthi pounded by Nato four years ago, is illegal in Kuwait and is con- rebels in Yemen and objected are a few ruined buildings, the sidered an offence against state to Kuwait taking part in the green flooring of Gaddafi’s home security. Those convicted can be operation. and a dug-up network of under- jailed for up to five years. Tabbakh said in a statement ground tunnels. Harbi is among several online the public prosecutor agreed The monument of a gold-col- activists currently in prison. to free the two on bail of 3,000 oured fist clenching a US fighter Rubble of slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s former palace inside the Bab Al Aziziya compound. In February, former lawmaker dinars ($10,000) each pending plane was vandalised and sent off Mussallam Al Barrak was sen- further investigation. to Misrata, a rebel bastion dur- grounds by knocking down adja- of the compound when they cap- have converted his more than tenced to two years for insulting AFP ing the revolt which ousted and cent neighbourhoods. tured it in August 2011. Homeless 25-acre palace grounds and bar- killed Gaddafi. At a safe distance Bab Al Aziziya “was a symbol families moved into the few build- racks into a marketplace to sell from his people, Gaddafi lived of the Gaddafi era. Today, we have ings left standing, and initial birds, dogs and other pets. “We behind fortified walls with his destroyed this symbol, we have plans to turn Bab Al Aziziya into dreamt of a better life after the wife, their children, close advis- demolished and razed it to the a national park have not materi- fall of Gaddafi, but here we are ers and guards. ground,” said Adel Mohammed alised. The walls are splattered in his ruins,” sighed Mohammed Northern Iraq’s displaced Apart from the bedouin tents Farina, tourism ministry spokes- with graffiti and revolutionary Suleiman, 43, surrounded by on which Gaddafi prided him- man of a Tripoli-based govern- slogans — some with the names children. self and which accommodated ment. “He (Gaddafi) will be of fighters killed in the battle for “This is a powerful message to get own radio station him on travels abroad, the com- mentioned briefly in history books the compound. the new rulers of Libya. If Gaddafi pound once showcased a zoo, an and documentaries but nothing Another of Gaddafi’s homes in had given us freedom and treated indoor pool, countless murals of his will remain as it is,” said Sabha in the south of the country us with dignity, with a decent AINKAWA: A radio station Kurdish and federal Iraqi and a fairground in its gar- Farina. has suffered the same fate. In the standard of living, he would still catering specifically to northern forces, backed by a US-led inter- dens. Gaddafi had expanded the Rebels hastily bulldozed much eastern city of Benghazi, traders have been here.” AFP Iraq’s large displaced population national coalition and Iran, are began broadcasting yesterday waging a war to retake swathes of near the Kurdish capital Arbil. land lost last year to the Islamic “This radio station is for all State group (IS). those who were forced from However, it could be months their homes, for all the refugees,” or years before all of the dis- Erdogan to visit Video shows IS destroying Iraqi artefacts Pascal Gollnisch said in Radio placed are able to return to their Al-Salam’s inaugural broadcast. homes. BAGHDAD: The Islamic State group has at a statue with a pickaxe. The destroyed Gollnisch is a French The station aims “to send out released a video in which militants can artefacts as seen on the video have metal Catholic priest whose organi- a message of peace, a message Iran tomorrow be seen using rifles and sledgehammers rebar inside them, leaving it unclear whether sation L’Oeuvre d’Orient helps of coexistence to the communi- TEHRAN: Turkish President Recep to destroy artefacts at the ancient city of they are reconstructed originals or recent Christians in the Middle East and ties,” Falah Mustafa, the head Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Iran tomorrow Hatra in Iraq. replicas. backed the new station. of Kurdistan’s foreign relations despite a war of words between the neigh- Destruction at the Unesco world heritage Hatra is an extremely well-preserved city He is part of a delegation of department, told reporters. bouring countries over conflicts from Syria site had already been confirmed by the UN’s with a unique mix of eastern and western several French groups supporting The Nineveh plain between the to Yemen, Tehran confirmed. cultural agency a month ago. architecture, located in a desert area about the broadcaster, which will put main IS hub of Mosul and Arbil There had been calls from Iranian con- The latest, undated video was released on 100km southwest of the northern jihadist hub out several hours of programming was home to a very ethnically servatives for the visit to be cancelled after April 3, a day after the IS group lost the city of Mosul. daily on 95.5 FM. and religiously diverse population, Erodgan accused Tehran of backing “ter- of Tikrit to government and allied forces, its The destruction there began around a “As its name suggests, it is most of which fled to Kurdistan rorist” rebels in the face of an air campaign biggest military setback yet in Iraq. month ago and came after IS militants also a radio station for peace, that last summer. The displaced who in Yemen led by its Riyadh. But the for- “The Islamic State has sent us to these idols damaged the site of Iraq’s ancient Assyrian also gives practical help in the found shelter there include peo- eign ministry confirmed yesterday that the to break them because they are worshipped city of Nimrud and destroyed dozens of pieces daily lives of all the displaced,” ple from the Christian, Yazidi, scheduled state visit would go ahead. instead of God,” says one of two militants from the museum in Mosul. Gollnisch said. Kaka’i, Shabak, Turkmen and It will be Erodgan’s second official visit to speaking to the camera. Unesco has condemned IS’ systematic cam- Some 2.5 million people have other minorities. Iran. In January 2014, he visited as prime “Some apostate organisations have said that paign against Iraq’s rich heritage as a war been displaced by conflict in Radio Al-Salam is hosted by minister. Turkey is the key backer of rebels destroying such antiquities is a war crime, so crime. In a tweet posted after the release of Iraq since the beginning of 2014. another media group in Ainkawa, fighting to overthrow Syrian President we will destroy them,” he said. the latest video, Unesco said: “We must stand Around half are hosted by the a Christian town on the edge Bashar Al Assad. Iran is his main regional The video shows militants knocking sculp- up against forces that seek to divide Iraq. They northern autonomous region of Arbil where many of the supporter. tures off the walls of a building, shooting at attack the humanity we all share.” of Kurdistan, which has also Christians displaced last summer AFP them with an assault rifle and hacking away AFP received Syrian refugees. live in camps. AFP MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 EUROPE / AMERICAS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 UKIP predicts more defections Cameron’s approval ratings turn positive ahead of UK election: Poll

LONDON: Several lawmakers underlining the unpredictability from British Prime Minister of the May 7 vote, in which no David Cameron’s Conservatives one party is expected to secure will join the anti-EU UK an outright majority. Independence Party if he The YouGov/Sunday Times renews a coalition with the pro- poll, carried out after a major TV EU Liberal Democrats, UKIP’s debate this week, found 47 per- leader Nigel Farage said. cent of those surveyed thought Cameron, whose party has Cameron was doing well as prime been in coalition with the Liberal minister, compared to 46 percent Pope Francis waves as he delivers a “Urbi et Orbi” message from the Democrats since 2010, has prom- who said he was doing badly - his balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican City yesterday. ised a referendum on Britain’s first net positive rating since May membership of the European 2011. Union by the end of 2017 if he is Opposition Labour leader Ed re-elected next month. Miliband, whose personal popu- Pope urges end to Two Conservative lawmakers larity lags his party’s, also saw defected to UKIP last year and a boost. YouGov said 33 percent several other eurosceptic mem- thought he was doing well as bers of Cameron’s party were party leader, up from 30 percent rumoured to be considering fol- last month, but still outweighed ‘absurd violence’ lowing suit at the time. by the 59 percent who thought he “There are Tory (Conservative) was doing badly. VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis think in particular of the young backbenchers who do not want The main TV debate of Britain’s appealed yesterday for an end people who were killed last a coalition again with Liberal national election campaign on to “absurd violence” in hotspots Thursday at Garissa University Democrat leader Nick Clegg Thursday yielded no clear victor around the world and said the College in Kenya,” he said. under any circumstances,” Farage with four opinion polls producing international community must Earlier Francis greeted pilgrims said in an interview in the Sunday four different winners. not stand by in the face of the personally as he rode through the Times newspaper. An Opinium/Observer poll on “immense humanitarian trag- flower-bedecked square aboard “If Cameron comes back as Saturday showed it had also done edy” in Syria and Iraq. his open Popemobile after presid- prime minister in a coalition deal little to sway voters, with Labour In his traditional Easter mes- ing over Easter mass. with Clegg and the terms of the and the Conservatives neck-and- sage, the 78-year-old pontiff said Francis also said the framework referendum are on Clegg lines not neck on 33 percent each. he was praying for those killed nuclear accord reached between Farage lines then you may very That was echoed by YouGov in armed conflict, including the Iran and six major world powers well see a more serious fracture poll, which put the Conservatives students massacred by Somali inspired hope for “a definitive step in the Conservative Party,” he on 34 percent, down 3 points gunmen at a university in Kenya. toward a more secure and frater- said. from their pre-debate level, while Tens of thousands of pilgrims nal world”. The Pope pleaded for “They are terms which I find Labour were down 2 points on 33 huddled under a sea of umbrellas “absurd bloodshed and all barba- wholly unacceptable and all those percent. in a rain-soaked St Peter’s Square rous acts of violence” in Libya to Tory backbenchers would too,” he Scottish nationalist leader to hear the Pope deliver his “Urbi be halted, and voiced his “desire added, predicting “more than a Nicola Sturgeon, whose party is et Orbi” (To the City and World) for peace, for the good of the entire handful” would defect. expected to capture many Labour blessing, broadcast live to dozens people” in Yemen and Ukraine. With most polls showing the seats in Scotland and could hold of countries. Francis said: “Those who bear Conservatives neck-and-neck the balance of power after the In his third Easter message within them God’s power, his with the opposition Labour Party election, came across the best of since his election as Pope in 2013, love and his justice, do not need ahead of the May 7 election, nei- Prime Minister David Cameron feeds an orphaned lamb during an Easter the seven leaders in the debate by the head of the world’s 1.2 bil- to employ violence.” Francis also ther is expected to win a majority visit to Dean Lane Farm near Chadlington, southern England, yesterday. far, the YouGov poll found. lion Catholics prayed “for peace, sounded his trademark appeal to outright, leaving smaller parties Polls have shown the Scottish above all, for Syria and Iraq, that the rich and powerful to care for vying to extract concessions in for his backing. approval rating has edged into National Party (SNP), which led the roar of arms may cease”. He the world’s poor and downtrodden, return for their support. UKIP, who are expected to win positive for the first time in nearly a failed bid for Scottish independ- called on the international com- saying: “The world proposes that The Financial Times reported as many as six seats at the elec- four years ahead of a national ence last year, could win more munity to “not stand by before the we put ourselves forward at all this week that Clegg, who only tion, have said they will support election next month, according than 40 of Scotland’s 59 seats in immense humanitarian tragedy costs, that we compete.” Instead, favours holding an EU referen- a minority Conservative govern- to a poll published yesterday. the British parliament. Yesterday, unfolding in these countries and Christians should “seek to live in dum if more powers are trans- ment in return for a referendum The improvement in Cameron’s Sturgeon again denied that she had the drama of the numerous refu- service to one another, not to be ferred to Brussels, could demand by the end of 2015. personal rating did not translate said privately she wanted Cameron gees” created by the two conflicts. arrogant, but rather respectful and including under-18s and EU Meanwhile, British Prime into a widening poll lead for his to remain prime minister. He also prayed for the victims ready to help,” he said. migrants in the vote in return Minister David Cameron’s net Conservative Party however, REUTERS of Thursday’s attack in Kenya. “I AFP British teenagers arrested French Muslim leader calls Regulator on terrorism offences ‘unaware’ LONDON: Two teenagers from northern England have been for doubling of mosques arrested on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism, British police said yesterday. A 14-year-old boy from Blackburn and a of co-pilot’s 16-year-old girl from Manchester were arrested on Thursday and LE BOURGET: One of France’s rooms, of unfinished mosques, and struggles in its former North Friday respectively as part of an ongoing investigation and have top Muslim leaders has called there are a lot of mosques that African colonies and the legacy both been bailed until May 28, Greater Manchester Police said. The for the number of mosques to are not being built,” he added at of immigrants trapped in some depression boy was arrested on “suspicion of preparing for an act of terrorism” double over the next two years the Muslim gathering, billed as of the country’s poorest districts. following the examination of several electronic devices, police said, to remedy a shortage of places the largest in the Western world. Apart from physical acts, anti- BERLIN: Germany’s aviation while the girl was arrested “on suspicion of engaging in conduct in of worship for the country’s mil- This annual convention of the Muslim sentiment in the coun- regulator said yesterday that it preparation for acts of terrorism”. Police said the arrests were not lions of faithful. Union of Islamic Organisations try varies from mayors refusing had no previous knowledge of linked to the case of nine British nationals from nearby Rochdale, Speaking at a weekend gath- of France (UOIF), which groups to have mosques built to resist- Germanwings co-pilot Andreas who were detained by Turkish security forces earlier this week as ering of French Islamic organi- together more than 250 Muslim ance to halal meals being served Lubitz’s struggle with severe they apparently attempted to enter Syria. sations, where participants associations, comes just months in prisons or schools. depression before the disaster asked for respect in the face of after jihadist gunmen killed 17 Participants at the gather- in the French Alps. Obama, family attend Easter service a rise in anti-Muslim attacks, people in and near Paris. ing — which while organised by A spokeswoman for the Federal Dalil Boubakeur said the 2,200 Since then, there has been a the UOIF, a group close to the Aviation Office (LBA) said that WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama attended a spirited mosques in the country did not marked rise in Islamophobia in Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, parent company Lufthansa had Easter service at a historic black church yesterday, in keeping with adequately represent Europe’s France, with 167 acts against ranged from liberal to ultra-con- given it “no information about the the first family’s tradition of visiting local Washington area con- largest Muslim community. mosques or threats recorded in servative — denounced violence medical background” of Lubitz, gregations. The President, his wife Michelle and their two teenaged “We need double (that number) January alone compared to just committed in the name of Islam. who prosecutors allege deliberately daughters attended the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, within two years,” the head of the 14 in the same month last year. “We are loyal to our country, crashed the plane last month, kill- Virginia, its pews filled with congregants who could barely contain French Muslim Council and rec- France has long had a diffi- France. We love God, we love our ing all 150 people on board. their excitement over the visit. “How fitting that on the day we cel- tor of the Paris mosque said in cult relationship with its Muslim Prophet (PBUH), but we also love In particular, Lufthansa phy- ebrate the rising of our Lord and Savior, we also welcome our sitting the town of Le Bourget near the minority — currently estimated the French Republic,” said Amar sicians who examined Lubitz did president,” Pastor Howard-John Wesley said to applause from enthu- capital. at between four and five mil- Lasfar, UOIF head. not make the authorities aware siastic worshippers, whom he urged to keep their cellphones in their “There are a lot of prayer lion — that dates back to bloody AFP of an “earlier phase of serious pockets and purses. “This is not selfie time,” he said to laughter. The depression”, said the LBA, which congregation, including the president, rose to their feet during a rous- issues pilots’ licences. It said it ing hymn sung by the choir, with Obama bobbing his head, clapping, first learned of Lubitz’s mental and swaying to the accompaniment by a live band. Six Ukrainian soldiers killed health problems when it gained access to his file at Lufthansa’s Italy rescues 1,500 migrants Aeromedical Centre on March 27, three days after the crash. ROME: Italian navy and coast guard ships rescued around 1,500 The LBA spokeswoman was migrants aboard five boats in the southern Mediterranean in less confirming a report in the Welt than 24 hours, officials said yesterday. All of the migrants were res- am Sonntag newspaper. The report cued on Saturday by two coast guard ships and one navy ship in five said Lubitz had been examined at separate operations, the coast guard said in a statement. Three of least six times by Lufthansa doc- the migrants’ boats were in difficulty and sent rescue requests via tors since 2009 but after a psycho- satellite phones while they were off the coast of Libya. The Italian logical test was ordered that year, vessels spotted the other two while heading for the others. The no further mental health evalua- migrants were all transboarded onto the Italian ships and were tions were carried out. being taken to either the island of Lampedusa or ports in Sicil. The newspaper quoted Lufthansa as saying that it declined 25 killed, 125 missing in Chile floods to comment due to the ongoing investigation into the crash of the SANTIAGO: Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet visited the flood- flight. Lufthansa chief Carsten hit north of the country where at least 25 people died and 125 oth- Spohr has said the airline was ers are still missing, vowing to “rebuild” the stricken region. Flash unaware of any health issues that floods across the Atacama area, home to the world’s driest desert, could have compromised Lubitz’s submerged entire towns and left thousands of people homeless. “We fitness to fly, calling him “100-per- stand with you, as we have from the beginning, and we will rebuild,” cent airworthy”. But the German Bachelet said as she toured the region. “It pains me to see my country flag carrier acknowledged last in such a state... we will find a solution.” Bachelet had cancelled a trip week that Lubitz had informed to a regional summit to cope with the crisis in Atacama, where entire its flight school in mid-2009, when buildings were reduced to rubble and towns were caked in mud after resuming training after a lengthy devastating landslides. The death toll could increase further with A man and a girl feed pigeons in front of a statue of late Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin on the central square in the medical absence, that he had suf- 125 still missing, officials said. The number of missing was recently eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. At least six Ukrainian servicemen were killed in separatist attacks yesterday. fered from “previous episode of increased by 24 people following a new count by emergency officials. severe depression”. AGENCIES AFP MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / AFRICA Law graduate named as Kenya massacre killer as country mourns

NAIROBI: Kenya yesterday Kenyatta said people’s “justi- what Kenyatta described as a while the Cairo-based top Sunni interior ministry said. A $215,000 heard from his daughter when began three days of national fied anger” should not lead to “the “barbaric medieval slaughter”. Muslim body Al Azhar has con- bounty has also been offered for she called him on Thursday say- mourning for the 148 people victimisation of anyone” — a clear The massacre claimed the demned the “terrorist act com- alleged Shabaab commander ing, “Terrorists have come and massacred by Somalia’s Shabaab reference to Kenya’s large Muslim lives of 142 students, three police mitted by Somalia’s Shabaab”. Mohamed Mohamud, a former I’m hiding under the bed.” Koech militants at a university as and Somali minorities. officers and three soldiers. Top On Saturday, Shabaab warned Kenyan teacher said to be the said identification of corpses authorities identified one of the Authorities announced that Muslim leader Hassan Ole Naado of a “long, gruesome war” unless mastermind behind the attack. was difficult because the “bul- gunmen as a smart law graduate. they had identified one of the also offered his condolences. Kenya withdrew its troops from Forensic investigators aided by lets have deformed the heads” Hundreds packed Nairobi’s four dead Shabaab gunmen as an “Kenya is at war, and we must Somalia, and threatened “another foreign experts continued to scour of the victims. Anglican cathedral where ethnic Somali Kenyan national all stand together,” said Naado, bloodbath”. the site where one student survi- There has been growing criti- Archbishop Eliud Wabukala said who was a A-grade pupil and the deputy head of the Supreme Hours after the Shebab’s warn- vor emerging unharmed from a cism in the media that criti- Easter services were overshad- law graduate — highlighting Al Council of Kenya Muslims, saying ing, police in Garissa paraded four wardrobe on Saturday where she cal intelligence warnings were owed by “great and terrible evil” Qaeda-linked Shabaab’s ability to the organisation was helping to corpses of the gunmen piled on had hidden for over two days. missed, and that special forces as police patrolled outside. recruit within Kenya. raise money for the funerals of top of each other face down in the The remaining 600 trauma- units took seven hours to reach “These terrorists want to cause Interior ministry spokesman those killed and the medical costs back of a pick-up truck. Five men tised student survivors from the the university, some 365km from divisions in our society, but we Mwenda Njoka said it was “criti- of the scores of wounded. have also been arrested in con- now-closed college have since the capital. shall tell them, ‘You will never cal that parents whose children “We deeply feel the pain of the nection with the attack, including left Garissa, boarding buses for Foreign Minister Amina prevail,’” the archbishop said. go missing or show tendencies of loss of young lives,” he added in three “coordinators” captured as their home towns. Over 200 fam- Mohamed defended the response, Flags were at half mast and having been exposed to violent a statement, warning that the they fled towards Somalia, and ily members of those killed con- saying “fighting terrorism... is like although President Uhuru extremism report to authorities”. Shebab was aiming to “create two others in the university. tinue their agonising wait for the being a goalkeeper. You have 100 Kenyatta has vowed to retaliate The militants attacked the uni- religious conflict”. Political and The two arrested on campus remains of their loved ones at the saves, and nobody remembers “in the severest way possible”, versity in the northeastern town religious leaders have condemned included a security guard and a main mortuary in Nairobi. them. They remember that one there have also been calls for of Garissa at dawn, lining up non- the attacks. Pope Francis called Tanzanian found “hiding in the One of them was 50-year- that went past you”. national unity. Muslim students for execution in the killings “senseless brutality”, ceiling” and holding grenades, the old Abraham Koech, who last AFP

Philippines sets Tokyo, Okinawa two crew in cockpit rule remain apart in MANILA: The Philippines has become the latest country to require two airline crew in the cockpit at all times, a statement said yesterday, after the co-pilot US base row of a German plane deliberately crashed it last month. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced Protesters rally outside talks venue its decision after investiga- tors concluded co-pilot Andreas TOKYO: Shinzo Abe’s right- outside the permitted zone at the Lubitz intentionally smashed hand man and the governor of site on the island’s northeast coast a Germanwings flight into the Okinawa remained apart in had been damaged and demanded French Alps after locking his col- a lingering row over the con- a halt to the work. league out of the cockpit, killing struction of a US air base at The central government last all 150 people on board. a meeting yesterday ahead of week muscled the governor out of “For aircraft certified for two the Japanese premier’s visit to the way, suspending his stop-work pilots, a flight crew-member, pref- Washington later this month. order, and ahead of Abe’s week- erably male but not necessarily The base’s construction, first long US tour starting on April a pilot, shall be required to be mooted in 1996, has been stymied 26, which will focus on deepening inside the flight deck should one by local opposition from islanders trade and military ties. The prime of the pilots leave the flight deck who say they bear a dispropor- minister will meet US President Huts are seen near the breakwater as children play in the surf in Manila Bay yesterday. for personal reasons,” the regula- tionate burden in hosting more Barack Obama on April 28 during tion read. than half of the 47,000 US service the trip which ends May 3. Abe The authority’s director-gen- personnel stationed in Japan. and Onaga will meet before the Typhoon Maysak makes landfall eral, William Hotchkiss said all In the latest twist in the US tour, the Mainichi Shinbun air operators must revise their two-decade row, Chief Cabinet reported, citing unnamed sources operations manuals to com- Secretary Yoshihide Suga told from the Okinawa government. ply with the new regulation. Governor Takeshi Onaga: “We Fisheries minister Yoshimasa in Luzon town, no casualties Numerous airlines worldwide hope to get your understanding Hayashi on Monday defanged the have introduced a two-person rule on the plan... for maintaining the stop-work order with a suspen- BALER: A super typhoon dis- The tourists, many of whom possibility it could survive by the since the March 24 tragedy. deterrent power of the Japan-US sion while the issue is probed, solved into a tropical depres- had come from Manila and time it hits the water (South alliance.” effectively kicking it into the long sion and made landfall in the nearby areas to enjoy the long China Sea) tomorrow,” she added. However, the Okinawan gov- grass. Suga later told reporters Philippines yesterday, forecast- Easter holidays in the mainly More than 500 boats were also Storm kills 24 ernor countered that while he that the meeting “was the first ers said, easing fears after thou- Catholic nation, breathed a sigh ordered to remain at port in the understood the importance of step for talks between the gov- sands of residents fled remote of relief and dived back into the region, while 10 domestic flights in Bangladesh the alliance with the US, any ernment and Okinawa,” but added coastal villages to avoid poten- still choppy waters on Easter. suspended. The authorities were national security plan must have the government will continue tial giant waves. “We made a calculated risk expected to lift the restrictions DHAKA: A severe storm the Japanese people’s support. work on construction of the base. Maysak, which began as a (that Maysak would dissipate) soon. With the improving condi- sweeping across Bangladesh “Okinawa never voluntarily The once-independent kingdom Super Typhoon in the Pacific and we got lucky. Prayers also tions, local officials will now make killed at least 24 people and offered (land) for bases. I’m con- of Okinawa was annexed by Japan Ocean, reached the northeast helped,” Manila-based television the call on when to send the evacu- injured dozens more, mostly in vinced that it is impossible to con- in the 19th century and was under coast of the main island of Luzon producer Rona Agtay, 39, told ees back home, civil defence director Bogra district in the northern struct a new base”, Onaga said, US control from the end of World at 8am with winds of 55km an AFP as she hit the surf. Alexander Pama told a news con- part of the country, officials referring to a plan to replace the War II in 1945 until 1972. hour, chief state weather fore- State weather forecaster Shelly ference. “We had not received any said yesterday. Women and urban Futenma Air Base with one While most Japanese value caster Esperanza Cayanan said. Ignacio said the super typhoon reports of casualties,” Pama added. children were among the dead, on a rural coastline at Nago. the protection the US alliance “As of now, most of our fears met unfavourable atmospheric Faustino Dy, governor of who included some victims in After the meeting, he told gives them, especially in the con- have melted away,” she told a conditions as it approached land, Isabela province, which includes the capital Dhaka, they said, reporters: “I will never step back text of Beijing’s growing regional news conference shortly after the causing the storm system to dis- Dinapigue, told Manila radio and more than 50 people were on the base issue,” criticising the assertiveness, a sizable proportion depression reached Dinapigue, a sipate dramatically overnight. station DZBB that people were injured and admitted to hospi- government’s top-down approach. of Okinawans want a dramatic remote town on Luzon’s northeast At its current strength, Maysak returning to their coastal homes tals around the country. Hundreds of anti-base pro- reduction in their numbers. coast, about 250km from Manila. can break tree branches and may after Maysak passed over the Shafiqur Reza Biswas, Bogra’s testers rallied outside the hotel The shuttering of Futenma The government had evacu- take the roofs off houses made of area uneventfully. About three chief district administrator, told in Okinawa’s capital Naha where and the opening of a replacement ated more than 25,000 people light materials, while sea travel dozen surfers rode shoulder-high reporters storm killed at least the talks took place, holding base at Nago, 50 kilometres (30 from coastal villages in the region, remains risky for small boats, the waves at the Sabang resort in 14 people killed alone in his dis- banners that read “rescind the miles) away, was first agreed in while police drove away thousands state weather service said in its the Aurora provincial capital of trict, 228km north of Dhaka, relocation plan!” The anti-base 1996 as the US sought to soothe of tourists from beaches on nearby latest bulletin. Baler, while others lounged on Several houses were damaged camp — who want the base off local anger after the gang-rape of Aurora province as a precaution “We expect this system to melt the beach in overcast conditions while trees were uprooted, he Okinawa — struck a blow late last a schoolgirl by servicemen. against potential tsunami-like away as it crosses the moun- with a brisk wind, but no rain, said, adding that power supply month when Onaga said coral just AFP waves known as storm surges. tains, although there is a small witnesses said. AFP had been cut for several hours. This was the first severe storm in the usual spring storm season, weather officials said. African leaders to meet in Thai army holds 10 Khaleda granted activists in south bid to crush Boko Haram BANGKOK: Thailand’s army bail in graft cases said yesterday that 10 Muslim ABUJA: Central and west mounting and increasingly bloody activists remained in custody DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former premier and main African leaders will hold a attacks by the fundamentalists out of a group of 22 detained in opposition leader Khaleda Zia was granted bail summit next week to fine tune against Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon the south on April 2 under mar- in two graft cases yesterday after she appeared their campaign to crush Boko and Chad.” tial law in connection with a car before a special court, a potential sign of easing Haram, who appear to be losing The Malabo summit is being bombing. tension in the politically unstable country. ground in the face of a regional jointly organised by ECOWAS The army detained the activ- Zia appeared amid tight security before a special military offensive. and the Economic Community of ists in raids on student dormi- anti-graft court in the capital, Dhaka, to request bail The April 8 talks will be the Central African States (ECCAS). tories in the southern province more than a month after warrants for her arrest first since Nigeria’s election a Experts from both groups of Narathiwat. The raids drew were issued, her lawyers said. week ago which was won by held a preliminary meetings in the criticism of Human Rights Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has Muhammadu Buhari, a former Cameroon’s economic capital Watch, which demanded an end intensified protests this year in a bid to force Prime military leader who has vowed to Douala to prepare ground for the to arbitrary detentions and the Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and hold a new rid his country of the “terror” the summit, ECOWAS said. group’s immediate release unless vote under a neutral caretaker administration after Islamist militants have sown. “I assure you that Boko Haram charged with a credible offence. a disputed 2014 poll. The BNP refused to take part Boko Haram, whose rampage will soon know the strength of our Four of those detained have in the 2014 general election, saying it was rigged. through northeastern Nigeria has collective will and commitment to confessed to having some connec- Zia’s lawyer, Sanaullah Miah, told reporters she left more than 15,000 people dead rid this nation of terror and bring tion to a car bombing on February had been unable to appear for previous court hear- since 2009, is the region’s most back peace,” Buhari said last week. 20, Thai army Internal Security ings “for health and security reasons”. Her next pressing security problem, having He later told the BBC: “With the Operations Command spokesman court appearance was set for May 5. sent refugees fleeing across bor- co-operation of our neighbours, Pramote Prommin said. Local The 69-year-old former leader has been staying ders and displaced tens of thou- Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the media said that 13 people were in her office in Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave since she sands within Nigeria. international community, and the injured by the blast. The army has was prevented from holding a mass rally on January The west African regional bloc commitment we are going to get released 12 of those detained, and 5, the first anniversary of the disputed election. Zia Khaleda Zia waves as she arrives for a court appearance ECOWAS said that the meeting from the military, I think it will expects to release four more soon, waved to dozens of chanting supporters as she left in Dhaka yesterday. in the Equatorial Guinea capital take us a much shorter time to Pramote said. the court to return to her home. REUTERS Malabo came “in the face of the deal with them.” AFP AGENCIES MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Man kills ex-fiancee and nine of her kin Fugitive had killed own parents, siblings in dowry row

PESHAWAR: A man in north- women were among the dead. Police said they had launched west Pakistan gunned down his Khan said Shah was a fugitive an extensive search, raiding former fiancee and nine of her wanted for the murder of his par- three of his suspected hideouts relatives yesterday six months ents and two elder brothers last and tightening security at entry after murdering his parents year. points to the neighbouring tribal and two brothers for refusing to His family had refused to region where he may try to seek pay his dowry, police said. accept a demand by the father of shelter. The 25-year-old suspect, whom his then-fiancee for a residential Marriages in Pakistan are police named Mir Ahmad Shah, plot as a dowry settlement. usually arranged, and often take was on the run after carrying Gulzar Khan, another police place between cousins. out the pre-dawn attack with official, said after murdering Brides’ families sometimes an AK-47 assault rifle in the members of his own direct fam- demand a hefty dowry as a form Charsadda district of Khyber ily, Shah became enraged at his of insurance in case the marriage Pakhtunkhwa province. prospective in-laws for making ends in divorce. “He stormed the house and the demand. Dowry in Islam is paid by the killed all 10 family members while He was also the second cousin groom or his family to the bride at they were asleep,” district police of his former fiancee, said Abdul the time of marriage in the form chief Shafiullah Khan said. Rashid, another senior police of money or gifts. M ourners gather around the bodies of relatives after their killing in Peshawar yesterday. He said two children and four officer. AFP

Sri Lankan president Taliban publish ‘RPG-loving’ Mullah Omar’s biography arrives in Pakistan KABUL: The Afghan Taliban 19th year as supreme leader, grenade launcher as Omar’s “pre- Daesh influence in their ranks,” territory in Iraq and Syria has KARACHI: Sri Lanka’s yesterday published a descrip- described him as being actively ferred weapon of choice”. said Ahmad Sayedi, an expert on never formally acknowledged new president Maithripala tive biography of their “charis- involved in “jihadi activities”, dis- The withdrawn, remote the Taliban, alluding to the Arabic having a presence in Afghanistan. Sirisena arrived in Pakistan matic” supreme leader Mullah pelling speculation that he had figure has hardly ever been abbreviation for the IS group. In February, a US-led Nato yesterday for a three-day Omar, in a surprise move appar- died. photographed. “This announcement is also drone strike killed a former state visit, after making his ently to counter the creeping Despite being “regularly The US State Department, meant to show that Omar is alive Taliban commander and a first overseas trip as leader influence of the Islamic State tracked by the enemy, no major which has a $10m bounty on his and well and in control as the Guantanamo detainee suspected to India. (IS) group within insurgent change and disruption has been head, only describes him as a tall supreme leader of the Taliban.” of links to IS in the volatile south- Pakistan and Sri Lanka have ranks. observed in the routine works of male with a shrapnel wound to In the past 13 years, Omar has ern province of Helmand. traditionally enjoyed strong The Taliban have reportedly (Omar) in... organising the jihadi the right eye. stayed out of the public eye amid Mullah Abdul Rauf Khadim, ties, particularly over defence, seen defections to IS in recent activities as the leader of the The Taliban’s surprise move to growing power struggles within who led around 300 men, had with Islamabad providing months, with some insurgents Islamic Emirate,” it said. release the richly-detailed biogra- the Taliban and fears of the IS reportedly defected from the military assistance during its expressing disaffection with the “He keenly follows and inspects phy, even describing his personal group’s influence in their ranks Taliban to IS. neighbour’s war against Tamil one-eyed warrior-cleric who has the... activities against the brutal and family life, took security ana- as an ideological rival. The whereabouts of Omar Tiger guerrillas that ended in not been seen since the 2001 infidel foreign invaders.” lysts by surprise. The Afghan government has remain a mystery but he is 2009. US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Lionising the “charismatic “The Taliban have posted also raised the ominous pros- believed to be leading the Taliban Sirisena swept to power in The biography, posted just after personality”, the biography also Omar’s biography for several pect of IS making inroads into insurgency in Afghanistan from a January, ending a decade of midnight on the Taliban’s main contained anecdotes of battlefield strategic reasons — the most the country, though the group hiding place somewhere near the rule by Mahinda Rajapakse, website to commemorate Omar’s valour and described the RPG-7 important of which is to counter that has taken over swathes of borders. AFP and has moved to reduce China’s influence, which had irked India. He made his first overseas visit as leader to India in February, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi IB helps resolve 30 Karachi by-elections: Army or returning the favour last month. Modi made a highly symbolic visit to the country’s Rangers could be deployed war-ravaged northern Tamil terror cases in KP heartland. Pakistan’s foreign office said ISLAMABAD: The apprehended along with a truck- ISLAMABAD: The Election expect free and fair elections and and fear. Observers are of the Sirisena would meet his coun- Intelligence Bureau (IB), the load of explosives,” he said. Commission of Pakistan is has sought the deployment of mil- view that the PTI’s popularity in terpart Mamnoon Hussain and country’s premier civil spy Sultan, whose term in office most likely to deploy the army itary force in and outside polling Karachi is fast growing and for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agency, has resolved 30 major was extended by the prime minis- or Rangers for the forthcoming stations. PTI and MQM workers the same reason it has become the today. It said several memo- terrorism cases in Khyber ter on Friday, said major reforms NA-246 Karachi by-elections. have clashed a few times as the most serious threat to the MQM. randums of understanding or Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the are being carried out in IB and A commission source said yes- Tehreek-e-Insaf ran its election Meanwhile, the commission has agreements on cooperation in past six weeks after receiving the process will continue for the terday that the commission had campaign in MQM’s stronghold unveiled the schedule for local various fields would be signed instructions from the prime next six months. not yet received any requests — Azizabad. government elections in Khyber- after talks. minister to use all its resources He said the prime minister has from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf On one occasion, PTI candidate Pakhtunkhwa (KP). for counter-terror operations. assigned him the responsibility to (PTI) but as the situation devel- Imran Ismail’s car was attacked The multi-tier elections will be Soldier, 36 rebels According to IB Director restore the credibility and effi- ops, the army or Rangers would and its windows were broken by held on May 30 and the results General Aftab Sultan, the accused ciency of the agency which has be deployed. MQM workers. will be announced on June 7, killed in Afghanistan were involved in the killing of 275 been systematically harmed dur- “We have heard that the PTI On Friday night, an election according to the schedule to be KABUL: A soldier from people. ing the past 25 to 30 years. “We has sent a request, which we camp of the PTI was attacked by formally announced by the com- Afghan National Army was “I have been directed by the have been provided with sufficient may receive on Monday (today),” MQM workers. Later, the same mission today. killed in a landmine explo- prime minister to focus on curb- budget to upgrade our technical the source said, adding that the camp was removed. The PTI The province, where Khan’s sion and 36 insurgents died ing anti-terror activities across capabilities so IB could become a request would be considered by blames the MQM leadership for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is in in military operations across the country, so we have launched modern spy agency,” he said. the commission, which is most doing all this but the latter said power, will see elections after the country in the past major operations in Sindh and He said IB officials are being likely to engage the army or there are no such directives to nearly 10 years as the last elec- 24 hours, the Ministry of KP,” Sultan said. trained to gain modern skills to Rangers. workers. The MQM says party toral exercise was conducted Defence said in a statement He said KP operations were meet modern day challenges and In its letter, the PTI has workers may be reacting follow- in 2005 under the local gov- yesterday. conducted with support of the IB has set up its modern tracking reportedly informed the com- ing provocative speeches of PTI ernment system introduced by The statement issued by provincial police chief and similar systems in Karachi, Sindh, KP, mission about recent attacks by leaders against Altaf Hussain. then military strongman Pervez General Zahir Azimi did not operations are being carried out Islamabad and Lahore. MQM workers on PTI workers Many believe the PTI may Musharraf. provide the exact location of in Sindh and Punjab with success. To a question about political and its leader, Imran Ismail, who not be able to beat the MQM in The incumbent legislature, the explosion and said it took He said a horrible terror activ- use of IB, Sultan said he served is contesting from the NA-246 Azizabad, but the courageous elec- however, has adopted a multi-tier place in the past 24 hours. ity was prevented in Quetta last two terms with IB and neither constituency. tion campaign of Imran Khan’s local government system for KP It said 36 insurgents were month through surveillance. former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani The commission is also told party has changed the dynamics which envisages village councils killed in Maidan Wardak, “It had the potential of becom- nor the incumbent premier had that PTI workers are also receiv- of Karachi politics. for rural areas and neighbour- Paktika and Farah provinces ing another catastrophic inci- directed him to use its resources ing threats of ‘dire consequences’. Khan has said he would rid the hood councils for urban centres in the past 24 hours. Seventeen dent like Peshawar APS attack for political victimisation. The PTI fears that with such city of Karachi and its residents to be headed by nazims and naib bombs were defused by security but luckily the culprits were INTERNEWS tactics from opponents, they don’t of the environment of harassment nazims. INTERNEWS forces during the operations. Afghan National Security forces are conducting anti- Military drill terrorism operations in dif- ferent parts of the country, including Operation Zulfiqar in Sufficient power at low cost the restive Helmand province. Officials said operations were successfully continuing. core of Pakistan’s new policy Landmine blast LAHORE: The federal govern- the shortest possible period. ment of Pakistan is likely to The policy would be the kills 7 of family announce the new power gen- improved version of the existing KABUL: Seven members of eration policy 2015 with objec- Power Generation Policy 2002 to a family were killed in a land- tives to provide sufficient power facilitate interested firms — for- mine blast in Afghanistan’s at minimum cost. eign and local — to set up power Logar province, reports It will also highlight the impor- generation projects while pro- said. A civilian vehicle that tance of exploiting indigenous moting a healthy competition of was travelling from Kabul resources to overcome the energy investment, said the official. to Baraki Barak District crisis. Only solicited projects via of Logar province passed “In the final stage of policy for- International Competitive Bidding through a landmine, leaving mation, input from all stakehold- based on lowest evaluated levelled seven people, including two ers (provinces) was invited and tariff or solicitation of discount children, dead. Abdul Hakim would be sent to the Council of on upfront or benchmark tariff Ishqzai, provincial police chief Common Interest for approval,” determined by National Electric of the province, confirmed said an official of the Water and Power Regulatory Authority the incident and said all vic- Power Ministry. would be considered for approval. tims belonged to same family. The PML-N, during its election The government will also No group has claimed respon- Afghan National Army soldiers attend an exercise on the outskirts of Herat, Afghanistan, yesterday. campaign, had announced to over- announce tax rebates and conces- sibility. AGENCIES come the electricity crisis within sions for investors. INTERNEWS MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA

Lightning in Kolkata Former TN Rescue from Yemen minister goes on war-footing arrested CHENNAI: AIADMK leader and former agriculture minis- ter “Agri” S S Krishnamoorthy 806 head home; all nationals evacuated from Aden has been arrested in connection with the suicide of an engineer NEW DELHI: India yesterday Navy.” She also tweeted: “Thanks all hospitality and confirmed tick- in the agricultural department continued evacuating its citizens to Air India — three planes have ets free of charge for onward jour- and sent to custody by a court from Yemen on war-footing, taken off from Sana’a for Djibouti ney to their homes. in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli, with 806 of its nationals headed with 488 on board.” “Air India has deployed three police said yesterday. for home onboard three flights. She retweeted secretary (East) A320 for evacuation from Sanaa According to police, External Affairs Minister in the external affairs ministry to Djibouti and one A777 for fly- Krishnamoorthy was sum- Sushma Swaraj assured that Anil Wadhwa’s message: “INS ing Indians from Djibouti to Kochi moned to the Crime Branch- all Indians would be evacuated Sumitra departs from Al Muqalla and Mum. Crime Investigation Department from the strife-torn Gulf coun- port in Yemen for Djibouti with “Indian Air Force has deployed (CB-CID) office on Saturday try irrespective of whether they 203 evacuees — 182 Indian nation- two C 17 Air crafts to fly pas- night for questioning in connec- had travel documents. als and rest from 8 nationalities.” sengers from Djibouti to India. tion with the suicide last month A flurry of tweets on the han- Al Muqallah is the main Ministry of Home has given two of of S. Muthukumarasamy and dle of the external affairs minister sea port and capital of the passenger ships Kavaratti and later arrested. He was later taken gave instant updates on the mas- Hadhramaut coastal region in Corals to carry 1100 passengers. to Tirunelveli, around 650km sive evacuation efforts launched Yemen. In a series of tweets, she “Massive Indian effort — Indian from here. by the government in Yemen. said “My colleague General V K Navy has deployed 3 warships Police also arrested Senthil, Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “We Singh who is shuttling between INS Sumitra, INS Mumbai and another engineer in the agricul- shall evacuate all Indian nation- Sanaa and Djibouti is sparing INS Tarkash.” ture department. It was alleged als from Yemen. Nobody will be no effort in accomplishing this To a question, she said India that Muthukumarasamy was left behind for want of travel difficult task. Our Officers in had not delayed its action in pressured by Krishnamoorthy’s documents.” Djibouti are tirelessly working Yemen. “No late reaction. We office to appoint certain people as External affairs ministry and coordinating this massive issued Advisory on 21 Jan, then drivers in the department. spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin in effort. “Our Embassy in Yemen on 19 March and on 25 March Based on the call records, Senthil a latest tweet, said: “Evacuation is working round the clock in war advising Indian nationals to leave had called Muthukumarasamy from Yemen at full pace — 806 torn Yemen. Yemen.” several times and also offered the heading home today.” He said that “INS Tarkash has escorted The minister also informed deceased’s son a job. On March 8, two C-17 Globemaster transport our passenger ships which have that the Indian Navy had evacu- Krishnamoorthy was dropped from planes of the Indian Air Force reached Djibouti this afternoon. ated three Pakistani nationals the Tamil Nadu cabinet after polit- were set to land at Mumbai — “INS Sumitra and INS Mumbai from the Yemeni port Hodeidah ical parties demanded his sacking one carrying 225 passengers and have evacuated Indian nation- and that Pakistani authorities had for his alleged connection with another ferrying 229 passengers. als from Aden, Hudeidah and in turn helped evacuate 11 Indians Muthukumarasamy’s suicide. An Air India flight would reach Muqalla under very challenging from Makala. “Humanitarian ges- IANS Kochi with 352 passengers at a circumstances.” ture — Indian Navy evacuated 3 quarter past midnight, he said. She informed that the respec- Pak nationals from Hodeida by India also pulled out 182 of its tive state governments were pro- INS Sumitra. Pakistan brought Five held in nationals and 21 foreigners from viding help to the returnees. 11 Indians from Makala.” Al Muqalla port by sea, while 488 “The State Governments are Earlier in the day, naval ship ex-Delhi MLA Indians were evacuated in three receiving their returnees and INS Mumbai reached Djibouti Air India flights out of the Yemeni providing them all help. Kerala safely with a total of 440 people, murder case capital Sana’a. Government is giving Rs2,000 to including Indians and nation- Sushma Swaraj said all Indian each passenger arriving in Kochi. als of 17 other countries, who NEW DELHI: Five people nationals have been evacuated The Maharashtra government is were evacuated from the Yemeni have been arrested in connec- from the southern Yemeni port of giving Rs3,000 to each passenger port of Aden amid heavy shell- Lightning strikes over Kolkata late yesterday. Following a hot summer tion with the murder of former Aden. “The evacuation from Aden arriving in Mumbai. ing. There were more than 260 the clouds were heralding this season’s first rainfalls hoped to bring Delhi legislator Bharat Singh, is complete — thanks to Indian “Indian Railways are providing Indians onboard. IANS local residents a welcome relief. police said yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Udaiveer, 40, Sunil Pradhan, 25, and Sube Pehalwan, 23, from north Delhi’s Alipur area on Saturday. Following their inter- rogation, 21-year-old Mohit Nagar Evolve inbuilt correction system, PM urges judiciary was arrested from north Delhi’s Bawana area. Subsequently, Raman NEW DELHI: Prime Minister deficiencies in the judicial sys- that judges were lucky not to be Noting there was great respon- his wish was to erase one law a Gurang, 43, a former assistant Narendra Modi yesterday called tem”, Modi said: “If we make a exposed to such situations as they sibility on the judiciary, Modi day in his five-year term. sub-inspector of Punjab Police, upon the judiciary to evolve an mistake, though we have no right, enjoy a lot of credibility among went on to term it “divine”. Calling for judicial officials’ was arrested in connection with inbuilt dynamic mechanism to there is remedy in judiciary. the people. “...people in the judicial system, training in forensic sciences, Modi the case. Gurang was working as address its deficiencies while “But if you (judiciary) make a Cautioning the judges on the what they do is divine. God has said there was need for trained a personal bodyguard of Udaiveer. Chief Justice of India H.L. mistake, then there is no remedy absence of such mechanism, Modi sent you to carry out this divine legal people to draft law to ensure Bharat Singh, 38, and two of Dattu urged both the judiciary as there is nothing above you. said: “Howsoever good a person responsibility.” bare minimum gray areas. his aides were shot at on March and the executive to respect the We have to repeatedly make self (occupying a position) may be, About pending cases, he said: 29 while attending a programme constitution—both in form and appraisal.” but in the absence of institutional REVIEW OF TRIBUNALS “We all talk about pendency of in west Delhi’s Najafgarh from in substance. The conference is aimed at mechanism there are always dan- Modi also the Apex Court cases in courts but have we ever where he was elected as a legisla- “Do we need a powerful judi- addressing issues relating to the gers of slide.” judges to review the working of thought the number of hours tor in 2009 on the Indian National ciary or a perfect judiciary. We administration of justice in India. Every care has to be taken so tribunals whose performance he the judiciary has to spent on Lok Dal ticket. are becoming powerful, there is The previous one was held on that people’s confidence in the said was dismal. them and problems they go Bharat Singh, who received nothing wrong about it. The pace April 7, 2013. judiciary was not dented as that A lot of budgetary allocation through?” more than two bullets, succumbed at which we are becoming pow- would cause great damage, he was being made on tribunals but In his address, CJI Dattu said while undergoing treatment. After erful it is necessary that at the QUALITATIVE CHANGES said. their rate of disposal was a matter the administration of justice can’t the arrest of the five accused, Joint same pace, we should also become Modi also called for “qualitative “People have a lot of faith in the of concern. be achieved by the judiciary alone Commissioner of Police (Crime perfect. Our judiciary should be changes” in the judiciary, which, judicial system of India. We need Calling for the simplification of without the government’s full co- Branch) Ravindra Yadav claimed powerful... our judiciary should he said, could be achieved by tak- to look at the manpower that is laws, Modi said the statute book operation and support. to have solved the murder of the also be perfect,” he said at the ing recourse to digital technology. coming in this field in the com- had to be cleared of web of laws He also urged chief justices and former MLA. He said it was a case inaugural session of a conference Emphasising the importance of ing years. which were redundant. chief ministers in states to uphold of personal enmity. “The murder here of chief ministers and chief inbuilt mechanism for self-cor- “We have to think how can Noting the central government the constitution in “letter and was the outcome of an ongoing justices of high courts. rection, he pointed to criticism we create good law institutions, had decided to erase 700 anti- spirit” for their “ultimate goal” personal enmity arising out of Calling for an “inbuilt dynamic that people in the government keeping in mind the needs of the quated laws and another 1,700 of serving the people. family feud in Najafgarh area.” mechanism to address the face for their mistakes and added future,” he said. laws were being reviewed, he said IANS IANS Sunny weather in Kashmir Kejriwal relaunches anti-graft helpline, vows graft-free Delhi

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief against some industrialists. Minister Manish) Sisodia is found Minister Arvind Kejriwal yes- “I am thankful to Delhi assem- corrupt, he will go to jail. I will terday re-launched the anti bly for passing a resolution also go to jail if found corrupt,” corruption helpline — started against the Centre’s notification he added. during his previous 49-day stint which says that Anti Corruption Kejriwal said that he would in government — and pledged to Bureau can only investigate state “support the honest officers but make Delhi among the world’s government employees. We reject chase the corrupt up to hell”. top five corruption-free cities in this notification,” Kejriwal said “There would be several mis- five years. amidst cheers from the crowds. takes while working, do not Inaugurating the 1031 helpline “As we took action against the bother about them. I will be with with “strengthened backhand”, corrupt, BJP at the Centre passed you but I will not spare dishonest Kejriwal said that by bringing an order and curtailed the juris- people,” he said. He also alleged the helpline to curb bribery in diction of the ACB. For 21 years, that a conspiracy was being offices with public dealings, the ACB had power to investigate hatched against him ever since AAP government had delivered cases of corruption against cen- he led the Aam Aadmi Party to its third poll promise after cheap tral government employees.” a landslide victory in February. power and water. Launching the helpline by mak- “Ever since our party came to “If someone asks you for bribe, ing a mock call to the Centre, power, a conspiracy is on against don’t say no. Get it (act) recorded Kejriwal announced the number me,” he said. “Blackmailers and on your mobile phone. We will ‘1031’ would be operational corrupt people have come together track the corrupt and send him to Sunday onwards to help curb cor- to tarnish my image.” Without jail,” said Kejriwal, who is known ruption in the city. naming anyone, the AAP chief said for his anti-corruption stance. “We will use technology on a that anyone could “get fame within Speaking at the jam-packed large-scale to make Delhi among 24 hours by abusing” him. Talkatora Stadium auditorium, the top five corruption-free cities It was not immediately clear Kejriwal took on the Narendra in the world in five years,” he said. whether his comments were Children walk near a mustard field on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday. The sun shined in Kashmir valley Modi-led central government, Kejriwal also said that the AAP directed at political parties after weeks of wet weather which had brought a flood-like situation in Kashmir. National Highway 1A, the only accusing it of diluting the pow- had the courage to take action like the Bharatiya Janata Party road link connecting Kashmir to rest of the world, opened after four days. ers of the Delhi government’s against its own party members if and the Congress or dissidents Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) they were wrong. within the AAP. because it had lodged FIRs “If tomorrow (Deputy Chief IANS

MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME Biggest 3D mosaic made of Rubik cubes

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MUSCAT 35/25 Sunny 35/26 Sunny MAKKAH 40/26 Sunny 40/24 Sunny KUWAIT 35/21 Sunny 37/23 Mostly sunny BAHRAIN 28/23 Cloudy 30/22 Partly cloudy The biggest 3D mosaic made of Rubik cubes depicts German physicist Albert Einstein at the Museum of Science and Technology (Muncyt) in A SANAA 29/13 Mostly sunny 29/12 Mostly sunny Coruna, Spain, yesterday. The Rubik Cube is a puzzle game invented by Hungarian Erno Rubik in 1974. RIYADH 34/21 Mostly sunny 35/22 Partly cloudy DUBAI 34/21 Sunny 35/23 Sunny BAGHDAD 32/15 Sunny 35/18 Mostly sunny THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW Box office: Furious 7 destroys records HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER LOS ANGELES: ATHENS 21/11 Cloudy 18/09 Mostly sunny Furious 7 “[Walker’s] passing made this “This is the next member of the haul to $57m. Cinderella snagged movie more intriguing for peo- WASHINGTON 23/14 Mostly sunny 24/16 Scattered T-storms raced to the top of the domestic billion dollar club and that’s a rar- a fourth place finish, picking box office, picking up a massive ple who hadn’t seen some of the efied place to be,” said Contrino. up $10.3m stateside to push its SYDNEY 23/13 Mostly sunny 23/13 Partly cloudy $143.6m in its opening weekend. installments. It raised aware- “This thing is on fire.” domestic bounty to $167.3m. LONDON 17/03 Partly cloudy 17/09 Partly cloudy That establishes a new high- ness and its success is a tribute With an A CinemaScore and Globally, the Disney release is PARIS 14/04 Mostly sunny 17/04 Mostly sunny water mark for the month of to him.” strong reviews, Furious 7 could be closing in on $400m. ISTANBUL 16/07 Scattered showers 09/06 Showers April, blowing past the $95m debut Universal Pictures spared one of the few modern blockbust- The Divergent Series: Insurgent MANILA 33/23 Partly cloudy 33/23 Partly cloudy of Captain America: The Winter no expense in bringing the lat- ers that hangs in for more than rounded out the weekend top five, DHAKA 31/23 Thunderstorm 32/24 Thunderstorm Soldier, as well as marks the high- est chapter in the fast cars and a few weeks. The month of April nabbing $10m and driving the film DELHI 32/19 Sunny 31/19 Mostly sunny est grossing kick-off for any film gravity-defying-stunts series to is lean on blockbuster fare and to $103.4m domestically. ISLAMABAD 25/14 Scattered showers 23/13 Scattered showers in the Fast and Furious franchise. the big screen, shelling out $190m Furious 7 won’t get serious com- Among art house releases, It also ranks ninth among the top on the production. It unspooled petition until The Avengers: Age of Noah Baumbach’s While We’re 10 openings in history. in 4,003 North American thea- Ultron debuts on May 1. Young expanded from four to 34 Audiences flocked to see star tres, earning $14m on 365 Imax Last weekend’s box office cham- theatres, picking up $492,976. Paul Walker in one of his final screens and $11.5m from premium pion, DreamWorks Animation’s The A24 release has earned France’s 2nd artificial heart roles. The actor died in a 2013 large format screens. Going into Home, showed impressive stamina. $791,450 in two weeks. car crash at the age of 40 and his the weekend, most analysts esti- The animated tale picked up $27.4m Radius-TWC’s It Follows also work on the film was completed mated that the film would open in its sophomore frame, pushing its continued to expand, moving recipient says ‘recovered’ by using digital technology and a in the $115m range. domestic total to $95.6m. from 1,218 to 1,655, though its series of stand-ins. Foreign numbers have yet to be In third place, R-rated comedy gross dipped 35 percent to $2.5m. PARIS: A man who in August The artificial heart uses soft “This is a bittersweet install- released, but they promise to be Get Hard earned $12.9m. The Will The critically adored horror film became the second person in “biomaterials” intended to lessen ment in the franchise,” said Phil steroidal. Internationally, the film Ferrell and Kevin Hart team-up has made $8.5m since debuting France to receive a much-hyped the risk of blood clots and rejec- Contrino, vice president and rolled out across 10,500 screens in fell 62 percent from its opening on March 13. new-generation artificial heart tion by the immune system. It is chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. 63 territories. number, bringing its stateside REUTERS said in his first interview yester- powered by a belt of lithium bat- day that he had “recovered”, to teries. The patient said the key the point of going on bike rides. was not to forget to charge the The 69-year-old man, who batteries. Baby white rhino wishes to remain anonymous, “I have a spreadsheet in which was terminally ill with a heart I mark down the hours and High-fat milk condition when he received the changes, to make sure they last as transplant exactly eight months they should. It’s not complicated,” ago in the western city of Nantes. he said. “To reach 100-years-old, products cut The transplant is part of a key if I can, why not?” trial for a much talked-about arti- Professor Daniel Duveau, the diabetes risk ficial heart created by French firm surgeon who operated on the man, Carmat, and the first recipient — told Europe 1 radio on Friday that LONDON: Consumption of 76-year-old Claude Dany — died to his great surprise, his patient high-fat dairy products is asso- in March last year, 10 weeks after was even riding a bike outside. ciated with reduced risk for receiving the experimental device. “As part of his rehabilitation, we Type-2 diabetes, says a study. But the second patient has made him do a number of physical The new findings are in line fared much better. He was sent activities such as riding an exercise with previous studies that indi- home at the beginning of the year, bike, and when we last met, he told cated a link between high con- and said Sunday in his first inter- us ‘of course, I have a bike, a tra- sumption of dairy products and a view since his operation that he ditional bike and I ride but... don’t reduced risk of Type-2 diabetes. had “recovered” and resumed his worry, I avoid big hills’,” he said. “Those who ate the most high- normal life. Duveau added that the patient, fat dairy products had a 23 per- “I walk, I get up and I bend over a black belt judoka, also wanted cent lower risk of developing 10 to 15 times a day, without any to resume the martial art, though Type-2 diabetes than those who problem. I keep my balance. I’m not his doctors had told him to ask ate the least. bothered. I don’t even think about their permission before doing so. “High meat consumption was it,” the father-of-two told the JDD Nearly 100,000 people in Europe linked to an increased risk of weekly. “In fact, pretty much from and the United States are in need A baby white rhino playing with its mother a few hours after it was born at the Leofoo Village Theme Park in Type-2 diabetes regardless of the day I was operated, I felt myself of a heart transplant, according to Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan. White rhinos are the world’s second-largest land mammal the fat content of the meat,” said come alive again.” Carmat. AFP after the elephant. An adult white rhino can weigh between 1,360-4,500kg. researcher Ulrika Ericson from the Lund University in Sweden. The researchers studied the eating habits of 27,000 individuals aged 45 to 74. The participants took part in the Malmo Diet and Cancer study in the early 1990s, in which Hadron collider starts up again after two-year upgrade they provided details of their eating habits. Twenty years on, over 10 GENEVA: The world’s largest particle Hadron Collider (LHC) shut down in Ordinary, visible matter comprises only come when we increase the energy of the percent, that is, 2,860 people, had smasher restarted yesterday after a two- February 2013 — was intended to nearly about four percent of the known universe. beams to new record levels,” he said. developed Type-2 diabetes. year upgrade that will allow physicists to double the collider’s maximum collision In 2012, the LHC was used to prove the A short-circuit in one of the LHC’s mag- Both meat and dairy products explore uncharted corners of the matter capacity. Its previous highest power was existence of Higgs Boson, the particle that net circuits eight days ago had delayed the contain saturated fat, but certain that makes up the universe. eight teraelectronvolts (TeV) reached in confers mass. As part of the recommission- eagerly-awaited restart of the facility in a saturated fatty acids are particu- “After two years of intense mainte- 2012, but after the two-year overhaul, it ing process, engineers at LHC successfully ring-shaped tunnel straddling the Franco- larly common in dairy products. nance and several months of preparation will first reach 13 TeV and can potentially introduced two proton beams, the source Swiss border. “When we investigated the for restart, the Large Hadron Collider, be cranked up to a maximum 14 TeV. material for sub-atomic smashups. The LHC allows beams containing bil- consumption of saturated fatty the most powerful particle accelera- CERN said earlier that if all went well All systems would be checked over com- lions of protons travelling at 99.9 percent acids that are slightly more com- tor in the world, is back in operation,” with the start-up particle collisions “at ing days before the energy of the beams the speed of light to shoot through the mon in dairy products than in the European Organisation for Nuclear an energy of 13 TeV” could start as early was increased, CERN said in a statement. massive collider in opposite directions. meat, we observed a link with a Research (CERN) said. Experiments at as June. During the next phase of the “Today (Sunday) at 10:42 am (0842 GMT) a Powerful magnets bend the beams so reduced risk of Type-2 diabetes. the collider have been seeking to unlock LHC programme, researchers will probe proton beam was back in the 27km ring, fol- that they collide at points around the track “However, we have not ruled clues as to how the universe came into a conceptual frontier called new physics, lowed at 12:27pm by a second beam rotating where four laboratories have batteries of out the possibility that other com- existence by studying fundamental par- including antimatter and dark matter. in the opposite direction,” it added. CERN sensors to monitor the smashups. The sub- ponents of dairy products such as ticles, the building blocks of all matter, The latter is a theoretical type of matter director for accelerators and technology atomic rubble is then scrutinised for novel yoghurt and cheese may have con- and the forces that control them. that cannot be seen with telescopes but is described the LHC as “in great shape”. particles and the forces that hold them tributed to our results,” Ericson The upgrade — which saw the Large thought to make up most of the universe. “But the most important step is still to together. AFP explained. IANS Monday 6 April 2015 17 Jumada II 1436 Volume 20 Number 6392 Price: QR2

Qatargas loads 5000th LNG cargo

Business | 18

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 As war grows, Zad Holding to up production capacity Libya’s official Output to increase by 22 percent govt in new BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB production line.” bid for oil cash On the expected growth in DOHA: Zad Holding Company country’s flour demand, he said TRIPOLI: Libya’s Prime (formerly Qatar Flour Mills) the company is always ahead of Minister Abdullah Al Thinni has announced to expand its the estimated demand for flour. has said his government would production capacity by 150 met- “Since a big portion of flour is run its own oil sales and deposit ric tonnes per day (mtpd), up here subsidised, it’s the govern- revenues abroad in a bid to 22 percent from the existing ment that decides on the quota divert proceeds away from a capacity. they want to release according rival self-declared administra- Zad Holding, the main pro- to the rate of growth of popula- tion in Tripoli. ducer of wheat flour in Qatar, tion. As far as grains (wheat) is Crude revenues are at the heart as part of efforts to meet the concerned, we try to keep a year of a battle for control of the North growing demand for the primary worth of stocks, and we also main- African Opec producer that has ingredient used to produce bakery tain sufficient stock of flour close pitted the two rival governments items, has recently completed the to a month period,” he added. against each other in a growing expansion of flour mill’s capacity “The company is not relying conflict, four years after the civil with an additional 70 mtpd, thus on one production line. We have war ousted strongman Muammar increasing the total production to four diversified lines so that if Gaddafi. 670 mtpd in 2014. something goes wrong with one, Thinni, based in the eastern “We have just finished the we still have three more,” he said. city of Al-Bayda, announced late expansion of the existing lines “It is true that we are a signifi- on Saturday he had authorised by 70 mtpd, and in the process of cant player, but there is a good his internationally recognised establishing a brand new milling quantity of flour imported from government’s oil corporation to line with an additional capacity the UAE and other countries. open a separate bank account in of 150 mtpd, which is expected to They are equally competitive as the United Arab Emirates for oil be completed by early 2016,” said they don’t have to pay any import revenues and to seek independent Tarique Mohmmad, CEO of Zad duties here so they can compete oil sales. Holding. with us. And also, they have a Zad Holding Company Chairman Sheikh Nasser bin Mohammad bin Jabor Al Thani (third right ) and Vice Chairman Until now oil sales and rev- Mohmmad, speaking to this comparative advantage over us Sheikh Talal bin Mohammad bin Jabor Al Thani (third left) with other members of the board of directors during enues have gone through Libya’s newspaper yesterday on the side- in terms of the size of the port. central bank and National Oil the Zad Holding Company’s annual general meeting in Doha yesterday. KAMMUTTY VP lines of the company’s Annual Their port is so big that they can Corporation in Tripoli, where a General Meeting (AGM), added: receive vessels three times larger rival administration took over last “We have just placed the order for than that of ours.” 40 percent cash dividends to the QR181.7m in 2014 compared to Further, as per the resolution summer. The Tripoli-based NOC the machineries which will take Meanwhile, the AGM approved shareholders of the company for QR125.1m in 2013, and earning passed in the company’s AGM in has tried to stay out of the conflict nearly six months’ time to deliver, all the agenda of the meeting, the year ended December 31, 2014. per share (EPS) increased to 2008, it provided QR4.28m for between the rival governments. and it takes about equal time in including the Board’s recom- The company’s net profit has QR8.43 up by QR2.62 per share Zakat for the year 2014. Analysts say Thinni’s gov- testing and commissioning the mendation for a distribution of increased by 45.2 percent to from QR5.81 in 2013. THE PENINSULA ernment will struggle to con- vince international traders it is legally entitled to claim owner- ship of Libyan crude. “The pur- pose of opening a bank account in the United Arab Emirates is Saudi non-oil business hits 6-month high, UAE growth slows the collection ... of oil revenues,” Al-Mabrook Bou Seif, head of Thinni’s NOC in eastern Libya, DUBAI/CAIRO: Growth in points in March, its fastest since and services, fell to 56.3 points last for the first time in five years, and the survey showed many of said. He said any revenues from Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private June 2011, the survey showed. month from 58.1 in February. The which the survey attributed to the same trends continuing to sales would be transferred from sector accelerated to a six- New order growth accelerated to 50-point level separates growth stiff competition among suppliers. weigh on the economy in March, there to a central bank branch in month high in March, a survey 67.3 points. Employment growth from contraction in the survey of Input price inflation tumbled to including a weak currency boost- Al Bayda. He said several foreign of businesses showed yesterday, slowed slightly but remained 400 firms. 49.3 points from 53.6; output price ing input costs and subdued partners had been contacted but indicating the kingdom’s econ- strong at 53.7 points. Output price “Rates of expansion eased for inflation edged up to 49.2. demand dampening output and gave no details. omy continues to comfortably inflation edged up to 50.4 points the second month running and Egypt’s non-oil private sector employment. Officials from the Tripoli-based ride out low oil prices. but input price inflation increased were below those seen through shrunk in March for the third “Egypt’s non-oil private sector state firm, also known as NOC, The seasonally adjusted SABB faster, to 53.7 points. much of last year,” said Philip month in a row, though at a slower remained in contraction territory were not immediately available to HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Detailed PMI data are only Leake, economist at data provider pace than last month’s contrac- in March, continuing the trend comment on the plan. Managers’ Index rose to 60.1 points available under licence from Markit. “As a result, workforce tion, with output declining and observed so far in 2015,” Markit Thinni’s government also plans last month from 58.5 points in Markit and customers need to numbers rose at the slowest pace new orders showing a slight pick economist Philip Leake said. to open representative offices of February. The 50-point level sepa- apply to Markit for a licence. in three years.” up, a corporate survey showed. “As a result, the outlook for its NOC in the United States, rates expansion from contraction. Business activity growth in the Output growth dropped to 60.7 The HSBC Egypt Purchasing Egypt remains uncertain, with Britain and Germany, and carry The Saudi government has con- United Arab Emirates’ non-oil pri- points from 64.3, while new order Managers Index showed a reading the depreciating pound providing out swaps of Libyan crude for tinued spending heavily on eco- vate sector slowed to a 17-month growth slowed to 61.6 from 63.3. of 49.6 in March, a milder slow- a key source of instability.” refined products and fuel to pro- nomic development and welfare low in March as expansion of both However, growth in export orders down than February’s 46.8, but a For the fourth straight month, vide basic supplies. projects despite the plunge of oil output and new orders eased, a actually accelerated because of contraction nonetheless. A reading Egypt’s non-oil private sector shed Oil experts say it will be dif- prices since last June. It is draw- corporate survey showed. The strong demand in neighbouring above 50 indicates expansion and jobs in March, with some survey ficult for Thinni to assert more ing down its huge foreign currency seasonally adjusted HSBC UAE countries. Employment growth below 50, contraction. respondents saying employees had control on the sector as this would reserves to cover its budget defi- Purchasing Managers’ Index, fell to 51.3 points. Input costs and February saw the sharpest con- left to search for better opportuni- likely require adjusting contracts cit. Output growth surged to 67.6 which measures manufacturing output charges fell simultaneously traction since September 2013, ties. REUTERS with Libya’s clients. REUTERS

Kia Motor’s concept car Novo Private sector credit surges 18.5pc to QR358bn in Feb BY SATISH KANADY monthly monetary bulletin for assets slipped to QR538bn in February 2015 indicates net February from the previous DOHA: Qatar’s total money foreign assets (NFA) of Qatar month’s QR539bn. supply (M1) surged to QR130bn, banks declined by 2.8 percent to The QCB’s total assets declined or 15.9 percent, in February QR114bn during the month from to QR200bn in February from 2015 on year-on-year. QR119bn recorded a year ago. QR206bn in January 2015. QCB’s The country’s average move- In contrast, net domestic assets net International Reserves ment in money supply (M2) (NDA) jumped by 10.6 percent to also declined to QR140bn from continued to grow by 7.9 percent QR403bn from QR364bn. QR148bn on month-on-month. to QR517bn in February this year, The QCB data suggested the The Commercial Banks’ total from QR438bn recorded a year Commercial Banks’ private sec- assets stood at QR991bn, down ago. tor credit surged 18.5 percent to from January’s QR969bn. The M1 measures a country’s most QR358bn YoY in February this Banks’ total assets crossed the one liquid components of the money year. The banks’ private sector trillion thresholds in December supply, as it contains cash and deposits increased by 4.1 per- 2014. Reuters reported Bank assets that can quickly be con- cent to QR321bn. The combined credit growth in Qatar slowed to verted to currency. M2 includes domestic credit jumped by 5.1 an annual 5.1 percent in February, savings deposits, money market percent to QR578bn, compared its lowest rate since at least 2007, mutual funds and other time to QR550bn in February 2014. from 5.3 percent in January. A model poses next to a Kia Motor’s concept car Novo at the Seoul Motor Show 2015 in Goyang. The Seoul deposits, which are less liquid Qatar banking system’s net for- Money supply (M2) growth fell Motor Show, the largest auto event in South Korea, kicked off on Friday with 32 automakers showing their and but can quickly converted eign assets declined to QR114bn to 7.1 percent, the slowest rate latest cars and new technologies, according to local media. into cash or deposits. in February from the previous since June 2014, from 7.6 percent. Qatar Central Bank’s (QCB) month’s QR116bn. Domestic THE PENINSULA MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Japan’s wary QIB CEO gets award Qatar stock index rises manufacturers 64.53 points, others mixed resist Abe plan DOHA: Qatar Stock Exchange index gained 64.53 points, or 0.55 percent, when the bourse PM wants corporates to spend more closed trading at 11,763.56 points yesterday with indices KUSATSU: Hirotoshi Ogura, investment in factories and equip- of all sectors advancing, except a self-described “factory geek”, ment. The trend is especially pro- transport, which declined 0.63 is Daikin Industries’ master of nounced for smaller firms down percent. The market capitalisa- doing more with less — and part the supply chain. tion increased to QR635.64bn of the reason Japan’s recovery After increasing capital from QR632.43bn registered on remains stuck in the slow lane. spending by 6 percent in the Thursday. As Japan heads into the season just-completed fiscal year, small The traded value decreased of peak demand for room air-con- manufacturers plan a 14 percent to QR264.82m with a volume of ditioners, Ogura and other Daikin decrease in the current year, 6,821,396 shares from 3,956 trans- managers have been tasked with according to the Bank of Japan’s actions compared to QR338.23m figuring out how to boost output quarterly survey released this with a volume of 7,926,104 shares by some 20 percent at a plant in week. Big manufacturers like from 4,467 transactions regis- western Japan that six years ago Daikin plan a 5 percent increase, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) Group CEO Bassel Gamal (right) receiving an award at the 2015 TOP CEO Awards tered on last Thursday. the company had almost given up but overall investment remains function organised by the Trends business magazine and the INSEAD Business School in Dubai to honour Industries index gained most on as unprofitable. 10 percent below pre-crisis 2007 leading CEOs in the region. with 1.03 percent to close at The wrinkle: they have no levels. 3,935.75 points, insurance gained budget for new capital invest- Over the same time, corpo- 0.83 percent, real estate up 0.50 ment at the 45-year-old Kusatsu rate earnings have increased by percent, telecoms jump 0.49 per- plant. The still-evolving worka- 11 percent, shares have rallied — cent, while consumer goods and round shown to a recent visitor Daikin’s are up more than four- services up 0.47 percent and banks involves home-made robots for fold from its 2008 low — and After a year at war, Ukraine and financial services gained 0.32 ferrying parts, experimental sys- Japanese companies have socked percent. tems using gravity rather than away a record 87 trillion yen From the 43 listed companies electricity to power parts of the ($730bn) in cash. on QSE, shares of 40 saw trading line, more temporary workers on For Prime Minister Shinzo at financial breaking point today. From these 24 advanced, 13 seasonal contracts and dozens Abe’s economic revival plan to went down, and three remained of steps to chip away at the 1.63 work, pulling Japan out of decades unchanged. hours it takes to make a typical of stagnation and deflation, com- PARIS: Bruised and battered and public finances, because both said Francis Malige, Managing Meanwhile, other Gulf stock new air conditioner. panies need to be willing to use after a year of armed conflict, private and public debt is denomi- Director for Eastern Europe and markets reacted very differently “We can do a lot without that cash for new investment in Ukraine has been crippled by a nated in foreign currency,” said the Caucasus at the European on Sunday to Iran’s nuclear deal spending anything,” says Ogura, a way they have so far baulked at combination of monetary, budg- Julien Marcilly, chief economist Bank for Reconstruction and with world powers, as Dubai rose a 33-year Daikin veteran who in the more than two years since etary, industrial, banking and at insurance firm Coface. Development. on hopes for new Iranian business joined the company just after he took office, economists say. “It energy crises that could make Gross domestic product con- The international community, while Saudi Arabia fell on fears of high school. “Anything we need, turned out that the government it dependent on outside help for tracted 6.8 percent last year, desperate to avoid a collapse in lower oil prices. Egypt continued we first try to build ourselves.” and the BOJ were wrong in think- decades. The country has suf- according to official statistics and the Ukrainian economy that sliding after poor economic data. Like Daikin, a number of ing monetary easing would boost fered a series of shocks that has the central bank is bracing for a could be a propaganda coup for If confirmed in a final agree- Japanese manufacturers are capital spending,” said Taro Saito, obliterated its fragile economy. decline of as much as 7.5 percent Russia, has rushed to its aid. In ment by a June 30 deadline, shifting production back to Japan director of economic research at Its vital heavy industry, in the in 2015. Ukraine is also suffering April 2014, the IMF sketched out the nuclear deal — assuming it from China and elsewhere to take NLI Research Institute. “Low east, has been completely ham- a debt crisis, with its proportion a bailout plan worth some $17.5bn is received positively by major advantage of a weaker yen. Rival growth expectations appear to strung, with production plunging of public debt to gross domestic to come in a series of tranches — Gulf Arab governments — could Panasonic has pulled back some outweigh the benefit from lower by a fifth — not helped by a sharp product (GDP) expected to spiral $5bn of which has already been reduce geopolitical tensions in the production of room air-condition- interest rates, keeping companies decline in steel prices. to 94 percent this year, accord- paid out. This is part of a package area, encouraging more foreign ers, Sharp has brought back pro- from boosting capital spending.” In addition, with foreign inves- ing to the International Monetary of $40bn pledged by the interna- portfolio investment throughout duction of some refrigerators, and For Daikin, there is a wariness tors fleeing the uncertainty, the Fund — from a healthy 40 percent tional community to help Ukraine the region. But Saudi investors Canon has repatriated some out- that the slumping demand and value of the local currency, the in 2013. “There is a banking cri- back on its feet. focused instead on the fact that put of high-end copiers, according sharply higher yen that almost hryvnia, has fallen by around sis, a monetary crisis and an eco- The European Union has lifting international sanctions on to a list compiled by Nomura. forced the closure of the Kusatsu 50 percent since the beginning nomic crisis that translated into offered Ukraine about €1.6bn in Iran would allow more Iranian But even as output recov- plant in 2009 could return at any of the year. “Like many emerg- a strong contraction of GDP last short-term assistance and put oil onto the market, potentially ers, Japanese companies remain time. ing markets, this has a direct year. This year, there will prob- together a wider package worth pushing down crude prices and cautious about new capital REUTERS effect on households, businesses ably also be an energy crisis,” about €11bn. AFP hurting profit margins of the petrochemical producers which are heavily weighted in the Saudi bourse. Brent oil plunged nearly 4.0 percent on Thursday in an ini- tial reaction to the deal. Qatargas loads 5000th LNG The main Saudi stock index fell 1.7 percent yesterday with Saudi Basic Industries Corp, the biggest cargo from Ras Laffan port petrochemical maker, losing 1.5 percent. DOHA: The 5000th LNG cargo from the Common LNG Storage Among outperforming stocks and Loading Asset in Ras Laffan Industrial City was recently were Saudi Public Transport Co, loaded on board the Q-Flex vessel ‘AL KARAANA’ at Ras Laffan which rose 0.6 percent in active port. Operated by Qatargas, the Common Lean LNG storage and trade after calling an annual gen- loading facilities were built to store and load LNG produced from eral meeting today to approve, Qatargas’ seven LNG production trains and RasGas Trains 6 and among other things, a 7.5 percent 7. The LNG is loaded from berths 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 at Ras Laffan port dividend payment. and delivered to Qatargas’ and RasGas’ customers across the globe. By contrast, Dubai’s open and To mark the 5000th loading milestone, a brief ceremony was held trade-oriented economy would on board ‘AL KARAANA’ attended by senior officials from Qatargas probably benefit from the lifting and RasGas and the Ship Master. The Common LNG storage and of sanctions on Tehran, as the Loading facilities include twelve LNG tanks, eight of which have a emirate became a jumping-off storage capacity of 140,000 cubic metres each and four with a capac- point for foreign companies and ity of 85,000 cubic meters each. The facility also recovers Boil-Off gas traders going back into Iran. (BOG) from the LNG tanks. The recovered gas is supplied to the LNG The main Dubai stock index trains as fuel gas. Five LNG loading berths are also part of the facility. rose 1.4 percent in active trade. In addition, the Common LNG storage and Loading facilities also Air Arabia, which could see operate the jetty boil-off gas recovery units, which recover boil-off gas increased business if transport during LNG ship loading, compress it and send it back to the LNG links to Iran expand, rose 1.4 per- ventures to be used as fuel gas. The celebration of the 5000th cargo cent. Egypt’s index tumbled 3.2 demonstrates Qatargas’ operational excellence and commitment to percent as a three-week spate of the safe storage and loading of LNG from Qatar to customers across heavy profit-taking continued. Officials marking the 5000th loading milestone. the world. THE PENINSULA QNA/REUTERS Foreign investors cry foul over Indian tax surprise

HONG KONG: US and Markets Association (ASIFMA) rate below a minimum threshold. confusion, and the view the tax many foreign investors have duly of Finance to amend the bill to European investor groups have in Hong Kong. “It suggests that Foreigners without local opera- office is taking is that, by impli- received notices requesting their specify that the MAT exemption called for the Indian govern- the Indian government can come tions are not typically covered by cation, the past years’ gains can MAT calculations for financial covers all future and past gains ment to urgently clarify its tax out at any time and re-clar- such provisions. be subject to MAT,” said Keyur year 2011-2012. The tax office has and income. regime for foreigners, follow- ify what was believed to be an In India, foreign investors Shah, a partner in the India tax said it would also apply the tax to “An amendment which intro- ing surprise attempts by tax established tax policy on foreign have hitherto paid 15 percent on practice at EY. previous years. duces a clarification embody- inspectors to claw back money investments.” short-term listed equity gains, 5 A senior official from the tax Tax inspectors could go back ing the principle that a foreign they say is owed on years of pre- ASIFMA is one of several busi- percent on gains from bonds, and department who declined to be seven years, according to Indian company which has no business viously untaxed gains. ness groups, including London- nothing on long-term gains, but identified confirmed that the tax law, and could also charge interest presence ... is not liable to MAT International funds and banks headquartered ICI Global, the from late last year many firms office believed the exemption from and penalties. is required to end unwarranted could face a bill of as much as European Fund and Asset received notices from tax inspec- MAT does not apply retroactively. Two individuals said some for- litigation on this aspect,” the $8bn, said tax experts, just as Management Association, and the tors requiring them to pay MAT, “There is nothing (in the eign investors had begun legal Federation of Indian Chambers of many foreign investors are poised Federation of Indian Chambers of potentially bringing overall tax budget) to suggest that it (the proceedings against the govern- Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to pour money into India follow- Commerce and Industry, to have on these gains to as much as 20 exemption) would apply to old ment. Investors say the change said in a statement. ing the election of Prime Minister raised the alarm over attempts percent. The following month cases,” this person said. is at odds with Modi’s desire to The senior official from the Narendra Modi, who has pledged by the Indian tax department to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley He added that a 2012 decision welcome investment, since it income tax department, which to create a more business-friendly levy minimum alternative tax intervened via the 2015 budget bill by India’s Authority for Advance could hit private equity and ven- is part of the Finance Ministry’s environment. (MAT) on foreign investors’ prof- to state that capital gains made Rulings, a body that mostly non- ture capital transactions, not just Department of Revenue, said he “This development has caught its, according to sources and let- by foreign investors as of April residents can apply to for tax rul- portfolio investors. believed it was clear future gains everyone by surprise and is ters seen by Reuters. 2015 were exempt from MAT, but ings to avoid legal disputes, had Some investor groups are also would not be taxed. He added extremely worrying for foreign In many jurisdictions govern- that did not resolve the issue. set a precedent for levying MAT concerned that the finance bill that Jaitley might provide further investors,” said Patrick Pang, a ments use a form of MAT to “The government’s clarifica- on foreign companies, and that wording does not preclude MAT clarification in the parliamentary managing director at the Asia ensure that tax breaks don’t pull tion in February, though right the tax department was enforc- liability on other future income budget session starting on April Securities Industry & Financial domestic companies’ effective tax in intent, has created unwanted ing the ruling. In recent weeks, and are asking the Ministry 20. REUTERS MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Wage increase in US a publicity stunt: Workers Call to address growing gap between rich and poor

WASHINGTON: After turning in the New York Times heralding its responding to fundamental eco- a deaf ear to pressure for years, generosity. “We’re announcing a nomics. The US economy has been US businesses are digging into first step in rewarding the team growing steadily and companies their pockets to improve the lot members who work so hard for our have added some 3.4 million jobs of the lowest-paid workers, but brand every day,” it said. in the past year alone, tightening also their own images. Wal-Mart Stores Chief the jobs market somewhat. Faced with a mounting cam- Executive Doug McMillon told “It is a public relations move paign to address a growing gap workers that the world’s largest by the companies, but it comes in between the rich and the poor, retailer would “continue to pro- a macro-economic context that and complaints that low wages vide that ladder that any of you is pushing up low wages,” Ioana leave workers dependent on state can climb.” Marinescu, a labour rights expert handouts, some of the largest US But the moves, which sought at University of Chicago, said. employers have announced sweep- to raise hourly wages above the Michael Strain of the American ing wage increases in recent weeks. official minimums — McDonald’s Enterprise Institute in Washington After department store promised it would pay an average agreed. “As the labor market Walmart and clothing chain The $10 an hour by the end of 2016 — become more competitive, the Gap said they would raise worker still fell short of a national cam- firms have to increase wages to pay, this week fast food giant paign calling for a $15 an hour attract the workers they want,” Protesters stand on the sidewalk outside a McDonald’s restaurant as they ask that the hamburger chain raise its McDonald’s announced a hike for standard. That raised questions he said. wages to $15 an hour in Miramar, Florida. The protesters, some of whom work for McDonalds, held the event a 90,000 of its workers. about whether the moves are sim- At the same time, a debate has day after McDonald’s announced a pay increase of at least $1 an hour more than the minimum wage set by local The wave of companies show- ply a publicity effort for the firms. mounted over why only the wealth- ing a greater appreciation for The US labour union federa- iest Americans have seen income law for some of its workforce. their workforce has even spread tion, the AFL-CIO, which has been gains while wages and salaries for to the tech industry. Microsoft fighting for higher wages for retail the lowest 80 percent have stag- without success to increase the respect to the labor market,” said have to constantly spend money on announced it would require its and food chain workers, dismissed nated or declined. federal minimum wage, stuck Jacob Kirkegaard, a researcher training new hires.” contractors to extend paid leave to the question. “It’s not essential to Worker groups want the govern- at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Nor at the Peterson Institute for Some analysts express worry thousands of people that regularly figure out whether or not they did ment to address it by forcing up has he been able to get enough International Economics. He said of the risk that the large firms work for the company but are not it for good reasons. The key issue the official minimum wage. But the Congressional support for other that companies announcing wage raising wages will make business Microsoft staff. here is that it rewards months of political gridlock in Washington benefits common elsewhere, like increases get more than a public harder for small companies with The companies have made sure mobilisation,” deputy policy direc- leaves the focus on companies. a minimum paid maternity leave. relations boost. “If you pay more less financial power. “There’s an the public takes note. McDonald’s tor Kelly Ross said. For several years President Barack “Congress is clearly broken than the average, you’ll have a uneven playing field,” Kirkegaard took a full-page advertisement out The companies could also be Obama has pressed Congress and won’t change anything with higher retention rate so you won’t said. AFP Rules on global banks’ rate risks face delays Holcim looked at

TOKYO: Efforts to protect the As part of the response to financial reform and focusing on negotiators are now working to world’s banks from interest- the 2007-2009 financial crisis, economic growth, despite warn- reach consensus in time for a June rate risks are bogged down, the Basel Committee of banking ings that dangers still lurk. Basel Committee meeting. HeidelbergCement with an agreement on new rules supervisors has been toughening Mark Carney, governor of the Basel Committee press officials likely to be delayed by at least rules such as requirements for Bank of England and chairman of could not immediately be reached several months, people involved stronger capital buffers to pre- the Financial Stability Board glo- for comment. in the discussions said. vent or combat future crises. bal regulator body, expressed con- A compromise proposal would before Lafarge deal Basel Committee negotiators They are also planning rules to cern in February about “reform require additional capital only have reached an impasse on the ensure banks can withstand sharp fatigue,” urging the Group of 20 from “outlier banks” that have ZURICH: Holcim looked out their arguments. Holcim rate-risk requirements, two peo- moves in interest rates, which are big economies to mount a “big rate risk exceeding 20 percent of at buying Germany’s shareholders will vote on the deal ple involved in the process said, at historic lows around the world. push” to complete rules requir- their capital, but it is possible that HeidelbergCement towards the at a meeting on May 8. with Britain and Germany seek- The issue takes on particu- ing big lenders to issue bonds to the document will list both posi- end of 2013 before agreeing to Meanwhile, Lafarge boss Bruno ing requirements for banks to lar significance as the Federal provide further capital buffers. tions without resolving the differ- merge with France’s Lafarge, a Lafont wants someone with increase their capital, whereas Reserve is expected to raise US There is also a growing spat ences, the sources said. Swiss newspaper reported yes- experience of the cement indus- the United States and Japan interest rates in coming months, between banks and regulators Japanese banks face rate terday, citing two sources. try to be chief executive in the argue that the issue should con- with potential ripple effects for that ever increasing capital risks as they have pumped great Then-Holcim chair- French group’s planned tie-up tinue to be left to local regulators. banks and markets worldwide. requirements are leading to illi- amounts of money into long-term man Rolf Soiron spoke with with Holcim, daily newspaper Le “As the discussions are going But as the banking crisis fades quidity in some markets. project finance and have huge HeidelbergCement’s biggest Monde said. now, reaching an agreement looks in memory, only to be replaced by On the rate-risk rules, a “con- holdings of Japanese government shareholder, Ludwig Merckle, The choice of CEO is still unre- difficult,” one source said of the a lingering economic slowdown, sultation document” was to have bonds, which now have infinitesi- who owns around 25 percent solved after revised merger terms talks in the Swiss financial centre. governments are losing interest in been agreed this month, but mally low yields. REUTERS of HeidelbergCement shares last month gave Lafont the role through the family-run Spohn of non-executive co-chairman Cement, the SonntagsZeitung instead of chief executive as ini- newspaper reported. “Right tially planned. Lafont is due to Greece running out of cash before the talks with Lafarge, propose a CEO candidate within Soiron discussed a merger with the next two weeks ahead of May China’s Anhui Heidelberg,” the newspaper 8 shareholder meeting called to quoted one of the sources as ratify the merger deal. plans $5bn saying. “Heidelberg declined it, “For me, there should be a though, because a merger among leader able to drive and unify equals was not possible.” the teams, a cement expert who debt swap via A spokesman for Zurich-based already has good knowledge of the Holcim declined to comment on industry and the company, and the report. A spokesman for with a true culture of value crea- new scheme HeidelbergCement was not imme- tion for shareholders,” he told Le diately available for comment. Monde in an interview published. SHANGHAI: China’s Anhui The tie-up between Holcim and Lafarge’s largest shareholder, province plans to swap Lafarge was announced in April meanwhile, stressed in a separate 32.2bn yuan ($5bn) through 2014. Since then, the deal to cre- interview the need for the CEO Beijing’s new debt swap scheme ate the world’s biggest cement to have broad experience in order to allow local governments to business has been thrown into to nurture a new culture in the convert high interest debt to doubt after Holcim shareholders merged group. “So it should be lower interest bonds, state news raised objections to terms of the someone with different experience agency Xinhua said. deal including the choice of chief and with an international profile,” Anhui would be amongst the executive. Holcim and Lafarge Gerard Lamarche, joint manag- first regions approved to use of the have now agreed a new share- ing director of Groupe Bruxelles 1 trillion yuan scheme, designed to swap ratio that is more advan- Lambert, told the Financial Times. help ease the massive debt burden tageous to Holcim investors but The reworked merger proposals on local governments without crip- some investors, including Holcim’s gave a more attractive share-swap pling the broader economy. Local second-biggest shareholder, are ratio for Holcim shareholders but government debt is estimated at still calling for improved terms. left the choice of CEO pending. around $3 trillion. The scheme, It is also not yet known who The revised terms have failed announced last month, allows local will lead the merged company to satisfy Holcim’s second-biggest governments to convert a portion after it was agreed that Lafarge shareholder, Russian businessman of their maturing high-interest boss Bruno Lafont would no Filaret Galchev, and a source at debt into lower interest municipal longer become chief executive of his Eurocement holding firm said or provincial bonds. A pedestrian walks past a drawing of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, with the words “Tsiprous the combined company. this week he wants to reopen the Anhui will use the funds to Christ” written at the bottom in Athens, yesterday. Greece is fast running out of cash and its eurozone Holcim investors against the question of the exchange ratio. repay debt due to mature this and International Monetary Fund lenders have frozen bailout aid until the leftist-led government reaches deal have set up a website laying REUTERS year, Xinhua said, citing Anhui agreement on a package of reforms. officials. It added the debt swap would help lower the govern- ment’s financing costs. Local government finances have been strained over the past year as the non-bank financing US to back India buying aircraft carrier technology platforms they have relied upon to plug holes in their budgets WASHINGTON: The US gov- aircraft carrier for India. them acquiring some of our car- to foreign countries could help The Pentagon recently have become a target of regula- ernment would support selling “I’m optimistic about cooperat- rier technologies, if they want lower the cost of installing the appointed Rear Admiral Thomas tors concerned with surging local General Atomics’ electromag- ing with them on that,” Kendall them,” he said. system on the new Gerald R. Ford Moore, the Navy’s two-star pro- government debt. In December, netic launching system for said in an interview, when asked India wants to use state-of-the- class of US Navy aircraft carriers gram executive officer for air- regulators banned the use of debt aircraft carriers, and other about the possibility of India art US technology to boost the being built by Huntington Ingalls craft carriers, to lead the U.S. with a rating below AAA in short- key technologies, to India, the acquiring the Electromagnetic range and potency of a planned Industries Inc. part of the working group, said term repurchase agreements, Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer Aircraft Launch System aircraft carrier, in a move that The new system helps jets Pentagon spokeswoman Maureen used by financial institutions to said. (EMALS) built by privately held would deepen cooperation launch off a flat deck at a faster Schumann. cover temporary funding short- Defence Undersecretary General Atomics, which is based between both countries and coun- rate and with less fatigue to the Moore will work with his Indian falls. Many local government Frank Kendall, who heads a joint in San Diego, California. ter China’s military influence in aircraft. counterpart, Rear Admiral-select financing vehicles (LGFVs) have US-India defence trade and tech- “They’re going to have to make the region. Kendall said the issue would Surendra Ahuja, a former Indian ratings of AA, essentially lock- nology effort, said he was opti- their own decision about what General Atomics, which has be addressed by a new working test pilot, to set up the first meet- ing them out of the short-term mistic about the two countries’ technology they want, but I don’t also proposed selling the system group that is being set up by the ing of the group in the next couple financing market. REUTERS efforts to cooperate on a planned see any fundamental obstacles to to Brazil, says selling the system two countries. of months. REUTERS MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Saudi firms tighten controls after Mobily row Regulators taking harder line before bourse opening; Capital Market Authority, Commerce Ministry launch probes

RIYADH/DUBAI: When Saudi Cable company managements to review their for the companies involved, but a signal of construction firm Mohammad Al-Mojil steps to protect shareholder capital,” the Co said last month it was delaying the accounts carefully,” said Turki Fadaak, the regulator’s intentions. Group (MMG). The firm ran into financial ministry said. One regulatory reform that release of its 2014 earnings statement, head of research and advisory services at The CMA is acting to ensure a suc- trouble several years ago and has had its may emerge from the MMG and Mobily because it was still compiling informa- AlBilad Capital in Riyadh. cessful stock market opening, which is shares suspended since July 2012 because affairs, some analysts believe, is clarifica- tion required by an external auditor, it “It has made us, the analysts, keen on an important part of the government’s of its accumulated losses. tion of which part of the government is was a sign of growing regulatory pres- meeting with company managements more strategy to create jobs and diversify the Last November, the CMA advised com- responsible for supervising auditors. At sure on companies in the kingdom. often, and caused us to look more carefully economy beyond oil, said a Gulf executive panies to stop engaging the local unit of present the Ministry of Commerce super- Regulators are signalling they want cor- at everything being said and everything who does business in Saudi Arabia. international accountancy firm Deloitte & vises chartered accountants while the porate managements to tighten governance that managements announce.” “They have no choice but to step in, oth- Touche for audits from June 1, 2015. Saudi Organisation for Certified Public and strengthen internal controls as the One sign of the new mood is that the erwise Saudi as a market will lose cred- The CMA said its decision was due to Accountants, a private body, develops and $500bn Saudi stock market prepares to fees charged by some auditors are rising ibility and people won’t invest. a case involving a firm which it did not reviews auditing standards. Some securi- open up to direct foreign investment in the as demand for their services grows. “The “Companies are preparing themselves identify; Deloitte also declined to identify ties analysts believe such authority should next few months. risks associated with what happened to to become more disciplined and regulated the firm, but said it believed its audit of the be consolidated under the CMA to avoid The process has become more urgent the listed companies have caused compa- because they realise they will be questioned client met applicable standards. Industry any confusion. since an accounting scandal erupted at nies to raise their fees,” said a partner at a more. The sooner they begin this process, sources said the firm was MMG. “Some entity like the PCAOP (Public telecommunications firm Mobily, which in regional auditing firm, speaking on condi- the less expensive it will be.” Authorities increased the pressure on Company Accounting Oversight Board) in February revised its 2014 earnings to a loss tion of anonymity because of commercial Saudi Arabia has a relatively good repu- both MMG and Mobily last month by rais- the United States should be established in of $243m from the $58.6m profit previously sensitivities. tation for corporate governance in the Arab ing the prospect of prosecuting individuals. Saudi to monitor auditors, and it should claimed. The Mobily affair, and the probe He added that his own firm’s business world, and the Mobily debacle — which the The CMA said it was investigating the pos- be under the umbrella of the CMA,” said into it launched by the Capital Market had grown substantially in the last few firm attributed to excessive booking of rev- sibility of insider trading of Mobily shares. Mazen al-Sudairi, head of research at al- Authority (CMA), have prompted many months as some customers began to find enue from wholesale broadband leases and Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce said Istithmar Capital in Riyadh. company managements, board members fees charged by the big international audi- mobile promotional campaigns — does not it had referred a number of MMG board John Sfakianakis, Riyadh-based Middle and even major shareholders to become tors too steep. Another sign of the regula- necessarily indicate a string of scandals members to the Bureau of Investigation East director of the Ashmore Group, an more conscious of risk, executives and ana- tory pressure is a rise in fines levied by the waiting to explode. The CMA is viewed by and Public Prosecution over possible viola- investment firm, said the furor over cor- lysts say. CMA on listed companies for violations fund managers as one of the strictest stock tions of the companies law. It did not iden- porate irregularities at major Saudi com- “What happened has set the alarm bills such as inadequate disclosure of informa- market regulators in the Middle East. tify the board members. panies would in the long term be a blessing ringing and pushed board members to tion. They rose 46 percent from a year But the Mobily shock came at a time The decision “comes as part of a plan in disguise. “Both investors and companies revise their roles, made investors carefully earlier to SR1.83m ($488,000) in the first when regulators were already grap- by the ministry to tighten oversight of will now look at the things they need to check financial statements, and caused quarter of this year — not a huge burden pling with another thorny case, that of violating companies and take necessary avoid,” he said. REUTERS

Line-up for a free meal in US Cerberus seeks over $3bn for private fund

NEW YORK: Cerberus Capital The sources asked not to be Management LP is seeking identified because the fundraising more than $3bn for its latest process is confidential. Cerberus flagship private equity fund to declined to comment. invest in distressed assets such Founded in 1992 and named as non-performing loans and after the mythical many-headed ailing companies that need to dog that guards the gates of the be restructured, people familiar underworld, Cerberus is not with the matter said. known for its big leveraged buy- This will be the first global outs, though in January it led a private equity fundraising ini- group of investors that combined tiated by Cerberus since one of their Albertsons supermarket its private equity investments, chain with peer Safeway Inc in Freedom Group Inc, was mired a $9.2bn merger. Other notable in controversy. Freedom Group is investments include Japanese the maker of the Bushmaster rifle railway and property company that was used by Adam Lanza Seibu Holdings Inc and US yel- when he killed 20 children and six low pages owner YP LLC. adults at Sandy Hook Elementary The firm has strong returns School in Newtown, Connecticut, to show investors in its last flag- in December 2012. ship fund. CIP V reported an Cerberus has told investors it annualised net internal rate of is targeting between $3bn and return of 29.3 percent as of the $3.5bn for the new fund, dubbed end of September, according to Cerberus Institutional Partners California Public Employees’ (CIP) VI, the people said. The Retirement System (CalPERS), fund’s size will be capped at $4bn, the largest US public pension Unemployed and homeless people line up for a free meal and new shoes during a Good Friday event in Los Angeles. the people added, noting that fund investor. the fundraising process had just CalPERS did not respond to a started. At the time of the Sandy request for comment on whether Hook shootings, the fundraising it will invest in CIP VI. process for the previous private At least one major public pen- equity fund, CIP V, had already sion fund investor has publicly Argentine central bank to probe Citibank begun and was only a few months expressed concern over Freedom away from completion, with most Group. Three days after the BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s local newspaper Tiempo Argentina, Argentine law, could not be proc- immediately reached for comment. investors already having made Sandy Hook massacre, California central bank will send regulators four days after stripping authority essed if the bank was allowed to Citibank Argentina sees itself their minds up on whether to State Teachers’ Retirement to the headquarters of Citibank from the bank’s CEO. make two one-off payments to help as an innocent party caught up in invest based on Cerberus’ invest- System (CalSTRS), the second- Argentina today, the head of the Last month Argentina’s secu- it exit its local custody business. a years-long court battle between ment track record. That fundrais- largest US public pension fund, monetary authority has said, the rities regulator said Citibank On April 1, the central bank the Argentine government and the ing ended in April 2013, raising said it was reviewing its invest- latest move between the bank Argentina had violated local laws said Citibank Argentina head New York-based funds after they $2.61bn, short of Cerberus’ origi- ment in Cerberus because of the and the state over defaulted in striking a deal with litigating Gabriel Ribisich could no longer were awarded full payment on nal $3.75bn target. Freedom Group holding. A day debt. US hedge funds and suspended represent the bank because he their defaulted debt by a US judge. To be sure, the New York-based later, Cerberus said it would seek The regulators will perform the bank from conducting capital “ignored Argentina’s legal frame- The judge barred Argentina firm manages other non-private to sell the gun maker. “an integral inspection” to “guar- market operations. work regarding sovereign debt from servicing its performing debt equity funds and has raised more However, more than two years antee normal functioning of Under the accord, Citibank restructuring.” until it settled with the creditors, than $12bn from investors in sev- later, the private equity firm still (Citibank Argentina),” central agreed not to appeal a US court A spokesperson for Citibank but Argentina insisted Citibank eral funds in the last two years. owns the company. An auction for bank chief Alejandro Vanoli said ruling that interest payments on Argentina’s parent group, keep processing payments. These include direct lending and it led to offers that were deemed in a story published yesterday in restructured bonds, subject to Citigroup, could not be REUTERS real estate funds. too low. REUTERS

Elderly packers in Mexico Department store chain Belk seeks sale, hires Goldman Sachs to help

NEW YORK: Belk Inc is After Reuters first reported be interested in keeping some of exploring a sale that could on the potential sale, Belk issued their equity. value the largest family-owned a response saying had hired In the fiscal year ended January and operated department store Goldman Sachs to help it explore 31 2015, Belk generated net sales chain in the United States at as all options for its future. Belk of $4.1bn, which was up 1.8 per- much as $4bn, including debt, added that it expects to con- cent compared with the previous people familiar with the matter clude its analysis in the next year. said. several months. Nordstrom did US consumer spending has Belk has hired investment not respond to requests for com- remained sluggish for most of bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc ment. Goldman Sachs and Macy’s this year despite lower gasoline to help it evaluate strategic alter- declined to comment. prices due to bad weather and a natives, including a potential sale. Based in Charlotte, North desire by consumers to save. This Major department stores, such Carolina, Belk operates 297 stores has squeezed sales for depart- as Macy’s Inc and Nordstrom Inc, throughout the US South. It also ment stores, prompting chains as well as large private equity operates a website on which it to resort to smaller store models firms are expected to be contacted sells national brands and pri- and aggressive discounting. by Belk to solicit their interest in vate-label apparel, shoes and Few department stores have a deal, the people added. accessories. recently looked to mergers as a Belk is projected to have annual Founded in 1888 by William way to survive. The last major earnings before interest, tax, Henry Belk, the company is in acquisition in the sector came depreciation and amortisation the third generation of Belk fam- from Canadian chain Hudson’s An elderly woman (right) receives a tip for packing in a supermarket in Mexico City. Many Mexican grand- this year of around $400m, one ily leadership. It was not imme- Bay Co, the owner of the Lord parents dare to be volunteer packers in supermarkets, because the tips they receive — between $10 and of the people said. The sources diately clear why the family was & Taylor Chain, which acquired asked not to be named because now considering a sale of the Saks for $2.9bn, including debt, $20 per day — are higher than what they would get as an employee. the matter is confidential. company and whether they would in 2013. REUTERS MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 BUSINESS VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

S&P 500 profit anxiety Bright lights and some rises after US jobs data BY OLIVER RENICK very big automobiles he last thing stock traders want to see is anything to sug- gest they are underestimating the weakness in US corpo- BY EDWARD rate profits. That may explain their reaction to Friday’s on “flyover country” has become the latest premium sedans from that actually fit the lifestyles and NIEDERMEYER Tjobs report, which showed American employers added a stumbling block over the past Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, values of New Yorkers. The first 126,000 workers to payrolls in March, the fewest in more than a few decades. Though the auto Infiniti and numerous other step is admitting that the ben- year. June e-mini contracts on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ast year, General bailout may have briefly stemmed better-established brands. And efits of owning a car in places like dropped 1 percent while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures Motors’ Cadillac this tide, Cadillac and Lincoln’s even if the Continental and CT6 New York are typically outweighed slid 165 points. Futures trading resumes Sunday night at 6pm announced that it pivot toward cities like New York can eke out marginal improve- by the downsides of parking and New York time. would relocate from proves that the fundamental ments in horsepower, efficiency traffic. Any premium brand that While investors have been able to live with subpar economic data Detroit to New York. trend remains in place. or refinement, these metrics wants to succeed in an urban envi- that potentially delay a Federal Reserve interest rate increase, they LNow, the struggling premium The major question hanging are already so well-served that ronment has to recognise that have viewed threats to company earnings less charitably. Friday’s brand and its former cross- over Detroit’s assault on coastal such upgrades are unlikely to be offering access to mobility with- report showed that hiring slowed even as wage gains climbed. town rival Lincoln are introduc- urban markets is whether brands market movers. Certainly none out the struggles of car owner- Either could be seen as pressuring profits that already are forecast ing brand-new flagship sedans like Cadillac and Lincoln can of them is enough to overcome ship is the way forward. Imagine to fall through September. at the New York International overcome decades of provincial- the prestige deficit suffered by if, rather than buying a new CT6 “I’m afraid of earnings coming in even weaker,” Ron Anari, the Auto Show. Though New York is ism and declining prestige. Two brands that have been culturally or Continental, New Yorkers could Jersey City, New Jersey-based senior vice president of trading at clearly a more vibrant centre of new sedans, Lincoln’s Continental irrelevant for a good 40 years. be offered a subscription service ICAP Plc, said via phone. “One thing that would be good is increased American culture and industry and Cadillac’s CT6, are being Such an inability to come from to the brand they most favour, hiring but after today’s number, who knows,” he said. “Companies than Motown, it’s more than a lit- unleashed at the New York show behind on the merits explains which would allow them to drive have been able to show better earnings because of efficiency and tle odd that US luxury automak- this week in hopes of convincing why Cadillac and Lincoln are any vehicle made by that brand. higher productivity and I’m not sure how much longer that’s going ers are so fixated on a city where upscale consumers that the US so eager to swath themselves in Want a sedan to transport busi- to be able to go on.” fewer than half of all households luxury brands can indeed go toe- New York’s glamour and cachet. ness clients on a weekday? Order Investors already face the longest stretch of earnings declines own automobiles. to-toe with German and Japanese But this strategy also ignores the it on an app. Want a sports con- since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, according to analyst estimates The shift in focus to the bright offerings. And though the two cars opportunity staring them in the vertible to take up the coast with a compiled by Bloomberg. Profits are forecast to shrink 5.8 percent lights of New York is partly a are clearly improvements over the face. With traditional technology special someone on the weekend? in the first quarter of this year and fall 4.2 percent and 1 percent reflection of the declining sta- uninspired land barges that have already at the point of diminish- A touch of the smartphone should over the next two. The report showed employers in March added tus of the industrial Midwest. long dominated both brands, it’s ing returns, the lesson that big be all it takes. the fewest workers since December 2013 and the jobless rate held Having loyally sustained the sales not easy to argue that they will be cities hold for automobiles is Of course, this battle is about at 5.5 percent as companies sought to bring US headcounts in line and profits of US automakers for enough to reverse their fortunes. that luxury cars should make more than just New York: Both with an economy that throttled back at the start of the year. The generations, the Midwest’s long- Technology has made it nearly a radical departure from tradi- the CT6 and the Continental are 126,000 increase was weaker than the most pessimistic forecast in standing influence over US car impossible for any vehicle — espe- tional values. Rather than mak- likely to sell far better in China a Bloomberg survey and followed a 264,000 gain a month earlier culture has bled away along with cially in the premium space — to ing luxury cars that are simply than in the US But as the entire that was smaller than initially reported, the Labor Department the steady loss of manufacturing stand out. Both cars are packed bigger, faster, plusher versions world urbanises, New York’s said. The median forecast in a survey of economists called for a jobs. With foreign-based auto- with the latest hardware: turbo- of everyday automobiles, brands challenge to carmakers will only 245,000 advance. Average hourly earnings rose 2.1 percent from makers dominating the coastal charged engines, all-wheel drive, such as Lincoln and Cadillac become more relevant. As the a year earlier. markets and manufacturing high-tech headlights and, in the need to embrace the idea that song goes, if you can make it Companies tempered the pace of the hiring as rough winter in non-union Southern states, case of the CT6, a new mixed- new non-automotive technolo- there, you can make it anywhere. weather, tepid overseas markets and a slowdown in energy-related Detroit automakers’ dependence metal architecture. But so too are gies can create new experiences BLOOMBERG capital investment combined to sting the economy. Even with the moderation in March payrolls, persistent employment opportunities are keeping Americans upbeat and laying the ground for a rebound in spending. “Overall we would avoid making any strong conclusions regarding the state of the economy,” wrote Michael Shaoul, who helps oversee $10bn as chief executive officer of Marketfield Asset Management in New York. “But the fact that this weak report follows a number of other poor data points means that both bond and equity markets will be very sensitive to any signs of weakness in the upcoming earnings season.” Alcoa Inc will start the earnings season April 8. Oil companies are expected to post the worst first-quarter results among 10 S&P 500 industries, with profit dropping 63 percent, analysts’ estimates compiled show. Income from four other groups, including produc- ers of household goods, are also forecast to fall, partly because the dollar’s ascent hurt sales for firms like Procter & Gamble Co. Among S&P 500 members, combined quarterly profit growth has turned negative in 33 instances since 1937, data compiled by Bloomberg and S&P Dow Jones Indices show. While half of them lasted no more than six months, the others almost always dragged on, spanning five quarters on average. Out of the 17 occasions where earnings fell for at least three quarters, 14 occurred within three months of a bear market. Traders have been taking actions in recent weeks to protect gains from the six-year-old bull mar- ket that has added $16 trillion to US equity prices. In the options market, bearish puts on the S&P 500 outnumber bullish calls by the most since October 2008, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Puts, which pay off when prices retreat, are sometimes used by investors to lock in profits after stocks have climbed. Stocks in the S&P 500 just completed the weakest quarter since a drop in the three months through December 2012, and investors withdrew more than $4.7bn from an exchange- traded fund track- ing the gauge in March. Sustained gains in US stocks have proven elusive. The S&P 500 dropped 2.2 percent in the week ending March 27, posting at least three straight days of losses for the fourth time in 2015. At one point, the measure went 28 days without advancing in back-to-back sessions, the longest stretch since 1994. “Futures are telling us we may be in for a little bit of a selloff on Monday,” Larry Peruzzi, the Boston-based director of international trading at Cabrera Capital Markets LLC, said by phone. “The question is if this is a one-off number and if we’ll see next month higher if oil starts to recover or weather improves. I don’t think the Fed is going to change any wording, they’ve been very clear, so the first reaction is to sell.” BLOOMBERG Reuters Fed has one more reason to delay rate rise

BY JEANNA SMIALEK and policy this year, said in a March report. “What it will do is weaken rising by 0.3 percent from the as the recent numbers have sug- cause FOMC members to turn JEFF KEARNS 31 speech that the case for rais- the argument for a mid-year hike” prior month and 2.1 percent from gested, and we expect wage pickup increased attention to jobs data ing rates will remain “strong” at and raise the stakes riding on the a year earlier and in line with the going forward. We think there’s and away from inflation “at the hiccup in the jobs the June meeting unless economic next few reports, he said. average since the expansion began going to be enough improvement margin,” said Ray Stone, manag- data may give Federal reports diverge “substantially” The odds of a June liftoff implied in June 2009. that the Fed can tick the wage ing director at Stone & McCarthy Reserve officials pause from projections. by federal funds futures fell to 11 Goods producers, including box, tick the labor market box, Research Associates in Princeton, Aas they ponder the right “The payroll report was a bit percent after the report from 18 factories, builders and oil and gas and raise rates sometime later in New Jersey. He said they’ll have to time for a liftoff. disappointing, but this followed a percent Thursday. The implied support companies, cut jobs last the year.” see if the U.S. returns to its strong Employers in the US added fairly long run of strong reports,” probability of a September rate month. Manufacturing payrolls Mulraine of TD Securities job-adding streak. “Even though 126,000 workers in March, the Lacker said. “By itself, this doesn’t rise also slumped after the release, dropped for the first time since maintained his projection for an we had a downshifting here, I fewest since December 2013. meaningfully change my economic dropping to 35 percent from 39 July 2013 and the employment increase in September, though he think the FOMC has to be pretty Revisions to prior months disap- outlook or my policy assessment.” percent as of 12:15pm New York gain in the restaurant industry said the “balance of risks” is shift- satisfied with the broader trends pointed as well, subtracting 69,000 The jobs figures followed a spate time on Friday. was the weakest since June 2012. ing to a later start. Policy makers in employment.” jobs from the previous counts for of data showing the economy Options on eurodollar futures Payrolls in mining and logging, will get two more employment The jobless rate held at a six- January and February. cooled in the first quarter as the imply traders see only a 47 per- which include oilfield services, reports before their meeting on year low of 5.5 percent in March, The Fed is watching for the oil patch weakened, bad winter cent chance the Fed will raise declined by 11,000 after a similar June 16-17, when they will also near the level policy makers esti- economy to reach or approach weather limited consumer spend- rates this year and just a 55 per- drop in February. Over the past release new economic and inter- mate for what constitutes full full employment and generate ing and the strong dollar hurt the cent chance of an increase by three months, employment has est-rate forecasts. employment. Most project it is higher inflation before raising nation’s manufacturers. The gain March 2016. The central bank fallen by 29,000 in those fields, Fed officials in March low- equivalent to a 5 percent to 5.2 interest rates from near zero. in March payrolls snapped 12 has kept its main rate near zero the worst since a similar period ered their median estimate for percent unemployment rate, down Fed Chair Janet Yellen and her straight months of 200,000-plus since December 2008. Even with ended in July 2009. Crude prices the main rate at the end of 2015 in March from the 5.2 percent colleagues last month opened monthly gains, the longest such the softer jobs numbers, employ- have slumped 54 percent since a to 0.625 percent, compared with to 5.5 percent range they had in the door to an increase as soon stretch since 1995. ment opportunities are keeping June 2014 high. 1.125 percent in December fore- December. The weaker payrolls as June, while also suggesting in “This single report will not Americans upbeat, laying the “We’ve taken a bit of a dent in casts. The estimate for the end of reading doesn’t alter the out- forecasts that September may be necessarily result in the Fed ground for a rebound in spending. the recovery,” said Ethan Harris, 2016 fell to 1.875 percent from 2.5 look for the economy, according a more likely time. Richmond Fed changing tack on its view of pol- The unemployment rate held at co-head of global economics percent, according to the Federal to Karen Dynan, the Treasury President Jeffrey Lacker said in icy tightening this year,” Millan 5.5 percent, the lowest level since research at Bank of America Corp Open Market Committee’s quar- Department’s chief economist a statement to Bloomberg that Mulraine, a research strategist at May 2008, and worker earnings in New York, and a former Fed terly Summary of Economic and a former top researcher at the the report doesn’t alter his view TD Securities USA LLC in New improved, the report also showed. analyst. At the same time, “the Projections. Fed board during a 17-year career on policy. Lacker, who votes on York, wrote in a note after the Hourly pay was a silver lining, broader economy is not as weak The weak payrolls number could there. BLOOMBERG MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MARKET

QE Indices Summary QE Index 11,763.56 0.55 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Total Return Index 18,279.65 0.55 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 4,327.33 0.53 % RATE QE All Share Index 3,146.02 0.50 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 3,179.62 0.32 % GOLD Services Buying Selling All Ordinaries 5869.743 36.825 0.63 5962 5248.5 QE All Share Industrials 3,935.75 1.03 % QR141.4522 QE All Share Transportation 2,419.23 0.63 % US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 Cac 40 Index/D 5068.53 6.31 0.12 5110.79 4076.16 QE All Share Real Estate 2,400.4 0.50 % SILVER UK ...... QR 5.3601 QR 5.4360 QE All Share Insurance 4,103.57 0.83 % Dj Indu Average 17698.18 -77.94 -0.44 18288.6 15855.12 Euro ...... QR 3.9219 QR 4.9768 QE All Share Telecoms 1,322.42 0.49 % QR 1.9834 QE All Share Consumer Goods & CA$ ...... QR 2.8567 QR 2.9130 6,932.86 0.47 Services Hang Seng Inde/D 25275.64 192.89 0.77 25113.2 23312.5 Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.7693 QR 3.8229 QE Market Summary Comparison Iseq Overall/D 6000.44 -17.59 -0.29 6212.11 5072.7 Yen ...... QR 0.0302 QR 0.0308 Aus$ ...... QR 2.7256 QR 2.7802 Today Previous day Karachi 100 In/D 31132.25 527.2 1.72 35055.94 28648.23 CRUDE OIL 05-04-2015 02-04-2015 Ind Re ...... QR 0.0580 QR 0.0592 Index 11,763.56 11,699.03 Nikkei 225 Index 19312.79 277.95 1.46 19778.6 16592.57 Pak Re ...... QR 0.0354 QR 0.0361 Change 64.53 168.02 BRENT Peso ...... QR 0.0812 QR 0.0828 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 2119.59 1814.36 % 0.55 1.46 $ 56.07 SL Re ...... QR 0.0271 QR 0.0277 YTD% 4.25 4.78 Straits Times/D 3453.75 6.73 0.2 3469.02 3267.89 Taka ...... QR 0.0464 QR 0.0473 Volume 6,821,396 7,926,104 DUBAI Nep Re ...... QR 0.0363 QR 0.0367 Value (QAR) 264,826,455.24 338,233,653.99 Straits Times/D 3290.99 -1.82 -0.06 3387.84 2953.01 SA Rand ...... QR 0.3008 QR 0.3068 Trades 3,956 4,467 $ 53.97 Up 24 | Down 13 | Unchanged 03 Straits Times/D 3274.06 -8.82 -0.27 3291.83 2953.01

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 05-04-2015

Euro weakness sparks clash over currency

PARIS: The euro’s slide success in 2013 after Shinzo Abe as this favours more exports specialist at Natixis investment an integral part of creating the reserves, according to Bloomberg against the dollar has reignited came to power, and the European of goods and services and thus bank. desired financial conditions for data. talk of a “currency war”, with Central Bank joined the party in growth. The reason is clear as “the the domestic economies.” The massive swings in curren- analysts in opposing camps March. “The currency weapon is exchange rate is one of the prin- More countries have been join- cies in recent months — the dol- over whether or not countries But central banks fired this rarely the official objective,” said ciple levers on which they can ing on the easing bandwagon, lar has appreciated by a quarter are consciously playing with bazooka as governments had lit- Patrick Jacq, a bonds specialist use to make monetary policy as either on their own initiative or against a basket of major curren- their exchange rates. War tle they could do. at BNP Paribas bank. favourable as possible for eco- in response to others. cies since August — may be due language is no stranger to “We are really in a situation Led by Brazil, developing nomic recovery”. The Organisation for Economic more to monetary and economic modern monetary policy. where monetary policy has sub- countries charged that the US A weak currency can pro- Cooperation and Development dissonance. The massive bond buying pro- stituted for budgetary policy” QE programme was a first shot vide a boost to exports, and thus noted recently that monetary While the eurozone and much grammes, or quantitative easing as “the governments don’t have in a currency war because their contribute to a wider economic policy in countries accounting of the rest of the world are eas- (QE), that central banks have any more budgetary margin for economies suffered as exports recovery if companies raise for roughly half of global output ing monetary policy, the United used in response to the financial maneouvre,” said Saxo Banque slumped thanks to the weak wages and create new jobs. had been eased in the past few States is on the cusp of raising and economic crises that have economist Christopher Dembik. dollar. And UniCredit’s global chief months. But is it a currency war? interest rates from the zero level rocked the global economy since And the bazooka wasn’t Those complaints were economist, Erik Nielsen, observed Editors at Bloomberg recently where they have been for more 2008 are often referred to as a directly aimed at exchange rates. brushed aside with commit- recently that days of “gentle- wrote that “this isn’t necessarily than six years. bazooka. The bond purchases inject ments by the leading economies manly” cooperation between cen- warfare”. The prospect of higher returns After lowering interest rates, money into the economy, thus to “market-determined exchange tral banks is long gone. The eurozone, Japan and China on US bonds caused a brief sometimes to zero or even into addressing any concerns about rates”. “I am not in the ‘currency all have ample justification for stampede out of emerging mar- negative territory, major central market liquidity. To the extent But public comments from war’ camp, but it is important monetary stimulus, they noted. kets last year, and with much of banks turned to buying govern- the funds result in new invest- elected officials about currency to note that the world’s leading One way of uncovering eurozone debt now providing lit- ment and corporate bonds to ments in the real economy it values often muddy the waters central bankers are now making unfair currency manipulation, tle if no return, the euro has been stimulate the economy. stimulates growth, another aim about policy objectives, even it explicitly clear that they run Bloomberg editors said, is to look slumping against the greenback. First tried by Japan in 2001 to of QE policies. if central banks in most major monetary policy for their own at foreign reserves, which should “As we have said for over a year combat deflation, the US Federal But some funds end up leav- economies are independent. country only,” he said in a note increase if a country is deliber- now, the divergence in central Reserve began using it in 2008 to ing the country as investors seek Lowering a currency’s value to clients. ately buying foreign currency to bank policies is crucial to where respond to the financial market better returns elsewhere. This may not be the stated policy “And while the currency is keep the value of its currency these currencies move now,” said crisis and pull the US economy pushes the value of the currency objective “but they are thinking not an explicit objective in their low. Greg Smith, an analyst at cur- out of recession. down, which is also not an unwel- it so loudly all the world hears policy set-up, the FX is seen — But no major country has rency trading firm World First. Japan used QE with more come effect for policymakers it,” said Rene Desfossez, a bonds and explicitly referred to — as been massively hoarding foreign AFP MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Warriors crush Mavericks to notch 12th straight win Thompson scores 21 points as Golden State down Dallas 123-110

DALLAS: Klay Thompson scored 21 points and the Golden State Warriors clinched home- Bordeaux’s French midfielder court advantage throughout Nicolas Maurice-Belay reacts at the play-offs with their 12th end of the Ligue 1 match between straight victory, beating the Girondins de Bordeaux and Lens Dallas Mavericks 123-110 on at the Chaban-Delmas Stadium in Saturday night. Bordeaux yesterday. The Warriors (63-13) need one more victory to assure finishing with the best record in the NBA for the first time since 1975-76. Bordeaux They hold the tiebreaker on Atlanta for the top overall seed. Stephen Curry scored 11 points strike late to while big men Andre Iguodala and Maurice Speights got into the long-range fun mostly reserved sink Lens for the Splash Brothers, Curry PARIS: An injury-time goal and Thompson. Both finished by substitute Nicolas Maurice- with 18 points. Belay gave Bordeaux a 2-1 Dirk Nowitzki had 18 points to home victory against relega- lead the Mavericks, who lost for tion-threatened Lens in Ligue 1 the sixth time in eight games but yesterday. are close to securing the seventh Despite the win, Bordeaux have seed in the Western Conference. their work cut out to finish in the Dallas, already without top four — the only places guar- Chandler Parsons because of right anteeing European football next knee soreness, lost point guard season — as they are now in sixth Rajon Rondo to a hyperextended place on 51 points, three behind left knee in the third quarter. fourth-placed Monaco, who have Rondo missed large parts of two a game in hand. seasons earlier with the Celtics When Mariano broke the dead- because of a torn anterior cruci- lock going into the last 10 min- ate ligament in his right knee. utes, it looked like Lens would The burly 6-10 Speights hit a once again rue missed chances. running 3-pointer from just inside But Pablo Chavarria fired Lens’ half court to beat the halftime hopes of Ligue 1 survival with a buzzer, then had another one in fine finish just three minutes from the second half. He had just three time. Golden State Warriors’ guard Klay Thompson (centre) dribbles past Dallas Mavericks’ guard Monta Ellis (second from left) during an NBA game at the Maurice-Belay, however, came NBA Results American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday night. off the bench to grab the winner Charlotte 92 Philadelphia 91 in injury time after pouncing on all season coming in. Thompson The Warriors didn’t need him. before grabbing a loose ball after start the second half. After Festus an Ahmed Kantari mistake. Atlanta 131 Brooklyn 99 led the Warriors with 5-of-10 Speights gave Golden State a a miss and beating the shot clock Ezeli got a technical for complain- The defeat leaves Lens bot- Detroit 99 Miami 98 shooting from long range, while double-digit halftime lead when by banking one in. His other three ing to the refs, Shaun Livingston tom, nine points from safety Boston 117 Toronto 116 Iguodala matched a season high he caught an inbounds pass from came in the fourth quarter. was called for a flagrant foul and one point behind Metz, who Washington 92 Memphis 83 by making four of nine. under the basket at half court, Golden State didn’t act much when video review showed beat Toulouse 3-2 on Saturday to Golden State 123 Dallas 110 Curry, who made 10 of 16 from dribbled a couple of times and like a team that never trailed, him punching Nowitzki in the record their first victory since Orlando 97 Milwaukee 90 beyond the arc when he scored threw up a shot that swished with with assistant coach Jarron side while the big German was November thanks to a Modibo LA Clippers 107 Denver 92 a season-high 51 points against the buzzer sounding. He ran off Collins getting called for a tech- backing in for a shot. The crowd Maiga hat-trick. Dallas in February, was just one the court laughing. nical while leaving the floor after booed Livingston every time he On Saturday, Lyon reclaimed Phoenix 87 Utah 85 of four this time and scored just In the second half, Speights Speights’ halftime shot. Monta touched the ball after that. top spot in Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win Portland 99 New Orleans 90 one point after halftime. used a pump fake to set up a dunk Ellis missed the free throw to AGENCIES at 10-man Guingamp, putting the pressure on fellow challeng- ers Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille before their scheduled match yesterday. Bruins beat Maple Leafs in shoot-out Lyon, who won the last of their seven Ligue 1 titles in 2008, now BOSTON: A season-high 50 opportunities within a minute have 61 points from 31 games, two shots weren’t enough for the NHL Results during the third period. With ahead of champions Paris, with Boston Bruins to keep streaking Carolina 3 Philadelphia 2 about six minutes gone, Ryan Marseille another two points back toward the play-offs. Columbus 5 Pittsburgh 3 Spooner was alone with the puck in third. A shoot-out goal by Patrice Winnipeg 5 Vancouver 4 in front of the crease, but Reimer The Parisians can strike a major Bergeron made up for it. stopped his shot. Then Marchand blow in the title race by continu- Boston 2 Toronto 1 With that, the Bruins main- shot at a sharp angle from left to ing their impressive recent record tained a three-point lead for a Ottawa 4 Washington 3 right and the puck went across at the Stade Velodrome. wild-card berth with their fifth Tampa Bay 4 Florida 0 the crease behind Reimer but Laurent Blanc’s side have dom- straight win, taking their home NY Islanders 3 Buffalo 0 missed the net. inated the fixture known as ‘Le finale 2-1 over the Toronto Maple NY Rangers 6 New Jersey 1 Boston also failed to score on Classique’ in recent years, with Leafs on Saturday night. Detroit 3 Minnesota 2 three power-play opportunities, their 2-0 win at the Parc des “You’re always fearing the and has only one goal on its last Princes in November their sixth Dallas 4 Nashville 3 worst when a team is hanging 15 chances. in a row against Marseille. around that long,” Bruins coach Arizona 5 San Jose 3 The Bruins were aggressive Meanwhile, PSG star Zlatan Claude Julien said. “Thankfully, Calgary 4 Edmonton 0 from the start, outshooting the Ibrahimovic has applied for a we were able to get a break there Los Angeles 3 Colorado 1 Maple Leafs 19-6 in the first US visa, according to a Swedish in the shoot-out.” period. media report, stoking speculation Boston and Pittsburgh hold the Boston’s David Krejci — missed. “They obviously needed the about his future with the Ligue 1 two Eastern Conference wild- But Bergeron skated in slowly, two points and they came out champions. card spots with 95 points each, held the puck and got goalie hard,” Reimer said. “We just Tabloid Aftonbladet said the but the Penguins have played one James Reimer to drop to the ice wanted to weather the storm and 33-year-old PSG striker had fewer game. Ottawa also won and before lifting it over his left pad. I thought we did a pretty good job applied for a non-tourist visa has 92 points with four games left. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask fol- of it.” at the US embassy in Paris last The Bruins have three remain- lowed by stopping Nazem Kadri. Islanders 3, Sabres 0 month. “He was there on March Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins reacts after scoring a goal against ing — at Washington, Florida and Toronto, with the second worst Brock Nelson and Nikolay 19 and applied,” an anonymous the Toronto Maple Leafs during a shoot-out at the TD Garden in Boston, Tampa Bay. record in the East, is 2-9 in its Kulemin scored less than five source told the paper, adding that Massachusetts, on Saturday night. “Everyone is playing desper- last 11 games and fell to 8-27-5 minutes apart in the third period the immigrant visa he applied for ate hockey, good hockey, and it on the road. and Jaroslav Halak stopped all 21 allows long-term stays.” definitely keeps us on our toes,” “You want to end off on a shots he faced as the New York AGENCIES Bergeron said. “You know it’s in strong note,” Reimer said. Islanders moved closer to clinch- our heads. They’re not going to It was Boston’s fourth win in ing a playoff berth by beating the quit, and we knew that heading 13 shoot-outs. Buffalo Sabres 3-0. Ligue 1 Results into the last stretch, but we’re Bergeron gave the Bruins a 1-0 The Islanders (46-27-6) will Bordeaux 2 (Mariano 80, Maurice-Belay 90+3) seeing it right now, so we have to lead in the second with his 22nd ensure at least two playoff games Lens 1 (Chavarría 86) keep going.” goal of the season. He took a pass at the Coliseum, which they are Playing later In their five-game winning from the right corner by Brad leaving for Brooklyn’s Barclays streak, the Bruins have allowed Marchand, but his 15-foot shot Center next season, with two Nantes vs Caen, Marseille vs Paris just seven goals. was stopped by Reimer. The puck more points or a loss by the Saint-Germain “We’re not going to give up came right back to Bergeron, and Ottawa Senators. Saturday’s Matches many goals and that’s what it he connected. Senators 4, Capitals 3 Guingamp 1 (Beauvue 80) Lyon 3 (Fekir 27, takes to win hockey games right Toronto tied the game at 14:31 (overtime) Lacazette 39-pen, Njie 61) now,” defenceman Torey Krug on van Riemsdyk’s 26th goal. Kyle Turris scored on a breaka- Lorient 0 Rennes 3 (Mexer 17, Armand 43, said. “That’s how the Boston Morgan Rielly’s shot from the way with 1:46 left in overtime to Doucoure 50) Bruins win hockey games, by not middle of the blue line was stopped give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 Montpellier 3 (Barrios 69-pen, Mounier 72-pen, giving up more than a couple of by Rask. The puck bounced off van victory over the Washington Sanson 90+2) Bastia 1 (Sio 35) goals.” Riemsdyk, hit Rask and landed Capitals. Metz 3 (M. Maïga 25, 42, 54) Toulouse 2 (Ben Before the shoot-out, the behind him. Bruins defenceman The win allowed the Senators Yedder 22, Hamed Doumbia 90+1) Bruins’ only goal came when Adam McQuaid tried to jam it (40-26-12) to keep pace with the Lille 3 (Corchia 18, Origi 47, Roux 72) Reims Bergeron converted his own into Rask’s pads, but it went into Boston Bruins, who remain three 1 (de Preville 52) rebound 19 seconds into the sec- the net. points ahead of Ottawa in the race Nice 2 (Bosetti 45+1, Eysseric 68) Evian 2 ond period. James van Riemsdyk “I just was going to the net. for the final wild card spot in the (Nounkeu 18, Thomasson 78) Washington Capitals’ Try Brouwer (centre) is congratulated by his team- tied the game at 14:31. I didn’t even really see (Rielly) Eastern Conference. Friday’s Match mates after scoring a goal against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian The first three shots of the shoot it,” van Riemsdyk said. “I Mark Stone, Clark MacArthur Monaco 1 (Martial 68) Saint-Etienne 1 (Erding Tire Centre in Ontario on Saturday night. shootout — by Toronto’s Tyler got a good bounce.” and Mika Zibanejad scored for Bozak and van Riemsdyk and Boston had two good the Senators. AGENCIES 62) MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Spieth snatches lead as Mickelson struggles Houston Open: Rising star leads by one shot after round 3

HOUSTON: With another crack at the Masters looming, Houston Open rising US star Jordan Spieth fired a five-under par 67 on Scores Saturday to grab a one-stroke HOUSTON: Leading third- Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the sixteenth hole during the third lead after three rounds of the round scores on Saturday round of the Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston on Saturday Houston Open. in the US PGA Tour $6m in Humble, Texas. Spieth finished with six birdies Houston Open (USA unless and one bogey to build the 54-hole noted, par-72) total of a 14-under 202 and was Jordan 202 Jordan Spieth 69-66-67 one stroke in front of Americans Spieth Mickelson expects ‘easy Scott Piercy, Johnson Wagner and 203 Scott Piercy 63-74-66, Johnson walks down Austin Cook. Wagner 69-68-66, Austin Cook 68- the eleventh Piercy, who matched the course 65-70 fairway 204 Shawn Stefani 66-69-69 fix’ for Woods at Masters record with a 63 on Thursday during the before ballooning to a 74 on 205 Kelvin Day (ENG) 68-69-68, Paul third round LOS ANGELES: Friday, rebounded with a six- Casey (ENG) 68-69-68, Charles of the Shell Three- Woods an unlikely contender. under par 66. Wagner also signed Howell 66-70-69, Russell Henley 69- Houston time Masters champion Phil But Mickelson, who has endured for a 66 while Cook carded a two- 68-68 Open at the Mickelson isn’t surprised that struggles of his own this year, under 70 to round out the group Tiger Woods will tee it up at believes Woods has had enough 206 Patrick Reed 68-71-67, Keegan Golf Club of on a 203. the Masters this week – and he time to sort things out. Bradley 70-66-70 Houston on Englishmen Kelvin Day and thinks the four-time winner will “He’s had such a good short 207 Cameron Tringale 68-70-69, Sergio Saturday, Paul Casey both shot 68s to head Garcia (ESP) 67-71-69, Alex Cejka be ready. game and such a great game a group on 205, where they were in Humble, “That’s a tough tournament to throughout his career, I think it’s (GER) 65-72-70, Michael Putnam 68- Texas. joined by Charles Howell (69) and 68-71, Hunter Mahan 67-68-72, Luke miss,” Mickelson said of the first going to be an easy fix,” Mickelson Russell Henley (68). Guthrie 66-68-73 major championship of the season said. “I think his game will be Phil Mickelson, whose game in the lush confines of Augusta sharp.” 208 Chad Collins 69-69-70, Kevin appeared to be coming around National. Woods’ decision to play the Streelman 70-69-69, Brendon de just in time for a run at a fourth “I just don’t think anybody Masters, revealed on his website Jonge (ZIM) 73-67-68, K.J. Choi Masters title, endured a tough would miss it if they were in it, if and in a Twitter posting by the (KOR) 71-69-68, Daniel Berger day that included a double bogey they were physically able to play,” 14-time major champion, sparked 70-70-68, J.B. Holmes 65-70-73, and four back-nine bogeys – three Mickelson said at the Houston immediate reaction on social Andrew Putnam 67-65-76, Phil in a row to end his three-over 75. Open, after Woods confirmed he media. Mickelson 66-67-75 He was in a group on 208, six would end his self-imposed layoff “@TheMasters isn’t the same shots off the pace. from tournament golf. without @TigerWoods,” tweeted “I didn’t play well today,” “It’s a bunched leaderboard Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods myself some chances coming in.” He hasn’t played in a tourna- fellow pro Bill Horschel. “Glad Mickelson said. with a lot of guys making birdies.” before adding a second US Tour After two birdies on the front ment since withdrawing at Torrey to see him back playing again. “The last three bogeys hurt. I If Spieth can hang on for a third title at the Valspar Championship nine, Spieth stepped it up com- Pines on February 5 with back Going to be an electrifying week fought all day without really play- US PGA Tour title, it will give and finishing second in the Texas ing in. pain. as always! #cantwait” ing well to keep it at even par and him massive momentum heading Open this month. He rolled in birdie putts of That followed a dismal show- “Was it ever really in doubt,” then the last three holes got me.” into the first major of the year at Spieth said accuracy off the tee three feet and seven feet at 10 and ing at the Phoenix Open, and tweeted England’s Ian Poulter. Spieth insisted that the avail- Augusta National next week. was the key on Saturday. He hit 11, and picked up another stroke the 14-time major champion “Best show on earth just got ability of birdies on the Golf Club Last year Spieth led by two 13 of 14 fairways in regulation and at the par-five 13th with a five- announced the following week better.” of Houston course meant his strokes with 11 holes to play on 16 of 18 greens. foot birdie. that he was taking an indefinite The news even caught the eye one-shot lead would mean little Sunday at Augusta, but mid- “I figured starting out today A three-putt bogey at the par- break until he could improve his of Olympic swimming superstar on Sunday. round bogeys opened the door to that the course would play three 14th was the only blemish game to a competitive level. Michael Phelps. “I’m not going to think about eventual winner Bubba Watson. tougher with this northeasterly on Spieth’s card, and he pulled the Pundits have pointed to the “Pumped to watch @ being up one, I’m going to think Since then he has notched vic- wind,” he said. “So I put a pre- shot back with a 41-foot putt from glaring weaknesses displayed TigerWoods at the masters,” the about playing the golf course,” tories at the Australian Open mium on driving the ball. I drove just off the green at the par-three this season in Woods’ once- 18-time Olympic gold medallist said the 21-year-old. and the unofficial Hero World the ball extremely well to give 16th. AFP mighty short game as making tweeted. AFP Kim extends lead at ANA event ANA Inspiration LPGA Scores RANCHO MIRAGE, US: career victory on the LPGA “I didn’t make the best swings RANCHO MIRAGE, United South Korean rookie Sei- Tour and her first major title. ever,” Lewis said of her frustrat- States: Leading third-round Sei Young Young Kim birdied two of her Her first win came at the second ing finish. scores on Saturday in the ANA Kim of South final three holes to extend her event of this season, the Pure Silk The 19-year-old Ariya, who is Inspiration, first major cham- Korea lines lead at the LPGA Tour’s ANA Bahamas Classic, in February. enjoying a superb first season as pionship of the LPGA season up a putt on Inspiration event to three shots She finished her third round a full-time player on the Tour, (USA unless noted, par-72): on Saturday. with birdies on number 16 and 17 had the low round of the day the 8th green 206 Kim Sei-Young (KOR) 72-65-69 in the ANA Kim fired a three-under 69 to and a par on 18. with a six-under 66. Her bogey- 209 Stacy Lewis 72-69-68 Inspiration finish 54 holes with a 10-under “If I were to win it tomorrow it free round comprised six birdies 210 Morgan Pressel 67-72-71, Brittany Round Three 206 in the first major champion- would be the biggest dream ever and 12 pars on the Mission Hills Lincicome 72-68-70, Ariya at Mission ship of the season. to come true for me,” Kim said. Country Club course. Jutanugarn (THA) 71-73-66 Hills Country American Stacy Lewis (68) is “I definitely want to get my In 2013, Ariya had shoulder second while Thailand’s Ariya hand on it and for sure it won’t surgery which was followed by 211 Feng Shan-Shan (CHN) 71-70-70, Club on Jutanugarn and former winners be bad jumping into that pond six months of rehabilitation. That Jenny Shin (KOR) 71-69-71, Moriya Saturday Morgan Pressel and Brittany tomorrow,” she said of the Sunday same year, Moriya was named the Jutanugarn (THA) 71-70-70 in Rancho Lincicome are tied for third at tradition where the winner leaps Tour’s Rolex Rookie of the Year. 212 Pat Hurst 71-71-70, Lexi Thompson Mirage, six-under par. into Poppie’s Pond. Moriya, 20, parred number 72-69-71, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 71- California. Ariya’s older sister Moriya shot Lewis, a two-time major cham- four, 11 and 18 on Saturday. Her 72-69, Ryu So-Yeon (KOR) 69-72-71, her second straight 70 and is tied pion and winner of this event only blemish was a bogey on the Lee Mi-Hyang (KOR) 74-68-70 with China’s Feng Shan-Shan back in 2011, held the lead late in par-three 17. 213 Karrie Webb (AUS) 74-72-67, Park In- and South Korea’s Jenny Shin her round, but she stumbled to Defending champion Lexi bee (KOR) 74-69-70, Carlota Ciganda for third at five-under, five shots the finish with two bogeys in her Thompson, of the US, managed (ESP) 74-71-68, Marina Alex 73-71- back of Kim. final four holes. Lewis is alone in to shoot a one-under 71 and is tied 69, Lee Mi-rim (KOR) 71-70-72 Kim is seeking her second second at a seven-under 209. for ninth at four under. AFP Stevenson retains WBC belt Quintana favourite for QUEBEC CITY: Canadian to end the round. The ringside Basque Country title southpaw Adonis Stevenson judges scored the bout 115-111, retained his World Boxing 116-110 and 115-110 in favor of MADRID: Giro d’Italia win- Nibali are not involved, whilst Council (WBC) light heavy- Stevenson, who had the vocal sup- ner Nairo Quintana will be the Movistar team-mate Alejandro weight world title with a lop- port of the crowd in his adopted man to beat when the six-stage Valverde is concentrating on the sided decision over Australian home of Quebec City. Tour of the Basque Country gets spring classics. Sakio Bika. With Bika dispatched, under way today. The biggest challenge is likely Hatian-born “Superman” Stevenson appears headed for a The Colombian won the race to come from Polish world cham- Stevenson dropped Bika twice, light heavyweight unification bout back in 2013 and will be looking pion Michal Kwiatowski. but he couldn’t finish him off. against unbeaten Russian Sergey to build on his win at the Tirreno- “He is the world champion, Bika, who was born in Kovalev. Adriatico last month as he steps what more do we need to say,” Cameroon, and formerly held the Stevenson took plenty of flak for up his preparation in the quest added Quintana. WBC super middleweight world missing a chance to fight Kovalev for a first Tour de France victory Kwiatowski was runner-up to title, fell to 32-7 with three drawn last year, allowing Kovalev to face in July. Contador last year having finished and 21 knockouts – but he’s still Bernard Hopkins in November in “I have very good memories (of on the podium in five of the six never been stopped inside the a fight the Russian won by unani- this race), the truth is I like it stages. distance. mous decision to unify the World and I have a lot of team-mates However, he has one eye on the Stevenson took some time to Boxing Association, International that know the race very well,” Ardennes Classics as well as on get to grips with Bika’s awkward Boxing Federation and World Quintana told the race’s website. challenging Quintana. style, but got to him with some Boxing Organization belts. “This reassures us and with the “I like the race a lot and on top hard punches in the fifth when The WBC had already declared team we have we shouldn’t have of that it is the ideal preparation Bika went down in what was that Kovalev would be Stevenson’s any problems. The route is well- for the Ardennes Classics. If I am ruled a slip. mandatory WBC title opponent suited for me, but I have to have in good form here then I can do He sent Bika to the canvas in should Stevenson get past Bika. my rivals in mind.” well in the classics.” the sixth with a big left, and con- “I’m ready,” Stevenson said Quintana won’t come up against Kautsha rider Joaquim nected with a short left to the this week of a potential Kovalev Adonis Stevenson punches Sakio Bika during their light heavyweight the men he is likely to be battling Rodriguez is another contender mouth to drop him again in the showdown. “To unify the titles is world championship main event bout at Pepsi Coliseum on Saturday in for victory at the Tour in a few for the general classification on ninth – Bika barely making the no problem for me. I should have Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. months time as Chris Froome, home soil despite a quiet start to count before the bell sounded those titles.” AF P Alberto Contador and Vincenzo the season. AFP MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25 England end Sevens title drought with Tokyo win

TOKYO: Serena Williams England picked up Fijian’s hat-trick bid was ended of the United their first title on the Sevens by the South Africans in a nervy, States holds the World Series this season after error-strewn semi-final that the beating championship lead- Blitzbokke took 7-5. Butch Bucholz ers South Africa 21-14 in the New Zealand, winners of 12 of Trophy on final of the Tokyo tournament the 15 Sevens World Series titles Crandon Park yesterday. and reigning World Cup sevens beach after her Phil Burgess, Charlie Hayter champions, endured a disappoint- straight sets and Tom Mitchell scored the ing week in the Japanese capi- victory against tries in the final for the English, tal, suffering a first ever loss to Carla Suarez who bounced back from a thump- Canada in the quarter-finals. Navarro of Spain ing group stage defeat to Fiji on The 19-15 defeat sent them into in the final during Saturday to win a first title since the second tier Plate tournament, the Miami Open the Wellington Sevens in Feb. which they won after beating at Crandon Park 2013. France in the last four and then Tennis Center “I am unbelievably proud of Scotland in the final after Dylan on Saturday in this team. It’s a huge effort and Collier’s try in the last play of the Key Biscayne, we are so grateful to deliver this game. The 13 points keeping them Florida. title,” skipper Mitchell said after third on 120. victory at a wet Prince Chichibu Trans-Tasman rivals Australia Memorial Rugby Ground. dropped to fifth after a weekend The 22 points moved them onto to forget in Tokyo. 100 and ahead of Australia into After losing to Portugal the fourth and final Olympic qual- and Scotland in group play on ifying position available from the Saturday, they then suffered series. Further spots are availa- a heartbreaking defeat to the ble for next year’s Rio de Janeiro United States in the lung-busting Games via regional qualifiers final of the third tier Bowl event. South Africa still lead the Perry Baker scoring the match way after collecting 19 for the ending try in extra time as the runners-up spot to move onto ever-improving Americans pre- 129, four clear of Fiji with only vailed 17-12. Superb Serena clinches two rounds left in the series in Portugal won the Shield after Glasgow and London next month. edging Argentina 12-7 but last- The Fijians, winners of the placed Japan closed the gap on the last two tournaments in Las Iberians to eight points in the bat- Vegas and Hong Kong, picked up tle to avoid relegation after pick- 17 points in Tokyo after edging ing up 10 for making a first Cup eighth Miami crown Canada 21-19 to finish third. The quarter-final. REUTERS World No.1 thrashes promising Suarez Navarro in final

MIAMI: World number one court. “When I play with Serena Serena Williams joined an elite I know that she’s the best,” Suarez club on Saturday, winning her Navarro said. eighth Miami WTA title with a “She has the game to make me comprehensive 6-2, 6-0 win over play bad. But this time I believed Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro. in me, in how I’m playing the The 33-year-old US superstar, other matches. I tried. I tried who won her 19th Grand Slam until the last point, but it was title in Australia this year, lifted tough and difficult for me,” she the trophy in the elite premier added. level tournament for the third Suarez Navarro held her nerve straight year. and her serve through the first She also won three straight five games. Miami titles from 2002-04 and But Williams converted her back-to-back titles in 2007-08. third break chance of the sixth Williams had already surpassed game to grab a 4-2 lead in the England’s players pose as they celebrate their victory during the awards Steffi Graf for most Miami tri- opening set, consolidating the ceremony after the final match against South Africa at the Tokyo Rugby umphs with her win last year. break with an easy hold. Sevens in Tokyo yesterday. England won the final 21-14. On Saturday she joined Graf, Suarez Navarro saved two set Martina Navratilova and Chris points against her serve in the Evert as the only Open Era play- next game, but Williams gave her- ers to win the same event at least self another chance with a fore- Reds snub Horwill for eight times. hand winner and Suarez Navarro Graf won nine titles in Berlin, handed her the set with an error. Evert won eight in Hilton Head, Suarez Navarro had a chance to and Navratilova achieved the feat break in the first game of the sec- tour of South Africa in seven tournaments – including ond set, but Williams held on then her nine Wimbledon titles. broke at love in the next game. SYDNEY: The struggling Alo-Emile with a swinging arm “It feels really good to have She polished off the triumph in Queensland Reds left former in a maul proved costly as the eight under my belt,” Williams just 56 minutes. Wallaby skipper James Horwill 14-man Reds gave up a 12-3 lead said. It was a satisfying win for behind as they departed for to lose 23-15. “Can’t say I thought I would win Williams, coming after a trou- South Africa yesterday follow- The beleaguered Reds have eight, especially in the beginning blesome knee prompted her to ing his second red card of the now lost six of their opening of the week,” added the champion, forfeit her scheduled semi-final Super Rugby season. seven games and their woes have who had struggled with her serve at the premier level tournament Horwill received a one-match been compounded by the loss and unforced errors in previous in Indian Wells a fortnight earlier. suspension after being sent off in of Wallabies playmaker Quade matches. Williams hasn’t lost a competi- the 21st minute of the Reds match Cooper for another two months “I had a couple matches where tive match since October, when against the Rebels in Melbourne after he fractured his right shoul- I had nearly 60 unforced errors she fell to Halep in the round on Friday and he would have der blade against the Rebels. in both, so I just needed to kind Serena Williams (right) of the United States with her Butch Bucholz Trophy robin phase of the WTA Finals – been ineligible for the first of No.8 Jake Schatz is also out for of get my mind back there and and Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain with her runner-up trophy after the which Williams went on to win. Queensland’s two games in South a month after rupturing a tendon say, ‘Serena, you normally don’t final of the Miami Open on Saturday in Key Biscayne, Florida. Suarez Navarro lost her seventh Africa. in his elbow in the same match. play like this, so just go to how WTA final in eight appearances. The Reds play the Northern While Horwill would be availa- you normally play,” she said of But her fine week in Florida, Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday ble for second tour match against how she tried to regroup after faced an opponent she had beaten Navarro, playing in the biggest where her victims included Venus and the Central Cheetahs in the Cheetahs, coach Richard clawing past world number three in four prior encounters without final of her career, wasn’t sur- Williams, will see her break into Bloemfontein a week later. Graham made no mention of add- Simona Halep in the semi-finals. dropping a set. prised to find the winners zinging the top 10 in the world rankings Horwill’s red card for strik- ing him to the squad in the Reds’ In Suarez Navarro, Williams World number 12 Suarez past her from every part of the today. AFP ing Melbourne Rebels prop Paul selection announcement. AFP Hackett seals surprise relay spot

SYDNEY: Australian swim- into rehab early last year to treat ming great Grant Hackett Grant Hackett a dependency to insomnia medi- added to his legacy yesterday by pumps cation Zolpidem. shaking off seven year’s worth fists after A strong showing at the world of rust to book a place on the competing championships in Russia in July Australian relay team at the in the Men’s and August, could, however, lead world championships later this 200m Freestyle to a spot in the team for the Rio year. Final at the Olympics next year. The 34-year-old double Australian But Hackett, who also fin- Olympic champion, in his sec- Swimming ished third in the 400m freestyle ond meet since the 2008 Beijing on Friday, was just happy to be Championships Games, needed a top-six finish enjoying swimming again. in Sydney, in the men’s 200 metre freestyle “I will be honest. I hated the final at the high-quality national Australia sport for a long time,” he said. championships in Sydney to book yesterday. “I got scared getting into a a spot on the team for Kazan. bathtub. He achieved the feat with “To discover a love for some- room to spare, finishing fourth later at Athens, picked up 10 world would be bitter disappointment,” thing that has been such a big in a time of one minute, 46.84 titles and also a silver medal in Hackett told reporters. part of my life is really pleasing seconds despite only six months the 1,500m in Beijing, but he said “But right now, it is one of the now because I don’t walk away FROM LEFT: Australian swimmers David McKeon (silver), Mack Horton training since announcing his this achievements merited men- biggest achievements of my life.” with that taste of Olympic silver (gold), and Grant Hackett (bronze), pose for a photograph after their Men’s plan to return. tion with his past accolades. Rated one of the sport’s great- in my mouth by a few hundredths 400m freestyle race at the Australian Swimming Championships, at the Hackett won 1,500m freestyle “If you had asked me 10 years est distance swimmers, Hackett of a second. Olympic Aquatic Centre in Sydney, Australia on Friday. gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics ago if the only thing that got me said he returned to the pool for “I can really enjoy the sport for and defended the title four years on the team was on the relay it his own wellbeing having gone what it is now.” REUTERS MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Ronaldo scores five as Real run riot Madrid close to within a point of leaders Barcelona with 9-1 drubbing of Granada

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo’s first ever five goal haul in the one Raul makes match saw Real Madrid move to within a point of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a stun- modest start ning 9-1 thrashing of Granada yesterday. Gareth Bale continued his fine with Cosmos form after bagging a brace for FORT LAUDERDALE, Wales last weekend by opening Florida: In a run-down sta- the scoring after 25 minutes. dium on the industrial outskirts Ronaldo then took over as of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale, he scored three times in eight record Real Madrid goal-scorer minutes just after the half-hour Raul made his belated debut for mark. US second division side New Karim Benzema struck twice York Cosmos on Saturday. either side of Ronaldo’s fourth as While former Spain team- Real added three more in a four- mate David Villa enjoyed a debut minute spell just after the break. with New York City in front of Robert Ibanez grabbed a conso- 40,000 fans at Yankee Stadium lation for the visitors, but Diego last month, fewer than 12,000 Mainz’s own goal made it 8-1 turned up to watch Raul play before Ronaldo rounded off the on a field showing the markings scoring with a towering header. from a recent American football Barca could restore their four- game. point lead as they were scheduled The 37-year-old signed in to visit Celta Vigo later yesterday. October with the Cosmos, who Ronaldo’s quintuple takes him play in the North American four clear of Lionel Messi in the Soccer League, a tier below Major League Soccer, but had to wait through the winter off-season La Liga Results before making his first league Real Madrid 9 (Bale 25, Ronaldo 30, 36, start. 38, 54, 89, Benzema 52, 56, Mainz 82-og) Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his fifth goal against Granada during a La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Raul, who scored a club record Granada 1 (Ibanez 73) Madrid yesterday. 323 times in 741 games for Real, is Valencia 0 Villarreal 0 also serving as a technical adviser race to be La Liga’s top goalscorer. Madrid and Bale was first to capi- Year’s drive from 20 yards. Ancelotti then took the chance for the Cosmos youth academy, Playing later “Cristiano has improved as the talise when he latched onto Toni Granada offered embarrassingly to remove Kroos, Rodriguez and which he will take over on a full- Getafe vs Deportivo la Coruna, Celta Vigo vs team has,” said Madrid boss Carlo Kroos’s through ball to round little resistance after the break Benzema ahead of a busy month time basis when he retires from Barcelona Ancelotti. Oier Olazabal and slot home from as Benzema was given plenty that includes another six league playing. Monday’s Match “What more can I say about a narrow angle. of time to control a corner from games and a return to Champions Lockhart Stadium was the Espanyol vs Elche (1800 GMT) him? It is the first time he has Rodriguez then sealed his the left and fire home to make League action for the European home to the original Fort Saturday’s Matches scored five goals with Real comeback with a lovely assist with it 5-0. champions. Lauderdale Strikers in the 1970s Sevilla 2 (Vidal 3, Bacca 21) Athletic Bilbao 0 Madrid which is great for him the outside of his left foot to allow Bale then unselfishly teed up Granada pulled a goal back and 80s, a side featuring former Cordoba 0 Atletico Madrid 2 (Griezmann 5, and for us looking forward to the Ronaldo to curl home his first of Ronaldo to nod home his 46th when Ibanez burst clear of greats George Best and Gerd Niguez 39) next game.” the afternoon. goal of the season, although there Raphael Varane to slot past Mueller. Madrid had only won one of The Portuguese soon made was a brief scare for the home Casillas, but their miserable day The venue appears to have Almeria 1 (Hemed 70-pen) Levante 4 (Barral their last four La Liga games it 3-0 by lashing home from fans as Ronaldo collided with the was rounded off when Mainz could changed little since those days. 17, 53, 75, Casadeus 32) before the international break, close range after Olazabal had frame of the goal in doing so but only turn Javier Hernandez’s Despite the low-key surrounds, Malaga 1 (Recio 55) Real Sociedad 1 (Pardo but Ancelotti was able to welcome spilled a cross and he sealed an was soon back on his feet. cross into his own net. Raul said he was not affected by Gutiérrez 83) back James Rodriguez for the first eight-minute hat-trick with some More shocking defending from And fittingly Ronaldo had the playing at a venue that pales in Friday’s Match time in two months after recover- more help from the Granada Granada allowed Benzema to final word when he rose highest comparison to Real’s Santiago Eibar 1 (Arruabarrena 35-pen) Rayo Vallecano ing from a foot injury. goalkeeper as he couldn’t keep saunter through for a seventh to power Luka Modric’s free-kick Bernabeu. 2 (Bueno 40, Manucho 42) Chances soon began to flow for out the World Player of the barely 60 seconds later. in at the far post. AFP “Football is the same thing, same dimensions in the goals, a ball,” said Raul after his side’s 1-0 win. Schalke, Augsburg suffer Champions League setback “Yes, it’s totally different, but I’m taking it as a life experience BERLIN: Schalke 04 and Leverkusen posted big wins as Peter Knaebel could only watch as and I’m enjoying it a lot with my Augsburg’s Augsburg’s hopes of reaching the battle for third-place, and his team was thrashed as Gonzalo team mates, with the project Markus Feulner next season’s Champions League an automatic Champions League Castro and Stefan Kiessling both the Cosmos have going,” he told (left) and Schalke’s suffered a setback yesterday spot, intensifies. scored twice for Leverkusen. reporters. Jefferson Farfan after their goalless Bundesliga Third-placed Gladbach enjoyed AFP Raul’s debut coincided with the react during a draw in Bavaria. an impressive 4-1 comeback win first game for the Strikers under Bundesliga match Roberto di Matteo’s Schalke at Hoffenheim which keeps them their new Brazilian ownership at the SGL-Arena remain fifth in the German two-points clear of Leverkusen, Bundesliga group, which includes three- in Augsburg league, eight points behind fourth- who posted a 4-0 win at home to times World Player of the Year yesterday. placed Leverkusen, with the top over hapless Hamburg. Results Ronaldo, a former team mate of four in Germany’s top flight quali- Hosts Hoffenheim took the Augsburg 0 Schalke 04 0 Raul’s at Real, who greeted the fying for next season’s Champions lead at home to Gladbach when crowd before the game. Playing later League and only seven games left. forward Sven Schipplock enjoyed Raul showed flashes of his Sixth-placed Augsburg are a a simple tap-in on 17 minutes, Hertha Berlin vs Paderborn old self, with some nice touches point behind Schalke and are also but Gladbach proved their met- Saturday’s Matches and the occasional clever pass, destined to play in the Europa tle with three goals in ten first- Bayer Leverkusen 4 (Castro 7, 63, but played much of the game at League next season alongside Di half minutes as winger Patrick Kiessling 44, 56) Hamburg 0 little more than walking pace Matteo’s Royal Blues if they keep Herrmann scored twice. VfL Wolfsburg 3 (Rodriguez 41-pen, 65, before being substituted in the their current place. Fourth-placed Leverkusen Schuerrle 76) VfB Stuttgart 1 (Harnik 44) 53rd minute with a slight muscle Both sides had their chances also underlined their Champions Hoffenheim 1 (Schipplock 17) Bor. strain. at Augsburg’s SGL Arena with League pedigree by putting Moenchengladbach 4 (Kruse 26-pen, “It was precautionary, better Schalke’s Dutch striker Klaas- Hamburg to the sword and are Herrmann 31, 51, Raffael 36) for him to come out. We want to Jan Huntelaar squandering currently on course for a play-off Werder Bremen 0 Mainz 05 0 have him the whole year,” said four chances, while Augsburg’s place. coach Giovanni Savarese. Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Madlung 27, Aigner Argentine striker Raul Bobadilla With the team third from bot- 54) Hanover 96 2 (Marcelo 69, Ya Konan 82) “He has been training very well. had four of his sides 20 shots on tom and on course for a first rel- He is looking very healthy, but we Freiburg 1 (Frantz 37) Cologne 0 Schalke’s goal. egation from Germany’s top flight, want to make sure that we save On Saturday, Borussia Hamburg sacked Joe Zinnbauer Borussia Dortmund 0 Bayern Munich 1 him a little and he will be ready Moenchengladbach and Bayer ten days ago, but his successor (Lewandowski 36) for next week.” REUTERS Al Arabi beat Al Shamal

Al Arabi beat Al Shamal 25-15, 25-23 25-11 in their Qatar Cup match at Al Arabi Indoor Sports Hall in Doha yesterday. PICTURES: OSAMA FAISAL MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27 Qatar Cup to kick off this Saturday QBF also conducts draws for the Emir Cup, the country’s top basketball event

DOHA: The Qatar Cup will start on Saturday, the Qatar The Emir Cup Basketball Federation (QBF) Date Teams Time announced yesterday after con- Khor vs Arabi 5.00pm ducting the draw ceremony for 05/05/2015 the 10-team event. Qatar vs Rayyan 7.00pm Also yesterday, the QBF con- Wahrah vs Ahli 5.00pm 06/05/2015 ducted draws for the Emir Cup Shamal vs Sadd 7.00pm — the country’s top basketball Qatar vs Gharrafa 5.00pm event — that will start after the 09/05/2015 Rayyan vs Arabi 7.00pm Qatar Cup. Shamal vs Jeish 5.00pm Yesterday the draw cer- 10/05/2015 emonies were held in the pres- Sadd vs Ahli 7.00pm ence of QBF Secretary General Arabi vs Qatar 5.00pm 12/05/2015 Mohamed Ali Hobesh and other Gharrafa vs Khor 7.00pm club representatives. Ahli vs Shamal 5.00pm 13/05/2015 Al Arabi, Al Khor and Qatar Jeish vs Wakrah 7.00pm SC are in Group A of the Qatar Khor vs Rayyan 5.00pm Cup. Last year’s runners-up El 15/05/2015 Jaish is paired in Group B with Arabi vs Gharrafa 7.00pm Wakrah vs Sadd 5.00pm Al Sadd, Al Ahli, Wakra and Al 16/05/2015 Shamal. Ahli vs Jeish 7.00pm Al Ahli will take on Al Wakrah Qatar vs Khor 5.00pm 18/05/2015 in the opening game of the Qatar Rayyan vs Gharrafa 7.00pm Cup at Al Gharafa Indoor Hall. Shamal vs Wakrah 5.00pm On the same day and venue, Al 19/05/2015 Sadd vs Jeish 7.00pm Arabi will play Al Sadd in a game Quarter-finals 1 5.00pm that starts at 7pm. 22/05/2015 On Sunday, Al Khor take on Al Quarter-finals 2 7.00pm Shamal while Qatar SC play El Quarter-finals 3 5.00pm 24/05/2015 jaish in two games at Al Gharafa Quarter-finals 4 7.00pm Indoor Hall. Semi-finals 1 5.00pm A day later, Al Rayyan play Al 26/05/2015 Semi-finals 2 7.00pm Sadd while Al Ahli take on Al Arabi at the same venue. 29/05/2015 FINALS 6.30pm The quarter-finals will be played on April 24 and 26 while Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Secretary General Mohamed Ali Hobesh (centre) and other officials conduct Qatar Cup the semi-final clashes will be a draw ceremony in Doha yesterday. Date Teams Time staged on April 28. Wakrah vs Ahli 5.00pm The preliminary stage ends on altogether 27 games, including the and Al Khor — it was confirmed the procedure. So this is a wel- 11/04/2015 April 22 with a game between Al all-important final on April 30. during a draw ceremony held by come move,” he said. Sadd vs Arabi 7.00pm Gharafa and Qatar SC. In the Emir Cup, the opening the QBF yesterday. “I feel the draws for both the Shamal vs Khor 5.00pm 12/04/2015 The tournament will have clash will be between Al Arabi The opening clash will be played big championships look fairly Jaish vs Qatar 7.00pm at Al Gharafa Indoor Sports Hall even. All the top four teams are Sadd vs Rayyan 5.00pm on May 5. Qatar SC will take on equally divided in the two groups 13/04/2015 Arabi vs Ahli 7.00pm Al Rayyan at the same venue on and even the upcoming teams like Jaish vs Gharrafa 5.00pm the same day in a game that will Shamal, Wakrah, Qatar Sports 14/04/2015 start at 7pm. Club and Arabi have a chance to Qatar vs Khor 7.00pm On May 6, Al Ahil face Al do well,” he said. Ahli vs Sadd 5.00pm 16/04/2015 Wakrah while Al Sadd take on Al “The cups are not played on the Rayan vs Wakrah 7.00pm Shamal in two games scheduled format of the league. Even the Khor vs Jaish 5.00pm 17/04/2015 for the second day of the prestig- smaller teams have an opportu- Gharafa vs Shamal 7.00pm ious basketball event. nity to play well against big teams, Wakrah vs Arabi 5.00pm On May 9, defending champions upset them and qualify for to the 18/04/2015 Al Gharafa face Qatar SC while semi-finals. All the teams will Ahli vs Rayan 7.00pm Shamal vs Qatar 5.00pm Al Rayyan take on Al Arabi. The make some changes and try to 19/04/2015 preliminary stage ends on May 19. get stronger for the upcoming Khor vs Gharrafa 7.00pm Gharafa coach Koussay Al events,” he added. Sadd vs Wakrah 5.00pm 21/04/2015 Khalaf said his team was confi- The Emir Cup quarter-finals Arabi vs Rayyan 5.00pm dent ahead of the Emir Cup. will be played on May 22 and 24. Jaish vs Shamal 5.00pm “It’s a fair grouping and I am The semi-finals will be staged on 22/04/2015 expecting some strong compe- May 26. The all-important final Qatar vs Gharrafa 7.00pm Quarter-finals 1 5.00pm titions this year in the tourna- is scheduled for May 29 when 24/04/2015 ment,” Al Khalaf said. the basketball season concludes Quarter-finals 2 7.00pm “This time last year’s winner at Losail Sports Hall. Quarter-finals 3 5.00pm 26/04/2015 and runners-up have been put Last week, Al Rayyan beat El Quarter-finals 4 7.00pm in the different groups so that Jaish in the final game of a best- Semi-finals 1 5.00pm the other teams also have equal of-three series to win the Qatar 28/04/2015 Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) Secretary General Mohamed Ali Semi-finals 2 7.00pm Hobesh (right) smiles during the draw ceremony in Doha yesterday. chance to prove their mettle and Basketball League title. QBF deserves praise for adopting THE PENINSULA 30/04/2015 FINALS 6.30pm Josoor Institute launches certificate and diploma programmes

DOHA: The Josoor Institute, a centre of excellence for the sports and events industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, yes- terday launched its profes- sional certificate and diploma programmes. Designed to provide a detailed Delegates at understanding of the necessary the launch skills involved in the manage- of Josoor ment of sports and events, the Institute’s new programmes reiterate Josoor professional Institute’s mandate to enable the certificate successful delivery of a historic and diploma 2022 FIFA World Cup and help programmes, in build a legacy for the region. Doha yesterday. Launched in partnership with leading international academic partners including Georgetown University, University of Liverpool and Leeds Beckett University, the part-time programmes include six blocks spread over an 18-month period. The programmes are specially will focus on the various special- Commenting on the launch sustainable sports and events host for major sports events. It is The newly-launched pro- curated to provide aspirants and ised and managerial aspects of of these programmes, Josoor industries in our region.” very important to train local tal- grammes have already garnered professionals knowledge and the sports business with a special Institute’s Executive Director Delivered in part-time format, ent and provide them with learn- immense interest from the indus- skills, and help develop their emphasis on football. Delegates (acting) Mushtaq Al Waeli said: the programmes allow candidates ing opportunities that fulfil their try with attending delegates from management and leadership com- shall derive insights into mana- “Josoor Institute is committed to continue with their education career aspirations and support the Supreme Committee for petencies. From the organisation gerial theories and their practi- to capacity development within and professional careers while the development of the regional Delivery and Legacy, the Qatar and management of large-scale cal application in the business of Qatar and the MENA region. enabling them to learn the prac- ecosystem. We are proud to be Football Association, Qatar events to understanding the world sports. With the launch of certificate tical and theoretical applications engaged with Josoor Institute Stars League, Aspire, Abu Issa of football, these courses provide Similarly, the professional cer- and diploma programmes, we of the course content with plat- and support them in their efforts Holding, the Saudi Pro League, a unique learning opportunity tificate and professional diploma have entered the next phase of forms for discussion and feedback to create legacy opportunities, as the Qatar Tourism Authority, with insights from world-class programme on Major Events our exciting journey to enhance to help them fully understand Qatar gears up to host one of the Qatar National Convention delivery teams from the partner Management will provide del- skills amongst regional audiences the industries and make better biggest sporting extravaganzas.” Centre (QNCC) and represent- universities. The certificate and egates an interactive learning and support their professional informed career decisions. The Diploma programmes are atives from regional Football diploma programmes will provide opportunity with specific ses- development. We continuously Dr Khalid Bibi, Associate Dean scheduled to be held from April Associations including Yemen, a detailed learning and under- sions from industry experts and strive to provide opportunities for Academic Programmes at 12-16. These will provide great Tunisia, Palestine and Saudi standing of the skills required academics focusing on the con- that enrich the learning envi- Georgetown University, said: “One learning opportunities with Arabia. These are in addition to to prepare professionals in the ceptualisation, organisation and ronment and nurture and inspire of the biggest challenges facing insights from industry experts the 1,150 delegates from across region for the sports and events execution of large-scale events. the young generation. With these the development of any industry and academics for delegates who Qatar and the MENA region that industries. Specifically, the pro- The first block of certificates titled programmes we are providing our is finding the right talent. Qatar are keen on pursuing a long-term Josoor Institute has imparted fessional certificate and profes- Major Events Management and delegates with a unique oppor- and the Middle East region are a career in major events manage- industry best practice, skills and sional diploma programme on Football and Sports Management tunity to contribute towards sought-after destination for inter- ment or football and sports expertise to date. Football and Sports Management are currently under way. the growth and development of national tourism and a preferred management. THE PENINSULA Monday 6 April 2015 17 Jumada II 1436 Volume 20 Number 6392 Sport Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Defoe wonder goal settles derby; Spurs held Qatar’s beach volleyball squad LONDON: Jermain Defoe poses at the scored a sensational long-range podium along with volley as Sunderland leapt three the officials after points clear of the Premier winning the gold League relegation zone by beat- medal following their ing derby rivals Newcastle win over Oman B United 1-0 yesterday. Defoe struck in first-half in the final, at the stoppage-time, crashing a sub- GCC Beach Games lime left-foot volley into the top- at Al Gharafa Club right corner from 25 yards after yesterday. Steven Fletcher headed on Costel Pantilimon’s punt downfield. The goal sparked jubilant celebrations at the Stadium of Light and Defoe, who returned to English football in January after a disappointing spell at Toronto FC, was seen to wipe away tears as he left the pitch at half-time. “Words can’t even describe how I felt when that went in,” Defoe told Sky Sports. “I was very emotional for some reason, as everyone wanted the three points so badly.” The England internation- al’s goal gave manager Dick Qatar thrash Oman in final Advocaat his first victory since succeeding Gus Poyet and enabled Sunderland to extend their run of successive wins over Newcastle to five. “It was such a nice goal it has to count for two!” Advocaat joked. to clinch volleyball gold “We have three home games to go and we must get those points there as well,” he said. GCC Beach Games: Hosts all set to win handball gold medal today “Now we concentrate on Crystal Palace. I am really happy for the players and the fans,” DOHA: Qatari athletes contin- added the manager. ued their fine show at the GCC Defoe’s strike also continued a Beach Games yesterday, with theme of spectacular goals in the Qatar A team winning the gold English top flight over the week- medal after thrashing Oman B end, following Charlie Adam’s in the final at the Al Gharafa Qatar A remarkable 65-yard strike against Club. players Chelsea for Stoke City and Bobby The team which displayed celebrate a Zamora’s exquisite lob against outstanding performance in the West Bromwich Albion for point during earlier stages of the contest con- Queens Park Rangers. their final tinued with their superb form to Newcastle manager John outclass their Omani opponents against Carver, whose side remain in 13th in the final. Oman B, place, described the visitors’ first- After a commanding show, the yesterday at half performance as “abysmal”. home team won the first half 21-17 Al Gharafa “I always say a side of mine will and sealed the premier medal by Club. give 100 percent and we didn’t,” winning the final session 21-18. RIGHT: he added. On the other hand, Qatar B Qatar A Meanwhile, Tottenham team failed to earn a podium fin- players bite Hotspur head coach Mauricio ish as they faced defeat against their gold Pochettino admitted that his team Oman A in the bronze-medal medals in faced an uphill battle to secure match. The visitors won the celebration Champions League qualification match 21-17 and 23-21. after beating following a 0-0 draw at Burnley. Meanwhile, the hosts are set to Oman B in The stalemate left Spurs seven clinch medal on the final day of the final. points below the top four in sixth the handball event today. place, having played a game more Team Qatar has been outstand- than fourth-place Manchester ing in the event winning all their City, who visit Crystal Palace matches so far. today. With six points, Qatar is set to Spurs also have a vastly inferior win the gold medal irrespective goal difference to the teams in of the outcome of their match the top four and with only seven against Bahrain. Director of PR for the Beach tournament and are honoured to athletes, locally, regionally as well The GCC Beach Games, which games of the season remaining, The Omani team is likely to Games Organising Committee and host such an exciting edition of as internationally.” began on April 3 and continue till Pochettino conceded that the odds clinch the silver medal ahead of the Qatar Olympic Committee, the GCC Beach Games,” said the The excitement is set to con- the ninth, gathers more than 300 were against his side. Bahrain, who are yet to win a Mohamed Al Fadala said: “We official. tinue as the week progresses, with athletes from the six GCC mem- Burnley squandered the best game. are extremely pleased with the “The Games have so far been sailing, open water swimming bers; Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, chance of the game, with Danny Commenting on the progress performance of our athletes a great success and will surely and 3x3 basketball matches set Saudi Arabia and the UAE besides Ings shooting straight at Spurs of the 2nd GCC Beach Games, in this incredibly competitive inspire a new generation of to begin today. hosts Qatar. THE PENINSULA Michel Vorm in the early stages after Ryan Mason had inadvert- ently played the ball into his path. But Burnley manager Sean Dyche was pleased with his side’s display, which lifted them above QPR in the relegation zone. Action “I think we edged the game, but during there was not a lot in it,” he said. the final “We kept the tempo high and between kept pressing high. Danny has Qatar A and had a great chance and it was Oman B. unlike him not to put it away. He RIGHT: Fans almost hit it too cleanly. watching “Having said that, we are proceedings pleased to get another clean sheet of the final. against a top side.” Burnley finished the weekend third-from-bottom, two points below Hull City and Aston Villa, with Sunderland a point further up in 15th place. AFP