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Negative rates LCSC to move have helped global ahead with 100-day economy: Lagarde development plan

SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 • 10 Jumada II 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6740 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Emir sends cable of condolences Qatar helps free Djibouti hostages to Saudi King

DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim Djibouti President bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to Custodian of the Ismail Omar Guelleh Two Holly Mosques King Salman in a telephone bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia on the death of Prince Bandar bin call expressed his Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. gratitude to the Emir The Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also H H Sheikh Tamim bin sent a similar cable of condolences Hamad Al Thani for to King Salman bin Abdulaziz. Qatar’s role in freeing Djiboutian captives in Eritrea. Some schools seek permission to raise fees QNA The Peninsula

DOHA: President of Djibouti Ismail DOHA: Some private and inter- Omar Guelleh has thanked Emir H H national schools have asked Released Djibouti captives with Qatar’s Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani permission from the Ministry of the capital Djibouti yesterday. for Qatar’s role in freeing Djiboutian Education and Higher Education captives in Eritrea. to raise their tuition fee from the President Guelleh expressed his has earned. The success was also hope over the past years in getting out One of the hostages Mahmoud be a bright sign and a source of appre- next academic year (2016-17). The gratitude to the Emir during his talks the latest in a long line of successful of captivity. Hudeid said the moment they learned ciation and respect from the people requests of some of the schools with him over telephone yesterday. He Qatari mediation efforts, Al Zayani The detainees likened the moment about their release was as though they of Djibouti, and we will never forget have already been rejected as praised the mediation of Qatar and added. of their release to coming back to life were born again. “I didn’t realise what the backing of our Qatari brothers and they do not meet the required basic wished Emir and people of Qatar fur- Meanwhile, the group of released and said because of Qatar’s mediation was going on until I heard that Qatar giving us our freedom back.” conditions. ther progress and stability. Djiboutian hostages expressed their and efforts we are returning safely was behind our release.” Captive Ali Abdullah expressed However, the requests of the The Emir said the mediation deep thanks and sincere gratitude to to our families. One of the captives He thanked Emir, government and his gratitude to everyone that con- other schools that are eligible efforts reflected Qatar’s commitment the Emir for Qatar’s efforts to secure said: “We are delighted not only for people for such “a noble stance and tributed to their release. to apply are being studied. The to resolving regional and international their release after spending eight being released but we felt that we the initiative that led to the release “All appreciation and love to our private schools’ office of the edu- conflicts peacefully. years in captivity. have brothers in Qatar who stood from captivity and return to our brothers in Qatar. We wouldn’t be able cation ministry is looking at various GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdul- Speaking at Hamad International by us and that was the reason in life, country and families,” adding to embrace freedom again if it was not aspects like how many times in the latif Al Zayani praised the efforts of Airport before leaving to their coun- our return to our homes after all that words can’t describe the role of for the sincere efforts of the State of past three years they have applied the Emir in releasing a number of cap- try, the captives said Qatar, under the these long years.” Qatar in setting them free. Another Qatar to secure our release.” for permission to increase their tui- tives from Djibouti that were held in leadership of the Emir, has always “I would like to thank Qatari peo- detainee Othman Mohamed voiced The released captives expressed tion fee and their expenditures and Eritrea. been a supporter of humanitarian ple and mainly the Emir H H Sheikh his thanks and gratitude to Qatar thanks for being hosted in Qatar before profits, if any. The performance of Al Zayani expressed his appreci- issues and works wholeheartedly Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whose and the Qatari people under the their return to their country and for the the school will also be considered ation to the Emir’s efforts and said in mediation efforts, which finally efforts were the reason “we embraced leadership of the Emir for the ini- hospitality they received in Doha, voic- in deciding whether the school that the success of Qatari mediation resulted in their release and their freedom again and are now returning tiative that resulted in their release. ing the gratitude of all the Djiboutian should be allowed to increase its efforts reflect the respect the country return to their families after losing to our families and country.” “Qatar’s efforts to release us will people of the State of Qatar. fee, reports Al Sharq.

New tactics to smuggle in EU and Turkey strike deal to send back migrants banned items AFP Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in returned!” Sobotka wrote on Twitter. human rights record. Turkey has EU-Turkey agreement approved by a bid to end an unprecedented crisis More than 1.2 million migrants demanded an acceleration of its long- EU leaders, in principle, as it is now up By Sidi Mohamed dividing the continent. “The Turkey have come to Europe since Janu- stalled bid for EU membership, the for final talks with the Turkish prime The Peninsula deal was approved,” Sipila wrote on ary 2015 in the continent’s biggest doubling of refugee aid to six billion minister,” a senior EU official told AFP. BRUSSELS: EU leaders approved a Twitter. migration crisis since World War II, euros ($6.8bn) and visa-free travel in But in a sign of the tensions that controversial deal with Turkey to curb Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav and around 4,000 have drowned return for taking back all new irreg- remain between Ankara and Brus- the huge flow of asylum seekers to Sobotka confirmed that the expul- while trying to cross the Aegean Sea ular migrants coming to Greece, the sels, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan DOHA: Smugglers trying to push Europe, with all migrants arriving in sion of migrants arriving on the Greek between Turkey and Greece. main entry point to Europe. blasted several EU states for tak- contraband into the country are Greece from Sunday to be sent back. islands would begin tomorrow. But the deal comes at a heavy cost Davutoglu is now set to formally ing only a “handful of refugees” in using new and innovative as well Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sip- “Deal with Turkey approved. All for Europe, with many members of sign off on the accord at a final meet- contrast to the nearly three million as old and conventional ways to ila said the 28 EU leaders approved illegal migrants who reach Greece the bloc expressing misgivings about ing with EU leaders. Turkey has admitted, most of them hoodwink ever-agile customs offi- the deal negotiated with Turkish from Turkey as of March 20 will be the legality of the deal and Turkey’s “Tusk’s proposal for the fleeing the Syrian war. cials at entry points. The most oft-used and easy- to-detect method of hiding a prohibited item in a hollowed-out book shown mostly in Hollywood Syrians protest Oil hits 2016 high and films, continues to be the modus operandi of many a smuggler. A senior customs official head- heads toward $43 ing the department’s pavilion at the 32nd GCC Traffic Week which comes to an end today, hinted that some new methods of smug- Agencies Organisation of Petroleum Exporting gling forbidden items have been Countries, Opec, floated the idea of unearthed by his department and a production freeze, boosting brent they include the use of ground- from about $27 and US crude from nut shells (peeled and re-sealed) LONDON: Oil rose above $42 a around $26. to arguably push drugs into the barrel yesterday, hitting its highest Oil prices have surged by more country. this year and extending a rally into than 50 percent from 12-year lows On display at the pavilion of a fourth week on expectations of a reached in December, bolstered the General Authority of Customs production freeze by major export- as the Organization of the Petro- at the 32nd GCC Traffic Week are ers. leum Exporting Countries (Opec) not only the above-said tools used Brent crude’s front-month con- floated the idea of a production by the smugglers to carry out their tract LCOc1 was up at $42.44 a freeze, boosting Brent from about sinister operations but also the for- barrel while US crude CLc1 gained $27 and US crude from around $26. bidden goods they tried to push 84 cents to $41.04 a barrel after ris- Many analysts think there is still into the country. The list of exhib- ing as high as $41.13. steam in the rally. its also includes counterfeit goods The benchmark had jumped by “We are leaving the period of low that people tried to bring into the 4.5 per cent to close the previous ses- demand and starting to move toward country and some of the items that Men carrying a Free Syrian Army flag attending an anti-government protest to mark the fifth anniversary sion at $40.20. Oil prices have surged the period when demand increases are banned. of the start of the uprising that resulted in the death of over a quarter of a million people and displaced by more than 50 per cent from 12-year over the summer,” said Olivier Jakob, millions, in Maarat Al Numan, south of Idlib province, yesterday. lows reached in December. oil market analyst at Petromatrix at → Continued on page 2 The rise is bolstered as the Zug in Switzerland. 02 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 HOME

Film industry experts laud Defence Minister meets envoys second edition of Qumra

one-to-one sessions, and screenings. very difficult to deal with emerging Over 100 Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of DFI, film-makers because they’re not sure said: “Last year, we launched Qumra of themselves, they don’t have clear professionals, and embarked on an ambitious jour- ideas. But here I have seen some- including international ney to provide emerging talent with thing very mature, they are really film festival directors, an industry platform to help them professional.” build their skills and foster mean- A script consultant from Aus- producers, fund ingful industry connections. In its tralia, Clare Dobbin described Qumra managers, script second edition, we are excited to see as an ‘amazing opportunity for film- it define its own niche with experts makers,’ adding ‘it presents delegates consultants, sales from across the world taking part in a view of how the entire industry agents, distributors the discussions and asserting their works.” and other experts commitment to supporting young Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director, filmmakers. We thank them for being Festival del Film Locarno, said the took part in the here in Qatar and sharing their expe- interesting mix of the event ensures second edition of rience with the spirit of generosity an enriching experience for the del- Qumra, the annual that has come to embody this event.” egates, who can benefit from the Qumra Master Joshua Oppenhe- diversity while the ‘human experi- industry event by the imer compared the flair of Qumra ence’ of one-to-one meetings and Doha Film Institute to that of the Telluride Film Festival. spending time in an intimate set- (DFI). “This is a very serious even. I have ting helps industry professionals to The Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah has met in Doha been to only very few film related understand the young filmmakers separately with Ambassadors Nizar Hassan Al Haraki of Syria, Qublan Abi Saab of Ecuador and Hassan events of this gravity. It is a place and their projects better. Qassim Najem of Lebanon, yesterday. Talks dealt with bilateral relations. where people are so serious and so A programmer of Buenos Aires The Peninsula questing to find new ways of tell- International Film Festival, Vio- ing stories that are adequate to the leta Bava said the unique benefit of impossible experiences in this region. Qumra is that it ‘really discusses cin- Being here and listening to people’s ema’ with none of the distractions, DOHA: International film industry stories and questions, and meeting and presents the opportunity to meet experts have lauded the second edi- the Masters, I feel like I attended a people who are all on the same page. More queries about tinted glasses tion of Qumra, the annual industry masterclass,” said Oppenheimer. Matthieu Darras, Artistic Direc- event by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), Naomi Kawase said that Qumra tor, Torino Film Lab, said that the for catalysing the development of a has a significant role in telling the intimate setting of Qumra serves in The Peninsula pavilion at the event. In remarks to the Traffic Department said that on vibrant regional film industry and young generation of the world that providing ‘an overview of everything this newspaper, he said yesterday average daily more than 7,600 people shaping the skill sets of emerging they can do something in their own about the industry’ for the delegates, pointing to a small car kept at the visited the Traffic Week since it opened talent. hometowns. “You have filmmakers describing it as a welcome difference pavilion to show the visitors the most on March 13 evening at Darb Al Sai in Al More than 100 industry profes- here from all over the world. And why in comparison to film festivals. DOHA: As the 32nd GCC Traf- important parts of a vehicle. “The Sadd. This was the average daily turn- sionals, including international film do they come here? That is because Delivering its mandate of sup- fic Week comes to a close today, tyres of a car are the most important out until Thursday, and yesterday being festival directors, producers, fund we want to hand down culture to our porting the next generation in FAHES—Woqod’s vehicle inspec- accessory. Only the original must be a Friday and today, a Saturday, the event managers, script consultants, sales young generation.” filmmaking talent, Qumra nurtured tion arm which set up a pavilion at used since the climate here is harsh,” will be open only in the evening. agents, distributors and other experts Aleksandr Sokurov praised the 33 projects including 13 narrative fea- the event—said most visitors asked said Al Mohannadi. “So we expect lower turnout as took part in the event, which com- maturity of the filmmakers he men- ture films, 10 feature documentaries them about the rules about the use All auto spare parts used must be compared to the previous days,” prised Masterclasses, mentoring and tored during Qumra: “Sometimes it’s and 10 short films from 19 countries. of tinted glasses in cars. original, in fact, he said. According said the official. On the other days, Which window glasses in a car to Al Mohannadi, most visitors asked it was open in two shifts—both, can be tinted and what percentage of them about the rules regarding tint- morning and evening. School stu- tint is allowed by the Traffic Depart- ing car glasses. “What percentages of dents form a large part of the visitors ment, was the most frequently asked tint can be used and which window and they benefited from the road question by visitors, a senior FAHES glasses are permitted to be tinted,” safety awareness lectures. Some 60 official said. Of course, tinting the said the official. FAHES is the technical companies and state agencies and windscreen and the rear screen of inspection arm of Woqod which clears departments as well as semi-govern- a car is not allowed, said Ali Lahdan vehicles for being issued road permit. ment departments are taking part in Al Mohannadi, in-charge of FAHES’ Meanwhile, a senior official of the evening.

Pen fitted with camera not allowed

Continued from page 1 in-charge of the customs pavilion at on display, as said earlier, are some of the Traffic Week, said. the tricks smugglers were busted using Interesting as it may seem, any According to Abdulrehman Al to carry out their sinister activities, he pen fitted with a camera is not Nuaimi, this is the first time the Gen- said. In remarks to this newspaper, Al allowed to be brought into Qatar as, eral Authority of Customs is taking part Nuaimi said yesterday: “The GCC Traffic understandably, people can click in the regional Traffic Week. Week has provided us an opportunity to pictures without the other per- “The idea is to raise public aware- directly interact with the people”. When son knowing that he or she is being ness about the department and its role told that counterfeit products should photographed. as the first line of defence in the country actually be caught by the Ministry of Also prohibited are ‘Tramadol’ tab- against things that are dangerous and Economy and Commerce, he said since lets, which are basically a prescription prohibited, as also against fake goods. the goods are prohibited the customs painkiller but contain opioid and are, All items on display at the pavilion have department must catch them at the very arguably, prohibited due to their harms been caught by the Qatari customs at point of entry. “We are showing these and possible misuse. Electronic ciga- different points of entry, at land borders, banned items for public awareness,” Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), with other guests. rettes are banned, too, the official at the port as well as at the airport. Also said Al Nuaimi.

Awareness programme to 48 workshops held as part of Empower 2016 mark World Hearing Day The Peninsula

The Peninsula DOHA: Forty-eight workshops and two panel discussions were held dur- DOHA: The Audiology and Bal- ing the first two days of Empower ance Unit at Hamad Medical 2016 youth conference organised for Corporation (HMC) recently organ- the eighth year by Reach Out To Asia ised a number of activities to raise (ROTA). awareness of hearing care to mark The workshops and panel dis- the World Hearing Day. cussions which concluded yesterday The events held under the focused on the concepts of crowd theme’Childhood hearing loss: act funding, innovation in product cre- now, here is now!’ was attended ation, entrepreneurship, and the by around 100 elementary inde- power of social networking, among pendent school students. The event other topics. featured awareness lectures on the Over 450 youth from vari- anatomy of the ear, how to take ous countries are participating at care of the ear and how to avoid the three-day conference with the injuring the ear whilst cleaning it. theme ‘Innovation in Youth Social Participants at the Empower 2016 youth conference organised for the eighth year by Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), in Doha, yesterday. Qatar is regarded as a leader in Entrepreneurship.’ the early detection of hearing weak- The conference continues today ness due to the establishment, at with off-site visits and panel dis- home town. In addition, I organised am amazed by how passionate the in the World” discussing how nature we need to move away from old HMC in 2013, of the National Center cussions which will further the workshops to children about cultural participants are about being social is the greatest social enterprise in models and embrace a new reality. for Early Detection of Hearing Loss, knowledge of participants and heritage. There is no doubt that I have entrepreneurs - by becoming social the world. The workshop enlight- it’s fantastic to see so many young according to Dr Khalid Abdul Hadi, enrich their experience. The winner learned a lot of concepts about how entrepreneurs they will be con- ened participants to the practice of people and that this is youth driven Senior Consultant and Head of unit. of the ROTA Youth Challenge will be to be a social entrepreneur from the tributing to the development of the Biomimicry, the conscious emula- conference, facilitated by youth and The center focuses on early hearing announced today. panels and workshops. I look forward society and making profits at the tion of nature’s genius in order to organised by youth. I have been so impairment prevention in children “It is my first time participating in to learning new skills that will bene- same time. I believe that EMPOWER solve human challenges. inspired by all the ideas that came by adopting a three-phase pro- Empower. ROTA volunteers mentioned fit me and my community,” said Linda 2016 plays an important role in edu- Al Olaimy said: “What’s unique from young Qatari entrepreneurs gram: newborn screening prior to Empower when they were visiting my Masteti, a participant from Indonesia. cating and empowering youth.” in this year’s Empower is that, even in particular, and the movement mother’s discharge after delivery; school in Indonesia, and this sparked HananeHanzi, from Bedaya Tariq Al Olaimy delivered a from the opening speakers there towards social entrepreneurship. rescreening of infants during their my interest in attending Empower Center, which had a booth in the workshop titled “Innovation Lessons was an understanding that there is It makes me very hopeful for the first vaccination at two months; 2016 since I run a small business in my dedicated exhibition space, said:“I from the Greatest Social Enterprise a huge shift in the region, the way future.” MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 03

Rocket attack Bomb kills cop as hits Algeria embassies warn gas plant

ALGIERS: Jihadists launched a rocket attack yesterday on an on Turkey security Algerian gas plant jointly oper- ated by foreign companies, three years after a deadly hostage crisis at another facility in the Sahara decisively and uninterrupted,” the desert. provincial governor’s office said. There were no reports of cas- The Spanish and The Spanish and Italian embas- ualties the attack, companies and Italian embassies sies urged their citizens to avoid busy workers at the site said. locations, celebrations and ral- “This morning, at approxi- urged their lies on Sunday and Monday, when mately 06:00 local time, the In citizens to avoid Kurds celebrate the Newroz New Salah gas asset in Krechba was hit Year festival. by explosive munitions fired from busy locations, At the height of the PKK a distance,” Norwegian oil and gas celebrations and insurgency in the 1990s, the festival firm Statoil said in a statement. was often marked by violent clashes Britain’s BP, which along with rallies on Sunday and between Kurdish protesters and the Algerian company Sonatrach also Monday. security forces. It coincides with the operates the plant 1,300km south spring thaw, a time when in previous of Algiers, said no employees were years PKK fighters re-entered Turkey hurt. from mountain hideouts in northern “There are no reports of any Reuters Iraq. injuries to personnel at the site Nato member Turkey also faces and the Central Processing Facil- a threat from Islamic State militants, ity (CPF) has been shut down as a blamed for several attacks including safety precaution,” it said. DIYARBAKIR: A bomb attack by a suicide bombing in Istanbul in A plant employee who did not Kurdish militants killed a police January that killed 10 German wish to be named said that the site officer in southeast Turkey yester- tourists. is surrounded by a security fence People carry a banner and wave Free Syrian Army flags while attending an anti-government protest in day and another device was defused Germany said it was keeping and soldiers are permanently on outside a local government building, its diplomatic missions and schools the rebel-held town of Dael, in Deraa Governorate, Syria, yesterday. guard. “The rockets seem to have as embassies issued security warn- closed until the weekend due to a been fired from very far away,” he ings about expected demonstrations highly credible security threat. Der said. this weekend. Spiegel magazine reported that US Autonomy bid in north Syria Military personnel mobilised Turkey has been on high alert and Turkish intelligence, as well soon after the rocket fire to pre- since a suicide bombing, claimed by a as Kurdish security sources, had vent the jihadists gaining access Kurdish militant group, killed 37 peo- warned Berlin of a planned suicide divides Kurdish-Arab alliance to the facility, the employee added. ple in the capital Ankara on Sunday. attack, linked to Islamic State, on No group claimed immedi- Germany shut down its diplomatic German diplomatic missions or ate responsibility for yesterday’s missions and schools in Turkey, while schools. attack and Algerian authorities the US and other European embas- A PKK ceasefire collapsed in Reuters complicate UN-backed peace talks Assyrian, Turkmen and other groups could not provide further details. sies warned citizens to be vigilant. July, triggering daily violence which in Geneva. in the north, was a key proponent of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has killed more than 1,000 mili- Haytham Manaa, who is co- the process that led to Thursday’s militants were believed to have tants, security force members and chairman of the Syrian Democratic declaration of a federal system. Refugees will staged yesterday’s attack on the civilians. BEIRUT: The co-leader of a Kurdish- Council (SDC) along with Kurdish “One party within the SDC (the armoured police vehicle during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Arab political alliance in Syria has activist Ilham Ahmed, said yester- PYD) undertook this initiative sepa- return as soon as security operations in the town of retorted: “Our struggle against ter- condemned a decision by the coun- day the move was inappropriate. rately,” said Manaa, adding that the Nusaybin, near the Syrian border, rorism is measured and legitimate ... try’s Kurdish-controlled northern “We reject this one-sided initi- regional declaration contravened the it’s safe: Syria oppn security sources said. Every terrorist organisation active in regions to seek autonomy, demon- ative and ask them to retract it and aims of the SDC. In the town of Hani, also in the our region and in Turkey has unified strating that opposition to the move work within the framework of the “We stand for a decentralised, mainly Kurdish southeast, police against Turkey. exists even among the Kurds’ clos- SDC,” said Manaa, who spoke on democratic Syria. But when we talk GENEVA: Millions of Syrian ref- found a vehicle loaded with 150kg “Many states, primarily Western est allies. behalf of his political grouping, the about this, we talk about a system ugees just want to return home of explosives which they believed countries, still cannot display a prin- The three northern regions Qamah Movement, a central group that fits with the situation in Syria, and will do so if peace talks in was to be detonated during events cipled stance against these groups,” agreed at a conference on Thurs- within the SDC. stemming from the circumstances Geneva are successful and the to mark the anniversary of a World he added in a speech yesterday. day to establish a self-administered The SDC, which groups Kurds, in Syria, and that the Syrian people fighting ends, a spokesman for the War One battlefield victory at Cana- “Europe’s continued reck- “federal democratic system of Rojava Arabs and others, was formed in decide, said Manaa. main opposition High Negotiations kkale yesterday, state authorities less behaviour is like dancing in a - Northern Syria”. Rojava is the Kurd- December at a meeting in north- “This must not be imposed by any Committee (HNC) said yesterday. said. minefield ... I am telling nations that ish name for north Syria. eastern Syria with the stated aim side (just) because there are fight- More than 4.8 million Syrians “Thanks to the alertness of secu- directly or indirectly embrace ter- The Damascus government of promoting a secular, democratic ers in a (particular) region,” Manaa are refugees in countries border- rity forces, there was no loss of life or rorist groups: you are nursing a viper and neighbouring Turkey swiftly vision for the country. said, referring to the Syria Demo- ing Syria, including Lebanon and damage. Efforts to ensure peace and in your bosom,” he said at Canakkale condemned the move, as did The Syrian Kurdish PYD party is cratic Forces (SDF), the armed wing Turkey, and in north Africa, while security for our people will continue commemorations. Washington which fears it could part of the SDC and, along with Arab, of the SDC. a further 900,000 have applied for asylum in Europe, mostly Ger- many, since the war began five years ago, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. IS claims killing five Russian soldiers near Palmyra “Honestly, if you ask any per- son about what place is better for him, he will say home,” said Salim al-Muslat as a round of U.N.-medi- AFP Shia Hezbollah group in the clashes were killed in Qasr Al Halabat west AK-74M rifle, a helmet and a compass. withdrawal of most of Russia’s armed ated peace talks entered its fifth near Palmyra. of Palmyra during an attempt to storm A packet of bandages was filmed forces from Syria. day. “We appreciate what the A website linked to IS, Aamaq, the area that IS forces foiled, while with instructions written in Russian. The Russian air force has however other countries did, embracing the carried a similar claim, adding that the advisor whose corpse was shown IS seized Palmyra, a Unesco continued to strike jihadist targets Syrian people and the Syrian ref- BEIRUT: The Islamic State jihadist one of the Russians killed was a mil- in a video distributed by the agency World Heritage Site in eastern Syria since the surprise announcement, ugees. But their presence in these group has claimed the killing of five itary advisor. died (Thursday) in the Dawa area,” known as the “Pearl of the Desert”, particularly around Palmyra. countries is temporary, they must Russian troops in fighting near the “The fierce battles around it added. last May, sending shock waves across At a press briefing Friday, Krem- return and they will return when ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. Palmyra city in the east of Homs Aamaq was referring to a video the world. lin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not they find a safe home in Syria,” “The soldiers of the caliphate, by province left five Russian soldiers showing the bloodied corpse of a man Syrian Observatory for Human confirm either the presence of Rus- Muslat said. the grace of God, have killed five Rus- dead on Wednesday and Thursday, in military gear that it claimed was Rights Director Rami Abdel Rahman sian advisors around Palmyra or the “They are waiting for the sian soldiers and six members” of the as well as several others from the the advisor. said “at least one” Russian soldier was IS claim of the soldiers’ killing. results of these negotiations. If Syrian army, IS said in a statement. Hezbollah militia and Afghan Shiite The footage also shows equip- killed in recent days around Palmyra. “The advance (on Palmyra) is car- the results are positive, everyone The group also claimed the killing militias,” Aamaq claimed. ment presumably captured after President Vladimir Putin, Assad’s ried out by contingents of the Syrian will pack their luggage and head of several members of the Lebanese “Four of the Russian soldiers the clashes, including a customised main backer, on Monday ordered the army,” Peskov said. to Syria.” Netanyahu’s Sadr followers begin coalition seen weakening anti-corruption sit-in

JERUSALEM: A year after Ben- Reuters There were no reports of distur- jamin Netanyahu was reelected bances. A senior Sadr aide, Ibrahim as Israeli prime minister, a survey Al Jabri, said the protest would last said yesterday that if elections were for 10 days if needed, until the end held now his right-wing coalition BAGHDAD: Supporters of Iraq’s of a 45-day deadline Sadr gave on would lose its mandate to rule. powerful Shia cleric Moqtada Al February 12 to Abadi for a cabinet A poll by the Panels Research Sadr began a sit-in outside the walls overhaul. organisation for the Jerusalem of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone Corruption is eating away at Post and Hebrew daily Maariv said yesterday to press the government to the central government’s financial that the coalition, which currently see through a move to stem endemic resources at a time when revenues commands just a one-seat majority corruption. are declining due to rock-bottom oil in Israel’s 120-member parliament, Leveraging his ability to mobi- prices and Abadi needs to increase would slip to 57 seats. lise grassroots pressure on the funding the US-backed war against Under Israel’s electoral system, government, Sadr wants Prime Islamic State militants. the prime minister is not the head Minister Haider Al Abadi to replace Abadi on March 11 asked political of the party that gains the most cabinet ministers with non-party blocs in parliament and “influential seats but whoever can build a coa- technocrats to tackle systemic social figures” to nominate techno- lition commanding a majority. political patronage that has fos- crats, but his room for manoeuvre Friday’s survey also indicated tered graft. appears limited by pressure from that 46 percent of respondents Sadr rejected calls to cancel the political factions not to erode their believed that Netanyahu, now sit-in prompted by fears of clashes powerful influence. serving an unprecedented fourth between his supporters and secu- Thousands of demonstrators term as Israeli premier, was rity forces guarding the highly held Friday prayers in a main street replaceable although there was sensitive Green Zone, which hosts leading into the Green Zone nearby, Supporters of prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr protest against corruption outside Baghdad’s no clear consensus on the best major government offices and for- then set up tents to accommodate candidate. heavily fortified Green Zone, Iraq, yesterday. eign embassies in the Iraqi capital. those staying on for the sit-in. 04 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 ASIA / PHILIPPINES

China active at Struggle for survival Abu Sayyaf reef seized from leader wounded in clash MANILA: Philippine secu- Manila: US rity forces wounded a leader of an Al Qaeda- linked militant group part of the Spratly archipelago, about wanted by the United 200km west of the Philippine base States in a clash yesterday It was unclear if the of Subic Bay. “I think we see some but he escaped, an army Chinese activity near surface ship activity and those sorts general said yesterday. of things, survey type of activity, Radullan Sahiron, a the reef was related going on. That’s an area of concern one-armed leader of the to the pending ... a next possible area of reclama- Abu Sayyaf militant group, tion,” he said. has been on a US State arbitration decision. Richardson said it was unclear Department wanted list if the activity near the reef, which with a $1m reward for his China seized in 2012, was related capture since his involve- to the pending arbitration decision. ment in the kidnapping of Reuters He said China’s pursuit of South Filipino Lam is busy portraying a picture at a street in Manila. Lam has lived on the streets of Manila US tourists in 2001. China Sea territory, which has for 15 years survives by earning little a day working as a barker, assisting vehicles as they park and “There’s an intelligence included massive land reclamation alerting people a jeepney is coming, as well as selling his paintings to tourists. report that Radullan Sahi- to create artificial islands elsewhere ron was wounded in the WASHINGTON: The United States in the Spratlys, threatened to reverse firefight,” General Alan has seen Chinese activity around a decades of open access and intro- Arrojado told report- reef that China seized from the Phil- duce new “rules” that required ers referring to a clash ippines nearly four years ago that countries to obtain permission between soldiers and could be a precursor to more land before transiting those waters. Heist: IT expert missing after remarks about 100 militants on the reclamation in the disputed South He said that was a worry given southern island of Jolo. China Sea, the US Navy chief said that 30 percent of the world’s trade yesterday. passes through the region. AFP Philippines. IT expert Tanvir Hassan vehicles. Later they dropped Yamir The head of US naval operations, Asked whether China could Zoha, who said he was helping the (Zoha’s friend) on a road blindfolded Images of US Admiral John Richardson, expressed respond to the ruling by the court government investigate the crime, but took Zoha with them,” Nahar said. concern that an international court of arbitration in The Hague by told a local TV station last week that “We’ve not heard anything from student stealing ruling expected in coming weeks on declaring an air defense identifica- DHAKA: A Bangladeshi cyber secu- “apathy” over security at Bangladesh him since then,” the wife said, saying a case brought by the Philippines tion zone, or ADIZ, as it did farther rity expert has gone missing, his Bank had contributed to the auda- police had not filed a case on her hus- banner released against China over its South China north in the East China Sea in 2013, family said yesterday, days after he cious theft. band’s disappearance. The heist has Sea claims could be a trigger for Bei- Richardson said: “It’s definitely a said officials at the central bank bore Zoha has not been seen since hugely embarrassed the government SEOUL: North Korea has jing to declare an exclusion zone in concern.” “We will just have to see some responsibility for an $81m theft Wednesday night when he was of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and released CCTV images the busy trade route. what happens,” he said. “We think from its foreign exchange account. picked up on his way home from raised alarm over the security of the showing American stu- Richardson said that the United about contingencies and responses.” Hackers stole the money from the work in the capital Dhaka, his wife country’s foreign exchange reserves dent Otto Warmbier States was weighing responses to Richardson said the United Bangladesh Bank’s account with the Kamrun Nahar said, citing a friend of over $27bn. Zoha, 34,said that “the removing a political ban- such a move. He said the US military States planned to continue carrying Federal Reserve Bank of New York on who was with him. “Several men in database administrator of the server ner from a wall in a hotel had seen Chinese activity around out freedom-of-navigation exercises February 5 and managed to trans- plainclothes stopped their auto-rick- cannot avoid responsibility for such -- a “crime” that saw him Scarborough Shoal in the northern within the limit of disputed sea. fer it electronically to accounts in the shaw and put them in two different hacking”. sentenced to 15 years hard labour. The brief CCTV clip, taken in a staff-only area of the Yanggakdo Interna- tional Hotel in Pyongyang, Mongolia herders face natural disaster: Red Cross was submitted as evi- dence during Warmbier’s trial on Wednesday. country where IFRC said a third organisation showed a herder drag- The United States AFP of the thinly-spread population ging the brown, furry carcass of a has accused the North of rely on animal husbandry for their goat by the horn through the dirt, using Warmbier as a polit- livelihoods. tossing it onto a pile of dead sheep, ical pawn and condemned Goats, sheep and cows die en amid loose skulls, ribs and femurs the sentence as way out BEIJING: Hundreds of thousands masse, unable to graze sufficiently scattered across the steppe. of proportion to what of farm animals have perished in in the warmer months to build up Bayankhand Myagmar, 50, amounted to little more a slow-moving natural disaster in the reserves necessary to withstand whose daughter is disabled and than a misdemeanour. Mongolia and the international aid later temperatures that regularly husband ill, said she had lost 400 response has been insufficient, the drop to -50 degrees Celsius. of her 700 animals. She had bor- Red Cross said yesterday. More than 350,000 animals rowed to buy extra fodder, hoping China holds Mongolia has been hit by a have already died according to the to later repay her debts in cashmere, devastating natural phenomenon latest available figures from the but had not been able to save them. outdoor trial to known as a “dzud”, said the Inter- UN mission in the country, IFRC IFRC has launched an emer- national Federation of Red Cross said, and its East Asia communi- gency appeal for more than educate public and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) cations delegate Hler Gudjonsson $800,000 to assist around 25,000 -- a hot summer drought followed said: “We’re only about one-third vulnerable herders, but after more SHANGHAI: A Chinese by a severe winter. The combina- through the disaster.” than two weeks has received less court held an outdoor trial A Mongolian woman with her sheep at a village in Mongolia. tion spells doom for livestock in a Video footage released by the than half the goal, Gudjonsson said. for eight migrant work- ers protesting against unpaid wages to “educate the public in law”, it was Activists reported. Japan to send plutonium Chinese courts occa- sionally hold public trials concerned over involving criminal offences cache to US this weekend such as drug dealing and Indonesian robbery, but such trials for labour offences are rare. anti-terror law AFP will be disposed of in the United The workers were States,” Tsukasa Yamamura, an charged with obstruct- Reuters official in the nuclear nonpro- ing police during a protest liferation technology section at they staged last year to TOKYO: Japan will return a huge the Ministry of Education, Culture, claim unpaid wages from cache of plutonium -- enough to Sports, Science and Technology, their employer, a devel- JAKARTA: Rights activists yes- produce 50 nuclear bombs -- to told AFP Friday, referring to the oper, the paper said. The terday called on Indonesia’s the United States starting this deal. trial was held on Wednes- parliament to reject govern- weekend as part of a bilateral But the campaigners con- day in Langzhong in ment proposals designed to storage deal, Greenpeace and demned the shipment as a southwestern Sichuan tighten the country’s anti-ter- other anti-nuclear campaigners “dangerous distraction” from province. rorism laws. said yesterday. what they said is a far larger The revisions to the law, The stockpile, provided by cache of roughly 10 tonnes of plu- proposed in the wake of a the US, Britain and France dec- tonium in Japan. 24 held for militant attack in the capi- ades ago for research purposes, “Hailing a shipment of tal Jakarta in January, include has caused disquiet among anti- hundreds of kilogrammes of plu- importing drugs detention without trial for up nuclear groups and neighbouring tonium as a triumph for nuclear to three months and allow countries given Japan has the security, while ignoring over nine in Australia the arrest of people “if they know-how to produce a nuclear tonnes of the weapons mate- assemble to discuss terrorist weapon -- even as it adamantly rial stockpiled in Japan and in a SYDNEY: Twenty-four and radical acts”. chooses not to. region of rising tensions, is not people, many of them International Commis- Some 331kg of plutonium just a failure of nuclear non-pro- Chinese nationals, have sion of Jurists and other will be sent by “an armed Brit- liferation and security policy but a been arrested in Australia rights groups said in a joint ish nuclear transport ship under dangerous delusion,” Burnie said. and charged with illegally statement that the proposed armed escort to the United States,” A Japanese official in January importing drugs, Austral- amendments are “an attack said a joint statement by five confirmed the amount of pluto- ia’s anti-money laundering on human rights”. “The pro- groups, including Greenpeace. nium to be sent to the US and said regulator said yesterday. posed amendments would The departure from a port that preparations for the shipment The suspects used authorise unnecessarily pro- north of Tokyo “could occur as were under way. Australian-based money longed detention of suspects, early as tomorrow,” Shaun Burnie, But Yamamura declined to transfer operators to putting them at risk of tor- senior nuclear specialist at Green- elaborate. “We can’t comment on send funds offshore to ture, ill-treatment, enforced peace, said. details such as the departure date pay for the drugs. “Many disappearance, and arbitrary The shipment, which comes and route for security reasons,” of those involved in the detention,” said the statement. ahead of a nuclear security sum- he said. It will take two months importations were Chi- Other rights NGOs raised mit in Washington from late this for the ship to arrive at a nuclear nese nationals, based in concerns over a proposal to month, is meant to underscore facility in South Carolina. Japan Australia,” the Australian strip Indonesians of citizenship both countries’ commitment to traditionally has relied heavily on Transaction Reports and if they join overseas militant nuclear non-proliferation and is nuclear technology for its energy Analysis Centre said. organisation. part of a 2014 deal. “The material needs. ASIA / AFRICA SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 05

North Korea Congo presidential election tomorrow Death toll 158 in fires ballistic Angola yellow fever outbreak LUANDA: A yellow fever missile into sea outbreak in Angola that began late last year has killed 158 people, up after from the same region, with a from 50 a month ago, as projectile disappearing from radar at deaths from the disease The launch provoked an altitude of about 17km, the state- transmitted by mosqui- a barrage of criticism ment said. toes accelerate, a World South Korea did not confirm Health Organisation offi- and appeals. China the type of the missiles. But 800km cial said yesterday, urged North to fulfil was likely beyond the range of most There has also been an short-range missiles in North Korea’s increase in malaria, chol- its international arsenal. The North’s Rodong missile era and chronic diarrhoea commitments and has an estimated maximum range of in Luanda and other cities, 1,300km, according to the South’s partly due to a breakdown Japan lodged a defence ministry. in sanitation services and Yesterday’s launch quickly pro- rubbish collection, health protest. Supporters of Congo-Brazzaville opposition candidate Guy Parfait Kolelas attend a campaign rally voked a barrage of criticism and officials said. ahead of tomorrow’s presidential election in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, yesterday. appeals. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged North Reuters Korea to abide by UN resolutions 4 killed in Niger and not do anything to exacerbate tensions. The US State Department Islamist attacks in a statement urged North Korea SEOUL: North Korea fired at least to focus on taking concrete steps No Ebola cases in Sierra Leone: WHO Niamey: Two separate one ballistic missile which flew toward fulfilling its international Islamist attacks killed about 800km before hitting the sea commitments and obligations. three policemen and a off its east coast, South Korea’s mil- Japan lodged a protest with AFP while officials feared further sus- significant number of deaths are soldier in Niger yesterday, itary said yesterday, as the isolated North Korea through its embassy in pected cases. “For now, we have two believed to have gone unreported. an official said, just days state stepped up its defiance of tough Beijing, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirmed cases and three suspected The WHO has recorded almost before the impoverished new UN and US sanctions. told parliament. “Japan strongly cases,” it added. “The World Health 4,000 deaths in Sierra Leone since west African nation votes A US official said in Washington demands North Korea to exercise FREETOWN: The latest flare-up Organization joins the government of the outbreak began. The world health in the second round of it appeared to be a medium-range self-restraint and will take all neces- of Ebola in Sierra Leone has ended, Sierra Leone in marking the end of body was also careful to warn that a presidential elections. missile fired from a road-mobile sary measures, such as warning and leaving no confirmed cases of the the recent flare-up of Ebola virus dis- recurrence of the deadly tropical dis- Gunmen believed to launcher. That would mark North surveillance activity, to be able to virus in West Africa, the UN said ease in the country,” a statement said. ease remained a possibility. be linked to Al-Qaeda Korea’s first test of a medium-range respond to any situations,” Abe said. yesterday, hailing it as a “milestone”. The global health body made “WHO continues to stress that shot dead 3 policemen in missile, capable of reaching Japan, South Korea’s Unification Min- However, Guinea government the announcement after 42 days or Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia and a market in Dolbel near since 2014. istry said Pyongyang should focus said that two people from the same two Ebola incubation cycles -- since Guinea, are still at risk of Ebola flare- the border with Burkina The missile, launched from on improving the lives of its people family have died from Ebola in Sierra Leone’s last Ebola patient ups, largely due to virus persistence Faso, the interior minister north of the capital, Pyongyang, and that provocative actions would Guinea. It was soon after the WHO tested negative for the second time. in some survivors, and must remain Hassimi Massaoudou said. flew across the peninsula and into help nothing. North Korea often fires declared a flare-up of the virus in Sierra Leone recorded half of on high alert and ready to respond,” Near the border 4 suicide the sea off the east coast early yes- missiles during periods of tension neighbouring Sierra Leone over. the cases in an Ebola epidemic that the statement said. The virus can bombers attacked a mil- terday morning, South Korea’s Office on the Korean peninsula or when Test samples from the two infected a reported 28,600 peo- stay in semen for at least nine months itary convoy, killing the of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a it comes under pressure to curb its patients “revealed the presence of ple across the three hardest-hit after a patient has recovered, six local military commander statement. It appeared the North defiance and abandon its weapons the Ebola haemorrhagic fever virus”, nations and claimed 11,300 lives months longer than previously and injuring two others. may have fired a second missile soon programmes. the government said in a statement, since December 2013, although a thought.

Niger second round ballot tomorrow

A woman walks past the picture of Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou in Niger yesterday ahead of the second-round ballot tomorrow. Niger’s opposition said that it “will not recognise” the result of March 20’s presidential election run-off.

Seoul condemns Taiwan ‘needs to protect updated Japanese its space’: Tsai textbooks

AFP Reuters its friendly intentions after decades of hostility and suspicion. That truce is now over, following SEOUL: South Korea yesterday January’s landslide election of Tsai protested Tokyo’s approval of TAIPEI: Taiwan needs to protect and her pro-independence Demo- updated high school textbooks that its international space as its dip- cratic Progressive Party (DPP). identify a cluster of small, Korean- lomatic position is precarious, Tsai said China and Taiwan did controlled islets as part of Japanese president-elect Tsai Ing-wen said not need to do anything to harm territory. yesterday after China resumed ties each other’s feelings. “I hope the “We deeply deplore that Japan with former Taiwan ally Gambia and establishment of ties with Gambia has approved high school text anger over the move grew in the self- is not a targeted move,” Tsai said. books that contain distorted views ruled island. “At present, Taiwan’s diplomatic about history, including unjustified The small West African state was situation is not optimistic, and needs claims about our territory,” South one of only a few African countries, everyone to unite together to face Korea’s foreign ministry said in a along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland up to it, to consistently protect our statement.The Dokdo islets, known and São Tomé and Príncipe, to rec- international space.” Senior Tai- as Takeshima in Japan, lie roughly ognise Taiwan, which China regards wan lawmakers lined up to criticise halfway between South Korea and as a wayward province to be recov- China, including from the China- Japan in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). ered by force if necessary. friendly Nationalist Party. “The Japanese government China and Taiwan have for years “It has seriously hurt the feelings must understand that a correct tried to poach each other’s allies, of the Taiwan people,” said National- teaching of history is a duty, not often dangling generous aid pack- ist lawmaker Chiang Chi-chen. only to its future generations, but ages in front of leaders of developing DPP lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng also to neighbouring countries that nations. But they began an unoffi- said Tsai had pledged to maintain the have suffered from Japan’s past cial diplomatic truce after signing a status quo with China and that she aggression”, the statement said, series of landmark trade and eco- would not take provocative action. urging a revision of the textbooks. nomic agreements in 2008, after the “But very regretful China with South Korea and Japan election of the China-friendly Ma its unilateral action has changed the reached agreement at the end of Ying-jeou as Taiwan’s president, as status quo across the Taiwan Strait,” last year on their dispute over war- Beijing tried to convince Taiwan of Lo said. time slaves. 06 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 PAKISTAN

Security measures ahead of religious fest Minister calls Musharraf lands for consensus on flood in Dubai after protection plan travel ban lifted Internews ISLAMABAD: The central and provincial government of Paki- stan have agreed to approach the United States. “Six to eight weeks Council of Common Interests (CCI) are required for the treatment and for the approval of 10-year flood Musharraf was then he would go back home,” said protection plan, considering the banned from Dr Amjad Malik, a spokesman for recent countrywide devastation Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim caused by rains and flooding. The leaving Pakistan in League party in Dubai. Musharraf consensus was reached yesterday March 2013 after was banned from leaving Pakistan in at a high-level meeting chaired by March 2013 after he returned to the Power Minister Khawaja Asif in he returned to the country to contest elections. Islamabad. country on an ill- Last June, the Sindh High Court Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali lifted Musharraf’s travel ban, but Shah, Federal Climate Change fated mission to the federal government, headed by Minister Zahid Hamid, provincial contest elections. his long-time rival Prime Minister irrigation ministers from Khyber- Nawaz Sharif, appealed the verdict. Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and The Supreme Court on Wednes- An Afghan security official frisks a man at a checkpoint as security is intensified ahead of Nowruz in officials of flood commission, cli- day upheld the Sindh High Court Nangarhar province, yesterday. mate change division and national AFP decision and ordered the govern- and provincial disaster manage- ment to allow Musharraf to travel, ment authorities were also in which it did the following day. attendance. Musharraf’s lawyers have provided Asif said that a consensus- KARACHI: Former military ruler guarantees he will return to Paki- based national plan for flood Pervez Musharraf, who faces charges stan in six weeks and pledged he will Quarter of a million deported since 2013 protection was the need of the of treason and murder, arrived in appear in court for several ongoing hour due to global climate change. Dubai yesterday for what his lawyers cases against him, interior minister, The frequency and intensity said was urgent medical treatment Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said. Internews Aurangzeb presented these figures while 358 were expelled from the of floods and the resulting dam- after a three-year travel ban was However, analyst Hasan Askari in the National Assembly, in reply to United States. Other countries that ages have increased manifold in lifted. yesterday said that the chance of a question from Member of National deported a significant number of recent years, making it impera- Lawyers for the former presi- Musharraf coming back was “min- Assembly (MNA) Sajida Begum. Pakistanis include South Africa, tive for to have an integrated and dent, who is facing multiple charges imal”, adding that his return could ISLAMABAD: Over a quarter of According to statistics, Saudi Ara- Thailand, Turkey, Russian Federa- innovative approach. The Federal including the assassination of former cause problems for the government a million Pakistanis have been bia accounted for the highest number tion, Germany and Bahrain. Flood Commission (FFC) has for- prime minister Benazir Bhutto, have and embarrass the military. “In order deported from 125 countries since of Pakistani deportations. In 2013, the Begum asked parliamentary mulated the 10-year plan through said he needs urgent medical treat- to defuse the conflict, the government 2013 when the PML-N government Kingdom sent back 25,599 Pakistanis, secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb if World Bank funding. Internation- ment not available in Pakistan. agreed to let him go,” he said. In Jan- swept to power, the National Assem- 45,456 in 2014 and 61,403 in 2015. In the deportees were sent back with- ally renowned experts in water “I am going abroad for treat- uary, Musharraf was acquitted over bly was told yesterday. 2016, the Saudi authorities expelled out any logical reason. She replied resources and flood management ment but will return to face the cases the 2006 killing of a Baloch rebel Some 140,393 or more than half around 7,935 Pakistanis. The high- that among the several reasons for of the Deltares of Netherlands and against me,” a party spokesman in leader Nawab Akbar Bugti. of all the Pakistanis deported during est number of Pakistani expatriates deportation was illegal documen- NESPAK have been engaged for Karachi quoted him as saying. “I am But four cases against him this period were from Saudi Ara- work in Saudi Arabia. Coming sec- tation, overstay, passport and other National Flood Protection Plan-IV a commando. I love my motherland.” remain—one accusing him of trea- bia. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ond in the list of countries that booted issues. “Nobody is deported without to be implemented between 2015- The spokesman added that son for imposing emergency rule, as accounted for 23,330 expulsions the out unwanted Pakistanis was the UAE any reason,” she said. She said the 16 and 2024-25. Musharraf had reached his Dubai well as those alleging the unlawful second highest number of Pakistani which sent home around 23,330 green government formulated the first- The total financial outlay of residence, where he will stay for dismissal of judges, the assassination deportations. passport holders. ever deportation policy and drafted the plan is Rs177, 661m. The plan some weeks before seeking an of Bhutto and a deadly raid on Islam- Parliamentary Secretary Inte- The United Kingdom has deported a database that started functioning in affords flexibility in provincial pri- appointment with doctors in the abad’s radical Red Mosque. rior and Narcotics Marriyum around 7,777 Pakistanis since 2013, the Federal Investigation Authority. orities during the next 10 years. Envoy says Putin Red Cross sounds alarm on rising casualties in ‘ignored’ Afghanistan finds no reason Reuters “There are more displaced people, estimated one million people are successive year in 2015, with over “Every bombed out hospital and to visit Pakistan more war-wounded and more dis- displaced within Afghanistan, some 11,000 non-combatants killed or every doctor or nurse who is forced to abled people,” ICRC president Peter having been uprooted multiple times. injured, according to UN data. flee, means thousands of people can- Internews Maurer said at the end of a visit to The Taliban, ousted from power Maurer said a particularly wor- not get immediate medical treatment LONDON: The humanitarian situa- Afghanistan — the organisation’s larg- in a US-led military intervention rying trend was the escalation in when necessary,” he added. tion in Afghanistan is in a “downward est operation. in 2001, has been waging a violent attacks against medical facilities and International humanitarian law ISLAMABAD: Moscow believes spiral”, the head of the International “Humanitarian concerns are insurgency to try to topple Afghan- staff which was making it increas- obliges all warring parties to protect that there are still not enough rea- Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) growing, yet international atten- istan’s Western-backed government ingly difficult for civilians to access medical missions, the ICRC said. Mau- sons to justify Russian President warned yesterday, as he sounded the tion is dwindling. It seems that the and re-establish a Islamic regime. health care. Such attacks have risen rer noted that Afghans are the second Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pakistan. alarm on rising attacks against med- more the Afghan people suffer, the The number of civilian casual- 50 percent in the last year, he said in largest group of refugees and migrants “The problem is that usually ical facilities. less attention there is on them.” An ties hit a record high for the seventh a statement. arriving in Europe behind Syrians. the purpose of the visit is not par- ticipation in ceremonies. The visit should have some substance,” Rus- sian Ambassador Alexey Dedov said at the Institute of Strategic Search operation Rights activists slam Studies Islamabad (ISSI), where he was delivering a lecture on Pak- Russia relations. “As soon as the US ‘punishments’ for substance is ready we can discuss the visit,” he said. Dedov defined the substance as Afghan hospital attack “signing of documents” for coop- eration, “preparation of plans” for expanding ties, and “declarations”. No Russian president has ever AFP “war crime”, saying the raid by a visited Pakistan. President Putin AC-130 gunship left patients burn- had planned a visit to Islamabad ing in their beds with some victims in October 2012 for attending a decapitated and suffering traumatic quadrilateral summit between KABUL: Rights campaigners yes- amputations. Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and terday lambasted US “punishments” General John Campbell, the Afghanistan, but cancelled it at handed to officers involved in a cata- US commander in Afghanistan at the eleventh hour. Lately, there strophic bombing raid on an Afghan the time, admitted the strike was was renewed talk of Putin visiting hospital, saying the failure to crimi- “caused primarily by human error”, Islamabad after Russia agreed to nally investigate them is an “injustice prompting a strong rebuke from the invest in the $2bn North-South gas and insult” to the victims. charity who slammed American pipeline project for carrying lique- The bombing last October of forces for “gross negligence”. fied natural gas (LNG) from Karachi the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) The charity has called for an to Lahore. It was being speculated hospital in Kunduz—which came as independent international inquiry, that he could visit Pakistan for Pakistani rangers inspect the site of a bomb blast after unknown militants threw a hand grenade at Nato-backed Afghan forces clashed even delivering a petition signed by performing the ground-breaking a rangers checkpost in Karachi yesterday. with the Taliban for control of the hundreds of thousands of people to ceremony of the project. northern city—left 42 people dead, the White House, but so far neither triggering a storm of global criticism. the US nor Afghanistan has agreed. US officials said those involved President Barack Obama has in the strike have been disciplined, apologised for the attack and the with some suspended from duty and Pentagon has said it will pay com- Dry winter leaves Pakistan farmers eyeing work in cities others facing “administrative” action pensation to the families of those such as “negative counselling” or killed. being told not to do something again. Observers have said the bomb- Reuters and try my luck.” raised some hopes of recovery, but been nearly 65 percent below nor- “For good reason the victims’ ing raid, which lasted nearly an hour, A warm and nearly dry Pakistan have also led to new problems, includ- mal since January 1, said Ghulam family members will see this as had left open the unsettling question winter, with rainfall just a third of ing a late surge of weeds, farmers say. Rasul, director general at the Paki- both an injustice and an insult: the of whether those involved had ripped normal, has ruined crops and made Now “we have to buy herbicides stan Meteorological Department. He US military investigated itself and up their own rulebook in a chaotic ISLAMABAD: Wheat farmer Nasir life increasingly hard for the coun- to fight the weeds,” bemoaned Karam predicted that could cut winter har- decided no crimes had been com- effort to take out the Taliban. Tauqeer Khan would rather be home try’s small-scale farmers, experts say. Nawaz, a maize farmer in Sialkot. vests of some crops by at least 30 mitted,” Human Rights Watch said. MSF has called for the Interna- working in his fields. But since Janu- Many farmers say they are struggling Rab Nawaz Gujar, who grows percent. About a quarter of farmland “The failure to criminally inves- tional Humanitarian Fact-Finding ary, with Pakistan’s rains failing, he to adapt to increasingly unreliable mustard, pulses and barley on 78 is entirely dependent on rainfall to tigate senior officials liable for the Commission (IHFFC) — an independ- has laboured instead at a construc- weather, and in many cases have had hectares (192acres) in the suburbs provide enough water, and in those attack is not only an affront to the ent body created under international tion site in Islamabad. to migrate to cities and towns to find of Chakwal, in Pakistan’s northeast, areas farmers growing wheat, maize, lives lost at the MSF hospital, but law but which has never been used— “Had I stayed behind in my vil- jobs to help them survive. predicted harvests of winter crops mustard, pulses and vegetables may a blow against the rule of law in to investigate the attack. However, lage, my family would have been Late season heavy rain in mid- would be down in his area by half. not be able to save much of their crop, Afghanistan and elsewhere.” it would need permission from the starving,” the 45-year-old said. “I February and scattered snow in the Winter rains this year were said Sirat Asghar, a former agricul- The medical charity has pre- US and Afghanistan to proceed, and thought better to move to the city mountains of northern Pakistan have two months late and rainfall has ture secretary. viously branded the strike as a neither country has so far agreed. INDIA SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 07

Public outcry as govt cuts Hearty welcome PPF and NSS interest rates

(NSI), said. According to him, the sector’s ability to lower deposit rates main reason for the downward in response to the Reserve Bank of It is a criminal breach revision was the two-year yield on India’s monetary policy, the govern- of trust with hapless government securities (G-Sec) had ment said last month. gone down. Interestingly the rate of interest people who put their The interest rates for various on the Employees Provident Fund money in the custody small savings schemes were recal- (EPF) is 8.8 percent. culated with reference to the G-Sec “The self-employed are hit of the government of yields of equivalent maturity for by this move. For them the PPF is India with the belief the period December 2015-Febru- the one safe mode of investment. ary 2016, and based on it, rates on Now the return has come down,” that they will not be various schemes for 2016-17’s first N.Varadarajan, a self-employed per- cheated: Congress quarter have been notified. son, said. According to the government, the The opposition criticised the gov- quarterly revision of interest rates ernment’s decision. will ensure that the interest rates “Government’s decision to cut IANS under small savings schemes are PF interest rates is unfortunate. Why more dynamically related to current are they taking away one of the last market rates, thereby enabling the avenues of savings in a depressed Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi (left) is welcomed by party leaders during a visit to banks to move their interest rates in economy?” Congress leader Ahmed Amritsar, yesterday. Rahul was in the city to attend the screening of a documentary on Punjab. NEW DELHI: In a decision that line with current money market rates. Patel tweeted. evoked immediate uproar by the Chauhan said the total corpus of Party spokesperson Randeep salaried and self-employed class, all small savings scheme was around Singh Surjewala, in a statement, said: the government yesterday slashed Rs300,000crore. The net accretion “It is a criminal breach of trust with the interest rates on public provi- this year was around Rs65,000crore hapless people who put their money dent fund (PPF) from 8.7 percent to till January 31. in the custody of the government of JNU students get interim bail 8.1 percent, soon after retracting the The SSA has around 85 lakh India with the belief that they will unpopular proposal to partially tax accounts with a deposit of around not be cheated.” withdrawals. Rs3,500 crore, while the KVP corpus Communist Party of India-Marx- In the process, the interest rate is over Rs21,000 crore, Chauhan said. ist (CPI-M) general secretary Sitaram IANS permission and to make themselves “No submission has been made for the national savings scheme was Earlier, the government had Yechury also hit out, tweeting: “Small available before the investigating (by police) to the effect that both the also reduced sharply from 8.5 percent proposed a tax on 60 percent of the savers are the backbone of our sav- officer as and when required. applicants Umar Khalid and Anir- to 8.1 percent, for Kisan Vikas Patra PPF corpus on maturity if it was ings. With no social security net, they Both had sought bail on the ban Bhattacharya have been involved (KVP) from 8.7 percent to 7.8 percent not invested in annuities — that is rely on such guaranteed returns.” NEW DELHI: A Delhi court yester- ground of “parity”, saying that JNU previously in any criminal case. No and for five-year recurring deposit to schemes that fetch periodic returns. Economist Ashwaini Mahajan, day granted six months interim bail students union president Kanhaiya record has been placed by the state 7.4 percent from 8.4 percent. Also proposed was a limit on also the co-convenor of Swadesh to JNU students Umar Khalid and Kumar, who was also arrested on the regarding any such past conduct of Even the girl child scheme monetary contributions of employ- Jagran Manch, also criticised the Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested on same charge, was already granted both these persons. “Although the Sukanya Samridhhi Account (SSA) ers in provident fund to Rs150,000 move, saying it will “leave an adverse charges of sedition. interim bail by the Delhi High Court. allegations levelled against Umar was not spared. The cut: From 9.2 per annum for tax sops. impact on the domestic saving”. Both have been asked to furnish Granting bail to them on par- Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya percent to 8.6 percent. Both these were withdrawn. “As a student of economics, I feel a personal bond of Rs25,000 with ity with Kumar, the court noted that are per se serious in nature, yet as “The new rates will be effec- The government also cut inter- the authorities must reconsider about one surety of the like amount respec- there was no previous criminal record claimed by police themselves, the tive from next fiscal (April 1, 2016). est rates on other small savings term the decision. I do not think there tively. Additional Sessions Judge against them and “nothing has been video footage of the incident has been The interest will be calculated on deposit schemes. was enough and good ground at the Reetesh Singh also asked the two brought on record which could indi- sent to the forensic science labora- quarterly basis,” A K Chauhan, joint The small savings interest rates moment to slash the interest rate on Jawaharlal Nehru University students cate that they are likely to abscond tory. Its analysis and final report will director in National Savings Institute are perceived to limit the banking the PPF,” Mahajan said. not to leave Delhi without the court’s from jurisdiction of the court”. certainty take some time,” it added. Karnataka budget pinches rich and middle class CBI finds over five

IANS LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs and portfolio, said in his over two-hour and carbonated non-alcoholic bever- lakh transactions in helmets, said Chief Minister Siddar- long budget speech in Kannada. ages, including soft drinks and soft amaiah, presenting the budget in He said though the Centre had drinks concentrates. The budget, the assembly yesterday. Petrol price increased excise duty thrice on pet- however, fully exempted paddy, rice, Mallya money trail BENGALURU: The Karnataka budget would go up by Rs1.89 per litre from rol and diesel during the current fiscal wheat, their flour, pulses, ragi (malt) for 2016-17 hikes tax on petrol, diesel, April 1, with increase in tax from 26 (2015-16) despite steady fall in crude rice and jowar roti (bread) from 14.5 soft drinks and beverages, but spares percent to 30 percent, he told the oil prices in the international market, percent VAT for one more year. “As the poor with exemption in cess on assembly, presenting the budget. the state government did not raise its part of tax relief I propose exempt IANS transactions abroad. foodgrains and pulses. “Similarly, diesel price will be tax on them. VAT on jowar roti, a native food in The CBI has expanded the There would also be lower value up 89paise per litre with increase in To mobilise additional resource, the state’s northern region, and ragi ambit of the probe to 16 more pub- added tax (VAT) on cotton, chat- tax to 19 percent from 16.65 percent,” the budget has increased VAT to 20 roti, a staple food in the state’s south- lic sector banks from which Mallya nipudi (curry powders), utensils, Siddaramaiah, who holds the finance percent from 14.5 percent on aerated ern part,” Siddaramaiah said. NEW DELHI: The CBI has started and KFA had borrowed money tracking the money trail of all the since 2004. transactions and loans taken by So far, the country’s premier business tycoon Vijay Mallya and investigating agency has been prob- Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) totalling ing defaults worth Rs900 crore on Efforts to form Celebrating festival of colours Rs7,000crore since 2004. loans taken from Industrial Devel- “Our prime focus is to find out opment Bank of India (IDBI) during govt in Kashmir the money trail of loans flowing in October-November 2009. from all the 17 banks to the accounts None of the 17 banks has, how- of Mallya, his other associates, his ever, filed a complaint with the CBI hit dead end defunct airline (Kingfisher Airlines) as yet. The agency had registered and others,” a CBI source said. a case in July 2015 under provi- IANS The source said only by trailing sions related to criminal breach of the money will they be able to find trust and criminal conspiracy in the its use or misuse. Indian Penal Code (IPC) and some NEW DELHI: Efforts to form “We have to reach the final sections of Prevention of Corrup- a government in Jammu and destination of the money to find tion Act. Kahsmir have hit a dead end as out if the borrowings were used The agency had filed the case the BJP has refused to accept the by Mallya for other purposes, the against Mallya, KFA, the firm’s then demands of the Peoples Demo- source added. chief financial officer A Raghu- cratic Party (PDP), PDP sources Officials looking to trace the nathan and unknown IDBI Bank said. money had found that over five lakh officials. A senior PDP leader close to transactions had been made in sev- The CBI source said that IDBI party chief Mehbooba Mufti said eral accounts. had been informed about the wrong- that the negotiations between the Over 60 per cent of the five doings twice — first in 2012 and then two parties had “hit a dead end” lakh such transactions — around in 2014. and the PDP was unlikely to form three lakh — had been diverted “In early 2016, we also informed a government again with the BJP. to accounts in four countries, the the United Bank of India that loans The PDP comments came source said. may have been misused. But neither as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) The CBI is in touch with different of the banks approached us with any general secretary Ram Madhav agencies through various channels complaint,” the source said. announced that it was not possi- People take part in Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in a Mathura temple, Uttar Pradesh, to find out the assets that Mallya CBI’s expanded its probe a week ble to form a coalition government yesterday. may own in the four countries. It is after Mallya left the country on on PDP’s conditions. “It’s not pos- also seeking further details of the March 2. sible to form a government on (PDP) conditions,” Madhav said. “We are not ready to accept any new demand.” Madhav also said that the stalemate in government- BJP legislator arrested for maiming police horse formation was not because of the BJP but due to the PDP. “The prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir is not because AFP from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), horse, called Shaktiman, which was The Uttarakhand government, point-scoring. of us. After Mufti Saheb’s death, was remanded in custody for two fitted with a prosthetic leg late yester- run by the rival Congress party, has The BJP and the opposition Con- PDP had to choose a leader for weeks on charges of cruelty to the day after having its limb amputated spared no expense in treating the gress party are arch rivals. the chief minister’s post,” he said. horse, which was wounded during a due to gangrene. horse since the incident, with the Phiroze Khambatta, a vet who He spoke a day after Mehbooba DEHRADUN: A politician from Utta- party protest in the northern state of “A case was registered against creature becoming a cause celebre was part of the team treating Shak- Mufti met BJP president Amit Shah. rakhand was arrested yesterday on Uttarakhand on Monday. the minister on Monday night. This in the state. timan, said that horses with such Jammu and Kashmir has been suspicion of attacking a police horse A BJP party worker who was morning he (Joshi) was arrested and Shaktiman has been treated to injuries would normally be put down. without an elected government whose injuries led to a leg amputation, caught on camera pulling a police produced at the court,” said local repeat visits from the state’s chief “Prosthetic limbs are fitted on after Chief Minister Mufti Moham- with the animal becoming a tool in officer down from the animal has police inspector Sanjay Gunjyal, who minister and an American veterinary horses weighing 200-300kilo- mad Sayeed died on January 7 and a fierce battle between rival parties. also been arrested. denies the charge. surgeon was reportedly flown in from grammes, but Shaktiman weighs 400 the state came under Governor’s Police said Ganesh Joshi, mem- Indian celebrities have con- “He has now been sent to 14 days Bhutan to provide treatment, in what kilogrammes. We can’t predict how he Rule. ber of legislative assembly (MLA) demned the alleged attack on the of judicial custody,” he added. some critics see as a case of political will recover,” Khambatta said. 08 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 EUROPE / UK Labour stand risks PM’s Brexit plan Splits on EU exit cost Conservatives suppport up to 20 percent of voters remain important for the party’s trade union undecided. supporters to break their silence and Opinion polls indicate “Without Labour votes, Britain focus “on the adverse effects that AFP election analyst who runs the Polit- a slight lead for the will be out of Europe and Cameron turning our backs on our continent ical Betting blog. out of office as the most disastrous will have on working people”. Labour, led by left-winger Jer- “Remain” camp but prime minister since Lord North lost Chuka Umunna, a lawmaker who emy Corbyn, is also divided over the the result remains America,” wrote left-wing commen- briefly stood for the Labour leader- LONDON: Divisions in British Prime EU but its disagreements have not tator Polly Toynbee in The Guardian. ship last year before endorsing one of Minister David Cameron’s Conserv- been so public. in the balance, and Personal views aside, Corbyn may Corbyn’s rivals, acknowledged that ative party over the EU referendum The YouGov poll appears to up to 20 percent be asking himself why he should be the EU is “not perfect”. are costing it support, according to indicate a trend after a poll for ICM helping the prime minister in what is “But now is not the time for us to a poll yesterday showing the oppo- earlier this week for The Guardian of voters remain shaping up to be a damaging internal sit on our hands—now is the time for sition Labour taking the lead for the newspaper put the Conservatives undecided. fight for the Conservatives. us to fight for the politics of solidarity first time in months. and Labour neck and neck at 36 A YouGov poll this week put and collaboration,” he said. Labour polled 34 percent in percent. Labour ahead for the first time since A YouGov survey earlier this a new YouGov survey, one point This represents a blow for the the May 2015 election, with ana- month found that 43 percent of ahead of the Conservatives, and the Tories, who had enjoyed a lead of up AFP lysts blaming in part the squabbles respondents did not know where first time they have taken the lead to double figures in recent months. between Cameron and eurosceptics Labour stood on the referendum. since before the May 2015 election. ICM research director Martin in his party. Even 35 percent of Labour voters “Euro squabbles appear to be Boon cautioned that the survey could “Playing a quieter role may be were unsure. hurting the party’s image,” wrote be a “rogue” poll, noting the past ten- LONDON: Conservative Prime Min- helpful just now to Jeremy Cor- In the absence of any clear guid- YouGov director Anthony Wells dency to exaggerate Labour support. ister David Cameron needs left-wing byn,” commented YouGov director ance, many Labour supporters may and founder Stephan Shakespeare But he noted: “We have seen voters to keep Britain in the European is going to be won by the government, Anthony Wells and founder Stephan not bother to vote. in a joint commentary in The Times an unprecedented level of division Union in a June referendum, but the it’s essential that Labour mobilise its Shakespeare. “They might have an incentive to newspaper. within the Conservative party over opposition Labour leader has so far voters to turn out actually to vote.” YouGov’s head of political try and punish the government for “Our polls have found that more the EU.” shown little enthusiasm to deliver Corbyn supported the “Remain” and social research, Joe Twyman, other things that they are unhappy than two-thirds of the public see the He added: “Under such circum- them. camp in recognition of the majority described Corbyn’s position in more with,” said Hobolt. Tories (Conservatives) as divided.” stances, polling support tends to Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has opinion in his party, but the lifetime blunt terms. Twyman notes that turnout will Cameron is leading the cam- suffer—there’s nothing worse than committed his centre-left Labour socialist has never hidden his antip- “What he is basically saying is ‘I be crucial—there is a solid minority paign for Britain to stay in the party disunity to prompt a polling Party to campaign against a so-called athy to the European project. don’t care, I don’t give a importance for whom a Brexit is important and if European Union in the June 23 freefall.” Brexit, but his personal ambivalence “Corbyn has suggested that the and neither should you’,” he said. only they vote, they are more likely referendum. The YouGov poll was taken after and political calculations have left EU has moved too far toward a ‘free Corbyn’s apathy is causing con- to win. But London’s Tory mayor Boris finance minister George Osborne’s him dragging his heels. market’ model,” said Matthew Good- cern among Labour campaigners. “If it’s 60 percent turnout, around Johnson, six senior Conservative budget on Wednesday. “You can hardly imagine less win, professor of political science at “We have to make the case to about the level of the general election, ministers and an estimated third of It found that 38 percent of activity,” said Professor Sara Hobolt the University of Kent. members and get the vote out,” said then we’ll vote to stay because, on the party’s 330 MPs are backing a respondents thought the annual of the European Institute at the Lon- Opinion polls indicate a slight Alan Johnson, leader of Labour’s current polling, enough people who so-called Brexit. package of tax and spending meas- don School of Economics. lead for the “Remain” camp but the ‘Remain’ operation. want to stay will have been actually “Voters don’t like divided par- ures was unfair. Just 28 percent She warned: “If this referendum result remains in the balance, and He said it was particularly persuaded to turn out,” he said. ties,” commented Mike Smithson, an thought it fair. Prince Charles urges Johnson chided over ‘Garden ‘reconciliation’ with Serbia Bridge’ contract

AFP reflection and, indeed, despair at the pointless cruelty and destruc- Reuters tion we witness around the world, my own conclusion is this: that only BELGRADE: Britain’s Prince reconciliation offers the assurance LONDON: London Mayor Boris Charles on a visit to Serbia recalled that our children and grandchildren Johnson has denied unfairly the murder of his great uncle, will not suffer the same agonies as favouring the winner of a con- Lord Mountbatten, in a “horrific” our generation.” tract to design a “garden bridge” IRA bomb attack and urged rec- As well as leaving many over the Thames, an awkward onciliation so “our children and thousands dead, the wars that controversy as he positions him- grandchildren will not suffer the accompanied the collapse of the self to potentially become the next same agonies”. former Yugoslavia in the 1990s dis- prime minister. On the fourth day of a tour of the placed millions. As the most prominent cam- region—torn apart by the 1990s Bal- Celebrating themes of peace and paigner for Britain to vote to leave kan wars that claimed over 130,000 reconciliation, Charles, accompanied the European Union in a June 23 lives -- Charles delivered a speech by his wife Camilla, began their tour referendum, he is going against at the Serbian parliament touching in Croatia and will visit Montene- Prime Minister David Cameron on the death his beloved uncle in a gro on Friday, before a final stop in and could be well placed to replace 1979 bombing by the paramilitary Kosovo. him depending on the outcome of Irish Republican Army. The Balkans route has how- the vote. “I feel, therefore, that I have at ever been effectively shut down for A committee of elected Lon- least some understanding, through more than a week, and Charles and don Assembly members criticised my own experience, of the heart- Camilla have not visited refugee cen- the mayor over the tender process rending anguish that so many tres during their tour. for the £60,000 ($87,000) design families in this region, of whatever Camilla met a group caring for contract for the new bridge, a nationality, race or religion, have wartime victims in eastern Croatia, pedestrian river crossing which Prince Charles (second left) and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, (left) with Montenegrian President experienced through the loss of while Charles held meetings with would create a new green space loved ones,” he said. religious leaders in both Croatia Filip Vujanovic and his wife Svetlana Vujanovic during the welcome ceremony for the British royals at the in the middle of the city. “But after many years of and Serbia. president’s palace Plavi Dvor in Cetinje, Montenegro, yesterday. The committee said Johnson met five times with the winning designer before the procurement process began. One meeting was during a tax- payer-funded trip to San Francisco British government faces new legal action over air quality to seek funding for the 175m pound project. “The mayor’s actions under- Reuters ClientEarth has taken action order new ones. “Our plans set out Commission also began 21 infringe- premature deaths per year, according mined the integrity of the process against the government before, which how we will improve the UK’s air ment proceedings against EU member to European Commission data. in terms of the contact he had. No resulted in a Supreme Court judgment quality through a new programme nations in breach of existing rules and Under the EU’s Air Quality Direc- other bidders had that contact with last year ordering it to submit new air of Clean Air Zones, which along- has proposed more stringent legis- tive, member states were supposed to him,” Len Duvall, chair of the com- LONDON: New legal proceedings quality plans to the European Com- side national action and continued lation in the face of resistance from comply with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) mittee that produced the report, have been launched against the Brit- mission. But ClientEarth says those investment in clean technologies some governments. limits in 2010, but could have extended told reporters. ish government by environmental law plans do not go far enough to tackle will create cleaner, healthier air for Nitrogen oxides reduce air quality that to 2015 if they delivered plans to A spokesman for Johnson said firm ClientEarth over what it says is a nitrogen dioxide emissions and has all,” a Department for Food and Rural and member states have been flout- deal with high levels of the gas, which an audit had found the procure- failure to tackle air pollution, the firm lodged papers at the High Court to Affairs spokeswoman said. ing EU limits on a range of pollutants is produced mainly by diesel engines ment process was “open, fair and said yesterday. seek an order to squash them and Last year the European associated with more than 400,000 and causes respiratory illnesses. transparent”.

Adventure Zoo opens in Emmen Osborne faces new rebellion over disability benefit cuts

Reuters bn ($6.36bn) worth of savings from government’s majority. It would be disability benefits over the next five fair to say there is open rebellion and years as part of his annual budget. . I would say there is zero chance of But some members of Osborne’s getting it through.” The unrest leaves LONDON: British finance minis- party have threatened to block the Osborne with an unpalatable choice: ter George Osborne yesterday faced plan to tighten eligibility criteria for a water down the reform and risk his the prospect of a politically damag- state benefit which supports the dis- reputation as a guardian of the pub- ing and financially costly U-turn as abled or long-term sick. lic finances, or press ahead and face dissent within his ruling Conserva- “It is simply not sellable, and it is the threat of a damaging rebellion. . tive Party grew over his plans to cut not fair to the people affected. It is Osborne said he would listen to disability benefits. not fair to people who cannot work,” proposals on how to improve the Despite worsening economic Conservative lawmaker Andrew plans. Education minister Nicky Mor- forecasts, Osborne this week stuck Percy told the London Evening Stand- gan said that they were “a suggestion” to his target of turning Britain’s still- ard newspaper. and there would be consultations. Dutch King Willem-Alexander (centre) shakes hands with CEO Frankwin Beers as he attends the large budget deficit into a surplus by “There are scores of Tory MPs That could mark the beginning of a opening of the Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Emmen, The Netherlands, yesterday. 2020. As part of the savings needed who are deeply concerned about climbdown similar to the one seen to hit the target, he announced £4.4 this —certainly far more than the last year. EUROPE SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 09

Fugitive in Paris attacks Off to a mission ‘arrested’ in shootout

office also said an Algerian killed were wounded when a hail of auto- during that earlier operation at an matic gunfire hit them through the Masked and black- apartment in Brussels on Tuesday front door as they arrived for what clad security forces was probably one of the people officials said they had expected to French and Belgian investigators be a relatively routine search. were guarding a were seeking in relation to the Belgian officials said earlier street in the capital Islamic State (IS) attacks in Paris in the week that police had not on November 13. expected to find armed suspects at as the operation It later said in a separate state- the apartment and that the pres- was going on, media ment that Mohamed Belkaid was ence of French officers was not an probably the man who went under indication the raid was of special reports said. the name of Samir Bouzid and was importance to the investigation. killed on Tuesday. Abdeslam’s elder brother was Public broadcaster RTBF said among the suicide bombers who it had information that Abdeslam, killed themselves in Paris during Reuters whose elder brother blew him- a shooting rampage in which 130 self up in Paris, was “more than people died. The younger Abdeslam likely” one of two men who police was driven back to Brussels from have said evaded capture at the Paris hours later. BRUSSELS: The most-wanted fugi- scene before a sniper shot dead Belgian authorities are holding tive in November’s Paris attacks was 35-year-old Belkaid as he aimed a 10 people suspected of involvement A woman waves as the frigate ‘Karlsruhe’ moves ahead in the sea at the naval base in Wilhelmshaven, wounded and caught in a shootout in Kalashnikov. with him, but there has been no Germany, yesterday. The ship will participate in an operation against traffickers on the Mediterranean Brussels yesterday, Belgian newspa- Other Belgian media were more report of the fugitive himself being Sea between the Italian and Lebanese coast. per Derniere Heure along with other cautious, however, saying only there sighted. There has long been specu- media said. was evidence Abdeslam had been lation in Belgium that he could have Other media reported two there. fled to Syria. people had been arrested, though A man named Samir Bouzid has Investigators believe much of France’s President Francois been sought since December when the planning and preparation for Hollande said there was no con- police issued CCTV pictures of him the November bombing and shoot- France holds attack drill ahead of Euro 2016 firmation of the detention of Salah wiring cash from Brussels two days ing rampage in Paris was conducted Abdeslam, the 26-year-old French after the Paris attacks to a woman in Brussels by young French and suspect from Brussels. who was then killed in a shootout Belgian nationals, some of whom Reuters ever carried out in France. of them may have been planning Television footage showed with police in the Paris suburb of fought in Syria for Islamic State. The exercise was designed to another attack in the capital. masked, black-clad security forces St. Denis. The attack strained relations simulate a chemical attack in a “fan “In Nîmes, it was about a chemi- guarding a street in the capital and She was a cousin of Abdelhamid between Brussels and Paris, with zone”, a closed perimeter area where cal or bacteriological threat,” Interior reporters at the scene described Abbaoud, a Belgian who had fought French officials suggesting Belgium PARIS: France staged a mock chem- football fans will be able to monitor Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was white smoke rising from a rooftop. in Syria and is suspected of being was lax in monitoring the activities ical weapons attack on a soccer “fan the competition on giant outdoor quoted as saying. A police spokeswoman said an a prime organiser of the attacks in of hundreds of militants returned zone” as it prepares for the Euro 2016 screens when not attending matches “We don’t believe there is a gen- operation was ongoing and could which 130 people were killed. Both from Syria. football championships in June, less in one of the 10 stadiums. uine risk of this type of attack but we not give further details. died in the apartment in St. Denis Brussels, headquarters of the than a year after Islamist militants A witness saw dozens of police must envisage every hypothesis.” Belgian police had found finger on November 18. European Union as well as Western killed 130 people in attacks in and and military officers partcipating It will be the third time that prints belonging to Abdeslam at the France’s BFM television said the military alliance Nato, was entirely around the French capital. in the drill, some of them equipped France hosted the UEFA European scene of an earlier shootout, pros- fingerprints were found on a glass locked down for days shortly after More than a thousand police and with gas masks. French anti-ter- Championship after having been ecutors said. in the apartment, where four police the Paris attacks for fear of a major firemen took part in the drill in the rorism police arrested a group with chosen for the 1960 inaugural tour- The Belgian federal prosecutor’s officers, including a Frenchwoman, incident there. southern city of Nîmes, the largest Islamist militant ties, suspecting one nament and the finals in 1984. Italy rescues hundreds of migrants at sea and recovers one body

Reuters Italy’s coastguard and navy choppy sea conditions, the boats are recovered before the latest death, the “As of today, almost 12,000 get Libyan factions to back a national tweeted that they had picked up the still coming,” the coastguard spokes- official said. migrants have landed in Italy, about unity government, which would clear migrants from several different ves- man said. “This year we are actually notic- 2,000 more compared to the number the way to clamp down on peo- sels in the country. More than 1.2 million migrants, ing a slight increase in the number of of migrants that arrived in the same ple smuggling from one country to ROME: Italian ships picked up some Rescue operations were contin- mainly from Africa and the Middle migrants arriving from Libya,” Feder- period last year,” he said, adding we another. Similarly, Catalan regional 600 migrants and recovered one body uing and the number was likely to East, have arrived in Europe since ico Soda, director of the International are constantly keeping a watch on the president Carles Puigdemont put an yesterday, as European leaders met rise, a coastguard spokesman said in the beginning of 2015. Organisation for Migration Coordina- movement. offer before Brussels yesterday that in Brussels to try to stem the flow of a statement issued to the media. Arrivals from Libya have risen tion Office for the Mediterranean, said Meanwhile, the EU leaders in he was ready to accommodate 4,500 migrants to the continent. “Despite some bad weather and this week, when three bodies were in the statement. Brussels, also discussed the ways to refugees in Catalonia, Spain.

Former German Entertainment during protest EU asks more countries to foreign minister Westerwelle dies impose sanctions on Russia

Reuters “In this case we should treat Reuters with respect the expression of the will of Crimean residents and the decision which was taken two BERLIN: Former German Foreign BRUSSELS/MOSCOW: The Euro- years ago,” he said. Minister Guido Westerwelle, the pean Union called on yesterday for Peskov was referring to Cri- first openly gay leader of a main- more countries to impose sanc- mea’s referendum on secession from stream political party, has died tions on Russia over its annexation Ukraine in March 2014, which was from blood cancer at the age of 54, of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula two followed by a formal request from his foundation said on its website years ago, but the Kremlin said Cri- the local parliament to the Russian yesterday. mea was Russian land and its status Federation to admit it as a new sub- Westerwelle was leader of non-negotiable. ject with the status of a republic. the business-friendly Free Dem- In a statement issued on the Putin visited the construction ocrats (FDP) from 2001 to 2011 anniversary of the formal absorption site of a bridge being built to Crimea and foreign minister from 2009 of Crimea into Russia, the 28-nation across the Kerch Strait to connect the until 2013. block EU said it was very worried Russian mainland with the penin- His foundation announced in about Moscow’s military build-up sula, Peskov added. mid-2014 that he had been diag- in the region. Nato and the EU are concerned nosed with acute leukemia. He last The EU also said it would by Russia’s military build-up in appeared in public in November, A fire-breather entertains participants of a flash mob called in support of a referendum on offshore maintain sanctions that ban Euro- Crimea, which they say is part of presenting a book on his battle oil and gas drilling in Italy, at the Pantheon monument in Rome, Italy, yesterday. pean companies from investing a strategy to set up defensive zones with blood cancer called “Between in Russian Black Sea oil and gas of influence with surface-to-air Two Lives”. exploration. missile batteries and anti-ship “We mourn Guido Wester- “The European Union remains missiles. welle. Our sympathy goes out to committed to fully implementing As well as the EU, the United his husband and his family,” the its non-recognition policy, includ- States, Japan and other major econo- FDP said in a short statement. Dutch far-right leader Wilders ing through restrictive measures,” mies including Australia and Canada “I’m lost for words. Guido has the European Council, which repre- have also imposed sanctions on Rus- fought so hard. The grief is great,” sents the EU governments, said in its sia over Crimea, but others including FDP leader Christian Lindner said statement issued to the media. China and Brazil have avoided direct in a tweet. on trial for hate speech “The EU calls again on the UN criticism of Moscow. Westerwelle was committed member states to consider simi- The 28-nation EU imposed its to promoting free markets and lar non-recognition measures,” it Crimea sanctions in July 2014 and small government, with tax cuts Reuters Wilders’ political ally Marine le Pen saying the trial is politically moti- added. then tightened them in Decem- at the heart of his party’s election in France on similar charges, pits the vated. At one televised rally, he The Kremlin responded by say- ber 2014, banning EU citizens programmes. right to freedom of speech against the asked supporters whether they wanted ing the issue of Crimea could not be from buying or financing compa- Born in Bad-Honnef, near right to freedom from discrimination. more or fewer Moroccans, triggering “a matter of negotiations or interna- nies in Crimea, whose annexation Bonn in western Germany in AMSTERDAM: Geert Wilders, the “Freedom of expression is not the chant: “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!”, to tional contacts”. has prompted the worst East-West 1961, he trained as a lawyer and Dutch politician leading calls for absolute, it is paired with obligations which he said “We’ll take care of that.” “Our position is known: this stand-off since the Cold War. was elected to the Bundestag lower a European Union ban on Muslim and responsibilities,” said lead pros- Prosecutors said his supporters is a region of the Russian Federa- After Russia’s annexation of house of parliament in 1996. immigration, was back in court yes- ecutor Wouter Bos. were coached before the event, for tion. Russia has not discussed and Crimea, an armed separatist revolt He became chairman of the terday to answer charges of inciting “Racism and hatred of foreign- their attempt to show that Wilders will never discuss its regions with erupted in mainly Russian-speak- FDP five years later and was hatred and discrimination against ers constitute a direct violation of had intended to incite hatred. Later, anyone,” President Vladimir Putin’s ing eastern Ukraine that Kiev and its widely credited with broadening the Netherlands’ Moroccan minority. the foundations of freedom, democ- Wilders publicly referred to Moroc- spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Western backers said was fueled and the appeal of the party, especially Prosecutors said the case, which racy and the rule of law.” cans, who make up about 2 percent a teleconference with reporters in funded by Moscow. Russia denies the among younger voters. follows the acquittal in December of Wilders denies wrongdoing, of the population, as “scum”. Moscow. charges. 10 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 OPINION

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

EDITORIAL Israeli land grab Europe could be doomed, he European Union’s criticism of Israel’s decision to seize land in the occupied West Bank, on the ground but Britain should stay that it raises questions about Tel Aviv’s commitment to a two-state solution to end the conflict with the Palestinians, is another reminder that Europe will the greatest risks might be: the For now, neither Nato nor the Christian Democrats suffered less Tnot remain a passive spectator to Israel’s aggression and land- effects of mass migration, the EU seems yet on the brink. If any- of a mauling than many expected grabbing. The EU’s foreign policy service issued a rare statement dangers of growing tensions with thing, Russia’s actions in Ukraine in state elections this weekend, the directly criticising Israel for its appropriation of 579 acres near a resurgent Russia, the ongo- have strengthened Nato’s resolve, right-wing anti-refugee, anti-bail- ing lingering threat that the euro forcing it to come up with much out AfD did better.Earlier this year, Jericho and this follows remarks made this week by Germany might unravel. The worst-case more comprehensive plans to one of AfD’s leaders suggested and France expressing concern about the Israeli land grab. scenario might be all of the above reinforce vulnerable eastern and police officers use firearms to Israel has declared 234 hectares of West Bank territory as happening at once, prompting a northern flanks. While some recent stop refugees crossing borders. state land on Tuesday. Israel’s Peace Now movement, which collapse into chaos and violence think tank reports suggest that a The party appears prone to alarm- tracks and opposes Israeli settlement in territory captured that could be extremely difficult massive conventional Russian ing historical blindness - another in the 1967 war, said the seized land is equivalent in size to to manage or recover from. assault might actually succeed, leader this weekend referred to By Peter Apps Worries over the effect of the there are now enough US and other Merkel as the “worst Chancellor more than 250 international football pitches and is the biggest Reuters migrant crisis skyrocketed after Nato forces in the region that such in German history,” apparently reclassification since a seizure of 400 hectares in 2014. the November Paris attacks, and action would trigger much wider, overlooking Hitler. Under these It’s interesting and praiseworthy that sections of the perhaps even more after reported perhaps nuclear conflict with the circumstances, one might say Brit- international community are noticing Israeli actions and urope faces a per- New Year’s Eve mass sexual West. By the Cold War-style rules ain is best just getting out. criticising them while the world remains distracted by several fect storm of crises assaults in Cologne and other of deterrence and mutually assured The “Better In” campaigners crises of various magnitude. The Palestinian issue has been on a scale not seen German cities, some blamed on destruction, that should make such point to the economic unknowns relegated to the background, with Palestinians themselves since World War Two. migrants. Russia, meanwhile, is action much less likely. and unquestioned negative shocks Endless streams of increasingly accused by some US There are other potential that would follow any Brexit. Such groping in the dark about their future course of action and Arabs Emigrants are testing political and European officials of delib- threats to Nato’s long-term sur- things are hard to model, though, grappling with problems at home or in the neighbourhood. The cohesion. The euro zone cri- erately exacerbating tensions in vival, of course - not least the and some of the bleaker predic- Jewish state has been meticulously and assiduously exploiting sis remains deeply unresolved, Europe through propaganda and possibility of a more isolationist tions smack of scaremongering. this vacuum to pursue its agenda of with the richer north and poorer disinformation. administration in Washington. In truth, a weakened Britain could unrestrained settlement construction south eyeing each other suspectly. At the end of February Philip But they remain relatively distant. likely survive outside. and suppression of Palestinians. A resurgent Russia provides an Breedlove, Nato’s military chief Some elements of the EU, The irony is that of all the external threat in a way not seen and head of the US European though - particularly the Schen- countries in Europe, Britain is With the silence of Palestinians and since the Berlin Wall fell. Ukraine Command went so far as to gen region abolition of internal among the best placed to weather The Arabs, Israel is enjoying immunity and is a stark reminder that limited accuse Moscow of “weaponising” borders - have been damaged, if any storms, be they a short-term Palestinian even the idea of two-state solution conflicts are not unthinkable. refugees by stoking the Syr- not altogether destroyed, by the EU exit or a much larger collapse is being questioned due to Israel’s But major, widespread Euro- ian war to undermine European migrant crisis. There are clear on the continent. It has relatively issue still absolute control of the situation. It’s pean conflagration? It might institutions and resolve. Rus- frustrations in multiple coun- strong political institutions. It has remains a in this context that the European remain unlikely, but no longer as sia’s agenda remains extremely tries about what is seen as too an independent nuclear deterrent, Union criticism assumes significance, unthinkable as it once was. opaque - particularly since this much centralisation and the lack its own currency and enough sea long tunnel, Some even predict it. In recent week’s announcement by Mos- of democratic accountability. That around it to protect against foreign with no though it will be foolish to expect the months, several current and cow of a withdrawal from Syria. is magnified many times when it armies or uncontrolled migration. government of Benjamin Netanyahu former US and European officials Vladimir Putin could be trying to comes to the single currency bloc. Had the UK made the cat- light in sight to respect international opinion and have told me they privately believe push Bashar Al Assad towards the The management of the aclysmic error of entering the anywhere. change its stance. a major European war is no longer negotiating table by threatening currency bloc remains messy single currency under Tony Blair, French foreign ministry spokesman unthinkable. One even said he to cut support - or simply trying - perhaps unsustainably so. Out- now might actually be the last Romain Nadal France said Paris was actively expected it to happen. to muddy the waters still further. lying states, particularly Greece, safe moment to leave. Joining the My own country, Britain, faces For sure, the unravelling of have effectively lost economic euro would have hugely damaged extremely concerned by the decision its own rather raw choice in June the EU - and even more so, the sovereignty, perhaps forever, UK sovereignty and democratic of Israeli authorities to appropriate this year, deciding whether or not North Atlantic Treaty Organisation while richer central states remain accountability. But that is not the for Israeli settlements territory in the to remain a member of the Euro- - would offer Moscow considera- on the hook for repeated bailouts. case. No country has ever left the West Bank. “Settlements constitute a violation of international pean Union. The UK will probably ble short-term advantage. It would The domestic consequences European Union. Were the UK to law and contradict commitments made by Israeli authorities in stay in, informed opinion says - also be a catastrophe for vulner- of that dynamic, when com- do so, the knock-on effects on the favour of a two-state solution,” he said. Paris is lobbying for an although there is also a consensus able Northern European states bined with the refugee crisis, are rest of the continent are entirely international peace conference before May that would outline that the worse the news flow from such as the openly nervous Bal- politically alarming. Slovakia’s unpredictable. the continent, the more likely it is tics. Ultimately, though, a truly election this month saw a bet- Perhaps Europe is doomed, incentives and give guarantees for Israelis and Palestinians to leave. chaotic collapse in Europe could ter-than-expected performance but Britain owes it to itself, its to resume face-to-face talks before August and try to end the It is difficult to predict how threaten Russia’s interests as much by the far right. And while Ger- people and its neighbours to not decades-long conflict. The UN too has expressed concern and events will unfold, or even what as anyone else. man Chancellor Angela Merkel’s deliver what could be a fatal blow. asked Tel Aviv to reverse its decision of land confiscation. The European Union must move beyond criticisms because Israel doesn’t take these criticisms seriously. But any serious step from the EU looks unlikely. The Palestinian issue still remains a long tunnel, with no light in sight anywhere. President Rousseff mocks Brazilian justice

The Washington Post his activities. Rousseff may be able Revelations from plea deals and involved in the Petrobras scandal, to overcome this objection, but she pending prosecutions promise to to great public acclaim. Moro’s will still have put herself on the ensnare even more of Brazil’s polit- decision to release incriminating resident Dilma Rousseff has wrong side of justice and history. ical and business elite. wiretaps of Lula and Rousseff dis- Quote of the day responded to the Brazilian Even before the Lula circus Political oddsmakers now bet cussing his cabinet post sparked Ppublic’s increasingly loud began, Rousseff faced the possi- on Rousseff’s departure before the legal protests from her office. Yet cry for greater accountability by bility of either impeachment (for end of her term in 2018, and Brazil’s as he said in defending his deci- I am a commando and mocking it. Her blatant attempt allegedly fiddling with the gov- markets and currency are rally- sion: “Democracy is a free society to protect her predecessor from ernment’s books) or having her ing at the prospect. Yet Rousseff’s that demands that those governed I love my homeland. prosecution will not end well -- election annulled (for alleged cam- departure would fix neither Brazil’s know what those who govern them I am going abroad for her or Brazil. paign finance irregularities). Yet it’s economy nor its culture of corrup- do, even when they seek to act pro- On Thursday, a federal judge difficult to see who, among Brazil’s tion and impunity that inspired a tected by the shadows.” for treatment but will blocked the appointment of former political elite, could help. memorable observation attributed The other solution lies with vot- return to face the cases president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Many of those who might suc- to Lula: When a poor man steals, he ers, who will have the chance to as Rousseff’s chief of staff, where, ceed her -- from her vice president goes to jail; when a rich man steals, express their desire for more hon- against me. as a cabinet minister, he would and the heads of the legislature to he becomes a minister. est officials in municipal elections have been shielded from probes the candidate she defeated in 2014 One solution to this enduring this fall. Unless Brazil’s top elec- by all but the Supreme Court. The -- are either under investigation or problem lies with Sergio Moro, the toral court annuls the results of General Pervez Musharraf judge argued that it would put the suspicion in the vast bribery and federal judge who has been dili- the 2014 presidential elections -- Former Pakistani president former president in a position to kickback scandal involving Petro- gently pursuing, prosecuting and in which case, voters may get to interfere with investigations into bras, the state-owned oil company. -- most importantly -- jailing those clean house from the top down.

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

EDITORIAL TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR E-MAIL: [email protected] ADVERTISING TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 E-MAIL: [email protected] AMERICAS SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 11 Rival protests put Brazil on edge as crisis deepens

water cannon to disperse some 150 forward later. We’re going to come Riot police in Sao hard-core anti-government protest- back,” protest leader Renato Tamaio ers who had been camped out for told news portal G1. Paulo fired stun nearly two days in the heart of the The latest protests follow a day grenades and financial capital. of pandemonium in Brasilia, where Police in Brasilia had fired tear Rousseff swore in Lula, 70, as her new water cannon to gas and stun grenades to fight back chief of staff—only to have the courts disperse some 150 furious protesters demanding the block the appointment. president’s resignation. The ongoing A federal court intervened anti-government protests come against the backdrop after a crusading anti-corruption protesters. of new impeachment proceedings judge leaked a wiretapped phone against Rousseff, 68. call suggesting the president was An impeachment committee in trying to shield her mentor from the lower house of Congress held its prosecution through ministerial AFP first session, saying it expected to immunity. reach a decision within a month on The Sao Paulo stock exchange whether to recommend removing the soared 6.6 percent on optimism in president. the financial world that the end was SAO PAULO: Riot police in Brazil Its recommendation will then near for Rousseff. Stocks were down broke up an angry anti-government pass to the full chamber, where a vote one percent on Friday, however. protest yesterday as President Dilma by two-thirds of the 513 lawmakers Lula and Rousseff between them Rousseff’s supporters mobilised for a would open an impeachment trial in have governed Brazil since 2003. He Riot police spray water on protesters at Paulista Avenue in central Sao Paulo, yesterday. rival show of force against impeach- the Senate. presided over a boom, but politi- ment proceedings launched by her Rousseff is accused of manip- cal and economic crises are now enemies in Congress. ulating the government’s accounts gripping Latin America’s biggest people, according to different esti- the Petrobras case. Friday’s pro-gov- in 2013 when it was gripped by mass With the leftist leader fighting to boost public spending during her economy. mates, took to the streets nationwide. ernment protests are an attempt by riots against corruption and increased calls to quit and financial markets 2014 re-election campaign, and again Lula, who stepped down in 2011, Protests erupted again after the the ruling Workers’ Party to show it transport costs. apparently betting on a collapse of in 2015 to mask a deep recession. is charged with accepting a luxury release of the wire-tapped phone call still retains the support that made it Recent polls show Rousseff’s pop- her government, Rousseff’s embat- She accuses her enemies of apartment and a country home as between Rousseff and Lula, in which the dominant force in Brazilian poli- ularity rating is down to about 10 tled left-wing base has vowed to take mounting a “coup” against her. bribes from construction companies she told him she was sending him a tics over the past 13 years. percent and 60 percent of Brazilians to the streets. Raising fears of clashes between implicated in a multi-billion-dollar document with his official ministe- Organisers said in a statement would support her impeachment. Hours before nationwide demos rival demonstrators later in the day, corruption scam at state oil company rial appointment, to be used only “if the demonstrations aimed to fend “Things have to change,” said pro- seeking to prove the president’s the anti-government protesters in Petrobras. necessary.” off a “coup” and to defend Rousseff’s tester Adilio Brasil, 32, in Sao Paulo. strength, riot police in Sao Paulo— Sao Paulo vowed they would return. Anti-government protests have That fueled outraged cries that the social policies. Leaders vowed the ral- “We do not have healthcare, edu- Brazil’s largest city and an opposition “According to the art of war, you swept the country since Sunday, president was bringing Lula into her lies would be peaceful. cation and security, and we see these bastion—fired stun grenades and take a step back now and two steps when between one and three million government to save him from arrest in Brazil grabbed world headlines politicians robbing us.”

Letter with Parade in New York Senators may confirm granular matter sent to Garland after elections

Trump’s son Reuters Republicans are concerned that if Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former secretary of state and the Agencies Democratic front-runner, wins the WASHINGTON: Republican sena- presidential election, she could send tors raised the possibility they would the Senate a far more liberal nomi- NEW YORK: Authorities were confirm Barack Obama’s Supreme nee after taking office. investigating a threatening letter Court nominee Merrick Garland Garland, 63, is widely viewed containing a granular substance before the US president leaves office as a moderate acceptable to many that was sent to Donald Trump’s in January if Democrats retain the Republicans, who also worry they son urging an end to the elder’s White House in the November 8 could lose control of the Senate to presidential campaign, a New York election. the Democrats in the November vote. City police official said yesterday. Garland began the customary Nominations to the lifetime The letter was addressed to the meetings with senators that kick Supreme Court post require Senate Manhattan home of Eric Trump, off the confirmation process. He confirmation. 32, who has appeared frequently visited the offices of Democrats Republicans have said they on the campaign trail with his Harry Reid and Patrick Leahy a want the next president to make father, the Republican front-run- day after Obama nominated the the selection, hoping their party ner for the White House in 2016. appeals court judge and former wins November’s election. Billion- “There was a substance inside Participants during the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York, yesterday. The annual event is the prosecutor to replace conserva- aire businessman Donald Trump is that is being tested, it’s not lethal,” largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States. tive Justice Antonin Scalia, who the front-runner for the Republican the official said. died on February 13. presidential nomination. The letter, which contained threats over Trump continuing his campaign, was being examined by law enforcement experts. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was Congress seeks resignations of officials over Flint New York state stepping up attacks on America’s most watched female news anchor. man jailed for Having threatened riots should Reuters full-blown health emergency. It also administration was to blame for its Snyder said the state has started the Republican party deny him the has led to several lawsuits in state and mishandling of the crisis and called the process of replacing the corroded nomination in the race for the White federal courts, and federal and state on the governor to resign. pipes and has set aside tens of mil- supporting IS House, Trump took time out of his investigations. Members of the committee chas- lions of dollars to help the recovery schedule to fire off three tweets call- WASHINGTON: US lawmakers called Republicans on the committee tised McCarthy and Snyder. “You of Flint citizens injured or harmed by ing out “crazy” Megyn Kelly. for the resignations of Michigan Gov- pinned much of the blame on the EPA, don’t get it, ,” Committee chair Jason lead poisoning. Reuters He complained that she hosted ernor Rick Snyder and Environmental which many party members want to Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, told Snyder has said he has no his closest Republican rival, Ted Protection Agency Administrator Gina eliminate because they feel it is too McCarthy as he criticised her failure plans to resign, despite efforts in Cruz on her prime-time Fox News McCarthy on the grounds that they powerful. Democrats pointed fingers to accept blame for the crisis. his state and nationally to recall WASHINGTON: A New York state show “The Kelly File,” the sec- failed to quickly intervene in the at Snyder and Michigan officials, sug- Snyder did not escape unscathed. him. U.S. President Barack Obama resident was sentenced to 22-1/2 ond most watched programme in city of Flint’s contaminated drink- gesting that cost cutting came at the “There is no doubt in my mind that has said he supports McCarthy years in prison for trying to recruit American cable news. ing water crisis. expense of public health. if a corporate CEO did what Gover- and the EPA despite calls for her fighters to join Islamic State (IS) In the morning, he complained Snyder, a Republican, and McCa- Several Republicans called on nor Snyder’s administration has done, resignation. in Syria - the longest prison term about an interview in which Kelly rthy, a presidential appointee, sat side McCarthy to resign, but the White he would be hauled up on criminal Chaffetz said he would continue handed out yet to an American said O’Reilly could have done more by side before the House Oversight House said it had full confidence in her. charges,” Cummings said in his open- to investigate the cause of the Flint convicted of supporting the mil- to defend her against Trump. Committee as lawmakers from both The committee’s top Demo- ing remarks. “The board of directors crisis and the response to it but that itant group. “Her bad show is a total hit parties grilled them on their response crat, Maryland’s Elijah Cummings, would throw him out. And the share- no other hearings are scheduled at Mufid Elfgeeh, 32, of Roches- piece on me. Tough!” he said. to the crisis, which has turned into a and other Democrats said Snyder’s holders would revolt.” present. ter, was sentenced by US District Judge Elizabeth Wolford of the Western District of New York. The district’s US attorney, Wil- liam Hochul, called Elfgeeh “one US to declassify intelligence and military records on ‘Dirty War’ of the first IS recruiters ever cap- tured,” using another acronym for the militant group. A North Carolina federal judge Reuters installed the dictatorship, which the “President Obama, at the request of former military dictatorships in announcement. last May issued the second-long- United States initially supported. of the Argentine government, will the region, such as he did on previ- “Anything that helps analyse est sentence for IS -related activity Argentina returned to democracy announce a comprehensive effort ous trips to Chile and Brazil. what happened during this chapter —20 years and three months in in 1983. to declassify additional documents, The US role in Latin America dur- is a positive,” an Argentine govern- prison —to Donald Ray Morgan, WASHINGTON: The United States The declassification effort will including for the first time military ing previous administrations helped ment spokesman said, declining to 44, for trying to provide material government will declassify doc- include records from US law enforce- and intelligence records,” US national fuel ant-American sentiment, espe- comment further on a matter he said support to IS. uments from US military and ment agencies, the Department of security adviser Susan Rice said in a cially on the left. Obama and President Mauricio Macri Convictions for IS-related intelligence agencies related to Defence, the Department of State speech hosted by the Atlantic Coun- Obama has declined on previous would address. activity by Americans have Argentina’s 1976-83 “Dirty War,” the and the presidential libraries at the cil in Washington. trips to Latin America to apologise Obama plans to visit Parque de la become frequent in recent months seven-year period when a military National Archives, sources in the “On this anniversary and beyond, for CIA activities in the region dur- Memoria, or Memory Park, to honor as more than 80 cases brought by dictatorship cracked down on left- White House said. we’re determined to do our part as ing decades past, but he left open the victims of that period. US prosecutors since 2013 work wing opponents, US officials said. It follows the declassification Argentina continues to heal and move the door to US assistance in inves- The declassification announce- their way through federal courts. The move coincides with Pres- in 2002 of more than 4,000 State forward as one nation,” she said. tigations of human rights abuses ment was aimed also at soothing An Arizona man was con- ident Barack Obama’s visit to Department cables and other docu- It is the latest effort by Obama to committed by former military gov- criticism of the White House for plan- victed by a jury on Thursday of Argentina next week on the 40th ments related to human rights abuses reconcile with Latin Americans by ernments there. ning the Argentina trip during such a conspiring to support IS and other anniversary of the 1976 coup that from the 1976-83 period. addressing Washington’s past backing Argentina welcomed the sensitive week. terrorism-related charges. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

PAGE | 13 QE 10,425.97 +134.64 PTS PAGE | 14 Ford boosts Fields DOW 17,587.81 +106.32 PTS Ex-Porsche executives pay by 17% amid FTSE100 6,189.64 -11.48 PTS acquitted of WV record profit BRENT $41.30 -$0.24 share manipulation

SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 • 10 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Negative rates have helped New fleet of Virgin trains global economy: Lagarde

Bloomberg consequences such as hurting bank Negative rates in profits. Negative interest rates are a fairly new economic tool and more Europe and Japan time is needed to assess the policy, HANOI: The world economy would have helped support Lagarde said. be worse off without negative inter- “So let’s see whether it kick est rates, according to International global growth and starts the process of fueling credit Monetary Fund Managing Director price gains, Lagarde to the economy, changing the Christine Lagarde. behavioral pattern of people and Negative rates in Europe and said. changing the strategy of banks as Japan have helped support global well,” she said. “It may be good for growth and price gains, she said in the economy — maybe not forever, an interview in Ho Chi Minh City yes- those negative rates under the cur- but for a period of time.” terday. The finance sector may need rent circumstances.” Separately, Lagarde said the IMF to implement new business models Central banks in Europe and may raise its 6.3 percent growth fore- as a result, she said. Japan have deployed negative interest cast for China due to the nation’s “If we had not had those nega- rates to stimulate the economy, and planned economic reforms and stim- Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson poses for photographs during the launch of a new fleet of tive rates, we would be in a much Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen ulus. The figure could be raised “a trains for the Virgin Trains’s East Coast Mainline route, at Kings Cross Station, London, Britain, yesterday. worse place today, with inflation said the US central bank is taking a little more” after an assessment of a According to reports, the Virgin Azuma trains are expected to operate from 2018. probably lower than where it is, with look at the tool“in the event that we recently announced economic pack- growth probably lower than where needed to add accommodation.” The age, she said. we have it,” Lagarde said. “It was a policy moves have triggered concerns “We believe China will continue good thing to actually implement that they could have unintentional to grow,” Lagarde said. “If those reforms are implemented and the stimulus announced also directed Uber seeking to buy self-driving cars to the most efficient leverage in societies, which we believe is more consumption than necessarily invest- ment that would be fueled by credit, Reuters cars. Earlier, Germany’s Manager hugely profitable...then disappeared,” then the recipe should be quite good Magazin reported that Uber had a second auto industry source said for China to lead a continued qual- placed an order for at least 100,000 about doing a deal with Uber. ity growth.” Mercedes S-Class cars, citing sources So-called “autonomous vehi- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang FRANKFURT: Ride-hailing service at both companies. The top-flight cles” have for years been a distant opened the annual National People’s Uber has sounded out car companies limousine, around 100,000 of which dream but technology advances Congress by announcing this year’s about placing a large order for self- Mercedes-Benz sold last year, does and a push by Google , with its huge economic growth target would be 6.5 driving cars, an auto industry source not yet have fully autonomous driv- financial resources, to introduce a percent to 7 percent. He said in his said yesterday. “They wanted autono- ing functionality. prototype have shifted the race to work report to the ceremonial legis- mous cars,” the source, who declined Another source familiar with the build them up a gear. lature that such a pace “will allow for to be named, said. “It seemed like matter said no order had been placed Analysts at Exane BNP Paribas relatively full employment.” they were shopping around.” with Mercedes-Benz. Daimler and have said they see a $25bn market for Li also outlined plans to cut Loss-making Uber would make Uber declined to comment. automated driving technology by 2020, back inefficient industries and drastic savings on its biggest cost Auto industry executives are with vehicle intelligence becoming “the avoid mass layoffs while achieving — drivers — if it were able to incor- wary of doing deals with newcom- key differentiating factor”. growth targets that are challenged porate self-driving cars into its fleet. ers from the technology and software In August 2013, Mercedes-Benz by rising debt and a global eco- Volkswagen’s Audi, Daimler’s Mer- business who threaten to upend responded to the Google push by nomic slowdown. The debt levels in cedes-Benz, BMW and car industry established business models based developing an S-class limousine that IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde (left) shaking hands with Ho the blueprint raised concern among suppliers Bosch and Continental on manufacturing and selling cars. drove between the German towns of Chi Minh People’s Committee Chair Nguyen Thanh Phong at the Chair’s some analysts about the sustaina- are all working on technologies for “We don’t want to end up like Nokia’s Mannheim and Pforzheim without Meeting Room in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, yesterday. bility of China’s economic growth. autonomous or semi-autonomous handset business, which was once any driver input. Doha to host MEEA meet Stock markets enjoy Fed-fuelled rally

The Peninsula Doha Institute (DI), said: “There has been a significant increase in the numbers of AFP could further slash its super-low interest rates buoys stock markets because it boosts abstracts received, conference participants if the economic outlook worsened. “We have spending in the world’s biggest economy, and the countries they represent. We are not reached the physical lower bound” on rates, dealers said. DOHA: The Doha Institute for Graduate looking forward to host around 200 par- Peter Praet told La Republicca daily. “Lowered interest rate expectations have Studies will host the 15th International ticipants from more than 30 countries. LONDON: World stocks mostly ticked up yes- In London, the FTSE 100 was down 0.2 sent global stock markets higher because Conference for the Middle East Econo- This will be the first time we will have del- terday by the lingering effect of the US Federal percent at 6,189.64 points; in Frankfurt, the low interest rates traditionally encourage mists Association (MEEA) from March 23 egates from countries such as Indonesia, Reserve’s pull-back on rate hike plans and DAX 30 was up 0.6 percent at 9,950.80 points, spending, the rising tide lifting all boats,” to 25. The conference theme will be “The South Korea, Cyprus and Malaysia. We are firmer oil prices, analysts said, but Tokyo in Paris, the CAC 40 was up 0.4 percent at said Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell. He Impact of Oil Price Changes on the Eco- delighted to see such interest in this year’s was held back by a surging yen and London 4,462.51 points, while the EURO STOXX 50 added: “From a specifically US perspective, nomic Growth and Development in the conference and we are excited about vibrant by profit-taking. was up 0.6 percent at 3,061.22 points inaction from the Fed, especially coupled MENA Countries.” The meet is expected discussions, meaningful sessions and fruit- The Fed’s decision mid-week to peg back US stocks rallied into a third day yester- with a fairly dovish outlook, helps temper to attract over 200 international delegates ful outcomes we hope this conference will its forecasts on hiking rates — citing global day, and were just over half a percent higher the dollar.” including economists, academic research- achieve.” turmoil and weak growth — has been greeted at around 1700 GMT. The Fed’s announcement In Asia, Tokyo finished 1.3 percent lower as ers and PhD students. Several high-profile economists have with relief across most trading floors. on Wednesday has also provided a boost for the yen pushed towards levels not seen since The conference will examine the oil price confirmed attendance including keynote It came in a bumper week for central emerging market currencies and sent the dol- late 2014 with the prospect of low US returns impact on vital sectors in the economies of the speaker, Professor James Robinson from bankers — a day earlier the Bank of Japan lar tumbling, which in turn provided a boost and dim global growth making the safe-haven region’s including financial markets, labour Harvard University, who authored the kept its negative interest rate unchanged, to dollar-priced crude oil, which has surged Japanese unit more attractive. markets, and global markets. Many sessions best-seller “Why Nations Fail”. Another while the European Central Bank launched above $40 per barrel. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 1.3 will analyse oil price determinants; oil rent prominent speaker will be Shantaynan a volley of stimulus and anti-deflationary “US stocks are ticking higher, along with percent at 16,724.81 points; in Shanghai, the and institutional economics; FDI inflow and Devarajan, Chief Economist of the World measures on March 10. European equities, despite a disappointing composite was up 1.7 percent at 2,955.15 points, outflow, international trade and oil prices and Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Region. Mark Vickery, of Zacks Investment consumer sentiment report, amid the contin- while in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was up 0.8 commodity prices . This will be the first international con- Research, said the week had “been an island ued rally in crude oil prices and following this percent at 20,671.63 points. Organisers of the conference have ference hosted and organized by the Doha of market strength in a so-far volatile start week’s Fed decision to cut this year’s rate hike Meanwhile, the strength of the yen has rat- accepted 112 abstracts out of 134 submis- Institute for Graduate Studies. Previous to the first 12 weeks of the year”. Yesterday, forecasts,” analysts Charles Schwab said in an tled Japanese central bankers who in January sions from various countries. Dr Hassan MEEA conference took place in several investors were also digesting remarks pub- investors’ note. In New York, the Dow was up announced a shock decision to take interest Aly, Dean of the School of Public Adminis- other cities such as: Tunis, Dubai, Istanbul lished in an Italian newspaper by the ECB’s 0.6 percent at 17,583.05 points rates into negative territory as they struggle tration and Development Economic at the and Alexandria. chief economist that the Frankfurt-based bank The prospect of ultra-low interest rates to kickstart inflation and economic growth. BUSINESS SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 13 Ford boosts Fields pay by 17% amid record profit

Fields, 55, in his first full year Poor’s 500 Index rose 4.1 percent. Ford declared a special dividend as CEO, received $1.75m in salary, The carmaker posted 2015 pre- of $1bn in January, while forecasting a Fields, 55, in his first $3.46m in bonus and $13.36m in stock tax profit of $10.8bn, the most in the 2016 North American operating profit full year as CEO, and other compensation, for a total of company’s 112-year history. Ford sold margin of 9.5 percent or higher. Last received $1.75m in $18.6m, the company said yesterday 780,354 F-Series pickups in the US, year, Ford’s margin in the region was in a regulatory filing. making it the nation’s top-selling 10.2 percent. salary, $3.46m in Excluding a change in pension vehicle for the 34th straight year, and Executive Chairman Bill Ford bonus and $13.36m values, which fluctuate year to year, introduced redesigned versions of the received total compensation of $12.9m and other compensation for perqui- Edge and Escape crossover SUVs. The for 2015, compared to $15.6m in 2014. in stock and other sites such as traveling on corporate Dearborn, Michigan-based company’s Excluding pension values and other compensation, for a aircraft, his total for last year grew SUV deliveries climbed 7.8 percent in compensation, Ford’s compensation from $14.8m in 2014. the US for the year and its truck sales rose 1.6 percent to $10.1m, from $9.9m total of $18.6m, the Fields rolled out the alumi- jumped 8.7 percent. in 2014. For last year, the 58-year-old company said. num-bodied F-150 pickup last year, “Their timing to do some new great-grandson of founder Henry negotiated a new four-year contract crossovers last summer was excel- Ford got $2m in salary, $990,000 in with the United Auto Workers and lent,” Whiston said. “A cynic would bonus and $9.87m in stock and other capitalised on falling fuel prices by “Times are good, so if you’re going of the targets set for them by Ford’s say it was luck. Either way, manage- compensation. Bloomberg pushing out more SUVs. to pay a CEO well, this is when you’re board, according to the proxy state- ment gets credit.” The company scheduled its Yet Ford’s share price fell 9.1 per- going to do it,” said David Whiston, a ment. That included zero percent for Profits rose in North America, Asia annual meeting for May 12 in Wilm- cent amid investor concerns that the Morningstar Inc. analyst in Chicago automotive revenue, 121 percent for and Europe, while plunging in South ington, Delaware. Shareholders for the good times may soon be over as the who rates the shares the equivalent automotive operating margin, 142 America, where economic turmoil 12th consecutive year will consider a MICHIGAN: Ford Motor Co increased US auto expansion peaks and earn- of buy with a “fair value” price of $18. percent for automotive operating cash shows no signs of abating. Last year, proposal to strip the Ford family of Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields ings come under pressure. Fields “Eventually, the market will catch flow, 106 percent for Ford Credit pre- Ford debuted its revamped Lincoln its 40 percent voting control of the (pictured) 2015 compensation 17 per- reinforced those fears in January, up to the improvements and oper- tax profit and 118 percent for quality. luxury line in China, which Fields has automaker and move to one vote per cent to $17.3m, excluding changes in telling analysts that Ford’s operat- ational excellence that he’s driving. Ford shares declined 22 per- said could become the brand’s larg- share. The measure is opposed by pension value, as the automaker ing profit margin in North America, When that’s going to happen, I have cent from the July 1, 2014, start of est market. “I like their product lineup Ford’s board, which includes two fam- posted record profit on surging sales its largest market, may decline this no idea, unfortunately.” Fields’s tenure as CEO through yes- a lot,” Whiston said. “And I like the ily members, Bill Ford and his cousin of sport utility vehicles. year as costs rise. Top executives reached 99 percent terday’s close, as the Standard & direction Lincoln is going.” Edsel Ford II.

TransCanada buys Toshiba business plan Chinese buyers storm world’s Columbia Pipeline largest amber Group for $13bn fair in Poland AFP

AFP Appalachian mountain range. The agreement, which must still GDANSK: Chinese buyers have be endorsed by Columbia’s share- descended on the world’s largest holders and regulatory authorities, amber fair this week in the Polish OTTAWA: Canadian pipeline oper- is scheduled to come into force in the Baltic port city of Gdansk, amid a ator TransCanada, the company second half of the year. boom that has seen the price of the behind the controversial Keystone In the short term, TransCanada fossilised tree resin spike ten-fold XL pipeline that was rejected by plans to finance the transaction with in eight years. Washington, announced on Thurs- a loan from a banking syndicate. The Despite an economic slump in day a $13bn acquisition of Columbia group will repay the loan by selling China, merchants say amber sales Pipeline Group of Houston, Texas. assets including its minority stake in there are still booming due to its The purchase price includes tak- gas pipelines in Mexico, as well as a popularity as a good luck charm ing on Columbia’s $2.8bn in debt. new share issue. and health tonic. “Chinese peo- Under the agreement, Columbia After failing last year to get US ple think amber is good for their shareholders will receive $25.50 per approval for its controversial Key- health. Many, many Chinese med- share, which represents an 11 per- stone XL project, TransCanada icines have amber,” Zhang Zhiping cent premium on its closing price turned it focus to building up its Followed by company executives, Toshiba Corp President and CEO Masashi Muromachi (left) arrives at Zhang, a 30-year-old Chinese Wednesday on the New York Stock North American network. a press conference to present the company’s business plan at Toshiba headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, merchant, told AFP as he looked Exchange, TransCanada said in a Keystone XL would have con- yesterday. Embattled Toshiba Corp said it is targeting 100bn yen ($900m) in group net profit in fiscal for new merchandise at the fair. statement. nected Canada’s landlocked Alberta year 2018 and planning to increase its flash memory production. According to fellow Chi- There is currently an oversup- oil sands to US Gulf Coast refineries. nese amber merchant Wang Hao, ply of pipelines in the United States, But the Obama administra- “amber is very much part of our and oil and gas asset valuations are tion decided in October to deny the culture and it is believed to bring at near-historic lows. But despite low Canadian company a permit to con- good luck”. China recently sur- energy prices, US natural gas pro- struct a key section of the pipeline passed the United States as the duction has continued to grow and across the US-Canada border, rul- world’s largest consumer of amber, is expected to continue to do so with ing it would hinder the fight against Generali net profit at 8-year high of which there are more than 300 expectations of more exports. climate change. varieties. With the addition of Columbia’s In January, TransCanada com- “There’s an amber craze 24,000 kilometre network, the com- plained that the seven-year delay AFP and tax (EBIT) rose 6.1 percent to 4.8 the turnaround plan accomplished by in China, due to its great cul- bined company will oversee a North and ultimate decision to deny the billion euros. the company over the last few years tural, religious and medical American pipeline grid of 91,000km permit were politically driven, and The results were below expecta- and of the new strategy launched last significance,” Ewa Rachon, head linking the continent’s “most pro- vowed to seek $15bn from the US tions of analysts, however, who had year,” he said in statement. of Gdansk’s Amberif fair, said. This lific natural gas supply basins to its government for blocking construc- MILAN: Insurer Generali said yester- an average forecast of 2.25 billion Generali launched in 2013 a year the annual amber extrava- most attractive markets,” TransCan- tion of the pipeline. day that its operating performance euros in net profit on operating earn- three-year drive to boost its prof- ganza attracted nearly 500 sellers ada said. In addition to the Columbia deal, had returned to pre-crisis levels as ings of ¤4.92bn, according to a survey itability by cutting costs and selling and over 6,000 visitors. “Since Columbia has a natural gas net- the company is also seeking to build it posted its best net profit in eight conducted by Factset Estimates. The off stakes in businesses that did not 2008, prices have spiked tenfold,” work spanning the eastern United a new Can$15.7bn pan-Canadian years, although short of analysts’ company’s shares fell 3.3 percent in relate to its core insurance business. Rachon said. States from New York to the Gulf pipeline from Alberta to the Atlan- forecasts. early trading to ¤13.56. The company announced it would According to Michal Kosior, of Mexico, and storage facilities in tic Coast, capable of carrying 1.1 Net profit shot up 21.6 percent to Generali’s Chairman Gabriele increase its dividend payment by 20 deputy president of the Gdansk- the Marcellus and Utica shale gas million barrels of oil per day. But it ¤2.03bn ($2.29bn) at the company Galateri di Genola praised the results percent to 0.72 euros per share. The based International Amber regions. These basins straddle the is also facing opposition from envi- which is one of Europe’s leading as the fruit of efforts to make the company appointed Philippe Donnet, Association, 1kg of raw amber states of Ohio, New York, Penn- ronmental activists and the Quebec insurers, while operating profit as insurer more profitable. “The positive who had headed up its Italian oper- now sells for several thousand sylvania and West Virginia in the government. measured by earnings before interest result for 2015 shows the quality of ations, as chief executive. euros, depending on its colour and whether it contains inclusions like prehistoric insects or vegetation. With a steady client base of around 1,000, Zhang says that while Indonesian economy Indian stocks advance five years ago sunny yellow amber was all the rage, now tastes have changed and creamy white amber is more popular. Some specimens Bloomberg as crude topped $40 a barrel and sparkle like champagne with tiny the Federal Reserve’s dovish stance prehistoric air bubbles, others look revived demand for riskier assets. like swirls of honey and butter. Global funds bought $1.9bn of local Pieces with a blue-green tinge MUMBAI: Indian stocks advanced to shares since March 1, the biggest are the rarest and most valuable. a 10-week high, with the benchmark inflow in 15 months. Rich veins of this 40-million-year- gauge capping a third week of gain, Indian stocks have climbed in old fossilised tree resin running as risk appetite returned to devel- all but three days this month after along Poland’s Baltic coast have oping markets after global central Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his fuelled a centuries-old trade banks indicated a willingness to con- February 29 budget pledged to fur- in Gdansk, positioning it as the tinue measures to support growth ther cut the fiscal deficit, stoking world’s amber capital. and stabilize markets. speculation of a interest-rate cut by Amber deposits in Poland and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, the central bank in its April 5 pol- nearby Kaliningrad and Lithua- the largest software exporter, surged icy meeting. Reserve Bank of India nia are estimated at 650,000 to its highest price this year. Bharat Governor Raghuram Rajan said over tonnes, easily the world’s largest Heavy Electricals Ltd, India’s biggest the weekend the central bank was concentration. power-equipment maker, rose for “comforted” by the government’s Smaller amber deposits are a fifth day to become the best per- plan to shrink the budget deficit spread across the globe from former on the S&P BSE Sensex this to 3.5 percent of GDP while telling Canada to South America and week. The stretch of gains was the reporters to “wait and see” how that Australia, through to Africa and longest since July. GAIL India Ltd feeds into monetary policy. Asia as well as the Middle East. climbed to a six-week high. The Sensex has rallied 8.5 per- Polish customs said Wednes- The Sensex surged 1.1 percent cent in February, poised for its best day they had seized a record 1.5 An Indonesian shopper pushes his trolley at Carrefour Transmart supermarket in Jakarta, Indonesia, to 24,952.74, its highest close since monthly performance since Octo- tonnes of amber worth an esti- yesterday. According to International Monetary Fund, Indonesia’s economic growth is forecast to see a January 6. The gauge rose 1 percent ber 2013. Global funds bought $140m mated €6m ($6.6m) on the border moderate acceleration to around five percent in 2016. this week. Emerging-market stocks of shares on Thursday, taking the with Ukraine, with some stones were on the cusp of a bull market week’s inflow to $428m. “the size of an ostrich egg”. 14 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 BUSINESS Feb home prices rise 3.6% in China Boeing and Airbus eye Indian growth The data showed tier 1 cities, including Reuters to buy about 100 planes, worth about Shenzhen, Shanghai $11bn at list prices. Boeing is keen to clinch the order to keep a foothold in and Beijing, remained the low-cost Indian carrier market, the top performers, HYDERABAD: Boeing and Airbus while a win for Airbus would cement expect Indian airlines to order up to its position as the country’s domi- with prices surging 1,740 jets over the next 20 years, as nant supplier of narrowbody planes. 56.9 percent, 20.6 aircraft manufacturers eye one of “Airbus is being very aggressive the world’s fastest-growing aviation and I don’t blame them. We have a percent and 12.9 markets to offset any weaker sales relationship with SpiceJet that dates percent respectively. elsewhere. back to 2002. We have worked with Boeing said yesterday that fall- them in good and bad times,” said ing fuel prices, increasing numbers Boeing’s Keskar. of Indians wealthy enough to travel InterGlobe Aviation Ltd’s IndiGo Reuters by air and improved airport infra- finalised the purchase of 250 structure would boost orders. A320neo aircraft in August, hand- The company expects airlines ing Airbus its largest-ever order by to buy 1,740 planes worth $240bn number of planes. Other airlines are BEIJING: China’s home prices rose by 2034, its senior vice president also looking to grow their fleets to at their fastest clip in almost two for Asia-Pacific and India sales, win more of the fast-growing sector. years in February thanks to red- Dinesh Keskar, said at an event at Consultants KPMG and the hot demand in big cities, but risks Mass residential housing in Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon, Hong Kong. China recorded in February this year its this week’s Indian Aviation air show Federation of Indian Chambers of of overheating in some places com- highest monthly rise in prices of newly-built urban houses since March 2014, with prices rising in 47 of the in the southern city of Hyderabad. Commerce and Industry said in a bined with weak growth in smaller 70 main cities of the country, as compared to 38 in January. Airbus, at the same event, fore- report released on Thursday that cities threaten to put more stress on cast India would require more than India was on course to become the an already slowing economy. 1,600 passenger and freighter air- world’s third-largest aviation market Average new home prices in 70 markets in smaller cities plagued by families to afford a home,” said Tan weighed on prices. Most third-tier cities craft, three-quarters of them by 2020, six years ahead of a pre- major cities climbed 3.6 percent in a supply glut — makes Beijing’s job Huajie, vice president China’s biggest still saw on-year prices drops in Feb- narrow-body jets, over the next 20 diction made by the International February from a year ago, quick- harder as it looks to reanimate growth property firm Vanke. ruary, though the declines eased from years, worth $224bn of business. Air Transport Association last year. ening from January’s 2.5 percent without inflating asset bubbles. The trouble is that speculators the previous month. “India’s growth can help offset The number of Indian pas- rise, according to Reuters calcu- “The government’s all-out encour- and ordinary investors, who have With the broader economy decel- the slowdown in other parts of the sengers has jumped more than 20 lations based on data released by agement of housing sales seems to been shaken by the summer crash in erating amid weak exports, factory world,” Boeing’s Keskar said. Air- percent in the past year. India’s the National Statistics Bureau (NBS) be working, but at the cost of surg- mainland stock markets, are increas- overcapacity, slowing investment and craft executives are looking to India biggest airlines including SpiceJet, yesterday. ing prices in big cities,” said Rosealea ingly ploughing their money into the high debt levels, authorities are hoping to support sales after global eco- Jet Airways (India) Ltd IndiGo and That was the quickest year-on- Yao, an economist at Gavekal Drago- housing market — most of it going to the property market will help stabilise nomic uncertainty overshadowed GoAir, largely money-losing until year increase since June 2014, and nomics in Beijing. “These surges in big the frothy sector in big centres. growth. But signs that some places may recent aviation shows in Singapore this year, are now profitable as the encouragingly, 32 of 70 major cities cities are not sustainable and would A slowing economy has also be overheating even as prices remain and Dubai, raising worries about a outlook for the market improves. tracked by the NBS saw annual price increase uncertainties and instability meant most jobs are in the biggest cit- depressed in smaller cities complicate slowdown in orders. “We are confident about the gains, up from 25 in January. in the overall housing market.” ies, drawing more people into these matters for policymakers. However, plane makers meet- India forecast because of economic Ordinarily, that should be welcome The data showed tier 1 cities, places and feeding the insatiable While fears of a hardlanding for ing in Singapore last month defied growth, middle class growth and news for policymakers who have rolled including Shenzhen, Shanghai and demand for homes. A breakdown of China’s economy have abated in recent industry sceptics, saying an unprec- airlines are doing well. There is a out a raft of stimulus measures to sup- Beijing, remained the top performers, NBS data showed that a slew of govern- weeks, Beijing cannot afford a housing edented expansion in the aerospace relatively low number of aircraft port an economy growing at its slowest with prices surging 56.9 percent, 20.6 ment measures and increased lending market crash in the big cities given the industry was into its eighth year, compared to other emerging mar- pace in a quarter of a century. But the percent and 12.9 percent respectively. has failed to arrest persistent softness real estate industry and related invest- supported recently by low oil prices. kets,” Airbus’ Head of Marketing divergence in home prices — surging “Prices in first-tier cities are very in property markets in smaller cities ment activities account for 15 percent Indian budget carrier SpiceJet in Asia Joost Van Der Heijden told values in bigger cities and depressed expensive now, it’s hard for new where a glut of unsold houses have of gross domestic product. Ltd is in talks with Airbus and Boeing reporters in Hyderabad. Former Porsche executives acquitted of VW share manipulation

Bloomberg “There is nothing to the allega- as the publicly-traded entity. terms of 30 months for Wiedeking allegations that the path was decided tions, absolutely nothing,” Presiding Shares of Porsche Automobil and 27 months for Haerter plus fines much earlier in the year, he said. Judge Frank Maurer said when deliv- Holding SE rose 86 cents, or 1.9 per- of ¤1m ($1.13m) for each. They also “Is it possible that Wiedeking and ering the verdict. “There was no secret cent, to ¤45.65 after jumping as much sought a fine of ¤807m for Porsche. Haerter were long determined to go MUNICH: Former Porsche Chief plan to take over VW.” The case cen- as 2.5 percent following the acquittals. “From no viewpoint of the facts could for the takeover and the people work- Executive Officer Wendelin Wiedek- tered on Porsche’s statements about VW shares climbed ¤1.50, or 1.3 per- we have rationally come to a convic- ing closest with them didn’t notice a ing (pictured) and ex-Chief Financial VW in 2008. From March to October cent, to ¤116.30. tion,” Maurer said. thing?,” Maurer stated. “That would Officer Holger Haerter were acquitted that year, the company denied five The Porsche case dominated local The judge said prosecutors mis- be like Julius Caesar going to war and of charges they manipulated shares of times that it was seeking a takeover. headlines for years as the highest pro- read Porsche’s moves to come to a nobody had a clue.” Volkswagen AG in a failed 2008 take- When the carmaker reversed file crisis by a German automaker, but view that Wiedeking and Haerter The discussions at Porsche were over bid. course on Oct. 26 and disclosed that has been eclipsed by the emissions had committed to a takeover in early open and there was “no trace” of a The decision is a boost for Por- it held 74.1 percent of VW, partly scandal at VW. 2008. The reality, he said, was the secret decision to pursue a takeo- sche, which is facing civil lawsuits by through options, short sellers scram- While VW wasn’t involved in the executives considered several options ver, he said. It wouldn’t have made shareholders making the same alle- bled to cover their positions and drove trial, Porsche is. Plaintiffs in civil during the year, based on briefings on sense for the pair to go over options gations that the pair misled investors up the price of VW shares. suits are seeking as much as 5 billion the chances and risks involved. with lawyers and consultants if they’d about the bid. Porsche gave up the plan after euros from Porsche. Lawyers in those All those testifying who had already decided on a bid, Maurer said. The trial of the two former execu- funding dried up amid the financial cases were hoping that the criminal worked with the executives denied “Or do prosecutors think Wiedek- tives, which began in October, ended crisis. In the end, Volkswagen had to trial would reveal evidence that could that a final decision was made before ing and Haerter staged a puppet yesterday with dismissive remarks by rescue Porsche, buying the automotive bolster their cases, which have been October 26, 2008, the judge said. theater over months to have a defence the judge who cited a long list of bad business and leaving a holding com- slowed by the German legal process. Prosecutors were attempting to use ready for a possible criminal trial?” conclusions by prosecutors. pany, whose only asset is VW shares, Prosecutors had asked for prison hindsight and documentation to make the judge asked.

Gold prices CeBit trade fair Shell and Aramco US refining breakup edge down lets both pursue ambitious goals LONDON: Gold edged down yes- terday, as the dollar steadied above a five-month low, but the metal Reuters domestic refineries, including its joint Beurden has said Shell’s disposals remained on track for a weekly refinery with Shell in Jubail known would initially focus on the refining, gain after the Federal Reserve scaled as SASREF, as well as its overseas storage and retail divisions, known as down rate hike expectations. plants in China and South Korea, the downstream, whose value has held Spot gold was down 0.3 per- LONDON: The breakup of Royal sources said. up during the current downturn. cent at $1,252.91 an ounce by 1457 Dutch Shell’s and Saudi Aramco’s Aramco, the world’s largest oil Aramco is expected to pay GMT, while US gold fell 0.9 percent giant US refining joint venture draws company, has said it was consider- Shell an as yet undisclosed sum on to $1,253.80 an ounce. Spot gold was a line under an often rocky relation- ing options including a stock market the completion of the deal, a Shell up around 0.4 percent on the week. ship and allows Aramco to accelerate listing, and possibly including down- spokesman said. “There has been a bit of selling into an ambitious public offering and Shell stream assets. Although an outright sale of the the rally in the past couple of days to push ahead with a large asset sale. The Motiva breakup will also refineries is less profitable, Shell will but on whole gold has managed to The two energy giants’ plan to give Aramco full control over which be able to offer for sale much of the hang on to its gains,” Mitsubishi Corp dissolve Motiva Enterprises after a feedstock to use at the Port Arthur infrastructure linked to the opera- analyst Jonathan Butler said. near 20-year partnership leaves both refinery, which has been a stick- tions, including pipelines, storage “With the dovish overall macro with fully-owned refineries and gas ing point in recent years as rising tanks and distribution facilities, to outlook - the Fed’s more dovish stations in the United States. U.S. shale oil production displaced other companies including Shell stance and ECB and Bank of Japan Refineries have recently enjoyed imported Saudi crude to the det- Midstream Partners, a master lim- also pursuing very aggressive stim- a boom time as a near 70 percent riment of Aramco’s strategy of ited partnership (MLP) formed and ulus policies - affecting the strength plunge in oil prices since mid-2014 increasing overseas market share. listed by Shell in 2014. of the dollar and US Treasury yields, spurred demand for petrol from Sadad al Husseini, a former sen- “For Shell, a lot of assets are suit- gold should benefit.” around the world, helping many oil ior Aramco executive, said the move able for drop downs into the MLP The dollar rose 0.1 percent companies recover revenue lost from is in line with its plans to maintain and now that they have 100 percent against a basket of main curren- oil production. “The deal gives both market share and raise its refining ownership of the assets they can do it cies, but was still near a 17-month companies a lot of flexibility,” said capacity to 8-10 million barrels per more easily,” Jefferies’ Gammel said. low against the yen and set to end Jason Gammel, an analyst at Jefferies. day. He said the transaction also the week 1.5 percent lower. Sil- Saudi Arabia’s oil champion Ara- For Shell, being the sole owner of gave Shell higher production of ver rose more than 1 percent to its mco, which will own the largest US the Convent and Norco refineries in gasoline, in particular high-value highest since late October at $16.13. refinery in Port Arthur, Texas and Louisiana as well as marketing oper- gasoline blendstock, which was the It was up 4 percent this week. retain 26 distribution terminals, ations in Florida, Louisiana and the main driver in the global jump in Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust could fold the assets into one glo- Northeastern region offers an oppor- fuel demand last year. rose 1.50 percent to 807.09 tonnes bal refining subsidiary in which it is tunity to sell assets as part of a $30bn The Norco refinery’s close An employee of Digiwell displays a RFID-Chip which can be on Thursday from 795.20 tonnes on considering selling a stake, industry sale programme over the next three integration with Shell’s nearby Wednesday. Platinum fell 1.4 per- engrafted in a person’s hand at the CeBIT trade fair, the world’s sources said. years to pay for its $50bn acquisition petrochemical plant offers the Anglo- cent to $966.55 and palladium lost biggest computer and software fair, in Hannover. The giant refining group would of BG Group last month. Dutch company further benefits, 0.9 percent to $585.55. most likely comprise of Aramaco’s Chief Executive Officer Ben van Gammel said. BUSINESS VIEWS SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 15

China’s next bubble? India’s thirst for petrol helps Iron ore surges as speculators weigh in spur global oil demand

AFP of warmer weather and the end of the Lunar New Year holiday have restarted construction projects and steel production. ITH a huge global Even an upcoming flower steel glut and slow- show in the Chinese steel hub of ing demand in China, Tangshan has been named as a an enormous recent factor, with local steel compa- Wspike in the price of iron ore has nies expected to suspend output left analysts scratching their to ensure blue skies for the event— heads, with some even claiming which could prompt them to step a flower show might be to blame. up production before the halt. But observers say the extraor- China produces more steel than dinary movements for one of the the rest of the world combined, and world’s basic bulk commodities in the long term, cuts of up to 150 have been fuelled by something million tonnes in its capacity over far more prosaic than daisies and five years could ultimately support daffodils — simple speculation. steel prices, although their impact The spot price for iron ore on iron ore costs is less clear. There — the key material for steel — are signs regulators are taking jumped 20 percent on the Dalian notice of the market’s new-found Commodity Exchange recently. It popularity with China’s notori- closed at $57.35 per tonne on Fri- ously short-term investors, who day, up nearly 33 percent so far have few choices on where to put this year. their money. But the vast majority of trades A stock market slump has on the exchange do not reflect made equities unattractive while real-world transactions: the iron government bond yields are rel- ore futures volume on Wednesday atively low, strict capital controls alone represented an underlying limit buying of foreign exchange, 978 million tonnes of the com- and housing prices are expensive. modity — more than China’s The Dalian exchange will entire imports last year. on Monday raise transaction “Steel prices are in a crazy fees and hike minimum depos- phase now. Everyone’s emotions its for trading the contracts. The are high and pushing up prices move aimed to “guard against is the norm,” Chen Bingkun, an overheated trading and prevent analyst at Minmetals and Jingyi hidden market risk,” it said in a Futures, said. statement. “The price rise is also caused But small investors are not By John Kemp Planning and Analysis Cell of the Ministry consumption is already running ahead by speculation.” Only part of the the only actors in the market, Reuters of Petroleum. of the five-year plan the eventual outturn real global iron ore trade passes said Chen of Minmetals and Jin- Petrol consumption rose by more could be higher. Sales of passenger cars through exchanges such as Dal- gyi Futures, with producers also than 60,000 b/d in 2015 compared with and utility vehicles are expected to grow ian or Singapore, the other main seeking to cash in. “Some steel an increase of 240,000 b/d in the (much by as much as 12 percent in 2016/17 up hub for derivatives based on the makers, who rarely engage in NDIA’S petrol consumption is surging larger) US market. Petrol still accounts for from 6 percent in 2015/16, which translates commodity. arbitrage... started to participate and has become of the fastest-grow- a relatively small share, about 12 percent, to around 230,000 new vehicles hitting Instead, the business is domi- in hedging steel futures because ing components of global oil demand. of refined petroleum products consumed the roads every month. nated by a small group of producers, they saw some companies who With other parts of the global econ- in India. The corresponding figure for the The government plans to spend around including Anglo-Australian giants did it have made money,” he said. omy struggling, continued growth in United States is 47 percent. $14 billion in the next fiscal year upgrad- Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, Bra- Analysts wonder if the price Igasoline consumption in India, together with But petrol consumption has been grow- ing the country’s road network (“India in zil’s Vale and Fortescue Metals of surges are sustainable, with the United States and China, has become ing much faster than petroleum demand as the driver’s seat as fuel demand roars at Australia. They all compete to sell Shanghai Securities analyst Zhu one of the most impor- a whole as the country becomes more afflu- fastest rate ever”, Reuters, March 17). to steelmakers in China and else- Limin saying that their future tant indicators for global ent and the expanding urban middle class Consumption of other fuels and lubri- where on longer-term contracts, direction was “unclear”. oil prices. become car owners. Petrol consumption has cants is also growing, although not as fast often priced according to indices “This is the first year of the Saudi Arabia and grown at a compound annual rate of 11 per- as the super-charged petrol market. India’s calculated by specialist trade pub- new five-year plan, so people other members of the cent over the last five years compared with total petroleum consumption has increased lications, leaving limited liquidity have more confidence about Organisation of the 5 percent for other products. by around 340,000 b/d over the last year, for the spot market and heighten- investment in infrastructure,” Petroleum Exporting Petrol consumption growth surged to with gasoline accounting for more than 18 ing its volatility. he said, referring to a develop- Countries are relying on around 14 percent over the last year com- percent of the increase. India’s fuel markets Chinese analysts and industry ment blueprint for 2016-2020 to India’s continued con- pared with 9 percent for other products. have become one of the most important officials have cited a mix of fac- be approved at the National Peo- sumption growth to help Petrol consumption has doubled since sources of global oil demand growth. tors driving the speculation that ple’s Congress in Beijing, where Petrol still accounts absorb excess crude sup- the start of 2009 and quadrupled since 1999, India accounted for more than one fuelled the price surge, includ- Premier Li Keqiang announced for a relatively small ply and rebalance the oil according to India’s Central Statistics Office. barrel in every six of extra oil demand ing hopes for higher government a lowered growth target of 6.5-7 market in 2016/17. India’s growing number of drivers pro- reported in 2015, according to estimates spending on steel-hungry infra- percent for this year. Global share, about 12 India’s drivers used vided the third-largest increase in petrol prepared by the International Energy structure after the economy grew iron ore prices bottomed out at percent, of refined 500,000 barrels per consumption anywhere in the world last Agency. Total consumption of petro- at its slowest pace in a quarter of around $37 in December before day of motor spirit in year after the United States and China. leum products has doubled from 2m b/d a century last year. The beginning the rebound began. petroleum products the 12 months ending in The Ministry of Petroleum predicts petrol in 1998/99 to almost 4m b/d in 2015/16. consumed in India. February 2016, accord- consumption will increase further to almost India’s oil ministry predicts consumption ing to the Petroleum 800,000 bpd by 2021/2022. Since actual will hit 5.4m b/d by 2021/22. Russian regions risk defaults unless Kremlin stages rescue

By Lidia Kelly state Audit Chamber. The chamber’s head, that the regions’ revenues are shrinking and on its foreign currency reserves if needed Reuters Tatiana Golikova, has repeatedly urged yet they must keep on spending to honour to pay off sovereign debt the regions have a compromise on supporting the regions. promises imposed on them by Putin. no such safety net. Moscow does offer cheap “Radical changes in the treatment of regional The worst case is Mordovia, a region in loans to the regions but these are not enough budgets are long overdue,” she told the lower the central part of European Russia that pro- to repay their maturing debts, let alone any OUR years ago, Russia’s federal gov- house of parliament late last year. duces little and needs funds to host rounds other spending. Therefore, regional govern- ernment cleaned up its finances by If the ministry refuses to help, some of the 2018 football World Cup in its capital, ments have to turn to domestic bond issues shifting responsibility for a chunk of of the regions will be in trouble. “I am not Saransk. Its debt rose 30 percent last year to and loans from Russian commercial banks, social spending to regional adminis- saying that there is going to be a massive 33.7bn roubles, or 46,000 roubles for every with borrowing aboard not an option due to Ftrations. Now it faces the consequences, with amount of defaults,” Karen Vartapetov, an resident — equal to two months’ salary for the the sanctions. some regions deep in debt and heading towards economist with Standard and Poor’s ratings average worker there, according to finance Under his May 2012 decrees, Putin ordered default if they don’t get help from Moscow. agency said. “But the situation will be mov- ministry data. that large parts of state spending on health- That presents President Vladimir Putin ing in that direction.” Mordovia’s debt exceeds 180 percent of care, education and utilities be transferred to Russia’s top with difficult choices: Moscow can bail out Russia’s top level finances are relatively the regional government’s annual revenue regions, to keep the federal budget healthy. the regions, but to do so it may have to go robust despite the economic slump. The fed- and yet its Prime Minister Vladimir Volkov At first, there seemed to be no risks. Back in level finances deeper into debt itself at time of recession, eral budget deficit is within 3 percent of gross says it will keep on spending as ordered by May 2012 the price of oil, Russia’s main export are relatively weak oil prices and international sanctions domestic product, proportionately less than in the Kremlin in May 2012. earner, was over $100 a barrel and the govern- over the Ukraine crisis. a number of European Union states, and sov- While other regions’ problems may not be ment expected annual economic growth of 6 robust despite the Or it could leave them to their fate and ereign debt is low. But this is built partly on so deep, more than 90 percent of them were percent throughout the decade. Now, oil is at economic slump. risk unrest among workers likely to lose their accounting that has pushed economic pain off in deficit last year and their debt burden will $40 and Russia is in recession, with the econ- government jobs if a region slashes spending the national balance sheet and onto the regions. grow to an average 60 percent of revenues omy shrinking 3.7 percent last year. The federal budget or goes under — just as Russia heads into a Their total debt has doubled since 2012, by the end of next year, up from 27 percent Due to the crisis, regions are generating deficit is within 3 cycle of elections culminating in a 2018 presi- according to the finance ministry, after a in 2014, according to S&P. much less cash and have become depend- dential vote. Collectively, the regions — which period of very modest growth. S&P forecasts That leaves their governments with no ent on financial markets to refinance debts. percent of gross number more than than 80 — ran a budget it will more than double again to 5.5 trillion cash to keep servicing their debts, raising Most of the loans from commercial banks are domestic product. deficit of 1 trillion roubles ($14.6bn) last year roubles by the end of 2018. the prospect of default for some of them. short-term, with about a third having to be on spending of 10 trillion, according to the That would be bearable but for the fact While the federal government can fall back repaid annually. 16 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 CLASSIFIEDS

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44582257 E-mail: [email protected] 18 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 BREAK TIME

EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD

1234 5678910111213 INFO CSIS DOGS

14 15 16 PARR TR I TE RANI OPED WENTTOOFAR 17 18 19 DANECOOK I LOST 20 21 CRY L I ONEL RAH NOEND SOCAL 22 23 24 IGOTIT GOV VASE 25 26 27 28 29 30 CAPECOD ROBERTA

31 32 33 EVEN HEF CURLED SENDS FEDEX ORS 34 35 36 37 38 EASTER OKS 39 40 41 STRUT LETMESEE STEALAKISS SLAV 42 43 44 45 46 PANG G INSU H I RE 47 48 ANT E EDGY AMPS Yesterday’s answer 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 56 57 58 61 Bit of fish food 25 Put forward 62 26th of 26 26 Way into Wonderland Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 59 60 61 63 Word next to a coin 27 Premium ___ 1 to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every slot 28 27-Down column and every 3x3 box contains all the 62 63 64 64 Fraud fighters, for offering digits 1 to 9. short 29 David of “Separate Tables” ACROSS 35 Favoring the singer of DOWN 30 Travels (about) 1 Painter Chagall “Sunday Bloody Sunday”? 1 LeBlanc of “Friends” 31 Central points 5 Kevin who was the 2014 38 Easter egg container? 2 Diva’s delivery 35 U.P.S. truck contents: N.B.A. M.V.P. 39 Red Lobster freebie 3 Four-sided fig. Abbr. 11 Record holders? 40 ___-Aid 4 Betty Crocker product 36 Piece next to a knight HYPER SUDOKU 14 Vicinity 41 Cream and eggshell, for 5 Coke Zero alternative 37 “Alley ___” two 15 One way to be caught 6 Ruined 41 Doesn’t say outright 16 Basketball star ___ Ming 42 Medical procedure for 43 Mother superior, for the singer of “If You Love 7 Entranced 17 Amused the singer of 8 Four of the 12 imams one “Raise Your Glass”? Somebody Set Them Free”? of Shia 44 Carl who directed “Oh, 19 Zero God!” 47 Source of 9 Diarist Anaïs 20 Ore-Ida product ivory 10 Shatner’s 45 Starting time 21 Bit of campfire 48 Tree of Life locale “___War” 46 Ticked (off) entertainment 49 Loo 11 Nickname for a high- 49 “Oh, man!” 22 Time to rise, in poetry 51 Fast-food convenience achieving couple 50 Check out 23 Ruinous end 56 It might puff 12 One corner of a 51 Many soccer coaches 25 Enchantment of the singer you up Monopoly board 52 Frost of “Raspberry Beret”? 57 Coached the singer of 13 Filleted fish 53 Skipper’s position 31 What an unbelievable “Kiss From a Rose”? 18 ___ Hubbard of 54 All the ___ YouTube video might be 59 90° turn Scientology 55 ___ Bator 32 Some military defenses, for 21 When doubled, short 60 Emmy-winning series set 57 “That’s not something at a drum I needed to know” 33 K.G.B. adversary the Sterling Cooper ad 23 “Aw, hell!” 58 Headed up 34 ___ port agency 24 Approximately

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

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

Yesterday’s London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 2:30pm answer Emelie (2D) 4:15pm The Witch (2D/Horror) 9:45pm The Dressmaker (2D/Drama) 5:45pm Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Frankenstein (2D/Horror) 8:00pm The Wave (2D/Action) 9:30pm Pugazh (2D/Tamil) 11:15pm Kung Fu Panda (2D/Animation) 2:30, 6:00 & 7:00pm Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 4:15pm ALL IN THE MIND Solace (2D/Drama) 7:45 & 11:30pm Can you find the hidden words? They may Mahesh (2D/Malayalam) 2:15 & 8:45pm be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or Kapoor And Sons (2D/Hindi) 4:30 & 11:00pm backwards. ASIAN TOWN

Maheshinte Prathikaram (Malayalam) 1:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:15, 5:45, 6:30, 8:00, 8:45, 10:15 & 11:00pm Pugazh (2D/Tamil) 1:00 & 8:45pm Puthiya Niyamam (Malayalam) 12:30, 5:30, 8:00 & 10:30pm Action Hero Biju (2D/Malayalam) 3:30pm Kapoor And Sons (2D/Hindi) 6:15 & 11:15pm LANDMARK Emelie (2D/Thriller) 2:30pm The Dressmaker (2D) 4:00pm Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 2:30pm The Dressmaker (2D/Drama) 4:00pm London Has Fallen (2D/Action) 6:00pm The Divergent Series:Allegiant (2D/Action) 7:45pm The Witch (2D/Horror) 7:45pm The Wave (2D/Action) 9:45pm Kung Fu Panda (2D/Animation) 4:15, 6:00 & 7:00pm Pugazh (2D/Tamil) 2:30 & 8:45pm Mahesh (2D/Malayalam) 4:45 & 11:00pm Frankenstein (2D/Horror) 11:30pm ROYAL PLAZA

Kung Fu Panda (2D/Animation) 3:00, 5:00 & 7:00pm A VIEW TO A KILL, DIE ANOTHER DAY, DR NO, Solace (2D/Drama) 9:00 & 11:00pm GEORGE LAZENBY, GOLDENEYE, GOLDFINGER, The Divergent Series:Allegiant (2D) 2:30 & 7:00pm HONEY RYDER, JAMES BOND, JAWS, LIVE AND LET The Dressmaker (2D/Drama) 2:45 & 5:00pm DIE, MAGDA, MONEYPENNY, MOONRAKER, NAOMI, NICKNACK, ODDJOB, PIERCE BROSNAN, ROGER Zootropolis: Zootopia (2D/Animation) 4:30pm MOORE, SEAN CONNERY, TEEHEE, THUNDERBALL, Frankenstein (2D/Horror) 6:15 & 9:00pm TIFFANY CASE, VARGAS, WHISPER. The Wave (2D/Action) 9:45pm The Witch (2D) 11:30pm London Has Fallen (2D) 8:00pm Emelie (2D/Thriller) 11:15pm SPORT SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 19

Spurs stretch home winning Barca seek Atletico revenge streak

AFP

as PSG face Manchester City LOS ANGELES: Kawhi Leon- ard and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 22 points and the San Anto- nio Spurs beat Portland 118-110 Thursday, boosting their home PSG President Al record this season to 34-0 and stretching their overall NBA home Khelaifi confident win streak to 43 games. in-form French French guard Tony Parker added 18 points and 16 assists, his champions will reach most since 2012, while Australia’s first semi-finals in Patty Mills came off the bench to contribute 17 points in the triumph, twenty years which improved the Spurs to 58-10 this season. Not since falling to the Cleve- land Cavaliers on March 12 of last AFP year have the Spurs been defeated in San Antonio. But that streak will receive a major test today when the Spurs NYON: Holders Barcelona and their host the defending NBA champion feared attacking trident drew fellow Golden State Warriors, the first of Spaniards and 2014 finalists Atletico three meetings between the West- Madrid in the Champions League last ern Conference powerhouses over eight yesterday. the final month of the season. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and The Warriors have lost 32 Neymar, Barcelona’s feared attack- Italian former football player Gianluca Zambrotta shows a piece of paper bearing the games in a row in San Antonio. ing trio, will seek revenge for their 2-1 name of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the quarter-final draw for the UEFA Champions Golden State has not beaten the aggregate quarter-finals exit at the League, yesterday at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon. RIGHT: The Champions League Spurs in San Antonio since Feb- hands of Diego Simeone’s formida- trophy is seen during the draw ceremony. ruary 14, 1997, when Warriors star ble charges two seasons ago. Stephen Curry was just eight years “With Atletico Madrid everything old. is complicated,” said Barcelona rep- League final. That season Atletico PSG President Nasser Al Khelaifi pair up. “We will have to remain The Spurs’ streak is the third- resentative Javier Bordas, who was in went unbeaten in six games against was confident his side, fresh from very focussed, it’s the quarter-finals, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE longest in NBA history behind a Nyon for the draw. Barca, but since then the Catalans wrapping up a fourth straight French you don’t take these matches lightly. ENTERS LAST 8 STAGE 44-game Chicago run in 1995-96 “Their strengths are well known. have won all six meetings between Ligue 1 title in record time, can get to After the group games you never and the ongoing streak of Golden They are water-tight at the back and the sides. their first Champions League semi- have an easy match,” said the iconic State, which has won 50 home can hurt you in attack,” he said of the But while Atletico coach Diego final in twenty years. Frenchman. games in a row over two seasons. side who have shipped just three goals Simeone was unflinching he heaped “In the quarter-finals there are “We need a good result in the first and we hope to be back here for the In Miami, Kemba Walker had in the competition so far. praise on his rivals, and if he was only good teams left,” he said. game at home. But it’s a great draw for semi-finals. 21 points, seven assists and seven “They are our number one rival worried he was not showing it. We have enormous respect for us,” he said. There was conversely a sense of rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets in the Spanish league, I don’t believe “I have said before, they work Manchester City, But I believe our Zinedine Zidane’s ten-time win- glee at Wolfsburg, whose directors rallied from a 15-point deficit to there was a tougher side we could more on set-pieces, they have more players will produce another big ners Real Madrid and the Champions beamed with delight as the draw beat the host Heat 109-106. have drawn. We know this is going counter-attacks, Neymar has been European performance. I’m convinced League’s runaway top scorer Cristiano was made. Al Jefferson added 21 points to be really tough.” there longer, the presence of Suarez, we can keep up the pace that saw us Ronaldo (13 goals), drew Germans “We can’t wait” said Wolfsburg and 10 rebounds as the Hornets Atletico eliminated Barca 2-1 they are a different team with more overcome Chelsea and offer our sup- Wolfsburg, with the added com- coach Dieter Hecking while speak- broke a 12-game losing streak in on aggregate in the quarter-finals options,” he said. porters a first semi-final since 1995,” fort of playing at home in the second ing after the draw. games at Miami. on their way to the 2014 Champions “Barcelona are the best in the he added. leg against the quarter-final stage “For Wolfsburg, the fans and the world for sure and what can be bet- Having overcome Juventus in debutants. club it’s a wonderful draw,” said the NBA RESULTS QUARTER-FINAL DRAW ter for us than playing against the a dramatic come back in midweek Emilio Butragueno the Real club’s top official. Toronto 101 Indiana 94 best in the world? It makes me very five-time European champions Bay- Madrid director of institutional rela- Real Madrid are a massive football Washington 99 Philadelphia 94 (Games between April 5 and 13) excited,” he said. ern Munich will have been relieved to tions, warned against complacency side but you’ve always got a chance,” Charlotte 109 Miami 106 Wolfsburg (GER) vs Real Madrid (ESP) In another tantalising pair up new have drawn Portugal’s Benfica. however. he added. Atlanta 116 Denver 98 Bayern Munich (GER) vs Benfica (POR) money outfits Manchester City and Bayern winger Franck Ribéry “They are a German team, they The two legs of the quarter-finals Paris Saint-Germain face off after warned there was no room for com- are in the quarter-finals for the first will be played between April 5-13, Chicago 118 Brooklyn 102 Barcelona (ESP) vs Atletico Madrid (ESP) Swedish giant Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s placency even if the Germans, led time and they motivation in playing with the semi-finals on April 26/27 Milwaukee 96 Memphis 86 side toppled Chelsea in the last round. by Pep Guardiola in his last season us will be huge. and May 3/4. San Antonio 118 Portland 110 Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) vs Manches- It is a first ever quarter-finals for Man- before a switch to Manchester City, “We know what it means in The final will take place in Milan ter City (ENG) Utah 103 Phoenix 69 chester City. are unlikely to lose any sleep over the Europe to commit a single error on May 28. Predators, Kings Wanda becomes top sponsor for post-Blatter era FIFA register wins

AFP Wang, 61, whose personal fortune abuses. Sony and Emirates Airlines including the 2030 World Cup, said “The Chinese Government is com- is estimated at about $29bn, already quit as top level sponsors in 2014 and a FIFA statement. Infantino said: “I mitted to this development and as a Agencies has a stake in Atletico Madrid and never immediately replaced. believe that the relationship with company we strongly support these owns the Infront, one of the biggest FIFA on Thursday announced a Wanda will support us to continue the efforts. ZURICH: China’s Wanda group sports marketing and media compa- $122m loss for 2015 because of the on-going development and growth “In order to professionally grow NEW YORK: Continuing their yesterday became the first top level nies, which has FIFA as a client. cost of the scandals. of the game in China and all over the the existing grassroots movement climb up the Central Division lad- sponsor for FIFA as world football The world football body has New FIFA president Gianni world.” into a sustainable and well managed der, the Nashville returned home seeks to renew its scandal-tainted been struggling to find new top level Infantino has vowed a new era of Wang’s interests in sport fit in sport, we are delighted to tap into the from a successful road trip with image after the departure of Sepp sponsors since corruption scandals transparency and to put the body, closely with the desire of China’s vast experience of the most compe- another win Thursday night. Blatter. erupted last year. Thirty-nine foot- which earns about $5.5bn dollars in President Xi Xinping to step up his tent advisor - FIFA. Goals by Ryan Ellis and Ryan A FIFA statement said Wanda, ball officials and business executives ever four years between World Cups, country’s sporting power, particu- “We believe in football as one of Johansen in a 1:41 stretch of the owned by China’s richest man Wang face charges in the United States over back on a sound financial footing. larly in football. the most attractive sports globally and second period snapped a 1-1 tie Jianlin, would have “the highest level more than $200m in bribes paid for Under the new deal, Wanda Group “We are highly motivated to pro- have the highest trust in FIFA and its and gave Nashville a 4-2 decision of sponsorship rights” for the next four football deals. will have sponsorship commer- mote football across the country and newly established organisational over the New York Islanders at World Cups. It did not give a figure for Longtime football leader Blatter is cial rights to all FIFA competitions to inspire a new generation of young- structure under the lead of president sold-out Bridgestone Arena. Aus- the sponsorship. now fighting a six-year-ban for ethical and corporate activities up to and sters,” said Wang. Gianni Infantino,” said Wang. tin Watson and James Neal also scored for the Predators. Anze Kopitar scored the game- winning goal by tipping in a rocket INDIAN WELLS by Jake Muzzin in overtime, rally- ing Los Angeles over the New York Raonic, Goffin to tangle in semi-final RESULTS Rangers at Staples Center. Kopitar scored two goals, and Men’s Kyle Clifford and Dustin Brown Quarter-finals scored one each for the Kings, who AFP before losing in the semis to Andy David Goffin (BEL x15) bt Marin Cilic (CRO got 23 saves from Jonathan Quick. Murray, while feeling the effects of x10) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. Kevin Hayes, Dan Boyle and JT the thigh injury. Milos Raonic of Milos Raonic (CAN x12) bt Gael Monfils Miller also scored for the Rangers. “I’m not the guy that holds a (FRA) 7-5, 6-3. Canada reacts in Henrik Lundqvist stopped 33 shots INDIAN WELLS: Canadian No. 1 grudge. I have one guy across the Women for the Rangers, who have dropped Milos Raonic advanced to his second his match against net that wants something that I want Quarter-finals three of their last four contests. consecutive Indian Wells semi-final Gael Monfils of more,” Raonic said. Shane Doan took a shot from on Thursday with a 7-5, 6-3 win over France during Goffin toppled Cilic to become Karolina Pliskova (CZE x18) bt Darya the corner that banked in off San Frenchman Gael Monfils. day eleven of the the first Belgian male to reach the Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3, 6-2. Jose goalie Martin Jones with 1:31 The meeting under the lights on BNP Paribas Open semi-finals. Victoria Azarenka (BLR x13) bt Magdalena remaining to break a tie and lead the main stadium court was a con- at Indian Wells The 25-year-old Goffin saved four Rybarikova (SVK) 6-0, 6-0. Arizona to a win at Gila River trast in styles with the hard-serving Tennis Garden on set points in the 12th game of the first Arena. Raonic overpowering the grease- Thursday in Indian set before taking it in a tiebreaker. lightning speed and athleticism of Wells, California. Goffin then breezed through a 14-match losing streak against NHL RESULTS Monfils. the second set, finishing with seven top-10 players with a fourth-round New Jersey 7 Minnesota 4 “I am happy with the way I com- aces overall in the 97-minute match shocker over French Open champion peted, and at the end of the day what at Indian Wells, one of the biggest Stan Wawrinka. Pittsburgh 4 Carolina 2 counts the most is I took care of my events on the ATP and WTA calen- “Even if it’s Stan or even if it’s Detroit 3 Columbus 1 serve,” Raonic said. dar outside of the four Grand Slams Marin, I have to do my job,” said the Florida 4 Toronto 1 Raonic moves on to the semis championships . soft-spoken Belgian. “I can compete Nashville 4 Ny Islanders 2 where he will face world number Goffin also defeated Cilic on a clay really well here.. Dallas 4 Tampa Bay 3 18 David Goffin, who surprised 10th court in Belgium during the Davis Cup “I beat Marin .... so it’s almost like seeded Croatian Marin Cilic on Thurs- a six-week layoff due to a torn thigh Canada lost 5-0 to France. Raonic first round on March 6. I beat a top 10 today. Arizona 3 San Jose 1 day 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. muscle, was unable to play in the also beat Monfils in the quarter-finals Goffin’s win over Cilic comes “For the future, it gives me a lot of Los Angeles 4 NY Rangers 3 Raonic, who just returned from Davis Cup earlier this month when in January at the Australian Open less than 24 hours after he snapped confidence.” 20 SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 SPORTS

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND New Zealand too good for Australia M Guptill c Maxwell b Faulkner 39 K Williamson c Agar b Maxwell 24 C Munro c Faulkner b Marsh 23 CRICKET: TWENTY20 WORLD CUP C Anderson c Agar b Maxwell 3 The Black Caps are R Taylor c Marsh b Watson 11 firm favourites to G Elliott (run out) 27 reach the semi-finals L Ronchi c Maxwell b Faulkner 6 on one of T20 cricket’s biggest-hit- M Santner (run out) 1 as bowlers ensure ting teams. second win Guptill was the first to go after A Milne (not out) 2 racing to 39 off 27 balls, caught on the Extras (B-4, W-2) 6 boundary by Maxwell off the bowl- Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) 142 ing of Faulkner as he tried to go for Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-66, 3-76, 4-97, AFP another six at the beginning of the 5-117, 6-133, 7-140, 8-142. eighth over. Williamson and Corey Bowling: Coulter-Nile 4-0-33-0; Watson Anderson were then out in quick suc- 4-0-22-1 (w1); Agar 1-0-18-0; Faulkner cession, both taken after they miscued 3-0-18-2; Zampa 1-0-3-0; Maxwell 3-0- DHARAMSALA: New Zealand beat expansive strokes.

Australia by eight runs yesterday in New Zealand never recovered 18-2; Marsh 4-0-26-1 (w1). a thrilling match at cricket’s World their momentum and no batsman AUSTRALIA Twenty20, with recalled paceman ever really looked settled on what U Khawaja (run out) 38 Mitchell McClenaghan taking three proved to be a slow pitch. S Watson c Williamson b McClenaghan 13 wickets for 17. Watson’s first three overs yielded S Smith st Ronchi b Santner 6 After New Zealand had made 142 just 11 runs and he took the key wicket D Warner c Guptill b Santner 6 for eight in their 20 overs at Dharam- of Ross Taylor in his final over, one ball sala, Australia had appeared well set after being hit for six by the former G Maxwell c Williamson b Sodhi 22 to chase down a modest total. Kiwi captain. M Marsh c Milne b McClenaghan 24 But they lost four wickets in their Usman Khawaja and Watson got A Agar c Taylor b McClenaghan 9 last two overs with McClenaghan and the Australian innings off to brisk J Faulkner c Guptill b Anderson 2 Corey Anderson holding their nerve start, putting on 44 before Watson fell. N Coulter-Nile b Anderson 1 at the death, giving the Black Caps Khawaja stroked six fours in an revenge after losing last year’s final attractive innings of 38 off just 27 P Nevill (not out) 7 of the 50 over World Cup to Australia. balls before he was run out just as A Zampa (not out) 2 McClenaghan was a surprise he looked poised to post a big score. Extras (LB-2, W-2) 4 replacement for Nathan McCullum, Australia seemed comfortably Total (for 9 wkts in 20 overs) 134 one of the heroes of New Zealand’s placed at the mid-way point in their Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-51, 3-62, 4-66, dramatic victory over the hosts India innings, having put 66 on the board. 5-100, 6-121, 7-123, 8-124, 9-132. on Tuesday. But David Warner perished in the But skipper Kane Williamson’s first ball of the 11th over, holing out Bowling: Anderson 4-0-29-2; Milne switch was vindicated in spectacular at deep mid-wicket after mistiming 2-0-22-0 (w2); Elliott 2-0-17-0; McClena- style while Australia were left to rue a pull shot off the bowling of Mitch- ghan 3-0-17-3; Santner 4-0-30-2; Wil- New Zealand’s Grant Elliott runs out Australia’s Usman Khawaja in their Group 2 World Twenty20 cricket tournament their decision to pick two rookie spin- ell Santner. liamson 1-0-3-0; Sodhi 4-0-14-1. ners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa. Spinners Santner and Ish Sodhi match played at Dharamsala, India yesterday. Agar had a game to forget, carted bowled tidy spells. Sodhi conceded for three sixes in what was his one just 14 runs in his four overs while and only over. His first two balls were Santner took two for 30. full tosses, gratefully dispatched over McClenaghan was handed the ball the ropes by Martin Guptill, who top- for the penultimate over and did his scored with a brisk 39 off 27 balls. captain proud by taking the wickets India, Pakistan resume rivalry in cricket Guptill and Williamson put on 61 of both Marsh and Agar, conceding in the first seven overs but the Black just three runs in the process. Caps’ hopes of putting on a score close New Zealand’s second win in two AFP Tensions have prevented the two atmosphere, its fans have a reputation disputed Kashmir. Although there was to 200 soon subsided. games makes them firm favourites to sides from playing each other in Tests for showing appreciation to oppos- a lull in fighting during the match, key But poor shot selection and tight reach the semi-finals of the tourna- for more than a decade, and the match ing players. moments were greeted with volleys bowling from the veteran Shane ment but is a big blow to Australia’s is only happening because the World Subrata Nag, a college student, said of gunfire and cross-border shelling. Watson and allrounders Glenn Max- hopes of winning a trophy that has KOLKATA: It’s one of the world’s T20 is an International Cricket Coun- the home crowd wanted an Indian vic- Some politicians have argued it is well and James Faulkner put the brakes so far proven elusive. fiercest sporting rivalries and pre- cil tournament. tory but would be gracious in defeat. inappropriate for the two countries to vious showdowns have taken place Although there had been signs of “Eden Gardens has a history of even contemplate a game of cricket. while the countries have been at war, or a thaw, an attack on an Indian army supporting the team which performs But Sehyr Mirza, a Pakistani jour- used as an icebreaker between frosty base in January dashed hopes the better. We want India to win, but we nalist from Lahore who has changed leaders. countries’ leaders would watch the will support Pakistan team if it plays her profile picture to show support Injured Malinga to fly home But when India and Pakistan face match together, as they did at the 2011 well,” Nag said. for India in Saturday’s match, wrote off in cricket’s World Twenty20, love World Cup. Kolkata’s police chief has prom- on Facebook: “Here’s to breaking will be in the air amid a determina- Afridi’s message was that his team ised maximum security for the visitors. imaginary boundaries, and nulling AFP whose niggling injury has been flar- tion to ensure today’s game soothes is delighted to be back in India. But Pakistani bowling legend the faulty idea of automatic cross- ing up, would be better off resting it, rather than stokes tensions. “We have always enjoyed playing Wasim Akram, a popular figure in national hate”. and have recommended he return While there’s no shortage of patri- in India and have been loved by Indian India as a commentator on a Hindi The success of the social media to Colombo,” the board said in a otic fervour, a recent Facebook craze crowds more than crowds back home television channel, said there was no campaign was even noted by Face- COLOMBO: Injured Sri Lanka pace- statement. has seen thousands of fans posting in Pakistan,” he said. reason to believe the rivalry would be book chief Mark Zuckerberg. man Lasith Malinga will fly back home Malinga, 32, was last week profile pictures framed by the sport- “Cricket has always brought peo- anything but sporting. “Something pretty interesting from the World Twenty20 in India retained in the squad with the board ing emblems of their rivals. ple together and I think politics should “It’s a whole lot of fun. I think not is happening in India and Pakistan without having played a single match, saying a replacement would be named After being garlanded on his arrival be kept away from cricket.” just the teams but the supporters of on Facebook right now,” Zuckerberg the country’s cricket board said yes- shortly. in Kolkata, Pakistani captain Sha- After a row over security, Saturday’s the two countries do enjoy the clash wrote in a post, adding that “what terday. The bowler presided over a dis- hid Afridi has spoken of the “love” match was switched from Dharam- wholeheartedly,” Akram said. unites us is more important than what Malinga’s departure is the latest mal showing by Sri Lanka in the Asia he receives from Indian fans. sala to Kolkata, the capital of India Former Indian international Arshad divides us”. setback for the maverick bowler, hav- Cup where they were beaten by lit- The leading classical singer Shafqat before the sub-continent’s 1947 par- Ayub said the match was always a lit- The match is expected to be ing been dropped as skipper after tle-fancied Bangladesh, and only just Amanat Ali is set to serenade a packed tition that led to Pakistan’s creation. tle bit special. watched by hundreds of millions of the team’s recent disastrous Asia Cup scraped past the United Arab Emirates. house at Edens Gardens with Pakistan’s Eden Gardens is one of the world’s Possibly the most famous encoun- television viewers, including in the showing in Bangladesh. Malinga only played one match in national anthem, before Bollywood biggest grounds, even after a recent ter came during the 1999 World Cup, Indian-controlled part of Kashmir “Sri Lanka team management the Asia Cup where he hinted that he legend Amitabh Bachchan belts out refit which reduced capacity to 66,000. when the teams played in the middle where many residents will be root- on tour have observed that Malinga, was considering retirement. the rival Indian number. Despite the cauldron-like of a mini-war over the Kargil region in ing for Pakistan. F1: Dominant Hamilton gives Rosberg the slip Suhr, Lavillenie vault to indoor world glory AFP British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG GP in Reuters action during the first practice IAAF WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS MELBOURNE: World champion Lewis session of the Australian Formula Hamilton dominated the opening free One Grand Prix at the Albert Park practice sessions of the new Formula circuit in Melbourne, Australia PORTLAND: Pole vaulters Renaud One season yesterday as his Mercedes yesterday. Lavillenie and Jenn Suhr claimed the American Sam Kendricks (5.80m) team-mate Nico Rosberg hit early trou- first gold medals of the World Indoor took the silver and Piotr Lisek (5.75m) ble at the Australian Grand Prix. Championships with record-breaking of Poland the bronze. Hamilton made only a cameo clearances on Thursday, while IAAF Suhr had a near perfect evening, appearance in the rain-hit second chief Sebastian Coe was reminded that clearing 4.90m to add the world cham- session but still reeled off the fastest restoring fan trust could take time. pionship gold to her 2012 Olympic lap, in an ominous sign for his rivals Lavillenie dominated the men’s crown and lead an American one- at the season-opener. competition, vaulting a champion- two finish on opening night. Hamilton, who also set the pace in ship best 6.02 metres to reclaim the Sandi Morris, who beat Suhr last first practice, clocked a best lap time title he won in 2012 but was unable weekend at the same venue in the U.S. of one minute 38.841 seconds in the to defend two years ago due to injury. championships, clipped the bar on her slippery afternoon track conditions After watching his rivals toil final three failures trying to match to prove his early superiority ahead through the opening three rounds, the her compatriot but still claimed the of Saturday’s qualifying. world record holder entered the com- silver as Greece’s Ekaterini Stefanidi But Rosberg, his closest rival last petition at 5.75m and coolly cleared grabbed the bronze. season, struck trouble in second prac- Hamilton took up where he left off in of laps in, they were still quite con- presented with his team with some his first attempt then sat down and Overseeing his first major event tice when he lost control of the rear last year’s championship season of 10 structive sessions,” Hamilton said. extra work overnight on his car. passed on the next two heights. as International Association of Ath- end of his Mercedes, aquaplaned and wins out of the 19 races. “I was lucky to get a couple of dry Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who The confident Frenchman rejoined letics Federations (IAAF) president, hit the wall at turn seven, damaging The Briton stayed in the team laps to get a tiny feeling for what the didn’t register a time in first prac- the competition at 5.90m and sailed Coe watched the championships get the front wing of his car. garage until late in the second ses- balance is like around here, which was tice, was eighth quickest in the second clear on his first attempt to seal victory, off to a worrying start, unable to fill The German was told over the team sion before uncorking the fastest time down to some good work from the session, but 1.920secs slower than before repeating the feat at 6.02m. the modest venue on opening night. radio, “Pull over please Nico, stop the on his first flying lap. team to time my runs right. Hamilton. With the gold medal secure, all Earlier on Thursday, Coe acknowl- car” before he stopped on the grass at That was enough to hold a 0.467sec Hamilton clocked 1:29.725 to hold Both Vettel and Raikkonen did only that was left was three unsuccessful edged it would take time to regain turn 13 to save any further damage. edge over Germany’s Nico Hulken- a 0.421 seconds gap over Red Bull pair seven laps in one single run on inter- attempts at a new world mark of 6.17m. fan trust in the wake of recent dop- The Mercedes team confirmed that berg in a Force India and Ferrari’s Kimi Daniil Kvyat and Australian Daniel mediate tyres. “For the world record, I have to ing scandals and the enormity of that Rosberg’s car had suffered damage to Raikkonen as rain made for treach- Ricciardo in first practice, which was Better conditions are forecast for put everything in good order and it challenge hit home as the four-day its new-spec nose. erous driving conditions. also held in wet track conditions on today’s new-look qualifying session is not very easy,” he told reporters of meet failed to attract a bumper crowd With the rain upsetting teams’ plans “The car performed well and the Albert Park street circuit. to determine grid positions for tomor- his failed attempt to add a centime- despite high quality fields in both pole right at the start of the new season, although we didn’t get a huge number Rosberg rued his spin which row’s Melbourne race. tre to his existing best. vault events. SPORT SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 21

MOTOGP FP3 RESULTS

1. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati (Desmosedici GP16) 1m 54.639s Iannone sets the pace in Qatar 2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) +0.137s 3. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.196s 4. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati (Desmosedici GP16) +0.306s Italian rider Andrea Iannone 5. Maverick Viñales ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.337s Ducati’s Italian of Ducati in action. 6. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V)+0.474s 7. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) +0.536s rider storms ahead 8. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) +0.684s of Spanish giants 9. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) Lorenzo and +0.760s 10. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) +0.837s Marquez 11. Aleix Espargaro ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.852s 12. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) +0.866s 13. Loris Baz FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) +1.134s The Peninsula 14. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) +1.292s 15. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) +1.307s 16. Yonny Hernandez COL Aspar MotoGP (Desmosedici GP14.2) DOHA: Italian rider Andrea +1.461s Iannone of Ducati last night 17. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) +1.568s continued with his good form 18. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* +1.986s by topping the timesheets in the 19. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +2.110s third free practice in the MotoGP 20. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +2.430s class under lights at Losail Inter- 21. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP (Desmosedici GP14.2) +2.496s national Circuit. Asserting himself as the fast- est man, Iannone clocked 1’54.639 to finish ahead of defending world A host of activities champion Jorge Lorenzo and Spain’s Marc Marquez of Team Italian rider Spanish giant Marc Marquez. Repsol Honda in action. Valentino After a productive first Rossi at Fan Zone at session, the MotoGP World Cham- (Movistar pionship riders went into FP3 Yamaha Losail Circuit ready to fight for the top-10. MotoGP). A top-10 finish on the com- bined times of the first three Free The Peninsula Practice sessions guarantees a direct pass into Q2, now more important than ever as almost every rider on the grid is capa- DOHA: The fans at the Losail International Circuit can ble of a single fast lap thanks to witness world class action of the ongoing Commercial the new rules. Bank Grand Prix of Qatar and they are in for an extra Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha treat as a number of activities are on offer at the Fan MotoGP) and Iannone had both Zone outside the grandstand. set the pace in Free Practice 1 and This year, the fan zone and a family entertainment Free Practice 2 with Iannone’s Time are incredibly close in set a 1’54.976 to end the day fifth Racing), Scott Redding (Octo area has been set up by the organizers to provide extra 1’55.388 the fastest time head- MOTOGP: THIRD FREE the MotoGP field, the new unified and 0.337s back on Iannone’s Pramac Yakhnich) and Pol Espar- entertainment and all spectators can take part in activ- ing into the session. PRACTICE AT LOSAIL Magneti Marelli software allow- time. garo (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) ities without any extra cost with the grandstand ticket Soft tyres were fitted early ing more riders than ever to be Throughout the weekend completed the top-10 and will while children under 11 get free access. in the session and Dani Pedrosa towards the front. Vinales has been a considerable all head into Q2 directly. Go Karting is one of the main attractions at the fan (Repsol Honda Team) improved fastest top speed of any rider in Both the factory Ducatis are distance ahead of his teammate, Disaster struck for Bradley zone and spectators can have a ride for free for five almost immediately. the session. looking strong here in Qatar with his talent shining through despite Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) minutes. Mawater is supporting the event with an exhi- But as is almost tradition now, Lorenzo’s 1’54.776 was good Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) this being only his second year in with just over 10 minutes remain- bition of cars. the times truly began to fall in the enough to conclude the day in ending yesterday as the fourth the premier class. ing as the Brit fell at Turn 6. ATV’s Track for the kids and children is kept open final 15 minutes. second and comfortably advance fastest rider. One of the first riders to He was unharmed and able from 16:00 till 22:00 and Batabet supports the activi- Times quickly dropped into through to Q2 directly. Unlike his Although he initially strug- improve, Pedrosa eventually to improve his time, ending 12th. ties and a they will also display a collection of custom the mid 1’55s until Lorenzo threw Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team- gled to get up to speed in testing, ended FP3 in sixth and ahead of There was also a fall for Jack made motorcycles around the area. down the gauntlet with five min- mate, Lorenzo is running winglets Dovizioso is now showing well Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc Traditional activities, supported by Nomas Centre utes remaining and set a 1’54.776. this weekend. and able to push in each session, MotoGP). VDS) as he pushed for a final include camel riding, falcons, traditional Arabic coffee Iannone proved to be Loren- Marquez (Repsol Honda his 407 laps in testing beginning Rossi was just over half a sec- fast lap, the Australian walking making and much more. zo’s undoing, the Ducati man Team) was able to overcome to pay off. ond behind Iannone’s time as away from Turn 9 unhurt. Red- At the food court, a number of partners including setting a blistering 1’54.639 to many of his and Honda’s prob- Maverick Vinales (Team none of the factory riders had a ding also fell in the dying stages TCBY ice cream, Asiana, Pizza Hut, Coffee Beanery, lead the session. Iannone was lems to set the third fastest time Suzuki Ecstar) was the only other clear advantage. of the session at Turn 13, again Sterling Fast Food, Shake Shack, Amazing Waffles Cafe, also able to hit 348.1 km/h, the and finish within 0.2s of Iannone. rider to drop into the 1’54s as he Hector Barbera (Avintia avoiding injury. Alhambra Catering and Nando’s are at your service.

LCSC to move ahead with 100-day development plan

By Rizwan Rehmat he said. “We will be working as a The Peninsula team,” he said. “Our plans are huge. We are looking to develop the club. We want to compete with other cir- DOHA: The new chairman of the cuits in the region and the world. Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) has Our plan will start at the end of the said his team will launch a 100-day top event,” Al Attiya said. development plan after this week’s “For the last couple of months, Grand Prix of Qatar. we have been striving to further Saud Al Attiya, Chairman of improve the Grand Prix of Qatar, LCSC, said developing motor sport developing facilities at the venue, and maintaining sustainable com- the track and the lighting system,” mercial growth of the circuit will be Al Attiya said. at the heart of the new plans. QMMF President Al Mannai The MotoGP family is in Qatar said he will be working to see top for the season’s opening races to Qatari riders ‘competing at the high- This file picture shows be held at the 5.38km Losail Cir- est level’ in the future. the aerial view of cuit tomorrow night. “There is no doubt that there floodlit Losail Circuit “We have a 100-day plan that has been a huge success in Qatar during Qatar GP. we have recently prepared,” Al in motor sports. We are not satified Attiya said along side Dorna chief with. At QMMF, we want to focus on Caremllo Ezpeleta and QMMF Pres- our new ambition. Our focus will ident Rashid Al Mannai. be on somebody competing at the “We have three new objectives highest level,” Al Mannai said. amazed with the new development. at the club. Number one, we want “We will shift our focus on youth “All the manufacturers of the GP to promote motor sports in part- and somebody who can reach the are here. We couldn’t have devel- nership with QMMF and Dorna,” top in racing. We are trying to build oped the sport without the help Al Attiya said. a platform. We will support them of Losail Circuit, QMMF and CBQ. “Number two, we want to and hopefully we can have them I wish them best this week and in engage the local community into the competing at the top level,” Al Man- the future,” Ezpeleta said. circuit. We open the circuit every nai said. Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, Chief Wednesday for walking, running Ezpeleta, the Dorna chief, said: Executive Officer of QBQ, said: and cycling sessions. We have seen “It is a special week. It is the start “From the very start we saw as that this has become a major suc- of the season. We have been com- massive opportunity to promote cess with sports fans here. Also, we ing here every year. During these this sport. From the day we start want to have a commercial model 13 years, Qatar and Losail Circuit sponsoring this event to this day, that is a sustainable model. We plan has been improving. I want to thank we have seen tremendous devel- to introduce new activities that will (former QMMF President) Nasser bin opment every year.” run all year around,” Al Attiya said. Khalifa Al Attiyah who had been He added; “We have witnessed “We welcome Mr Carmelo working with us since the begin- an amazing development. To be part Ezpeleta to Qatar. We are look- ning. Today we start with the new of something as big as the Grand ing forward to learn from him to management.” Prix of Qatar is hugely satisfying.” develop motor sport in Qatar,” Al “I can say to you that Lsoail Cir- The official qualifying in Attiya said. cuit is working very well. They have MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 of the “We will be working together big, big plans to develop the sport. To Grand Prix of Qatar takes place with QMMF, Dorna and our spon- be honest I only visited the track but today while the races will be held Saud Al Attiya (second left), Chairman Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC), is seen with QMMF President Rashid sors Commercial Bank of Qatar,” now if you visit the track you will be tomorrow. Al Mannai (left), Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna chief, and Abdullah Saleh Al Raisi (right), CEO of Commercial Bank of Qatar, during a press briefing held at the Losail Circuit yesterday. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 19 PAGE | 20 Raonic, Goffin to New Zealand too tangle in Indian good for Smith’s Wells semi-final Australia

SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2016 • 10 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Qatar U-19 team begins training camp in Spain

Action from the opening session of Qatar U-19 team’s training camp which started in Malaga, Spain yesterday. Coached by Oscar Cano, the team is preparing for the AFC U-19 Asian Cup to be held in Bahrain later this year. During their sojourn in Spain, the colts will also play matches against Ivory Coast (tomorrow) and Costa Rica (March 23). The camp will conclude on March 27.

England stun SA in record Abdulla fires 100th goal World T20 run-chase

Reuters But Root, who was out in the as Al Ahli thrash Al Arabi penultimate over, hit six boundaries and four sixes in his 44-ball knock and added 75 for the fifth wicket MUMBAI: England posted the high- with Jos Buttler (21), bringing the QSL RESULTS est successful run chase ever at a sizeable crowd to their feet. Qatar SC remain in Umm Salal bt Al Wakrah 1-0 World Twenty20 tournament with England were on the receiving Joe Root smashing 83 as they over- end of a brutal onslaught from West Qatar SC draw with Al Sailiya 1-1 relegation zone after hauled an improbable South Africa Indies opener Chris Gayle during Al Sailiya draw as late Al Ahli bt Al Arabi 3-1 total by two wickets in a run-fest Wednesday’s defeat when their spin- Sagbo header gives Today yesterday. ners struggled to grip the wet ball Al Khor vs Mesaimeer at Al Khor Sta- Quinton de Kock and Hashim and that prompted captain Eoin Mor- Umm Salal win dium 6pm Amla struck half-centuries at the gan to field after winning the toss. Al Gharafa vs Al Kharaitiyat at Al top while JP Duminy provided the But Amla (58) and De Kock (52) Gharafa Stadium 8:15pm late assault with an unbeaten fifty as tormented the English bowlers, plun- South Africa posted a massive 229-4 dering 96 runs off seven overs during Tomorrow after put in to bat in their Group One an explosive opening stand. The Peninsula Al Sadd vs Lekhwiya at Al Sadd Sta- match at the Wankhede Stadium. South Africa opted to use Amla dium 6pm If South Africa, considered one and De Kock as openers and it El Jaish vs Al Rayyan at Al Sadd Sta- of the favourites for the tournament, proved it was the right decision from dium 8:15pm hoped they had amassed enough the onset. DOHA: Al Ahli crushed Al Arabi runs, they were in for a rude shock as De Kock, who thrashed David 3-1 yesterday with captain Mashael England attacked their bowlers left, Willey for 20 in the third over, hit Abdulla scoring his 100th career goal Qatar SC yesterday. The Kings took right and centre to post their highest seven fours and three sixes during in a tense clash at Al Ahli Stadium. the lead in the 18th minute after Emil- ever T20 total and the second highest his 24-ball knock before he fell to Abdulla opened the scoring in the iano Vecchio’s corner kick found an run chase ever in the format. off-spinner Moeen Ali. 8th minute of the round 23 clash. unmarked Fadhil Omer who headed England looked comfortable for Amla, who was dropped on nine Mouhssine Iajour scored the sec- the ball in to the goal. The young most part of their chase before losing by Reece Topley off Ali, hit an iden- ond in the 48th minute while Ndombe Qatari striker with only his second three wickets in seven balls towards tical number of boundaries before Mubele added the third in the 60th goal of the season put Sebastaio the end but eventually reached their falling to the off-spinner. minute, Lazaroni’s men in front. target with two balls to spare. Duminy (54 not out) and David Al Arabi skipper Paulo Sergio QSC came close to a second goal Jason Roy (43) and Alex Hales Miller (28 not out) provided the fin- fired a bullet from close range to in the thirty-ninth minute when Ali gave England a rollicking start, post- ishing touches for South Africa with reduce the deficit in the 90th minute. Awad’s thunderous shot from outside ing 48 in just 15 deliveries before an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of It was Al Ahli’s third win in their the box hit the crossbar. both were out to paceman Kyle 60. Al Ahli captain Mashael Abdulla (left) celebrates his goal against Al last four Qatar Stars League (QSL) Despite enjoying much of the Abbott. England paceman Chris Jordan matches. Al Ahli, placed 9th, go past possession in the first half Al Sailiya Arabi during their QSL match at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday. It was England broke a few team conceded four fours and a six in the Al Wakrah in the QSL points table. failed to convert their chances thanks Abdulla’s 100th career goal. Pictures: Kammutty VP/The Peninsula records as they looked to maintain fifth over and finished with figures For Gianranco Zola’s sixth-placed to Qatar SC’s organised defense. their batting tempo though leg-spin- of 0-49 in three overs. Al Arabi, it was their third loss in their In the second half Sailiya kept up ner Imran Tahir tempered it with Topley gave away 33 in his two last five QSL games. the pressure and were rewarded for Romanian defender, chested the ball 1-28 in his four overs. overs. Earlier, Al Sailiya left it late to their effort in the 80th minute. into the goal when Sultan Al Kuwari QATAR STARS LEAGUE draw 1-1 with relegation threatened Dragos Grigore, Sailiya’s headed the ball towards him from a ROUND 23 corner. SCOREBOARD The referee originally did not SOUTH AFRICA A Hales lbw Abbott 17 allow the goal because of suspicions of hand ball, but after deliberation half, and should of taken the lead. H Amla lbw Ali 58 B Stokes c Morris b Rabada 15 with his assistant awarded the goal Substitute Waheed Tahiri had only Q de Kock c Hales b Ali 52 J Root c Miller b Rabada 83 to Al Sailiya. the goalkeeper to beat but he failed AB de Villiers c Morgan b Rashid 16 E Morgan b Duminy 12 The result means that the Kings to convert from close range. Umm F du Plessis c Roy b Willey 17 J Buttler st de Kock b Tahir 21 remain the QSL relegation zone with Salal made Wakrah rue those missed J P Duminy (not out) 54 M Ali (not out) 8 twenty-two points while Al Sailiya’s chances when Sagbo produced a position also remains unchanged at close-range header to score his team’s D Miller (not out) 28 C Jordan c Duminy b Abbott 5 seventh with thirty-two points. winning goal four minutes from time. Extras (B-2, W-2) 4 D Willey (run out) 0 Yannick Sagbo’s late strike on Fri- Al Wakrah should have perhaps Total (for 4 wkts in 20 overs) 229 A Rashid (not out) 0 day lifted Umm Salal as the visitors had an equalizer in stoppage time. Did not bat: C Morris, K Abbott, D Steyn, K Extras (LB-6, W-20) 26 managed a 1-0 win over Al Wakrah. Midfielder Mohsine Moutaouali’s Rabada, I Tahir Total (for 8 wkts in 19.4 overs) 230 Sagbo scored the only goal of the free kick looked certain to be hitting Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2-114, 3-133, 4-169. match in the 86th minute at hosts Al the back of the net but Umm Salal’s Did not bat: R Topley. Wakrah failed to pick up points from experienced goalkeeper Baba Malik Bowling: Willey 4-0-40-1; Topley 2-0-33-0; Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-71, 3-87, 4-111, 5-186, the round 23 match in QSL. It was pulled of a fine diving save to deny Ali 4-0-34-2; Jordan 3-0-49-0; Stokes 2-0-23- 6-219, 7-229, 8-229. fifth-placed Umm Salal’s first win the Moroccan international. 0; Rashid 4-0-35-1; Root 1-0-13-0. Bowling: Rabada 4-0-50-2; Steyn 2-0-35-0; after three matches. The result leaves Wakrah in ninth ENGLAND Al Ahli’s Majtaba Jabari Kordgheshlaghi (centre) in action against Al Abbott 3.4-0-41-3; Tahir 4-0-28-1; Duminy In truth Wakrah were the bet- place, whilst Umm Salal are in 5th J Roy c de Kock b Abbott 43 3-0-31-1; Morris 3-0-39-0. Arabi’s players during their QSL match at Al Ahli Stadium yesterday. ter side particularly in the second place.

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ONLINE CHART BUST Future World Exhibit in Singapore www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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A mother and child, reflected on the floor as they interact with a projection of waves titled ‘100 Years Sea’ forming part of the installations at the Future World exhibit at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore, yesterday. Facebook CEO Mark Zuck- erberg took a mask-free jog through Beijing’s Tiananmen Square yester- day, smiling through thick smog as he seeks greater access for his company to Hitler’s copy of ‘Mein Kampf’ sells for $20,655 China, where its service is banned.

AFP 1945,” wrote one political doctrine he enacted as Fue- officer followed hrer: annexing neighboring countries to by his signature gain “Lebensraum” or “living space” for Shirley Temple’s rare blue and that of 10 Germans, and his hatred of Jews, which CHESAPEAKE CITY: A copy of Adolf others. led to the Holocaust. The limited edi- diamond ring to be auctioned Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (pictured) owned An August tion sold Friday is a 354-page volume by the Nazi leader and found in his 20, 2015 letter II of the manifesto, printed by the Nazi Munich apartment sold for $20,655 in from the daugh- Party’s publishers Verlag Franz Eher in Reuters the United States yesterday, an auction ter of Captain Munich, 1927. house said. Daniel Allen of Millions of copies of the book were The book, which is bound in red the 45th Infan- published in Germany after Hitler leather, was discovered by US soldiers try Division says seized power in 1933 until his fall in CANADA: A rare blue diamond who liberated Munich at the end of that her father, 1945. From 1936, the Nazi state gave a ring (pictured) belonging to the World War II, said Alexander Histor- who belonged to copy to all newlyweds as a gift. late Shirley Temple, one of Holly- ical Auctions. a field artillery New copies of the book were wood’s most famous child actors, It was likely kept by Hitler for his unit, brought the printed in Germany in January for the is going up for auction starting at own use or as a potential gift for an book home with first time since World War II, unset- $25m, auctioneer Sotheby’s said of the actress’ 12th birthday, admirer, the auction house said. him at the end of the war. $12,000 to 15,000. tling some Jewish community leaders, yesterday. Sotheby’s said. The ring will be The flyleaf is signed by 11 officers There were more than 10 bidders, Hitler wrote the book, whose title after its copyright expired. For 70 years, The 9.54-carat Fancy Deep auctioned on April 19 as part of from a US field artillery battalion of the on phone and online, and the book means “My Struggle,” in 1924 while Bavarian authorities refused to allow Blue diamond ring was pur- Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels 45th Infantry Division, the first soldiers sold to an American buyer, the auction jailed for treason after his failed take- it to be republished out of respect for chased by Temple’s father for sale, and is estimated to be val- to liberate Munich. “From Adolph Hit- house in Chesapeake City, Maryland over of the Bavarian state government. victims of the Nazis and to prevent $7,210 in 1940 around the time ued between $25m and $35m. lers apartment in Munich on May 2 said. It had been valued pre-sale at The inflammatory tract sets out the incitement of hatred. Twitter an awkward child as it turns 10 Domino’s to try robots

US presidential race, especially by for pizza delivery AFP the Republican frontrunner, Don- ald Trump. “Eight weeks ago I would have AFP Customers are given a code when said the days of Twitter are over; I they order, which they enter onto a SAN FRANCISCO: As Twitter don’t say that anymore,” Global Equi- keypad to unlock the compartment marks its 10th birthday on Monday, ties Research analyst Trip Chowdhry containing their pizza. it is somewhat of an awkward child said. The analyst said Trump has WELLINGTON: Fast food giant “DRU is cheeky and endearing -- having become a powerful com- shown how potent Twitter can be for Domino’s is to trial pizza deliv- and we are confident that one day he munication tool but still struggling those who embrace it. ery robots in New Zealand, it said will become an integral part of the to win users and reach profitability. “I think that probably the worst yesterday, describing the hi-tech, Domino’s family,” the chain’s New Since making a star-quality for Twitter is over,” Chowdhry said. driverless units as a world first. Zealand general manager Scott Bush entrance a decade ago, Twitter has “This platform has legs.” Chowdhry In a move enthusiastically said. “He’s a road to the future and become a must-have tool for jour- said Indian Prime Minister Narendra backed by the New Zealand govern- one that we are very excited about nalists, activists and celebrities but Modi also used Twitter effectively to ment, Domino’s said it was working exploring further.” has struggled to show it can expand win his campaign and Tesla founder with authorities on plans to roll out While a date for the trial is yet beyond its devoted “twitterati” to Elon Musk has been shaking up the its DRU (Domino’s Robotic Unit). to be finalised, Transport Minister become a mainstream hit. ongoing losses, even as its revenue not stemmed rumors about a possi- auto sector with the help of the mes- The four-wheeler, developed in Simon Bridges said the govern- While Internet lovers might grows. Twitter’s base of monthly ble buyout or merger. saging platform. Australia, is just under a metre (three ment working with Domino’s on have trouble envisioning life with- active users remained stuck at 320 “It’s not dead yet,” independent Twitter and other social media foot) high and contains a heated the project and was keen for it to out Twitter, the San Francisco-based million at the end of 2015. While that analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle have been important tools in move- compartment that can hold up to proceed. company has seen its stock tank, a is a big accomplishment, Twitter has Group said of Twitter. “Watching ments such as the Arab Spring. An 10 pizzas. “This is an exciting opportu- chief executive leave, and its staff cut. failed to keep pace with fast-growing all the metrics, you see they are not advantage of Twitter is that it lets It is battery powered and uses nity for New Zealand over the last Twitter’s woes include a slump rivals and to expand beyond its base. getting a lot worse but they don’t users “amplify” messages with tweets on-board sensors to avoid obstacles, 12 months I’ve been actively and in its stock price to all-time lows The troubles have forced Twitter seem to be getting better either.” that echo on the Internet, and assess with Domino’s saying it can deliver aggressively promoting New Zea- this year -- down nearly half from to bring back co-founder Jack Dor- Some analysts believe Twitter’s true public sentiment in real-time by get- pizzas within a 20km radius of a land as a test bed for new transport its 2013 stock market debut -- and sey as chief executive, but that has value is being demonstrated in the ting quick feedback. store before returning to recharge. technology trials,” he said.