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PM meets Deputy Mayor of London Budget to focus Anti-corruption on science and technology lessons in development

DOHA: The State Budget for the next fiscal year (2013-14) is QU curriculum expected to put added empha- sis on science and technology development, along with priori- tising public spending on social Government determined to fight graft and economic development and sectors like health and educa- DOHA: Qatar is taking its of pressure on the Prosecution to tion and the environment. dogged fight against corrup- brush a case under the carpet. “I The State Cabinet, at its weekly tion to its university education challenge that there has never meeting yesterday, approved draft system as Qatar University has ever been an attempt by anyone budgetary estimates for the new announced it planned to incor- howsoever influential to pressure financial year that begins from porate studies about how to com- us to go soft on a complaint of April 1, 2013, and lasts until bat corruption and eradicate the alleged corruption,” said Al Marri. March 31 next year, reports Qatar evil from its social milieu, into its The fight against corruption News Agency (QNA). curriculum at all levels. must begin from family and soci- The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani with Deputy Mayor A highlight of the new budget- The university has also ety and from there it should go of London, Sir Eduard Lister, in Doha yesterday. Bilateral relations and ways to boost them were discussed. ary estimates is that allocations are announced it hoped to set up a to schools and colleges, he said in made for various ministries and permanent chair dedicated to stud- his lecture. Corruption, according government agencies on the basis ies concerning fighting corruption to Al Marri, is in human blood so of how these entities have utilised and its incumbent will be appointed cannot be eradicated 100 percent. the funds they had been allocated later. The announcement was made But it can be fought. in the current year’s budget. at the conclusion of a seminar on “The fight against corruption The estimates are crucial as anti-corruption at the university’s should begin with one’s upbring- Schools restrict admissions they are a key step in the process law faculty and star speaker was ing,” he said amidst thunderous of achieving the goals of sustainable the Attorney-General, Dr Ali bin applause. Many countries in the DOHA: The strict safety rules The SEC has now banned waiting list of applicants but very development the country has set Futais Al Marri. world are rich and resourceful being imposed by the Supreme portacabins in school premises few seats to offer. for itself over the long-term. The Al Marri told the seminar but they have widespread poverty Education Council (SEC) have due to safety reasons. Many “We have already closed admis- part of draft estimates that talk of Qatar has a very stringent anti- because of corruption, he said. forced many private schools to schools that had been tradition- sions to KG classes and have very spending on development projects corruption law and no one except Qatar is considered to be the restrict admissions, leading to ally relying on makeshift cabins few vacancies in higher classes. has been referred to the Advisory The Emir, H H Sheikh Hamad bin richest country in the world based long waiting lists of applicants. to accommodate new students We have taken a decision not to Council for its opinion. Khalifa Al Thani, and the Heir on its high per capita income but Several Indian and Pakistani are now left with no option but put more than 30 students in The economic and financial com- Apparent, H H Sheikh Tamim bin the fact is that it ranks 59th in schools that are set to begin their to limit admissions. one class to ensure quality,” said mittee of the Advisory Council is Hamad Al Thani, are immune. the world in terms of wealth. new academic year next month “Portacabins had been an easy Abdul Razaq, Academic Director set to discuss the estimates at a Everyone except the Emir “There are 58 countries in the are finding it hard to accommo- way for schools to add new classes of Scholar’s International, the special meeting on Sunday and give and the Heir Apparent found world that are richer than Qatar.” date new students, despite the but they are no more permitted. newest Indian school that opened its recommendations so that the embroiled in a case of alleged cor- “We have a long way to go as huge demand, due to a severe Most schools have now shifted to in Qatar last year. issue can be debated at length by ruption can be prosecuted under far as our fight against corruption space crunch. purpose-built premises to meet He said majority of new appli- the council at its regular session the above law, said the attorney- is concerned,” said Al Marri. The Most of these schools are the SEC requirements and have cants are not new-comers to the the next day, Monday. The council general. He said there are cases Prosecution Department, he said, operating in full capacity and little scope for further expansion,” country but are those shifting is likely to conclude its discussion of alleged corruption with the has 100 employees, some 18 of whom have limited scope for expan- said an official of an Indian school from other schools. on Monday since the new budget Public Prosecution and so far no are foreigners, including Arabs. sion in their existing premises, in Abu Hamour. THE PENINSULA is to be unveiled on April 1. one has ever tried to put any kind THE PENINSULA it is learnt. All schools say they have long Continued on page 6 THE PENINSULA Long-awaited Initiative to prevent health cover law on cards divorces in Qatar DOHA: The long-awaited BY FAZEENA SALEEM responsibilities and prepare cou- health insurance law might see ples psychologically before mar- the light of day sooner than DOHA: Qatar Charity has riage to meet Qatar Charity’s later as the State Cabinet yes- unveiled a unique initiative, ‘Zawaj’, cultural and social objectives. terday reviewed its draft. to prevent divorces and ensure Ahmed Abdullah Al Mulla, Qatar News Agency (QNA) marital happiness. ‘Co-living’ — a Managing Director of the reported that the draft legisla- programme under ‘Zawaj’ — will Associations Affairs at the tion was reviewed and discussed provide pre-marriage counselling Ministry of Social Affairs, Saud by the State Cabinet at its weekly and courses in family life. Al Abdul Hanzab, Chairman, meeting yesterday. Counselling will also be pro- Central Municipal Council, and A senior official of the vided to newly-married couples as Hilal Al Kuwari, Head of Aspire Ministry of Labour recently part of the programme launched Zone, attended the launch. announced in a media interview on Tuesday at Aspire Zone. “This (Zawaj) is a pioneering pro- that the proposed law, once in Official statistics for 2009 show gramme to support Qatari youth force, would make it mandatory the number of divorces per 1,000 and help them get married and for private companies to provide Qatari couples increased from 17.4 lead a happy married life, Hanzab free medical cover to all their in 1995 to 19.2 in 2009, and 61 per said. “It will have a direct impact on employees while the government cent of cases took place in the people. Neighbouring countries could would ensure free health cover first five years of marriage. adopt it if they like,” he said. for Qatari citizens. ‘Zawaj’ aims to create aware- THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA ness about marriage and family Continued on page 2

Obama warns Syria JERUSALEM: US President Barack Obama pledged yesterday to hold Syria to account if it used chemical weapons and reassured Israel of US resolve against Iran as he tried to allay the security fears of the main US ally in the Middle East. Obama is visiting Israel for the first time as president. Obama also expressed a desire for a resumption of Israeli- Palestinian talks but brought no new proposals and made no mention of Israeli settlement-building. He said he wanted to hear from each side before determining a way forward. He meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah today. REUTERS See also pages 7 & 10 < US President Barack Obama takes part in a tree planting ceremony with Israeli President Shimon Peres at his residence in Jerusalem, yesterday. The tree is a magnolia from the White House which has been brought in by Air Force One. THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Zawaj launch Tunisian president Qatar Airways greeted on I-Day DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani sent a cable of greetings to the plans two more President of Tunisia, Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, on his country’s Independence Day. The Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim flights to Iraq bin Hamad Al Thani and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani Services to start in June, August also sent greetings to the president. DOHA: Qatar in the reconstruc- Airways yesterday tion efforts of the PM sends message announced it would country. launch flights to two “After years of to Singapore more destinations restricted air access in Iraq starting this for foreign airlines DOHA: Singapore Prime summer. in many parts of Minister Lee Hsien Loong has The addition of the Iraq, Qatar Airways received a message form the port city of Basra in has been working Prime Minister and Foreign southern Iraq and with the authorities Minister H E Sheikh Hamad Sulaymaniyah in the to open up services bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani northern part of the and are delighted to on bilateral relations. The country will take to have expanded our message was handed over by five the number of des- operations there in Sheikh Faisal bin Qasim Al Thani (left) Chairman, Qatari Businessmen Association, Yusuf bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO Qatar’s Ambassador Rashid tinations served by the such a short space of of Qatar Charity (centre) and Saud Al Abdul Hanzab, CMC Chairman, launching Zawaj programme. (ABDUL BASIT) bin Ali Al Khatir during a airline across the country. time, doing our bit in the coun- meeting with Director of the Flights to Basra are due to begin try’s rebuilding efforts.” Middle East, North Africa on June 3 with Sulaymaniyah The convenient timings of the and Central Asia Department starting on August 20. Both Doha–Basra and Sulaymaniyah at the Singaporean Foreign destinations will be served four- flights will provide passengers Ministry Samuel Tan. times-a-week non-stop from the with good connections to key des- DIIFSD co-funds report on airline’s hub in Doha. tinations across the Middle East, CMC to assist Qatar Airways began opera- Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific. tions to Iraq last summer with Both routes will be operated Qatar Charity in flights to the capital Baghdad and with an Airbus A320 featuring Erbil, followed in January this 144 seats in a two-class configura- modern day slavery in UK Zawaj programme year by new services to Najaf. tion of 12 seats in Business Class The airline currently operates 12 and 132 in Economy. DOHA: In its quest to sup- and forced criminality (which document and report these occur- Continued from page 1 flights a week across the three The Doha–Basra schedules: port important local and inter- includes benefit fraud, forced rences in a transparent and fac- CMC will assist Qatar Charity cities. The new capacity will take 4-times-a-week, effective June 3. national research endeavours begging or pick-pocketing and tual manner,” she added. in implementing the programme the frequency up to 20 weekly Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays that impact the family as a drug cultivation). Among other Citing widespread ignorance across the country. services across Iraq. and Sundays QR448 departs Doha whole, the Doha International findings, the report highlighted among police, social workers and Zawaj is an extension of a pre- Fuelled by the reconstruction at 0725 hrs to arrive in Basra at Institute for Family Studies and that more than 1,000 traffick- immigration officers about the vious initiative of Qatar Charity drive in the country and demand 0905 hrs. QR449 departs Basra at Development (DIIFSD) has co- ing victims were found in 2012 scale and nature of human traf- and Aspire Zone to provide free for more air services to Iraq, 1005 hrs which will arrive in Doha funded a prominent report by in the UK, including a significant ficking in today’s world, the report wedding tents to Qatari couples to Qatar Airways is expanding its at 1145 hrs. The Centre for Social Justice number of British children. presented a strong case of the reduce marriage expenses. operations in Iraq in line with The Doha–Sulaymaniyah (CSJ) in the United Kingdom. “Although the report focuses on urgency for authorities to start The programme is open to its strategy to enter underserved schedules: 4-times-a-week, effec- The report, entitled ‘It Happens findings in the UK, the issues of recognising these problems as citizens, but couples must take markets. tive August 20. Here,’ brought to light the prev- modern day slavery and human criminal matters and not ones of part in the accompanying aware- Qatar Airways Chief Executive Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays alence of modern day slavery and trafficking have become an esca- immigration control. The report ness programme. Officer Akbar Al Baker (pictured) and Saturdays QR438 departs human trafficking in the UK. lating global debate. These occur- called for a Modern Slavery Act It aims to hold at least 50 wed- said: “With today’s announcement Doha at 1335 hrs to arrive in Launched last week the report rences are worldwide,” said Noor to bring all human trafficking and dings a year. A reception marquee, of flights starting to the cities of Sulaymaniyah at 1600 hrs and revealed a litany of cases where Al Malki Al Jehani, Executive slavery offences together to ensure dining marquee, sitting arrange- Basra and Sulaymaniyah this QR439 departs Sulaymaniyah at adults and children are trafficked Director of DIIFSD. that victims do not face threat of ments outside the marquee and summer, Qatar Airways is offer- 1700 hrs to arrive in Doha at 1915 into and within the UK and sub- “Progressing nations must, prosecution and are encouraged to video recording of the marriage ing new travel options to the peo- hrs. jected to forced labour, sexual therefore, accept their collective report abuse and seek help. will be done for free. ple of Iraq and for those involved THE PENINSULA exploitation, domestic servitude responsibility to help uncover, THE PENINSULA QNA/THE PENINSULA

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!L3ALWA2OAD AFTER-ERCEDES"ENZSHOWROOM NEAR1ATAR$ECORATION2OUNDABOUT $OHA #ALL  6ISITWWWPANEMIRATESCOM THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 HMC launches 2-year Attiyah meets Iraqi ambassador nursing strategy GCC Nursing Day celebrated at Hamad Medical City BY FAZEENA SALEEM fourth GCC Nursing Day held at establishment of the first nurs- Hamad Medical City’s Club House ing facility in a tent by Rufaida DOHA: The nursing depart- yesterday. Al Aslamiya, who is honoured ment at Hamad Medical HMC currently has a total of throughout the Eastern world as Corporation (HMC) yesterday 8,500 nurses and looking to recruit a nursing pioneer. She attended launched a two-year nursing highly trained specialist nurses to the wounded along with her strategy to meet the increasing for its upcoming new hospitals colleagues during the great bat- healthcare demands. such as the Ambulatory Surgery tle of Al Khandaq in the time of The strategy includes compre- Centre, new Women’s Hospital the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). hensive efforts, including invest- and Rehabilitation Centre. Different healthcare facilities ment in targeted education and “We have new hospitals open- under the HMC held their indi- research programmes to develop ing and we will have more recruit- vidual celebrations on March 13 Qatari nurse leaders of the future. ments, said Cannaby. and the collaborative event was It also has a provision to improve The Nursing Department at held yesterday by the Nursing and provide most effective and HMC has a separate programme Department which celebrated the caring services to patients. to attract more Qatari nurses significant contribution of nurses. “Nursing strategy will look at by supporting them to improve The event was attended by how nursing should develop in their educational qualifications nurses and healthcare teams the next two years in education, and paying special allowances. A across HMC and representatives research, developing Qatari nurses career awareness campaign too from Primary Healthcare Centres. The Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, and supporting the sustainabil- is being held for secondary school The nursing team of Rumailah received yesterday the outgoing Iraqi Ambassador, Dr Jawad Al Hindawi. ity of nursing in Qatar,” said Dr students highlighting the poten- Hospital was awarded as the best Ann Marie Cannaby, Executive tials of a nursing career in Qatar. among the HMC health care Director of Nursing Department GCC Nursing Day is celebrated facilities. at HMC, on the sidelines of the on March 13 to commemorate the THE PENINSULA ExxonMobil to hold Instagram photo contest on horsemanship DOHA: ExxonMobil yesterday Participants will be able to sub- Public Affairs for ExxonMobil launched a photography contest mit their photos using the hash- Qatar, said. on Instagram where local pho- tag #CHIdoha2013 on Instagram The four-day festival will play tographers will be given special to a panel of judges, including host to an assortment of world- event access to capture images professional photographers and class show jumping, dressage, and which celebrate the tradition of photojournalists who will shortlist endurance events with 170 riders Arabian horsemanship. entries every day and select three from over 25 nations and 200 Professional and amateur pho- winners to be announced on the horses expected to participate. tographers are called on to par- event’s final day. Over 10,000 visitors are antici- ticipate in the competition during “It is our hope that this pated at this prestigious festival, the four days of the CHI AL Instagram photowalk contest including dignitaries from Qatar Shaqab, an international eques- will help connect the local com- and other countries in the region. trian event taking place at AL munity to this world-class event The winners will have their Shaqab from March 27 to 30. and equestrian sports in general. photos published in the local Photographers are encouraged It is one of the many activities media and receive the latest dig- to register through www.photow- we have planned to celebrate ital camera from Samsung that alk.qa, where they will receive this inaugural event and Qatar’s allows real time photo sharing special accreditation to access rich equestrian heritage,” Saleh through Internet, a must have for Dr Ann Marie Cannaby (inset) giving a speech during GCC Nursing Day celebrations at Hamad Medical City Club the event, the organisers said in Al Mana, Vice-President and any social photographer. House yesterday. (ABDUL BASIT) a press release. Director of Government and THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Poor diet can Tourist bus to explore Doha be deadly, warn experts WCMC-Q launches health journal

DOHA: Qatar has overtaken spoke on Chronic Disease Risk the U S in the obesity stakes and Factors in Qatar: Recent Findings. people must do more to ensure Dr Mamtani said lifestyle dis- a healthy future, free of diabe- eases are of concern in Qatar as tes and associated illnesses, for recent research shows. Obesity is themselves and their children, an important risk factor and the a high-level symposium organ- number of people living in Qatar ised by Weill Cornell Medical who are overweight is increas- College in Qatar’s (WCMC-Q) ing. Obesity increases the risk of Department of Global and chronic diseases such as heart ill- Public Health was told. ness, hypertension and diabetes. The event, co-sponsored by the “Globally, 63 percent of people Supreme Council of Health (SCH, die from non-communicable dis- was entitled Emerging Trends eases. In these diseases the top in Health Care and Lifestyle four diseases are cardiovascu- Diseases: A Special Focus on lar diseases, cancer, respiratory Qatar. The Department of Global diseases and diabetes and they and Public Health launched the constitute about 80 percent of Journal of Local and Global Health mortalities,” Dr Mamtani said. Perspectives during the event. Prevalence of these diseases Dr Ravinder Mamtani, and risk factors are also widely WCMC-Q’s Associate Dean for prevalent in Qatar. About 70 per- Global and Public Health and Dr cent of people in Qatar are over- The Doha Bus Company (DBC) is launching a double-decker bus for tourists for the first time in the country. It will take tourists to popular destina- Albert Lowenfels from New York weight and 41 percent are obese tions at a price of $50 (QR182.5) for one day, Mohammad Juma, General Manger of DBC, said. It will be officially launched during the second week Medical College are the joint edi- according to recent data provided of April, he said, adding that a guide will accompany the tourists. Students participating in the upcoming Kite Flying Festival, organised by A Flower tors-in-chief of the international by the SCH. Each Spring, will take a tour on the bus on Saturday. peer-reviewed, open access jour- “These diseases, as science has nal from QScience.com. Its aims shown, kill prematurely, they at providing a global perspective compromise quality of life and we on health issues and to publish also know they are influenced by research into the application of behaviour,” Dr Mamtani added. Rota-sponsored students attend Tasmeem public health strategies in diverse “Often we think that we need regions and environments. to do a lot to prevent these ill- The journal was welcomed by nesses. That is not the case. DOHA: Three Reach Out different part of the World,” said major (Ceramic Craft). This Indoartamiks was initiated as Dr Faleh Mohamed Hussain Ali, Simply making some marginal To Asia (Rota) students and Mohammad Tamim Sahbbzada, was a great opportunity to learn a direct response to a group of Assistant Secretary General for changes will help. In the case two professors from Indonesia a teacher of miniature painting exactly that. Now I am more con- ceramic craftswomen request- Policy Affairs at SCH, who deliv- of obesity, for example, as lit- and Afghanistan took part working in calligraphy department fident about my subject, courtesy ing ways to innovate their tradi- ered the keynote remarks at the tle as eight to 10 pounds reduc- at the recent Tasmeem Doha in Murad Khane Institute, Kabul. Rota for bringing me to Qatar for tional products in the increasingly symposium. tion in weight will contribute to 2013 organised by Virginia For Oktarina Isnaini, a Tasmeem Doha 2013,” said Putri. competitive global economy. “We are missing such journals improved health. Simple self-care Commonwealth University in grade X1 textiles student from Melanie McClintock, a McClintock, then a volun- and it is a welcome addition to approaches such as a healthy Qatar (VCU-Q). a Rota-sponsored school in BFA Fashion Design gradu- teer from VCUQatar, created the medical publications land- diet, regular physical activity The event from March 10 to 17 Bayat, Indonesia, taking part in ate of Virginia Commonwealth an experimental, collaborative scape and will also be a great con- and maintaining a normal body included a series of exhibitions, Tasmeem Doha 2013 was a dream University in Richmond, Virginia, project between the craftswomen, tribution towards the health of weight are immensely helpful in presentations by artists, design- come true. “I wanted to have more now working in Indonesia, to vocational students (both ceramic our nation as a whole,” Dr Faleh reducing the incidents of diseases ers and architects who have real- knowledge about Qatar so that I lead an educational art project and textile), and a group of estab- said. “This is something that such as diabetes.” ised projects in the country, and a could introduce diversity, culture, Indoartamiks in the nearby vil- lished graffiti artists from the shows perspective, both in local That message was echoed by Dr series of workshops and labs for and art in Indonesia, especially in lage of Bayat, Klaten, was one of thriving street art scene in nearby and international dimensions. David Katz, the Director of Yale students. Bayat. This event has given me all high profile professional to take Jogjakarta, a city renowned for Having something that looks at University’s Prevention Research “It was a great opportunity for that I have always yearned for,” part in Tasmeem Doha 2013. their art and culture. the scientific issues from a local Center and an internationally me to attend this workshop and said Isnaini. McClintock presented at Upon successful completion and international perspective is a renowned expert on nutrition, conference as I learned lots of Febriyani Eka Putri, another Tasmeem about Indoartamiks, of the pilot, the project received great benefit to us all.” weight management and chronic things and interacted with dif- student from the Rota-sponsored a dynamic new educational pro- funding from ROTA and Vodafone Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean of disease prevention. ferent people from different cul- school in Bayat, studying Ceramic, gram focused on increasing the and is now under the guidance of WCMC-Q, delivered a speech on He said that the problems tures and developed networking. the experience of Tasmeem Doha creative and entrepreneurial their local affiliate association, Optimising Health Care through Qatar faced were mirrored across I learned a different prospective 2013 will be long cherished expe- skills of vocational craft students Titian Foundation, to continue as Education, Research and Clinical the world. of miniature painting and Islamic rience. “I wanted to have more and their community in Bayat, a two-year experimental program. Programmes, while Dr Mamtani THE PENINSULA art through witnessing work from in-depth knowledge about my Java, Indonesia. THE PENINSULA

Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani and Everette Dennis during the signing ceremony. Al Jazeera Network, NU-Q sign MoU

DOHA: N o r t h w e s t e r n Un i v e r s i t y i n Q a t a r ( N U- Q ) a n d Al Jazeera Network signed a memorandum of under- standing (MoU) to facilitate collaboration and knowl- edge transfer between the two media organisations. The agreement, which deepens ties between the two that have worked together since NU-Q’s inception, will allow professionals and budding journalists from both sides to benefit from the combined expertise of the institutions through joint research and strategic stud- ies projects, training workshops, a co-designed lecture series, internships and faculty contributions as well as journalist-exchange programmes. NU-Q will conduct consultations with Al Jazeera lead- ership based on its faculty research interests and exper- tise in the American media industry, as the news network moves forward with it’s plan for Al Jazeera America. The MoU was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani, Director General of Al Jazeera Network, and Everette Dennis, Dean and CEO of NU-Q, recently. “Al Jazeera Network places the development of its team’s skills at the top of its priorities, to stay par with the great media-related feats Qatar has accomplished regionally and internationally,” said Al Thani. Al Jazeera Network “has one of the world’s largest cadre of news professionals,” said Dennis. “That makes Al Jazeera a place of great interest for anyone who strives to under- stand the world’s media and for Northwestern students and alumni who will go on to work in the media industry. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 40 paintings on Qatar to adorn Wyndham hotel 22 artists create unique works

BY RAYNALD C RIVERA renowned. People who are into arts, who have seen the paintings DOHA: More than 40 paint- were all amazed by them,” said ings on Qatar created by 22 Lotfy, adding they are planning artists from 14 countries at the to do another edition next year. recent Al Asmakh International During the week-long sympo- Symposium on Fine Art 2013 sium, the artists stayed in a camp will soon adorn the walls of at Sealine beach where they each Wyndham Grand Regency created two paintings inspired by Doha as the hotel’s initial step Qatar and its culture. to be an art hub. “At the beginning it was diffi- “We are going to display all cult for us because it’s far away these paintings in the hotel and we stayed in a tent but we because we are aiming to divert loved it, we stayed as a family our identity into arts and culture,” as we did the paintings,” said Ayman Lotfy, General Manager, Lebanese painter Majd Ramadan, Wyndham Grand Regency Doha, lauding the organisers of the told The Peninsula during yes- unique event. terday’s reception to celebrate Ramadan, who has been recog- Mubarak bin Nasser Al Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, visiting the Al Asmakh International Art Symposium 2013 the conclusion of the week-long nised many times as a classical, at Wyndham Grand Regency Doha yesterday. (KAMMUTTY VP) symposium and to showcase the surrealist and impressionist artist outputs of the artists. came up with paintings inspired and sharing ideas and thoughts.” of the things I see and later use The artists came from Egypt, lectures, workshops and museum The subjects, techniques and by the national dress worn by Stolk, who has been based in them as basis of my paintings,” Lebanon, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, visits. The exhibition was media used in the paintings were women in Qatar and pearl and Qatar for three and a half years, she explained. Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, opened by Mubarak bin Nasser varied yet the theme was centred petrol — the country’s most pre- has always been fascinated by For the symposium, she painted Italy, Netherlands, India, Russia, Al Khalifa, Secretary General of on Qatar, making an impressive cious resources. the wealth and diversity of the domes using acrylic paint com- Bangladesh and Morocco. the Ministry of Culture, Arts and collection that would delight Dutch contemporary artist Arabian heritage. bined with mixed media in vivid Under the motto of “Hand Heritage along with Hassan Al every guest to the hotel. Marjolin Stolk said she would “Qatar has inspired me cre- colours. in Hand for One Art and One Asmakh, Vice President/Business “The paintings are very power- cherish the wonderful experience ating works based on what I “I’m really fascinated by the Destiny,” the symposium offered Development of Regency Group ful because they were created by being with artists from all corners see around me. I always have a domes because they possess a a diverse line-up of events for Holding. artists who are experienced and of the world, “working together camera with me to take pictures magical quality,” she said. the artists including a series of THE PENINSULA Major Doha hotels to switch off lights for Earth Hour

DOHA: As many as 11 major climate change. Ooredoo was the While Ritz Carlton will switch every year, encouraging house- a sustainable world. Katara and Many companies are encourag- hotels in Qatar will switch off first company in Qatar to publicly off lights of its main chandelier, holds, businesses and schools to Qatar University (QU) are also ing their employees and people in all non-essential lights to mark commit to Earth Hour in 2009, W Hotel will organise candle light turn off lights for sixty minutes expected to increase public aware- general to show support for the Earth Hour on March 23. taking part in the world’s larg- dinner for its guests. with an aim to share the oppor- ness about conserving energy by planet by switching off lights at Grand Hyatt, Ritz Carlton, Four est mass participation event to The Aspire Zone Foundation tunities and challenges of creating organising a series of events. home. THE PENINSULA Seasons and Inter-Continental demonstrate its commitment to (AZF), Pearl- Qatar and Tornado Doha will be among the many protecting the planet. Tower are also set to mark Earth hotels that will go partly dark Many other corporations Hour. “Many organisations are from 8.30pm until 9.30pm. are expected to join in soon, not looking at Earth Hour as Ooredoo will also switch off Ghazanfarulla Khan, coordinator just another event. They see it lights and non-essential systems of Earth Hour in Qatar told The as an opportunity to create more at both its tower in West Bay Peninsula. “Almost all the major awareness about saving electric- and Airport HQ. This is the fifth hotels are participating this year ity, which is an important issue consecutive year Qatar will be and I’m expecting other organisa- here,” Khan said. a part of Earth Hour, the larg- tions to confirm their participa- Earth Hour is organised by est global voluntary action on tion soon,” Khan said. the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

QDA launches first diabetes support group ‘Sanady’ DOHA: Qatar Diabetes the closest person nominated by to enable them to support and Association launched the first them. help the patient as well as under- step ‘Sanady’ support group, on The participants had their stand how to manage their blood Tuesday. The programme aims first session with a medical team sugar. Sanady is that person you at creating awareness among about diabetes self care, how to depend on to encourage you and the newly diagnosed type 2 dia- avoid its complication, and how helps you through your battle betic and the closest person to to live with it. The workshop also with diabetes.” the patient. included a discussion about some “Besides the medication, The programme mission is to of the wrong conception about healthy diet and sports, the sup- provide healthcare to people with diabetes. port by friends and family pro- diabetes by organising educational QDA Executive Director, Dr vided to people with diabetes workshops, correcting some of the Abdullah Al Hamaq, said: “This has a significant impact on the wrong conceptions that the soci- programme aims to educate not patient’s ability to live with dia- ety has about diabetes and follow- only people with diabetes, but betes,” added Dr Al Hamaq. ing up with the patients through also the closest people for them THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME / MIDDLE EAST HIA runs final passenger check-in trial First aircraft to land at 12.20am, April 1

DOHA: Qatar’s brand new them to the eastern side of the Hamad International Airport short-term car park located (HIA) is gearing up to it’s soft- opposite the passenger terminal opening. The airport yesterday complex. saw its final trial run which There will be pick-up and drop- made sure everything is in place off areas located on the departure to receive the first batch of air- and arrival floors and a bus pavil- lines and passengers on April 1. ion located outside Concourse A Sources told The Peninsula for passengers using the public the first passenger airline will bus or the shuttle bus provided by touch down on the new airport Doha International Airport (DIA). at 12.20am, April 1. The day will Passenger facilities available at see 10 foreign airlines operating HIA include a male and female out of Concourse B. There will prayer room and a smoking room be around 32 passenger flights located in Concourse B. In addi- departing daily from HIA equat- tion, HIA will offer all passen- ing to approximately 222 flights gers and visitors free WIFI to per week. access from their personal devices Passengers wanting a beverage throughout the airport. or snack before they fly will be For families travelling through able to visit the cafe located in HIA, there are two specially desig- Concourse B at the far end of level nated areas located in Concourse 1. Before boarding, passengers B. Families with young children can visit the express duty free will be able to utilise baby stroll- store to browse through a wide ers available at HIA on a com- range of products on offer. plimentary basis from airport Upon entering the HIA, pas- customer services. sengers can see signage directing THE PENINSULA Passengers at the check-in area of Hamad International Airport on the final day of trial run yesterday.

QR996.3m real Evening shift to attract more customers to fish market estate deals DOHA: The decision to intro- shift in the morning, from 6am the sales continue until 1pm. We reducing one or two hours called on the authorities to cur- duce evening shift at the central to 12 noon. Since Sunday, the are working almost eight hours in “The evening shifts may attract tail the middlemen in the market last week fish market is expected to boost market has also introduced auc- the morning. If evening shifts are more customers to the market to ensure a fair revenue for the sales and attract more custom- tions in the evening, besides the introduced we may be forced to but it may not be in huge num- Qatari fishermen. DOHA: Real estate transac- ers to the market, but several morning auctions. work five additional hours, if new bers, because many people now They proposed to set up fish tions totalled QR996.3m last traders believe that they will Several expatriates working in people are not employed,” said an prefer the hypermarket to the markets similar to the Mazroua week (between March 10 and have to employ more workers to the market are worried that the Indian expatriate central market to buy fish and vegetable market in Umm Salal, 14), compared to the previous make the experiment a success. evening shifts would put addi- Most outlets in the market are vegetables,” said a vendor. where fishermen can directly sell week when it was QR585.5m, The evening shift from 6pm to tional burden on the them, if working with four or five people The market has been witness- the catch to the customers. The said a report posted on the web- 11pm has been introduced on a more workers are not employed and to employ more people, they ing stiff competition from the major share of the profit now goes site of the Ministry of Justice. trial basis for one month, begin- by the traders. require sufficient sales in the mushrooming fish outlets in cozy to the expatriate traders and mid- Real estate deals worth QR199.2m ning today. “We start working from early evening shifts. shopping centres and commercial dlemen who dominate the auction were signed per day last week while For several years the market morning. Although the official He said a possible solution is centres. and the retail sale, they point out. it was not more than QR117.1m in had been operating in a single working hours end at 12 noon, to reschedule the morning shifts Some citizens meanwhile THE PENINSULA one day the previous week, Ezdan said in its weekly report. Doha Municipality ranked first with 53 deals worth QR687.5m Iraqi Kurds celebrate Noruz last week compared to 54 deals worth QR350m previous week. Many Arab The highest deal struck in Doha Municipality was a plot of land in students prefer an area of 2,708sqm worth QR100m. The plot is located in Najma. Indian schools The most expensive land availa- ble for sale is at Al Saad as QR1,750 per square metre and cheapest Continued from page 1 one is in Al Ruwais as QR115 per School sources say the SEC is square metre. However, a plot not so strict about the number of of land reserved for hotel at Old students in each class but techni- Salata was recorded the highest cally it is not possible to put more rate QR2,800 per square metre. than 40. “All private schools are required to update students data 5,000 plots of in the beginning of the academic year and the SEC database will land for Qataris not accept more than 40 students in one class. Schools are also in Al Wakra required to provide information about expected vacancies every DOHA: The Ministry of year,” said an official of Ideal Municipality and Urban Indian School. Planning will soon start distrib- The high number of applicants uting 5,000 plots of land among has forced some Indian schools to citizens in Al Wakra city, exactly restrict admissions to only Indian behind Al Wakra Hospital. students. The beneficiaries will get the “We have more than 150 Arab plots with an area of 1,000 square students on the waiting list, meters each, Al Sharq reported mostly Sudanese and Egyptians. yesterday. The new distribution We don’t have enough seats even will clear the huge numbers of for Indian applicants. So we have applications in pending for long. been forced to restrict admissions The new allotments will also to a few Indian students,” said an help citizens to build their houses official. Iraqi Kurds ignite a bonfire to celebrate new year which marks the beginning of the Noruz spring festival in the northern city of Arbil, the capital of at Al Wakra out of the crowded He said many Arab students the autonomous Kurdistan region, yesterday. The Persian New Year is an ancient tradition celebrated by Iranians and Kurds which coincides with Doha city. THE PENINSULA were opting for Indian schools the vernal (spring) equinox and is calculated by the solar calendar. due the relatively low fees and the high emphasis on English language and core subjects. A senior official of the Pakistan Education Center said the school Iraqi tells London inquiry of ill-treatment by British troops had witnessed a surge in the number of admission-seekers this year. LONDON: An Iraqi man told a describing a moment when he allegations, which they say were battle took place, near the Danny The military say he was found in “We have closed admissions to public inquiry in London yester- was questioned and beaten while part of a propaganda campaign Boy checkpoint, because he was a ditch with another Iraqi while KG classes and a few seats are day that he was beaten, threat- blindfolded shortly after arriving against Iraq’s occupation. working on a farm there. another two people were in a available in some higher classes. ened with a metal tent pole and at Camp Abu Naji, a British base. There is no agreement on the He denied having any weapons nearby ditch. We are taking students after a subjected to sleep deprivation “From the way they treated us number or identities of the alleged with him. Shown photographs of The Al Sweady inquiry, ordered thorough screening to ensure by occupying British troops. and from the violence, I wouldn’t victims. The inquiry says it aims weapons including rocket pro- by the government in 2009, began quality.” Madhi Jasim Abdullah Al think otherwise. I would never to establish the circumstances of pelled grenade launchers and public hearings this month after The severe shortage of Behadili, 26, is the first of nine think they would have any mercy 28 deaths. Kalashnikov rifles, which the three years of preliminary detec- seats has left many parents Iraqi former detainees who will on us,” he said, speaking through The issues of how and why military say were found where tive work. It has already cost the disappointed. give evidence at the Al Sweady an interpreter. Britain got involved in the Iraq he was captured, he denied any British taxpayer £16m. “My two children are studying inquiry into alleged crimes by A large number of Iraqis from invasion and how the war was knowledge of them. Al Behadili is the third of 15 in an Indian school and I want British troops after the battle of the area where the battle took conducted are still matters of He also said he was alone when key Iraqi witnesses who will be to put my third child there. But Danny Boy on May 14, 2004. place, near the southern town of lively public debate in Britain and he was arrested, but the inquiry flown to London to give evidence. the management says there is no “I felt they were out to kill Majar Al Kabir, say a group of Al Sweady is one of three major was shown pictures of him lying Then a further 45 will be flown vacancy,” lamented an Egyptian us,” Al Behadili told the inquiry men captured alive were mur- public inquiries. on the ground with his face down to Beirut to testify by video-link parent. on the 10th anniversary of the dered or tortured in detention. Al Behadili said he had found and his hands tied behind his from the British embassy there. THE PENINSULA US-led invasion of his country, The British military deny the himself in the area where the back, alongside three other Iraqis. REUTERS THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Obama vows undying support to Israel US determined to prevent nuclear Iran: Netanyahu; Washington may extend Israel aid deal beyond 2017

JERUSALEM: Making his if he had something concrete to a positive visit,” said Wasel Abu first official visit to Israel, accomplish. With both Obama Yousef, a senior official in the US President Barack Obama and Netanyahu just starting new Palestine Liberation Organization, pledged yesterday unwavering terms and mindful that they will led by Abbas. Netanyahu told commitment to the security of have to work together on volatile Obama at the airport that he was the Jewish State where concern issues for years to come, they committed to securing peace with over a nuclear-armed Iran has will be looking to avoid the kind the Palestinians, but Western clouded US-Israeli relations. of public confrontation that has diplomats in Jerusalem remain He also stressed the need for marked past encounters. largely sceptical. The Israeli Middle East peace at the start leader has just forged a coalition of a three-day trip, which is QUIET STREETS government containing fervent aimed at resetting strained rela- Shortly after landing in Tel supporters of settlement building tions with both the Israelis and Aviv, Obama’s entourage flew by in the West Bank, which the US Palestinians, but is not expected helicopter to nearby Jerusalem has strongly criticised as a major to provide new initiatives or sub- and then drove to his city cen- impediment to lasting peace with stantial policy moves. tre hotel. Hundreds of banners the Palestinians. Descending from Air Force One boasting of “an unbreakable alli- Along the reception line, in bright Spring sunshine, Obama ance” hung from lampposts, but Obama stopped only briefly to briefly embraced Israeli Prime only sparse crowds turned out to shake hands with pro-settler Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, watch the president’s motorcade leader Naftali Bennett, but had a with whom he has notoriously drive through shut-off streets. long exchange with new Finance testy ties, before offering smiles Seeking to connect directly Minister Yair Lapid, who heads a and handshakes to waiting ranks with an often sceptical Israeli centrist movement and has said of ministers. “I see this visit as public, Obama will make a speech peace-making is a priority. an opportunity to reaffirm the to a group of carefully screened Netanyahu said he was “abso- unbreakable bond between our students this afternoon where lutely convinced” that US nations, to restate America’s he is expected to touch on major President Barack Obama was unwavering commitment to topics of concern, including Iran. determined to prevent Iran from Israel’s security and to speak Israel and the United States developing a nuclear weapon. directly to the people of Israel agree that Iran should never Obama, speaking beside the and to your neighbours,” Obama get a nuclear bomb, dismissing Israeli leader at a joint news con- said at a red-carpet welcoming Tehran’s assertion that its atomic ference in Jerusalem, said “there ceremony at Tel Aviv airport. programme is peaceful. However, is not a lot of daylight” between “I am confident in declaring the two allies are at odds over how the allies’ individual assessments that our alliance is eternal, is for- fast the clock is ticking down on of the status of Iran’s nuclear ever,” he said, adding the Hebrew the need for preventative military programme. “Each country has word for forever — “Lanetzach” US President Barack Obama with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres during action should diplomacy fail. to make its own decisions when —to emphasis the upbeat message. the welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, yesterday. US officials say Obama, the it comes to the awesome decision Obama faces strong doubts fifth sitting US president to travel to engage in any kind of military among Israelis over his pledge marked on the tarmac as he set of his own with Obama after Holy Land,” Obama said. “Even as to Israel, will urge further cau- action,” Obama said. “And Israel to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran off to see an Israeli-made Iron the 2012 US presidential cam- we are clear eyed about the dif- tion, with Washington worried is differently situated than the and concerns that the civil war Dome anti-missile battery. paign during which Netanyahu ficulties, we will never lose sight that a threatened Israeli unilat- United States.” in neighbouring Syria might spill Standing alongside Netanyahu, appeared to favour Obama’s oppo- of the vision of an Israel at peace eral strike might drag the United Obama also said Israel and the over the border, with Western Obama joked: “He’s always talk- nent, Republican Mitt Romney. with its neighbours.” States into another Middle East United States are to “begin dis- powers reluctant to get involved. ing to me about red lines” — a “Thank you for unequivocally US-sponsored peace talks war. Obama will fly by helicop- cussions” on extending US mili- The US president said last reference to Israel’s demand that affirming Israel’s sovereign right between Israel and the ter the short distance between tary aid to Israel beyond 2017 on week he believed Iran was still Washington establish a red line to defend itself by itself against Palestinians have been stalled Jerusalem and the West Bank his first visit to the Jewish state more than a year away from for Iran’s nuclear programme. any threat,” the right-wing Israeli since 2010 in a dispute over Israeli city of Ramallah today to meet since taking over the White developing an atomic weapon and “So this is all a psychological leader said. Speaking on the tar- settlement-building in the occu- Palestinian President Mahmoud House. Speaking at a joint new is counselling nervous Israelis to ploy,” he added. mac, Obama voiced his hopes for pied West Bank. The White House Abbas, avoiding having to cross conference in Jerusalem, Obama show patience, vowing to use all In his own welcoming remarks, peace — without directly men- has deliberately minimised hopes the Israeli separation barrier that said that despite a budget crunch options to stop a nuclear-armed Netanyahu cited an Israeli right tioning Palestinians, whom he will of any major breakthroughs, a divides the two cities. in Washington there would be no Tehran. Shortly after leaving Air to self-defence, which he said meet with today in the occupied reversal from Obama’s first four Abbas’ allies have expressed interruption to funding of Israel’s Force One, Obama was told by Obama supported. The Israeli West Bank. “We stand together years in office when aides said he bitter disappointment over the vaunted Iron Dome anti-missile an official to “follow the red line” leader had some fence-mending because peace must come to the would visit the Jewish state only lack of fresh US moves. “It’s not system. REUTERS/AFP Palestinians stage tent protest Obama hit by car trouble RAMALLAH: Palestinians pitched a protest camp yester- JERUSALEM: US President vehicles and a mechanic on all multiple presidential vehicles day on the site of a contested Barack Obama lost his first trips,” Donovan said, while say- around the United States and Jewish settlement, in an act of choice of wheels yester- ing the president’s itinerary across the world when Obama defiance as US President Barack day, after one of his hulking was not affected by the break- travels, using huge US Air Obama began a visit. armoured limousines broke down, which happened before Force transport planes which Israel’s plan to build in a down in Israel. he arrived in Israel. hop ahead of Air Force One. strip of West Bank land outside The US Secret Service was Some Israeli media reports The specifications of the car Jerusalem called E1 has sparked forced to fly another vehicle suggested that the car conked are kept secret, but there have a major international backlash, in from Jordan where it was out after it was filled with die- been reports it has its own with experts saying it could wipe waiting for the US leader, who sel fuel rather than gasoline, oxygen supply, carries hi-tech out hopes for the establishment of will travel to the neighbouring but Donovan said the Secret communications scrambling a viable Palestinian state. country tomorrow after wrap- Service did not yet know what equipment and has special rein- Around 200 Palestinians ping up his visit to the Jewish the problem was. forced tyres and wheels. erected some 15 tents on the con- state. Obama uses a variety of It was not the first time that troversial site to send a “message “One of our protective vehi- bullet proof rides, including a Obama had car trouble abroad. to Obama to tell him: Obama — cles experienced mechani- design known as “The Beast” In 2011, a presidential limo, enough with bias and support for cal problems in Israel earlier which is built by GM and is which was a backup car and Israel,” said one of the organisers, today,” said Edwin Donovan, a nominally a heavily remodelled not “The Beast” got stuck on a Abdullah Abu Rahma. secret service spokesman. Cadillac. bump as it left the US embassy AFP “This is why we bring multiple The Secret Service flies in Ireland. AFP

Turkish Marxist group claims twin attacks

ISTANBUL: A radi- cal Turkish Marxist group claimed responsibility yester- day for twin attacks on the justice ministry and the head- quarters of the ruling party in a statement posted on their Internet site. “Our warriors hit the justice ministry and the AKP headquar- ters... at the heart of Ankara on March 19,” the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front (DHKP-C) said on their Halkin Sesi website. Turkish authorities had already blamed the group for the simultaneous grenade and rocket attacks late on Tuesday against the buildings, in which one person was slightly wounded. In an apparent warn- ing to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone (left) leaves after a visit at the headquarters of the ruling group said there would be fur- ther attacks against “the castles Justice and Development Party, hit by a rocket attack, yesterday. of oppression.” Speaking during a visit involving prominent military The fiercely anti-United Bulent Arinc said the DHKP-C to Denmark, Turkish Prime and political figures. “We will States and anti-government had suffered a setback in recent Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan move on our path decisively,” DHKP-C has also claimed a weeks with the arrest of hun- said the police were on the hunt Erdogan was quoted by Anatolia February 1 suicide bombing at dreds of alleged militants in for the perpetrators, whom he news agency as telling reporters the US embassy in Ankara, large police operations across said were linked to “Ergenekon”, in Denmark. “We will not back- where a security guard was Turkey. a shadowy criminal gang track or postpone the process.” killed. Deputy Prime Minister AFP THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Obama in Israel Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

ARACK Obama arrived in Israel yesterday on his first visit since becoming US president more than four years ago. Interestingly, he is being called a Why Obama’s Israel Btourist. Columnists and officials have placed him under the tourist category because the president is coming without any specific agenda, except a willingness to listen. The president must be thanking his stars for being able trip is a mistake to undertake a journey to a hotspot and be unconcerned about the outcome of the visit. The broad smile on his face BY JANINE ZACHARIA and sangfroid he displayed after arrival are proofs of the issued an unprecedented rebuke that I can continue to expand settlements, informality of the whole exercise. The White House itself has embarrassed the Israeli prime minister focus solely on Iran, and insult the US billed the trip as a listening exercise by the White House, HIS trip — the timing and the as they sat down to eat. president, and he will still come and which has been anxious to set low-to-zero expectations of script — makes no sense. And American-Israeli ties remained thank me with a two-day dog-and-pony Teven more than simply being a sour. Two months after Biden’s visit, show. tangible outcomes. big waste of Obama’s time at a moment Obama refused to hold a photo op with It’s clear why the White House wants The purpose of his visit was to declare that the relationship when he has little time to waste, it’s Netanyahu when he visited the White to avoid the thorny Israeli-Palestinian between the US and Israel was eternal. “I see this visit as burning crucial American political House. The next year, when the presi- disputes of Jerusalem, settlements and an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between capital that ought to be reserved for dent agreed to share the stage with refugees. Past presidents have expended our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment moments that truly warrant it. Israel’s prime minister, Netanyahu lec- enormous time and energy on the mat- The White House says the presi- tured him before the cameras in the ter and failed miserably. The last time to Israel’s security and to speak directly to the people of dent is going to hear out what the Oval Office on why Obama’s (hardly Obama tried to articulate some guiding Israel and to your neighbours,” Obama said at a welcoming newly appointed Israeli government original) idea that the 1967 borders principles on borders, he got shouted ceremony at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. has planned. Here’s a quick preview: could be a baseline for peace negotia- down by Bibi. The United States “will Despite the president’s unwillingness to wade into the Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon wants tions with the Palestinians was bunk. In always continue to be engaged in this Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there has been a chorus of demand to bomb Iran and Housing Minister Uri 2012, Netanyahu — frustrated that he process in terms of trying to move it from certain quarters for the Ariel wants to build new settlements. couldn’t goad Obama into saying when forward,’’ Rhodes told reporters in a If Obama wants to talk about drafting the US would bomb Iran — publicly pretrip briefing that illustrated just president to intervene. Some of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israel suggested the president had no “moral how radically Obama has scaled back There is those who made this demand Defense Forces right” to stop Israel from taking action his ambitions since September 2010, are more pro-Israeli than pro- or the price of itself. All the while, Netanyahu, over the when he said he thought peace could a general Palestinian and their demand apartments in Tel past few years, did nothing to further be achieved within a year. consensus that is born of the realisation that Aviv, he’ll find an peace with the Palestinians. He floated So why is Obama going? Is it really Israel is scripting its own disaster Obama has audience. Those via surrogates that he thought Obama an attempt at “repairing relations with the US president relatively mar- was naïve on the Middle East. And he America’s primary Middle East ally” with its unfettered settlement admitted defeat ginal issues are left the strong impression last year that as The Washington Post’s Scott Wilson is visiting the expansion. But Obama knows he is on trying to what dominated he was rooting for Mitt Romney to win wrote? Or as Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in Jewish state as a as powerless as those who mooted Israel’s recent the US presidential election. a column for Bloomberg, to reintroduce the idea in reining in Netanyahu. bully, manipulate election, not the In spite of all this, the president is vis- himself to Israelis and convey to them tourist. The current tour means nothing future with the iting Tel Aviv. The anti-Obama peace- that he understands their situation? or pressure Palestinians. process skeptics can’t help but gloat. As Perhaps. But if it is, then this is truly a to Arabs. Undoubtedly, Arab faith Three years Barry Rubin, a conservative, pro-Israel waste of time. in Obama is on the decline and is Israel. ago, Vice American pundit put it on his Facebook Just as Defence Secretary Chuck likely to aggravate. The president too doesn’t seem to bother. President Joe page: “I think we have just won a huge Hagel — whose nomination was held And the biggest losers of this indifference are people in our Biden went to Israel tasked with a victory . . . Obama has admitted defeat up by those who worried he wasn’t region. The purpose of the Israeli visit is to unequivocally similar mission — reassure Israelis on trying to bully, manipulate or pres- pro-Israel enough — wasn’t running make clear what every US president has been unequivocally that Obama loves them. Biden hit all sure Israel.” for Israeli defense minister, Obama the right notes, saying that the bond The White House doesn’t want this isn’t running for Israeli office (or any making clear: that the US relationship with Israel is between Israel and the United States trip to be about Netanyahu or his new office for that matter). And anyone who ‘eternal’ and no force can change it. Obama even failed to was “unshakeable” and “unbreakable” government. That’s why Obama will knows Israelis and their current mind- mention Palestinians by their name. He referred to them as so many times that we reporters who address Israeli college students in a set on the Palestinians (Palestinians, ‘neighbours’ in his arrival statement. covered that trip started keeping a convention hall rather than speak to who?) knows that a little ego stroking As for Palestinians, they need to read the writing on running tally. Then as the vice-presi- politicians in the Knesset. But when it isn’t going to get that population behind the wall, if they haven’t already. Expecting Washington to dential motorcade was leaving the Yad comes to how this trip will be perceived a peace deal. Vashem Holocaust museum, news that in Israel, it will be all about Netanyahu That doesn’t mean the trip couldn’t intervene as an honest broker will be akin to waiting for Israel’s Interior Ministry had authorized and his political fortunes. Netanyahu do some good. While the president is Godot. Expecting Netanyahu to cede an inch of confiscated 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem will be seen as the victor in his bat- there ostensibly repairing the relation- land will be asking for trouble. Both the US and Israel don’t destroyed what should have been a pure tle with Obama, rewarded not only for ship with Israelis who’ve felt jilted, find the need to upend the status quo. celebration of American-Israeli ties. defying — or standing strongly against, Obama may be sending an important If Palestinians want a state, the onus is on them to take Biden returned to his hotel to consult depending on one’s political perspec- signal to Tehran. The message: Just with the White House on what to say, tive — an American president. And because I can’t stand Bibi doesn’t mean I the initiative. If Fatah and Hamas can’t agree on a state leaving Netanyahu waiting awkwardly Netanyahu will learn one powerful les- won’t stand with him in preventing you for all Palestinians, blaming Obama for taking a backseat is at his residence for an hour and a half son from Obama’s visit: I don’t have to from getting a nuclear weapon. nothing but passing the buck • for dinner. When Biden arrived, he do anything on the Palestinian issue. WP-BLOOMBERG Letters Quote of An insurance firm that is robbing its customers the day n February 25th, I had parked wrecked car alive. I was extremely lucky. QR60,000. I protested, saying I had paid wouldn’t budge. In fact, the manager my car in front of a restaurant Minutes later, the police arrived with QR76,000 for the car just two months said I could sue if I wanted and that it on Mirqab Street in Doha, a camera crew to record what had hap- before the accident, but they didn’t care. would take at least a year for the lawsuit Owaiting for a Nokia store to pened. Since I don’t speak Arabic, I was I went to the insurance firm’s manager. to be resolved. In the end I agreed to take open. I was sitting in the driver’s seat of not able to follow what they were saying. After hearing me out, he said the maxi- the QR65,000 and left. Once, we establish my car, a 2012 Honda Accord that I had The police collected the required infor- mum amount they would pay me was Discussing this with my colleagues at bought just two months ago. As I was mation and told me to go to the traffic QR65,000. They would also take owner- Qatar University, I learned that this par- the facts, I have made sitting there listening to the radio and department to get a report which I would ship of the damaged car, which, by the ticular insurance firm was notorious for clear that the use of drinking tea, I saw through the rear view have to take to the insurance firm. way, was still intact except for the two forcing people to accept payments that mirror a BMW sedan speeding in that The insurance firm gave me a paper to left doors, the side airbags and the front were much lower than the value of their chemical weapons is a single lane road and veering away from a take to the Honda service station, saying bumper. The engine and everything else cars, especially if they happened to be game-changer. Use of car taking a U-turn in front of it. Seconds they needed an estimate of how much was still new and, based on what I had a certain class of people or someone like later, the BMW slammed into the left side the repairs would cost. The estimate gathered from the damage assessor at myself who didn’t speak Arabic. such arms by Bashar of my car. It felt like an explosion as win- was QR70,000. Honda was willing to Honda, the car was still worth at least What happened to me was nothing dows shattered, metal crumpled and the negotiate and reduce the amount. The QR40,000. I tried to convince the insur- short of robbery by a company operating Al Assad’s forces side airbags burst open from the force of insurance firm, though, wasn’t interested ance firm to be more realistic and give with a mandate to compensate people would be a grave and the impact. Neither I nor those around in negotiating. They told me they would me an amount that would enable me the fair value of damaged vehicles. Barack Obama could believe that I had come out of the cancel the car’s registration and pay me to replace the car I had lost, but they FASIL YITBAREK, DOHA tragic mistake. US President THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 QATAR PERSPECTIVE www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Discouraging national talent

JABER MOHAMED AL MARRI

he government makes affect their performance nega- great efforts to bene- tively. These pressures are being fit from civil servants put on them under the excuse and use their skills that Qatari civil servants do not in the best possible want to improve, do not abide Tway in the light of plans that with work regulations or work- are in line with Qatar National ing hours, or do not do their jobs Vision 2030. One of these plans as required. is to offer these employees ambi- The notable fact, however, is tious job opportunities. This, in that these pressures are being turn, will help them contribute to put in front of their Qatari bosses. implementing the comprehensive Sometimes the situation gets development plans adopted by our worse for employees in ways that country in all fields. force them to seek early retire- These plans, however, face ment or resign in a humiliat- some obstacles that hinder the ing manner. The increase in the realisation of this development. number of advisors in state insti- One of these obstacles is that tutions and ministries has become facing Qatari civil servants who phenomenal in our country. This are exposed to pressures that bulge finds its fodder in the arro- gance of some officials and bosses. The advisors had once been out- standing managers. But the fact is that officials who were stripped of their professional integrity have fanned this trend, not knowing that by giving former In my view, the managers advisory jobs they are ignoring the capacities of other problem will get Qatari nationals under the excuse worse if we do not that the former managers are find a way to deal part of the old guard. Unfortunately, we have begun with people who to suffer from the growing discourage national number of unwelcome advisers, talent. In addition, although these advisers may be graduates of prestigious interna- we will suffer in tional universities with a lot of the future from the experience, and may outperform accumulation of their bosses. willing to extend their hand to national talent. In addition, we I say to every government the only thing that lasts is how I hope some reformist meas- help hard-working and diligent will suffer in the future from the official who contributes to people remember you and your a “discouraged” ures are taken in order to curb Qataris who want to serve their accumulation of a “discouraged” putting stumbling blocks in the actions. So, try to be the person national workforce. this phenomenon. Those who country. national workforce. Then we can way of Qatari employees: “You who gets praise behind his back. discourage national competencies In my view, the problem will get have a ministry for discouraged should feel afraid of God. You If the exact opposite happens, should be dealt with firmly so that worse if we do not find a way to Qatari workers! This will not be should realise that your job there will be no consolation for they realise that there are people deal with people who discourage surprising then. will not last forever, because this person.

KHALED AL JABER Journalists should work together for society Prisoners of opinion got the chance to meet a a value that cannot be ignored by host of media personalities SALHA AHMED any means. from Qatar and outside Seminars should shed light in the Gulf I when I accepted an invi- on all media in order to create a tation from the Doha Centre coordinators made their contri- our colleagues only formally, but complete state of mind that can for Media Freedom (DCMF) bution, such as journalist Lamis we can achieve so much when be relied upon in the future. to attend a seminar on media Nasser, who paid attention to we get together and unite. Our I have the impression that freedoms last Thursday titled every guest and contributed to achievements will get a multi- somebody is pushing us into the ‘Media Freedoms for Women in making the event memorable. plier effect. Individual achieve- trap of focusing on select topics. the Gulf’, held on the occasion The guests were all media ments barely make a difference Unfortunately, print media oper- of International Women’s Day. persons, some working for tel- compared with teamwork. atives can only invite the atten- The meeting that had an evision networks, others for the When I met with my media tion of seminar organisers to the additional exceptional value print media, while some others colleagues, I soon found that our importance of the print media. impressed me: every Qatari who were working in other electronic aims were convergent, although Everybody works tooth and nail attended the event was a brain- media. This variety enriched the some aims might be dominated to cope with the fast pace of news. child of Qatari media, regardless friendly discussions and formed by personal interests. This, in Every pen has a lot in it. We of any intervals. the basis for exchange of profes- fact, is affected by the serious- are badly in need of time, but Qatari media is strongly sional experiences and stories of ness of each individual and the with perseverance and teamwork focused on its goals. These goals success. The time was too short extent to which he/she is aware everything will be possible. It is stand for the dreams and aspi- for all stories and experiences to of the nature of what he/she is important for everybody to know rations of our society. We have be shared. looking for. that development takes more achieved many goals so far. These stories, however, con- Undoubtedly, teamwork will than just one person to happen. Despite this, there is much to firmed the need for similar semi- provide our society with a com- This development needs each and e were once proud that we did not have politi- be achieved in the near future. nars in future. Such gatherings plete and full working environ- every one of us. So, may Allah cal detainees in the Gulf region. Today, how- As a matter of fact, I enjoyed give journalists the chance to ment that will heavily contribute guide and help us. ever, we are the fiercest chasers of tweeters every second of the meeting. It meet, know each other, share to promoting and developing I would like to thank media “Win the world”, said a Gulf politician, describ- managed to throw light on a experiences, strive to find solu- our society in ways that make it persons Lamis Nassar and Amal ing the state of freedom of expression and opinion in the region, wide range of the problems we tions to challenges, and harness better. Abdul Malek and everybody else which reflects the reality of a new phase that is different from suffer from, giving attendees the the energies of everybody work- The discussions that took place who brought us together with love the past. chance to suggest solutions. ing in this field. at the seminar were both rich and to know more about each other This indicates that things here are moving towards more esca- The meeting was well- The need to know one’s col- exciting, although talk on TV and and realise our goals. I would lation as Arab movements have managed to raise the ceiling of organised and coordinated. All leagues gives such gatherings radio eclipsed everything else, like to extend special thanks to political, constitutional, economic and social demands. All these supervisors, organisers and additional value. We relate to including print media, which has Zahabiya Jabi. have their impact on the situation in the GCC states and create a formidable challenge for these countries in many respects. The measures taken by these countries have been described as attempts to muzzle the opposition and restrict freedoms instead of keeping up with the Arab Spring, which is pushing towards more democracy. Human Rights Watch, a body for monitoring the human rights Partitioning of homes a dangerous practice situation across the world, has reported that persecution of political activists has recently increased in the Gulf region. The organisation also said that authorities in the GCC states have atar General agree to lease their homes to pursued, prosecuted and jailed activists who called for political Electricity and DR ABDULLAH ASSA’DY people who re-lease them after reforms and freedom of the press. Water Corporation doing the necessary partitioning. CNN reported that there were more than 300 detainees who Q(Kahramaa) is fac- By doing this, they get a monthly had made comments in social media in a GCC country that used ing many challenges which, in their tenants a carte blanche to network but also endanger the income that is higher than that to be described as an oasis of democracy. turn, give a hard time to its make changes to the wiring and lives of the tenants as the electri- of some civil servants. In other GCC countries, tweeters are being arrested at air- customers, particularly in sum- power supply systems in their cal system may collapse or catch I strongly call for fighting this ports, even during transit. This has led the head of a human mer. These challenges stem from flats, or to even sublet these fire if the changes made are not phenomenon. This needs con- rights body to call for having a separate law for electronic crimes, factors that are putting increas- flats. This is how the number of compliant with specifications in certed efforts by the authorities as is the case in many countries. ing pressure on the electricity rooms in flats increases. Some this regard. This makes homes concerned. Kahramaa has to It is not acceptable to see someone who sent a text message, network, leading to outages in flats are partitioned into ten or unsafe as they do not meet safety monitor irregularities and the tweeted, or commented in the media to be convicted by a secu- various areas. even 15 rooms. and security requirements. authorities should criminalise rity court. Although there are many rea- This, however, raises the load Partitioning of homes has such dangerous partitioning of In fact it is not only limited to detention, but includes other sons for these outages, including on the power supply system as attracted many people because homes, which turns some homes violations, as the detainees are not allowed to contact their the destruction of power cables, each of the newly created rooms of its profitability. For exam- and apartments into time bombs lawyers or to be visited by their families and friends, and no partitioning of homes comes at may contain an air conditioner ple, partitioning an apartment that can explode any time, espe- one knows about their legal status or psychological and physi- the top of these reasons. Some and several electrical appliances. into ten rooms, small toilets and cially in summer, when the cal condition. homeowners increase the load Unfortunately, those in the home kitchens to house ten families load on the electricity network Some detainees are kept in secret locations as if they have on the mains distribution board leasing business sometimes make can bring the original tenant increases. been kidnapped rather than detained. There are also attempts without informing Kahramaa. radical changes to electrical sys- up to QR30,000 in monthly rev- to extract confessions from suspects under torture. Local or Tenants also increase the load, tems in homes without inform- enues even as he may be paying The views expressed in the articles on this international human rights associations and organisations are and few landlords care to moni- ing the authorities concerned. QR10,000 to QR15,000 as rent page do not reflect the viewpoint of the not allowed to visit them or know their condition. tor practices in this regard. Such practices not only put every month. newspaper. Worse still, some landlords give pressure on the electricity Unfortunately, some landlords THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST

Court overturns freeze on assets Key Syria dissidents quit coalition of 23 investors

CAIRO: An Egyptian court Row over election of interim PM overturned yesterday a public prosecutor’s decision to freeze ISTANBUL: At least 12 key announced her decision on her the assets of 23 investors and members of Syria’s National Facebook page: “Because I am a officials, including several from Coalition said yesterday they Syrian citizen, I refuse to blindly the Gulf, who are under investi- had suspended their member- follow and to be an accessory. I gation for alleged stock market ship in the main opposition body announce I am freezing my mem- manipulation. amid a row over the deeply divi- bership in the National Coalition.” The criminal court ruling was sive election of the first rebel Atassi could not be reached for announced by Judge Assem Abdel prime minister. comment. Hamid Nasr. Earlier this month, The group of 12 included the A secular female activist, she the public prosecutor’s office Coalition’s deputy Soheir Atassi was praised for her key role in ordered the freeze on assets of the and spokesman Walid Al Bunni. the Coalition when the group was investors while it investigated the Their decision came amid bit- formed in Doha in November, 2007 sale of Egypt’s Al-Watany ter disagreement over the election amid concerns the opposition was Bank to National Bank of Kuwait of Ghassan Al Hitto as the first dominated by men and Islamists. (NBK), an official in office said. opposition premier. Other mem- Hitto, a former IT executive Egyptian state media said the bers who said they had “frozen” who has lived in the United States investors included five Saudis their membership in the Coalition for decades, is expected to name and two from the United Arab included Kamal Labwani, Marwan a technocratic government that Emirates, as well as employees Hajj Rifai, Yehia Al Kurdi and will move inside Syria, attempt- of a number of banks and the Ahmad Al Assi Jarba, with sources ing to bring rule of law and basic Egyptian stock exchange. saying more such announcements services to large swathes of rebel- were expected. held territory. Other Coalition Though the dissenting mem- members sought to downplay the Kuwait toughens bers said they had different rea- differences. Mustafa Nawaf Ali, a sons for their decisions, some member based in the Syrian city tweeter’s jail term expressed their opposition to of Raqa, described them as “part Hitto’s election, and the process of the democratic process”. KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s by which he was chosen. “Imagine if there were dif- appeals court yesterday tough- “The Coalition is a non-elected ferences of opinion over an ened the jail term of an oppo- body, and as such it does not have Assad-appointed prime minister. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad during his surprise visit to the Educational Centre for Fine Arts in Damascus, sition tweeter to five years for a right to choose a prime minister Dissidents wouldn’t survive,” he yesterday. calling for a coup and insulting on a majority vote. There should said. Salem Al Moslet, a Coalition the emir of the Gulf state. have been consensus,” Labwani member and contender for the Bader Al Rasheedi was jailed said. Hitto was elected on prime minister’s post, said he was on November 28 after the lower Tuesday by 35 of approximately concerned about what such differ- Assad in surprise public visit court gave him a two-year term, 50 Coalition members present in ences would mean for the formal but the appeals court decided to Istanbul, after some 14 hours of opposition’s future. increase this to five years, direc- consultation. Some members who “There are many pressures on DAMASCUS: Syria’s embat- since he attended prayers at a In one, he is shown looking at tor of the Kuwait Society for opposed his election walked out the Coalition. I have hope we will tled President Bashar Al Assad mosque in a northern district of a poster featuring photos of vic- Human Rights Mohammad Al before the vote. move forward,” Moslet said. paid an unexpected visit to an Damascus to mark the Prophet tims, and in another, talking to Humaidi said. “We Coalition members weren’t But after the election of a prime educational centre in the capi- Mohammed’s (peace be upon a group of women, one of whom Rasheedi was charged with elected to represent the Syrians. minister, “it is heartbreaking to tal Damascus yesterday, the him) birthday on January 24th. is clutching his hand. instigating to overthrow the So the only person Hitto repre- watch this happen,” he added. presidency said on its official Before that he had not been The education centre spe- regime, spreading false news sents is the 35 Coalition members Meanwhile, Washington’s envoy Facebook page. seen in public since a rare speech cialises in training teachers about the emirate abroad and who voted for him. This govern- to Syria Robert Ford told US law- “President Assad made a sur- to supporters on January 6, in of the fine arts, and is in the writing tweets deemed offensive ment is a gift to (President) makers yesterday that the new prise visit to the Educational which he dismissed calls for his Tijara neighbourhood of east- to the ruler of the Opec member Bashar Al Assad’s regime,” Syrian opposition prime minis- Centre for Fine Arts where the removal and said he had no part- ern Damascus, near Jubar dis- state, Humaidi said. Labwani said. “The key issue is ter Ghassan Al Hitto “is more education ministry was honour- ners with whom to negotiate for trict, where fighting has raged The tweeter has the right the timing and way in which the Texan than Muslim Brotherhood,” ing the families of students who an end to the conflict. for months between regime and to appeal the sentence in the voting took place. The Coalition Dismissing concerns at a hear- were martyred as a result of ter- In photos posted on the presi- rebel forces. supreme court, where rulings pushed for a majority in a group ing of the House Foreign Affairs rorist acts, to honour the parents dency page, Assad is shown The visit came a day after are final. In another ruling, the that was not elected,” Bunni said. Committee, Ford insisted that himself,” the presidency wrote, meeting with relatives of those the regime accused opposition appeals court overturned a two- “Each of us had different rea- Hitto, narrowly elected by the alongside photos of Assad at the killed in the violence that has forces of using chemical weap- year jail term against stateless sons for freezing our membership. Syrian National Coalition as centre. enveloped his country, killing ons in their battle to oust Assad, activist Abdulhakeem al-Fadhli We will release a statement that interim premier, was “not a reli- The visit appeared to be more than 70,000 people accord- a charge the rebels denied. and acquitted him from charges represents us all in the com- gious extremist — far from it.” Assad’s first public appearance ing to United Nations estimates. AFP of organising protests and ing days,” Bunni added. Atassi REUTERS/AFP instigating stateless people to demonstrate. Egypt seeks prisoner No evidence of chemical weapons use: US envoy swap with Libya WASHINGTON: The US at these reports,” Robert Ford, claims at this point,” one US offi- “We have had very direct provide military aid to the rebels. CAIRO: Egypt is seek- ambassador to Syria said yes- who was recalled from Damascus cial said, speaking on condition of conversations with the Iraqis,” Assad’s government and rebels ing to swap four members of terday there is no evidence so in February 2012, told a hearing anonymity. If confirmed, it would Ford said, listing meetings in accused each other of launching Muammar Gaddafi’s regime far to back reports that chemi- of the House of Representatives be the first use of such weapons in Washington and the Iraqi capital. a deadly chemical attack near arrested in Cairo with a group cal weapons were used in Syria Foreign Affairs Committee. the two-year-old conflict. “We have been very direct with the northern city of Aleppo on of Egyptians detained in Libya, on Tuesday, but the United Separately, US and European Lawmakers also expressed them about the importance of not Tuesday. Both sides demanded two Egyptian judicial sources States has a large team investi- officials said there was no confir- concern about growing Iranian allowing Iran to exploit the crisis international investigations. [ said yesterday. gating the issue. mation that either the forces of military support for Assad’s gov- in Syria, and how that is not help- The White House and the A source at the Libyan justice “So far, we have no evidence Syrian President Bashar Al Assad ernment, and they pressed Ford ful to Iraqi interests, as well as State Department expressed deep ministry said the idea had been to substantiate the reports that or his rebel opponents had used on how the United States is push- the region’s interests.” skepticism over the Syrian gov- raised in talks on judicial coopera- chemical weapons were used yes- chemical weapons, as each side ing Baghdad over Iranian weap- Ford also said repeatedly in ernment’s claims regarding the tion between Libyan officials and terday. But I want to underline had asserted. ons pouring into Syria through response to lawmakers’ ques- rebels. the assistant Egyptian prosecutor that we are looking very carefully “We can’t corroborate the CW Iraq. tions that the US policy is not to REUTERS general, Hassan Yasine, who has been on an official visit to Tripoli this week. Car bomb attack Among those arrested in Egypt on Tuesday was Gaddaf Alddam, Saudi prince jailed in one of Gaddafi’s cousins. Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has UK for murder flies home called for the immediate handover of the wanted men. LONDON: A Saudi prince jailed for life in Britain for The Egyptian judicial sources murdering his servant has been flown home to serve said the Libyans were among 36 the rest of his sentence, the British government said members of the late dictator’s yesterday. administration whom the new Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir, a grandson of the Libyan government believe to be Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin living in Egypt. Abdulaziz, was jailed in 2010 for killing Bandar Abdullah State-run Al Ahram newspa- Abdulaziz in a London hotel after subjecting him to a per said Libya had asked for other “sadistic” campaign of violence and sexual abuse. measures including that Cairo But Britain’s Ministry of Justice confirmed that stop anti-revolution Libyan TV the 36-year-old royal flew back to Saudi Arabia on stations from being broadcast via Monday after he was granted a transfer to a prison in an Egyptian satellite. his homeland. Details of the transfer were announced last month. Sudan ready to “We have a prison transfer arrangement with Saudi Arabia which allows nationals of either country to serve talk with rebels Iraqi civilians inspect the damage of an overnight car bomb attack in Kirkuk, 240km north of Baghdad, that killed one their prison sentence in their home state,” a ministry and wounded several others. spokeswoman said. KHARTOUM: Sudan made “Prince Saud has now returned to Saudi Arabia to its first offer to hold direct talks serve the rest of his sentence. He was transferred in the with rebels on its border with same way that all prisoners are returned home and is South Sudan yesterday. the first prisoner to transfer under this arrangement.” Sudan Defence Minister Abdel Saud’s trial at England’s Old Bailey central criminal Raheem Mohammed Hussein said Arrest of Shias may worsen tensions court in London heard that he had ordered escorts and Khartoum would be willing to had frequently looked at websites for massage parlours have discussions with the SPLM- RIYADH: Tensions between arrested in the past four days across “These people are not at all known and escort agencies. North rebel group in its Blue Nile Saudi Arabia and its Shia minority Saudi Arabia and their families had as politically active. They are active The prince denied being gay and his lawyers argued and South Kordofan states, pro- could worsen if 16 detained Shias not been able to contact them. only in normal religious practices. So that he could face the death penalty in Saudi Arabia over viding the dialogue was based on are charged with spying in a case Late on Tuesday the Interior these accusations are really strange. the allegations of homosexuality. protocols set out in a 2005 peace linked to Iran, community leaders Ministry said the intelligence This whole story is damaging rela- The jury heard that the prince beat and strangled agreement with South Sudan. said yesterday. service had detained an Iranian, a tions with the community,” said one Abdulaziz to death on February 15, 2010, fuelled by “We are ready to meet with the The government has blamed unrest Lebanese and 16 Saudis for spying. Shia leader, Jafar Al Shayeb. champagne and cocktails, after the pair returned from northern sector (of the SPLM), among Shias in the Qatif district of Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia and Shayeb said suspects’ houses had a Valentine’s Day night out. on the condition that the dialogue oil-producing Eastern Province on Shia Iran are rivals for influence been raided and their computers and A post-mortem found that Abdulaziz had suffered and discussion is based on the an unnamed foreign power, seen as across the region. phones taken by security forces. heavy blows to the head, injuries to the brain and ears, Comprehensive Peace Agreement code for Iran, something local activ- Those detained included two cler- The Interior Ministry said the and severe neck injuries consistent with strangulation and the protocol for the two areas ists have denied. Sixteen people have ics, a banker, a paediatric doctor and men “were gathering information by hand. as a reference,” Hussein told been killed in Qatif in clashes with a university professor, Shia activists about installations and vital areas Prosecutors said bite marks on his cheeks showed a reporters at Khartoum’s airport police in the past two years. said. They were arrested in Riyadh, in the country” and that they were clear “sexual element” to the killing. AFP yesterday. Shia activists said several mem- Makkah, Jeddah and Eastern “working for a foreign country”. AGENCIES bers of their community had been Province. REUTERS THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11

Royal visit Saudi-born Pope promises man charged with jihad ‘respect’ for all in New York

NEW YORK: An alleged vet- world religions eran of Al Qaeda’s fight against US soldiers in Afghanistan who went on to plot a bomb attack on US diplomatic facilities in Francis to promote reconciliation Nigeria was charged yesterday in New York. VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis meeting with journalists from Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan yesterday promised “friendship around the world. “You are all Adam Harun, also known as and respect” for all faiths at a children of God,” he said. “Spin Ghul”, was charged by a meeting with representatives Vatican expert Sandro grand jury with conspiracy to of major world religions in the Magister, who writes for the murder and conspiracy to bomb Vatican in which he said he felt Italian weekly L’Espresso, said American diplomatic facilities, as “close” to non-believers. the references show “an atten- well as providing material support The Roman Catholic Church tion to people without a religion” to Al Qaeda. Harun was born in would “promote friendship and that was particularly significant Saudi Arabia but claims Nigerian respect between men and women as the Church struggles with ris- citizenship, according to court of different religions,” the Pope ing secularism in many countries. documents. said, a day after his formal inau- The Ecumenical Patriarch of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth speaks with Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, during her The charges allege that Harun guration in St Peter’s Square. Constantinople, Bartholomew I, visit to Baker Street underground station in London, yesterday. The visit marked the 150th anniversary of the traveled to Afghanistan in 2001 “We can do a lot for the good of the spiritual leader of the world’s London Underground. and after receiving “military- people who are poor, who are weak, 250 million Orthodox Church, type training at Al Qaeda train- who suffer... and to promote recon- opened yesterday’s meeting. ing camps,” went to war against ciliation and peace,” the Pope told Bartholomew was the first patri- US-led forces that invaded the other Christian leaders and repre- arch of Constantinople to attend country in the aftermath of the sentatives of Buddhism, Islam and a papal inauguration since 1054 UK reassures bloggers on press rules September 11, 2001 attacks. Judaism in an ornate Vatican hall. when the eastern and western “Harun allegedly attempted to Latin America’s first pontiff halves of Christendom split in the kill United States military per- said all religions should be united “Great Schism”. LONDON: The British govern- covers “news-related” websites in the course of business”; publish sonnel in Afghanistan between against “one of the most danger- In his address, Bartholomew ment has insisted that bloggers too, sparking uncertainty. news-related material written by 2002 and 2003,” the Brooklyn ous pitfalls of our time — reduc- referred to Francis’s experience and posts on social media would Meanwhile newspapers have a range of authors; and be subject federal prosecutor’s office said. ing human beings to what they as an archbishop in Argentina not be caught by a new system railed that details of court rulings to editorial control. In 2003, Harun allegedly under- produce and what they consume”. during that country’s devastat- of press regulation, but cam- preventing them from publishing National and local papers and went training to attack US diplo- “I very much appreciate your ing economic crisis. The world paigners warned the new rules stories about celebrities have been their online editions fall under the matic facilities in Nigeria, where presence and I see in it a sign of economic climate “demands could be open to interpretation. openly circulated online, effectively remit, as do lifestyle magazines he also conspired to bomb the sites. mutual respect and of cooperation humanitarian action for which Britain’s newspapers are making a mockery of the rulings. and “online-only edited ‘press- After an alleged co-conspirator for the common good of human- you already have great experi- urgently considering whether to Though the Department like’ content providers”, such as was arrested in 2005, Harun left ity,” he said. ence,” he said, referring to the sign up to the new system agreed for Culture, Media and Sport the Huffington Post, said the DCMS. Nigeria, spending several years in This was particularly impor- “high, grave and difficult task” by political leaders on Monday stressed that small-scale bloggers Those outside the boundary custody in Libya, then after his tant in a world of “divisions, con- that Francis will face. in the wake of a phone-hack- and comments on Twitter and include “news aggregators and 2011 release attempting to enter frontations and rivalries”, he said. He said Christian unity was ing scandal at the now defunct Facebook would not be subject to social networking sites”, small Italy aboard a ship filled with Francis also told Jewish leaders “our first and most important Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the new royal charter regulating special interest publishers, stu- refugees. that he wanted to continue “a fra- concern” and called on the Pope the World tabloid. publishers, campaigners feared dent and not-for-profit community It was then that he fell into the ternal dialogue” that began with to “correct worldly tendencies” The new watchdog, under- that the new system could still be newspapers, scientific journals and hands of Western authorities fol- the reformist Second Vatican in Christianity. Francis assured pinned by law, would have the ambiguous. “It won’t affect blog- broadcasters’ websites, such as the lowing an altercation with Italian Council of the 1960s. The 76-year- Bartholomew — whom he referred power to issue harsh sanctions on gers,” a DCMS spokesman said. BBC’s online arm. authorities on the refugee ship, old Pope also said he felt “close” to as his “brother” — of his “firm misbehaving publications, includ- “What Leveson was talking “Ultimately, it is a matter for the prosecutor’s office said. to those people who “do not rec- willingness to continue with the ing fines of up to £1m ($1.5m). about was newspapers — national the court to decide on the defini- “As alleged, Harun not only ognise themselves in any faith but path of ecumenical dialogue”. While the Leveson Inquiry and local — and newspaper-type tion of a relevant publisher based intended to, but did commit acts are in a search for truth, for good- Francis also met with Brazilian into press standards resulting websites. It’s not people who are on assessment of the facts, in of terrorism against Americans. ness and for beauty, which is God.” President Dilma Rousseff, who from the hacking scandal did writing a blog.” To be considered a accordance with the three inter- Now he is subject to the American The reference echoed a “silent leads the country with the highest not cover online publishing, the news publisher under the charter, locking tests (course of business, justice system,” FBI Assistant blessing” that Francis made on number of Catholics in the world. new royal charter hammered out outlets must meet each of three range of authors and editorial Director George Venizelos said. Saturday to non-believers at a AFP by political leaders specifically tests. They must be “publishing control),” DCMS said. AFP AFP

French hostage ‘executed’ in Mali Omagh bombing Students protest Harlem Shake sacking LONDON: Oxford University students have lodged a protest about case: Two Irish the “hugely unjust” sacking of a librarian who failed to stop about 30 students performing the Harlem Shake in a college library. They nationalists told claim that Calypso Nash, a graduate student of St Hilda’s College, had nothing to do with the filming of the Internet dance craze on to pay damages February 17 but just happened to be there at the time. “We feel the librarian has been treated unfairly, thus we call for her rein- BELFAST: Two Irish nation- statement,” student leader Ellen Gibson said. The video reportedly alists were found liable for attracted more than 5,000 views on YouTube before being taken the 1998 Omagh bombing by a down. The video showed a man in a helmet dancing alone in a Northern Irish High Court yes- library full of students working quietly. Then it cut to a scene where terday and ordered to join two everyone in the room is wearing fancy dress and dancing like crazy. others in paying damages for the worst single attack during Two more self-immolations in Bulgaria decades of violence. Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly SOFIA: Two more people have set themselves on fire in Bulgaria, faced retrial after successfully bringing to seven the number of self-immolations amid grow- appealing two years ago a find- ing despair over poverty, state BNR radio reported yesterday. A ing that they were responsible for 41-year-old unemployed father doused himself with fuel and set the bombing in which 29 people, himself ablaze in the northeastern village of Sitovo yesterday. He including a woman pregnant with was hospitalised with burns over 90 percent of his body but was twins, were killed, and more than conscious, telling doctors that he did it out of despair, BNR added. 200 were injured. An undated handout image released by Al Andalus, the media branch of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb A 59-year-old miner was also fighting for his life with 30-percent Relatives took the civil action (AQIM) to the Agence Nouakchott Informations (ANI) shows French nationals Philippe Verdon (right) and Serge burns after setting himself on fire in the small mining town of after police failed to secure any Lazarevic (left) being held by AQIM at an undisclosed location. Both were captured in Hombori in Northern Bobov dol, in eastern Bulgaria. Five other people have set them- criminal convictions over the Mali on November 24. Verdon has been executed in Mali, a man claiming to be a spokesman for Al Qaeda in selves ablaze in the past month. Four of them — three men and a bombing. The only man to stand North Africa told Mauritania’s ANI news agency yesterday. woman — died of their injuries. trial on a murder charge was acquitted in 2007 and families South African oppn leader bitten by rat said they would ask authorities to take a second look. JOHANNESBURG: South African opposition leader Helen Zille The Omagh bombing occurred said she has been bitten by a rat outside her home in Cape Town. just months after a peace deal Talks to form Italy govt begin “The weirdest thing just happened. I went to fetch the newspa- was struck which largely ended pers at the gate when a rat darted out, and bit me on my toe!” the more than three decades of vio- ROME: Italian President one of the other parties. parties, including Prime Minister head of the Democratic Alliance, the main opposition group, said on lence between mainly Catholic Giorgio Napolitano began con- However, there has been no sign Mario Monti’s centrist group on Twitter. She posted a photograph of her bloody toe after Tuesday’s Irish nationalists seeking union sultations with political leaders that an accord is possible with Wednesday before the main meet- incident. When a reader asked why she did not blame the ruling with Ireland and predominantly yesterday to try to find a way of either former Prime Minister ings on Thursday when he sees African National Congress for the incident, she replied: “Damn, Protestant unionists who want to forming a government after the Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right representatives from the 5-Star why didn’t I think of that!!”. remain part of the United Kingdom. deadlocked election last month alliance, the second biggest force Movement, Berlusconi’s People “It’s a great judgement for left no party with a majority in in parliament, or the anti-estab- of Freedom (PDL) party and UK horror writer James Herbert dies the families,” Michael Gallagher, parliament. lishment 5-Star Movement led Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD). whose son died in the bomb- Senate speaker Pietro Grasso by ex-comic Beppe Grillo, which Bersani, 61, received a small LONDON: Best-selling British horror writer James Herbert, who ing, said after leaving the court. said after meeting Napolitano holds the balance of power. boost at the weekend when his penned novels such as The Rats and The Fog, has died suddenly “We are going to write to the the president was determined to Berlusconi said only a broad candidates were elected the at the age of 69, his publisher said. Herbert’s editor at publisher Chief Constable and the Public reach an accord, saying there was cross-party alliance was capable speakers of the two houses of par- Pan Macmillan, Jeremy Trevathan, said the writer died yesterday Prosecution Service and ask them “an absolute necessity to give the of addressing the problems fac- liament, despite the centre left’s morning in bed at his home in Sussex. Herbert wrote 23 novels, to look at this judgment and the country a government” but the ing Italy but has been rebuffed lack of a Senate majority. was published in 34 languages and sold more than 54 million copies evidence and see if there is any parties were deeply divided before by Bersani. “We have declared Bersani is proposing to present worldwide during a writing career which spanned nearly 40 years. way they can use it to bring them talks opened. ourselves open to this but Bersani a limited package of reforms Four of his novels were made into films: The Survivor, Fluke, Haunted before the criminal courts.” Italy’s political stalemate and and his supporters keep stub- aimed at fighting corruption and and The Rats, whose silver screen title was Deadly Eyes. The two men, along with the prospect of months of uncer- bornly paying court to Grillo and creating jobs that he hopes can be Michael McKevitt and Liam tainty has created alarm across the ‘Grillini’ even though they backed by the 5-Star Movement. Diana dresses raise £862,000 Campbell, were ordered to pay Europe just as the standoff over only keep getting rebuffed,” he Given the fractious climate, the relatives of some of the dead bank deposits in Cyprus reawak- told his own Italia 1 television. prospects of a minority govern- LONDON: Ten dresses owned by Princess Diana, including the one £1.6m ($2.4m). Neither Murphy, ened fears that the eurozone debt If no agreement can be struck, ment surviving more than a short worn when she danced with actor John Travolta at a White House a builder and publican, nor Daly, crisis could flare up again. Italy faces the prospect of a brief time are slim but Bersani has lit- dinner, sold for £862,800 at a London auction. The most iconic a bricklayer, were in court to hear Centre-left leader Pier Luigi period under a caretaker govern- tle alternative. “The PD is not item — the strapless dark blue velvet gown worn at a 1985 dinner the verdict, nor had they turned Bersani, who won a majority in ment followed by a return to the changing our line, we’ll go to the thrown by US president Ronald Reagan in honour of the Prince up to give evidence at the hear- the lower house but not in the polls, possibly as early as June or consultations with the proposals and Princess of Wales — raised £240,000 ($363.000). The dress was ing which started in January and Senate, commands the largest after the summer holiday months, which were voted by the party bought “by a British gentleman who said he wanted to buy it as a ended last month. bloc in parliament but cannot in September or October. leadership immediately after the surprise to cheer up his wife”, explained auctioneer Kerry Taylor. AFP govern unless he has support from Napolitano also meets minor election,” he said. REUTERS AGECNIES THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Xi vows defence Military forces to safeguard China’s sovereignty BEIJING: China yesterday alleged that a Chinese frigate rule of his communist regime. vowed a “steadfast” military locked its radar on a Japanese Japan too has expressed a new defence of its territorial integ- destroyer in January. strain of nationalistic rhetoric rity, after a report said Japan China’s defence ministry said under its hawkish prime minis- and the US will draft a plan to it had seen the report and reit- ter, Shinzo Abe, who last Sunday counter any Chinese invasion of erated Beijing’s stance that the called on new graduates of the disputed islands. islands belong to China. National Defence Academy Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, cit- Washington has repeatedly said to guard the country against ing a US Pentagon source, said the Japan-US defence alliance “provocations”. Japanese and US officials will applies to the islands, meaning come up with the joint military US troops would act with their THAW SIGNAL plan on retaking the outcrops in Japanese counterparts if China Xi’s appointment of two top the East China Sea if China seizes physically takes them over. diplomats last week displays a them. General Shigeru Iwasaki, chief of desire to repair relations Japan The joint preparations, to be staff of the Japanese Self Defence after months of disruption, while finished by the summer, will be Forces Joint Staff, will meet keeping the US and its strategic the first by the allies to address with Admiral Samuel Locklear, pivot to Asia at bay. the threat of attack on a specific commander of the US Pacific Yang Jiechi, a former ambas- area held by Japan, the respected Command, in Hawaii this week to sador to Washington, has been business daily said. discuss the plan, the Nikkei said. named the state councillor in The report added that it was Japan and the United States charge of the foreign ministry, intended as a deterrent against already have such joint action plans its top post. Beijing over its claims to the to deal with possible crises in the He believes the US should stay New paramilitary recruits take part in their first shooting practice with real ammo at a base in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Japanese-controlled islands, Korean peninsula or in the Taiwan out of regional Asian affairs such known as Senkaku in Japan and Strait, the newspaper noted. as the South China Sea dispute. relationship with Cold War roots expanding commercial relations of his trip, Xi called Russia “our Diaoyu in China. Last Sunday, China’s newly New Foreign Minister Wang Yi which is finding shared strategic — China is the world’s biggest friendly neighbour”, adding his Tensions over the dispute have installed President Xi Jinping said is in charge of repairing ties with and business interests. energy consumer and the largest visit underscored the “great mounted in recent months, with he would fight for a “great ren- Tokyo. Xi will visit Moscow from trade partner of Russia, one of the importance” China placed on Beijing repeatedly sending ships aissance of the Chinese nation”, This week, Xi heads to Russia tomorrow for talks with President biggest oil producers. relations. Putin and Xi will also to waters around the islands to in comments seen as promoting for his first diplomatic foray Vladimir Putin. They co-operate on several oversee the signing of many intensify its claims. Tokyo has patriotism under the one-party as president, reinforcing a The two countries enjoy issues at the UN and in advance agreements. AGENCIES

Eight Filipinos Bangladesh president dies in Singapore charged over DHAKA: Bangladesh President Sheikh Hasina expressed her and burial taking place tomorrow the idea of Bangladeshi statehood. Zillur Rahman (pictured), a “profound shock” and lamented afternoon. He played a key role in keep- veteran ruling party politician “an irreparable loss to the coun- A lawyer by profession and one ing the party united after Hasina incursion named president in 2009, died try and its people”. of the longest serving lawmakers was arrested by a military-backed KUALA LUMPUR: A yesterday in a Singapore hospi- Rahman’s Secretary Shafiul of the country, who first joined government in 2007. Malaysian court yesterday tal, officials said. He was 84. Alam said the close aide of the parliament in 1973, Rahman The Awami League won a land- charged eight Filipinos with Rahman, who was suffering nation’s founding leader Sheikh made his name as an activist who slide victory in the December 2008 terrorism-related offences, pun- from kidney and respiratory prob- Mujibur Rahman had been suffer- pushed for Bangladesh to break elections and Rahman became an ishable by death, over an incur- lems, was flown to Singapore’s ing from “old age complications”. free from Pakistani rule. MP for the sixth time and took sion that has left scores dead, Mount Elizabeth Hospital by air He is survived by a son, who is a As a student leader and politi- the oath as the 19th President on the national news agency said. ambulance on March 10 after his lawmaker, and two daughters. cal organiser he played an active February 12, 2009. His wife Ivy, Malaysian security forces have conditions worsened. The body of the former deputy role in the Language Movement a politician, died in August 2004 been pursuing more than 200 The nation declared three days chief of the ruling Awami League in 1952 for the establishment of after she was injured in a grenade followers of a self-proclaimed of mourning after his death in will be flown back to the country Bengali as a state language, a cru- attack on a League rally that also Filipino sultan, many of whom are early evening and Prime Minister today, he said, with his funeral cial campaign that helped cement killed 20 others. AFP believed to be armed, who entered Sabah state on Borneo island last month to resurrect long-dormant land claims. Clashes between the gun- men and Malaysian forces, who HK light pollution ‘world’s worst’ launched a military attack on Seoul on alert after hacking their hideout two weeks ago, have HONG KONG: Hong Kong is one of the world’s worst cities for led to at least 70 deaths, mostly light pollution with night skies around 1,000 times brighter than SEOUL: The South Korean military raised its Cohen come days after the US imposed its sanc- of militants. globally accepted levels, researchers said yesterday ahead of this cyber attack warning level yesterday after com- tions on the Foreign Trade Bank of North Korea, The eight men are among more year’s Earth Hour event. A study by Hong Kong University puter networks crashed at major TV broadcast- Pyongyang’s primary foreign exchange bank, and than 100 arrested under a secu- found that brightness levels in the popular shopping district of ers and banks, with initial suspicions focused on four officials responsible for the country’s ballistic rity law and are the first to face Tsim Sha Tsui were 1,200 times greater than the global dark North Korea. missile programme. the court. sky standard, a measurement void of manmade light. The city of The state-run Korea Internet Security Agency North Korea, meanwhile, condemned training They were charged with “har- seven million, full of residential high rises, towering office blocks said computer networks at KBS, MBC and YTN as flights by nuclear-capable US B-52 bombers over the bouring people committing ter- and neon advertisements, has no laws to control external lighting. well as Shinhan and Nonghyup banks had been “par- Korean peninsula as an “unpardonable provocation” rorist acts” and “waging war” tially or entirely crippled”. LG Uplus, an Internet and threatened military action if they continued. against the country’s king, which Statue of hope in tsunami town service provider, also reported a network crash. The Pentagon says at least one B-52 has flown over is punishable by a life-term An investigator from the specialist cyber wing South Korea in recent weeks as part of joint military imprisonment or death, Bernama TOKYO: A giant statue from Chile’s Easter Island was unveiled in of the national police agency said the shutdown exercises Pyongyang has denounced as rehearsals news agency reported. Tokyo yesterday before it is erected in a small tsunami-devastated appeared to have been triggered by a “virus or for invasion. The men from the southern northeastern Japanese town as a symbol of recovery. The three- malicious code”, suggesting a concerted hacking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised a Philippines, aged between 17 and metre (9.8-foot) Moai statue is a gift from Chile, which pledged to operation. drone attack on a simulated South Korean target, 66, did not enter pleas, it said. supply a new statue to the fishing community of Minami Sanriku The Defence Ministry said it had raised its five- Pyongyang’s KCNA news agency reported, and the They were charged in front of after the town’s original was destroyed in the March 2011 quake level “Infocon” cyber threat alert status from four armed forces shot down a target mimicking a cruise a judge, who came to the heavily and tsunami. “I want people to see this new statue and feel hope to three. “We do not rule out the possibility of North missile. guarded police station in Lahad for the future,” the town’s Mayor Jin Sato said. Korea being involved, but it’s premature to say so.” Meanwhile, China’s new President Xi Jinping told Datu town, which is near palm oil his South Korean counterpart that Beijing is will- estates and coastal villages where Seven Komodo dragons hatch SANCTIONS TALKS ing to help reconciliation between South and North security forces are still chasing Officials from South Korea and the US began Korea, the foreign ministry said. some remaining militants. SURABAYA, INDONESIA: Seven rare Komodo dragons have talks on how to beef up punitive sanctions against “China is willing to provide assistance to advance A total of 800,000 Filipinos live hatched under a breeding programme at an Indonesian zoo, an North Korea for its recent nuclear test. Talks South-North cooperation,” Xi told President Park in Sabah, making up about a quar- official said yesterday, a success story that raises hope for the between South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Lim Geun-Hye in a phone call, acording to a statement on ter of the population of the state, endangered lizard. Twenty-one eggs from two Komodo dragons Sung-nam and US Treasury sanctions chief David the ministry website. AGENCIES near the southern Philippines. were placed in incubation at the Surabaya Zoo in eastern Java, the AGENCIES first batch in September and the second in October, with seven hatching on March 10. “Some of the eggs from the first Komodo did not hatch, which is normal. We’re hoping for another seven or eight from the second clutch, which are due to hatch around April or May,” zoo spokesman Anthan Warsito said. Manila seeks UN protection for peacekeepers Video puts state boss in spot MANILA: The Philippines Manila’s “grave concern” over the influence over the parties in the earlier in the month by Syrian KUALA LUMPUR: Corruption watchdog Transparency has asked the UN to provide March 6-9 detention of 21 Filipino region. Our communication to the rebels who demanded a pullback International yesterday asked the powerful boss of a Malaysian more protection to its peace- UN peacekeepers. Security Council is meant to high- by Syrian government forces in state to step aside after a video purportedly linking him to abuse keeping forces, Manila said The Philippines’ UN repre- light this vital role of the Security the area. The unit was later freed of power went viral online. The clip produced by London-based yesterday after announcing sentative, Libran Cabactulan, Council,” Cabactulan added. unharmed. NGO Global Witness allegedly depicts a “sting”, in which a per- its troops would remain in the also urged the council to exert About 300 Filipinos serve in Manila said last week that it son posing as a foreign businessman is seen negotiating with Golan Heights after a recent its influence on all parties in the UN Disengagement Observer would keep its UN contingent in cousins and associates of Sarawak state chief Taib Mahmud. abduction. the Syrian conflict to ensure the Force, which has been in the the Golan Heights following the Taib, 76, has headed resource-rich Sarawak on Borneo island as The foreign department said peacekeepers’ freedom of move- Golan Heights since 1974, moni- abductions. The UNDOF force Chief Minister since 1981 and has for years faced, and denied, the Philippines’ permanent repre- ment, a foreign department toring a ceasefire between Syria of fewer than 1,000 troops also allegations of corruption and nepotism. sentative to the UN wrote to the statement said. “The members of and Israel.Twenty-one of the comprises troops from Austria Dollar surrogate abolished UN Security Council to express the Council... wield considerable Filipinos were held for three days and India. AGENCIES

YANGON: Myanmar yesterday announced the abolition of its US dollar proxy currency, in the latest step towards economic normalisation as the country opens to the world. More than $30m worth of Foreign Exchange Certificates will be phased out Fukushima cooling systems restart after outage of existence, Finance Minister Win Shein said, without giving a timeframe for the move. VIENNA: The UN atomic energy agency shut down the facility after meltdowns two earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 dam- Largest quake monitor in China said yesterday the cooling systems at all years ago. aged the plant, causing the world’s worst spent fuel pools at the Fukushima nuclear The company, also known as Tepco, said on nuclear accident in 25 years. BEIJING: Chengdu Institute of Care-life, which studies earth- power plant in Japan had resumed opera- Tuesday there was no immediate threat of The Vienna-based IAEA said in a statement: quakes in Chengdu, southwest Sichuan province, has built the tions after a power outage earlier this week. overheating or radiation releases after the loss “Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) largest quake monitoring and early warning system in the world. Tokyo Electric Power Co lost power used of electricity on Monday. It partially restored has informed the International Atomic Energy It covers 400,000 square km and is about 30,000 sq km larger than for cooling spent uranium fuel rods at its power by Tuesday afternoon, the firm said. Agency that cooling systems at all spent fuel that in Japan, China News Service said. AGENCIES Fukushima Daiichi plant, illustrating the chal- But the power loss showed that the plant pools at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power lenges the Japanese utility faces in trying to remained in a precarious state after an Station have resumed operation.” AGENCIES THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Pakistan’s historic polls on May 11 Zardari’s PPP and Sharif’s PML-N parties likely to dominate the race ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will until Friday to select a candidate away when the caretaker prime Apart from a military opera- go to the polls on May 11, the to head a caretaker administra- minister is chosen,” Askari told tion that pushed the Taliban out presidency announced yes- tion until the polls. The election reporters. of the Swat Valley in 2009, the terday, in an historic general commission should then announce Sixty seats in the national government has failed to crack election marking the first dem- a full schedule for the campaign. assembly are reserved for women down on the plethora of extrem- ocratic transition of power in Zardari’s Pakistan People’s and 10 for non-Muslim religious ist groups blamed for violence in the country’s 66-year existence. Party (PPP) and the opposi- minorities. Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. President Asif Ali Zardari, who tion Pakistan Muslim League-N Under reforms introduced by Pakistan has hosted no inter- confounded critics by keeping his (PML-N) led by former prime the outgoing government, politi- national sport since gunmen fractious coalition together for a minister Nawaz Sharif are likely cal parties can for the first time attacked the Sri Lankan cricket full five-year term, announced the to dominate the race, while contest elections in the tribal belt, team in 2009. Religious violence date days after the 342-member former cricket star Imran Khan a den of Taliban and Al Qaeda has reached dizzying levels, most national assembly dissolved at the will compete in an election for the militants on the Afghan border. recently against Shias, who end of its term. first time. But there are no seats in the account for about 20 percent of “The president announced Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son tribal belt reserved for women. the population. today that general elections to of Zardari and of assassinated Once the national and provin- Karachi, the largest city and the national assembly will be former prime minister Benazir cial governments are formed, fed- business hub, is suffering from held on May 11,” his spokesman Bhutto, is co-chairman of the PPP eral and regional lawmakers will record killings linked to political Farhatullah Babar said. but cannot stand because he will elect a new president. and ethnic tensions, with more The vote will mark the first not reach the minimum age of 25 Analysts praise Zardari for than 2,000 dead in 2012. time that an elected civilian gov- until September. lasting the course, passing key The government has also done ernment hands over to another Separate elections will also legislation and relinquishing his little to come up with long-term in a country that has seen three be held for regional assemblies powers to strengthen democracy, solutions to a crippling energy military coups and four military in Pakistan’s four provinces but but say his rule has been marked crisis or introduce desperately rulers since partition from India Babar said there was no decision by chronic mismanagement, eco- needed tax reforms. Ministers and the end of British rule in 1947. yet on which day. nomic decline and worsening have been tainted by accusations But Taliban attacks and record Political analyst Hasan Askari security. of brazen corruption. levels of violence directed against said that by setting a date, the They credit his full term not After the elections, Pakistan is the Shia minority have raised president had gone some way just his wheeler-dealer talents, expected to have little option but fears about security for the polls towards curbing conspiracy theo- but also the army chief of staff’s to seek another bailout package in the nuclear-armed country of ries about a possible delay. determination to keep to the from the International Monetary Pedestrians walk past a banner featuring portraits of Pakistan President 180 million, a key but troubled “The dust should settle now... it sidelines and the opposition’s Fund, given its yawning budget Asif Ali Zardari (centre) and Bhutto family members (top) along a street in US ally. is clear the election will be held unwillingness to force early deficit. Islamabad, yesterday. A parliamentary committee has but distrust or doubts will go elections. AFP

US seeks deal Kabul and Nato agree on Wardak pullout on transfer of

KABUL: Afghanistan and Wardak, 40-minute drive from extent of the foreign troop with- lead.” ISAF said the Afghan gov- year, and Karzai’s decision to prisoners Nato-led forces have reached Kabul, as a launch pad for attacks drawal and the time-frame was ernment would determine the expel them was seen as compli- a deal on foreign troops leav- on the capital. vague. timeline for the takeover. cating talks between the US and ISLAMABAD: The US has ing a key strategic district near Afghan President Hamid Karzai ISAF said in a statement that The Wardak issue, along a Afghanistan over the scope of US called on Pakistan to sign a Kabul, coalition forces said, but expelled the elite American force under the agreement, Afghan series of inflammatory remarks operations after the pullout. Council of Europe convention a controversial expulsion order from Wardak and Logar prov- forces would soon take over secu- by Karzai deriding the United In recent weeks Karzai has on the transfer of prisoners against US special forces from inces last month, after villagers rity from foreign forces in Nerkh, States and other foreign forces, been staking out increasingly or convicts, officials said yes- the entire province remained accused them of torturing and a known hiding place for Taliban has strained already fraught nationalist ground, deepening a terday. It follows a request for unclear. killing civilians, an allegation the and Hezb-i-Islami militants. ties between the president and war of words that threatens to the repatriation of Pakistani An Afghan defence minis- US special forces denied. The district comprises about 10 Western allies. derail Nato attempts to ensure a prisoners in US jails. The try spokesman told reporters in Despite the deadline for their percent of Wardak, and borders Opposition politicians say smooth security transition before Convention on the Transfer Kabul that the elite American departure expiring over a week Kabul and Logar provinces. Karzai’s order to expel the US most Western troops leave next of Sentenced Persons, 1985, force would quit the whole prov- ago, US special forces tasked The statement made no men- special forces was a political move year. signed and ratified by 64 ince of Wardak within a few days, with fighting the Taliban are still tion of US special forces. intended to bolster his party’s But the agreement, which countries, allows foreigners despite US concerns that their operating there, US and Afghan “I am pleased to announce that support base ahead of a presiden- left many questions unanswered convicted of a criminal offence departure would leave a security officials say. following a very constructive tial election next year. Karzai is and made no explicit mention of to serve out their sentences vacuum. Their continued deployment series of talks with the president not allowed to stand again. special forces, will be seen as a in their home countries. “We The Nato-led International has angered Karzai, who has ... we have come to agreement on Some in Wardak however are compromise for Karzai and as a sought a no objection certifi- Security Assistance Force (ISAF), become increasingly critical of his a plan for Wardak that contin- furious US special forces are further sign of his government’s cate from the Foreign Office however, said that Afghan forces Western allies operating in the ues the transition of this critical still operating in the province, reliance on the US-led coalition. for an agreement with the would only take over from foreign country ahead of the departure province and meets the secu- and about 1,000 residents con- Nerkh is only one of eight dis- US,” said Additional Interior troops in the small restive district of most foreign combat troops by rity needs of the people and the verged on the capital on Saturday tricts in Wardak. ISAF said the Secretary Saud Mirza. The of Nerkh, and that “the remain- the end of next year. requirements of our mission,” demanding they leave. “remainder of the province will ministry wrote to the office der of the province will transition Karzai and Nato Commander Dunford said. US special forces are expected transition over time” but no dates after the US showed will- in time”. Joseph Dunford reached an “This solution is what success to play a major role in Afghanistan were announced and Afghan offi- ingness to cooperate with Afghan officials have expressed agreement on Wardak yesterday, looks like as we continue the tran- after most Nato combat troops cials were tight-lipped on the Pakistan over the exchange fears that insurgents might use the two sides said, although the sition to overall Afghan security withdraw by the end of next details. AGENCIES of prisoners. Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf endorsed the ministry’s suggestion for Friendly visitor Pakistan to sign the Council of Europe Convention to take up the case of Dr Aafia 33 rebels killed Ban urges action against Siddiqi, as well as other pris- oners. After seeking the in Khyber interior ministry’s consent, abusers in Afghanistan the foreign office moved a summary to the prime min- tribal region UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said ister earlier this year. The that there was a deeply disturbing “pervasive climate of impunity” issue of an agreement was ISLAMABAD: Two suicide in Afghanistan for the abusers of women and girls and he called on formally taken up with blasts by the Ansarul Islam Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government to take action. Washington some four years (AI) and bombardment from Despite a fall in civilian casualties in Afghanistan for the first time back when the then interior military jets claimed the lives of in several years, the United Nations said last month more than 300 minister Rehman Malik and at least 33 militants, including a women and girls were killed and more than 560 injured in 2012, a 20 US Attorney General Eric key commander of the Tehrik- percent increase from 2011. Holder met to discuss mat- i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Activists and some lawmakers have blamed the rise in violence ters related to prisoners, injured many in Khyber tribal against women on what they say is the Karzai administration’s waning including Dr Aafia, Mirza region, sources said yesterday. interest in women’s rights, a claim Karzai denies. had informed a Senate panel Militants of the banned TTP “I remain deeply disturbed that despite some improvements in pros- while explaining the matter. occupied a centre of the Ansarul ecuting cases of violence, there is still a pervasive climate of impunity Pakistan is also considering Islam in Bagh-Maidan area of in Afghanistan for abuses of women and girls,” Ban told a UN Security signing the Inter-American Khyber tribal region’s Tirah val- Council debate on Afghanistan. “They have an inviolable right to live Convention on Serving ley on Mar 18. free of fear or attacks. And women and girls are key to a better future Criminal Sentences Abroad. A hidden suicide bomber blew for Afghanistan. Protecting them is central to peace, prosperity and himself up killing and injuring stability for all people in the country,” he said. Four shot dead several militants. Another suicide Ban called for Kabul to strictly implement a 2009 law on the elimina- bomber detonated his explosives A Pakistani child stands behind a machine gun, during a visit to an tion of violence against women, which made child marriage, forced mar- in Helmand during rescue efforts for the vic- army camp displaying weapons ahead of the ceremony for Pakistan’s riage, rape and other violent acts criminal offenses. REUTERS tims of the first blast. National Day, along the Chaman border near Afghanistan, yesterday. KANDAHAR: Four peo- Twenty-five militants, includ- ple were shot dead yester- ing a key militant commander of day when dozens of Afghan the TTP, were killed in the two villagers clashed with police blasts whereas many were injured. over alleged desecration of A few hours later Pakistan the Holy Quran. Officials said military jets bombarded a nearby 3,000 Afghan troops die in 12 months clashes broke out in Musa area killing eight more suspected Qala, a town troubled by insur- militants. KABUL: Almost 3,000 Afghan police and up and trained by Nato to take on increas- effective strategy from the Afghan defence or gent violence in the southern Tribal sources reported 33 mil- soldiers have been killed in the last 12 ing responsibility for security as Nato combat interior ministries to deal with Taliban gue- province of Helmand. “Seven itants as dead and numerous oth- months, nearly the same as the number of troops gradually withdraw from the country rilla warfare tactics, we can expect more loss people, including two police- ers as injured in all three attacks. Nato deaths in Afghanistan in the last 11 by the end of 2014. of life,” he added. In 2012, 402 Nato members men, were shot and injured,” Most of the victims were asso- years of war, Kabul said Wednesday. Numbered at 330,000 and due to reach a died in Afghanistan, the lowest number since said provincial spokesman ciated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban In statistics marking the end of the lunar target of 352,000, they have been increasingly 2008. Ahmad Zeerak. He said it Pakistan militants organisation, year, the interior and defence ministries said targeted by Taliban insurgents fighting to evict Meanwhile, a Polish soldier died when was unclear whether police sources added. 2,983 security personnel — 1,800 police and the Western-backed administration in Kabul. a mine exploded on a road in the south- bullets caused the casual- At least 60 suspected militants 1,183 soldiers — lost their lives between March “It is a pity but understandable why we have east, Poland’s defence ministry said. Pawel ties and that officers had were taken into custody by secu- 2012 and March 2013. witnessed such a huge loss of life and increase Ordynski, 29, whose vehicle struck the mine been forced to intervene rity forces from Darra Adamkhel According to the independent website, icas- in ANSF (Afghan security force) casualties in the province of Ghazni, is the 39th Pole to after “Taliban fighters hiding over involvement in the Taliban’s ualties.org, 3,270 coalition troops, including since they started taking responsibility from die in Afghanistan, the ministry said. among protesters opened fire Mar 17 attack on the Judicial 2,190 Americans, have died since the invasion international troops,” said analyst Jawed Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on police first”. Complex in Peshawar. started in late 2001. Kohistani. Poland would downsize its Afghanistan troops AGENCIES INTERNEWS Afghan police and soldiers have been set “Given the fact that there has not been any to 1,000 from 1,800 in October. AGENCIES THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA

5 Maharashtra legislators Delhi vows UN push against Lanka suspended for Minister denies reports government trying to water down resolution; thousands protest assaulting cop NEW DELHI: India prom- pained” that Tamils in Sri Lanka MUMBAI: The Maharashtra ised yesterday to push for a were being denied their rights legislature yesterday suspended “strong” UN resolution urging and New Delhi was “anguished five of its members, including Sri Lanka to investigate alleged by reports of unspeakable one each from the BJP, Shiv war crimes, a day after the atrocities”. Sena and MNS, for assaulting a issue caused a split in the ruling Thousands of Tamils held pro- police officer within the legisla- coalition. tests in Tamil Nadu yesterday as ture premises. The United States is drafting well as in the commercial capi- Parliamentary Affairs Minister a resolution against Sri Lanka tal Mumbai, holding up pictures Harshwardhan Patil announced at the United Nations Human of alleged victims of Sri Lankan the suspension of the five legisla- Rights Council in Geneva which soldiers. tors from the house till the end is expected to be voted today and India has also postponed sched- of the year. is bound to anger Colombo. uled defence cooperation talks The five are independent legis- Finance Minister with Sri Lanka this month, offi- lators Kshitij Thakur and Pradeep P Chidambaram said India would cials told AFP. Jaiswal, Shiv Sena’s Rajan Salvi, propose amendments to the draft In Sri Lanka, dozens of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s resolution being negotiated, but Buddhist monks demonstrated (MNS) Ram Kadam, and the he denied that India was trying to outside the Indian embassy in Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) water it down — as was claimed Colombo for a second straight Jaykumar Rawal. in some media reports. day yesterday. They were booked by police late “India’s position has always The country has lodged a com- on Tuesday night for thrashing been and remains that the plaint with India and warned Assistant Police Inspector Sachin UNHRC should adopt a strong its pilgrims against travelling to Suryawanshi on the first floor of resolution that would send a res- Tamil Nadu because of repeated the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan olute message to Sri Lanka and physical attacks against them. Tuesday afternoon. goad Sri Lanka to accept an inde- In another move likely to The provocation for the attack pendent and credible investiga- deepen the discord, Chidambaram was an incident on Monday when tion,” Chidambaram said. stressed that the Indian govern- Suryawanshi allegedly stopped India’s ruling coalition was ment was consulting other parties the vehicle of independent leg- rocked on Tuesday by the resig- about a parliamentary resolu- islator Kshitij Thakur and fined nation of a party from southern tion which would also call on Sri him for violating the speed limit Tamil Nadu state, which accused Lanka to investigate the alleged on the Rajiv Gandhi Bandra-Worli the government of being too soft war crimes. Sea Link. Suryawanshi slapped a and demanded that the resolution A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest against Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Mumbai, The Dravida Munnetra fine of Rs700 on Thakur, which refer to the “genocide” of ethnic yesterday. Kazhagam, which quit the coali- resulted in a heated argument Tamils. tion on Tuesday, has hinted that it between them. The independ- International rights groups Western powers for an independ- Some people have doubts. Some clarify any doubts.” might return to support the gov- ent legislator from Nala Sopara estimate that 40,000 civilians ent international investigation people want to know what hap- India, home to millions of ernment if a resolution is passed (Thane) constituency alleged died in the final months of fight- into the conduct of its army. pened,” Sarath Fonseka, who Tamils who share links with their by parliament. that Suryawanshi misbehaved ing when government troops Sri Lanka’s top general, who has become a top opponent of counterparts in Sri Lanka, risks Without its 18 lawmakers in with him. launched an onslaught on sep- led the campaign against the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a further worsening in relations the Lower House, the left-lean- Thakur recounted the inci- aratists fighting for a Tamil Tamil Tiger rebels, said Tuesday told the Foreign Correspondents’ with its southern neighbour over ing government, dominated by the dent in the house on Tuesday and homeland. the government should accept a Association. the UNHRC resolution. Congress party, is more vulnera- moved a breach of privilege notice Sri Lanka has denied that its probe but he rejected any sugges- “We will have to justify the Leader of the ruling Congress ble to falling before the scheduled against the police official, who was forces killed civilians and has tion of genocide. actions taken by us. I am ready party, Sonia Gandhi, said on date for elections in the first half in the visitors’ gallery to answer resisted calls from the UN and “Some people have questions. to answer anyone. I am ready to Tuesday that India was “most of 2014. AFP the charges against him. After Thakur’s detailed account, several legislators cut- ting across party lines demanded Suryawanshi’s suspension for mis- Early elections unlikely as govt needs time for reforms behaviour with a lawmaker. Just then, some legislators saw NEW DELHI: The Indian gov- slowdown in a decade. That, in “We have been given a man- food subsidies for hundreds of Suryawanshi, who was allegedly ernment is unlikely to call a turn, has fired speculation that date for five years and we intend millions of poor who form its core gesticulating at the members snap election despite its biggest the government, which is in a to ensure that it is not aborted,” vote base and helped it win back- below from the visitors’ gallery. ally abruptly quitting the rul- minority in parliament and relies Jairam Ramesh, rural develop- to-back general elections. It also Thakur recognised him and ing coalition, as it needs time on the support of powerful but ment minister, told Reuters. wants to widen a system — cur- along with some other legislators, to implement flagship welfare unpredictable regional parties to But big-ticket economic rently being rolled out in different rushed outside to chase and catch schemes and hopes the econ- stay in power, could call a quick reforms such as opening the parts of the country — of handing Suryawanshi on the first floor. omy will improve, government election before its term officially pensions and insurance sectors out money to poor families to pay There, they slapped, punched and sources said yesterday. runs out next year. to foreign investors are likely to for essentials such as cooking gas. kicked him. Not taking the inci- The withdrawal of the Dravida However, leaders in the ruling face stiff opposition in parliament, “We are not looking to hold dent lying down, several top IPS Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Congress party told Reuters the analysts said. A major regional early elections. We want to do the officers of Maharasthra, includ- has rattled markets, which are government will wait in order to party that often votes with the full term not just to pursue our ing city Police Commissioner worried that it has left Prime pass legislation aimed at shoring government said on Tuesday it welfare programmes but also to A student holds a poster with Satyapal Singh, called on Chief Minister Manmohan Singh una- up its popularity, which has been would oppose the measures. allow the economy to revive,” said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Minsiter Prithviraj Chavan and ble to pass reforms needed to punctured by corruption scandals In particular, the government a senior Congress party official. Rajapaksa’s picture at a protest in demanded action. IANS turn around the worst economic and anger over high prices. wants to pass a bill ramping up REUTERS Chennai, yesterday. Supreme Court ruling on Suspected criminal killed Mumbai 1993 blasts today in shootout NEW DELHI: The Supreme and the state of Maharashtra Sanjay Dutt challenging his with police Court will today pronounce over ten months. The hearing conviction under the Arms its verdict on the 124 cross that commenced on November Act that led to a six-year NEW DELHI: A suspected appeals by those convicted 1, 2011, concluded on August jail term. Justice Chauhan criminal was killed in a daylight by a special court for the 29, 2012. The judgment is divided will pronounce verdicts on shootout between a police team 1993 Bombay serial bomb into six parts. Justice Sathasivam the appeals covering vary- and five men on a national high- blasts, including film star will pronounce judgment on ing terms of imprisonment way on the outskirts of Delhi Sanjay Dutt, as well as by the appeal against death sentences in part 3, judgments deal- yesterday afternoon, police said. Maharashtra government and life imprisonments in parts ing with appeals by accused Three others, including one challenging some acquittals 1 and 2 respectively. challenging their conviction carrying a reward on his head, and seeking enhanced sen- He will also pronounce in part 4, and finally verdicts were arrested. The driver of the tences for other guilty. judgment under part 6 deal- dealing with the appeals filed car escaped. A bench of Justice ing with cases of conviction by the Maharashtra govern- “Five armed men in a car P Sathasivam and Justice B S under the Arms Act/Explosive ment against the acquittal of opened fire at a team of Delhi Chauhan had heard the spate of Substances Act. This part accused in part 5. Police’s Crime Branch officials in cross petitions by the convicts will deal with the appeal of IANS the Alipur area after they were asked to stop,” said a police officer. Police retaliated and appre- hended the criminals after a short Complete shutdown chase. “A criminal, Rakesh, was killed in the shootout. Three have been arrested and one managed to flee,” Additional Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav said. Rakesh from Bahadurgarh in Haryana, was wanted in two mur- der cases in Haryana and Punjab. After the shootout, during which he was injured, he was taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital where he died during treatment. He was shot in his waist, police said. One of the arrested, Manoj Morkheri, had a reward of Rs100,000 on his head and was wanted in various cases of abduc- tion for ransom, extortion and attempt to murder in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, Yadav said. A resident of Haryana’s Troops patrol during a shutdown in Srinagar, Kashmir, yesterday. The strike was observed in response Rohtak, Morkheri had killed retired inspector Ramkishan in to a call given by a group of separatists demanding return of the bodies of two Kashmiri separatists Haryana in January as both were hanged and buried in New Delhi’s Tihar jail. sworn enemies. IANS THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15 PETA protest Campaigners hail stricter anti-rape law Concerns remain over enforcement

NEW DELHI: Campaigners wel- Taj Mahal city of Agra in a bid to comed a toughening of laws in escape an alleged sex attack. India yesterday for sex crimes That incident came just days after but said they were not enough to a Swiss cyclist was gang-raped in the tackle a crisis underpinned by state of Madhya Pradesh on Friday cultural attitudes, including from night in a brutal assault observers “sexist” lawmakers. said underscored risks women face India’s Lower House on Tuesday in the country of 1.2 billion people. passed a bill increasing punishment “These attacks put India in a very for sex offenders, including the death bad light, letting the whole world penalty if a victim dies, three months know that we cannot provide safety, after the fatal gang-rape of a student either to our own women or to for- on a bus in Delhi sparked nationwide eign visitors,” Kumari said. protests. The legislation also creates pen- Women’s rights activists hailed alties for newly-defined offences the legislation for broadening the including stalking and voyeurism, in definition of sexual assault to include a move attacked by leading parlia- molestation of private parts and for mentarians who said such actions did doubling the minimum prison sen- not merit punishment. tence for gang-rape to 20 years. “Who amongst us have not fol- It also allows for the death sen- lowed girls?” Sharad Yadav, a veteran tence if a rape victim dies or is left in politician from the regional Janata a persistent vegetative state. Under Dal (United) party said, evoking Activists of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), dressed like prison inmates, protest outside the office of Air India, in Bangalore, existing laws, rapists face a minimum laughter from his fellow male MPs. yesterday. They claimed that the airline transports animals to pharmacuetical laboratories, where they are caged, poisoned, cut, and killed. seven-year jail term. Female Communist Party law- Ranjana Kumari, director of maker Brinda Karat excoriated the the non-profit Centre for Social remarks, saying “parliament shamed Research, praised the decision to India yesterday with its highly sexist, include a penalty for police officials regressive commentary during the Hotel staff deny harassing UK woman who fail to register assault or harass- discussion on the bill”. ment cases filed by women. “It just shows how far-distanced “This will go a long way in ending lawmakers are from actual social AGRA: Two men appeared Sharma said his client was allegedly gang-raped in the cen- The woman, in her early 30s, the culture of shame that surrounds realities,” Karat told AFP. in a court yesterday accused being framed and that the tral state of Madhya Pradesh has told police the hotel man- victims of sexual crimes, so they don’t Some analysts have raised con- of harassing a British tour- woman had cooked up the by a group of villagers late on ager had been pestering her feel afraid to approach police when cerns, however, that the rush to put ist who jumped off her hotel story. Friday, while on a cycling trip with offers of a massage and they are attacked,” Kumari told AFP. tougher penalties in place and defuse balcony fearing a sex attack, “The woman herself asked with her husband that was then tried to force his way into But the bill still had huge holes, she public anger over the issue, may with their lawyer saying they for a wake-up call as she had meant to include a stopover in her room at 4am on Tuesday. added, citing lawmakers’ refusal to create further problems for India’s denied the charges. to catch an early morning train Agra. “I was too scared to leave criminalise marital rape or raise the already beleaguered justice system. The manager of the three- to Jaipur. The manager, along That attack re-focussed my room as he was waiting punishment for acid attacks, from a Supreme Court lawyer Nikhil star Hotel Agra Mahal, Sachin with the hotel’s security guard, attention on the country’s poor outside. I was kicking the door minimum seven-year jail term to a Mehra, who earlier sat on a govern- Chauhan, and another member went to the room and knocked record on safety for women, and shouting for help but no one proposed life imprisoment. ment-appointed panel looking into of staff were produced before on the door. after thousands took to the came,” the woman was quoted “Their failure to increase punish- sex crime, said the new legislation the local magistrate in the “When they did not get any streets in nationwide protests as saying in a police statement, ment for such a gruesome and com- carried risks of “improper applica- northern city of Agra and were response, they opened the room following the fatal gang-rape of according to Britain’s The Daily monplace crime like acid attacks, tion” by poorly-trained police offi- remanded in judicial custody for with the hotel key. The woman an Indian student on a bus in Telegraph newspaper. where a woman suffers every day for cials. “The police officials don’t even 14 days. then, for reasons best known to New Delhi in December. “I shouted at them to stop the rest of her life clearly sends a understand what stalking means, and Prakash Narayan Sharma, her, jumped off from the bal- The British woman was due harassing me but it continued,” message that they don’t take it seri- they are going to penalise it, without lawyer for the hotel manager, cony,” he told AFP. to return home after recording she said. ously,” she said. The new laws also adequate monitoring of the suspect, told AFP his client would enter He also claimed it was a con- her statement in court. Lawyer Sharma said her alle- make no special provision for incest without proof? It creates many pos- a “not guilty” plea before the spiracy concocted by tourism “She has spoken to her family gations were baseless since the and fail to meet demands from some sibilities for error,” he told AFP. court today and apply for bail. authorities in New Delhi to tar- in the UK and her mother will hotel did not have a licence to lawmakers for tougher sentences for “You need large-scale structural The woman was admitted to nish the image of Agra, which be coming here to take her back offer massage services. child trafficking. reform in this country to remedy this hospital on Tuesday with minor is home to the Taj Mahal and home,” deputy superintendent Meanwhile, the Indian tour- The Criminal Laws (Amendment) crisis. Unless you can provide police leg injuries sustained as she fled is a three-hour drive from the of Agra police Swaranjeet, who ism ministry moved swiftly to Bill, which must now be approved with better training and massively the hotel after the men allegedly capital. uses just one name, told AFP. suspend the three-star rating by the Upper House, was passed increase the number of legal officers, tried to force their way into her The incident came just “The girl is much better, she of the hotel, while police in Agra the same day that a British tourist you are not going to fix anything.” room in the middle of the night. days after a Swiss cyclist was is safe. She is still here.” sealed the premises. AFP jumped off her hotel balcony in the AFP

Bracing for Holi Egypt likely to introduce visa on arrival for Indians

NEW DELHI: Visas on arrival, more direct flights and cultural exhibitions across India are some of the steps Egypt will take to woo Indian tourists, it was announced yesterday. “India has a huge middle class and upper middle class willing to spend disposable income on travel. We have to focus on this audience,” Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said here. Zaazou is part of the del- A labourer packs coloured powder, known as “gulal”, to be used during the forthcoming spring festival egation of Egyptian ministers and of Holi, near Siliguri, yesterday. Holi will be celebrated on March 27. business leaders led by President Mohammeed Mursi. “We are looking at granting visa on arrival to Indian tour- ists as well as (have) more direct Auditor detects numerous flights from Delhi,” said Zaazou. At present, four direct flights operate weekly to Egypt but only from Mumbai. mistakes in Kerala Lotteries In addition, festivals that will offer potential Indian travellers KOCHI: State-owned Kerala published as ticket number “The fact remains that in a taste of Egypt’s culture with Lotteries has never made TH-339602, but the real winner addition to the mental agony food, dance, handicrafts, clothes a loss since its inception in was ticket number IR-339602. suffered by the incorrect and leather products will begin in 1967, but the latest report of When the published ticket claimant, it resulted in a com- major cities in three-four months, the CAG reveals that all’s not holder came to receive the prize, pensation of Rs200,000 paid Zaazou told IANS. well with the department. the department realised the by the department,” the CAG Quoting UN figures, Zaazou In its report released on mistake. Taking into account commented. said the number of Indians who Tuesday, the Comptroller and the mental agony suffered by According to the govern- visited Egypt in 2010 was over Auditor General covered an the claimant for non-disbursal ment, Kerala Lotteries is head- 114,000. audit period from 2006 to 2011. of his claim, the government ing for an all-time high sale However, political unrest in Numerous defects like multiple gave him Rs200,000 as special of tickets, expected to exceed 2011 brought this down to 73,000. claims, mistake in publication compensation. Rs25bn. It went up marginally to 82,000 in of prize-winning ticket and “The department said that The lottery has around 2012. George Nader El Beblawy of absence of validation controls, this occurred due to a mistake 40,000 authorised agents and the Egyptian Tourism Federation among others, were found. in the computer system and over 1,00,000 retail sellers of its admitted that more money should The most curious case that measures were being taken tickets in the state. These are be pumped in promotional activi- surfaced was one in which the to ensure correct results are people whose livelihood depends ties to promote Egypt in India. second prize for the Onam uploaded,” the CAG statement on the lottery. IANS Bumper Lottery-2011 was read. IANS THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME Daily Variety News in Numbers INFANT goes out of MORTALITYCHART: RATE1 Fajr (Dawn) 4:21 print after Shorook (Sunrise) 5:38 Zuhr (Noon) 11:41 80 years Asr (Afternoon) 3:08 LOS ANGELES: The vener- able Hollywood trade magazine Maghrib (Sunset) 5:46 Daily Variety published its last Isha (Night) 7:16 printed edition on Tuesday, end- ing an 80-year era by beckoning readers to a recently revamped website and announcing plans WEATHER to launch a new weekly version of the publication. Today Friday Saturday Weather The glossy magazine, under Conditions: new ownership since last autumn, Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Chance of rain Cloudy with bid farewell to its daily paper- chance of and-ink audience in a front-page scattered inset headline. “This marks the The rate of infant mortality per thousand live High: 25° High:28° High:28° rain may be last official print version of Daily Low: 21° Low: 19° Low: 21° thundery at times Variety, which reported what births declined from 8.2 deaths per thousand becoming partly happened yesterday,” the maga- cloudy later with zine said. “For news of what live births in 2005 to slight dust. happened two minutes ago, keep going to Variety.com, which will DOHA - SUN & SEA be updated constantly.” Long considered the bible of the SUN TIDE SEA entertainment industry, Variety WIND said it would merge the editorial 7.4 in 2011 SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW 05:38 17:46 00:15&00:00 16:45&00:00 10-18/25 KT content and staff of Daily Variety and its weekly international sister publication, known simply as Variety, Infant mortality rate per thousand live THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW to form a new weekly printed edi- HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER tion that will debut on March 26 and births during (2005 to 2011) publish every Tuesday. Variety said MUSCAT 35/24 Mostly cloudy 33/23 Partly cloudy its new weekly publication and  MAKKAH 32/20 Clear 33/25 Clear the website would continue the KUWAIT 25/18 Clear 27/19 Clear daily magazine’s insider emphasis BAHRAIN 27/20 Chance of rain 27/20 Clear on the business of entertainment, 8.2 8.1 SANAA 24/12 Chance of storms 25/12 Chance of storms with expanded in-depth coverage.  7.5 7.7 7.4 RIYADH 25/11 Chance of rain 27/13 Partly cloudy The move reflects forces shap- 7.0 6.8 DUBAI 30/21 Chance of rain 26/20 Partly cloudy ing much of American print- BAGHDAD 25/13 Clear 27/15 Mostly cloudy based journalism, as an increasing number of newspapers have either  THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW shifted all their content online or stopped publishing a physical HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER edition on a daily basis. Variety’s  website was relaunched on March ATHENS 19/11 Chance of rain 17/09 Clear 1 with a new format eliminating Sources : http://www.qtel.qa/ WASHINGTON 05/-1 Cloudy 09/01 Mostly cloudy the subscription “pay wall” and SYDNEY 32/21 Chance of rain 30/18 Chance of rain providing free access to all its  LONDON 08/04 Partly cloudy 07/01 Cloudy content. Variety was founded in PARIS 10/04 Cloudy 12/08 Partly cloudy 1905 in New York as a weekly ISTANBUL 18/11 Cloudy 13/04 Chance of rain publication covering the vaude- MANILA 33/25 Partly cloudy 33/25 Partly cloudy ville circuit and in 1933 spawned  DHAKA 36/22 Partly cloudy 36/23 Partly cloudy Daily Variety in Hollywood, where 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 DELHI 34/20 Clear 33/20 Partly cloudy it grew into the entertainment ISLAMABAD 28/14 Partly cloudy 28/18 Partly cloudy industry’s leading paper of record. Source : http://www.qsa.gov.qa/ REUTERS

Gig cancelled over gallery Coming... glasses-free 3D for cellphone damage fear PARIS: Fancy watching a technology that gives 3D for full the two eyes both see the same for images displayed at a normal be “close to 180 degrees,” they add. movie on your mobile phone, parallax,” said David Fattal, who picture on the screen. 3D imaging, video rate, as the demands in “This current prototype is com- LONDON: Britain’s pres- where figures leap out from the led a team at Hewlett-Packard therefore, has to present a slightly pixel density are just too great. pletely transparent and we think tigious Victoria and Albert screen in 3D, rather as Princess Laboratories in Palo Alto, different image to each eye. The new “autostereoscopic that even using a modulating Museum said yesterday it Leia did in that scene from California. Glasses-based systems work multiview display” uses a back- device to achieve video rates, we had been forced to cancel “Star Wars”? “For example, if you were by having two lenses that each light whose surface has been can still retain most of the trans- a concert by “grind metal” That’s the claim made by to display a 3D image of Planet polarise the light in different etched with tiny refractors. parency,” said Fattal. band Napalm Death because US researchers, who yesterday Earth with the North Pole facing directions, or by having cheap- Each of these microscopic In commentary also carried by of fears that the music will reported they had made a display out from the screen, by turning and-cheerful — and headache- deflectors send individual points Nature, University of Cambridge quite literally bring the which gives a three-dimensional your head around the display, you inducing — lenses of red and of light in specific directions. computer specialist Neil Dodgson house down. image that can be viewed without would actually be able to have a green. In the first case, the dis- These individual pixels, put said major challenges lay ahead The British band had been special glasses and is intended for view of any country on the globe, play has two simultaneous images, together, comprise the different before the exploit would be com- scheduled to play a daring con- cellphones, tablets and watches. you would be able to see all the way each with different polarisation; images sent to each eyeball. mercially viable. The new illumi- cert at the museum tomorrow Unlike the holographic projec- around,” Fattal told journalists in in the second, the two images have The demonstration models can nation system has much smaller through a ceramic sculpture tion used in George Lucas’ movie a telebriefing. Diffractive optics red and green outlines. send light in 14 distinct viewing pixels than mobile devices today, which — if all had gone to plan fantasy, their small prototype dis- meet a challenge posed by the Current glasses-free systems, directions, providing the 3D effect so more work has to be done to — would have exploded under play is flat and backlit. human anatomy, according to the including some mobiles, use thin in an angle of 90 degrees at a dis- ensure that picture quality — the force of their music. But the It uses a technology called dif- study, published on Wednesday by lenses called lenticules or paral- tance of up to a metre (3.25 feet). which depends on pixel density museum has now concluded fractive optics to give 3D images the journal Nature. lax barriers that send an image Tests have been carried out with — is not lost. that not only would the ceramic that can be viewed from multiple Humans view the world stere- towards each eye. images or footage, at 30 frames Another hurdle is to have the sculpture explode, but chunks angles, even if the device is tilted. oscopically, meaning that our two But the 3D effect is limited and per second, of flowers, a turtle or device manufactured “reliably, of the rest of the 150-year-old “Unlike a lot of technology out eyes see two slightly different can only be perceived if the viewer a corporate logo. The scientists robustly and in quantity,” which building might come down with there that only does so-called images because they are sepa- is positioned in a narrow zone so said the design can be ramped up may take years, said Dodgson, it. “It is with regret that we horizontal parallax, which means rated by about six centimetres that the correct eye gets the cor- to produce up to 64 directions, who also pointed to the expense have taken the decision to can- that you only see 3D when you (two and a half inches). rect image. The best option would further widening the viewing of providing content filmed in 3D cel the one-off Napalm Death move your head left and right, 2D screening provides only a be Princess Leia-style holography. zone. Using glass of high refrac- in order to provide the multiple performance in collaboration we actually are talking about a single flat image, which means But right now, this cannot be used tive index, the field of view could images. AFP with our ceramic artist-in- residence Keith Harrison,” it said in a statement. “This was due to take place Spring spirits in the Europe Galleries which are currently being refur- bished and a further safety Measles contagious inspection has revealed con- cerns that the high level of decibels generated by the on planes: Study concert would damage the historic fabric of the building.” SYDNEY: Measles can be spread on planes in rows far beyond The V&A said that while infected passengers, a Australian study showed yesterday, raising it wanted to stage “exciting” questions over control guidelines for the disease. events, “the safety of our visi- Australian policy, which is similar to that of the United States and tors and building remains our Europe, calls for travellers seated in the same row, and in two rows in priority at all times”. front of and two rows behind the patient, to be contacted. The band, whose albums But new research published at the annual scientific meeting of the include titles such as “From Australian Society for Infectious Diseases in Canberra shows that Enslavement to Obliteration”, this approach may be missing half of the cases transmitted on flights. were not available for com- The research by Gary Dowse from Western Australia’s Communicable ment. Vocalist Mark “Barney” Disease Control Directorate and colleagues said there was a low risk of Greenway said before the can- catching measles on a plane in Australia, where the disease has been cellation that the band liked eliminated. But in those cases where an infection was transmitted, it to explore the concept of took an average of eight days before the patient was diagnosed, health “sound as a weapon”. officials informed, airlines and customs contacted and the passengers’ “The noise element of details retrieved. music should never be under- By this time, the window in which to administer a vaccine or other stated and this exhibition at preventative medical help had been lost, Dowse said. “So in most the V&A will hopefully dem- instances our policy is ineffective because we find out too late,” he said onstrate that music can do ahead of the release of the study. “And despite the policy, more than interesting things beyond the half the secondary cases that are going to occur are seated outside the realms of clipped production two rows.” The study looked at all measles cases notified in Australia techniques,” he said. AFP between January 2007 to June 2011 in which the patient was likely to A honeybee approaches a snowdrop flower in Klosterneuburg, Austria, on the first day of spring, yesterday. have been infectious while travelling on a plane. AFP Thursday 21 March 2013 9 Jumada I 1434 Volume 18 Number 5645 Price: QR2

Qatar Steel report bags accolades

Business | 18

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Rapid growth in Islamic banking assets Qatar’s transparent regulatory environment helped Islamic assets grow by 23pc last year: Ernst & Young report

DOHA: Qatar has been ranked conventional industry leader, The Global Islamic banking Based on current growth forecast, GCC. “Quality of growth remains as well as the regulators. Where as the country where Islamic Islamic banks are comparable in assets with commercial banks Islamic financial institutions will under pressure and we expect such information is available, the banking assets grew fastest in size to conventional peers. Large reached $1.8trn in 2013, repre- require at least $400bn of short more Islamic banks initiating analysis remains very rudimen- 2012. infrastructure spend will fuel senting average annual growth term, credible, liquid and secu- an honest introspection of their tary and has not really translated The country’s Islamic banking continued profitable growth for of 17 percent. Islamic banking rities for liquidity and capital operating model, especially with to a true competitive advantage,” assets were estimated to have the banking industry, the report growth outlook continues to be management purposes, by 2015. regards to the weak data manage- remarked Nazim. grown by more than 23 percent noted. positive, growing 50 percent Market opportunity will drive ment infrastructure,” he noted. On the Gulf’s Islamic banks’ during last year. Qatar’s regula- The E&Y estimated that faster than overall banking sec- more Islamic banks to set up Previously, the consultancy had operating model he said in com- tory clarity has helped its Islamic Shariah-compliant assets at com- tor in several core markets. Top international platforms to offer estimated the Islamic institutions parison to their conventional banks to achieve the high growth mercial banks in the GCC region 20 Islamic banks make up 55 per- Islamic fixed income advisory accounted for about a quarter of banking peers, Islamic banks rate, said the report by the Ernst climbed 14.1 per cent from a year cent of the total Islamic banking services. the entire banking industry in the remain technologically disadvan- & Young Global Islamic Banking earlier to $445bn at the end of assets and are concentrated in 7 Ashar Nazim, the partner at GCC. taged as software systems are Center. 2012. While Islamic banking countries, including GCC. E&Y Global Islamic Banking “Inability of most Islamic banks primarily designed for financial There is potential for a strong assets posted solid growth the The report said several Arab Center said he expected a rela- to generate accurate data and on institutions based on conventional Islamic capital market play in conventional banking assets grew spring markets are expected to tively positive outlook for the time remains a serious concern banking frameworks. Qatar in future. Barring the by only 8.1 per cent . launch Islamic banking initiatives. Islamic banking industry in the for the management, the board THE PENINSULA Qatar imported more Australia’s LNG ambitions cars in Q4 last year DOHA: Qatar imported more from where the imports were automobiles in the fourth accessed. The UAE which is and last quarter (October to responsible for large volumes of December) of 2012 than the re-exports maintained its fourth previous three-month period position among the exporters to even as its foreign trade sur- Qatar, followed by Germany. plus fell slightly in that quar- Liquefied natural gas (LNG) ter over the third one. exports, the mainstay of Qatari A highlight was that more exports, dipped marginally in cars were imported in the last the last quarter to QR43.3bn quarter with the imports rising ($11.86bn) from QR47.13bn QR236m ($64.65m) to QR2.66m ($12.91bn) in the previous one. ($728m) from QR2.42m Crude oil export volumes were ($663m) in the previous three almost half of those of the LNG, months of July to September. at QR22.74bn, and were slightly Qatar’s foreign trade sur- less than the third quarter fig- plus was marginally down to ure of QR23.22bn, according to QR96.7bn ($26.49bn) in the the Qatar Statistics Authority. final quarter, from QR99.2bn The third largest items of ($27.17bn) in the July to imports were condensates, fol- September period. lowed by propane, naphtha and Preliminary estimates butane and low and high den- released by the national sta- sity polyethylene (LDPE and tistics agency show that auto- HDPE) that find widespread mobiles were the largest item industrial use. of imports in the two quarters Exports totalled QR120.4bn (third and fourth) followed by ($33bn), reflecting a marginal aircraft and helicopter accesso- drop of 1.6 percent over the ries. Imports totalled QR23.74bn third quarter but showing a ($6.5bn) in the final quarter, high 9.9 percent year-on-year slightly up over the previous growth. Japan, South Korea quarter (QR23.27bn), with the and India were the three largest US, China and Japan ranking as destinations of Qatari exports. An Australian LNG vessel sails off the coast of Western Australia. Australia has surpassed Qatar as the largest LNG supplier to Japan, the world’s the first three top destinations THE PENINSULA single biggest buyer of the super-cooled fossil fuel, and with another $100bn of projects under review, it could well become the Saudi Arabia of LNG. Dubai plans to modernise QNB agent for Al Meera dividend DOHA: QNB has been Al Meera said yesterday local and international banks announced as the agent for pay- shareholders who are registered according to the relevant terms ing out Al Meera dividend for with QNB’s electronic dividend and conditions. management of Awqaf the financial year 2012 receipt service or Qatar Exchange For cash dividend of more Al Meera’s Ordinary General will have their dividend entered than QR100,000 shareholders can DUBAI: A fund manage- struggling to boost private sector endowments owned over 50 per- Assembly Meeting held on directly into their accounts. receive their cash through QNB ment venture set up in Dubai growth. cent of real estate in major cities March 11 approved the distribu- All shareholders will be able to shareholders services centre in this month is taking aim at A movement to apply mod- and a third of farmland. Some tion of 80 percent of the nomi- receive their dividends in cash for Qatar Sports Club. Shareholders one of the great backwaters of ern management techniques to imperial awqaf even functioned nal share value as cash dividend. a maximum of QR100,000 at all have to produce all the necessary the Middle Eastern economy: Awqaf is now emerging and if as an early form of social security. Shareholders who are holders of branches of QNB today or they documents to prove their rights Islamic endowments, which it succeeds in boosting returns, The endowments waned in the the company's shares at the end can submit a request to transfer to receive dividend when they are control tens of billions of dollars Middle Eastern financial markets 19th and early 20th centuries of the trading on March 10 are their cash dividend directly into going to any branch of QNB. of assets around the region. and economies could benefit. as the Ottaman state and other entitled to receive their dividends. their accounts at QNB or other THE PENINSULA The endowments, known as Basic changes in asset man- authorities increasingly inter- Awqaf, receive donations from agement methods could improve vened in their operations. But Muslims to operate specific social Awqaf yields globally by between they are still important; Safa projects, such as mosques, schools 1.5 and 2 percentage points, Investment Services, a Swiss- and welfare schemes. according to consultants Ernst Saudi venture which caters to Over the past few decades, as & Young. them, estimates Awqaf in Saudi UAE mulls awarding Bab gas project to Shell Middle Eastern populations have This could see up to $2.5bn of Arabia alone now control between grown and the Gulf’s oil industry additional returns from Awqaf $100bn and $250bn of assets. ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi ahead of rival French bidder a project which has been valued has boomed, Awqaf have amassed assets ploughed back through There is little data on the National Oil Co (ADNOC) has Total to develop the ultra-sour at $10bn. a vast array of assets, from real Islamic financial institutions extent to which endowments’ recommended that Shell win gas project the United Arab “Shell’s selection is recom- estate to cash holdings, equities every year, said Ashar Nazim, returns lag professionally man- the multi-billion dollar project Emirates needs to temper grow- mended to the higher authori- and even valuable books. Islamic financial services leader aged funds, because the vast to develop its Bab gas field, but ing gas imports. ties,” a senior source at ADNOC But the management of these at the firm. majority of Awqaf do not disclose the UAE’s higher authorities Three industry sources con- said. assets has failed to keep up with “Awqaf can be a source of long- full financial figures. have yet to rule on it, industry firmed yesterday that ADNOC The Bab ultra-sour gas deal their expansion; money is often term liabilities that the industry But since Awqaf have tra- sources said yesterday. had recommended Shell ahead of would give Shell, which many had tied up in property or bank is desperately seeking,” he said. ditionally been run mainly by Industry newsletter Total to tackle Bab’s potentially expected would win the contract deposits that earn miniscule or Awqaf reached their heyday administrators rather than International Oil Daily reported deadly gas. to develop Abu Dhabi’s Shah gas even zero returns, analysts of the during the Ottoman empire, return-maximising investment on Tuesday that state-run The SPC and EC usually agree field in 2011 but which lost out to industry say. which ruled much of the Middle managers, the underperform- ADNOC had recommended that with ADNOC decisions, but as of Occidental Petroleum , a show- That imposes a heavy eco- East for centuries. Historians ance is believed to be consider- the Supreme Petroleum Council Wednesday neither had ruled on case project for Shell gas treat- nomic cost on a region which is estimate that an one stage, the able. REUTERS (SPC) pick Royal Dutch Shell whether to officially award Shell ment technology. REUTERS THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

IIRA assigns Day of mixed fiduciary ratings to QIIB trading for DOHA: Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) has assigned a national scale rating of A+/A-1 (Q R) (A plus/A- one) to Qatar International GCC bourses Islamic Bank (QIIB). On the international scale, IIRA has assigned a foreign cur- Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi indexes gain rency and local currency rating of A-/A-1 (A minus/ DUBAI/DOHA: Renewed YESTERDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS A-one). Outlook on the rat- selling pressure from foreign QATAR: The index gained 0.1 per- ing is ‘Stable’. investors dragged down Egypt’s cent to 8,578 points. The fiduciary score has bourse to a 14-week low yes- been assessed in the range SAUDI ARABIA: The index climbed terday on the back of a gloomy of ‘70-75’, reflecting strong economic backdrop, while other 0.3 percent to 7,095 points. fiduciary standards wherein regional markets were mixed. BAHRAIN: The index gained 0.3 rights of fund providers are Qatar Exchange traded in percent to 1,119 points. adequately defined and pro- the green area yesterday adding DUBAI: The index slipped 0.7 per- tected. The fiduciary score 8.23 points (or 0.10 percent) to cent to 1,898 points. is an aggregation of scores advance to 8,578.37 points from ABU DHABI: The index declined assigned to its three sub- 8,570.14 Tuesday. sections, namely Corporate 0.7 percent to 3,018 points. The volume of the shares traded The Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, H E Dr Mohammed and Shariah Governance, KUWAIT: The index advanced 0.09 fell to 2,992,836 from 5,636,569 on bin Saleh Al Sada, presenting the award to a Qatar Steel executive. and Asset Manager Quality. Tuesday, and the value of shares percent to 6,826 points. The fiduciary score captures decreased to QR140,362,435.88 OMAN: The index edged up 0.03 the role of the management from QR317,128,950.72 on percent to 6,133 points. of the institution as Mudarib, Tuesday. EGYPT: The index fell 1.6 percent the entity’s governance prac- Among the top gainers were to 5,162 points. Qatar Steel honoured for tices and compliance with Industries Qatar which was up Shariah principles adopted 1.04 percent to QR156, Qatar a three-month high. Saudi Basic by the bank. Insurance rose 0.98 percent Industries Corp, the world’s larg- Incorporated in 1990, QIIB to QR51.50, Qatar Navigation est chemicals producer, gained is one of the four Islamic gained 1.06 percent to QR67 and 0.8 percent. Yanbu National sustainability reporting banks in Qatar, with a market National Leasing was up by 0.70 Petrochemical climbed 2.4 percent share of 4 percent in terms percent to Q35.75. and National Industrialization DOHA: Qatar Steel was produced as per the directives National Development Strategy of country-wide deposits. The Banking and Financial sec- (Tasnee) advanced 1.3 percent. recently awarded, among some of the company’s board in this 2011-2016. In this respect, we are The largest shareholder of tor index was fell 0.17 points while Despite weak earnings growth leading industrial companies in respect, demonstrating the com- keen to turn all our industrial the bank is Sheikh Thani bin Consumer Goods and Services in 2012 and worries of slowing Qatar, for excellence in sustain- pany’s commitment to the long- operations to be environment- Abdullah Al Thani family, a sector index added 0.03 points. global demand, investors are bull- ability reporting. term growth and development, as friendly, by reducing its envi- prominent business family The industrial sector was gained ish on the petrochemical sector in The awards ceremony was well as various sustainability ini- ronmental impact through using in Qatar, while the other 0.46 points while insurance sector the medium-term. held under the auspices of the tiatives and projects undertaken state-of-the-art production tech- significant shareholder is the rose 0.63 points. The index added 0.3 percent. Minister of Energy and Industry, by Qatar Steel. nology and continuous improve- Qatar Investment Authority Elsewhere, Egypt’s government It has been trading within a tight and Chairman of and Managing Ali bin Hasan Al Muraikhi, ment of efficiency,” he added. (QIA), the investment arm of is battling a budget deficit and range, lagging gains on global Director of Qatar Petroleum H E Director and General Manager Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Ansari, the Qatar government, IIRA currency crisis and investors are markets but has upside potential, Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada. of Qatar Steel said that ward- Commercial Division Manager at noted. becoming increasingly sceptical Waheed added. Qatar Steel, among seven ing Qatar Steel for excellence in Qatar Steel, said that honouring Ratings assigned are pri- over the prospects of the coun- Markets in the UAE declined large-scale leading industrial sustainability report is certainly participants in the sustainable marily driven by robust asset try obtaining a multi-billion dol- as short-term traders locked in companies in Qatar, was awarded attributed to the continual sup- development report is a pride quality, a low administrative lar loan from the International gains from an early-year rally. the runner-up certificate for its port and wise directives of Qatar to all local industrial companies, cost structure and consist- Monetary Fund. Dubai’s index slipped 0.7 per- commitment towards sustainable Steel’s Chairman and Board of and it is distinct evidence that ent operating profitability. Cairo’s main benchmark cent. It has been trading in a development, and for the quality Directors that helped achieve this sector is totally committed Ratings also draw on sponsor dropped 1.6 percent to its lowest 100-point range since hitting a and credibility of its sustainable the highest performance levels to sustainable development. strength and the strong pos- close since December 13. Foreign 39-month peak on February 24. report. in producing the report. “No doubt that launching sus- sibility of support available to investors were net sellers, accord- Retail investors are book- Qatar Steel’s 2012 sustain- “Such an award reflects our tainability awards for excellence the bank if needed. Business ing to bourse data. Heavyweight ing profits intermittently, with ability report included a com- relentless commitment to sus- in sustainable reports, would diversification both in terms Orascom Construction Industries the benchmark up 17 percent prehensive demonstration of tainable development, and our encourage companies to produce of fund sourcing, asset selec- and Commercial International this year. Abu Dhabi’s measure the company’s performance in constant efforts to preserve the more productive, creative and tion and cultivating ancillary Bank fell 1.7 and 1.8 percent retreated 0.7 percent, but is up environmental, social and eco- environment, in line with Qatar innovative reports in the future,” sources of income would add respectively. Orascom Telecom 14.7 percent year-to-date. First nomic domains. The report was National Vision 2013, and the he added. THE PENINSULA to the institution’s resilience. lost 2.4 percent. Gulf Bank weighed yesterday, THE PENINSULA In Saudi Arabia, petrochemical dropping 1.9 percent. stocks helped lift the measure to REUTERS/QNA

QATARI MARKET Doha Bank’s Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P Qatar Govt 5.15% 4/9/2014 USD 104.69 0.62 % Aa2 AA FCRs affirmed by Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 105.94 1.52 % Aa2 AA Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 124.25 2.24 % Aa2 AA ratings agency Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 117.13 2.51 % Aa2 AA Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 112.06 2.94 % Aa2 AA DOHA: Capital Intelligence Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 169.50 4.09 % Aa2 AA (CI), the international credit Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 128.75 4.54 % Aa2 AA ratings agency, has affirmed Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 120.00 4.50 % Aa2 AA Doha Bank’s Long- and Short- Term Foreign Currency Ratings Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 105.13 1.26 % Aa2 AA (FCR) at ‘A’ and ‘A2’, respec- Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 114.00 2.87 % Aa2 AA tively, reflecting the Bank’s Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 105.75 1.45 % A1 A- intrinsic financial condition, Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.63 2.18 % A1 A- the continued strong economic QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.50 2.03 % NR NR growth in Qatar. QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 103.75 1.67 % Aa3 A+ Based on the strength of the QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 104.63 2.14 % Aa3 A+ Qatari government’s balance sheet and Qatar Investment Authority’s Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.75 2.25 % A2 A- (QIA’s) significant shareholding Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 105.63 1.74 % A2 A in the bank, the Support Rating Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 130.94 2.48 % A2 A is affirmed at ‘2’. A ‘Positive’ Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 111.63 3.08 % A2 A Outlook is appended to the Long- Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 110.75 3.91 % A2 A Term FCR to reflect the expected Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 106.75 1.00 % Aa3 A improvement in DB’s overall Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 108.13 3.37 % Aa3 A credit profile upon completion Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 111.38 3.56 % Aa3 A of the rights issue currently in process and the anticipated GDR The Vice Chairman of Mannai Corporation, Sheikh Suhaim bin Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani (fourth left), along with SOVEREIGNS placements. other directors, pose after the AGM of the company in Doha, yesterday. SALIM MATRAMKOT Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P The Financial Strength Rating Abu Dhabi Govt 5.5% 4/8/2014 USD 105.13 0.53 % Aa2 AA (FSR) is affirmed at ‘A’, on ‘Stable’ Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 125.75 2.18 % Aa2 AA Outlook, based on the anticipated improvement in the capital posi- Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 110.50 2.39 % NR NR tion, improved asset quality and Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 107.25 3.01 % NR NR loss reserve coverage, and the Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 124.25 3.99 % NR NR Mannai unveils new logo Bank’s domestic and international Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 117.31 4.15 % NR NR franchise. Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 105.63 0.90 % Aa2 AA The FSR remains constrained BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB he highlighted the financial per- board of directors’ proposal for Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 115.31 3.29 % NR BBB by: tight liquidity, particularly in formance of Mannai in 2012. The the distribution of cash dividend Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 110.00 3.86 % NR BBB terms of a still high net loans to DOHA: Mannai Corporation Extraordinary General Assembly of 47.5 percent (QR4.75 per share) customer deposits ratio, with some QSC (Qatar Exchange: MCCS), meeting was also held after the on the increased share capital of Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 92.50 7.11 % B3 /*- B- dependence on interbank borrow- yesterday unveiled its new logo General Assembly meeting at the QR456.19m. Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 106.38 3.53 % NR BBB- ings; by market pressure on net after 60 years at the its Annual same venue. For the sharp increase in its *Periodic Distribution Amount IMPORTANT NOTE: interest margins; and by low inter- General Assembly (AGM) The company’s net profit for the profits, the group attributed Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which nal capital generation due to high meeting. financial year ended December 31, to the acquisition of a stake in is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services dividend payouts. Robust economic The new logo, that represents 2012, increased by 43 percent to Damas in the second quarter of Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary conditions provide significant sup- Mannai Corporation’s global aspi- QR400m compared with QR279m 2012. data and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising port to the ratings, despite the rations, was unveiled by Sheikh in 2011, according to the financials On behalf of Sheikh Hamad out of the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not take into account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds small size of the Qatari banking Suhaim bin Abdulla bin Khalifa of the Company. bin Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani, can and does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant market in terms of population. Al Thani, Vice Chairman of the The company also registered a Chairman of the Company, Sheikh liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not Doha Bank is raising additional Company and Alekh Grewal, sharp increase in its revenues by Suhaim said that the board’s a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and capital through a rights issue, Group CEO and Director of 108 percent to QR4.77bn in 2012 medium term strategy, has three consult your financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. likely to be followed by a further 25 MCCS. as compared to QR2.29bn during main aims: To maintain a strong percent increase through a GDR The General Assembly Meeting, the corresponding period in 2011. capital base for growth, expansion placement, which is expected to which took place at Grand Hyatt The earnings per share (EPS) of the company’s overseas earn- allow the bank to grow its loan Hotel, was Chaired by Sheikh was up by 16 percent to QR10.43 ings and the continued develop- assets and gross income at a Suhaim. During his address to compared to QR9.01 in 2011. ment of its core business in Qatar. higher rate. THE PENINSULA the shareholders of the company, The meeting also reviewed the THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19

Main stay of Wichita economy Airlines see Banks deal blow to profits rising 58 percent Cyprus businesses this year

Authorities block online electronic fund transfers GENEVA: The global airlines body IATA predicted yesterday NICOSIA: Cyprus closed its businessman whose products are splitting the sector into good and that the industry would increase banks this week to avert a run imported from Europe, including bad lenders, state radio reports. “I profits by 58 percent this year, on savings and secure a bailout Germany and the Netherlands. can’t make any transactions with driven by growing passenger for its near-bankrupt economy, Before dawn on Saturday, after my account,” lamented Gatienne and cargo demand in emerging but the move has dealt another about 10 hours of negotiations, the Thibaut, who runs a French res- markets and better prospects blow to companies already hit eurozone and the International taurant. “I will lose the confidence for the world economy. by the global financial crisis. Monetary Fund agreed to provide of my suppliers in France. They’ll But IATA, the International Air Banks in debt-hit Cyprus will ¤10bn ($13bn) to bail out Cyprus. say ‘Even if she wants to pay me, Transport Association, warned stay closed until at least Tuesday, But under the deal, Nicosia she can’t’. that the spin-off from the Cyprus a Central Bank official said after had to come up with ¤5.8bn of its “We have been taken hostage banking crisis and its effect on the the authority issued a decree own by imposing a one-off levy of when we have nothing to do with stability of the euro could reverse stating banks will not open their between 6.75 and 9.9 percent on all it,” she said furiously. the upward trend in total indus- doors today and tomorrow. bank deposits, sparking outrage Alexandros Mitides, who runs try revenues. With Monday a scheduled bank among savers. a family business that sells mar- The grouping which represents holiday, the official said there was With banks closed on Saturdays, ble, said he had already been hit some 80 percent of global carriers, no prospect of banking resuming Cypriots panicked and rushed to hard by the crisis over the “last said it expects them to make a net before Tuesday. cash points, some of which were two, three years. I used to have profit of $10.6bn in 2013, up from Cyprus banks have now been depleted within hours over the 15 employees for many years and an earlier forecast of $8.4bn and closed since Saturday to prevent a long holiday weekend before being today only two, and they work well above the $6.7bn achieved in run on accounts after the govern- refilled on Tuesday. Banks have half days. Nobody is paying,” he 2012. ment clinched a deal for a bailout remained shut for another two said, adding: “We are just trying “Against a backdrop of that slapped a one-time levy of up days as the government scram- to survive.” improved optimism for global to 9.9 percent on bank deposits. bled to drop the levy on deposits Co-operative Societies chief economic prospects, passenger “We cannot buy, we cannot sell,” under ¤20,000, but even that was Constantinos Lyras said the clo- demand has been strong and said Costakis Sophoclides, the flatly rejected by furious members sure of banks is crippling the cargo markets are starting to director of a frozen goods com- of parliament. Cypriot economy. “The more days grow again,” Tony Tyler, IATA’s pany who usually goes to banks in To prevent a run on the banks, the banks remain closed, the more director general and chief execu- order to pay his suppliers. the Cypriot authorities have also the uncertainty increases,” he told tive, told a news conference. “A lot of my customers are blocked online electronic funds the official CNA news agency. “It’s a small step in the right hotels and restaurants... and we transfers. After being closed for “My opinion is that banks direction. It will raise the airline cannot supply them... I have 25 six days, it is still uncertain when should open as soon as possible. industry’s net profit margin to 1.6 employees now but next week I the banks will reopen. I hope the right decisions are percent,” he said. In 2012, profit- will have no products in my stores. The authorities are working on taken, because if the haircut is Cessna employee Ralph Hughes works on some switches on the Cessna ability was just one percent. “What will happen? We don’t legislation to restrict the outflow not approved, without any other Caravan business aircraft assembly line at their manufacturing plant in Leading the field in expected know when we will get paid of cash from the country once they solution there will be heightened Wichita, Kansas. Aviation has been a central part of Wichita’s economy absolute revenue growth, based and if we will get paid,” said the do open their doors again, and panic.” AFP since the first commercially built aircraft in the US were produced at on figures for the first quarter, are the plant in the 1920s. airlines in the Asia-Pacific region where China’s domestic travel market is expanding rapidly, said the body’s chief economist Brian Pearce. Overall revenue for the indus- try is now expected to hit $671 Britain sticks to austerity path in budget billion this year, $12bn up on the earlier forecast issued at the end LONDON: Britain will stick “We are slowly but surely fixing people... It is taking longer than was expected to grow by just estimate of £99.3bn. Osborne of 2012, and versus $637bn in firmly to a barrage of auster- our country’s economic problems,” anyone hoped but we must hold 0.6 percent this year compared said that the problems in euro- 2012. But costs — mainly related ity measures, finance minister Osborne said, as he unveiled a to the right track.” with a previous forecast of 1.2 zone member Cyprus, where sav- to fuel — were also expected to George Osborne insisted yes- series of measure aimed at boost- Osborne was referring to his percent, according to estimates ers are threatened with helping rise by $9bn to $10bn, according terday in a budget that also ing growth, including far-reach- so-called Plan A — backed by issued by the Office for Budget to fund an international bailout, to IATA. slashed economic growth fore- ing infrastructure projects, while Prime Minister David Cameron — Responsibility (OBR) yesterday. “are further evidence that the cri- The Geneva-based body said casts, while offering plans to insisting that Britain was set to to drive down a record budget def- Economic growth guidance sis is not over and the situation passenger traffic is expected to boost the weak economy as the escape a new recession. icit inherited from the previous for 2014 was also cut to 1.8 per- remains very worrying”. rise by 5.4 percent compared with eurozone crisis re-ignites. “We have now cut the (inher- Labour administration in 2010. cent from the previous estimate “Another bout of economic the previous prediction of 4.5 per- Chancellor of the Exchequer ited) deficit, not by a quarter but Osborne’s insistence on driv- of 2.0 percent that was given in storms in the eurozone would hit cent and the 5.3 percent growth Osborne, who is facing calls from by a third,” the chancellor said as ing down state borrowing comes December. Britain’s economic fortunes hard. of 2012. Cargo, which saw negative within his own Conservative he outlined his tax and spending despite the chancellor announcing The OBR meanwhile hiked its Forty percent of all we export... growth of 1.5 percent last year, party to reduce deep cuts to state plans for 2013-14. that the government was halving forecasts for government borrow- (is) to the eurozone.” is likely to be up 2.7 percent, 1.3 spending in a bid to fuel growth, “Despite the progress we have its economic growth forecast for ing, stating that it would stand Britain is a member of the percent more than forecast last told parliament that Britain made there is much more to do 2013. at £108bn ($164bn) in the year European Union but not the sin- December in IATA’s year-end “must hold to the right track.” and today I am going to level with Gross domestic product (GDP) to April 2014 from a previous gle currency bloc. AFP review. REUTERS US oil output to DMCC to launch Islamic commodity trade platform surpass imports DUBAI: Dubai’s government- “What we have built is a com- owned commodities centre is pletely different alternative to launching a Shariah-compliant what is out there. Assets are commodity trading platform really owned, really transferred which Islamic banks in the — scholars can check these and this year: EIA Gulf could use to manage their all contracts are standardised,” short-term fund flows. Tradeflow director Paul Boots WASHINGTON: The US will become a net oil exporter late The Tradeflow platform said. this year as domestic crude production surpasses imports developed by the Dubai Multi “We realised that there was for the first time in 18 years, the Energy Information Commodities Centre (DMCC) a shortage of sharia-compliant Administration (EIA) said yesterday. allows trading of warehouse money market instruments, Helped by a surge in shale-based output in North Dakota and receipts, which represent own- which means Islamic banks end Texas, monthly crude production has pushed past seven million ership of commodities stored at up with large concentrations of barrels a day and could reach eight million barrels a day by the warehouses. cash.” beginning of 2014. Islamic banks cannot use con- The DMCC has operated a Imports meanwhile have dropped below eight million barrels ventional interbank money mar- conventional trading platform a day and should fall below domestic output by the end of 2013, kets because of Islam’s ban on for commodity receipts for years; the EIA said. interest, so they have struggled the Islamic platform now being The EIA said that based on current projections, by the end of with a shortage of instruments to launched tracks the ownership 2014 the US could be producing two million barrels a day more manage liquidity. of commodities in a way which than it imports, a huge turnaround in the country that, until The DMCC hopes its platform gives assurance that a “true sale” China passed it just recently, was the world’s largest oil importer. can be part of the solution to this of commodities is occurring. That The “unconventional” recovery of oil from dense rock strata problem, since warehouse receipts assurance is necessary for Islamic like shale has driven a leap in domestic production in the past are based on actual trading of banks to enter into murabaha three years. Average production rose from 5.5 million barrels a physical assets, an important contracts with each other to place day for the full year 2010 to 6.5 million last year and is projected principle in Islamic finance. their surplus funds. REUTERS to average 7.3 million this year. Imports meanwhile have fallen from 9.2 million barrels in 2010 to a forecast average of 7.6 million for this year. The gains in US crude production, as well as that of Canada, have contributed to softer global prices and cut into sales by the Opec oil cartel, for decades the dominant power in world energy markets. • Bullion - Mumbai Last week Opec, which accounted for around 35 percent of Gold (10 gm) Standard Rs. 29695 world supply in 2012, raised its expectation of production growth by non-Opec suppliers in 2013 by 11 percent to 1.0 million bar- Silver (1 kg) Rs. 54980 rels a day, with the growth mainly coming from North America. • Indian Rupees QR1 = 14.84 “As in the previous year, US oil supply in 2013 is expected • Sensex to achieve the highest growth among all non-Opec countries,” BSE 18884.19 the report said. NSE 5694.40 Last November the International Energy Agency predicted • Short-term investment plan from LIC International upto 6.4 percent return that rising production could by 2020 push the United States p.a. (in dollar) past powerhouse Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil pro- ducer, topping 11 million barrels a day, also counting natural • Housing loan from HDFC LTD gas liquids as well as crude. • Mutual Fund: Buy & Sell: SBI MF, HDFC MF, UTI MF, Birla Sun Life MF, Meanwhile, Andarko Petroleum announced on Tuesday that Tata MF, Reliance MF etc. it had made a major discovery in deepwater Gulf of Mexico with Contact: Investec, Tel: 44325060/44365060 email: [email protected] its Shenandoah-2 well. AFP THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MARKET

QE Indices Summary QE Index 8,578.37 0.10 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Total Return Index 12,111.41 0.10 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 2,560.85 0.19 % RATE QE All Share Index 2,151.97 0.13 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 2,044.15 0.17 % GOLD Buying Selling Services All Ordinaries 4982.559 -21.797 -0.44 5174.4 4664.6 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 5,176.54 0.03 % QR188.7473 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 Services Cac 40 Index/D 3811.81 36.06 0.96 3871.58 3600.81 UK ...... QR 5.4615 QR 5.5377 QE All Share Industrials 2,929.61 0.46 % SILVER QE All Share Insurance 1,911.63 0.63 % Dj Indu Average 14455.82 0 0 14539.3 12035.1 QR 3.3895 Euro ...... QR 4.6832 QR 4.7482 QE All Share Real Estate 1,528.85 0.10 % CA$ ...... QR 3.5199 QR 3.5895 Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 QE All Share Telecoms 1,171.29 0.21 % Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.8311 QR 3.8852 QE All Share Transportation 1,482.93 0.53 % Hang Seng Inde/D 22256.44 214.58 0.97 23944.74 21997.72 Yen ...... QR 0.0378 QR 0.0385 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.7450 QR 3.8195 Iseq Overall/D 3981.24 44.64 1.13 3960.4 3396.67 CRUDE OIL Today Previous day Ind Re ...... QR 0.0664 QR 0.0678 20-03-2013 19-03-2013 Karachi 100 In/D 17753.97 60.6 0.34 18312.65 16036.31 Index 8,578.37 8,570.14 BRENT Pak Re ...... QR 0.0367 QR 0.0375 Change 8.23 44.00 Nikkei 225 Index 12468.23 247.6 2.03 12560.95 10398.61 Peso ...... QR 0.0886 QR 0.0904 % 0.10 0.51 $108.84 SL Re ...... QR 0.0285 QR 0.0292 YTD% 2.63 2.53 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 1563.62 1266.74 DUBAI Taka ...... QR 0.0460 QR 0.0469 Volume 2,992,836 5,636,569 Straits Times/D 3248.4 -20.73 -0.63 3319.19 3160.83 Nep Re ...... QR 0.0417 QR 0.0425 Value (QAR) 140,362,435.88 317,128,950.72 $107.18 Trades 2,102 4,231 SA Rand ...... QR 0.3874 QR 0.3968 Straits Times/D 2989.31 24.69 0.83 3035.78 2657.77 Up 14 | Down 18 | Unchanged 05

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 20-03-2013

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED

A B G INFRA-B/d 48.4 -4.4 5595 CENTURY TEXT-A/d 293.65 -2.25 143222 HCL INFOSYS-B/d 38 -1 150500 KAJARIA CER-B/d 187.65 4.05 35466 ORCHID CHEM-B/d 67.45 -6.6 594033 IMPERIAL TOBAC/d 2355.443 14 547675 A C C-A/d 1148.15 -47.95 44444 CHAMBAL FERT-B/d 48.9 -2.85 246705 HIM.FUT.COMM-B/d 7.87 -0.33 268551 KALPAT POWER-B/d 74.9 -3.5 15834 ORIENT.CARB.-B/d 94.8 0.1 35547 KINGFISHER/d 286 -0.5 1922310 AARTI DRUGS-B/d 191.05 -6.05 3615 CHOLA INVEST-B/d 274.5 -6 3069 HIMAT SEIDE-B/d 32.75 -0.55 13342 KALYANI STEL-B/d 38.05 -1.7 26571 ORIENT.CARB.-B/d 94.8 0.1 35547 LAND SECS GROU/d 819.5 5 360715 ABAN OFFS-B/d 272.45 -10.4 41040 CHOWGULE ST-B/d 11 -0.33 10656 HIND MOTORS-B/d 8.98 -0.38 150933 KG DENIM-B/d 13.72 -0.22 6773 PATSPIN INDIA-/d 3.99 -0.93 183743 LEGAL & GENERA/d 170.6 0.2 3456643 ADOR WELDING-B/d 115.1 -1.95 1657 CIPLA-A/d 388.9 5.65 340082 HIND ORG CHEM-/d 11.42 -0.68 63419 KILBURNENGG-B/d 11.99 0 4760 RADICO KHAIT-B/d 131.85 -2.2 120074 LLOYDS BNK GRP/d 49.27 -0.135 56314715 AEGIS LOGIS-B/d 128.3 -6.55 17127 CITY UNION BK-/d 52.05 -0.5 52536 HIND UNILEVER-/d 468.7 15.3 173666 KIN.MOTOR-B/d 7.65 -0.3 11455 RALLIS INDIA-B/d 117.3 -2.35 25478 MARKS & SP./d 392.8 -5.3 1698570 AHMED.FORG-B/d 115.15 -2.7 28971 CMC LTD-B/d 1306.95 -23.65 1540 HIND.PETROL-A/d 291.9 -1.5 71653 KLG SYSTEL-B/d 13.51 -0.46 4135 RALLIS INDIA-B/d 117.3 -2.35 25478 NEXT/d 4142 32 312666 ALEMBIC-B/d 16.7 0.1 51817 COLGATE-A/d 1317.4 -15 8690 HINDALCO-A/d 90.4 -2.6 1270089 KOPRAN-B/d 14 -0.4 176501 RELIANCE INDUS/d 333.6 -12.4 49642 PEARSON/d 1172 -19 2551142 ALOK INDUS-B/d 7.69 0.01 1481806 DAI-BICHI KAR-/d 40.8 -0.95 1401 HOUS DEV FIN-A/d 780.95 -3.2 45032 LAKSHMI ELEC-B/d 150.1 -2.6 1552 RUCHI SOYA-B/d 65.7 4.6 235876 PRUDENTIAL/d 1112 2 1434946 ANDHRA PAPER-B/d 181.3 -3.5 18521 DCM SHRAM IND-/d 39.1 -1.25 14014 I F C I-A/d 26.65 -1 3183402 LAKSHMI MACH-B/d 1915.6 -75.2 5229 TIMEXGROUP-B/d 14.55 -1.2 53896 RANK GROUP/d 175.65 -0.4 45199 APOLLO TYRE-A/d 83.5 -1.15 113696 DHAMPUR SUGAR-/d 44 -2.9 15092 IDBI-A/d 83.15 -2.55 333848 LAXMI PRCISN-B/d 27.05 -1.95 2635 UB ENGINEER-T/d 23.05 -0.55 13892 RENTOKIL INITI/d 99.45 0.55 1594458 ASAHI I GLASS-/d 49.3 -2.4 61656 DR. REDDY-A/d 1799.75 5.45 7743 IFB AGRO-B/d 157.55 -7.55 1349 LLOYD STEEL-B/d 11.2 -0.15 294378 UB ENGINEER-T/d 23.05 -0.55 13892 ROLLS ROYCE PL/d 1123 14 2149690 ASHOK LEYLAND-/d 22.65 -0.45 329198 E I H-B/d 58.25 -1.55 14330 IFB IND.LTD.-B/d 83 -1.95 39234 LLOYDSFIN.-B/d 0.89 -0.02 5257 UCAL FUEL-B/d 51.4 -3.75 10115 RSA INSRANCE G/d 117.6 2.3 6393306 BAJAJ HOLD-A/d 902.45 9.2 1571 E.I.D PARRY-B/d 156.7 -6.45 10586 INDIA CEMENT-B/d 82.55 -1.75 89254 LOK.HOUS&CON-B/d 16.9 -0.85 58093 UCAL FUEL-B/d 51.4 -3.75 10115 SAINSBURY(J)/d 373.9 2.5 6194039 BALLARPUR IN-B/d 17.25 -0.35 23982 EICHER MOTOR-A/d 2752.15 2.15 3320 INDIA GLYCOL-B/d 127.7 -2.65 14992 LUPIN-A/d 626.55 6.9 89723 UNITECH P -A/d 24.75 -1.9 7259683 SCHRODERS/d 2128 30 189438 BANNARI AMAN-B/d 900.05 0.05 2271 ELECTROSTEEL-B/d 18.3 -0.2 130948 INDIAN CARD-B/d 104.8 -1 1773 LYKA LABS-B/d 9.03 -0.15 13179 SEVERN TRENT/d 1660 -13 165282 BATA INDIA-A/d 696.6 -16.55 39487 EMCO-B/d 20.3 -0.95 233856 INDIAN HOTEL-A/d 54.65 -0.75 147892 MAFATLAL IND-B/d 104.5 0.5 14002 LONDON SMITH&NEPHEW/d 739 -0.5 464001 BAYER CROP-A/d 1080.5 -5.05 1929 ESCORTS-B/d 53.85 -1.35 146701 INDO-BCOUNT-B/d 11.2 0.29 1824 MAHA SCOOTER-B/d 396.05 -12.9 4685 SMITHS GROUP/d 1319 1 598623 BEML LTD-B/d 163.25 -9.45 41166 ESSAR OIL-A/d 77 -2.4 944252 INDUSIND-A/d 403.4 -6 183277 MAX INDIA L-A/d 218.7 -4.95 48945 STANDRD CHART /d 1728 7.5 950037 BHANSALI ENG-B/d 13.48 -0.07 3815 EVEREADY INDU-/d 18 0.9 296439 J.B.CHEMICAL-B/d 74.85 -5.55 24558 MRPL-A/d 52.25 0.4 102045 3I GROUP/d 321.8 0.3 728708 TATE & LYLE/d 843 5 321978 BHARAT BIJLE-B/d 457.05 -3.75 3417 F D C-B/d 91.8 -0.4 7797 JAGATJIT IND-B/d 50.55 -1 4529 NAGREEKA EX-B/d 18.3 -1.4 1331 ASSOC.BR.FOODS/d 1889 10 187442 TESCO/d 381.4 1.35 4301013 BHARATGEARS-B/d 38.6 -1.4 2080 FEDERAL BANK-A/d 480.45 -6.85 20227 JAGSON PHAR-B/d 10.3 -0.69 1676 NAHAR SPG.-B/d 71.5 -5 5805 B SKY B/d 892.5 -7 959663 UNILEVER/d 2768 15 1017965 BHARTIYA INT-B/d 205.9 -4.2 9017 FERRO ALLOYS-B/d 5.47 -0.1 13753 JBF INDU-B/d 99.75 -2.1 20838 NATH SEEDS-B/d 4.62 0.26 1612 BARCLAYS/d 297.1 -0.4 24816058 UNITED UTIL GR/d 698.5 3 2461266 BHEL-A/d 182.15 -4.15 713824 FINOLEX-B/d 94.5 -0.7 148086 JCT ELECT P -B/d 0.38 -0.01 34100 NATION ALUM -A/d 37.1 -0.7 222791 BG GROUP/d 1178 -9 2168535 VODAFONE GROUP/d 186.3 -1.3 30918575 BOM.BURMAH-B/d 106.7 -5.95 17063 FORBES-B/d 639.85 10.85 16578 JCT LTD-B/d 0.98 -0.05 96576 NAVNEET PUB.-B/d 58.35 -1.65 145258 BP/d 449.35 -0.35 6791928 WHITBREAD/d 2567 -4 89674 BOMBAY DYEING-/d 85.2 -3.45 140533 GAIL-A/d 318.65 -3.75 64743 JENSON&NICH.-B/d 2.99 -0.26 13243 NEPC INDIA-B/d 2 -0.04 5120 BRIT AM TOBACC/d 3522.5 16 945739 CABLE CORP.-B/d 18.75 -0.25 2057 GAMMON INDIA-B/d 23.4 -1.75 42666 JIK INDUST-B/d 1.1 -0.05 25663 NEULAND LAB-B/d 92 4.2 8438 BT GROUP/d 273.2 3.2 4314614 CANFIN HOMES-B/d 146.85 -5.9 5061 GARDEN P -B/d 51 -1 5426 JINDAL DRILL-B/d 202.8 -4.2 1503 NRB BEARINGS-B/d 31.35 -1.1 21253 CENTRICA/d 350.9 -4.1 4089022 CASTROL IND-A/d 311.25 -9.85 25821 GOODRICKE-B/d 130.6 -0.75 2304 JKTYRE&IND-B/d 102.85 3.55 27251 O N G C-A/d 301.15 -8.55 263822 GKN/d 274.744 2.6 2061214 CENTURY ENKA-B/d 100.3 -6.9 43561 GOODYEAR I -B/d 253.2 -11.85 6084 KABRA EXTR-B/d 28 -0.25 6704 OCL INDIA-B/d 149.1 -1.35 21598 HSBC HOLDINGS/d 718.5 2.1 7478882 THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Pakistan Dominicans reign supreme fall back on kabaddi to Puerto Rico lose 3-0 in the all-Caribbean World Baseball Classic final build rugby

SAN FRANCISCO: The LAHORE, Pakistan: Dominican Republic capped Pakistan’s rugby union chiefs off an unbeaten campaign by are hoping to exploit the tra- defeating Caribbean neighbours ditional tag-wrestling sport of Puerto Rico 3-0 to win the World kabaddi as they try to boost Baseball Classic yesterday. the game and build the coun- The Dominicans made up for try’s fledgling international their first-round exit in the 2009 team. tournament by taking their record Kabaddi, in which players hold to 8-0 after the title game, five their breath and try to tag an pitchers combining for a three- opponent before making it back hit shutout on a rainy, chilly night to their half of the field, involves at AT&T Park before a crowd of many of the skills needed for more than 35,000. rugby -- speed, strength, tackling Closer Fernando Rodney and evasive running. struck out Luis Figueroa for the In a country where anything final out to spark a celebration other than cricket struggles to on the mound which continued get a look in, the Pakistan Rugby with the players parading a huge Union (PRU) has grown rapidly Dominican flag around the field. since it was founded 10 years ago Robinson Cano was named and now boasts more than 3,000 Most Valuable Player of the tour- regular players. nament after hitting .469 with And after the launch of a new two home runs, six runs batted “Super League” last month, PRU in and six runs scored. The New president Fawzi Khawaja said he York Yankees second baseman now hopes to tap the reservoir of later fielded a phone call from kabaddi talent. the president of the Dominican The traditional team sport Republic. is very popular, particularly in After Cano handed the phone Punjab, and last year Pakistan off to Jose Reyes at the post-game were winners of the Asia Cup news conference, he was asked and runners-up in the World Cup how he felt about returning to against arch-rivals India. spring training after experiencing But Khawaja said that while the high of WBC triumph. there were national-level kabaddi “Tonight we’re going to cel- players in the police rugby team, ebrate. Tomorrow we’re going it was hard to lure people from to celebrate and Thursday we’ll what is a lucratively paid profes- worry about spring training,” Dominican Republic relief pitcher Fernando Rodney (centre) is flanked by Jose Reyes (left) and Miguel Tejada and other team-mates as they celebrate sional sport. Cano said with a laugh. after defeating Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic final in San Francisco, California, yesterday. “If and when we can graduate The Dominicans wasted no to paying our players I’m sure we time getting on the scoreboard the pitcher’s mound and home to Falu, who stood with the ball can attract a lot of kabaddi play- with a two-run double by Edwin plate area. as De Aza stopped in the middle ers,” he said. Encarnacion off losing pitcher The rain lightened up later in of the baseline. The new league started on a Giancarlo Alvarado giving them a the game and salsa music contin- Instead of going toward him to sunny spring Sunday in Lahore, 2-0 lead in the first inning before ued to blare from the bandstand tag him out, Falu threw to first Pakistan’s second largest city. they added another run in the beyond the bleachers, punctuated base in hopes of getting a double The posts were lengths of bam- fifth on Erick Aybar’s double. by air horns and drums played by play, but De Aza made it safely to boo taped to football goals and Starter Samuel Deduno and the fans themselves. second and scored on a double by Dominican the groundsmen were still paint- four relievers stifled the Puerto By then, the Dominicans were Aybar to make it 3-0. Republic’s ing lines on the pitch 10 minutes Rican lineup in a decisive vic- in command. Reliever Pedro Strop Robinson before kick-off. tory that made the Dominicans Jose Reyes led off the game for squelched a potential Puerto Cano, the tour- But the competition in the champions of baseball’s top inter- them by cracking a long double Rican rally in the seventh after nament MVP, four-team top division was fierce, national tournament. off the brick wall in right and a lead-off single by Mike Aviles and teammate with the opening round pitting Rain started falling at the start moving up on a sacrifice bunt by and a walk to Alex Rios issued Jose Reyes the Army against Lahore, and of the fourth and had picked up Erick Aybar. After an intentional by Octavio Dotel. Islamabad against the Defence (right) celebrate intensity by the bottom half of walk to Cano, Encarnacion dou- Strop struck out Carlos Rivera Housing Association, a govern- their win. the inning, sending some fans to bled to right-center scoring both and Andy Gonzalez and retired ment department team. seek shelter while others donned baserunners. Jesus Feliciano on a twisting While the Lahore-Army clash ponchos and began cracking open They added some cushion in catch of a foul pop by third base- showed some early-season rusti- umbrellas. the fifth with help from a field- man Miguel Tejada to end the ness, fumbles and tactical naivety, Footing became a problem for ing gaffe by Puerto Rican second threat. the game was also packed with the players on the diamond dur- baseman Irving Falu. “Obviously, we wanted to win,” blood-curdling tackles, two sin- ing the middle innings with the After an infield single by said Puerto Rico manager Edwin binnings and a suspected dislo- grounds crew called out to repair Alejandro De Aza, Reyes grounded Rodriguez. REUTERS cated shoulder. AFP Pens’ extend winning streak to 10

PITTSBURGH: Matt Niskanen’s goal and a Indiana Pacers’ for- key penalty kill kept the ward Paul George Pittsburgh Penguins’ (right) drives on winning streak going. Orlando Magic forward Niskanen scored the Maurice Harkless dur- go-ahead goal in the ing the second half third period and Sidney of their NBA game in Crosby had two assists and Pittsburgh Penguins Indianapolis, Indiana, extended their winning yesterday. streak to 10 games with a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals yes- terday. Goaltender Marc- Andre Fleury made 28 saves in his NHL-leading 16th win of the season. Crosby picked up his league-leading 36th and 37th assists for the Penguins, who were with- out reigning MVP Evgeni Malkin (shoulder) for the sixth game in a row. The NBA: Nuggets silence Thunder Penguins were also without defenseman Kris Letang OKLAHOMA CITY, “We want to keep the streak (lower body injury). Oklahoma: Ty Lawson scored NBA Results going. We’re not content at all. “Obviously it’s an impor- 25 points and Andre Miller Indiana 95 Orlando 73 We want to play each and every tant time in the game and added 20 off the bench to spark Milwaukee 102 Portland 95 game like it’s our last. I thought the penalty the Denver Nuggets to their “While they want to keep their kill did an amazing job of Denver 114 Oklahoma City 104 13th NBA victory in a row, a streak going loudly, we want to stepping up to the chal- 114-104 triumph yesterday at Sacramento 116 LA Clippers 101 keep our streak going quietly.” lenge,” Niskanen said. Oklahoma City. Durant netted 34 points for The Nuggets opened the second AGENCIES Kenneth Faried added 13 points Oklahoma City and Russell half with an 11-2 run for a 76-68 and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, Westbrook added 25 in a losing lead and held off the Thunder who improved to 47-22 and closed cause. It was only the fifth home down the stretch to secure the NHL Results NY Rangers 3 New Jersey 2 their gap on the Northwest divi- loss of the season for the Thunder. victory. Denver players listened sion-leading Thunder to 50-18. While the reigning NBA cham- to an inspiration speech by coach Ottawa 5 NY Islanders 3 The Nuggets’ win streak set a pion Miami Heat have run off the George Karl before the game to Florida 4 Carolina 1 record for the team’s NBA his- second-longest win streak in NBA win for the second time in as Columbus 4 Nashville 3 tory, although the club has its history at 23 games, the Nuggets many days. Buffalo 3 Montreal 2 roots in the now-defunct rival have enjoyed their success in rela- “Before the game, he said, ‘This Pittsburgh 2 Washington 1 American Basketball Association tive anonymity. team says they are the best in the Winnipeg 3 Boston 1 where they once won 15 games “Miami can have all that atten- West. Everybody that gets in, play in a row. tion. We don’t need it right now,” their hardest and contribute,’” Vancouver 3 St Louis 2 NBA scoring leader Kevin Faried said. Faried said. AFP Los Angeles 3 Phoenix 2 THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Pennetta sets Demanding circuit up Serena clash in Miami

MIAMI: Italy’s Flavia Pennetta booked herself a second round to test the drivers clash with World No. 1 Serena Williams at the WTA and ATP Masters Miami hardcourt event after a 6-4, 6-1 first-round vic- F1 teams arrive at Sepang for race two tory yesterday over Swede Johanna Larsson. KUALA LUMPUR: Kimi Australia, teams will be braced “The team got the strategy Pennetta, ranked 103rd, will Raikkonen ignited the Formula for another tough weekend at perfect. Apart from maybe Force meet Williams tomorrow in a One season with a stunning win Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit, where India I don’t think the others second-round match at the $8.5m in Australia but the “Iceman” tropical downpours played havoc looked like they could do the same event, which awarded byes to all will feel heat from his rivals last year and in 2009. thing.” 32 seeded players in both the this weekend at the notoriously A year ago, Raikkonen marked Lotus boss Eric Boullier admit- men’s and women’s draws. demanding Malaysian Grand his return to Malaysia after a ted it was team policy to give The third-round foe for Prix. two-year stint in rallying by leeway to the famously brusque Williams if she beats Pennetta Masterful tyre-management in handing out ice-creams, a nod to Raikkonen, who memorably will be either 31st seed Yanina a surprisingly quick Lotus put the an episode on his previous visit snapped “Just leave me alone, I Wickmayer of Belgium or Japan’s colourful Finn top of the podium in 2009, when he coolly snacked know what I’m doing”, over the Ayumi Morita, who outlasted in Melbourne, with Ferrari’s on a Magnum during a rain delay. team radio last year en route to Britain’s Heather Watson 1-6, Fernando Alonso second and The 33-year-old has twice been victory in Abu Dhabi. 7-5, 6-4. Sebastian Vettel, gunning for his a winner on the long straights and “I don’t think there is anybody Williams will try to become the fourth straight world title, third. tight hairpins of the Sepang cir- on earth who can tell Kimi what first six-time winner at Miami in “Finntastic” trumpeted cuit, built on former jungle near he should do, so I am not going to her first event since reclaim the Australian press, and “Finn puts the Malaysian capital, but has start,” Boullier said, according to top ranking, while World No. 1 party back into Formula 1”, as also failed to finish four times and the Autosport website. Novak Djokovic of Serbia tries to media welcomed a challenge to was fifth last year. Vettel will hope to do better claim his fourth Miami crown. the accepted order at the start His ability to maintain Pirelli’s with his tyres in the warmer Williams, a 15-time Grand of the new season. new, deliberately fast-wearing conditions and put his stamp on Slam singles champion, won at Three championships in three tyres was critical in Melbourne, the season much earlier than in Miami in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 years have already placed Red but he will face an entirely dif- 2012, when he did not win until and 2008. Bull’s German pilot Vettel, 25, ferent test in Malaysia’s heat, the fourth race and trailed in the Williams’ 19th-seeded sister among the sport’s greats, but humidity and possible rain come standings as late as October. Venus, a former World No. 1 with the return of the party-loving race day Sunday. “We had a good day with a pole seven Grand Slam singles crowns, Raikkonen, world champion “I had a good feeling that we and a podium -- but in the race will open against Japan’s Kimiko with Ferrari in 2007, has proved would be OK with the tyres after we were a little too aggressive Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain rides his bicycle Date-Krumm, who ousted South invigorating. practice,” Raikkonen told the with the tyres and lost the front at the Sepang International Circuit, ahead of the Malaysia F1 Grand Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, And after rain storms wiped team website after the Australian and the rears, while others did a Prix in Sepang, yesterday. 6-0. out Saturday qualifying in race. little better,” Vettel said. AFP Defending champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland will open against Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei, who downed Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 7-6 US reduce 2014 (17/15). AFP Chinese Ye enters Ryder Cup WTA and ATP Masters the record books captain’s picks Miami Results to three MIAMI: Results on Tuesday BEIJING: Twelve-year-old Ye member of the local Hillview Golf from the first day of the $8.5m Wocheng became the youngest Club had his father caddying for WTA and ATP Masters Miami golfer to qualify for a European him as he belied his age and lack MIAMI: The United States are hardcourt tournament: Tour event when the Chinese of experience to claim one of the trimming their captain’s selec- Women First Round: Ajla Tomljanovic schoolboy survived a late wob- three places on offer. tions for the 2014 team to face (CRO) bt Ksenia Pervak (KAZ) 6-2, 6-2; ble to grab a place at the Volvo After shooting an opening four- holders Europe from four to Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) China Open yesterday. under 68 on Tuesday, Ye raced three players, Ryder Cup cap- 6-4, 7-6 (17/15); Ayumi Morita (JPN) bt Ye’s two round two-under-par to the turn in his second round tain Tom Watson said yesterday. Heather Watson (GBR) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4; Kristina total of 142 at the Western China leading the field on seven-under “Giving our players one more Mladenovic (FRA) bt Aleksandra Wozniak qualifier earned him a spot at the after four birdies yesterday, but opportunity to earn a spot on (CAN) 7-5, 6-2; Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) May 2-5 European and OneAsia the pressure began to tell on a merit, I believe, is the right thing bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; Tour event and his participation tumultuous back nine. Shots were to do,” Watson was quoted as say- Flavia Pennetta (ITA) bt Johanna Larsson will see him better the mark of dropped at the 11th and 14th before ing on the official Ryder Cup web- (SWE) 6-4, 6-1; Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Anna his compatriot Guan Tianlang, he appeared to settle down with site (www.rydercup.com). Tatishvili (GEO) 6-0, 1-0, retired; Peng who competed last year as a a birdie two at the 15th only to Watson will take the top nine Shuai (CHN) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 6-3, 13-year-old. rack up a horror eight at the par players from the Ryder Cup Tiger Woods of the United States during the pro-am for the 2013 6-2; Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) bt Chanelle The amateur who lives in the five 16th. The 19th edition of the standings and make his three Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill Golf Scheepers (RSA) 6-2, 6-0; Andrea Petkovic industrial city of Donggaun in Volvo China Open will take place picks ahead of the 40th Ryder and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, yesterday. (GER) bt Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-3, 6-1. Guangdong province and is a in north-east China. REUTERS Cup. REUTERS Four-nation International Friendly Tournament begins in Doha today

DOHA: The 11th International Friendly Tournament will begin from today the Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced here yesterday. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the tournament, the organisers informed that four teams namely hosts Qatar, Morocco, Turkey and Iran will be taking part in the tournament. All the matches of the tournament will take place at Grand Hamad Stadium of Al Arabi Sports Club. The tournament will follow a round-robin schedule in which each team meets all other teams in turn. Kick-starting the tournament today will be the match between Morocco vs Iran, fol- lowed by Qatar vs Turkey. On March 23, Iran will take on Qatar and Turkey will play against Morocco. The tournament will con- clude on March 25 with Qatar competing against Morocco and Iran against Turkey. Marcel Van Buuren (centre), coach of Qatar Olympic team speaking to journalists during a “The tournament organised for the U-23 press conference in Doha, yesterday, ahead of the Qatar International Friendly tournament teams is an excellent opportunity for the which begins today. Ali Al Salat (left), Media Coordinator at Qatar Football Federation, and teams to showcase their talent and sports- Hamad Al Obaidi, captain of Qatar team are also seen. PHOTO BY: KAMMUTTY VP manship, making them the ideal role model for the youth of Doha,” said Hamad Saleh Al Mannai, Chairman of the organising Khalid Al Kuwari, Director of Marketing staff involving coach Van Burren, Joseph committee. and Communications, QFA said: “We are Adam, Hassan Ibraheem and Mohammed “The winning team will get $50,000, very pleased to organize and promote the Zayed are busy dealing with player training. besides there are four different awards: Best tournament once again to allow the U-23 The squad is undergoing physical fitness Player Award, Best Goalkeeper Award, Best teams to exhibit their skills This is another tests and training drills every day. Team, and Top Scorer,” he added. testimony for QFA to demonstrate our Qatar Squad: Abdul Aziz Ansari, Yahya commitment to developing the skills of the Saleh Bader, Musab Kamal, Muhannad International Friendly young football stars locally and regionally.” Naeem, Hilal Mohammed, Abdul Rahman “Fans can enter the stadium for free as Al Nasser, Hisham Kamal, Ahmed Saleh, Tournament Fixtures QFA has decided not to charge fans for tick- Abdulla Maarfee, Younis Yaqoob, Ahmed March 21: Morocco vs Iran 5.00pm ets,” the QFA official said. Fathi, Ahmed Yousef, Nasser Khalfan, Qatar vs Turkey, 7.15pm “We are expecting Iranian, the Moroccan Mohammed Khalifa Al Kuwari, Abdul Ghani March 23: Qatar vs Iran,5.00pm and Turkish communities to come and sup- Munir, Ali Ahmed Qadri, Fahd Younis, Turkey vs Morocco, 7.15pm port their Olympic squads,” he added. Mohamed Shaaban, Ahmed Fadel, Saud Al Coached by Dutchman Marcel Van Khater, Hamad Al Obeidi, Abdullah Alawi, March 25: Qatar vs Morocco,5.00pm Buuren, the Qatar Olympic squad is cur- Mohammed Saleh, Ahmed Alaa, Mohamed Iran vs Turkey, 7.15pm rently busy with extensive training pro- Alaa Abdel Megid, Sayyaf Karbi and Saeed Venue: All matches at Grand Hamad Stadium gramme ahead of the tournament. Backroom Al Haj. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

Hussey, Ponting rule out Ashes return SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey yesterday ruled out shock comebacks to the Australian Test ranks for the Ashes tour of England after the team’s troubled series in India. With Australia 3-0 down in India and the first of back- to-back Ashes series rapidly approaching, coach Mickey Arthur has indicated he would be open to Hussey returning to the national set-up. But the 37-year-old, who bowed out of Test cricket in January, said while he was flat- tered to be considered, he had retired from the international game. “It’s extremely flattering,” said the 79-Test veteran, who has been in fine form for Western Australia in the domestic Sheffield Shield. “But I’ve moved on and I Australian batsman Ricky Ponting (right) celebrates with his team-mate England’s Nick Compton dives during a practice session ahead of the final cricket Test against New Zealand really don’t want to be back in Mike Hussey after making 200 runs on day two of the fourth Test match in Auckland yesterday. The final Test begins tomorrow. The first two Tests ended in draws. that pressure-cooker environ- against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series at the Adelaide Oval ment, particularly leading into in this January 2012 file photo. the Ashes. It’s going to be an extremely stressful time for all Ashes, having leaned heavily on could be a good addition to the the boys. I’m really looking for- Ponting until he called it quits Test team for the Ashes. ward to having a winter at home last December. “He’s done well in the one-day and just having some time with Like Hussey, Ponting has arena for Australia and he knows England, Kiwis eye the family and being part of some been in sparkling form since his game pretty well,” Hussey normal life.” quitting international cricket in told reporters. On top of trailing the series December after 17 years and 168 “He’s played a lot of first-class in India, there has been mas- Tests and was yesterday named cricket, and having that under- sive upheaval in the team the Sheffield Shield Player of the standing of your own game is win in third Test with the suspensions of Shane Year. really important when you come Watson, James Pattinson, Usman But the 38-year-old also ruled into the pressure-cooker situa- Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson out a return to the Australian tion of a Test match.” for indiscipline. team. Two editions of the Ashes We’ll find the best way to win, says Cook Vice-captain Watson has “International cricket’s series against Australia are being returned to the fold after being long passed me by,” he said in played back-to-back this year to axed for one Test but skipper his Sheffield Shield accept- avoid a clash with the 2015 World AUCKLAND: New Zealand Michael Clarke remains short ance speech.Hussey suggested Cup, with the first beginning on and England face off in a win- of experience leading into the Twenty20 captain George Bailey July 10. REUTERS ner-takes-all third and final Test this week, with both sides vowing to press for a series- clinching victory at Auckland’s Dhawan out Eden Park. After rain-affected draws in SL officials raise of Delhi Test, Dunedin and Wellington, hopes are high for a result in the Raina is back match beginning tomorrow, as New Zealand eye a rare series security concern MUMBAI: Man-of-the-Match win and England seek to cement in the third Test, Shikhar their position as the number-two Dhawan, was ruled out of the ranked Test nation. COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket when undertaking visits to Tamil fourth Test against Australia, Clear weather is forecast for (SLC) officials yesterday raised Nadu. In the event of urgent vis- scheduled to be played in New the Test and Eden Park’s drop- concerns over the safety of its its, Sri Lankan nationals were Delhi between March 22-26, in wicket promises more bounce national players who are to requested by the government to after he sustained a fracture in than the docile pitches seen in the take part in the Indian Premier keep the Sri Lanka Deputy High the left hand. opening two fixtures, which have League (IPL) T20 tournament Commission in Chennai informed Dhawan, who hit a record drawn criticism from the England next month following the recent well in advance. breaking 187 in his maiden Test camp. spate of attacks against Sri Sri Lanka’s national airline also innings in Mohali, will be out of “In an ideal world a pitch with Lankans in Tamil Nadu. announced Tuesday that it was action for six weeks, announced more pace and bounce would The Sri Lanka Cricket Players’ halving the number of flights to a Board of Control for Cricket in make for a more exciting wicket,” Association (SLCPA) has writ- south India following the inci- India (BCCI) statement late on England captain Alastair Cook ten to its parent organisation, dents. Sri Lankan Airlines said Tuesday. said. “But whichever pitch we get the Federation of International it had observed a drop in traffic BCCI’s All India Senior in Auckland we’ll try to find the England’s Graham Onions (left) and Jonny Bairstow during a fielding Cricketers’ Association (FICA), between Chennai and Colombo Selection Committee had replaced best way to win the game.” session in Auckland yesterday. to assess the safety of its players due to recent developments in Dhawan with Gautam Gambhir New Zealand, ranked eighth in during the IPL, starting April Tamil Nadu, hence it decided and brought in Suresh Raina to Test cricket, have not won a series 3, and to determine a course of to reduce frequency of flights to the squad for the fourth Test. against England since 1999, with unfancied Black Caps would be with England tipped to continue action that will ensure the crick- Chennai from 28 to 14 per week. However, Gambhir was diag- their sole series victory on home widely regarded as a failure. the dominant form they showed eters’ safety, Xinhua reports. Meanwhile, Raipur and Ranchi nosed with jaundice after under- soil back in 1984. Victory would also maintain in India. Instead, the early tour The IPL matches will be played will make debuts as IPL host cit- going a blood test earlier Tuesday. Skipper Brendon McCullum, their momentum with back- jitters that have plagued England in several key Indian cities, ies in the 2013 edition, according He will not take part in the fourth whose only other Test series since to-back Ashes series against in recent years emerged as their including Chennai, where ten- to the tournament schedule. match. taking the helm late last year Australia looming later this year, powerful batting line-up self- sions against Sri Lankans have Raipur will act as a second Ajinkya Rahane is most likely resulted in two innings defeats to although Cook said his side had destructed with a succession of risen after two Buddhist monks home venue for Delhi Daredevils, to replace Dhawan as an opener South Africa, said a victory would to ignore the pressure and simply rash shots trying to bludgeon the and several Sri Lankan tourists while Ranchi will host two of while Raina might have to sit out provide a huge boost for his team. play according to the conditions Black Caps into submission. were assaulted by Tamil groups. Kolkata Knight Riders’ matches. as a change is unlikely to be made “We go into every game try- in Auckland. Rain delays meant New Ten IPL matches are scheduled The schedule also confirmed in the middle-order. India lead the ing to win. Certainly, for us, it’s “It’s now a one-match Test Zealand ran out of time chasing to be played in Chennai. that the Sawai Mansingh Stadium ongoing series 3-0. not about trying to hang on for a series and you can’t go into the victory in Dunedin and the situ- SLCPA chairman Ken de Alwis in Jaipur will host all of Rajasthan Squad: M S Dhoni (Captain), draw,” he said. game fretting about the outcome ation was reversed in Wellington, said that the association was Royals’ home games. Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, “We see this as a great opportu- from the start,” he said. where England had the Black awaiting a response from FICA. Earlier, the BCCI had relocated Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, nity to clinch a series win against “You need to set up the game Caps on the ropes only for the Following a rise in the number Royals’ games to Ahmedabad and Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan England and that’s something then worry about the result. weather to intervene again. of incidents of violent assaults Rajkot, following a prolonged Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, that we’d all hold very fondly.” There are no easy matches in Neither side are expected to against Sri Lankans in Tamil standoff between the Rajasthan Pragyan Ojha, Bhuvneshwar England are short-priced international cricket.” make major changes to their Nadu, the Sri Lankan govern- Cricket Association and the Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok favourites to prevail in Auckland Few pundits predicted a close starting teams in Auckland. ment on Tuesday requested all Rajasthan state sports council. Dinda, Suresh Raina, and Ishant and anything less against the series when the tourists arrived, REUTERS its nationals to exercise caution AGENCIES Sharma. REUTERS Stars speak at Yuvraj’s book launch in Delhi

NEW DLEHI: Star India batsman medical terms with Yuvraj, I realised it. “When his test reports came, someone described the moment after Dhoni hit a forget about cricket and concentrate on Sachin Tendulkar has said he was what he had been going through. He is told me he has cancer,” Dhoni said. “I just six to win the final for India. my recovery.” The only time Yuvraj found scared of breaking down in front of like my younger brother and I would ask said ‘are you sure?’ The person repeated “I was running towards Mahi to hug himself “jumping” with excitement and Yuvraj Singh when they met in London God why it (the illness) had to happen that Yuvraj has cancer. I was shocked.” him and he was running towards the joy during two difficult months of chem- after Yuvraj’s treatment for a rare to Yuvraj.” Following his return from the US after stumps,” Yuvraj said in a story posted otherapy was on hearing about Virat germ cell cancer in the United States. Yuvraj recollected his first meeting his treatment for mediastinal seminoma, on cricinfo.com Kohli’s century in Adelaide. Tendulkar was speaking in Delhi at the with Tendulkar. Yuvraj set up a cancer charity called Dhoni had said he’d made a run for The India team and support staff were release of Yuvraj’s book The Test of My “My first conversation was when I was Youwecan, which focuses on spreading the stumps because otherwise the rest of called onto the stage for photographs, but Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back. looking at him in awe at the dressing cancer awareness and early detection. the players would make a grab for them. as the players went up Virender Sehwag “When I went to meet him in London, room, suddenly he said, ‘please pass on Several players who spoke at the event During his stay in Indianapolis for can- stayed seated. I was telling my wife that I don’t want to the biscuits.’” To this Tendulkar replied, in conversation with Yuvraj and Harsha cer treatment, Yuvraj said he had fol- Yuvraj called out to him and said, break down when I see him,” Tendulkar “I have not got those biscuits till now.” Bhogle said they had seen Yuvraj cough lowed India’s matches in Australia and “Veeru, main bhi team main nahin noon, said. “I met him and gave him a tight Apart from Tendulkar, India captain and throw up repeatedly during the 2011 admitted to feeling “sad” at not being tum bhi team main nahin ho - chal aa jaa hug. We enjoyed a meal, and from the MS Dhoni also spoke about Yuvraj’s fight World Cup, but assumed they were throat involved. )I’m also not in the (Test) team, you’re way he ate I was convinced that he was with cancer. or stomach problems. “I would watch videos of my batting also not in the team - come on up).” back on track. Dhoni said he knew about Yuvraj’s Yuvraj was named Player of the until one day Anil Kumble came to visit Sehwag did with a smile on his face. “When I saw my wife discussing situation even before he was told about Tournament for the World Cup and me and shut my laptop. He said I should AGENCIES THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Football Fixtures Today Eljaish edge Lekhwiya to International Friendlies Italy vs Brazil 19:30 Ecuador vs El Salvador 21:30 Tomorrow FIFA World Cup Qualifying - European Region reach Qatar Stars Cup final Group A Croatia vs Serbia 17:00 Macedonia vs Belgium 19:45 Anderson nets winner; Lucescu’s side to take on Al Arabi in title clash Scotland vs Wales 20:00 GROUP B Bulgaria vs Malta 16:00 DOHA: Eljaish booked their half Ziani again threatened but Czech Rep. vs Denmark 19:30 place in the Qatar Stars Cup after bursting into the box, his final with a hard-fought win cross was clawed away by Ahmad GROUP C over Lekhwiya. Mohd Abel Maksoud. Kazakhstan vs Germany 18:00 Razvan Lucescu’s side needed With 52 minutes gone Simon Austria vs Faroe Islands 19:30 120 minutes to join Al Arabi in Dia wasted a great chance to open Sweden vs R of Ireland 19:45 Sunday’s final after the match the scoring but his shot from just GROUP D finished goalless following the inside the box was easily held by Andorra vs Turkey 18:15 regulation 90 minutes. Zeab Hassan Alinabi. Ali Sanad Al Nuaimi But a 104th minute strike from Seu Lke Ko thought he had (centre) of Eljaish Hungary vs Romania 19:30 Eljaish captain Anderson made won the match with his low drive is challenged by Netherlands vs Estonia 19:30 sure of victory as Eljaish gave from the edge of the box but his Lekhwiya’s Ahmad GROUP E themselves the possibility of win- shot was deflected and flew wide. Adel Maksoud Slovenia vs Iceland 17:00 ning silverware on Sunday. Adil Ahmed Mohamed went during their Qatar Norway vs Albania 18:00 Lucescu and his players will be even closer right on the 90 minute Stars Cup match at GROUP F thrilled with the evening’s work mark with a ferocious drive that Qatar Sports Club Israel vs Portugal 12:45 but in truth this was a match that dipped and swerved before crack- yesterday. Eljaish Luxembourg vs Azerbaijan 19:15 never really got going. ing the base of the post. It was a won 1-0. Eljaish Both teams struggled to find a real let off for Eljaish and the last Northern Ireland vs Russia 19:45 will clash with Al rhythm and chances were few and real chance of the game in regula- Arabi in the final on GROUP G far between for the entire match. tion time. Liechtenstein vs Latvia 18:30 Nam Tee-He went close with a The deadlock was finally bro- Sunday. Slovakia vs Lithuania 19:10 free-kick which bounced inches ken right at the end of the first PICTURE BY: ABDUL wide of the post after 25 min- period of extra-time. Jaish cap- BASIT Bosnia-H vs Greece 19:45 utes. It was the first real chance tain Anderson collected a deep GROUP H of a game that had started very cross and smashed a shot into the Moldova vs Montenegro 19:30 low-key. back of the net. Poland vs Ukraine 19:45 The next best chance came That was enough to set up San Marino vs England 20:00 when Karim Ziani forced a finger- Sunday’s final showdown with Al GROUP I tip save from Likomt Klud Amin Arabi, who defeated Al Gharafa with a terrific shot from 25 yards. 24 hours earlier. Spain vs Finland 19:45 Three minutes into the second THE PENINSULA France vs Georgia 20:00 International Friendlies Japan vs Canada 16:00 Brazil a good test for the March 23 FIFA World Cup Qualifying - European Region GROUP E Confed Cup, says Buffon Cyprus vs Switzerland 16:30 March 26 FIFA World Cup Qualifying - MILAN: Italy will have one month, there were few other England at Wembley in his first eye on the Confederations Cup surprises. game back in charge. European Region this June when the Azzurri take AC Milan striker Mario Selected for that game, former GROUP A on Brazil in a friendly today, Balotelli, who has scored seven Barcelona and AC Milan star Serbia vs Scotland 19:30 says Juventus and Italy keeper goals in six games since joining Ronaldinho saw a 19th minute Belgium vs Macedonia 19:45 Gianluigi Buffon. the Rossoneri from Manchester penalty saved by England ‘keeper German national team head coach Joachim Loew juggles with the ball Wales vs Croatia 19:45 during his team’s training session in Frankfurt Main, Germany, yesterday. In a match which also doubles City in January, is likely to start Joe Hart and was then withdrawn as a pretext to Italy’s 2014 World up front, possibly with teammate at half-time. GROUP B Cup qualifier away to Malta on Stephan El Shaarawy. For Buffon, The former World Player of Armenia vs Czech Rep. 16:00 Tuesday, the Italians, four-time one of several experienced heads the Year has since been left at Denmark vs Bulgaria 19:15 Germany to burn midnight World Cup winners, face the five- and one of eight Juve players in home as Scolari looks to strik- Malta vs Italy 19:45 time champions on neutral terri- the 27-man squad, the trip will ers Neymar, of Santos, and Zenit GROUP C tory in Geneva. not be seen as a distraction. Saint-Petersburg’s Hulk for goals. Germany vs Kazakhstan 19:45 oil in Kazakhstan In keeping with his rejuvena- “The friendly will be a good test While Scolari said Ronaldinho tion policy, Italy coach Cesare for us,” Buffon told reporters. may well form part of his future R of Ireland vs Austria 19:45 BERLIN: Germany’s players will be going to bed at dawn and Prandelli could hand a first cap to “We have three months to pre- plans, all eyes could be on Neymar GROUP D training just before midnight as they prepare for their soc- on-form Torino midfielder Alessio pare for the Confederations Cup -- who has so far flattered to Estonia vs Andorra 17:00 cer World Cup qualifying game in Kazakhstan tomorrow, the Cerci. and we want to win it.” deceive for the national team. Turkey vs Hungary 18:30 team said yesterday. With a five-hour time difference between Prandelli, who against all odds While Italy top their qualifying Brazil legend Pele recently Netherlands vs Romania 19:30 Germany and Kazakhstan, the team have been advised not to took Italy to the final of Euro group B on 10 points, Brazil do not said that while Neymar is GROUP F change their watches to local time once they arrive but instead 2012 where the Azzurri were take part in World Cup qualifiers “spectacular” with his club, “he stick with German time so as not to interrupt their rhythm on humbled by Spain, also recalled as hosts of the 2014 showpiece and becomes ordinary when playing Azerbaijan vs Portugal 17:00 such a short trip. Genoa defender Luca Antonelli also the Confederations Cup later for Brazil”. Northern Ireland vs Israel 19:45 “We have a five-hour time difference and that normally needs about almost three years after he made this summer. Several of Brazil’s players ply GROUP H five days to adapt,” said team doctor Tim Meyer. “We do not have that his debut against Estonia, in 2010. But Luiz Felipe Scolari, who their trade in the English Premier Ukraine vs Moldova 19:00 time and we have to go straight back to German time. Our clocks Apart from the omission of has returned for his second spell League, including midfielders Poland vs San Marino 19:45 will be on German time, and the schedule with things like eating and Paris Saint Germain midfielder as coach of the Selecao in a bid to Ramires and Oscar and centre- Montenegro vs England 20:00 sleeping also on German time. We have a kick-off which is good for Marco Verrati, who levelled turn Brazil into a side capable of back David Luiz of Chelsea, as German time but it is midnight in Kazakhstan,” Meyer said. AFP for Italy in a 1-1 friendly draw triumphing on home soil in 2014, well as Queens Park Rangers GROUP I against the Netherlands last needs results after a 2-1 defeat by ‘keeper Julio Cesar. AFP France vs Spain 20:00 Second leg of Qatar Mile at Al Khor Airstrip this week

DOHA: The country’s top goes home with the top cash prize “At the Qatar Racing Club to fans from across the region ‘speed merchants’ will battle in various categories. track, we organise (drag) races though he expected mostly Qatari for the honour of the fastest Car events (8, 10 and 12 cyl- that are run for 400 metres. At entries in action in the first round. driver or rider at this week’s inders and SUVs) will be split the Al Khor Airstrip, our speed “Our message to motor sport Qatar Mile to be held at Al Khor into three categories: unlim- fans will race over a distance of fans is whoever is interested in Airstrip, a top official of Qatar ited, modified and stock, Behzad 800 metres,” Cheliotis explained. racing without inhibitions, should Racing Club (QRC) said informed. “Besides the bigger space avail- come and join us at the Al Khor “We will see who can join the The 4x4 SUV category event able to us, we opted for the Al Airstrip. 300kmh club,” Fahad Behzad, the will also be run in similar classes, Khor Airstrip because of the “Our venue is the place for you CEO of QRC, told The Peninsula he added. asphalt surface. For the event like to test your skills and race against yesterday. “In the bike class, the catego- the ‘Qatar Mile’, this surface will others,” Behzad added. “This event is open to fans who ries are Bike V twin and Bike encourage speeding,” Cheliotis “We are doing this because loved speed. We urge fans to come Inline,” Behzad explained. explained. we want speed riding done in a with their cars, bikes or SUVs and The top QRC official said the “We are expecting a large crowd secure environment. We don’t be part of the two-day event,” winner in the car category will since this event is for everyone who want youngsters speeding on Behzad said. walk away with the top prize of loves speed. We have arranged for roads and streets in the city,” he This week’s event will be the QR 15,000 while the best rider at more than 1000 VIP seats. added. second leg to be hosted by QRC. ‘Qatar Mile’ will go home with a “Catering is taken care of for “You are a professional or an The first edition of ‘Qatar Mile’ cash prize of QR 10,000. the participants as well as the amateur does not matter. All you was held at Al Khor Airstrip on “Qatar Mile is an event fans who turn up at the venue,” have to do is bring your car or November 30 and December 1. designed to see who has got the Cheliotis said. bike and we will see if you can The event opens at 9:00am and fastest car in the Arab region,” Behzad said entry fee for those take your vehicle on to our cir- ends at 5:00pm tomorrow and the event coordinator Nick Cheliotis taking part is fixed at QR 200. cuit,” Behzad said. day after. said. He said owners of Harley The QRC official said every car According to QRC chief, a rider “I am sure the spectators will Davidsons, Ducati or Suzuki bikes entry has to undergo a technical or driver could have as many enjoy seeing the cars and bikes on are expected to register for the inspection before it is allowed to turns as possible to increase his the track,” Cheliotis added. event. Entry for the public is free, take part in the event. or her chances of winning the top “We have also made arrange- Behzad said. “We have made arrangements prize. ment for family fan. It will be a Auto Gyro plane show is also to make the outing at QRC a fun “The bottom-line is to break great day out for the family,” he part of the two-day event. time for fans of all ages,” Behzad the 300-kmh barrier. I think this said. QRC hosted its inaugural edi- said. can be done,” Behzad added. “The reason we have taken the tion of the Qatar Mile in February Drifting and Freestyle Drifting Riders get ready with their bikes at the first round of Qatar Mile, an event Behzad said the two-day event event to the Al Khor Airstrip is 2009 in which over 100 overseas are some of the other events for ‘speed merchants’ in the country and the region. The second leg will will be run on a simple formula: because we have a larger area to and local racers took part. organised by QRC. be held tomorrow and the day after. whoever drives or rides the fastest play with. Behzad said the event is open THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 21 MARCH 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27 US players critical of Klinsmann coaching, says online report DENVER, COLORADO: Three days before the United States plays a key World Cup 2014 qualifying home match, a Sporting News online report yesterday said several US players have problems with coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The report says 11 players in the US national team pool and 11 oth- ers connected to the programme, none of them identified by name, say there are major rifts within the team and confidence and faith is dimming in Klinsmann. “Things are boiling over,” one source told the Sporting News. “The feeling now is that this is (Klinsmann’s) last chance against Costa Rica.” Much of the criticism is aimed at the former German national team coach, who was hired to take over the US programme in July of 2011 and will field his 24th different line-up in as many games when the Americans face Costa Rica in Denver. “We do all this stuff. OK, it’s good for us and it’s scientifically proven,” a US player told the Sporting News. “But in the end it’s a round ball. The Peles and the Maradonas in the world weren’t doing all these things. “We spend more time worrying about gyms and nutrition, and we don’t do enough of what we need to do on the field.” A 2-1 loss last month at Honduras in the North American final round 2014 World Cup qualifying opener brought issues to a boiling point, the story said, because captain Carlos Bocanegra was benched, and Klinsmann slighted Bocanegra in telling players the veteran was being relegated to a reserve role. “He already broke Carlos’ heart. Why drive the knife in and twist it?” a source said in the report. Bocanegra, not on the roster for the US matches tomorrow and next Tuesday at arch-rival Mexico, expressed his feelings in a diplomatic posting on his English soccer player David Beckham in action during a game with Chinese students of a middle school in Beijing, China, yesterday. Beckham arrived Facebook page on Tuesday night. in Beijing to begin his role as China’s first global soccer ambassador. “During the last 18 months Jurgen has introduced a lot of new ideas to the team and has a vision of how he wants to grow the program,” Bocanegra wrote. “Every coach around the world has his own style and methods. He has always been up front with players about where they stand and where he sees them going. Super-fit Beckham Not every player is going to be happy with all of the decisions and methods, but he will tell you to your face where you stand. “From a coach, that is the best thing you could ask for. One of the greatest strengths of this team has always been our unity and spirit, and we all remain committed to the cause has no plans to quit of qualifying for the World Cup.” Klinsmann spoke to the Sporting News about the criticism uncov- ered for the story and defended taking players out of a comfort zone New Chinese Super League ambassador lands in Beijing and keeping them uncertain if they will start or who they might be partnered with, saying it makes players better. “All those elements we throw at them now, because if we don’t do BEIJING: Sporting legend free in Paris and I am here as an it, it’s too late in the World Cup,” Klinsmann said. David Beckham raised the pros- ambassador.” “I take this conversation as a positive also with the players, talking pect of one last stop on his glo- He was again asked if he was more about this process to them... The only way we get them to that bal football journey yesterday, Former being paid, and responded: “Right next level is to run them through this uncomfortable period, and they refusing to rule out playing in England here, right now? No!” have to learn and they have to swim in the cold water. And we’re going China after his contract with Chinese football fans have been to convince the world later.” captain Paris Saint-Germain ends. eagerly anticipating Beckham’s Players told the Sporting News they found the last-minute ouster David Speaking at a news conference arrival. of Bocanegra “a bit disturbing” and “to not have him in a game like unveiling him as an ambassador Beckham He looked relaxed and smartly- that was really peculiar.” for the Chinese Super League hugs a dressed in a tailored grey suit as “It was just everyone on their own terms. Everyone was doing their (CSL), the former England cap- student he took questions from Chinese own thing. And it showed.” tain left open the possibility. after she school pupils, telling the young A player said that, “sometimes a coach’s biggest mistake is trying “I am continuing to play now. presented audience his favourite Chinese to get in who he sees as the best 11 players on the field. But they don’t So if I continue to stay fit, if I him a pin food was noodles and his favour- have to be. You have to have 11 players on the field who are going to continue to progress as a player during ite singer was “Posh Spice” -- his work well with each other and be good for each other.” because I still feel that I can a news wife Victoria. A player called Klinsmann “scatterbrained” while another said “cer- learn from playing the game, who conference Beckham will be visiting sport tain players aren’t in the same situation and on the same page on the knows?” he said, after being asked at a primary schools and youth football projects field. It’s frustrating.” whether he might play in China. school in in Beijing, the eastern city of Some players were critical of the role played by German-born sons “People keep saying it will be Beijing Qingdao and the central city of of US soldiers within the team and one player said Klinsmann was my last club and my last season yesterday. Wuhan before returning to Paris trying to turn a scrappy US side into a technical side like Germany, but I continue to play and I love on Monday, officials said. Brazil or Spain. playing, so we’ll see.” He immediately launched into “We work hard, we fight and we compete,” the player said. “We have Beckham, now 37 and near- his duties after meeting journal- great athletes, and we’re a good counterattacking team. Maybe we need ing the end of his career, joined ists, joining in a six-a-side game to go back to what we’re good at.” REUTERS Paris Saint-Germain in January at Beijing’s Number 2 primary on a short-term deal until the whose image has been battered footballers. It’s as simple as that. I school, still wearing his suit trou- end of the season after leaving by corruption scandals. am not here to clear up anything. sers and shiny black shoes. 2014 World Cup final draw set Los Angeles Galaxy in December. A three-year inquiry resulted I am here to educate the children Beckham was mobbed after As his time in the US drew to last month in 33 people receiv- and give them a chance of becom- the game by schoolchildren, with a close, Beckham said he wanted ing lifetime bans and Shanghai ing professional footballers.” many of the boys wearing foot- for December 6: Officials “one more challenge” before Shenhua, the former club of Beckham, who is known as ball tops from his previous clubs, ZURICH: The draw for the 2014 World Cup finals will be made retiring, sparking a clamour for Ivorian striker Didier Drogba, “Little Becks” in China, also said while screaming girls clutched on December 6 at the Brazilian holiday seaside resort of Costa do his signature from teams across being stripped of its 2003 league he was not being paid for his new placards reading “I love you” or Sauipe it was announced by FIFA after a meeting here yesterday Europe and Australia. title. role. with his face imprinted on. with the Brazilian organisers. Chinese media reports at The former England interna- Chinese media have quoted As well as the corruption issues, “It was confirmed at the meeting that the draw for the 2014 World the time suggesting he could tional’s new role has been widely Chinese Super League officials as Chinese football has endured a Cup finals would take place at Costa do Sauipe, in Bahia State, at join the domestic league proved seen as an ambitious attempt by saying he would receive a salary torrid time on the pitch, with 1300 local time (1600GMT) on December 6 2013,” FIFA said in a unfounded, but the country’s the league to improve its image. of two million euros ($2.6m) from the national team crashing out of statement yesterday. cash-rich clubs commonly make But Beckham said his focus one of the world’s biggest sports qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. After the meeting FIFA President Sepp Blatter had expressed his their star signings in the summer, would be on developing the sport agencies. Beckham has visited China sev- confidence Brazil would be ready in time to host the finals despite when top overseas players become in China at grassroots level. But he said: “There are no fig- eral times in the past, mainly on the continual delays in constructing the stadia and that the finals available. “What has gone on in the past? I ures attached. I am here as an football tours with his previous would be ‘formidable’. He is scheduled to pay two am not a politician so I have noth- ambassador, simple as that. There clubs which include Real Madrid After Brazil, Russia will stage the 2018 edition followed by the more visits to China during the ing to do with it,” he said. is always figures thrown about and Manchester United. He also World Cup in Qatar in 2022 when the most popular sport on earth season from March to November “I am helping in the education what I am doing with my life, but featured at the closing ceremony comes to the Middle East for the first time ever. REUTERS to promote the Chinese league, for young kids and young aspiring right now I am playing football for of the 2008 Olympics. REUTERS Platini accuses Blatter of attacking European soccer

BERLIN: Michel Platini has accused said last week that holding Euro 2020 aimed at the UEFA president but, in supported this new concept, which will Indepenmdent Governance Committee. FIFA president Sepp Blatter of attack- in 13 cities across Europe would mean a fact, it is really an attack on 52 out of 53 make Euro 2020 the first Euro with Platini told Kicker: “Ultimately, the ing European soccer while defending championship “that lacks heart and soul”. European football associations. shared responsibility and solidarity - an European associations unanimously sup- UEFA’s decision to stage Euro 2020 Platini explained that both decisions “Everyone has the right to an opin- innovative and visionary project in the port over three-quarters of the reforms across the continent and its right to were taken after exhaustive dialogue ion on UEFA projects. I have no prob- eyes of many.” proposed by FIFA.” question FIFA’s reform process. and that 52 of UEFA’s 53 members lem with that, and I respect everyone’s Last month Blatter, speaking in He added: “The very few proposals that UEFA’s 57-year-old French president, supported the idea of a pan-European opinion, including, of course, that of Mr Johannesburg, also took a swipe at UEFA did not meet with unanimous support who is likely to stand for FIFA’s top job, championship. Blatter, with whom -- contrary to what saying it was attempting to block his either had nothing to do with good gov- possibly against Blatter, in 2015, was “At UEFA, all our major projects, such I have read in some places -- I get on reform process to make’s soccer’s world ernance (because they were to do with reacting to recent criticism from the as Euro 2020 or financial fair play, are the perfectly well. Our relationship is intact, governing body more transparent and purely sports-political matters), or were FIFA president. fruit of extensive dialogue and a collective even though we obviously cannot always less prone to corruption. simply not precise or clear enough. In Platini made his comments to German decision taken by all those involved. agree on everything. In January, UEFA rejected a proposal any case, it is ridiculous to accuse the magazine Kicker in an interview to be “I am not sure that this is how (former “What I can say about Euro 2020 is to limit executive committee members European associations of being conserv- published today. Libyan leader) Colonel Gaddafi did simply that there was lengthy consulta- to two four-year mandates and called for ative, because they themselves started Although he said he got on “perfectly things. On the contrary, I think we are a tion with all those concerned, and that the FIFA president to serve for a maxi- this reform process and have also made well” with Blatter, Platini was clearly model of what good governance should be. in the end, 52 of the 53 UEFA member mum of 12 years instead of the eight pro- numerous additional reform proposals.” unhappy with the 77-year-old Swiss who “An attack on Euro 2020 may well be association presidents enthusiastically posed by the reform working group, the REUTERS Thursday 21 March 2013 9 Jumada I 1434 Volume 18 Number 5645 Sport Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Two wickets for Gabriel Pietersen to miss Test, IPL stems bright Top English batsman struggling with knee injury, say team officials Zimbabwe start BARBADOS: West Indies pace- AUCKLAND: England bats- He had been withdrawn from August after sending text mes- vice-captain steps up if the cap- such a great player and a good man Shane Gabriel grabbed two man Kevin Pietersen will miss all cricket including the Indian sages to touring South African tain is injured. I guess we know leader,” Cowan said. wickets in his first two overs to the last Test against New Premier League, it said. players that contained criticism that was always going to be a pos- “He is a senior player around stifle a quick start by Zimbabwe Zealand and the Indian Premier New Zealand will eye a rare of then-England captain Andrew sibility,” Cowan told reporters at the group and it is important on the opening morning of the League due to a knee injury series win and England will try Strauss during the Test series. the Feroze Shah Kotla after a those kinds of players are on second Test at Windsor Park in which may sideline him for up to cement their position as the practice session. board because we need those guys Roseau, Dominica yesterday. to eight weeks, officials said number-two Test nation in the Clarke is pretty An out-of-form Watson has for this team to be the best team Gabriel came on as first change yesterday. third and final Test starting been in the centre of controversy in the world.” as Zimbabwe raced to 50 runs “The injury is likely to require tomorrow in Auckland, following confident of his after he was sidelined for the Cowan said Watson was differ- from the first eight overs and ongoing assessments and a likely rain-affected draws in the first third Test in Mohali along with ent from Clarke, who is struggling quickly applied the brakes with 6-8 week period of rest and reha- two games. chances: Cowan three others over a breach of dis- with back pain. the wickets of openers Tino bilitation,” the England and Wales Pietersen made 0 and 12 in the cipline last week. “He is a very different leader to Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda. Cricket Board (ECB) said in a first Test at Dunedin but came NEW DELHI: Opening bats- Watson was angry and left for Michael but we’re hoping Michael Mawoyo shouldered arms to statement, two days before the back with 73 in Wellington. man Ed Cowan yesterday backed home to be with his wife Lee, is fine for this Test. He (Clarke) a ball that crashed into his off start of the series-deciding game. The estimated recovery period Shane Watson to lead Australia who delivered baby boy Will is such a great batsman and we stump to give Gabriel a wicket at The ECB said the 32-year-old makes him a doubtful starter in the fourth and final Test last Thursday. Watson, who left need his runs and his leadership,” the end of his first over and three suffered pain in his right knee for the return series in England against India starting tomor- India contemplating retirement, he said. balls later Sibanda was caught. while fielding earlier this month against New Zealand beginning row if skipper Michael Clarke however, returned in time to be Asked about Clarke’s chances, Sibanda had played some flow- in preparation for a warm-up on May 16. is unfit and also hoped the team with the team for the fourth Test Cowan said: “He basically said ing strokes as he raced to 32 off game in New Zealand, before the England will be hoping that would bounce back after three starting here tomorrow. that he has got the best possible 29 balls but will feel he threw Test series began. Pietersen, who in 2009 was forced consecutive defeats. Cowan said Watson is a “great medical team working over time his wicket away in chipping a “This has failed to resolve sat- out of the Ashes with an Achilles “Firstly, it is important to know player and a good leader.” on his back, it is a condition that full toss from Gabriel to Kemar isfactorily,” it said. injury, will be fit in time for this that Michael is expected to play, “Shane is quite a good player he has got for a long time and he Roach at mid-on. Spinner Shane Recent scans confirmed bone summer’s Champions Trophy and so at the moment Shane Watson and a good leader in his own right, has not missed a Test yet so he Shillingford, playing on his home bruising and possible cartilage Ashes series. isn’t the captain of the team. If so it will be a good opportunity for is not expecting to miss this. He ground, also took a wicket in damage to the kneecap, and Pietersen returned to the that happened, the team is very him if he gets that opportunity. is pretty confident and I guess his first over as he clean bowled Pietersen would return to Britain England fold last October. happy with that because he is He (Watson) has probably decided because he is so familiar with it Hamilton Masakadza. At lunch, “for further investigations and The Surrey batsman was the vice-captain of the tour and to come back with a full focus and and it is something that he deals Zimbabwe had reached 92-3. specialist review”. cast into international exile last there are expectations that the we will accept him because he is on a daily basis. AGENCIES REUTERS EPL will accept winter World Cup: Richards

LONDON: Outgoing English Premier League Chairman Dave Richards believes his organisa- tion will have to drop its resist- ance to the idea of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being played in the European winter. English football is unusual among the continent’s major leagues in having no winter break and many Premier League offi- cials are determined nothing will happen to disrupt the lucrative competition from running as normal. But there is growing global momentum behind the idea the intense heat in Qatar during June and July, when a World Cup might usually be expected to be staged, risks the heath of both players and fans exposed to tem- peratures of 50C and so makes a switch to a ‘winter’ date all the more inevitable. Richards, speaking to Sky Sports News at the Securing Sport conference in Qatar, said: Mohammed Hanzab (right), President of International Centre for Sports “I think they will play (the World Security, and Sir David Richards, Chairman of English Professional Cup) at a time that is proper for Football Leagues (EPFL) shake hands after signing an MoU during Sport football but they will have to Security 2013 at Katara Cultural Village on Tuesday. PICTURE: SHAIVAL DALAL speak to the leagues in Europe. They will have to agree proper times when we can start and altered. “The Premier League’s is closed, but what I’m saying is finish.” view remains unchanged. We as long as we have not fixed the He added: “At the moment are opposed to the concept of a international calendar all alterna- it has a tremendous amount of winter World Cup for very obvi- tives are open.” implications for Europe. For us, ous practical reasons that would UEFA president Michel Platini at this minute, the answer is no. impact on all of European domes- has reiterated his call to move the But, if we take a proper view, we tic football.” Qatar tournament to winter and have to find a way to have a win- Earlier this month Jerome Valcke said the fact the inter- ter spell where we don’t play and Valcke, general secretary of FIFA, national calendar had not been I think common sense will prevail. became the first official from foot- fixed beyond 2018 made moving Richards explained: “We’ve ball’s world governing body to the 2022 finals possible. got FIFA now saying that medi- accept there was a case for mov- “Qatar has to tell us, ‘we want cal people are saying that they ing the World Cup. to move the World Cup from sum- can’t play in Qatar in the sum- “The FIFA ExCo (execu- mer to winter’,” Valcke said. mer because of the heat, which tive committee) has the power “I can tell you there is no is probably right. I think over to make decisions and if at the working group within FIFA the next few years, things will FIFA ExCo this issue starts to be thinking and working on what change and they will come to a a real point for discussion then it means to move the World Cup compromise.” why not, and then again maybe from summer to winter for the However, Premier League chief the FIFA ExCo will say based on time being. executive Richard Scudamore has medical reports or whatever we “The international calendar always been adamantly against really have to look at playing the has been agreed for 2015-2018, such a switch and a Premier World Cup not in summer, but in meaning that we kept open all League spokesman said on winter,” he said. potential for period 2019 to 2022. Tuesday their position had not “I am not saying that the case We have time.” REUTERS