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Tuesday 22 January 2013 10 Rabial I 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5587 Price: QR2

Pvt sector to Asian Beach get major slice Soccer of projects qualifiers begin

Business | 18 Sport | 28

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Qatar betters ranking in environment Fine particles in air very high

DOHA: An air quality monitor- deserts and insufficient rainfall. ing station at Qatar University This is the first time that such shows a high presence of fine environment-related indicators particles in the air (air pollut- have been released in the country. ants) around — a phenomenon The presence of silver oxide that is attributed to the vast in the air was 34.7 micrograms expanse of desert and insuffi- (annual average) for each cubic cient rainfall. meter as measured by the Aspire The level of fine particles has Zone monitoring station. It was been found to be almost six times 8.9 micrograms as indicated by The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani along with leaders of other Arab countries at the Third Arab Economic and Social Development Summit the permissible limit, figures the Qatar University station, and in Riyadh yesterday. See also page 5 released by the air quality moni- 10.6 micrograms in the West Bay. toring station at the university The permissible level of silver show. oxide in the air is 80 micrograms However, the presence of pol- per cubic meters. lutants like silver oxide, ground- The annual average of ground- Call for Arab unity at Riyadh summit level ozone, carbon dioxide and level ozone was 47.5 micrograms nitrogen in the air were found to per cubic meters while the per- RIYADH: The Emir H H The Egyptian president said Abdulaziz Al Saud will spare no including important issues such be much lower than the permissi- missible level is 100 micrograms. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al that the meeting is to discuss a effort in enhancing the joint Arab as poverty, unemployment and ble levels — as measured by three Nitrogen levels present in the Thani along with leaders of number of social and economic economy. disease, which require exerting air quality monitoring stations, air were also much below the per- other Arab countries partici- issues aimed at improving the Crown Prince Salman bin all efforts and agreeing on best including the ones at Aspire Zone missible levels—70.4 micrograms pated in the opening session of condition of Arab countries. He Abdulaziz Al Saud said in his ways to confront and eliminate and West Bay. per cubic meters in the West Bay the Third Arab Economic and underscored the importance of speech that the current state them.” Data show that the presence of (near Movenpick) and 39.1 micro- Social Development Summit, formulating guidelines and eco- of the Arab Nation requires all “In this respect, we emphasise fine particles in the air, which are grams as measured by the Qatar which kicked off at the King nomic policies to meet the goals the countries to unite and make the importance of the role played a concern for people’s health, as University station. The permis- Abdul Aziz International and aspirations of Arab countries sincere efforts to overcome the by Arab institutions as well as measured by the Qatar University sible level is 100 micrograms per Conference Centre in Riyadh and to emulate what has been challenges and to seek and pro- supporting and strengthening air quality monitoring station was cubic meters. last evening. achieved globally. mote joint Arab action, so as to their capacity so that they can 296 micrograms (one-millionth of A major challenge Qatar faces The session was also attended President Mursi handed over positively and significantly affect play the role assigned to them a gram) per cubic meters. is the rising use of desalinated by Prime Minister and Foreign the presidency of the Summit the lives of Arab citizens. more efficiently through effective The level that is permitted is water due to a severe lack of Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin to Saudi Crown Prince Salman Crown Prince Salman added: participation to implement joint 50 micrograms per cubic meters, natural groundwater. The country Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani and bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Mursi “Urgent developmental issues Arab projects, especially those Qatar News Agency (QNA) received between six and 62 mil- other senior officials. said that the Kingdom of Saudi facing our countries have that have been agreed upon in reported yesterday, citing official limeters of rainfall over the past Egyptian President Arabia under the leadership of become more difficult and com- the two previous summits,” he figures. The wire agency added three years. THE PENINSULA Mohammed Mursi lauded Saudi the Custodian of the Two Holy plicated considering the recent said, Saudi Press Agency SPA that this was due to the vast Continued on page 5 Arabia for hosting the Summit. Mosques King Abdullah bin developments in the Arab world, reported. QNA

Obama’s inauguration 37 foreigners Barzan gas project to Snow grounds more killed in Algeria go on stream next year flights in Europe DOHA: Qatar, continu- LONDON: Hundreds of flights hostage crisis ing to hold the pride of being were cancelled and road and rail the world’s largest LNG pro- traffic was severely disrupted ducer (77 million tonnes), is across much of Europe yester- IN AMENAS, ALGERIA: set to add one more feather to day as heavy snow and freezing Algiers said yesterday that its cap. With the operation of weather gripped the continent. 37 foreigners of eight differ- Barzan off-shore gas project Frankfurt airport, Germany’s ent nationalities, as well as an from next year, the facility main air hub, cancelled around Algerian, were killed by hos- will produce 1.4 billion cubic 500 departing and arriving flights, tage-takers in a well-planned feet per day (bcuft/d) of gas for representing 40 percent of its attack on a remote gas plant. domestic industrial consump- daily schedule. Prime Minister Abdelmalek tion, Minister of Energy and The busiest airport in Europe, Sellal said five other foreigners Industry, H E Dr Mohammed London Heathrow, scrapped were still missing and that several bin Saleh Al Sada told report- nearly 200 flights. of the hostages had been executed ers yesterday. Anticipating an Heathrow said a decision was “with a bullet to the head” as the increased demand for energy taken 24 hours in advance to can- four-day crisis ended in a blood- to fuel mega-projects over the cel 130 flights because visibility bath on Saturday. next decade, the upcoming gas was expected to deteriorate as the Most of the 32 militants who project will be of great impor- day wore on, but problems else- took hundreds of people hostage tance for the sustainable growth where in Europe were having an at the In Amenas gas complex in US President Barack Obama takes the oath of office at the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing- of the economy. See also page 17 impact too. See also page 10 the Sahara on Wednesday had in at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, yesterday. See also page 10 entered the country from neigh- bouring Mali, Sellal told a news conference in Algiers. The premier gave the final grim figures after Algeria had warned other nations to prepare for a Home nursing, new concept in healthcare, catches on higher body count, amid fears BY MOHAMMED IQBAL as many as 50 captives may have of Health (SCH) issued licences A senior official of the Home said there was a high demand for in Qatar. We are expecting more died in the world’s deadliest hos- to four home care centres, taking Care Center, one of such facili- nurses from construction compa- Arab and Qatari customers in the tage crisis in almost a decade. DOHA: Home nursing, a rel- the total number to seven. Last ties opened last month, said that nies, that are required to provide future when they get familiarised “Thirty-seven foreigners of atively new concept in the year saw the opening of several within a short time, they have nursing service to their workers at with this service,” said Mched. eight different nationalities,” were healthcare sector in Qatar, is more facilities. seen a growing demand for their construction sites and the company Families request a home nurse killed during the siege, Sellal told fast gaining popularity with a The Hamad Medical services. premises. for various services, such as child reporters, adding an Algerian was growing demand for the service Corporation (HMC) has been Located near the City Center, Instead of appointing full-time care, elderly care, post-surgery also killed, giving an overall toll of among Qatari and expatriate providing home nursing services the facility currently has five nurses, many small companies opt care and maternity care. 38. He said the group’s leader was families. to some patients who require full-time nurses, two of them to hire nurses from home care “Many working couples seek Mohammed Al Amine Bencheneb, A number of private companies, follow-up care. However, private men. All the nurses are from centers on daily or monthly basis. the service of a home nurse, an Algerian militant known to nurseries and schools are also centres offering “on call” nurs- The Philippines. “There is a huge “ Some schools and nurseries when they have their first child the country’s security services, hiring nurses from private home ing service to families and estab- potential in the market and we are also hire our nurses, because they or when their children fall sick. and was killed during the army’s care centres for the short-term. lishments are a new entry in the planning to increase the number of may not have their own nurses Families would also require a assault. Nearly a dozen private home health sector in Qatar. The fees nurses to 20 very soon to meet the or they may be on vacation,” said nurse to clean a wound or change Twenty-nine hostage-takers care centres have sprung up in for such services are charged on growing demand. Our customers Al Mched. Majority of the fam- the bandage, to avoid visiting a were killed and three captured. Doha over the past two years and hourly, daily or monthly basis, include families, companies, schools ily clients are westerners because hospital or clinic for such minor There were three Algerians more are expected to open in the and they range from QR6,000 to and nurseries,” Dima Al Mched, they are more familiar with the services,” said Mchel, a Lebanese among them. AGENCIES coming years. QR10,000 per month and from general manager of the center, concept of home care, she added. national. THE PENINSULA See also page 6 In 2011, the Supreme Council QR100 to QR150 per hour. told The Peninsula yesterday. She “Home care is very new idea Continued on page 5 TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Qtel donates $200,000 Deputy PM meets ambassadors to Jakarta flood victims Indosat offers free local minutes, Internet access

DOHA: Qtel Group yester- donation to flood victims in the packs who had exhausted their day announced a donation of Kapuk Muara neighbourhood in credit and could not recharge due $200,000 to help flood victims North Jakarta yesterday. In the to lack of access to shops. in Indonesia as part of relief sprawling Jakarta metropolis, Indosat also offered free, unlim- efforts of Qtel Group and its Kapuk Muara is one of the worst- ited calls to Jakarta’s emergency, Indonesian operator Indosat. affected areas, as nearly 700 peo- evacuation and flood response call After several days of heavy ple have been staying in a shelter centres to all customers – even flooding in Jakarta earlier last for the past week. those without credit. The com- week, more than 20,000 peo- Caused by unusually strong pany has also worked round-the- ple were evacuated, leading the monsoon rains, the flood waters clock to ensure its mobile network government to declare a state of have inundated the city’s central has remained operational, despite emergency until Sunday. business district, closed schools and power outages and affected offices. The donation following direc- offices, and affected about 95,000 “During this challenging time tives of Qtel Group Chairman people in different areas of the city. for Indonesians, I hope that our Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed During the flooding, Indosat was donation will help improve the bin Saud Al Thani, will go to a the country’s first mobile operator lives of people suffering due to the number of agencies providing relief to offer customers free local min- floods; this gesture demonstrate efforts, including the Indonesian utes, SMS and Internet access to the strong bond of friendship government, Red Cross Indonesia, help family members stay in touch. that exists between our countries. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud PKPU, and the Dompet Dhuafa For customers with a minimum or Indosat is working very hard to separately met yesterday Chinese Ambassador Gao Yuchen (above) and French Ambassador Jean-Christophe Foundation. The aid aims to help zero balance, Indosat gave them maintain services and ensure Peaucelle. They reviewed relations between Qatar and their countries. improve the lives of hundreds of Rp5000 to use for any combina- that people have the security and flood victims, who are in dire need tion of 10 minutes of voice calls, support of a reliable mobile con- of food, water, clothing, medicine 20 SMS or 1 MB of data. nection. Whenever there are dif- and other daily needs. BlackBerry customers also ficulties, our customers know they Qtel Group representative received one free day of service, can rely on Qtel Group companies,” All parties accept Darfur pact: Official Nicholas Swierzy and Indosat thanks to an Indosat partnership Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed President Director and CEO with RIM. This was especially bin Saud said in a statement. Alexander Rusli presented the helpful for customers on daily THE PENINSULA DOHA: The head of the negotiations and whether there Qatar plays the primary role Sudanese delegation to Doha are problems in implementa- inthe mediation, handling consul- talks on Darfur, Dr Amin tion of the Doha agreement, the tation with all parties to reach a Hassan Omar, said that the Sudanese official said that there solution, he said adding that Doha Darfur Peace Agreement were no problems. “It is true Qatar has played a major role in is accepted by all parties in that things are not going fully as the issue, which is reflected in Sudan and by all international planned and it is natural that no the success in reaching the Doha parties. plan in the world can be imple- Document. Dr Omar told QNA that the mented fully in its original form,” The outstanding matters are Sudanese government has signed he said. He added that the core related to the movements, how the Doha Document and the issue is whether the parties are they would be accommodated Justice and Equality Movement committed to the agreement or in the political process and how (JEM) has accepted it, adding not. their forces will be dealt with, he that there are other security and Dr Omar said that the said. military arrangements that will Sudanese government has signed About his expectations of other be discussed during talks in Doha. an agreement with JEM, 80 per- movements joining Darfur peace The Sudanese government cent of which is implemented negotiations, Dr Amin said that will sign several protocols on the and the rest is to be done in the it was too early to talk about it. political participation and secu- agreed time frame. Regarding a workshop held in rity and military arrangements Qatar’s role in talks, Dr Omar Doha recently Dr Omar said it with JEM after talks, Dr Omar said that Qatar is an essential was a training workshop to famil- said. part of the talks and the leader iarise the participants with the Qtel Group representative Nicholas Swierzy (second left) with Gunung Hari Widodo, Head of Indosat-Area Jakarta About his expectations of in the Arab-African mediation Doha Agreement. (left), present the donation to Red Cross Indonesia, in the Kapuk Muara neighbourhood in North Jakarta, yesterday. the success in this round of efforts. QNA

TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Qatar-Morocco meeting French, German 17 participate embassies to mark anniversary in Maisha of Elysee Treaty DOHA: France and Germany will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Elysee filmmaking lab Treaty in Doha with an open discussion at the French school and with the wish to achieve an even deeper collaboration with Mira Nair leads DFI initiative Qatar. German and French BY RAYNALD C RIVERA Ambassadors, Angelika Storz- Chakarji and Jean Christophe DOHA: Seventeen aspiring Peaucelle, respectively, will filmmakers, mostly women, address a group of students from have started shooting docu- The Minister of State for Interior Affair H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met Moroccan The German International School mentaries for the first Maisha Minister Delegate to the Head of the Government in Charge of the Moroccans Living Abroad Abdellatif Maazouz of Doha and The French School Documentary Lab conducted yesterday. They discussed bilateral relations. Bonaparte. by a team of film experts led by The Elysee Treaty was renowned filmmaker Mira Nair signed on January 22, 1963, (pictured) (Monsoon Wedding, by French President General The Reluctant Fundamentalist). Charles de Gaulle and German This is the second time Maisha Five youngsters to represent Qatar Federal Chancellor Konrad Film Labs, founded by Nair eight Adenauer. This agreement years ago, brought a filmmaking sealed a partnership between module to Doha. the two countries which had “Last year, we brought in World Schools Debate contest fought each other in the course Maisha screenwriting lab to of history. the Doha community,” said DOHA: A team of five young community is celebrating 25th our young students to subject The French-German friend- Nair, stressing close collabora- debaters from QatarDebate will anniversary of WSDC this year experts, intense debate skills ship has contributed to the tion between Maisha and the participate in the World Schools in Turkey. practice and the habit of criti- restructuring of Europe Doha Film institute (DFI) for Debate Championship (WSDC) This year, QatarDebate invested cal thinking around philo- resulting in the establishment the project which started sev- in Turkey next week. in two additional Qatari students sophical issues, equips them of the European Union (EU), eral years ago. This is the fifth consecutive to benefit from the unique learn- with intellectual and tactical France and Germany being The intensive documentary year that Qatar will be taking ing experience enjoyed by Team stamina necessary to withstand key founding members of the workshop introduces partici- part in WSDC. Qatar. The observers are Ali the highly competitive environ- EU and passionate support- pants to theoretical approaches believed it was time to bring the Qatar will be represented at Al Ansari, who is 14 and from ment of WSDC,” said Dr Hayat ers of the European idea, said and practical applications in module to Qatar to answer young WSDC by Abdullah El Emadi, Qatar International School and Maarafi, Executive Director of the Ambassadors in a joint documentary making through filmmakers’ needs. Haya Al Thani, Nora Al Naemi, Eman Al Sulaiti, Qatar’s youngest QatarDebate. statement. screenings, discussions, one-on- “We should really make this Jassim Al Thani, from Doha debater at 12, from Doha College. Team Qatar, like all the The French-German Youth one critique sessions and hands- part of our fabric here because College and Saad Al Suwaidi from Both students have been able to teams participating in WSDC, Office (FGYO) as well as the on workshops. we really raised the bar and the Newton International School. join in some of Team Qatar’s prac- are given a month to prepare Youth Exchange Programme The 14 women and four men in students are hungry for it,” she WSDC brings brightest stu- tice sessions and will be travelling for four of the eight topics that for Young People from France the class were chosen based on a added. dents and best debaters from all to Turkey to actively observe the will be debated in Turkey. The and Germany through the rigorous selection process done by Nair is in talks with the Qatar over the world. competition. Both students are other four, known as impromptu DFJW (Deutsch-Franzosisches DFI and the mentors who were Museums Authority to create art This year’s tournament will be being coached as the next cohort motions, will be given an hour Jugendwerk or German-French impressed by the students coming films which focus on the history attended by 50 countries. of WSDC Team Qatar debaters. before the competition. Youth Works) are integral parts up with ideas authentic to their of Qatar. The international debating “Our strategy of exposing THE PENINSULA of our close cooperation, they roots. “Who does what Doha is said. “The variety, depth and doing? Not many… where you In this context, France and originality of their vision were enable training and foster the Germany will continue to extraordinary,” said Nair. imagination, looking into the Qatar Masters preparations work to enhance aspects in all Founded in 2004 in East Africa, future but not ignoring the past,” respects and achieve common Maisha Film Labs has sent hun- she said. objectives. dreds of its alumni to film and TV Asked about her recent film For the Ambassadors in Doha industries across the continent The Reluctant Fundamentalist, “it is a privilege and a great hon- telling their own stories using she said she did not expect the our to celebrate this momentous their own voices. warm reception of people in vari- occasion here wishing that our “You hardly see stories about ous festivals in Venice, Toronto, two nations jointly achieve an Africa made by Africans,” she California, Doha and the latest even deeper collaboration with said, adding it became a moti- in India, ahead of its commercial the State of Qatar.” vating force for her to create release on April 26. In a joint statement, French Maisha (Swahili for ‘life’) to teach “In India, it received the top and German Ministers for the craft of the film to young prize — the Centenary prize Foreign Affairs, explained that filmmakers. — which celebrates the best the text of the treaty is “short and ‘If we don’t tell our stories no of 100 years of Indian cinema compact, but its content is almost one else will’ is the mantra of which I did not expect because revolutionary.” Maisha, said Nair, which applies it’s a movie about a Pakistani, In it, Germany and France to her also. not a movie about India in committed themselves to noth- “We must hear voices from that sense but of course it’s ing more and nothing less than within. The more we hear that about us all. The embrace was arriving, insofar as possible, at a local voice, the more universal it extraordinary.” similar position on all important becomes and I’m a firm believer She has already finished cre- economic, political and cultural of that.” ative preparation for staging issues. In the last four years, it was the musical version of Monsoon New traffic lights being installed opposite the Doha Golf Club ahead of the Commercialbank Qatar Masters THE PENINSULA Qatari students who would Wedding, rehearsals of which will tournament to help spectators cross safely from the designated public area to the Doha Golf Club. approach Maisha to learn film- start in September. (QASSIM RAHMATULLAH) making, and Nair and DFI THE PENINSULA 30pc of psychiatric patients are women: Experts

DOHA: More than 30 percent of visitors is increasing,” said Al Berayki. people,” Nazir Al Kharba, who performs to psychiatry clinics in Qatar are women Experts said that the Qatari community ‘Roqia’ (Islamic healing), said. and a majority of them face problems with is now more open to psychiatric treatment Kharba said that on a daily basis he treats their husbands, say health experts. due to social changes and high levels of seven cases, half of which are then referred An increasingly large number of women education. to psychiatric clinics. He also said that are seeking treatment for psychological prob- Some, however, feel that because of the many patients go through mental disorders lems resulting from social pressure and family social stigma attached with psychological because of pressures and fear, depression or disputes, a local Arabic newspaper reported problems, families in Qatar at times hide because they are home sick. yesterday. patients, making things worse for them. Dr Mohammed Umer Saleh, who works Dr Hassan Al Berayki, a consultant at “It’s important to create more awareness with the psychiatry department at Al Ahli the Family Consultation Center, said that in the community about such treatments Hospital, said that he treats 35 visitors on more people are attending workshops and because there are families here who hide a daily basis who suffer from various prob- training sessions conducted by the centre patients, and there comes a point when par- lems. “We have over 500 patients every and a majority of them say that they are ticular mental conditions cannot be control- month and a majority of them are women,” facing domestic problems. led anymore,” Ahmed Al Kuwari said. Dr Saleh said. He also said that the centre has solved High fees for psychological consultation at He said that the fee for every session var- 47 percent of family disputes which were private clinics also discourage people from ies from QR300 to QR500 depending on the referred to courts. “Young people who want seeking help. length of the session, which usually lasts 30 to get married are also seeking consulta- “To see a psychiatrist, you need QR500 to 50 minutes. tion showing that community’s awareness just for consultation, which discourages THE PENINSULA

HMC holds lecture on professionalism for physicians

DOHA: Doctors at the Hamad Medical professionalism with the aim of training all by Dr Eric Holmboe, MD, FACP, Chief Corporation (HMC) are getting tips on residents on how to be more professional Medical Officer and Senior Vice-President professionalism. when dealing with patients and their fami- of the American Board of Internal Medicine HMC recently hosted a lecture on profes- lies,” said Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Director (ABIM) and the ABIM Foundation. sionalism for physicians that marked the of Medical Education, which organised the Holmboe spoke on evolving concepts of pro- opening of three days of workshops and Grand Round and the ACGME-I workshops fessionalism as healthcare becomes increas- activities aimed to upgrade the perform- in collaboration with the ACGME and the ingly complex, and on methods and tools for ance of its medical team. ACGME-I. evaluating professionalism. “Physicians have The Grand Round Lecture, which is part “We are now working towards accredita- the moral responsibility to make sure patients of the accreditation process by Accreditation tion for 18 individual residency programmes have access to the right care at the right time Council for Graduate Medical Education — and many other fellowship programmes,” he and the right place,” said Dr Holmboe. International (ACGME-I) focused on the added. Professionalism is one of the six core He said physicians have an obligation to concept and importance of professionalism competencies that physicians must possess pass on what they have learned to others among physicians. according to standards of the ACGME-I. and to develope the future of medicine. “HMC has started a programme on The Grand Round lecture was delivered THE PENINSULA TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05

Emir arrives in Riyadh

The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani being welcomed at Riyadh Airbase by the Vice-Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohamed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud yesterday. RIGHT: The Emir with Egypt’s President Dr Mohammed Mursi and Tunisia’s President Moncef Al Marzouki on the sidelines of the Third Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Riyadh. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani attended the meeting.

Proposal to set Tenders for huge drainage project in Q2 up Arab network Ashghal plans Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy to meet growing needs of organ donors

DOHA: Tenders for the biggest in key areas like Muntaza, Umm DOHA: The fifth Pan Arab drainage project in the coun- Ghuwailina, Al Hilal, Airport, Al Liver Transplant Society try — Inner Doha Re-sewerage Nuaijah are being re-planed to Conference concluded here Implementation Strategy add more services, said Al Kuwari. on Sunday with a proposal to (IDRIS) — will be invited by A huge pumping station will establish an Arab network for the second quarter of this year, be built at the end of the drain- organ donors to make proce- the Public Works Authority age tunnel to get rid of 45 exist- dures for organ donation sim- (Ashghal) said yesterday. ing small pumping stations and pler and address the severe The project aims a major over- hydraulic load. shortage of donors. haul of the drainage system in the Ashghal is preparing tender Participants also called for southern parts of Doha city. Work documents and tenders will be establishing a regional data- is expected to begin by the end invited by the second quarter of base for patients needing organ of the year and is scheduled to this year, he added. transplants which will help in complete by 2019. The strategic study of the exchange of information and The project includes construc- project has been completed in assistance. tion of a major wastewater treat- collaboration with the authorities The need for amending laws in ment plant to the south of Doha, concerned. The study includes Arab countries related to organ as well as a deep-trunk sewer details of the projects, its main- donations and transplants was tunnel and pumping stations to tenance and estimated costs, said also stressed by speakers at meet the requirements in south- Al Kuwari. the concluding session of the ern districts of Doha for the next He, however, refused to disclose conference. 50 years. the estimated cost of the project Addressing the conference, Dr Projects on this scale are imple- saying the prices of the materials Yousuf Al Maslamani, head of mented in the UAE, the US and as well as the machines to be used the National Organ Transplant Singapore, said Engineer Nasser for the project and services are Committee, said that Qatar is Ghaith Al Kuwari, Director of fluctuating. Ashghal had earlier preparing a database with all Drainage Projects Department put the estimated capital cost of information about patients seek- at Ashghal in a press conference the project between QR8bn and ing organ transplants as well as yesterday. QR10bn. potential donors registered with The drainage system in the Ashghal will hold a meeting FROM LEFT: Abdulla Saad Al Saad, Public Relations and Communications Manager at Ashghal; Nasser Ghaith the committee. southern parts of Doha is very with contractors, experts and Al Kuwari, Director of Drainage Projects Department and John Drummie, Senior Projects Engineer in Drainage The number of people who old and it cannot keep pace with international consultation serv- Projects Department, at a press conference yesterday. signed as deceased donors has the fast growing population there ice providers tomorrow to present reached 4,000 following a recent that is expected to reach 3,000,000 the details of the project. Al Kuwari said that since this to international companies. partnerships with international campaign held by the Hamad by 2050. Asked about the share of project required most advanced However, local companies can companies. Medical Coperation. Therefore, drainage network local companies in the project, techniques, it will be offered play their role in the form of THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA Desalinated water production Advisory Council’s legal and legislative rises 54 times in six years panel reviews draft law Continued from page 1 above India and right below China. DOHA: The Legal and Legislative Affairs Some 81 cubic metres of rainwater However, in last year’s EPI, the coun- Committee of the Advisory (Shura) Council seeped underground — a level that is try’s ranking improved to 100th with a held a meeting yesterday as part of the council’s considered to be quite low from the higher score. 41st session, chaired by its rapporteur Nasser viewpoint of groundwater levels, and An idea of what score those coun- Rashid Seraye Al Kaabi. that explains Qatar’s increasing depend- tries that top the list have can be had The committee studied a draft Law No 19 of ence on desalinated water, which has an from the fact that Iceland had a score 2005 on regulating the practice of the engineering adverse impact on environment. of 93.5 and ranked first in 2010, while profession. Also, the use of energy to produce Mauritania, Central African Republic The committee then decided to invite Minister desalinated water is immense and has an and Sierra Leone were at the bottom of of Municipality and Urban Planning H E Sheikh adverse effect on the environment, too. the list with scores of 33.7, 33.3 and 32.1, Abdurrahman bin Khalifa Al Thani to attend its In barely six years, from 2005 to 2011, respectively. next meeting and highlight his ministry’s viewpoint the production of desalinated water In the 2012 EPI, Qatar ranked 100th, on the draft law. has increased an incredible 54 times, while India slipped to 125th position and QNA from 157,000 cubic metres to 8.5 million China improved its standing to 116th. metres. Qatar’s GCC neighbors, the UAE and Per capita domestic, construction and Saudi Arabia, ranked 77th and 82nd, Minimum three trained industrial waste is also quite high — 1.4 respectively, whereas Oman and Kuwait kilogram per person daily, the QNA were at the 110th and 126th positions, nurses required for licence report said. respectively. In 2010, for instance, 12 million tonnes Qatar’s National Development Continued from page 1 of garbage was collected and 47 percent Strategy (2011-16) talks at length of She said a personal experience prompted her to of it comprised waste from the construc- environmental challenges and acknowl- start this new venture. tion industry. edges that declining air quality results “Two years ago, I was in dire need of a home According to the QNA report, total from chronically high levels of dust mix- nurse but I couldn’t find anyone in Doha. Home reserve areas in the country were 30 per- ing with chemical pollutants. care service is very popular in my country, Lebanon. cent of its land, while wildlife reserves An NDS document confesses that air This is how I came to the idea of establishing this accounted for 24 percent, and natural pollution contributes to high rates of center,” she said. reserves were 10 in number. Two of these asthma and respiratory illnesses in the To obtain a SCH licence, a home care centre reserves were mixed — inland and sea. country. requires at least three trained and licensed nurses, Meanwhile, Qatar has improved The NDS for the first time explicitly she added. its position several notches in an aligns the growth of national prosperity “We evaluate every request from our customers Environment Performance Index (EPI) to the realities of environmental con- before sending a nurse. All our nurses are trained of the Yale Centre for Environmental straints. The NDS also incorporates to perform their specific duties and also to deal Law, Yale University, and the Centre for the spirit of Qatar National Vision 2030 with any emergency situation that could arise dur- International Earth Science Information which warns that overly aggressive eco- ing their service,” she said. Network, Columbia University (both in nomic development could result in many “ We are now planning to recruit physiothera- the US). negative risks, including harm to the pists because we are getting many requests from Qatar was ranked 122nd in the EPI environment. families seeking their service,” she added. in 2010 with a score of 48.9, one notch THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST 37 foreigners killed in Algeria siege, says PM Five still missing; Britain to provide counter-terrorism, intelligence aid to Algerian government

IN AMENAS, ALGERIA: the hostages, demanding an end on the jihadists. The In Amenas Nuland said she would not be Algiers said yesterday that to French military intervention plant is run by Britain’s BP, giving more details about the 37 foreigners of eight differ- in Mali. Survivors’ photos showed Norway’s Statoil and Sonatrach US dead or the survivors, out ent nationalities, as well as an bodies riddled with bullets, some of Algeria. of respect for the families’ pri- Algerian, were killed by hos- with their heads half blown away An Algerian employee of vacy, but cited President Barack tage-takers in a well-planned by the impact of the gunfire. BP who identified himself as Obama in blaming the militants attack on a remote gas plant. “They were brutally executed,” Abdelkader said he was at a for the bloodshed. Prime Minister Abdelmalek said an Algerian who identified security post with colleagues on “As the president said, the Sellal said five other foreigners himself as Brahim, after escaping Wednesday morning when he saw blame for this tragedy rests with were still missing and that several the ordeal, referring to Japanese a jeep with seven people inside the terrorists who carried it out, of the hostages had been executed victims gunned down by the smash through the barrier and and the United States condemns “with a bullet to the head” as the hostage-takers. screech to a halt. their actions in the strongest pos- four-day crisis ended in a blood- The alleged mastermind of One of the militants got out sible terms,” she said. bath on Saturday. the hostage-taking, Mokhtar of the vehicle, demanded their “We will continue to work Most of the 32 militants who Belmokhtar, said in a video posted mobile phones and ordered them closely with the Government of took hundreds of people hostage online that it was carried out not to move, before disabling the Algeria to gain a fuller under- at the In Amenas gas complex in by 40 fighters from the Muslim security cameras. “He said: ‘You standing of the terrorist attack the Sahara on Wednesday had world and “European countries”. are Algerians and Muslims, you of last week and how we can work entered the country from neigh- His Al Qaeda-linked group have nothing to fear. We’re look- together moving forward to com- bouring Mali, Sellal told a news “Signatories in Blood” threat- ing for Christians, who kill our bat such threats in the future.” conference in Algiers. ened to stage attacks on nations brothers in Mali and Afghanistan Britain will contribute intel- The premier gave the final grim involved in the French-led oper- and plunder our resources’.” ligence and counter-terrorism figures after Algeria had warned ation to evict Islamists from assets to help dismantle the other nations to prepare for a Algeria’s neighbour Mali, and said THREE US CITIZENS DEAD militant network that carried higher body count, amid fears it had been open to negotiations. The United States confirmed out the hostage attack at an as many as 50 captives may have “But the Algerian army did yesterday that three of its citizens Algerian gas complex last week, died in the world’s deadliest hos- Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal speaking at a press conference not respond... preferring to stage were among the foreign workers Prime Minister David Cameron tage crisis in almost a decade. in Algiers, yesterday. an attack which led to the elimi- who died last week in an attack said yesterday. “Thirty-seven foreigners of nation of the hostages,” it said by Islamist hostage-takers on an “We will contribute British eight different nationalities,” were and was killed during the army’s Tunisian, Malian, Nigerien and in a message published by the Algerian gas plant. intelligence and counter-terror- killed during the siege, Sellal told assault. Mauritanian. Mauritanian news agency ANI. State Department spokes- ism assets to an international reporters, adding an Algerian was Twenty-nine hostage-takers Governments have been scram- Most hostages were freed on woman Victoria Nuland said effort to find and dismantle the also killed, giving an overall toll of were killed and three captured. bling to track down missing citi- Thursday in the first Algerian seven more Americans survived network that planned and ordered 38. He said the group’s leader was As well as the three Algerians zens as more details emerged rescue operation, which was ini- the drama at the In Amenas site, the brutal assault at In Amenas,” Mohammed Al Amine Bencheneb, among them, the kidnappers after the final showdown on tially viewed by foreign govern- and identified those killed as he told parliament, promising a an Algerian militant known to comprised six foreign nation- Saturday between special forces ments as hasty, before the focus Victor Lynn Lovelady, Gordon Lee “strong security response”. the country’s security services, alities— Canadian, Egyptian, and extremists who had taken of public condemnation turned Rowan and Frederick Buttaccio. AFP/REUTERS

Moroccans protest Morocco might scrap Al Qaeda claims disputed rape law RABAT: Morocco could scrap a disputed statutory rape law that assassination of favours the perpetrator, excus- ing them from jail if they marry their victims, the justice minis- try said yesterday. The suicide lawmaker in Iraq in March 2012 of 16-year-old rape victim Amina Filali, who BAGHDAD: Al Qaeda’s Iraqi responsibility for other attacks was forced to marry her aggres- affiliate said it had carried in Anbar province and across the sor, launched the law into the out a suicide bomb attack that country, without giving details. spotlight and led to intensifying killed a Sunni Muslim law- On Wednesday more than 35 calls for its repeal. The justice maker last week as he toured people died in a suicide bomb ministry said in a statement it a construction site in the west- attack and other bombings in supported a proposal by parlia- erly Anbar province, where northern Iraq and Baghdad. ment to alter Article 475 of the Sunnis have been protesting Al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch also penal code, under which the against the government for voiced support for the Sunni pro- rape of a minor is punishable by three weeks. tests and said it was fighting to several years in prison unless Members of the Sunni minority “cut off the vein that is extending the victim and their aggressor accuse the Shia-led government the life of the criminal Nusayri wed. The proposal has yet to of marginalising them, and the regime to kill your brothers in the be formally approved by both wave of protests has raised fears Levant”. houses, however. The ministry that the Opec country could again In neighbouring Syria, said it was prepared to go even slide into widespread sectarian mainly Sunni rebels are fight- further than scrapping the par- conflict. ing President Bashar Al Assad, Moroccan “February 20” movement activists demonstrate for freedom and dignity in Rabat, yesterday. agraph on marriage, suggesting The Islamic State of Iraq most of whose ruling establish- harsher punishments for rapists (ISI), an umbrella group for ment are members of the Shia- of minors, including up to 30 Al Qaeda-linked Sunni insur- derived Alawite or Nusayri sect, years in prison rather than the gents, said it was responsible adding to the strain on Iraq’s current stipulated five. for the assassination of Efan own delicate sectarian and eth- Iraq demands US energy Al Esawi. nic balance. Esawi was one of the archi- Sunni anti-government pro- US drone strike kills tects of the Sahwa tribal resist- tests erupted in Iraq in late ance that helped subdue Al December after state officials giant abide by constitution four Qaeda militants Qaeda-linked insurgents bat- arrested members of a Sunni SANA’A: A US drone killed tling US troops in the Sunni finance minister’s security team BAGHDAD: Iraq’s premier between Maliki and Exxon chief for Exxon to “continue its work four suspected Al Qaeda mili- heartland of Anbar at the on terrorism charges. yesterday called on ExxonMobil Rex Tillerson since the firm and expand in Iraq” with the US tants yesterday in a strike in height of the conflict of the last Authorities denied the arrests to respect the country’s consti- signed an agreement in October firm’s chief also apparently men- central Yemen, tribal sources decade. were political, but Sunni leaders tution in rare talks with the US 2011 for oil exploration with tioning “important decisions in said, in the third such attack in Posing as a worker, the attacker saw them as a crackdown. firm’s chief, an apparent refer- Kurdistan, angering the central this area” that would be taken, three days. The United States hugged Efan Al Esawi before det- Since the fall of Sunni strong- ence to a deal with the Kurdish government in Baghdad, which though no further details were never comments on strikes by onating an explosive vest, killing man Saddam Hussein after the region Baghdad says is illegal. regards deals signed without the provided. its pilotless aircraft, which it has them both on the spot. US-led invasion, many Sunnis feel Nouri Al Maliki also appeared expressed approval of the federal Exxon and Anglo-Dutch used to track down militants in “He insisted on his disbe- they have been marginalised by to once again rule out produc- oil ministry as illegal. giant Shell completed a deal in Yemen for years. The Yemeni gov- lief, treachery and war against the Shia leadership. tion-sharing deals that Exxon “Iraqis are partners in the oil January 2010 to develop produc- ernment tolerates such strikes Muslims ... until he died at the Violence in Iraq is well down has signed with Kurdistan, argu- that is discovered in any part of tion at West Qurna-1, an oil field but usually does not comment on hands of the mujahideen in his since the height of sectarian ing that Iraq’s substantial oil Iraq, they can not be partners in in south Iraq, but late last year, the US role in specific incidents. current state, to be an example bloodletting in 2006-2007. But reserves “belong to all Iraqis,” an Basra and not partners in other the American company informed Washington has scaled up action and a lesson for those after him,” last year saw a rise in violent oft-cited phrase in Iraq’s consti- areas,” Maliki said, according Baghdad that it wanted to sell its against al Qaeda in the strate- the US-based SITE Intelligence deaths for the first time in three tution that central government to a statement from his office, stake in the project, indicating it gically important state, where Group quoted ISI as saying in a years, with more than 4,400 peo- officials see as justifying per- referring to Iraq’s southern oil- would focus on the controversial the group exploited widespread statement on Sunday. ple killed. barrel service fees. rich province. The statement Kurdish deal. anti-government unrest in 2011 The ISI also claimed REUTERS The meeting was the first said Tillerson voiced keenness AFP to seize swathes of territory in the south. It was subsequently driven out by a military offensive in June last year. Yemen’s defence ministry said in a statement the air strike targeted a vehicle being used by militants in Al Ateef in Disillusioned Jordanians mull abstaining from vote the central province of Maarib, killing four fighters. ZARQA, JORDAN: traditional Islamist stronghold faces and pledges to improve the Muslim Brotherhood and other serving food and sweets in large Jordanians sceptical about the 23km northeast of Amman. lives of Jordanians. “They are opposition groups like the tents to anyone prepared to vote outcome of tomorrow’s legisla- “The candidates never keep promising us all kinds of things National Reform Front of former for them. Kuwait suspends port tive election say they will not their promises after they win. just to win our votes. Every elec- premier and intelligence chief Their efforts do not appear to vote as they are fed up with the They change their phone num- tion, we hope something different Ahmad Obeidat have boycotted have won over many people, and operations due to fog empty promises and failures bers and personalities, becoming will happen. But we get nothing,” the election over what they have have in fact worked against them DUBAI: Kuwait’s port author- of past parliaments. Regular unreachable.” Yasmin Ghanem, 25, a govern- described as a “lack of political — the government has announced ity suspended maritime opera- Arab Spring-inspired protests More than 2.27 million voters ment employee in Zarqa, said. will to reform”. the arrest of at least six candi- tions at ports due to heavy fog, over the past two years have have registered to choose from The industrial city of more “I will not vote. The candi- dates, including the leader of an the state news agency reported demanded sweeping political around 1,500 candidates con- than a million people, and a hot- dates will only serve their own electoral list, for vote buying. yesterday.“The entry and exit of and economic reform, including testing for 150 seats in the lower bed for Islamic extremists, suf- interests,” said bearded Aladdin The arrests prompted faint ships was partially suspended more jobs and the elimination of house of parliament. fers from over-population, poor Shawish as he waited for the bus hope among some voters for a for safety reasons,” Captain poverty and corruption. Jordan wants tomorrow’s vote infrastructure, dilapidated build- with Ali Madi, a school teacher clean contest, but the election for Moussa Behbehani, Director “I don’t think I’ll vote. I’m to be a focal point for reform, ings and water problems. who insisted “the coming parlia- many will still be a lottery. “I’ll try of Shuwaikh Port, told Kuna tired of seeing and hearing the but some people are concerned “Favouritism, nepotism and ment will be identical to the old to give my vote to a person who in a statement. Opec member same slogans, promises and lies that many candidates lack clear tribalism control everything. one”. In contrast with Zarqa, deserves it. I hope they’ll work Kuwait’s crude oil production over and over again,” Mohammad programmes, despite banners I’m not sure about voting,” said candidates in Amman and Salt, hard on meeting our needs and capacity stands at around 3.1 Qeisi, 43, said as he sat outside on streets throughout the coun- Ghanem, who wore an Islamic northwest of the capital, have demands,” said Taan Awaisheh, million-3.2 million barrels per his shop in the city of Zarqa, a try with their smiling or serious headscarf and jeans. The powerful splashed out on their campaigns, 24, from Salt. AFP day. AGENCIES TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 Netanyahu tops opinion polls, but support dips Israelis vote in parliamentary election today JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Bennett, and religious parties. Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Bennett, a charismatic former made an election-eve appeal settler leader, advocates annex- yesterday to wavering support- ing parts of the West Bank, ter- ers to “come home”, showing ritory Israel captured along with concern over a forecast far- East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip right surge that would keep and the Golan Heights, in the him in power but weaken him 1967 war, a position to the right FROM LEFT: Shelly Yachimovich, head of the left-leaning Labour party, Tzipi Livni, former foreign minister and politically. of Netanyahu. leader of Hatnua party and Naftali Bennett, head of HaBayit HaYehudi, The Jewish Home Party, during poll In the last stretch of a largely Jewish Home has been the sur- campaign in Tel Aviv, yesterday. lacklustre campaign that could prise start-up party of the elec- produce the most hardline gov- tion, forecast to win some 14 seats creation of a “demilitarised” building that most countries view costs and economic woes, hoping ernment in Israel’s history, in a third-place finish. Palestinian state, an alliance with as illegal and which he sees as a to translate mass social protests Netanyahu has watched high- Second place, according to Jewish Home would steer his gov- Jewish right based on the Bible from two years ago into an elec- tech millionaire Naftali Bennett’s the polls, will go to the centre- ernment further to right, poten- and history. A splintered centre- tion victory. far-right Jewish Home party chip left Labour Party led by Shelly tially putting further strain on left bloc, whose parties hope to Tzipi Livni, a former foreign away at his right-wing Likud’s Yachimovich, a former journal- his relations with US President win a majority but may also join minister and negotiator with the opinion poll lead. ist who has focused on economic Barack Obama and deepening a Netanyahu-led government, has Palestinians, has promised to At a final campaign appearance and social issues in the cam- Israel’s international isolation. had trouble finding a joint mes- work for a regional peace deal. in Jerusalem, Netanyahu voiced paign and has ruled out joining a Netanyahu has campaigned sage in opposition. Her Hatnuah party is expected confidence his traditional back- Netanyahu-led government. largely on security issues, shrug- Yachimovich, whose Labour to win fewer than 10 seats. ers would not abandon him, and Although support for centre- ging off as misplaced interna- party is forecast to win about 18 In the final hours of the cam- repeated his stump pledges to left parties has edged higher, their tional opposition to settlement seats, has focused on high living paign, Netanyahu also took new keep Israel safe and build Jewish leaders failed to present a united aim at pocketbook issues, after settlements over international front or persuade many Israelis, being rocked by figures last week opposition. alarmed by turmoil in neighbour- that showed Israel’s budget deficit “I have no doubt that many, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ing Arab states, they are ready to last year was, at 4.2 percent of many people will decide at the last Netanyahu speaks to the press take charge of the country. gross domestic product, double minute to come home to Likud- during a visit to Jerusalem, the original estimate. Yisrael Beitenu,” said Netanyahu, yesterday. SURPRISE SURGE He announced he would appoint who polls predict will still win Bennett’s surge has been the Moshe Kahlon, who as his widely today’s parliamentary election, point so far and forecast that a talking point of the election, but popular communications minister albeit by a narrower margin than potential right-wing and reli- for voters who have cast ballots brought down the price of mobile first forecast. gious bloc of parties led by Likud- for Netanyahu in the past, the telephone services, to oversee “I have a good feeling. And at Yisrael Beitenu would have a slim Jewish Home leader has a familiar state land allocation - with the the last minute, I appeal to each parliamentary majority of 63 out pedigree. Both are former army aim of lowering housing prices. and every citizen going to the bal- of 120 seats. commandos and speak American- Polling stations open at 7am lot box: ‘Decide for whom you are If the polls are correct— and accented English: Netanyahu (0500 GMT) today and close at going to vote — for a divided and they have been famously inac- went to high school and college 10pm. Immediately after voting weak Israel or for a united and curate in several past elections— in the United States, Bennett’s ends, Israeli media release exit strong Israel and a large govern- Likud and Yisrael Beitenu would parents immigrated from San polls, with official results due the ing party?’.” capture 10 seats fewer than they Francisco. And each has put set- next morning and party leaders The final opinion polls, on took in the previous national bal- tlement expansion at the core of already beginning informal coali- Friday, showed Netanyahu’s right- lot in 2009. his campaign. tion talks. No one party has ever wing Likud, running on a joint list A relatively weak showing Bennett has made no secret of won a parliamentary majority of candidates with former Foreign would make Netanyahu, who has his desire to join a Netanyahu-led in Israel, and its president tra- Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s pledged during the campaign to coalition, to the point of plaster- ditionally asks the leader of the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu pursue settlement building in the ing the country with campaign biggest bloc to try to form a gov- party, still set to win. occupied West Bank, more sus- ads featuring photos of both An Israeli soldier casts an early vote at an army base at Mount Hermon in erning coalition, a process likely But the surveys indicated his ceptible to the demands of poten- leaders. the occupied Golan Heights, on the Israeli side of the border with Syria, to stretch into next month. support had dipped to its lowest tial coalition partners, including While Netanyahu still advocates yesterday. REUTERS

IAEA says Iran talks on February 13 Syrian opposition leaders fail to form govt VIENNA: The UN atomic agency said yesterday that its ISTANBUL/BEIRUT: Syrian not want to be named because he someone else’s turn,” Labwani have supported Syria through- fear a backlash by Syria’s Sunni next round of talks in Tehran opposition leaders said yes- operates in secret in Syria. said. More than 60,000 peo- out the uprising, have criticised Muslim majority against Assad’s will be on February 13, not on terday they had failed to put Sources at the negotiations in ple have been killed in Syria’s Nato’s decision, saying the Patriot minority Alawite sect — an offshoot February 12 as it had stated last together a transitional govern- Turkey said SNC President Moaz increasingly bloody 22-month civil deployment would intensify a con- of Shia. An air strike on the Harran week. “In fact the talks will be ment to run rebel-held areas of Alkhatib had flown to Qatar while war, at least 600,000 have become flict that most foreign govern- Al Awamid area east of Damascus held on February 13 rather than the country, a blow to the exiled the meeting was still in progress refugees and 2.5 million are suf- ments have been reluctant to get killed at least nine people on February 12,” International group trying to present an to ask for financial aid for a tran- fering from hunger. sucked into. Sunday, the Observatory said. Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) alternative to President Bashar sitional government. The SNC Neither side in the conflict has World powers have become Rising prices for basic commod- spokeswoman Gill Tudor said. Al Assad’s rule. said in a statement a five-member been able to gain clear military more wary of supporting the ities and fuel shortages have made No reason was given for the Political efforts to resolve the committee would offer proposals momentum. Rebels have been insurgents, especially as Islamist life harder for residents of the change. The talks are aimed at conflict have largely faltered for forming a government within able to take territory but remain fighters, including some with capital and some said they spent finalising an accord whereby because of the rebels’ failure to 10 days. However, the only name outmatched by the military’s air links to Al Qaeda, have taken the Sunday night without power as Iran will address what the IAEA form a unified front and because put forward at the meeting as a power and organisation. initiative in the battle against fighting neared the centre. believes is evidence of efforts to world powers are backing oppos- possible transitional prime min- Yesterday, the first of six Nato Assad’s forces in many areas. Insurgents control a crescent of develop nuclear weapons, until ing sides. ister was Riad Hijab, a former Patriot missile batteries intended On Sunday, fighters from the suburbs to the east and south of 2003 and possibly since. Talks held by representatives Syrian premier. to protect Turkey from a poten- prominent Islamist Al Nusra the city and have been advancing Iran denies working or ever of the opposition Syrian National Veteran opposition campaigner tial Syrian attack arrived from Front clashed with pro-govern- slowly toward its heart. Fighting having worked towards getting Coalition (SNC), a 70-mem- Kamal Labwani, said Hijab— Germany after Ankara asked for ment forces near the Wadi Al Deif broke out on Sunday just half the bomb and says the IAEA’s ber umbrella group dominated the highest ranking member of Nato’s help to bolster security military base, a strategic area the a mile from the Old City in the information is based on faulty by Islamists and their allies, in Assad’s inner circle to defect along its 900km border. rebels have been trying to seize for capital’s centre, residents said. intelligence that it has not even Istanbul at the weekend only since the revolt erupted in March Damascus has called the move months, the British-based moni- “Inside Damascus’ Old City, you been allowed to see. The IAEA con- highlighted divisions in the coa- 2011— would be an efficient cabi- “provocative”, in part because toring group Syrian Observatory can’t escape the muffled sounds of ducts regular insections of Iran’s lition. “This is a big blow for the net chief despite his past in the Turkey’s missile request could be for Human Rights said. shelling and fighter jets and even declared nuclear sites, which Iran revolution against Bashar Al Assad administration. seen as a first step toward imple- The increasingly sectarian machineguns fired off nearby,” says are for peaceful purposes only. Assad,” said one opposition leader “Hijab should be given a chance. menting a no-fly zone over Syrian nature of the conflict has also said a resident who visited the Last week the IAEA held two days who attended the meeting but did After two years of trying it is airspace. Iran and Russia, which unnerved potential backers who area. AFP of talks in Tehran but fell short of signing a deal. The meetings come ahead of a possible resumption of talks between Iran and six world powers. Mursi opposed to Mali Five thugs wounded in Tehran shootout military intervention TEHRAN: Iranian police wounded five armed thugs in a RIYADH: Egyptian President violence, or aggression against rare shootout in Tehran, local Mohammed Mursi told fellow civilians, but also we do not want media reported yesterday, quot- Arab leaders meeting in Riyadh to create a new bloodbath,” he ing a senior police officer. yesterday that he opposes said. France swept to the aid of “There were some armed French-led military action in the crippled and weak Malian clashes when some thugs used Mali against Islamist rebels. army on January 11, a day after firearms as the police tried to “We do not accept at all the the hardline Islamists made a arrest them,” Tehran police chief military intervention in Mali push towards Bamako in the gov- Hossein Sajedinia was quoted as because that will fuel conflict in ernment-held southern triangle saying by the Mehr news agency, the region,” Mursi said at the of the bow-tie shaped nation. without specifying when the inci- opening of an economic summit It won backing for its action dent occurred. in the Saudi capital. from the UN Security Council last “Five thugs were shot and are French and Malian troops yes- week. A UN-approved African- now in the hospital,” he said dur- terday recaptured the key towns led intervention force known as ing a media briefing on his unit’s of Diabaly and Douentza in a AFISMA is currently being set up efforts to curb violence in Tehran. major boost in their drive to rout but needs up to ¤200m ($265m). Petty crimes and robbery in Al Qaeda-linked rebels holding The crisis first erupted when the Tehran are reported sporadically the country’s vast, arid north. nomadic Tuaregs, who have long but armed clashes are relatively But Egypt’s Islamist president felt marginalised by government, rare. Sajedinia said 58 people were argued any intervention in Mali launched a rebellion a year ago rounded up in the latest opera- “should be peaceful,” and called and inflicted such humiliation tion, all of whom had prior crim- Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, Acting Deputy Governer of Riyadh region (right), speaks with Egypt’s President for funding on “development” in on the Malian army that it trig- inal records, including of felony Mohammed Mursi as they review the guard of honour during Mursi’s arrival at Riyadh airport to attend the third the African nation. gered a military coup in Bamako and robbery. AGENCIES Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit, yesterday. “We do not accept extremism, in March. AFP TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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ES, we can. Obama proclaimed and got elected in 2009. Yes, he could have. But he didn’t. Or, he didn’t at least the way most of us expected of him. It’s this The left in Israel is its Yreality that haunts us as Barack Obama is sworn in for a second term. Obama was sworn in at the Capitol Hill with less pomp and splendor yesterday. As expected, it was a scaled back own worst enemy inauguration, with up to 700,000 people in attendance, compared to the record 1.8 million who assembled four BY RACHEL SHABI years ago. This time, the enthusiasm of both president and don’t seem able to agree enough to form with the Palestinians, either – not his people have been tempered by the hard facts of his first a strong, combined force (some of these even with the Palestinians who make term, the most striking of which is that the change which SRAELIS have rarely seemed so left and centre parties might even join up 20pc of Israel’s population, but are the president promised remains just that: a promise. There despondent. During a recent trip Bibi’s coalition). second-class citizens because of sys- Iahead of the impending elections, As the nation’s mood seems to slide temic discrimination. No Israeli gov- were two major achievements in the first term: the economic the popular sentiment I kept hearing ever rightwards, polls still show major- ernment has included Arab political stimulus bill and healthcare reforms. Other promises failed to was of Israel as a country that screws ity support for the creation of a sov- parties. Even in 1999, after gaining 94% take off and on climate change, on Middle Eastern peace, on its citizens. There’s a paucity of hope, ereign Palestinian state. And the mass of the Palestinian vote in Israel, Labour closing the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp etc, he a frustrated paralysis over corrup- social movement of 2011, a united cry snubbed this sector and built a coalition gave up when we thought he had just begun. tion, cronyism and ego-driven politics. against the nation’s crippling neolib- without even a token Arab party. When Nobody believes voting will change any- eral economics, brought 500,000 of the peace talks with Palestinians at Camp For those who are investing high hopes in his second term, thing. Sadly, some Israelis told me their nation’s 8 million on to the streets – the David failed, the then Labour prime Robert W Merry, who has written about how presidents are best case scenario was that their chil- largest protests in Israel’s history. How minister, Ehud Barak, proclaimed that evaluated, has an answer. “It’s almost impossible to find a dren emigrate. is it possible, in this context, for the left Israel had “no partner for peace” – a president who had a second term better than his first,” he said. Israel is expected to elect the most to be so powerless in politics? cowardly own goal that kicked away a Among those who are not very optimistic include Democrats rightwing government in its history on The straight answer is that the Israeli political foundation-stone. who say that the political Tuesday – a coalition that will make left has never really been leftwing. “This is what made the right wing the current prime minister, Binyamin Labour has long been the elite, estab- stronger,” says Asma Aghbaria-Zahalka, environment is too poisonous for Netanyahu, look like a man of peace. lishment party, dominated by Jews leader of Daam, the Jewish-Arab work- the president to bring in seminal His Likud party of European origin who monopolised ers’ party. Although unlikely to gain a Barack changes. is running ever power and discriminated against Knesset seat, she has gained many col- Obama’s On the positive side, Obama more extreme Jewish communities from Muslim and umn inches for her fresh, charismatic has learnt some of his lessons fast. candidates and is Arab countries (labelled “Mizrahi” or socialism. “The Israeli left has no future He is no longer in a conciliatory As the nation’s outflanked to the “Eastern”). Such discrimination – the without the Arabs, and the right will second term right by Jewish lopsided allocation of resources, such as stay in power for ever,” she says. promises to mood and is ready for a fight with mood seems Home, a rapidly land or education; the cultural negation Therein lies another problem with Republicans. Yesterday, he spoke to slide ever rising, Palestine- – was so bad that ethnicity is now too the Israeli left: it doesn’t really do be more of the in a more assertive tone about the denying, new set- often synonymous with class. equality. As Sami Michael (who is also challenges facing the United States; rightwards, tlers’ party that In the late 1970s, the rightwing Likud president of the Association for Civil asked Americans to reject political polls still show is predicted to exploited this to win a landslide victory. Rights in Israel) points out in the same. play a key role Its leader at the time, Menachem Begin, TV documentary, this should be the absolutism and partisan rancor. He majority support in coalition. But toured city slums and peripheral towns starting point of any leftwing party. confidently listed the second-term for the creation alongside the proclaiming his party would never dis- While the right dominates identity battles he intended to fight which included climate change, headlines herald- honour or deprive the majority Mizrahi politics with its ultra-patriotic Jewish immigration reforms and gay rights. Unfortunately, the Middle of a sovereign ing a rightward population like Labour did. The wealth nationalism, the supposed left can’t East peace has vanished from his radar, if not completely, and Palestinian state. lurch, voter turn- gap widened under Likud’s naked capi- provide a more inclusive, democratic he is uncommitted on Guantanamo and on rethinking the out is expected to talism, but mistrust of a condescending, alternative. plunge. That has Eurocentric left wing still holds sway As Anat Saragusti, director of the controversial drone attacks which are killing innocent people prompted ubiquitous, state-sponsored – especially as ethnic discrimination social change communications centre and children. commercials with the tagline: “Vote remains an unacknowledged divide. Agenda explains: “My Israeli nation- It should work in his favour that in the second term, now; moan later.” In a new documentary about the left, ality is much larger and broader than Obama will not be constrained by the compulsions of a first Low motivation is highest among which recently aired on Israeli TV, the my Jewish nationality. I have more in term and therefore must garner more courage on policy issues. centre-left voters. Endemic levels of Iraqi-born Israeli author Sami Michael common with Arab citizens of Israel He needs to act more decisively on the Palestinian issue and misery and apathy are tied to a popu- explains this crucial, myopic contradic- than with Jews in Guatemala or New lar conviction that Israeli politicians of tion within the pro-peace left: “They see York.” A truly leftwing party would rise Syria, where his intervention is keenly awaited. Unfortunately, all stripes will continue to serve an elite [Mizrahis] as a danger, because we bring above the choking patriotism test of a virulently right-wing government to be led by Benjamin while ignoring everybody else, except to Arab culture, enemy culture which the Jewish ethnocentrism and find a better Netanyahu will come to power in Israel soon. Obama’s expose the wider population to constant Israeli left hates,” he says. “It’s nice for alternative. policy on Palestinian issue has been a refusal to engage with fear and endless war. them to be photographed with Arabs, This failure to support an inclusive Netanyahu, with whom he has a fractious relationship. The increasingly splintered centre to say that they have Arab friends, that Israeli identity in part explains the and left parties are predicted to win they want peace. But peace with whom? factionalism that typifies Israeli left If the president doesn’t act, another option for the region is up to 57 out of 120 Knesset seats. That First of all make peace with your own politics – without binding progressive to come to grips with his constraints and learn to move on. sounds good, but no one party will have people!” ideals, every party has its pet issues to significant clout on its own, and they But the Israeli left can’t make peace peddle. THE GUARDIAN Letters Quote of Qatar has always been a leader in region A welcome measure the day

AM sure no one wishes to jest. Tina Turner performed in electric, with alcohol freely he move by authorities concerned should minimise the strides Qatar Doha — and so did the some- available. the Ministry of take steps to increase public has made over the past 15 or times controversial Scottish A number of the ministries Environment to awareness about the threat to Iso years, both nationally and comedian, Billy Connolly — have reverted to the names they Ttighten rules on import health posed by the consump- internationally. Economically, along with many others. had in the 1970s and 1980s, and sale of alcohol-based tion of such products. socially and politically. There was no lack of jazz and the clubs now are pretty perfumes is a welcome one. Such an awareness drive We do not accept But what is this obsession bands, country bands, blue close to the ones that existed The use of some brands of should focus on the workers. with claiming that every single grass bands or rock bands then. these perfumes as intoxicants As long as the workers do not at all the military move now is ‘new’, or the ‘first performing in Qatar. As Qatar tries to ‘modernise’ is well known. understand the full extent of of its kind’? There were many young without losing sight of its culture Low-income workers are the damage that consumption intervention in Mali That is a denial of the fact Qatari women who went about and heritage, it should acknowl- particularly prone to consum- of such products can do, they because that will that Qatar has always been a unveiled. And who worked. edge what an open society ing these products, putting will find ways to get around leader in the region. Even as far back as the it was decades ago. In many their lives at risk and posing a any restrictions on their sale. fuel conflict in the In the 1960s and 70s, it was 1950s, those who wished to ways what is available today is threat to public order. Moreover, one cannot streets ahead of Dubai in terms could get ‘real’ Christmas trees, not, by any means, new. Apart from regulating ignore the link between alco- region. of development. cards and decorations in Qatar. Luke J Oliver the sale of products with a hol consumption and crime. Mohammad Mursi ‘Conservative Qatar?’ — you And the party scene was high alcohol content, the Mohan Kumar Egyptian President TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Cameron leading Britain into minefield on EU

voters or parliaments for any special deal Many officials are with Britain that could involve watering down European social and employment not convinced rights and giving London a lock on EU financial services legislation. Many are worried that an a-la-carte the UK Premier’s Europe would lead other countries to demand opt-outs. Conservatives Finally, the whole process must pro- ceed free from the kind of unpredict- able clashes, political accidents or media will win the 2015 scares that have dogged London’s ties with the EU for decades. general election. No rational gambler would bet on all those stars staying aligned. Despite BY PAUL TAYLOR Cameron’s declared intention of keeping Britain in Europe, you don’t have to be rime Minister David Cameron an astrologer to see how this could end is leading Britain into a mine- in divorce. field in seeking to renegotiate Britain has renegotiated its terms its terms of membership of the twice since it joined the European European Union. His gamble Economic Community in 1973, yet it Pcould easily end in a bust. remains a reluctant, semi-detached and Cameron postponed a landmark speech often obstructive member. on Europe, due to have been delivered Prime Minister Harold Wilson won in Amsterdam last Friday, because of some cosmetic trade concessions that a hostage crisis in Algeria, but he had were endorsed in a 1975 referendum on already disclosed the thrust of his plan staying in. Margaret Thatcher secured to try to change London’s relationship a large, permanent annual rebate on with the EU. London’s EU budget contribution in 1984, Extracts from the undelivered speech which remains a source of resentment for released by his office show he planned to many partners to this day. say Britain would “drift towards the exit” Despite obtaining opt-outs from unless the EU reformed. That sounded Europe’s single currency and the reminiscent of a 1930s British newspa- Schengen zone of passport-free travel, per headline: “Fog in the Channel, the the British public and Conservative poli- continent cut off”. ticians have turned ever more hostile to The excerpts did not mention a refer- the EU, depicted in much of the British endum, which Cameron has indicated he media as a malevolent, meddling foreign would hold later in the decade after nego- bureaucracy. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron tiating a “new settlement” with Europe. With the exception of a couple of His strategy is bound to open a pro- short-lived honeymoons during the con- longed period of uncertainty in which struction of the European single mar- to use the next inter-governmental con- from Brussels to lure back anti-EU pro- continent. events could put his preferred option — a ket in the mid-1980s and the launch of ference (on EU treaty reform) to organ- test voters in the 2015 general election. It Now, Britain may clash with Brussels looser version of full British membership a European security and defence policy ise the UK’s exit,” a French official said, could also undermine EU partners’ belief over tighter financial regulation sought — out of reach. in the late 1990s, relations have always speaking anonymously because he was that any concessions would be sufficient by the eurozone countries. First, all Britain’s 26 partners must be been fraught. expressing a personal view. to secure a “yes” vote in Britain. Another serious risk is that public willing to negotiate on Cameron’s agenda, It is hard to recall that 15 years ago, Former European Commission If, confounding opinion polls, Scotland expectations of change in Britain’s EU which despite some expressions of good- Prime Minister Tony Blair was publicly President Jacques Delors, who clashed votes to leave the United Kingdom in a membership terms grow unrealistically will is by no means a given. Eurozone proclaiming his intention to lead Britain frequently with Thatcher, has sug- referendum next year, where would that high and the deal that Cameron is able states may prefer to press ahead with into the euro as soon as economic condi- gested publicly Britain should leave the leave the more Eurosceptical English? to negotiate is dismissed by Eurosceptical closer integration without reopening the tions were right. Union and be offered “a different form Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond politicians and media as a sham or a joke. EU treaties, or refuse to unravel past For most of the time, successive British of partnership” based on the European has said Scotland would want to stay Even if none of these landmines is det- agreements. governments have fought tooth-and-nail Economic Area. in the EU, but Brussels lawyers say a onated, there remains the strong possibil- Second, they would have to be confi- to thwart or slow moves towards “ever Officially, no EU government takes seceding Edinburgh would likely have to ity that voters given the first choice in a dent in the prime minister’s ability to closer union”, the goal enshrined in EU that line. But imagine some of the events apply from scratch, negotiate member- generation to vote “no” to the European win a national vote and make an agree- treaties since 1957. that could intervene to change the game. ship terms and win unanimous accept- Union choose to do so. ment stick over the long term to justify No wonder that despite their lead- What if the UK Independence Party, ance to join. Experience with referendums in significant concessions. But many EU ers’ public pledges of support for keep- which advocates complete withdrawal, Other factors could intervene to com- France, the Netherlands and Ireland officials are not convinced Cameron’s ing Britain in, many European officials were to win next year’s European plicate negotiations. shows voters may cast a protest vote Conservatives will win a 2015 general and diplomats privately wonder if the Parliament elections in Britain or out- A dispute over mad cow disease in against an unpopular government, election. There is no incentive to give him EU would not be more united and freer poll Cameron’s Conservatives despite his Britain in 1996 caused a crisis between or simply express a general dislike of more than polite sympathy until then. to advance if the British could be man- renegotiation and referendum pledge? London and its partners, with the British Europe, regardless of the question they Third, EU partners would have to aged out. That could force the prime minister to boycotting EU business for months in are asked. be able to win the consent of their own “There’s a feeling that it might be best ratchet up demands to repatriate powers anger at a ban on beef exports to the REUTERS What links Putin and US Republicans Why we lean to the political right in Israel BY YOAZ HENDEL is that their rivals look like elitists distanced itself from the left. As a result, the right once again came BY VADIM NIKITIN replaced the old class-based arguments towards issues of iden- employees participated in the he outcome of this com- to power, led by Ariel Sharon. ideological divisions with new tity and authenticity. anti-government protests simply ing week’s Israeli elec- During this period, the reign s Russia celebrated ones based on culture, perceived Unfortunately, the opposition because they were trendy. Though tion is already known. of terror was successfully sup- Orthodox New Year last authenticity and lifestyle. That seems stubbornly intent on play- “they felt strongly about the anti- TThe right will again pre- pressed by the military. week, Vladimir Putin conservative economic policies ing right into his hands. For a Putin rallies,” he said, “they also vail; the left will, once again, be in Then came a major strategic Ashould have had more uphold the interests of a small movement predicated on a strug- feel strong emotions about their the minority. turning point in the Israeli politi- reason than most to hope for a minority has become irrelevant – gle from the ground up, there is a iPhones”. Since 1977, the year the left’s cal map. In 2005 Sharon, one of fresh start. A December poll by as long as their cultural positions lot of truth to the suggestion that Of course, the main prob- dominance in Israel was over- the original proponents and build- the independent Levada Centre remain as populist as possible. the opposition is contemptuous of lem with the opposition is not turned, there has been an ideo- ers of the settlements, carried out found that nearly 70 percent of By the same token, progressive mainstream voters, who are often their drinking tastes, collective logical and numerical balance Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Russians believe the government economic policies favoured by lib- seen as unsophisticated, back- Europhilia or even simple snob- between the two political camps. Strip, fulfilling one of the left’s is ineffective, only 35 percent erals have been subordinated to ward and easily manipulated. Like bery. Rather, it is that they, like The conservative right has fer- long-held dreams. trust parliament and as 2012 their supposedly elitist cultural the portion of American liberals their American counterparts, vently believed in Israel’s rights The disengagement from Gaza, drew to a close, Putin’s ratings pursuits. The left, Frank wrote, who dismiss southerners (Austin, have abandoned the central tenet to the biblical territory that was which involved moving Jews from stood at their lowest levels since has become mostly “identifiable by Texas excepted) as irredeemable of the original movement. And for occupied as a result of the coun- their homes, caused national he ascended to the throne in 1999. their tastes and consumer prefer- gun-obsessed racists, many mem- both US and Russian liberals, that try’s war of self-defence in 1967. trauma. Yet in spite of all this, Russia’s ences” — Volvos, lattes, fancy col- bers of Russia’s opposition seem has historically been a commit- The left has always believed in The vast majority of the Israeli president has little to fear. leges, European holidays — which to be as anti-heartland as they ment to greater equality. the need for compromise on the public accepted Sharon’s justifica- Despite continued disappoint- “reveal the essential arrogance are anti-Putin. Radio Liberty’s Kirill Kobrin territories. The question of a tion for disengaging from Gaza. ment with his rule, the opposition, and foreignness of liberalism”. In America as in Russia, one of recently observed that since the Palestinian state has become the The public also accepted his far from experiencing a surge in The cosmopolitanism shared by the best ways to tell a liberal elit- days of the great 19th century key issue embodying the conflict argument that following the dis- popularity, appears on the verge many American liberals is cast ist seems to be by whether they liberal philosopher, Alexander between two political views. engagement it would be possible of petering out altogether. There as not merely fancy and out of are drinking wine. Particularly Herzen, Russian liberals have The forthcoming elections are to cut relations with the Strip, is a sense that the international touch — but foreign and seditious. French wine. been accused by traditionalists of significantly different from all and thereby benefit from relative community seems to be los- Putin may have rejected If real Americans drink beer decadence, exoticism and nefari- the previous ones. The projected calm. Israelis were attracted to ing faith in the movement: On American ideas of democracy but and bourbon and real Russians ous Western influence. However, victory of the right, according to the idea that “they are there and Thursday, the persecuted activ- he seems to have wholeheartedly drink beer and vodka, it’s no sur- the link that tied these ideas to the polls, is not the result of the we are here”. ist Alexander Dolmatov killed internalised Bush’s approach to prise that the legendary hangout ordinary Russians was the pow- satisfaction of the voters with The reality was different. Hamas himself in Holland; the Dutch the culture war, branding his own of the Russian opposition is a erful strain of socialism running Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime came to power and Gaza became a authorities had refused to give opposition as elitist and unrep- faux-French bistro called Jean through Herzen’s works. Russian Minister, but primarily a result of permanent terrorist threat. Most him asylum. resentative of common people. Jacques, famous for its bur- liberals have always been edu- the perceived reality of Israel and Israelis were forced to conclude This is odd. After all, Russia’s The Kremlin is using these cul- gundy. The Financial Times once cated and Western-orientated, the Middle East. The cumulative that there is a serious flaw with protesters seemed to have had it ture war tactics to drive a wedge described its clientele as “united but they used to also be commit- effect of both internal and regional the idea of “land for peace”. all figured out: a few charismatic between Russian heartland vot- by their distaste for the Kremlin ted to the equality and dignity of changes has led most Israelis to Despite this, four years ago, the leaders; the support of artists, ers and the educated, upwardly and their love of good wine”. You the common man. In abandoning be sceptical about the possibility Israeli elections ended with an intellectuals and the international mobile liberal opposition clus- don’t have to be a Putinite to this commitment to the plight of of achieving peace in the region. even balance between the politi- community; and a vocal, techno- tered around Moscow and St notice something faintly dispirit- average people, argues Kobrin, the The first significant crisis of cal camps. And, remarkably, when logically savvy middle-class base Petersburg. ing in these self-styled latter-day contemporary opposition has for- the peace process came with the Netanyahu successfully formed a animated by a coherent and unde- Acting like a Bush-era Decembrists whiling away their feited its popular legitimacy. beginning of the second intifada coalition and became prime min- niable catalogue of the regime’s Republican, Putin has portrayed hours at this fake Gallic joint, Bush won, Frank acknowl- in 2000. While Ehud Barak, then ister, he belied the international venality and corruption. his critics as out-of-touch wan- laughably flaunting the ill-fitting edged, in part because American Israel’s prime minister, negotiated perception of him as a rightwing So what is it about the Moscow nabe foreigners: over-educated, costumes of a mythical “normal liberals “ceased to be relevant to with the PLO chairman, Yasser conservative – and despite the and St Petersburg protesters that big-city, decadent, effete and pos- European bourgeoisie”. huge portions of its traditional Arafat, Israelis were killed in a Gaza experience, declared his they can’t seal the deal? One place sibly sexually deviant in contrast The fact is, culture wars constituency”. In Putin’s Russia, wave of terrorist attacks. Behind support for the two-state solution. that might offer some answers is to the “real Russia” — simple, wouldn’t be remotely as effec- the stakes are even higher. But the terrorist organisations stood The two-state vision originated another country that defies elec- hard-working, small-town, God- tive if the US liberals and the until they give the heartland a Arafat’s own people. with the Israeli left, with the toral logic: The US. As Thomas fearing, conservative and patri- Russian opposition didn’t at good reason to get on board, the The more the Israeli left per- right arguing that a Palestinian Frank detailed in What’s the otic. In doing so, he has been able least partially reflect their stere- opposition can have only itself to sisted in embracing the slogans state would rapidly transform Matter with Kansas in 2004, the deftly to draw attention away otypes. As an office manager told blame for losing the culture war. of Peace Now in the face of these into a state of terror. American right has successfully from key economic and political the New York Times, many of his THE GUARDIAN acts of terror, the more the public THE GUARDIAN TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL Troops march Obama inaugural speech high on rhetoric WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama issued an impassioned call for national unity and equality yesterday, warning political “absolutism” must not thwart change and renewal, as he was into central inaugurated for a second term. Obama was publicly sworn in for another four White House years before a crowd of hundreds of thousands on Washington’s National Mall, and delivered an inaugural Mali towns address steeped in poetic power and broad hints of his new agenda. The 44th president repeatedly used France hails military success the “We the People” preamble to the US Constitution to suggest how to reconcile DIABALY, MALI: French and Al Qaeda’s North African wing AQIM America’s founding truths and the current Malian armoured columns rolled and the home-grown Malian militant discord and dysfunction of its embittered into the central Mali towns of groups Ansar Dine and MUJWA, has political system. Diabaly and Douentza yesterday, imposed harsh Shariah law in north- “For now, decisions are upon us, and we days after Al Qaeda-linked Islamist ern Mali, including amputations and cannot afford delay,” Obama said. rebels encamped there melted into the destruction of ancient shrines “We cannot mistake absolutism for prin- the bush to avoid air strikes. sacred to moderate Sufi Muslims. ciple, or substitute spectacle for politics, or Paris called the advance a success France said on Sunday that treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We in its campaign to oust Islamist fight- French Rafale and Mirage planes had must act, knowing that our work will be ers from Mali’s vast desert where bombed Islamist camps and logistics imperfect,” Obama declared. they have held sway for 10 months, bases around the ancient caravan Obama’s speech was noticeably liberal — raising fears the area could become a town of Timbuktu and Gao, the larg- calling for protection for the weak, the poor launchpad for international attacks. est city of the north. The strikes were and those lacking healthcare and obliquely “This advance by Mali’s army into aimed at preventing Islamist fighters including a call for rights of the ‘queer’ and towns held by their enemies is a launching a counter-attack. protection against gun crime for children. certain military success for the gov- A resident of Timbuktu told “...if we are truly created equal, then ernment in Bamako and for French Reuters by satellite telephone yes- surely the love we commit to one another forces supporting the operations,” terday that scores of pickup trucks must be equal as well,” Obama said. US President Barack Obama waves after being sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John French Defence Minister Jean-Yves carrying Islamist fighters had “Our journey is not complete until we find Roberts as First Lady Michelle Obama looks on at his inauguration on the West Front of the US Le Drian said in a statement. arrived there since Saturday, as the a better way to welcome the striving, hope- Capitol, yesterday. Below: Kelly Clarkson sings My Country ‘Tis of Thee at the ceremony. Diabaly, 350km north of Mali’s rebels apparently pulled their forces ful immigrants who still see America as a dusty riverside capital Bamako, had towards their desert strongholds. land of opportunity. harboured the main cluster of insur- The information could not be inde- “Our journey is not complete until all American to hold the office, launched his gents south of the frontline towns of pendently verified. our children, from the streets of Detroit second term with a private swearing-in Mopti and Sevare. The stakes in Mali rose dramati- to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet ceremony on Sunday, before basking in the Residents said some of the rebels cally this week when Islamist gun- lanes of Newtown, know that they are full pomp of his office with public celebra- had abandoned their flowing robes men cited France’s intervention as cared for, and cherished, and always safe tions yesterday. to blend in with the local population. their reason for attacking a desert from harm.” Bundled-up Obama supporters had The charred and twisted wreckage of gas plant in neighbouring Algeria, The president also said that American trekked into town to join snaking lines for their pickup trucks littered the sandy seizing hundreds of hostages. The security did not require “perpetual war” and Secret Service checkpoints guarding a steel- streets between mud-brick buildings. death toll reached at least 80 after promised to base American global leader- fenced secure zone around the White House The French commander in the Algerian troops stormed the complex ship on dialogue, firm alliances but not to and the inaugural parade route. region has warned of the risk of at the weekend. cede the threat of the use of force. Armoured military vehicles and parked mines and booby traps in the insur- Veteran jihadist Mokhtar “We will defend our people and uphold buses blocked major roads, as part of a gents’ wake. The region around Belmokhtar claimed responsibility in our values through strength of arms and security vice which included air and river Diabaly has long been a hub for the name of Al Qaeda for the Algeria rule of law,” Obama said. exclusion zones, road closures and a heavy Al Qaeda-linked cells believed to have attack, Mauritanian news website “We will show the courage to try and presence of police and National Guard camps in the Ouagadou forest near Sahara Media said on Sunday. His resolve our differences with other nations reserve troops. Mauritania’s border. Mulathameen Brigade has warned peacefully — not because we are naïve about Though the mood was festive, as revel- Douentza lies 800km northeast of it will carry out attacks on foreign the dangers we face, but because engage- ers crammed into coffee shops and subway Bamako. Rebels occupying it van- interests in the region unless the ment can more durably lift suspicion trains heading downtown, Obama’s second ished after air strikes last week, fighting in Mali stops. and fear.” inauguration lacked the sense of historic residents said. The European Union said it would And Obama also vowed to meet the threat promise and hope that greeted his first term France has deployed 2,000 ground host an international meeting on of global warming, despite scepticism on in 2009. troops and its war planes pounded Mali on February 5. The confer- climate change from some Republican Dignitaries, including former Democratic rebel columns and bases in Mali for ence, in Brussels, will involve the foes, and political barriers to taking seri- presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, an 11th day yesterday. United Nations, African Union and ous action. John Roberts. The president was earlier and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, took Its intervention turned back an ECOWAS, the regional grouping of Obama earlier raised his right hand and announced with a peal of trumpets and their seats on a platform at the West Front Islamist column heading towards West African states. rested his left on Bibles once owned by walked down the steps from the iconic of the Capitol. Bamako that threatened to topple The push northward by the Malian Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln, building to huge cheers of “Obama, Obama” One Obama supporter, the Reverend Mali’s government. army raised the spectre of ethnic on an outdoor platform set on the West from a vast crowd stretching into the dis- Ruddie Mingo, 54, donated time and money France now aims, with inter- reprisals by security forces and local Front of the US Capitol building and below tance down the National Mall below. to the president’s winning campaign against national support, to dislodge the militia groups. its elegant white dome. Obama, his smile beaming wide, appeared Republican Mitt Romney, and said inaugu- Islamists from Mali’s vast desert Human Rights Watch warned “I Barack Hussein Obama ...” the 44th more relaxed than at his first inauguration ral festivities were less mobbed than four north, an area the size of Texas, it had received reports of serious president said, vowing to faithfully exe- four years ago, when he took office as an years ago. before they could use it to launch abuses, including killings, being com- cute his office and to “preserve, protect untested and inexperienced leader as an “My hope is that in his next four years attacks on the West. mitted by the Malian army against and defend the constitution,” led in the economic depression threatened. we can get more stuff accomplished on both The Islamist alliance, grouping civilians in Niono. REUTERS oath of office by black-robed Chief Justice The president, the first African sides,” he said. AFP

Eritrean troops force declaration Heathrow airport cancels 130 on state television flights amid heavy snowfall ADDIS ABABA: A group of LONDON: London’s Eritrean soldiers laid siege to Heathrow airport cancelled the information ministry yes- 10 percent of flights yesterday terday and forced state media to because of snow, about half announce a call for the release of the number cut on Sunday, political prisoners, a senior intel- and said there could be fur- ligence official said. ther disruption with more There was no immediate indi- snowfall expected. cation it was an attempt to over- Heathrow, Europe’s busiest throw the government, led by airport, said it had cut around Isaias Afewerki, 66, for some two 130 flights — most operated by decades since it broke away from IAG’S British Airways — from bigger neighbour Ethiopia. its schedule yesterday to allow The renegade soldiers forced the more space between aircraft director of state television to make because of low visibility. an announcement, the Eritrean “Many airports have plenty intelligence official said. of spare runway capacity so air- The soldiers forced him to say craft can be spaced out more on state TV the Eritrean govern- during low visibility without A child enjoys a sledge ride in the snow in Royal Tunbridge Wells, in ment should release all political causing delays and cancel- Kent, southern England, yesterday. prisoners,” the source said. lations. Because Heathrow There was no immediate official operates at almost full capac- 250 flights on Sunday and said in total since Friday. Further comment. The United Nations last ity, there is simply no room to the decision had helped it to light snowfalls and poor visibil- year estimated that 5,000-10,000 reschedule the delayed flights,” operate smoothly. ity were forecast at Heathrow political prisoners were being a Heathrow spokesman said. British Airways said it had yesterday and today, the Met held in the secretive Horn of The airport scrapped some cancelled around 350 flights Office said. REUTERS Africa country, which is accused by human rights groups of car- rying out torture and summary executions. Dozens of soldiers with two tanks surrounded the ministry Germany, France fete historic treaty building in Asmara, sources said, adding that state television and radio had gone off air. The gold- BERLIN: Germany and fete the Elysee Treaty. Their then French president Charles producing Red Sea state, which France launched into a new first engagement on a packed de Gaulle and West German declared independence from bonhomie when their lead- pomp-filled agenda, which con- chancellor Konrad Adenauer Ethiopia after a long war, is one ers met yesterday to mark 50 tinues through today, was to sealed a new era of recon- of the most opaque countries on years since a landmark treaty respond to questions by about ciliation between the former the continent and restricts access forged closer ties. 200 French and German youth foes which has since driven to foreign reporters. French President Francois in a live televised debate. European unity. Eritrean opposition activists Hollande arrived in a snow- Afterwards, the two leaders Merkel acknowledged differ- exiled in neighbouring Ethiopia bedecked Berlin, officials trav- were likely to discuss the world ences with France in her weekly said there was growing dissent elling with him said, and had a hotspots, including the current podcast on Saturday but said within the Eritrean military espe- brief meeting with Chancellor crisis in Mali. she felt “a very great closeness” cially over economic hardships. Angela Merkel before the In signing the landmark with Germany’s neighbour. AFP two launched into events to treaty on January 22, 1963, AFP TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 ASIA / PHILIPPINES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 6 Filipinos, 7 Japanese dead in Algeria siege Hostages were human shields, says Filipino survivor

MANILA/TOKYO: Six plant said he was aware of militants had executed them or Filipinos were killed in gun- nine Japanese deaths over the whether the victims died when fire or explosions during a siege extended siege, which began security forces raided the facility. by militants on a gas plant in on Wednesday and ended in a “I cannot say if they were Algeria, and four others are bloodbath on Saturday when the executed because there were no missing, the Philippine govern- Algerian military moved in. details of what the circumstances ment said yesterday. “The deaths of the six Filipinos are,” he said. Japan’s prime minister yester- were a direct result of the hos- While Algeria has come under day said seven Japanese people tage-taking incident in the area criticism for an initial raid on the were now known to have been and mostly by gunshot wounds facility that some foreign gov- killed in the Algerian hostage and the effects of the explosions,” ernments described as too hasty, crisis, the first confirmation from foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said the Philippines Tokyo that any of its nationals Hernandez told reporters. had not yet taken a stance on the had died. Hernandez said four others response by security forces. “I was informed by Vice Foreign were “still unaccounted for”, “We have not had the chance Minister (Minoru) Kiuchi that as while 12 more working at the In to review that yet,” Hernandez a result of identifications of bodies Amenas gas plant at the time of said when asked about the raids at a hospital in In Amenas, seven the attack were confirmed to be by Algerian troops. were confirmed to be Japanese alive. However, he emphasised that employees of JGC,” Shinzo Abe Hernandez had initially said 16 the Algerian government had told his ministers. Filipinos were “confirmed alive”, informed Philippine authori- The Japanese firm had earlier but later revised the figure, say- ties that the military action was said it did not know the fate of 17 ing four of those were on holidays undertaken to prevent further of its employees, 10 of whom were back home in the Philippines. loss of lives, after the militants Joseph Balmaceda (right), who survived a hostage crisis at a gas plant in Algeria, joins members of his family Japanese. The Philippine government had had started executing hostages. after speaking to media in Manila, yesterday. The prime minister said so far previously said it did not know Militants used foreign hostages it had not been possible to con- if any of its nationals had been as human shields to stop Algerian Balmaceda told reporters shortly plant, but the bomb went off dur- to where the government forces firm what had happened to the killed during the 72-hour siege troops aboard helicopters from after arriving back in Manila. ing a clash with Algerian security were. And when I reached them other Japanese nationals who at the gas plant, deep inside the strafing them with gunfire, a “We were told to raise our forces. I fainted. When I woke up I was remain unaccounted for. Sahara desert. Filipino survivor of the four-day hands. The government forces “The only thing left of the car in the hospital.” “There are still three more Algeria’s Ennahar television bloodbath recounted yesterday. could not shoot at them as long was the back portion of the Land The Al Qaeda-linked Japanese people whose safety has reported that the bodies of 25 Father-of-four Joseph as we were held hostage.” Cruiser,” said Balmaceda, 42. “Signatories in Blood” group not been confirmed. hostages were found on Sunday by Balmaceda said he saw one Balmaceda, nursing abrasions “I was sandwiched between said it attacked the gas plant in “I want all of you to do every- security forces combing the plant, Japanese hostage draped with to his face and a loss of hearing, two spare tyres. That is why I retaliation for a French military thing possible to continue gather- and that five hostage-takers had explosives, while he and others said he was the only survivor out am still here and can talk to you.” operation to evict Islamists from ing information and confirm their been captured alive. had their hands bound with cable of nine hostages who were aboard Balmaceda said the two militants neighbouring Mali. fate,” he said. But Algeria warned other ties, during the ordeal at the In a van that exploded, apparently driving the vehicle were also Balmaceda said the incident “Japanese people who work at nations to prepare for a higher Amenas gas plant. from C-4 explosives that the mili- killed. in which the vehicle exploded the world’s frontiers, the inno- body count. “Whenever government troops tants had rigged to the vehicle. “But (other) hostage-takers occurred on the second day of the cent people were victimised. It is Hernandez said he had few tried to use a helicopter to shoot He said two militants were were firing at me. It meant there siege, apparently during the first extremely painful,” Abe said. details as to how the Filipinos at the enemy, we were used as transferring the nine hostages were other terrorists,” he said. rescue operation. A witness at the desert gas died, and did not know if the human shields,” a clearly stressed to the central facility of the gas “So I crawled about 300 metres AFP

China labour Three Chinese ships in disputed island waters: Japan camps set for TOKYO: Three Chinese gov- in Japan, which Beijing calls the across China. Beijing has also sent to sit atop vast mineral reserves. action taken by anyone that could ernment ships entered waters Diaoyus, for nearly nine hours. air patrols to the archipelago in Chief Cabinet Secretary raise tensions or result in mis- abolition around islands at the centre of The three boats all left the the East China Sea, and in recent Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s top gov- calculation that would undermine a dispute with Tokyo yesterday, waters by 3.45pm (0645 GMT) weeks both Beijing and Tokyo have ernment spokesman, refuted the the peace, security and economic BEIJING: China’s hugely con- the day after China rebuked and were sailing away from the scrambled fighter jets, though Chinese remarks, describing it as growth in this region”. troversial “re-education” labour the United States for comments islands, the coastguard said. there have been no clashes. “extremely regrettable.” Suga hailed Clinton’s com- camps are set to be abolished seen as supporting Japan. China has repeatedly sent On Sunday, Beijing said it was On Friday, Clinton said the US ments, saying: “It shows the this year, state media yesterday Japan’s coastguard said the ships to the area since Japan “strongly dissatisfied” after US opposed “any unilateral actions United States’ strong posture quoted a senior legal official as maritime surveillance boats were nationalised some of the chain Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that would seek to undermine toward the Japan-US security saying. It is another signal that sailing in and out of waters around in September, a move that trig- issued a veiled warning to China Japanese administration” of the alliance. The Japanese govern- the widely criticised system- a chain of Tokyo-controlled gered a diplomatic dispute and not to challenge Tokyo’s control islands. The top US diplomat ment welcomes her comments.” where people can be sentenced to islands known as the Senkakus huge anti-Japan demonstrations over the chain, which is believed added “we do not want to see any AFP up to four years’ “re-education” by a police panel, without an open trial, is coming to an end. The comments come after the Communist Party’s new leader Xi Jinping said the party rec- ognised as a “pressing problem” that it was “out of touch with the people”. About 60,000 people are detained in the camps, officials say, most of whom serve from six months to a year. Opponents say the camps are used to silence government critics and would-be petitioners who seek to bring their com- plaints against officials to higher authorities. Earlier this month reports emerged briefly that the system — known as laojiao — would be abolished. But they were swiftly deleted and replaced with predic- tions of reforms, with few details and no timetable. Bangladesh Awami League activists march following the verdict at the International Crimes Tribunal in Chen Jiping, Deputy Director Dhaka, yesterday. of the China Law Society, was quoted by the China Daily as say- ing that a key meeting had agreed TV preacher sentenced to hang tightly to limit use of the system until it could be scrapped by China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress for Bangladesh war crimes (NPC). It added in reported speech DHAKA: A controversial warmly welcomed by the gov- figures — nine from Jamaat that he described laojiao as hav- Bangladeshi war crimes ernment and its supporters. and two from the main oppo- ing “made its contribution at a court probing the nation’s “It’s a victory for humanity. sition Bangladesh Nationalist time when the Communist Party bloody independence struggle Bangladeshi people have been Party (BNP) — stand accused of China was consolidating the sentenced a fugitive Islamic waiting for this day since 1971. of war crimes. Both Jamaat and republic and rectifying social TV preacher to death yester- They can now heave a sigh of the BNP have called the cases order, but now China has well- day as it handed down its first relief,” said Attorney General “politically motivated and far- established legal systems”. judgement. Mahbubey Alam. cical” and international rights “Ending the system requires Maolana Abul Kalam Azad, Supporters of the ruling groups have questioned the the approval of the top legisla- who has been on the run for Awami League party held proceedings and found loop- ture which originally endorsed about a year, “is found guilty... to instant processions in the holes in the war crime laws. laojiao in 1957,” the paper said. be hanged by the neck until he capital and across the country Abdus Shukur Khan, a tri- The annual session of the NPC is is dead” for genocide and mur- as the verdict was announced. bunal-appointed defence law- due to be held in March. der during the 1971 liberation There were also marches by yer for Azad, said the case was Currently, people sentenced war against Pakistan, Judge former freedom fighters, some “false”. under the laojiao system are Obaidul Hasan announced. of whom made V-signs. “He was not involved in any forced to perform manual labour The International Crimes Azad, 63, who for years of these crimes and was never such as farm or factory work, but Tribunal, a domestic body with presented a widely watched named a Pakistani collabora- do not receive a criminal convic- no international oversight, was show on Islam on private and tor,” he said, adding the convict tion. Authorities will need to created by the government in state-run television channels, can appeal the verdict in the replace it with alternative punish- 2010 and has been tainted is a former leading light of Supreme Court but he “must ments for those accused of petty by allegations it is politically Bangladesh’s largest opposition surrender to the court or be offences, the paper added. motivated. Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami. arrested”. AFP But its first verdict was In total, 11 top opposition AFP TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN Taliban suicide squad attacks traffic HQ Eight-hour stand-off between insurgents and security forces in Kabul; three officers, five militants killed

KABUL: Nato troops joined a Deputy Interior Minister General Western-backed government of fight against a Taliban suicide Abdul Rahman said. President Hamid Karzai, claimed squad that stormed the traffic Norwegian soldiers were seen credit for the attack, which began police headquarters in Kabul firing at the police building, at 5am (0030 GMT). at dawn yesterday, killing three sources said. “A large number of fedayeen officers and unleashing a stand- Nato’s International Security (suicide bombers) entered a off that lasted more than eight Assistance Force (ISAF) con- building in Dehmazang and are hours. firmed its participation in the attacking an American training The Taliban claimed the attack, operation but insisted it was small. centre, a police centre and other which turned into the longest “We had a very small number of military centres and have caused stand-off between the insur- people assisting Afghan security heavy casualties on the enemy,” a gents and security forces, since a forces at the scene. It was pri- Taliban spokesman said. co-ordinated raid on the capital marily an advising role and abso- There is no US or Nato-run lasted 18 hours in April last year. lutely Afghan officials were in the training facility in the area and Three of the five attackers were lead,” a spokesman said. the Taliban are known to exag- killed in the early part of the Nato says the Taliban insur- gerate when claiming attacks. assault, while two wearing suicide gency has been weakened and The attack came less than vests holed up in the five-storey characterised the attack as a a week after a squad of suicide building in west Kabul and fired ploy to attract media attention, bombers attacked the Afghan on forces. They were later killed. but the time it took to mop up intelligence agency headquarters “It’s over. The last two terror- the insurgents will be seen as an in Kabul, killing one guard and ists are dead and they were not embarrassment. wounding dozens of civilians. even given the chance to deto- “They (the Taliban) are losing All six attackers were killed nate their suicide vests,” Police the fight,” said General Gunter in the attack on the National Chief General Mohammad Ayoub Katz, ISAF military spokesman. Directorate of Security, also Salangi said. “They cannot fight face to face. claimed by the Taliban. The reason it took so long These attacks are only to attract Afghan police and other secu- to overpower the two men was the media. They carry out attacks rity forces are becoming targets of “because our boys acted very in cities and crowded areas where Taliban attacks as they take a big- Afghan Crisis Response Unit personnel on the roof of the traffic police HQ during a clash between forces and carefully”, he said. “There were civilians suffer.” The assault began ger role in the battle against the Taliban fighters in Kabul, yesterday. important documents so we acted with a car bomb explosion that insurgents before Nato withdraws carefully to not cause any damage shattered the windows of nearby the bulk of its 100,000 troops by to them.” homes, followed by several explo- the end of 2014. in Nangarhar, Uruzgan, Ghazni, President Traian Basescu told of (military) training even after Four traffic police, two mem- sions and gunfire. ISAF and Afghan forces Khost and Helmand provinces foreign ambassadors that his 2014. Nearly 2,000 Romanian sol- bers of special forces and half a Taliban insurgents, wag- also killed 10 armed rebels and and seized arms and ammunition. country will continue to pro- diers are in Afghanistan as part dozen civilians were wounded, ing an 11-year war against the arrested 10 in seven operations Meanwhile, Romanian vide support to Kabul in terms of ISAF. AGENCIES

No ‘proof against seven jailed terror suspects’ 27 Indian fishermen

ISLAMABAD: A lawyer act- services operate above the law. The case originally concerned a Chaudhry ordered the govern- ing for Pakistani intelligence Raja Irshad, a lawyer rep- group of 11 men, but the court was ment and intelligence agencies to arrested by MSA said yesterday that a group of resenting the ISI and military told last year that four of them report back to him on Tuesday men detained for years on sus- intelligence, sought to justify the had died. about what would happen to the picion of terror attacks had men’s detention but conceded Pakistan has been suffer- detainees. KARACHI: Pakistan has arrested 27 crew members for been held on “moral grounds,” that they could not be put on trial ing from a Taliban-led domes- Defending the ISI, Irshad said his arrested 27 Indian fishermen poaching inside Pakistani waters admitting there was no evi- because of a “lack of incriminat- tic insurgency since 2007, and clients have repeatedly asked the for illegally straying into its and handed them to us today,” dence against them. ing evidence”. Islamist militant bombings have government to pass more effective territorial waters, officials said police official Mohammad Hashim The seven men were first “But we are morally convinced killed thousands since the 9/11 legislation to ensure that suspects yesterday. said. arrested in November 2007 and that they were involved in terror- attacks on the United States, in high-profile cases are not acquit- The arrests come after a Pakistan and India frequently their release ordered in May 2010, ism,” Irshad told the court. which sparked the war in neigh- ted on the basis on insufficient ceasefire took hold last week in arrest each other’s fishermen on only for them to disappear. Chief Justice Iftikhar bouring Afghanistan. evidence. Last month, Amnesty the disputed Himalayan region charges of violating their respec- Pakistan’s Supreme Court Muhammad Chaudhry said sus- Judge Sheikh Azmat Saeed International said Pakistan’s mili- of Kashmir, following five deadly tive zones in the Arabian Sea. decided to investigate why pects cannot be detained indefi- expressed dismay that the gov- tary had arbitrarily detained thou- cross-border killings that threat- Pakistan has over 200 Indian the men had been held and in nitely and unlawfully. ernment had not enacted appro- sands for long periods with little or ened to unravel a fragile peace fishermen in its jails and around February 2012, they appeared “Morally they can put any one priate legislation to deal with no access to due process. process. 125 Pakistani fishermen are in before the court, in poor health, behind bars, even me. According terror cases. A spokesman for the military Pakistan’s Maritime Security Indian prisons. barely able to stand or talk. to them, all the people are guilty,” “They have not made the nec- rejected the allegations as a “pack Agency (MSA) arrested the India and Pakistan have fought The decision by the country’s Chaudhry said. essary legislation. Don’t they see of lies”. Indian fishermen and seized three wars since independence in top court to take up the case is “They should have been what kind of laws are in other The ISI has been accused in six boats, alleging they were 40 1947, two of them over Kashmir, seen as a challenge to perceptions released if they could not be tried countries, they should look at the the West of maintaining links to nautical miles inside Pakistani divided by a heavily militarised that the country’s shadowy Inter under the army act. They are in Internet,” Saeed said. Taliban and Islamist militants, waters. Line of Control but which both Service Intelligence (ISI) agency confinement for more than four “What has the government whom it has historically spon- “MSA officials on Sunday seized countries claim in full. and other branches of the security years,” he added. been doing for the past five years?” sored. AFP some six Indian fishing boats and AFP Decorated van Graft charges Ex-judge to probe PM against former investigator’s death ministers of

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani involved in the scam, including Balochistan government has appointed a Raja. retired judge to probe the death According to NAB, Faisal suf- ISLAMABAD: With their of an officer who was investi- fered from “mental stress” and powers taken away over- gating corruption allegations “psychological issues”. He had night due to governor’s rule, against Prime Minister Raja asked to be taken off the case, some former ministers of Pervez Ashraf. but the Supreme Court refused a Balochistan province have Kamran Faisal was found written request on January 7 and been left out in the cold at dead on Friday in the govern- ordered he be reinstated. the mercy of anti-corruption ment hostel where he lived in Suicide is frowned upon under officials. Islamabad with colleagues from Islam and Faisal’s father, Abdul Five former ministers of anti-corruption watchdog the Hameed, said yesterday that he Balochistan will face corrup- National Accountability Bureau believed his son was murdered tion charges, an official of (NAB). and did not commit suicide. the National Accountability According to the initial find- “I have seen marks on his wrist. Bureau (NAB) said. ings of an autopsy, he committed His hands were apparently tied The watchdog is sniffing suicide. before his death. He is a martyr,” through financial records He was reportedly found hang- he said by telephone from his of the ministers, the official ing from a ceiling fan, but Faisal’s home in Punjab province. added. family say he had marks on his The retired civil servant said “Investigations are under- wrists and dispute that he killed he wanted justice for his son but way and soon they will be himself. was doubtful that a judicial com- arrested,” he added. A retired Supreme Court judge mission would get to the bottom Commuters travel in a decorated mini van in Rawalpindi. Many trucks, buses and vans in Pakistan are highly NAB has seized records of will head the commission and of his death. customised and decorated by their owners. six more former ministers, submit a report in two weeks, “I want a fair investigation so including Asfandyar Kakar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik that culprits be exposed,” he said. Ali Madad Jatak, Babu Amin told reporters late on Sunday. Employees in the eastern city Umarani, Haji Nawaz Kakar, The watchdog said Faisal was a of Lahore yesterday observed a Tahir Mehmood Khan and junior investigations officer work- “pen down” strike — turning up Water-borne diseases a burden on economy Engineer Zamrak Achakzai. ing on the case against Ashraf, to work but refusing to work — All of them are facing whose arrest was ordered by demanding an independent and ISLAMABAD: Water, sanita- drinking is low. A number of The estimated current per charges of embezzlement and the Supreme Court last week in transparent investigation, and tion and hygiene-related dis- water samples have been found capita water availability of around misuse of power in recruit- a move that sparked panicked compensation for the family, said eases cost Pakistan’s economy contaminated with bacterias, 1,066 M3 places the country in ment for government jobs. rumours of a “soft coup” against NAB official Atiqur Rehman. about Rs11bn ($1.143bn) per arsenics, fluorides and nitrate. the “high water stress category,” So far, investigations are the government. Dr Shaukat Kiyani at the year in terms of health costs The vast majority of the popula- said an official. Due to increased underway against 11 former The court has since adjourned Services General Hospital in and lost earning. tion does not have access to safe demand for water for irrigation, ministers and they could be the case until tomorrow and a Islamabad where the autopsy was The gap between water demand drinking water, due to which the industry and public use, the per arrested if the authorities find further perceived threat to the performed, said the initial conclu- and supply seems to be widening, incidence of water-borne diseases capita availability will be further incriminating evidence. government, a rally of tens of sion was suicide but that a final according to National Science is increasing rapidly. reduced to 858 M3 by 2025, the The official said that the thousands led by a cleric outside verdict was expected in a week or and Technology and Innovation According to sources in official said. provincial office had contacted parliament, has dispersed. 10 days’ time. (NSTI) Policy 2012. the Ministry of Science and “The NSTI policy suggested NAB head office, seeking per- The prime minister yester- “It is very hard to determine According to the report, over Technology, high population legislation to ensure compliance mission to arrest the minis- day withdrew a petition asking the finding so it would take some 35 per cent of Pakistanis do not growth rate, urbanisation, indus- with standards for drinking water ters for alleged corruption and the Supreme Court to review time for us to get the final result,” have access to safe drinking water. trialisation and new environmen- by individuals and institutions,” misuse of power. its orders from March 30, 2010 he added. The report revealed that the tal constraints are aggravating the official added. INTERNEWS for action against all officials AFP quality of water available for the problem. INTERNEWS TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Gang rape trial begins; father seeks hangings Fast-track court urged for swift justice

NEW DELHI: Five men went in peace after the court punishes on trial yesterday over the bru- the men,” the father said. “It is the tal gang rape and murder of a duty of the court and the judges to student as the victim’s father ensure that the final order to pun- urged the fast-track court to ish all the accused is handed down deliver swift justice and sen- quickly and all the men are hanged. tence her attackers to hang. No man has the right to live after With the trial being heard committing such a heinous crime.” behind closed doors, one of the A P Singh, a lawyer for one of prosecutors announced the case’s the five men on trial, said his client start to reporters crowded outside was under 18 and should be tried in the court. “The trial has begun,” juvenile court where sentences are Dayan Krishnan said. “The charge far more lenient. Police had said sheet has been submitted before Vinay Sharma, a gym assistant, the judge and the arguments will was 20. Police are already inves- begin on January 24.” tigating a claim by a sixth suspect The five men face murder, rape, that he is a minor and should be robbery, kidnapping and other tried in juvenile court. charges, with prosecutors seek- The December 16 assault ing the death penalty. The trial ignited street protests across is being held in the first “fast- the country. Though gang rapes A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest outside a court in New Delhi, yesterday. track” court for rape victims set and sexual harassment are com- up to circumvent the country’s monplace in India, the case has notoriously slow justice system, touched a nerve, leading to an with the bereaved family leading outpouring of criticism about Women commuters face daily harassment angry calls for speedy closure on treatment of women. the horrifying case. Sonia Gandhi, President of rul- NEW DELHI: On a wintry no one on that bus is going to help she said. Once on board, Poonam, chilli powder with them always The trial’s start was delayed ing Congress party, on Sunday evening in Delhi, beautician me... so I just put up with it and who declined to give her surname, and use it when threatened, the until late in the afternoon by a condemned the “shameful” social Geeta Misarvan leaves work, wait for my bus stop,” she said. says that sexual harassment is a Press Trust of India reported. failed bid to overturn the reporting attitudes which she said led to steeling herself for a long wait Once 34-year-old Misarvan constant risk. While trains in Mumbai and ban. Rape trials are held in camera crimes like gang rape. The case until a bus arrives, and with it steps off the bus, she hunts for “There’s nothing you can do Delhi run segregated women- in India to protect the identify of had “shaken the entire country,” the dreaded prospect of being an auto-rickshaw, three-wheeled about it, if you tell your family, only coaches in response to the the victim. “The crime is against she added. groped by strangers during the vehicles which are cheaper than chances are they will just tell you high incidence of sexual harass- society at large. Society has the Defence lawyers say they ride home. taxis, since it’s too dark and to stay home,” she said. ment, many have now called for right to know what happens in will enter not-guilty pleas. The “Once a guy sees you trav- unsafe to make the 35-minute A survey by industry group more vigilance by authorities the court,” lawyer V K Anand said. woman, a promising student elling alone, he will come and walk alone to her house. On most Assocham published this month and frequent police checks. The Supreme Court will hear whose father worked extra shifts stand right behind you. Then, he evenings it takes her 90 minutes showed a 40 percent fall in the Since the attack, beautician today a bid by another defence law- as an airport baggage handler to will lean in and press his body to arrive home from work. productivity of female employ- Misarvan, who often boarded simi- yer, M L Sharma, to move the trial educate her, suffered fatal inter- against yours and try to touch India’s expanding economy has ees at call centres and IT firms lar privately-run buses to visit her out of New Delhi where emotions nal injuries during the assault on you,” Misarvan said, describing seen unprecedented numbers of in the country because many had widowed mother in west Delhi, says over the death late last month of the bus in which she was raped an ordeal endured daily by many women join the workforce, but reduced their hours or had quit she is too afraid to keep doing so the 23-year-old medical student and attacked with an iron bar. women in urban India. their emergence has been accom- their jobs. Insensitive comments and now spends more to take an still are running high. Sharma She died 13 days later after the In Delhi’s crowded coaches, panied by growing threats to their from politicians implying women auto-rickshaw instead. argued in his petition that anger government airlifted her to a where men easily outnumber security. are to blame for sexual assaults Like her other female col- “has gone into the root of each Singapore hospital in a last-ditch women, the sense of hostility and Like many working women, and clumsy “safety tips” from leagues, she tries to leave work as home in Delhi” and it would be bid to save her life. fear is particularly palpable in the Poonam, a 21-year-old barista at police have only fuelled anger early as possible and expresses no impossible to “get justice”. Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan has wake of the widely-discussed gang an upmarket coffee shop in the among commuters. faith in the Indian police’s ability The victim’s father said her fam- said he has “sufficient evidence” rape and murder of a young stu- capital, often stays late serving A Delhi Police advisory posted to protect her. “Nowhere in this ily would rest only once the cul- against the accused to secure a dent on a moving bus in the city customers and says her parents on its official website suggests country is safe,” says the mother prits were convicted and hanged conviction. Police have gathered last month. fret nonstop about her comings that women should “turn off” of two, the first woman in her and he urged judge Yogesh Khanna DNA evidence allegedly link- “It’s terrifying,” Misarvan said. and goings, calling her every night. prospective attackers by vomit- family to have a job. “I worry a to complete his work quickly. “We ing the defendants to the attack “Sometimes I just lose it and ask “I try to get an auto-rickshaw ing or “acting crazy”. lot about my daughter growing have finished the mourning ritu- while the victim’s hospital-bed the guy to stand properly but then (home) because it’s safer but the Just days after the December up here, whether she will have to als for my daughter in the village declaration before her death and he just yells at you, telling you to drivers haggle for double pay and 16 gang rape, K P Raghuvanshi, endure the same problems, the but our mourning will not end until testimony from her 28-year-old shut up. It’s upsetting, but what I can’t always afford it. So I end a senior police officer in same risks that I deal with every the court passes down its verdict. companion are also set to be cru- more can I do? If the guy gets up waiting late at night for the Mumbai, told female college time I leave my house,” she added. My daughter’s soul will only rest cial. AFP even more aggressive or violent, bus, which never arrives on time,” students to carry a packet of AFP

Learning in earnest Stringent Lokpal NSA calls for proactive bill soon, PMO to Anna Hazare border management NEW DELHI: The cen- BANGALORE: India does nuclear scientist and considered tral government is commit- not face external threats, but father of the Indian nuclear pro- ted to passing a strong Lokpal should make border manage- gramme of over four decades, and (ombudsman) bill in parliament ment much more proactive, architect of the country’s first to curb corruption, the Prime using technology and intel- nuclear test in May 1974. He died Minister’s Office (PMO) told ligence, National Security in 2004. social activist Anna Hazare via Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Taking a holistic view of a letter, sources said yesterday. Menon said yesterday. national security, which includes The letter by Minister of State “Today India does not face energy security, food security, in the PMO V Narayanasamy on external existential threats. technology security and social January 10 says that the govern- There is little distinction between cohesion and institutions, Menon ment is taking action based on the our internal and external secu- said international balances of recommendations made by the rity. Recent developments in our power were shifting more rapidly Rajya Sabha select committee last neighbourhood, however, show than they have for centuries. year. The select committee was that we should make our bor- “Though Western dominance formed in 2011 to look into the rec- der management much more remains a fact, it is no longer as Children study at a school near the India-Pakistan border in Suchit-Garh, 36km southwest of Jammu, yesterday. ommendations of the Rajya Sabha proactive, using technology and paramount as it once was. Several members for the Lokpall bill. intelligence and developing influ- emerging nations like India, China “The government is commit- ence across the borders to man- and others are beginning to play a ted to setting up a strong Lokpal age them in a more intelligent larger role in the world economy to curb corruption and have the way,” Menon said in a lecture on and in regional balances of power. Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, “India’s National Security”. We see strains of adjustment, of MIM chief surrenders, sent to jail passed by parliament at the ear- Referring to the turmoil to the seeking new equilibriums, all liest,” Narayanasamy said in the west of India, Menon said internal around us in the international letter released by Hazare’s team insurgents and militants would system,” Menon asserted. HYDERABAD: In another the old city and other Muslim- a sitting legislator, was arrested yesterday. The bill was passed find more succour and support The former career diplomat setback to the MIM, a court in majority areas as MIM leaders on January 8 for making hate in the Lok Sabha in December outside India in the future from noted India was more connected Andhra Pradesh’s Medak dis- called for a strike. speeches in Nirmal town of 2011 and has been pending in the the developments in the Arab to the rest of the world than ever trict yesterday sent its chief Police beefed up security in Adilabad district. Charged with Rajya Sabha. Hazare had agreed world extending up to the coun- before. Reiterating that the distinc- and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Hyderabad and other towns in sedition, waging war against to break his 12-day long fast in try’s western neighbourhood. tion between internal and external Owaisi to jail in a case booked Telangana region. Hyderabad nation and criminal conspiracy, August 2011 after parliament “The disturbed state of the security had blurred, the former against him seven years ago. Police Commissioner Anurag the younger Owaisi is lodged in a broadly agreed to his three key Ummah (Arab and Muslim foreign secretary said the multi- The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Sharma said barring minor inci- jail in the district. demands to battle corruption. world) should make us even ple challenges spanning terrorism, Muslimeen (MIM) chief surren- dents, the situation was peaceful. Police had presented Akbar Hazare wanted the lower more sensitive to the dangers of Left-wing extremism, social cohe- dered before a court in Sangareddy Owaisi, who is prime accused Owaisi, as he is popularly called, bureaucracy to be brought communal incitement. Though sion, communal harmony, cyber town, 65km from here, and was in the case, surrendered after the before Sangareddy court on January under the purview of the Lokpal, we have had an enviable record threats, energy security or food sent in judicial remand until court dismissed his petition for 16. The court had adjourned the Lokayuktas in the states be of communal harmony over the security have some roots outside February 2. He was subsequently cancellation of the non-bailable hearing until January 28. brought under the Lokpal, and a last eight years, there are worry- the country with external links. shifted to a jail in the town. warrant pending against him. Tension also prevailed in citizen’s charter for government ing signs as communal violence “The exception for our chal- His lawyers filed a bail peti- The MIM leader, his younger Sangareddy as MIM workers departments be worked out. levels rose in 2012. lenges could be Left-wing extrem- tion on his behalf but the court brother Akbaruddin Owaisi and protested Asad Owaisi’s arrest Listing efforts made by the “External factors are likely ists, as they have been trying to adjourned the hearing to today. others were booked by police on and people in some areas volun- government in these directions, to make our life harder in the establish links abroad through The MIM chief’s arrest sparked March 16, 2005, for obstruct- tarily shut down the shops. Police Narayanasamy said in the letter: immediate future,” Menon said other separatist or insurgent tension and violent protests in ing officials from demolishing a baton-charged a group of protes- “The government has taken all in his address at the eighth Raja groups, particularly in the north- parts of Hyderabad. Protesters place of worship to facilitate road tors near the court complex and steps necessary to give effect to Ramanna Memorial Lecture at east and foreign intelligence agen- stoned shops and buses in some extension at Muttangi village. have beefed up the security in the all three recommendations com- the state-run National Institute cies and arms dealers trying to places. Shops and business estab- Police reopened the case communally sensitive town municated to you in August 2011.” of Advance Studies (NIAS) here. contact them,” Menon observed. lishments were shut down in against them after Akbar Owaisi, IANS IANS Ramanna was a distinguished IANS TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA FIPB clears BJP demands IKEA entry NEW DELHI: India’s foreign investment panel has cleared apology from a nearly $2bn plan by Swedish furniture giant IKEA to open its stores in the country as it seeks new markets for its flat- pack products. home minister Two months ago, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) rejected 15 of IKEA’s 30 Shinde’s ‘Hindu terror’ remark malicious product lines including food and textiles, underscoring the regula- NEW DELHI: An angry BJP He repeated the BJP’s accusa- tory hurdles faced by foreign stores yesterday renewed its attack tion of the Congress always being hoping to enter the Indian market. on Home Minister Sushilkumar “soft on terror”. “Congress which But late yesterday, commerce Shinde for his comments on withdrew Prevention of Terrorism minister Anand Sharma said that “Hindu terror” and demanded Act (POTA) has always been soft the investment board had cleared his sacking and an apology from towards terrorists and terrorism the plan. “This is a positive devel- the ruling party even as the instead of taking a hard stand,” opment,” Sharma said. “The gov- Congress outrightly rejected Jaitley said. ernment is committed to playing the demand. “That was why Shinde’s hand a constructive role in encourage Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trembling to sign (the order) foreign direct investment. spokesperson Ravi Shankar on the person who launched the IKEA had told the Indian Prasad said Shinde’s remarks attack on parliament and whose External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid (left) with his Australian counterpart Bob Carr in New Delhi yesterday. government the company must were irresponsible and condem- death sentence was upheld by Carr is on a three-day visit to India. be allowed to retain its “global nable, and accused the Congress Supreme Court,” Jaitley said. He model” in India, retailing all of its of practising vote-bank politics. said the entire country knows products and running its in-store “I condemn it strongly, very that the BJP and RSS are symbols Talks with Australia on nuclear restaurants as it does in every forcefully. It is a malicious com- of nationalism. “BJP is a party country where it has operations. ment by a light-weight home min- which always stood against ter- Reacting to the announcement, ister who does not know what he rorism,” he said. IKEA said the clearance of its is talking,” said Prasad. In his speech at the Congress energy cooperation in March proposal by the foreign invest- The BJP will hold protests across party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur, ment panel “as per the IKEA the country on Thursday against Shinde said: “After investigations, NEW DELHI: India and Australia, the world’s third- increasingly converging,” said concept” was “an important mile- Shinde’s remarks and also burn we have seen that be it the BJP Australia will begin negotiations largest exporter of uranium, had Carr. “Australia’s Indian commu- stone in the application process”. effigies of the United Progressive or the RSS, their training camps on a bilateral civil nuclear energy agreed to start negotiations on a nity of more than 450,000 people “We consider this as a very Alliance government, he said. are promoting Hindu terrorism. cooperation pact in March. civil nuclear deal with India during is our fastest growing migrant positive development,” Juvencio Congress spokesperson Rashid This is a matter of concern. We External Affairs Minister the visit of Prime Minister Julia community and India is our Maeztu, IKEA country manager, Alvi said there was “no question are keeping a strict eye on it.” Salman Khurshid announced this Gillard to New Delhi last October. second-largest source of interna- said. “We are now awaiting for of sacking (Shinde) or apologising”. The minister later clarified that yesterday at a joint media inter- In December 2011, Gillard’s tional students. approval from the cabinet and “Shinde has clarified that he had only stated what has been action after talks with visiting Labour Party had overturned its “We are pleased that our stra- subsequently a notification so he meant the Makkah Masjid, appearing in the media and his ref- Australian counterpart, Bob Carr. long-standing ban on exporting tegic partnership has grown in that we can initiate the process Samjhauta and Malegaon blasts... erence was to “saffron terrorism”. “Australian and Indian officials uranium to India. India is not a strength and has expanded in of establishing IKEA stores in the all the people involved are in jail, “What is the meaning of linking a will be working to conclude the signatory to the Nuclear Non- scope. We also recognised that country,” Maeztu said. and he said that this fact is in the pious word like saffron with terror- agreement which will enable the Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which there are tremendous opportuni- Clearance from the Indian cabi- papers,” Alvi said. ism?” Prasad said and added that export of uranium from Australia has in the past prevented Australia ties for much greater cooperation net was expected to be forthcoming The home minister set off a the BJP and the RSS had never to India,” said Carr. “A sense of from supplying it with uranium. and that we shall strive to attain after the commerce minister said controversy on Sunday when he said that those guilty of terror acts urgency and purpose will be there. The two countries discussed them,” Khurshid said. late last month that “we accept accused the BJP and its mentor, should not be punished. We will move swiftly,” Khurshid said. matters of shared security, includ- India and Australia’s relations their global model” and “we see no the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Prasad said Congress chief The two sides held the eighth ing support for Afghanistan, mar- are based on “shared interests reason why their global model has (RSS), of conducting terror train- Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister round of their framework dia- itime security in the Indian ocean, and mutual benefit in political and to be changed in any manner.” ing camps and promoting “Hindu Manmohan Singh should give logue, an integral part of the joint efforts to combat terrorism security areas..”, Khurshid said. IKEA’s entry into India — it has terrorism”. “Shinde has to prove an “unconditional apology” and strategic partnership, here and and an agreement to an expanded Indian Defence Minister A K pledged to invest $1.9bn in coming what he has said, otherwise he has Shinde “should be sacked”. He reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral dialogue on cyber policy. Antony is to visit Australia soon years — is being closely watched as to withdraw the remark or apolo- said elements supporting terror their bilateral ties as well as “India is a key part of “for further discussions on coop- a test case for how a large foreign gise,” said Leader of Opposition in Pakistan “will be the happiest” regional and global issues during Australia’s future in the Asian eration in defence and security”. corporation negotiates India’s byz- in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. with Shinde’s remarks. IANS their talks. Century and our interests are IANS antine rules and red tape. AFP Rushdie, border tensions echo at Jaipur Literature Festival JAIPUR: There is no threat to Speculation was rife that However, producer of the fes- the Jaipur Literature Festival, Rushdie could take time out to tival Sanjoy K Roy ruled out any organisers said yesterday as a visit Jaipur. The news of his likely threat from any hardline groups controversy arose over author visit spread in the pink city, recall- and said the “writers were on Salman Rushdie and the par- ing tensions of last year when the their way to the country”. ticipation of Pakistani authors author had to call off his visit. “Just five people rabble rous- at what is known as the ‘maha A section of Muslim hardlin- ing does not make any sense. The Kumbh’ of literature in Asia. ers demanded a permanent ban media should not play it up. Let The buzz over Rushdie’s on the four writers — Amitava people go to the people and speak expected arrival in India tomorrow Kumar, Hari Kunzru, Jeet Thayil to Muslim intellectuals to get a to promote the movie Midnight’s and Ruchir Joshi — who had read real picture. There is no threat Children and India-Pakistan ten- excerpts from Rushdie’s contro- so far,” Roy said and added that sions are already finding an echo versial Satanic Verses. Joshi and the festival this year would not be in this Rajasthan capital. Thayil are on the list of partici- bullied by any group. It was Islamist groups on pants this year too. In 2011, Rushdie, who was to one side and the Rashtriya The RSS, on its part, has pro- attend a session on the last day of Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on tested the participation of writ- the festival, had to cancel his visit the other, barely two days before ers from Pakistan — Mohammed after clerics entered the venue to the January 24-28 festival begins. Hanif, Jamil Ahmad, Pakistani- rally against his participation. He While Islamist groups are demand- Canadian novelist M A Farooqui, addressed the festival via video ing that the four authors who read British-Pakistani novelist Nadeem instead. When contacted, a cul- from Rushdie’s Satanic Verses last Aslam, author and poet Fahmida ture ministry official, however, time be banned, the RSS wants no Riaz and journalist Sharman denied any threat to the Pakistani participation from Pakistani writ- Ubaid Chinoy. According to the writers and intellectuals at the ers, given the tensions following the RSS, their participation was “not Jaipur Literature Festival. “Their killings of two Indian soldiers along in the country’s interest at the visit is on course,” the official said. the Line of Control. moment”. IANS

Kalyan Singh returns to BJP Aero India show from Feb 6 in Bangalore LUCKNOW: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, during whose tenure the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya in NEW DELHI: The ninth edi- 1992, returned to the saffron fold when at a rally he announced the tion of Aero India will be held merger of his Rashtriya Kranti Party (RKP) with the BJP yesterday. from February 6 until 10 in Addressing the rally at the Jhule Lal Park here, an emotional Kalyan Bangalore with over 53 civil Singh said that he had “wished for long to return to the party I had and military aircraft from served all my life”. “I have been brought up in the BJP and I have the leading manufacturers across values of the RSS in my blood. I am happy to be back,” he said. the globe expected to partici- He said his wish was that when he died, he would be draped in the pate in the event, an official BJP’s flag. He had quit the BJP in 2010. The three-time chief minis- said yesterday. ter said he would ensure that the party regains its foothold in Uttar The show, to be inaugurated by Pradesh. “With better coordination between leaders of the party, its Defence Minister A K Antony, workers and supporters, we will create a new record of seats in the will witness aerobatic displays next Lok Sabha polls,” he added. by the Flying Bulls team from However, while the Jankranti Party — headed by his son Rajveer the Czech Republic, the Russian Singh, which Kalyan Singh founded in 2010 -- also merged with the Knights team comprising Su-27 BJP, the former chief minister chose not to “officially join the BJP” on combat aircraft and the Sarang the advice of senior party leaders. The reason for this was that BJP team of the Indian Air Force. leaders do not want Kalyan Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Etah, “I hope it will be a bigger show to contest elections so soon. compared to earlier editions. We Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati welcomed are getting support from vari- Kalyan Singh into the party fold and called him a “father figure”. Even ous stakeholders. I hope it will BJP leader Rajnath Singh welcomed him back and said the latter was turn out to be very good show,” “a better chief minister” than him. BJP president Nitin Gadkari, sen- Defence Production Secretary R ior leader Murli Manohar Joshi and state BJP president Laxmikant K Mathur told reporters here. Bajpayi also welcomed Kalyan Singh into the party fold. IANS IANS

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Attiyah to receive Barzan project to go on stream next year top MEED Award DOHA: The Chairman of the Administrative Control and Offshore mega facility will produce 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, says Al Sada Transparency Authority H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah BY MOHAMMED SHOEB the ‘Offshore Middle East 2013’ will be presented with the conference and exhibition at MEED Lifetime Achievement DOHA: Qatar, continu- the Qatar National Convention Award on February 18. ing to hold the pride of being Centre. This award will be presented to the world’s largest LNG pro- Barzan is a joint venture of Al Attiyah at the Qatar Projects ducer (77 million tonnes), is Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil 2013 conference for his outstand- set to add one more feather to Qatar for which RasGas is the ing contributions to the develop- its cap. With the operation of operating company. It consists of ment of the projects industry in Barzan off-shore gas project two trains with the first planned Qatar, as well as the country’s from next year, the facility to come on stream in 2014. remarkable economic progress. will produce 1.4 billion cubic Dr Al Sada, highlighting Qatar’s Following the presentation feet per day (bcuft/d) of gas for achievements in offshore opera- ceremony Al Attiyah will take domestic industrial consump- tions during his keynote speech part in a live, on-stage inter- tion, Minister of Energy and at the opening ceremony of the view about his lifetime work and Industry, H E Dr Mohammed three-day conference and exhibi- achievements. bin Saleh Al Sada told report- tion, said: “We have successfully “His Excellency Abdulla bin ers yesterday. completed 50 years of offshore oil Hamad Al Attiyah is the perfect Anticipating an increased production with excellent safety choice for the MEED Lifetime demand for energy to fuel mega- records; we have developed excel- Achievement Award,” said projects over the next decade, lent infrastructure and facilities Edmund O’ Sullivan, Chairman the upcoming gas project will be at Halul Island and have carried of MEED Events, organisers of of great importance for the sus- out several environmental initia- Qatar Projects 2013, which this tainable growth of the economy. tives for the enhancement of coral year is celebrating its 10th anni- Barzan gas processing trains will reefs, preservation of marine life versary of providing business net- make RasGas as one of the largest and ecological balance.” working opportunity for projects single gas processors in the world. He said the country has under- The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada visiting an exhibition stall at the Offshore industry stakeholders in Qatar “For the development of off- taken several large initiatives in Middle East 2013 conference and exhibition at the Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday. KAMMUTTY VP and the Gulf region. shore gas we are constructing the development of its offshore “Al Attiyah is widely known as Barzan off-shore gas project. projects such as doubling the rate undertaken a cable project to With reference to the rising future. But the challenge is that having engineered Qatar’s impres- It will have three of the largest of production from 45,000 bpd to lay two subsea cables from Ras global demand for energy, Al Sada most of these resources are diffi- sive industrial development that well-head platforms ever built in 90,000 bpd at BulHunain oilfield. Laffan to Halul Island of 100MW said the oil and gas resources in cult to tap with the conventional has had a far-reaching impact on our North Field and is scheduled The project is in its engineering each covering a distance of about the ground today are capable of methods in use. its economic progress in the last to be completed by 2014,” said phase. 100km. The project is due for meeting the current and increas- THE PENINSULA couple of years,” Sullivan said. the minister on the sidelines of In addition, Qatar has also completion by mid-2016. ing demand for the foreseeable Continued on page 18 THE PENINSULA TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

UDC cuts service Pvt sector to get major slice of projects charges at Govt to make sure companies play bigger role in multi-billion dollar projects: Minister The Pearl-Qatar DOHA: The United DOHA: The Minister of number of programmes aimed at Development Company (UDC) Economy and Finance H E sustaining its growth trajectory. has announced another 12.5 Yousuf Hussein Kamal has said “We expect the country’s percent cut on all charges appli- the private sector is set to play growth rate would continue to cable to common use facilities an active role in implementation stay at a rate ranging between 5 at The Pearl-Qatar, effective of the country’s upcoming mega and 7 percent in the coming years. January 1. projects. The country’s non-oil hydrocar- UDC implemented a 33 percent The government is working on bon sector recorded an impres- reduction of Master Community a programme that would ensure sive 6.9 percent growth in 2012. (MC) service charges last June. that the private sector is playing Development of infrastructure The new reduction brings the a bigger role in the huge projects would act as a great stimulant to total cuts in Master Community in Qatar’s pipeline. the country’s growth prospects,” service charges affecting The Qatar has lined up a series he said. Pearl-Qatar’s common use facili- of multi-billion dollar projects, “The growth drivers of Qatari ties areas to 45.5 percent in a which would take off in the cur- economy were mainly the hydro- span of six months. rent year. The involvement of pri- carbon exports. Master Community serv- vate companies in these projects “Now we need to foresee the ice charges apply to cleaning of would stimulate the country’s pri- changing global economic condi- common use facilities, security, vate sector, he said while open- tions. The huge quantity of Shale landscaping, pest control, main- ing a Finance and Investment production by the US may be a tenance of all mechanical, engi- Conference here yesterday. game changer. The US shale pro- neering and plumbing equipment, Tenders for several key projects duction has reached to 7.5 million utilities for all common use facili- would be floated in the coming barrels,” he noted. ties and waste management. months and funds would be raised Despite global slowdown the The charges are re-evaluated through various routes, including GCC economy continues to per- every six months by Madinainova, bonds and other instruments. form well. While the developed Master Community Managing The minister said the gov- economies like the US recorded Agent at The Pearl-Qatar. Part ernment’s decision to bring in just 1.5 growth rate, the regional of Madinainova’s role is to deliver different regulatory bodies in economy has a growth of 3.5 the best services for the best pos- the financial sector under one percent. sible price. umbrella has helped strengthen The conference, dedicated “The increase of occupancy at the financial institutions and to registered/specially invited The Pearl-Qatar has attracted banks. attendees, discussed a wide range The Minister of Economy and Finance H E Yousuf Hussein Kamal and Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Shaibi, Director of more suppliers who are now able “Now we hope all Qatari banks of topics, including “financing Finance, Qatar Petroleum Group, at the Finance and Investment Qatar conference at Al Sharq Village and Spa in to provide the same standard and would be able to meet the Basel Qatar’s development in the inter- Doha yesterday. SALIM MATRAMKOT quality of services at lower costs,” III demands much ahead of the national financial markets, invest- UDC’s Chief Executive Officer original deadline,” the minister ment opportunities within Qatar Ebrahim Mubarak Al Sulaiti said. said. from global perspectives, how do Experts also analysed the coun- real estate and what are their investing into real estate?” were “The Pearl-Qatar residents are After shifting the growth focus international investors perceive try’s real estate market and com- priorities, the investors con- among other issues discussed at now reaping the cost advantages from hydrocarbon to non-hydro- Qatar and the key sector where pared it to the rest of the GCC. cerns; Are banks, financial insti- the conference. of UDC’s investment in expanding carbon, Qatar is working on a they see opportunities”. “Who is investing into Qatari tutions and private equity houses THE PENINSULA the scope and quality of services. The substantial cost reduction is a clear indication of the priority UDC places on providing resi- dents with quality services at fair Offshore sector needs new ideas QE declines; most GCC bourses slip rates.” THE PENINSULA DUBAI: Qatar Exchange YESTERDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS higher, at Dh3.24 per share, Continued from page 17 David Paganie, Chief Editor of the (QE) slipped yesterday NBK added. So the industry needs “new ideas, Offshore magazine, Director, Offshore 17.28 points or 0.20 percent DUBAI: The index slipped 0.3 Abu Dhabi’s benchmark new paradigms, and new innovative Conferences, PennWell Corporation. to 8,608.05 points from the percent to 1,786 points. slipped 0.1 percent, easing from QNB launches salary technologies, particularly in the off- Also present were Brat Cahir, previous closing while Abu ABU DHABI: The index declined Sunday’s 26-month high. shore areas”, the minister added. President and General Manager of Dhabi’s Sorouh Real Estate 0.1 percent to 2,778 points. Dubai’s measure shed 0.3 acquisition campaign “With global upstream capital and ExxonMobil Qatar Inc, Wael Sawan, jumped to a 25-month high QATAR: The index slipped 0.2 percent to end at 1,786 points, operating expenditures rising rapidly, Managing Director and Chairman after the company reached a percent to 8,608 points. down from Sunday’s 32-month DOHA: Qatar National Bank the Middle East is expected to be one of Qatar Shell and other dignitaries. long-awaited merger agree- EGYPT: The index dipped 0.8 closing high, after the index (QNB), the largest financial of the main growth regions in terms “Today we face many challenges ment with Aldar Properties. percent to 5,641 points. tested and failed on Sunday to institution in Qatar and the of total spending going forward, with in maintaining our capabilities of Trading volumes for both OMAN: The index advanced 0.3 break major chart resistance Mena region, has launched a capital expenditure (CAPEX) rising sustainable development of our Sorouh and Aldar, Abu Dhabi’s percent to 5,829 points. between 1,778 points, the 2012 salary acquisition campaign. by nearly 80 percent from 2011 to resources. Some of these challenges two biggest property develop- KUWAIT: The index climbed 0.2 high hit in March last year, and Through this campaign, QNB 2016, compared to a global CAPEX include asset integrity of ageing ers, hit record highs. Both percent to 6,173 points. the October 2010 peak of 1,793 customers will be able to enjoy a increase of 45 percent over the same facilities, re-development of mature stocks had more than doubled BAHRAIN: The index fell 0.6 per- points. wide range of benefits including time period. fields, optimisation of costs and man- in price over the past year in cent to 1,074 points. Trading volumes were thin, complimentary salary continua- The minister’s keynote address aging HSE risks. These challenges anticipation of the merger, SAUDI ARABIA: The index fell however, which may suggest tion protection plan, low inter- was followed by speeches by are expected to be addressed in the and while the terms of the 1.0 percent to 5,641 points. that many investors are unwill- est rates on personal and vehicle Mubarak A Al Hajri, Operations conference,” Al Hajri said. deal looked positive for Sorouh ing to sell because they think loans and automatic enrollment Manager, Offshore Fields, QP and THE PENINSULA shareholders, they prompted “Sorouh’s shareholders are the resistance could be broken to the bank’s new Life Rewards heavy profit-taking in Aldar. being given an incentive to hold in coming days or weeks. Programme. Sorouh jumped 4.3 percent more shares in the new com- Major property developer Life Rewards is the latest pro- to close at Dh1.70, its highest pany, while Aldar shareholders Emaar Properties rose 2.1 per- gramme introduced by the bank level since December 2010; they will be diluted.” cent to a fresh multi-year high, which rewards customers with hit a high of 1.87 dirhams in NBK Capital observed in a however, after the Al Ittihad points on the basis of their accu- early trade. Aldar plunged 9.8 research note that based on newspaper quoted UAE central mulated relationships, not only percent. Sunday’s close, the merger bank governor Sultan Nasser from the traditionally popular Sorouh shareholders will plan valued Sorouh at Dh2.10 Al Suweidi as saying authori- credit card spending. receive 1.288 Aldar shares for per share. ties would not impose limits Customers will receive up to every share in Sorouh, which “On the face of it, this is on mortgage lending without 10,000 Life Rewards points on will be de-listed once the actually quite a good deal for consulting commercial banks, their first salary transfer to the merger, which is subject to the Sorouh minority share- and that any new rules were bank and up to 8,000 points on shareholder approval, is com- holder, since our fair value for not imminent. the first purchase on their Life pleted, the companies said Sorouh as a standalone com- His remarks appeared to Rewards credit card. Customers yesterday. pany amounts to 2.33 dirhams show the central bank, after can enjoy receiving points for “The official announcement per share,” it said, adding: fierce protests from commercial their monthly average balances on highlights a ratio that on paper “Given the uncertainties sur- banks, was backing away from their current and saving accounts is favourable to Sorouh share- rounding the still-declining caps on residential mortgage additional to monthly payments holders, and the valuation is Abu Dhabi real estate market, lending that it announced just on their loans with QNB. obviously a reflection of the a discount of just 10 percent to weeks ago. There was no con- Under this promotion, new quality of the respective under- our fair value does not seem firmation of the report. salary transfer accounts with lying assets,” said Akber Naqvi, unreasonable.” In Saudi Arabia, weak earn- minimum salary of QR15,000, will hedge fund portfolio manager at Including the impact of ings soured sentiment, drag- receive a complimentary ‘salary Al Masah Capital. Abu Dhabi’s financial support ging the market to its lowest continuation protection plan’ for Ali Adou, portfolio manager for Sorouh in the merger, the in nearly three weeks. one full year. at The National Investor, said: company’s fair value is even REUTERS THE PENINSULA

NBK upbeat after turbulent year for Kuwaiti banks

KUWAIT: The outlook for improvement came after a One of the world’s richest an average forecast of KD62m, Kuwait’s banks has improved “stagnant” local economic countries per capita, Kuwait has according to analysts. after a turbulent year thanks environment in 2012, during suffered from years of political One analyst said the results to an expected increase in the fourth quarter of which the upheaval stemming from a long- were much higher than forecast, state infrastructure spending, lender beat analyst expectations running power battle between thanks to lower-than-expected the head of Gulf state’s largest with a steady net profit. parliament and government. provisions and higher-than- lender said. “Government spending was The row has held up invest- anticipated capital gains. Ibrahim Dabdoub, group chief insufficient and the tendering ment and major economic “Overall we take a neutral executive officer of National of new projects remained behind reforms including implemen- to positive view on the result,” Bank of Kuwait (NBK), said schedule, leading to slower eco- tation of a KD30bn ($108bn) analyst Naveed Ahmed at Global there was cause for optimism nomic activity and an underper- economic development plan Investment House said in a this year as the government forming stock market,” he said announced in late 2010. research note. adopts a more dynamic fiscal in a statement. The plan involves a series of NBK shares were 2 per- policy and accelerates spending Political tensions in the infrastructure projects includ- cent lower at 0.97 dinars by on mega projects. region also put pressure on ing a new airport terminal, 0940 GMT as investor caution “The recent directions from business sentiment in Kuwait new oil refinery and hospitals, lingered about the operating the highest authority and the and beyond, he said. and is aimed at diversifying the environment. proposed measures to boost Dabdoub, one of the most economy and attracting foreign NBK said it would pay a economic activity and spur senior banking figures in the investment. reduced annual dividend of 30 growth are expected to lift the region, earlier this year urged NBK’s fourth-quarter Kuwaiti fils per share and five overall sentiment and create Kuwait to step up spending on net profit reached KD76.2m bonus shares for 2012. In 2011 new opportunities in the local infrastructure to boost economic ($271m), a Reuters calcula- the dividend was 40 fils per economy,” he said yesterday. growth, in unusually frank com- tion showed, compared with share and 10 bonus shares. Dabdoub said the ments for a Gulf business leader. KD76.8m a year ago and with REUTERS TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Leaders meet in Davos in bid to beat the odds Heads of African, Middle Eastern states as well as oil and gas executives to take part in this year’s WEF

ZURICH: Italian Premier but only 26 percent trust busi- cited inequality and the burden Mario Monti will set the tone ness leaders to solve social issues of government debt as the biggest for beleaguered business and and 15 percent for government economic threats and also high- political leaders gathering leaders, and 19 percent expected lighted a rise in concern about in Davos this week for the business to make ethical deci- severe weather, an issue likely annual World Economic Forum sions, while only 14 percent said to be on the minds of many par- (WEF), with a speech entitled the same for politicians. ticipants as they struggle even to “Leading against the odds”. Edelman said trust in public reach Davos after heavy snowfall The pow-wow will bring figures had been eroded by a cancelled many flights. together more than 1,500 busi- string of scandals in the bank- The Algerian hostage crisis, ness leaders and up to 50 heads ing industry as well as controver- the French campaign against of state or government, many of sies ranging from cyclist Lance Islamists in Mali and the fallout them, like Monti, weathered by Armstrong’s admission of dop- from the Arab Spring will also almost perpetual crisis as they ing, to the purging of Chinese be hot topics, with many leaders fight to bring their economies politician Bo Xilai in a murder from Africa and the Middle East and companies through glo- case and a sex-abuse affair at the attending Davos as well as sev- bal financial turmoil and a few BBC. eral oil and gas executives. homegrown scandals of their Though Europe managed — “We face a new reality of sud- own. just — to keep the eurozone intact den shocks and prolonged global “It’s very clear that the future in 2012 and Washington stepped economic malaise,” Schwab said. of the world economy is based on back — at the last minute — from “Future growth in this new con- restoring trust. Restoring trust its “fiscal cliff”, a WEF survey text requires dynamism, bold in leaders, restoring trust in our this month showed business lead- vision and even bolder action.” future. And this means we have ers and academics fear politicians The Davos elite will be shielded to move out of this crisis mode,” are failing to address fundamen- from dissent by a ring of razor WEF founder Klaus Schwab told tal problems. wire and up to 5,000 Swiss sol- a news conference. And they will have it all to do diers, though activists will be There’s still some way to go, again in 2013, subject to the bal- handing out an award for “the according to a survey by global lot box. Monti will be defending worst company of the year”, public relations firm Edelman his austerity measures in parlia- and Swiss left-wing groups plan published yesterday. mentary elections in four weeks, small protests against financial A worker cleans a logo during final preparations inside the Congress Centre, ahead of the opening of the 43rd “There is an incredible lack of and German Chancellor Angela speculation. annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday. trust in leadership,” said Richard Merkel will be hoping a weekend UBS Chairman Axel Weber Edelman, the firm’s President defeat for her party in a regional and JP Morgan Chase & Co and Chief Executive. “Levels of election won’t derail her re-elec- Chief Executive Jamie Dimon are environment, offering morn- deals and innovative ideas in Struggles, a global executive trust in governments are worse tion later this year. among the top representatives of ing meditation and even a ses- Davos as the first signs emerge search and leadership consulting than for business, but they are A contingent from the US a chastened financial industry, sion with a trombonist subtitled: of fragile confidence returning to firm. “This is a turn in the mood. both terrible.” including four secretaries and 14 which the Edelman survey shows “How can jazz serve as a strategic the world economy. There is an old saying you can’t Edelman’s annual survey congressmen will have another is still the least trusted sector, on model for diplomacy, leadership, “There is more certainty fall off the floor. Economically across 26 countries did show a looming budget crunch at the just 50 percent globally. collaboration and innovation?” than there was three or four speaking — we are in the base- rise in trust in business and gov- back of their minds. The WEF is trying to boost But chief executives are more months ago,” said Kevin Kelly, ment now. There is no where to ernment over the previous year, The WEF’s annual risk report leadership skills in the tough likely to be looking for concrete Chief Executive of Heidrick & go but up.” REUTERS

Winter weather set AirAsia drops plan for new Singapore unit India hikes KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, Malaysia-based AirAsia flies to establish a unit in Singapore, import tax on Asia’s largest low-cost car- throughout Asia and has set which would have allowed it to to push Britain into rier, has scrapped plans for a up subsidiary budget carriers compete with rivals including gold by 50pc Singapore joint venture due to in Indonesia, the Philippines, Jetstar and Tiger Airways and high operating costs and lack Thailand and Japan. fly to more destinations from the of domestic market potential in The carrier, one of the biggest city state, the Wall Street Journal NEW DELHI: India, the triple dip recession the island republic. customers for European aircraft added. world’s top gold consumer, yes- “We are concentrating on maker Airbus, has a fleet of 112 More than 50 million passen- terday hiked the import duty on markets which have big domes- A320s and is expecting 266 more gers travelled through Singapore’s the precious metal by 50 percent LONDON: A wintry burst “When the economy is bouncing tic markets and big populations aircraft to be delivered up to 2026. Changi Airport in 2012, according in an effort to reduce demand of weather hit businesses and along the bottom anyway, a bout and markets that are more lib- Fernandes said it is “very clear to the airport operator. and help stem the country’s bal- travellers across Britain for a of bad weather can easily tip it eral and market-orientated,” that we are in the right markets AirAsia has grown rapidly looning current account deficit. fourth day yesterday, threaten- into negative territory.” Tony Fernandes, Group Chief and capital should go into those since Fernandes, a former record Gold purchases are one of the ing an unprecedented “triple- Executive, was quoted as saying countries to maximise return”. industry executive, bought the biggest contributors to India’s dip” recession that could knock NATIONAL OUTRAGE in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. The airline was initially keen failing airline in 2001. AFP current account deficit — the the government’s economic broadest measure of trade — plans further off track. There was a familiar hum of which hit a record $22.3bn, or Commuters fought to get to national outrage at train stations 5.4 percent of GDP, in the July- work as airlines and train opera- and airports about the struggle to Better profits for Huawei September quarter, as imports tors struggled to deal with a blan- run normal services more than 12 outpaced exports. ket of snow and ice, while some hours after the last snowfall in The government said the rise 3,000 schools were closed, forcing many areas on Sunday evening. in the import duty on gold to six parents to stay at home to look Commuter operators across percent from four percent would after children. southern England were operat- take effect immediately. Last year Figures this week look set to ing reduced services and only six it doubled the duty on gold to four show the economy shrank again of every 10 of those were running percent. in the fourth quarter of 2012. The on time. British Airways had can- “The duties will be reviewed snow-induced a loss of working celled 350 flights since Friday, after some time if there is a mod- days for manufacturers and build- largely at the request of London’s eration in the quantity of gold ers, allied to falls in business for Heathrow airport, which has lit- that is imported into the coun- shops, pubs and restaurants, could tle room to reschedule delayed try,” Economic Affairs Secretary now push the first quarter of 2013 flights. Arvind Mayaram told reporters. into the red also. That reflects a shortfall in The hike is part of a wider Even if the economy does turn infrastructure investment over set of measures to improve the around later, it would leave the past years which has fallen behind finances of Asia’s third-largest government seeking to dispel eurozone neighbours. economy, which faces stubbornly fears of slow growth well into next Operators note, however, the high inflation, a sharp slowdown year — with an election due the UK has less snow than much of in growth as well as the hefty cur- year after. the rest of Europe and less on rent and fiscal account deficits. “At a time when retailers are average now than it did 20 years Ratings agencies have threat- already under pressure, bad ago. That was no consolation for ened to downgrade India’s sov- weather which keeps people from 24-year old Georgina Kourousiakli ereign investment rating to junk going shopping is very bad news,” and Fay Sakellariou from Athens, status unless the government said Richard Dodd from the who missed their flight home by takes steps to close the nation’s British Retail Consortium body minutes due to train delays yes- the deficits. representing the country’s major terday morning. India has long been the world’s chains. “That said, it would have “They don’t care about us, we A man walks past a Huawei company logo outside the entrance of a Huawei office in Wuhan, Hubei prov- biggest buyer of gold with pur- been much worse had it happened told them we need somewhere ince, China. Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world’s No.2 telecom equipment maker, bounced back from chases strongest during the over Christmas.” to live until tomorrow and they a disappointing 2011 with a 33 percent rise in net profit for 2012, and forecast stronger revenue growth, religious festival and wedding Shop owners and workers on a just looked at us and said ‘oh’,” buoyed by smartphone sales and cloud computing. seasons. deserted Oxford Street, central Georgina said. “We don’t have any REUTERS London’s main shopping destina- money to eat... we can’t call home tion, said trade had been hit heav- and the Internet is 10 pence per ily since Friday. minute.” Bank ‘tsunami’ sunk Cyprus: President Jay Gordon, Manager of a Heathrow has come under hairdresser’s just off the main heavy criticism before for not NICOSIA: President Demetris acquired risky Greek debt. But thoroughfare, said half of his handling inclement weather well. Christofias yesterday said he has come under heavy criti- customers had cancelled over The Conservative-led coalition Cyprus could have survived the cism for misjudging the worsening the weekend, at a cost of 30-100 government had lauded numbers euro crisis but for lax controls economic climate. • Bullion - Mumbai pounds per head. “On Saturday, for the third quarter of last year of a banking sector dangerously The communist head of state Gold (10 gm) Standard Rs. 30550 we had 15 no-shows. It’s a loss of which saw Britain emerging from exposed to toxic Greek debt. preferred to borrow the money Silver (1 kg) Rs. 59265 revenue,” he said. its second recession since the “Unfortunately, this crisis from close ally Moscow rather • Indian Rupees QR1 = 14.66 Economists said that while 2008 financial crisis. has created us real problems,” than bite the bullet of harsh aus- • Sensex retailers may be able to make up But that always looked at risk Christofias said in a speech to terity to secure an EU loan, but the lost sales as customers come from the gloom amongst consum- pensioners. Russia has kept its distance on BSE 20101.82 back to buy later what they would ers who account for two thirds “We could have exited the cri- the matter. NSE 6082.30 have bought anyway, the impact of the economy. They have seen sis, but we faced a ‘tsunami’ called Cyprus has officially requested • LIC (International) launches New Gold Investment Plan ‘GOLD PLUS’ – on construction and manufac- wages fall consistently compared the banks that without any con- that Russia give it a five-year which provides an opportunity to invest in GOLD ETF & GOLD SPOT, PAN turing is harder to smooth over with inflation while also strug- trol by the central bank governor extension on paying back an Card/Demat Account not required. quickly. gling to reduce debts built up in a brought the economy practically initial ¤2.5bn ($3.32bn) loan it • Short-term investment plan from LIC International upto 6.4 percent return “Assuming the fourth quarter decade of booming credit growth. to its knees,” he said. received in 2011 and is scheduled p.a. (in dollar) is as substantially negative as we A survey yesterday showed the Christofias has long argued to be paid in full in 2016. • Housing loan from HDFC LTD now fear, we will almost certainly state of most households’ finances that Cyprus was requesting a The government needed the be heading back into recession,” continued to worsen in January, bailout due to lax supervision by money then because it had been • Mutual Fund: Buy & Sell: SBI MF, HDFC MF, UTI MF, Birla Sun Life MF, Peter Spencer, Chief Economic even if the rate of decline was former central bank governor effectively shut out of the markets Tata MF, Reliance MF etc. Adviser to business think tank the slightly less pronounced than a Athanasios Orphanides and reck- after its credit rating had slid into Contact: Investec, Tel: 44325060/44365060 email: [email protected] Ernst and Young Item Club, said. month earlier. REUTERS less behaviour from bankers who junk territory. AFP TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS

European IPO hopefuls Security fears overshadow new tap narrow window Algerian oil law after siege BY KYLIE MACLELLAN BY EMMA FARGE Gurdon, Managing Director of Menas the attack represented a “crossroad” for UROPEAN companies looking to make their stock mar- Associates, a political risk consultancy. the global oil and gas industry that would ket debut have a couple of months to act before an uncer- NVESTMENT in Algeria’s oil and Libya and Algeria are Africa’s third and raise many questions. “We have a responsi- tain economic outlook risks sidelining a recovery in new gas sector may fall as concerns about fourth largest oil producers with Libya also bility to run our business and support daily Eissues and an early Easter interrupts their sales pitch. the costs of security after a bloody the largest oil reserves holder on the conti- operations ... we cannot and will not let a Ebullient stock markets have so far this month encouraged around siege at a desert gas plant eclipse nent. Together with Egypt, they are impor- terrorist attack interfere in our determina- half a dozen firms in Europe to launch plans to float, seeking to the impact of a hydrocarbon law tant gas suppliers to Europe. tion,” Helge Lund said. raise more than $3bn in the first few months of the year. designed to win over foreign firms, BP has evacuated workers from Algeria But there are reasons on both sides of the Atlantic why those Iexecutives and analysts said yesterday. BALANCING ACT and an industry source said that other seeking to seize the moment will want to act fast, and certainly Algeria’s parliament acted quickly yes- Alone among its neighbours, Algeria has firms had taken steps to remove foreign before stock markets close for Easter and many investors head terday to endorse an oil and gas law, can- so far been largely untouched by uprisings employees from desert sites. Libya has off on holidays. Parliamentary polls in Italy next month could put celling a windfall tax on foreign firms, in in 2011 that ousted leaders in Egypt, Libya also beefed up security in its oil fields and Prime Minister Mario Monti’s reform programme in doubt and a move seen as a bid to reassure foreign and Yemen. Any drop in Algerian invest- energy firms were considering similar put paid to the current calm in Europe’s debt woes, and the US investors and reverse declining interest in ment could have serious consequences for a measures in Egypt as militants threatened body politic, still nowhere near a lasting budget deal to balance the Opec member. But executives say the country which relies heavily on oil and gas to attack new instillations in north Africa. taxes and spending, is preparing to do battle again. attack, which left more than 60 people dead revenues to pay for its six million tonnes a The In Amenas attack, which occurred “The US fiscal cliff revisit in February or March could cause including many foreign workers, could mean year of grain imports, seen as vital to ensur- close to the border with Libya, could also some wobbles, and the Italian elections in mid-February could that investment in Algeria and other oil- ing domestic stability. have implications for that country’s oil and also cool things down, so if you wanted to get a sale away, then producing neighbours such as Libya and Oil majors such as BP and Total have gas sector as long-standing clients begin you would be looking to act now before the conditions change,” Mauritania lags behind other regions. been gradually reducing production in to show frustration at supply disruptions said Neil Wilkinson, European Equities Fund Manager at Royal “Costs that are already extremely high will Algeria by either selling assets or letting caused by protests and strikes. “The indus- London Asset Management. Europe’s IPO market, which has become even higher,” said Repsol’s Algeria existing investments lapse, raising con- try is going to assume that everything in been struggling during the region’s long debt crisis and sluggish Country Manager Gabino Lalinde. “Security cerns that there will not be enough new North Africa is affected in terms of secu- economic growth, started to show signs of life in the final months risks and this new cost escalation will make projects to maintain output. Edward Bell of rity, including Libya and also Morocco and of 2012 as confidence picked up. Algeria less attractive to international oil the Economist Intelligence Unit said that Mauritania,” said Gurdon. Russian trading venue the Moscow Exchange and British house- firms,” he added. The Spanish firm produces declining investment in Algeria’s the oil and Some Libyan oilfields such as Italian group builder Crest Nicholson announced plans to float, while German around 8,500 barrels of oil equivalent per gas sector could affect spending on infra- Eni’s Elephant are located several hundreds of residential property group LEG was due to begin roadshows for day in the country and has facilities deep in structure and social projects. kilometres across the desert from In Amenas, its planned ¤1.4bn ($1.9bn) listing. “There is a finite window now the southern Algerian Saharan desert and “For now Algeria has comfortable reserves, where the hostage tragedy unfolded this week. for things to happen,” said one banker working in equity capital near BP’s In Amenas site. but in the longer term its fiscal position Several US oil firms have yet to return to markets (ECM), the part of an investment bank that runs share Algeria’s oil and gas sector, which could be impacted,” he said, adding that resume exploration in Libya after the 2011 sales including initial public offerings (IPOs). accounts for 98 percent of the country’s youth unemployment — a feature of Arab conflict due to security concerns. Most companies choose to launch listings after publishing their exports, has struggled to lure in investment Spring countries — also plagues Algeria. Libya “Should Libya be subject to similar attacks full-year results, but some advisors said getting those audited in recent bid rounds as executives eye the ranked 12th and Algeria 13th out of 17 major by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, we see ready in time to complete the month-long IPO process before booming sectors of Iraq and east Africa. economies in the Middle East and Africa in a particular downside risk to Libyan output the traditional Easter slowdown will prove a challenge. This year Analysts said that Algeria’s new law a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit. prospects for this year and for longer-term Easter day falls on March 31 — only once in the last 100 years could be too late to reverse the investment Algeria needs an oil price of $121 to bal- production prospects, as foreign firms will has it been earlier — and much of Europe will clock off for a long trend. “The change in the hydrocarbon law ance its books, according to a November be reluctant to resume exploration and weekend. “Numbers-wise, it is hard to come ahead of an early has come two-three years too late. They’ve estimate from the International Monetary return expatriates to Libya,” said Amrita Easter,” said a second ECM banker. “It is a bit too ambitious for already had unsuccessful bid rounds and Fund, as falling oil production and low gas Sen, Chief Oil Analyst at consultancy most companies ... from an accountancy perspective.” the IOCs (international oil companies) have prices hit earnings. Energy Aspects in London. been voting with their feet,” said Charles The chief executive of Statoil said that REUTERS BUYERS’ MARKET Around $3.7bn was raised from IPOs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the first quarter of last year, and $17.4bn over the whole of 2012, compared with more than $100bn in 2006 before the financial crisis hit. Despite the paucity of deals and a poor recent precedent in last year’s Facebook IPO in the US, inves- tors on the whole did well out of European IPOs in 2012, with six of the biggest now more than 20 percent above their float price. While the recovery remains fragile, a lack of IPO activity through much of last year has left a backlog of deals that could come to market in 2013, bankers said. There are signs these deals will be welcomed by investors. Latest fund sales data from Skandia, part of the Old Mutual Wealth investment platform, suggest money is slowly moving away from so-called safe havens of cash and property towards equity investments. Sales of cash funds on its platform fell 25 percent in the last three months of 2012 compared with the previous quarter, while sales of European equity funds jumped by 20 percent. Royal London’s Wilkinson said that with so many ‘tried and tested’ companies looking such good value, bankers would have to work hard to convince money managers to invest in new stocks. “It’s a buyer’s market ... There are some managers who just won’t participate in IPOs. I am not one of them, but you do have to analyse each one on its own, and it takes a lot of work before deciding to get involved,” he said. “It’s not that the books are dressed up, but we are aware the business is being made to look as attractive as possible.” Despite a contraction in the German economy in the final quarter of 2012, there is talk of more German residential IPOs, including Deutsche Annington, in a market where property yields are about 4.5 percent for the best housing and 6 percent in sec- ondary locations. “Yields are not especially high, but it’s all about stability,” said Joseph Schaesberg at property consultant CBRE. “If you’re looking for stability, come to Germany. If you want higher returns, go further east.” Polish real estate holding firm PHN and Russian private freight rail operator NefteTransService are also among those who have unveiled plans to list. Some investors and bankers said the idea of an Easter deadline was overblown, given that not all countries celebrated the Christian festival, and the pre-marketing stage of the IPO process could still run over a long weekend. REUTERS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Indian govt pushes banks to go rural, but will it pay? BY SWATI PANDEY & so far been fitful despite manda- million education scholarships as fee income, Mumbai-based provider. FINO provides busi- account with ICICI Bank, India’s RAJENDRA JADHAV tory targets set by the govern- directly to bank accounts linked brokerage Anand Rathi, said in ness correspondents such as No. 2 lender, this month through ment and Reserve Bank of India. to a unique identification number. a note this month. Dangi to banks, trains them and FINO in Udaipur, to benefit from ORKING out of a “Nearly 80 farmers in the village It is also likely to free farmers Banks are currently losing also equips them with biometric the subsidies earmarked for tiny rented room have taken crop loans. They have from the clutches of money-lend- money in most of their rural devices. expectant mothers by state and furnished with a more confidence in banks now,” ers who charge annual interest of operations, hit by highs costs, “The investment is done by the central government. Wwooden table, small says Dangi, who earns Rs1,500 24-50 percent, giving them access poor connectivity and low sav- business correspondent firms. “Everyone says government biometric authentication machine ($30) a month plus commissions. to institutional finance. ings in areas where average per As far as the villages are con- will give us money. I don’t know and shelf stacked with passbooks, “They now know banks are not Shiva Kumar, Managing capita income is around Rs16,000, cerned, the most economical way how much the government will Ganesh Dangi is a one-man bank cheats to swallow up their money.” Director of SBBJ, a subsidiary of compared with Rs44,000 in urban for banks to continue is to do it pay,” said Meghval, who did not for a village of 650 people in The target is a tough one in a government-owned State Bank of areas. “It’s a long, patient game,” through a BC,” Khera said. get the money when she was northwestern India’s desert state country where only 35 percent of India, says the initiative will bring said Anil Jaggia, chief informa- According to rough estimates pregnant the last time. of Rajasthan. people had formal bank accounts, “financial freedom” to India’s vast tion officer at HDFC Bank, India’s from banks, every transaction “I never tried to open an A business correspondent, or versus the global average of 50 rural hinterland, home to about No.2 private sector lender, add- done at a branch costs around 50 account earlier. We don’t have local representative, for State percent, according to a financial 800 million people. “Lot more ing it will not boost revenues rupees while those done at ATMs money to keep in bank accounts.” Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur inclusion survey by World Bank in money will come into the banking immediately. cost 15 rupees. But banks are not TC Songara, manager of the (SBBJ) in Ranchhodpura village, 2011. Nearly two-thirds of India’s system. It can boost prosperity in “Over time if people get into keen on installing ATMs in vil- SBI branch in Udaipur, a popular 40km east of Udaipur city, Dangi 1.2 billion population still live in the villages and that will get more serious banking habits then lages given the costs involved in tourist destination famous for its is racing to sign up villagers to rural areas. business to banks,” he said. this whole initiative may get to having 24-hours electricity, sur- lakes, says his branch has opened new “no frills” plans to meet a Currently being piloted in Banks fear early pain - the breakeven and make some tan- veillance and communication 2,000 new accounts in the two government target that every 20 districts, including three in move could burden them with gible money.” In the meantime, facilities. months to December compared family in the district should have Rajasthan, the programme is Rs250 to Rs500 ($4.5-$9) of addi- the new accounts are likely to Concern that loans to rural cus- to a monthly average of 100 new a bank account. expected to go nationwide in tional costs per account annually, put pressure on banks’ existing tomers could go bad is also making customers and is now facing a New Delhi plans to directly phases over the next year. while profits may remain elusive infrastructure and add to costs, lenders jittery. For SBI, 9 percent shortage of passbooks. transfer cash payments for sub- The government plans to trans- for at least 2 years. Still, they see officials said. Industry experts say of its farm loans had turned bad in But he is worried that many new sidies into these accounts, a move fer Rs3.2 trillion ($58bn) to ben- a huge opportunity even if only banks need to look at low-cost the year to March 2012. customers like Meghval might use aimed at tackling graft in India’s eficiaries of its subsidy schemes a quarter of these new accounts and innovative models of doing In one rural branch in Udaipur, the bank only to take out their creaky, corruption-ridden public and welfare programmes, accord- were to turn into regular cus- business in India’s villages. SBBJ had bad loans of around 13 cash payments. “The challenge is distribution system. ing to newspaper reports. tomers, demanding loans, mutual “Banks have not done much in percent. This compares with an to ensure they start using bank- If successful, the initiative It will pay the wages for more funds and other products. this segment so far,” said Manish average 3 percent for the banking ing products,” he said. “If they only could also bring modern banking than 50 million workers in a rural The programme could help Khera, CEO of FINO Paytech, a system across India. come to the branch to withdraw to the doorstep of rural India, a job scheme, pensions for 20 mil- banks and business correspond- micro-banking technology and Prami Devi Meghval, 24, who is subsidies it is not going to help us.” goal towards which progress has lion senior citizens and about 5 ents earn about Rs40bn ($735m) business correspondent services five months pregnant, opened an REUTERS TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 MARKET www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

QE Indices Summary WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Index 8,608.05 0.20 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 2,527.48 0.12 % RATE QE Total Return Index 11,649.8 0.20 % QE All Share Index 2,072.23 0.07 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 1,997.65 0.27 % GOLD Buying Selling Services All Ordinaries 4802.206 7.553 0.16 4808.9 4664.6 QE All Share Industrials 2,732.1 0.25 % QR198.2337 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 QE All Share Transportation 1,380.49 0.59 % Cac 40 Index/D 3750.55 8.97 0.24 3760.95 3680.61 UK ...... QR 5.7464 QR 5.8265 QE All Share Real Estate 1,626.78 0.23 % SILVER Euro ...... QR 4.8157 QR 4.8826 QE All Share Insurance 1,950.07 1.41 % Dj Indu Average 13649.7 53.68 0.39 13661.9 12035.1 QR 3.7498 QE All Share Telecoms 1,108.01 0.79 % CA$ ...... QR 3.6347 QR 3.7071 QE All Share Consumer Goods & Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 4,816 0.66 % Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.8841 QR 3.9399 Services Hang Seng Inde/D 23590.91 -10.87 -0.05 23606.5 22860.25 Yen ...... QR 0.0403 QR 0.0411 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.7952 QR 3.8706 Iseq Overall/D 3482.7 3.01 0.09 3526.74 3396.67 CRUDE OIL Today Previous day Ind Re ...... QR 0.0671 QR 0.0684 21-01-2013 20-01-2013 \Karachi 100 In/D 16640.81 39.04 0.24 16935.52 16036.31 Index 8,608.05 8,625.33 BRENT Pak Re ...... QR 0.0370 QR 0.0378 Change 17.28 3.60 Nikkei 225 Index 10747.74 -165.56 -1.52 10952.31 10398.61 Peso ...... QR 0.0885 QR 0.0904 % 0.20 0.04 $ 111.48 SL Re ...... QR 0.0285 QR 0.0291 YTD% 2.98 3.19 S&P 500 Index/D 1485.98 5.04 0.34 1485.16 1266.74 DUBAI Taka ...... QR 0.0450 QR 0.0462 Volume 6,054,840 2,920,508 Straits Times/D 3221.32 10.1 0.31 3237.78 3160.83 Nep Re ...... QR 0.0415 QR 0.0423 Value (QAR) 335,566,103.12 165,012,303.46 $ 109.24 Trades 3,858 2,142 SA Rand ...... QR 0.4049 QR 0.4151 Straits Times/D 2989.31 24.69 0.83 3035.78 2657.77 Up 13 | Down 21 | Unchanged 05

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 21-01-2013

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 C C-A/D 1335.25 -9.75 39209 Cipla-A/D 403.95 -5.65 136800 Hindalco-A/D 122.75 -0.05 525056 Lloyd Steel-B/D 13.68 0.4 183221 Rallis India-B/D 140.85 -5.45 116919 Kingfisher/D 269.8 -3.1 4795153 Aarti Drugs-T/D 234.45 3.1 2788 City Union Bk-/D 60.25 0.15 88589 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 814.5 -7.85 191114 Lloydsfin.-T/D 1.37 -0.07 7300 Rallis India-B/D 140.85 -5.45 116919 Land Secs Grou/D 809 -7 429117 Aban Offs-B/D 377.15 2.65 56771 Colgate-A/D 1495.75 2 10737 I F C I-A/D 37.75 0 2363245 Lok.Hous&Con-T/D 25.6 -0.5 2546 Reliance Indus/D 473.75 5.65 163618 Legal & Genera/D 151.95 0.5 1430427 Ador Welding-B/D 142.2 2.2 5959 Dcm Financia-B/D 1.6 -0.01 2800 Idbi-A/D 112.1 -1.25 353015 Lupin-A/D 593.7 5.7 36341 Ruchi Soya-B/D 69.8 -0.45 18774 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 53.31 -0.05 30694595 Aegis Logis-B/D 178.35 -0.85 9407 Dcm Shram Ind-/D 43 -0.4 4029 Ifb Ind.Ltd.-B/D 106.95 -0.15 10106 Lyka Labs-B/D 11.33 0.03 8986 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 464.75 1.65 18305 Marks & Sp./D 365 -0.9 436510 Ahmed.Forg-B/D 141.4 1.35 1492 Dhampur Sugar-/D 50.2 -0.1 5739 India Cement-B/D 86.25 0.95 164849 Mafatlal Ind-T/D 129.85 5.05 2719 Saur.Cem-B/D 25.65 0 1770 Next/D 3951 -17 65210 Alembic-B/D 16.7 0.15 12295 Dr. Reddy-A/D 1921.7 31.5 55531 India Glycol-B/D 166.85 0.3 9643 Maha Scooter-B/D 518.75 -3.8 2380 Thirumalai-B/D 135.7 7.25 78481 Pearson/D 1197 -41 2646556 Alok Indus-B/D 11.41 0.02 690634 E I H-B/D 73.4 0.65 72029 Indian Hotel-A/D 63.95 -0.7 127829 Mangalam Cem-B/D 156.5 1.85 20917 Timexgroup-T/D 22.5 0 42986 Prudential/D 932.5 1.5 424163 Andhra Paper-B/D 281.75 -2.65 5763 E.I.D Parry-B/D 182.7 -0.2 10341 Indo-Tcount-T/D 14.25 0.1 5200 Maral Overs-B/D 15.19 0.41 8851 Tinplate-B/D 51.4 -0.95 21813 Rank Group/D 152.188 -0.9 7905 Apollo Tyre-A/D 86.85 -0.85 142832 Electrosteel-B/D 25.65 -0.1 49310 Indusind-A/D 413.3 -6.2 84701 Mastek-B/D 153.65 3.15 120695 Ub Engineer-B/D 33.35 -0.2 34605 Rentokil Initi/D 90.835 0.15 329052 Asahi I Glass-/D 51.2 0.3 6170 Emco-B/D 29 -0.05 28430 J.B.Chemical-B/D 86.55 -0.4 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701 3.5 451886 Bayer Crop-A/D 1205.2 -6.05 1981 Ferro Alloys-B/D 6.54 -0.06 38217 Jik Indust-B/D 2.38 -0.12 25027 Nation Alum -A/D 48.75 -0.1 20317 LONDON Smiths Group/D 1210 -11 429795 Beml Ltd-B/D 277.6 0.45 13918 Finolex-B/D 71.25 10.45 1256238 Jktyre&Ind-B/D 122.1 -0.5 8873 Navneet Pub.-B/D 64.1 0.1 18408 Standrd Chart /D 1657 2 518031 Bhartiya Int-T/D 186.5 -2.4 16207 Gail-A/D 388.15 4.35 87920 Jmc Projects-B/D 110.5 -2.3 5495 Nepc India-B/D 2.61 -0.06 8300 3I Group/D 249.02 0.2 824848 Tate & Lyle/D 796.5 3.5 156812 Bhel-A/D 231.65 5.1 466980 Gammon India-B/D 38.45 -0.25 16825 Kabra Extr-B/D 31.7 -1.65 24367 Neuland Lab-B/D 120 -2.3 5421 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 1638 3 155726 Tesco/D 349.95 -0.4 3113953 Bom.Burmah-B/D 140 -2.15 61698 Garden P -B/D 63.05 -0.25 3712 Kajaria Cer-B/D 210.25 -14.5 75547 Nrb Bearings-B/D 36.35 0.7 4939 B Sky B/D 792.388 -5.5 195802 Unilever/D 2442.125 14 487659 Bombay Dyeing-/D 126.95 0.9 106362 Goodricke-B/D 155.2 6.2 13385 Kakatiya Cem-B/D 82.55 0.5 1493 O N G C-A/D 336.6 -0.9 518649 Barclays/D 296.888 0 8042772 United Util Gr/D 718 7 1120941 Canfin Homes-T/D 170.6 -8.95 3728 Goodyear I -B/D 319.75 -5.45 3844 Kalpat Power-B/D 101.15 2.5 486715 Ocl India-B/D 146.7 0.4 2572 Bg Group/D 1116.125 2.5 1741903 Vodafone Group/D 161.928 0.1 12383942 Castrol Ind-A/D 302.1 -2.9 22249 Hcl Infosys-B/D 39.7 -0.05 67740 Kalyani Stel-B/D 57.55 1.15 102442 Oil Country-B/D 51.55 0.1 29781 Bp/D 460.7 0.35 2066028 Whitbread/D 2484.28 0 95889 Century Enka-B/D 129 2.45 27222 Him.Fut.Comm-B/D 9.94 -0.06 248019 Kanoria Chem-B/D 39 0 13693 Onward Tech-T/D 42.05 -1.4 2011 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3194.2563 24.5 451135 Century Text-A/D 421.5 6.9 116943 Himat Seide-B/D 40.1 0.2 10939 Kilburnengg-B/D 19.15 -0.1 2996 Orchid Chem-B/D 98.15 0 65141 Bt Group/D 247.515 1.6 3639070 Chambal Fert-B/D 70.85 1.3 373777 Hind Motors-B/D 10.84 -0.29 111206 Kin.Motor-B/D 10.67 -0.08 14086 Orient Hotel-B/D 23.05 0.5 1638 Centrica/D 342.35 3.8 1391155 Chola Invest-B/D 284.75 2.1 28745 Hind Org Chem-/D 18.95 0.45 30706 Kinetic Eng-T/D 101.35 4.35 2285 Orient.Carb.-B/D 126.1 -1.6 4443 Gkn/D 246.45 3.1 1020513 Chowgule St-B/D 17.45 -0.4 5672 Hind Unilever-/D 495.85 5.8 207652 Kopran-B/D 19.9 -0.3 14858 Orient.Carb.-B/D 126.1 -1.6 4443 Hsbc Holdings/D 692.8 -1.1 8097247 Cimmco-B/D 43.45 -1.55 1986 Hind.Petrol-A/D 372.65 9.8 1318074 Lloyd Metal-B/D 14.3 -0.15 2200 Radico Khait-B/D 145.9 5 692784 Imperial Tobac/D 2393 15 437618 TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Penguins chase Gay wins Challenge in play-off Lundqvist to dominate American edges out Howell and Lingmerth in three-way sudden-death Rangers NEW YORK: James Neal LA QUINTA, California: Humana Challenge said. “I was fortunate for that scored two goals as the Brian Gay birdied the second not to happen and have another Pittsburgh Penguins hammered hole of a three-man play-off yes- US PGA Scores chance.” the New York Rangers 6-3 yes- terday to win the US PGA Tour’s Leading final-round scores yesterday in the Howell had an 88-foot eagle terday to make it two wins from $5.6m Humana Challenge. $5.6m US PGA Tour Humana Challenge on putt at 18 but three-putted while two. Scott Stallings, who took a five- the Palmer Course, Nicklaus Course and Lingmerth birdied the last hole The Penguins, hoping to fulfil shot lead into the final round, hit La Quinta Country Club course (USA unless of regulation. expectations this season after his second shot at the par-five noted, all par-72, x-won at 2nd play-off All three were in the fairway consecutive first-round playoff 18th into the water and didn’t hole): off the tee at the first playoff losses, knocked off Philadelphia make the playoff that included 263 Brian Gay 67-66-67-63, David hole, the 18th. Gay then found in the season opener and followed Gay, Sweden’s David Lingmerth Lingmerth (SWE) 68-64-69-62, the greenside rough, Howell was it up with another dominant tri- and Charles Howell. Charles Howell 67-65-67-64 on the green and Lingmerth was umph on the road against New The trio finished 72 holes on 264 James Hahn 63-67-72-62, Scott in the water and couldn’t match Yo rk . 25-under 263. US tour rookie Stallings 66-65-63-70 the pars of the other two. “It’s a good start,” Penguins Lingmerth had 10 birdies in his 265 Nicholas Thompson 69-66-66-64, They headed to the par-four captain Sidney Crosby told 10-under 62 on the Palmer course, Ryan Palmer 65-69-66-65 10th for the second playoff hole. reporters after registering his where the final round was played 266 Kevin Chappell 68-69-67-62, Jason Gay found the fairway and hit his first point of the year on an assist after the first three rounds were Kokrak 63-69-69-65 approach to five feet while Howell in the first period. played over three courses in the was in the right rough and from “We’ve done a lot of good things 267 Richard H. Lee 66-65-70-66, southern California desert. there into a bunker behind the the last couple games, played Billy Horschel 67-68-65-67, Kevin “It feels amazing right now,” green. some good periods of hockey. You Streelman 69-65-66-67, Brian said Gay, who struggled last year After Howell missed his par just want to keep that going and Stuard 71-67-62-67, Charley to make changes to his game attempt, Gay made his birdie keep getting better.” Hoffman 65-67-67-68, Stewart Cink designed to give him a bit more putt to claim the fourth US PGA The game had opened with 66-67-66-68 length off the tee. Tour title of his career and his fireworks as New York’s Arron “I’m still in a little bit of shock. nine-under 63, and Howell coun- first in four years. Stallings had Asham and Pittsburgh’s Turner It kind of happened so fast there tered two bogeys with 10 birdies five birdies but also three bogeys, Glass dropped their gloves and at the end the way things went in his eight-under 64 on Sunday. his two-under effort giving him fought just two seconds into the down. Gay had a birdie chance at the a 24-under total of 264. He was match, but the fight went out of “Last year was a struggle. I last which would have given him tied with James Hahn, who had the Rangers for most of the night. just wanted to come out this year the outright lead, but missed his two eagles in a 62 on another day Pittsburgh tallied three goals kind of refocused, recharged, and eight-footer. of ideal scoring conditions. in the first period and held a 5-1 believing in myself.” When he finished, four players Even after finding the water at advantage in the third before the Gay said he went into the final were tied for the lead. He was 18, Stallings had an opportunity Rangers rallied. round knowing he needed to be expecting at least one of them to to join the playoff, but he chipped Brian Gay poses with the trophy after winning the Humana Challenge In Neal scored in the first and aggressive. birdie the par-five finishing hole. nine feet past and missed the putt. Partnership With The Clinton Foundation at the Palmer Private Course at third periods to take his tally Gay had nine birdies in his “It was a rollercoaster,” Gay AFP PGA West in La Quinta, California, yesterday. to three goals for the season, while reigning Hart Trophy win- ner Evgeni Malkin added three assists. Goaltender Tomas Vokoun, making his debut with the Penguins after being traded from Calderon dazzles as Raptors down Lakers the Washington Capitals, had 31 saves to outplay New York’s TORONTO: Toronto guard In the second incident, NBA Results “I’ve just got to rest my legs, The Lakers trailed by double Henrik Lundqvist. Jose Calderon scored 22 points Anderson appeared to initiate man. My shot’s just short,” he digits from there until narrowing Lundqvist, last year’s Vezina Toronto 108 LA Lakers 103 and handed out nine assists yes- contact and jaw with Howard, but said. the gap to 29-20 going into the Trophy winner, allowed four goals terday as the Raptors handed after the officials conferred the Dallas 111 Orlando 105 Bryant didn’t have much time second quarter. on 18 shots and was pulled in the the Los Angeles Lakers their double-technical call stood. Detroit 103 Boston 88 to rest, with the Lakers continu- Antawn Jamison then opened second period. fifth straight NBA road defeat, “I don’t want to talk about Denver 121 Oklahoma City 118 ing a three-game road trip on the second with a 3-pointer to It was the first time he had been 108-103. it,” said Howard, who had never Monday in Chicago. trim the deficit to six points, but pulled due to performance since The Lakers were without been ejected from a game until week to win a couple of games, Pau Gasol added 25 points for a Toronto responded with a 15-7 2011 and was a second straight center Dwight Howard for the December 26, when he was tossed but we didn’t,” said Raptors Lakers team that lost their sec- run to regain control. poor outing after he surrendered second half, after he was ejected for a flagrant foul on Denver for- coach Dwane Casey, whose team ond straight and are languish- Los Angeles mounted another three goals in a loss to Boston on with 1:18 left in the first half for ward Kenneth Faried. snapped a four-game slide. ing in 11th place in the Western challenge and pulled within 51-49 Saturday. REUTERS his second technical foul of the “I didn’t do anything to get “Today, our guys stayed Conference and third in their shortly before halftime, but a jump contest. ejected,” Howard said. together, followed the game plan division. shot by Calderon gave Toronto a NHL Results Howard and Raptors forward “(Anderson) pulled me. They and played together as a team.” Howard had five points, four-point halftime lead. Buffalo 5 Philadelphia 2 Alan Anderson were whistled called a double tech.” Kobe Bryant led the Lakers two rebounds and one assist Los Angeles trailed 83-70 for a double-technical after they Landry Fields added a dou- with 26 points but connected on before he was thrown out of going into the fourth quarter and San Jose 4 Calgary 1 tangled while jostling for position ble-double of 18 points and 10 just 10-of-32 from the field and the game. couldn’t put together a strong Pittsburgh 6 NY Rangers 3 under the basket. rebounds for Toronto, who had had six turnovers. Toronto leapt to an early lead enough challenge to get past the Minnesota 1 Dallas 0 Howard picked up his first 18 points from Ed Davis and 14 Bryant put his shooting woes thanks to a 19-4 scoring run as Raptors, who had lost their last Edmonton 3 Vancouver 2 technical in the first quarter for from Anderson. down to “dead legs” and pre- the Lakers made just two of their four meetings with the Lakers. Chicago 6 Phoenix 4 arguing for a foul call. “We played well enough this scribed ice baths for himself. first 11 shots. REUTERS Thirty-two teams for National Sport Day six-a-side football championship

DOHA: A six-a-side football tournament at the Aspire Academy will draw atten- tion on the National Sport Day, which will be held on February 12 in Doha and across Qatar. The tournament, which features 32 teams divided into eight groups, will culminate in the Final on the National Sport Day after 20 days of energetic competition. The event, officially named “Al-Arab Football Championship” and held under the patronage of Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), began on January 19 and includes teams formed by private companies, public authorities and embassy staff. The tournament is a useful reminder of the importance of the National Sport Day, encouraging all public and private institu- tions in the Country to follow the lead of A file picture of last the involved companies and develop ideas to year’s six-a-side celebrate sport. Starting in 2014, the annual football tourna- tournament will also feature a women’s com- ment organised petition, highlighting the importance of sport on the occasion of as a creator of equal opportunities. National Sport Day. This initiativejoins a full programme of activities for the National Sport Day; the pub- lic response has been fantastic, with plenty of registration for the sport programme, more than 700 volunteer applications and thousand of interactions on Facebook and Twitter. Qatar’s elite athletes also pledged support to the National Sport Day in the role of offi- cial Ambassadors of the event. The National Sport day is celebrated every second Tuesday of February and is an ini- tiative adopted by H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent. Across the country, ministries, govern- ment departments, public and private sector organisations and sports clubs will be organis- ing sporting activities for all on February 12. The event aims to create awareness about sports and its health benefits. THE PENINSULA TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25 Federer, Serena reach quarters The Swiss advances to 35th straight Slam quarter-final; Murray beats Simon

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer Australian Open delivered another stinging les- son to the next generation of schedule men’s tennis at the Australian Order of play for show courts at the Open yesterday, mauling Australian Open today (x denotes seeding): Canadian Milos Raonic in straight sets to extend his Rod Laver Arena record to a 35th consecutive 11:00 am (0000 GMT) Grand Slam quarter-final. Li Na (CHN x6) vs Agnieszka Radwanska Federer completed his 6-4, 7-6, (POL x4) 6-2 masterclass in less than two Followed by hours under the lights of Rod David Ferrer (ESP x4) vs Nicolas Almagro Laver Arena, where defending (ESP x10) champion Novak Djokovic had Not Before 3:30 pm toiled for five in a huge scare against another Swiss, Stanislas Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x19) vs Maria Wawrinka, the night before. Sharapova (RUS x2) Federer’s emphatic win fol- 7:30 pm lowed Serena Williams’s 6-2, 6-0 Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) vs Tomas Berdych demolition of Maria Kirilenko, (CZE x5) which set up her own genera- Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)/Matthew Ebden tional battle with teenager Sloane (AUS) vs Elena Vesnina (RUS)/Leander Paes Stephens. (IND x2) Williams needed a measly 57 Margaret Court Arena minutes to secure her 35th grand slam quarter-final, and will face Not Before 12:30 pm another woman in a hurry in Thomaz Belluci (BRA)/Benoit Paire (FRA) vs teenager Stephens. Marcel Granollers/Marc Lopez (ESP x3) The wise-cracking 19-year-old Sara Errani (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA x1) vs has been touted as an heir to the Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA x12) 15-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams of the US reacts after a point against Russia’s Maria Kirilenko during their women’s singles match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)/Lucie Williams and bolstered her cre- yesterday. RIGHT: Switzerland’s Roger Federer plays a return during his men’s singles match against Canada’s Milos Raonic. Safarova (CZE) vs Ashleigh Barty/Casey dentials with a poised 6-1, 3-6, Dellacqua (AUS) 7-5 win over Serbia’s Bojana Show Court 2 Jovanovski in the afternoon sun when you’re still in competition.” It was the 31-year-old Swiss’s as he slumped to his 10th straight matches. “(It’s) just like a dream,” at Hisense Arena. If Williams needed any inspi- second straight win over a loss to the Scot. the thrilled 25-year-old told 11:00 am Williams defeated the impres- ration as to how to smack down vaunted youngster, having swat- The monotoned Murray has reporters. “I know I can beat eve- Yan Zi (CHN)/Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) vs sive Stephens in the leadup tour- the next generation, she would ted away Australian upstart made an art form of sounding rybody. So when I feel confident, I Yaroslova Shvedova (KAZ)/Denis Istomin nament in Brisbane, and stopped have done well to remain at Rod Bernard Tomic in the previous unexcited about rollicking victo- believe in me. Against Del Potro, (UZB) short of describing herself as a Laver Arena to watch the Swiss round. ries, but struck a new depth of I played a very good match. So it Followed By mentor to the up-and-comer. maestro. “It would be fun to play seven melancholy as he lamented the was good for my head. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)/Zheng Jie “I don’t know. I mean, I would Federer drew Raonic’s sting in five-setters in a row ... but it’s lack of competition at his post- World number one Victoria (CHN x7) vs Varvara Lepchenko (USA)/ need a better definition of the a tight second set before romp- not really what you want to do,” match media conference. Azarenka was back at her ruth- Zheng Saisai (CHN) word ‘mentor’,” the 31-year-old ing to victory with 34 sparkling Federer said courtside after send- “It was kind of tough. A tough less best in a 6-1, 6-1 demolition David Marrero/Fernando Verdasco (ESP x11) told reporters. winners to set up a quarter-final ing the big-serving 22-year-old situation for both players - more of 47th-ranked Russian Elena vs Robin Haase/Igor Sijsling (NED) “It’s hard to be a real mentor with France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. packing. obviously for him ... It didn’t Vesnina after being taken the Stephens can afford to buy feel like that competitive,” said distance in her previous match Nadia Petrova (RUS)/Mahesh Bhupathi something sparkling after Murray, who will face another by American Jamie Hampton. (IND x5) vs Katarina Srebotnik (SLO)/Nenad qualifying for her first Grand Frenchman in surprise package She faces a stiffer challenge in Zimonjic (SRB) Slam quarter-final, which Jeremy Chardy. the quarter-finals against another Nuria Llagostera Vives/David Marrero (ESP) secured A$250,000 ($263,000) in Four Frenchmen advanced to Russian in Svetlana Kuznetsova, vs Liezel Huber (USA)/Max Mirnyi (BLR x4) prize-money. the last 16 at Melbourne Park for who sent 10th seed Caroline “I’m sure my mum’s had, like, the first time since 1998 and 36th- Wozniacki spinning out of the Australian Open four heart attacks,” Stephens said ranked Chardy kept the tricolore tournament and out of the top 10 courtside, raising a laugh from the flag waving with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, when the next round of rankings Results crowd. 6-2 win over 21st seeded Italian are released. Collated results from day eight of the “I try to save all my money Andreas Seppi to continue his Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open Australian Open yesterday: because I don’t want to be old fairytale run. champion and winner at Roland Women's Singles and broke. I’m still trying to save That secured Chardy’s maiden Garros in 2009, spent much 4th Round my money but I’ll definitely buy Grand Slam quarter-final and of last year on crutches with a something nice.” ensured France would have two knee injury, and was thrilled to Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Caroline Britain’s Andy Murray has not men in the last eight, with sev- secure her third quarter-final at Wozniacki (DEN x10) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 lost a set at Melbourne Park and enth seed Tsonga grinding down Melbourne Park. Victoria Azarenka (BLR x1) bt Elena Vesnina derived little joy from his 6-1, 6-3, ninth-seeded compatriot Richard “If you had asked me before (RUS) 6-1, 6-1 6-1 clobbering of shattered 14th Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. coming to Australia I would have Sloane Stephens (USA x29) bt Bojana seed Simon, with the Frenchman Unfancied and unseeded, the laughed, definitely,” Kuznetsova Jovanovski (SRB) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 reduced to a staggering wreck in scruffy-bearded Chardy stunned said of her surprising run. Serena Williams (USA x3) bt Maria Kirilenko the closing stages. sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro “I have been working hard, but (RUS x14) 6-2, 6-0 Simon had been exhausted in his previous match and said still I didn’t have much time to do Men's Singles by compatriot Gael Monfils in a he had nothing to lose against what I like to do with my fitness, 4th Round five-set marathon in his previous Murray, who he beat in straight condition and everything else,” Britain’s Andy Murray hits a return against France’s Gilles Simon during Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt match and could do little more sets in Cincinnati last year after she said after yesterday’s match their men’s singles match yesterday. Andreas Seppi (ITA x21) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 than stick out his racket and hope losing all four of their previous in Melbourne. REUTERS Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x7) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x9) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Andy Murray (GBR x3) bt Makarova eager to face rampant Sharapova Gilles Simon (FRA x14) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x13) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 MELBOURNE: Russian Ekaterina Makarova had entered last year’s quar- opponents, tennis purists should be looking Men’s champion Novak Djokovic, who Makarova is eager to meet Maria ter-final against Sharapova having beaten forward to the first match in the quarter- was forced into a five hour, five set mara- Sharapova in the quarter-finals of the Serena Williams. Makarova was then finals with world number four Agnieszka thon against Stanislas Wawrinka has been Australian Open today even though her ranked 52nd in the world. Radwanska playing China’s sixth-seed Li given some respite from that clash, with compatriot has been one of the dominant This year, she was seeded but still man- Na. his match against Tomas Berdych the first women players of the tournament. aged to upset a top-10 player when she beat Radwanska and Li are renowned more match in the night session. The 19th seed met Sharapova in the fifth seed Angelique Kerber in the fourth for their touch and construction of points The winner of the Djokovic-Berdych same round last year at Melbourne Park, round. She also beat 11th seed Marion rather than relying on the power game match will face either fourth seed David with the world number two recording a Bartoli in the third round and Sharapova that the top three seeds Victoria Azarenka, Ferrer or his Spanish compatriot 10th seed 6-2 6-3 victory and Makarova is keen on was not taking her lightly. Sharapova and Serena Williams have uti- Nicolas Almagro in the semi-finals. seeing if she has the game to match it with “I have to do the right things to beat lised ruthlessly in the tournament. Almagro has not beaten Ferrer in 12 pre- the world’s best. her,” she said. “It’s never easy playing against her,” vious clashes but his eyes are firmly set on “I really want to play against her,” “If I win that, it’s moving on to the next Radwanska said of the 2011 French Open ending that streak and moving into his first Makarova said. “During last year we played one. That’s how I go about a tournament, champion. “She’s a very consistent player grand slam semi-final. lot of times, and I never beat her. a grand slam. and moving very well, serving well. “(It) is a big opportunity for me to be in “So I’m really interested to play against “Obviously I want to be playing my best “We played in Sydney. It was really tough a semi-final,” Almagro said. Agnieszka Radwanska has her hair her. She’s in good form now, in good shape. tennis towards the end of the second week.” match (and)... I really have to play... hun- “I’m ready to fight. I’m healthy and I’m done in the player beauty bar. I hope I show my good tennis again.” While Sharapova has overpowered her dred percent to beat her.” happy with my tennis.” he said. REUTERS

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in action during his 4th round match against Richard Gasquet of France at the Australian Open yesterday. CENTRE: Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova (right) shakes hands with Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki following her victory during their women’s singles match. RIGHT: Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka hits a return against Russia’s Elena Vesnina during their women’s singles match yesterday. TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Ibrahimovic Lekhwiya rally to defeat on target as PSG top Ligue 1

Eljaish; Al Rayyan win 3-1 PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s domination of the French League continued on Sunday when he scored his 19th Ligue Tae-Hee scores twice for defending champs; Al Wakra pick up points 1 goal as Paris St Germain reclaimed top spot with a DOHA: Nam Tae-Hee scored a clinical 1-0 win at Girondins brace to help defending cham- Bordeaux. pions Lekhwiya win 2-1 against Sweden striker Ibrahimovic Eljaish in the Qatar Stars netted shortly before the break League (QSL) yesterday. after connecting with a pass Eljaish’s The result, after a four-week from Brazil striker Lucas to put Brazilian forward break sees Al Sadd’s lead at the PSG on 42 points from 21 games, top reduced to three points, who Adriano (right) inflicting Bordeaux’s first home play their QSL match against challenges defeat of the season. Qatar SC today. Lekhwiya’s Luiz PSG lead Olympique Lyon, who Elsewhere in other QSL action Martin Carlos were held to a 0-0 draw against yesterday, Al Rayyan beat Umm Jr during their Evian Thonon Gaillard on Friday, Salal 3-1, with Yong Hyung Cho, Qatar Stars on goal difference with Olympique Nilmar and Rodrigo Tabata scor- League match in Marseille one point behind. ing for the Heir Apparent Cup Doha, yesterday. Although they failed to impress winners. RIGHT: Lekhwiya at the Chaban Delmas stadium, Umm Salal’s goal was scored by players PSG once again showed their effi- celebrate a goal. ciency while Bordeaux, now sev- enth on 32 points, were toothless QSL Results and up front. Fixtures Coach Carlo Ancelotti was seen in tears on the bench before kick- Yesterday's Results off at the end of a minute’s silence Al Rayyan 3 Umm Salal 1 in memory of PSG’s perform- Eljaish 1 Lekhwiya 2 Sasa Ognenovski. In another QSL Al Wakra’s win means that goalkeeper. The hosts got back then made sure of the points with ance manager Nick Broad who Al Wakra 3 Al Sailiyah 2 match yesterday, Al Wakra held they move up by one place to sev- into the game early in the second a goal late in the game. was killed in a car accident this Today's Fixtures off Al Sailiyah to clinch a thrilling enth position with 15 points. half when Ognenovski powered Meanwhile, in the match week. Englishman Broad was also Al Gharafa vs Al Kharaitiyat at 3-2 win at Soud bin Abdalrahman Al Sailiyah are rooted to the his header in the 54th minute. between Lekhwiya and Eljaish, Chelsea’s head of sports science, Thani bin Jassim Stadium, 4:30pm Stadium. bottom of the standings, after los- Umm Salal then found them- Adriano Martins gave the home where he met Ancelotti in 2009. Al Sadd vs Qatar SC at Al Rayyan’s win means that ing their last four matches. selves behind again when Nilmar the lead. PSG had nothing to show for Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, 6:30pm Diego Aguirre’s side is third with Al Rayyan took the lead in the gave Al Rayyan the lead, following However, Tae-Hee scored two themselves until the 43rd minute, 26 points. 32nd minute when Cho received a a quick counter-attack. goals to give the defending cham- when Ibrahimovic connected with Al Khor vs Al Arabi at Umm Salal are in sixth position pass from his team-mate to cooly Tabata, who was named as pions Lekhwiya another win in a defence-splitting pass from Al Khor Stadium, 6:30pm with 17 points. slot the ball past the Umm Salal Player of the Year last sesaon, QSL. THE PENINSULA Lucas and fired a low shot past Cedric Carrasso. Maxwell came close to doubling the tally in the second half but his angled shot from close range was Real Madrid thrash Valencia 5-0 boxed away by Carrasso. In the absence of injured first- MADRID: After failing to fire dressing room disharmony which recently returning from injury. are helpless as you cannot do any- choice centre backs Thiago Silva on all cylinders in the first half have dominated coverage of Jose “It was a match that we made thing about it,” he told reporters. and Alex, Mamadou Sakho and of the campaign, Real Madrid Mourinho’s side in recent months easy for ourselves,” Di Maria said “They gave us a good kick- Zoumana Camara were barely finally reproduced the scintil- off the front pages and had sports in a post-match interview with ing which we did not expect,” troubled. lating form that helped them daily As proclaiming: “The great TV broadcaster Canal Plus. he added. “Now we have to pick Earlier, teenager Neal Maupay romp to the La Liga title last Madrid is back”. “We went out to press for- ourselves up and not allow this to netted his second Ligue 1 goal as season with a 5-0 dismantling of Real tore into Valencia at the ward as we have been doing and affect the good run we were on.” Nice climbed up to fourth on 35 hapless Valencia late on Sunday. Mestalla and scored all five of we got a lot of goals,” added the It was Real’s second victory of points with a 2-0 win at Lille. The signs of a revival, sparked their goals before halftime, rack- Argentina international, who has the week against Valencia after The 16-year-old Maupay, who by doubles for Cristiano Ronaldo ing up their biggest lead at the come under fire recently for some Tuesday’s 2-0 Cup quarter-final made his professional debut and Angel Di Maria and the break since Mourinho took over lacklustre performances. first leg success at the Bernabeu four months ago, latched on to creativity of playmaker Mesut as coach in 2010. “I had a great match. It says a and they return to the Mestalla a Romain Genevois cross in the Ozil, come at a crucial time with Ronaldo and Di Maria were lot and maybe shut a few mouths.” for the second leg on Wednesday. 85th minute to seal the win eight a Champions League last-16 tie close to unstoppable on the Valencia captain Roberto For all the euphoria, the victory minutes after Renato Civelli had against Premier League leaders counter attack, while striker Soldado, a former Real player, was only trimmed the gap to leaders Real Madrid’s forward Cristiano opened the scoring. Manchester United looming next Gonzalo Higuain, who kept Karim honest in analysing his club’s big- Barcelona, who lost 3-2 at Real Ronaldo heads the ball dur- Lille, who have had trouble month. Benzema on the bench and opened gest ever home defeat. Sociedad on Saturday, to 15 points ing the La Liga match against adjusting to life without Eden Their best performance of the the scoring in the ninth minute, “They were a very superior and Real are still seven behind Valencia, in Spain on Sunday. Hazard were jeered by their season pushed the reports of looked back to his best after opponent and that means you city rivals Atletico. REUTERS crowd. AFP Marsh recalled Warne slapped with new conduct fine to Australia’s Safe to play Tests in SYDNEY: Australian veteran Shane Warne was of Cricket and Spirit of the Game by Commissioner T20 squad yesterday fined Aus$5,000 (US$5,250) for a code Arthur Lodge,” said Cricket Australia. of behaviour breach in the domestic Big Bash The 43-year-old spinner was not present at the Pakistan: Misbah League, his second penalty this month, cricket hearing and was represented by Melbourne Stars SYDNEY: Top-order bats- officials said. officials. JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan to work hard. You could say it man Shaun Marsh was recalled Cricket Australia said Warne was fined following Former Australian player Warne apologised ear- should be allowed to stage inter- is a limitation for us, but we are to Australia’s Twenty20 side a disciplinary hearing into his failure to list himself lier this month after a foul-mouthed rant against national cricket again, captain professionals and have to do well. yesterday, joining others who as captain during the Melbourne Stars’ semi-final West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels that Misbah-ul-Haq said yesterday “We play only about five or six impressed in the domestic Big against the Perth Scorchers in a bid to dodge a pen- earned him a ban and a Aus$4,500 fine during a as his team prepared to face Tests a year while other coun- Bash League to take on Sri alty for a slow over-rate. T20 match. top-ranked South Africa in a tries play 15 or 16 a year. This Lanka later this month. Warne had previously been issued with one strike He claimed 708 Test wickets in a celebrated career three-Test series. really does affect our team,” he Chief selector John Inverarity for a slow over rate violation and a second strike but has also courted controversy notably when he No Test series has been staged said ahead of the first Test from said Marsh was among six play- this season would have resulted in an automatic was fined for accepting money from a bookmaker in Pakistan since armed militants February 1 at the Wanderers in ers in the squad who did not one-match suspension. and sent home from the 2003 World Cup for taking attacked a bus carrying the Sri Johannesburg. feature in last year’s ICC World “Warne was found guilty of breaching Rule 5: Laws a banned diuretic. AFP Lankan team in Lahore four Pakistan will also play Tests in Twenty20 event in Sri Lanka, years ago, killing eight locals and Cape Town and Centurion, two where Australia were beaten by wounding six visiting players. Twenty 20 internationals and five the West Indies in the semi-finals. Cricket: Qatar women’s team to compete in ACC event “Pakistan is such a big crick- one-day internationals during a “Each of these six, Aaron Finch, eting nation and the world has tour that stretches to late March. Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Ben to think about bringing interna- Meanwhile, Ireland will play Cutting, James Faulkner and Ben tional cricket back to the coun- two one-day internationals at Laughlin has shown outstanding try,” the 38-year-old right-hand home to Pakistan in May, Cricket form in the T20 format over the batsman said. Ireland said yesterday past two months,” said Inverarity. “A Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan will use the matches “Their performances have been Pakistan saw full stadiums for at yet to be specified venues on compelling and we anticipate they every game and there were no May 23 and May 26 as prepa- will take this momentum into the security concerns. The people ration for the ICC Champions two fixtures scheduled for 26 and should have international cricket,” Trophy starting on June 6. 28 January.” he told a media conference. “It’s fantastic news for Irish Australia play two T20 interna- Team manager Naveed Akram cricket, and we’re grateful to both tionals against Sri Lanka. Cheema backed the views of ICC and the Pakistan Cricket The first match will be played Misbah, stressing that the secu- Board for making the series pos- in Sydney on January 26 and rity situation in the country was sible,” said Ireland coach Phil the second match will be in much safer than the outside world Simmons. Melbourne on January 28. realised. “Pakistan are a formidable They have already completed “There is a difference between one-day side and it’s a great way a clean sweep of the three-match perception and reality. Other of measuring where we are as a Test series but trail the tourists teams do not come to Pakistan on team. We’ve had some wonderful 2-1 in the one-day series, with the pretext of security concerns, tussles with them in the past, and Sunday’s fourth game rained off but it is as safe as any other coun- for many, Irish cricket was born and the series decider to be played try in the world,” he said. the day we beat them in the 2007 tomorrow in the city of Hobart. Misbah said having to play World Cup. Pakistan coach Dav Australia T20 squad: George Qatar Cricket Assocation (QCA) women’s squad along with QCA officials pose for a picture. The squad includes ‘home’ Tests abroad -- often in Whatmore said: “We are eagerly Bailey (captain), Ben Cutting, Sajida Bibi (captain), Rizpha Bano (vice-captain), Tasmeen Gul, Huda Malik, Aisha Rehman, Khadija Imtiaz, Shareen the United Arab Emirates cities awaiting our matches against the Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Nawab, Sadia Tahir, Samanthi, Akanksha Bhatkar, Santhiya Kandaraja, Aalia Chughle, Aysha Mohammad, Hiral of Dubai and Abu Dhabi -- was Irish team. Aaron Finch, Ben Laughlin, Agarwal and Anuji Nettiarachchi. Qatar will compete in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) competition in Thailand. affecting the competiveness of the “Irish cricket has been improv- Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Qatar are in Group B along with China, Singapore, Kuwait, Iran and the hosts Thailand. Qatar will play their first team. ing consistently and we will be Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, match against Thailand tomorrow. Group A consists of Hong Kong, Nepal, Malaysia and Bhutan. The final of the “It is very difficult when you looking forward to some com- Matthew Wade, David Warner. are not playing a format on a petitive games ahead of the ICC competition will be held on January 31. AFP regular basis -- you really have Champions Trophy.” AFP TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27 St Regis hotel to host top golfers

DOHA: Organisers of the 2013 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters yesterday unveiled The St Regis Doha as the preferred hotel of the tournament, start- ing with the 2013 event. The three year deal means that the world-famous golfers taking part in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters can look forward to the ultimate in five-star Qatari hospitality as the St Regis Doha A picture of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters winners from 1998 to 2012 at Doha Golf Club yesterday. Paul Lawrie of Scotland is the defending champion and will be among the top golf opens its doors to welcome them stars to compete at the $2.5m event in Doha that starts tomorrow. after a challenging day on the course. The likes of defending Champion Paul Lawrie and his fellow competitors will be treated to luxuriously-appointed suites offering extensive views over the Volvo win gives Oosthuizen Arabian Gulf’s tranquil blue sea. With ten exclusive restaurants, a private beach, discreet ocean- front cabanas, tennis courts, a Remède spa, fitness facilities and an Olympic size swimming pool, the St Regis Doha will wel- a confidence boost in Doha come the world’s leading play- ers to Qatar with unrivalled magnificence. Tareq Derbas, General The world number five says he has no problem finishing on a Saturday Manager at the St Regis Doha said: “We are delighted to be named as the Preferred Hotel DOHA: With the Commercial Championship in 2010, said he of the Commercial Bank Qatar Bank Qatar Masters starting does feel the pressure of being one Masters tournament for the next tomorrow, South Africa’s Louis of the favourites to win the $2.5m three years. As a leading hotel in Oosthuizen said his victory in tournament. Qatar, we are proud to partner Durban earlier this month has “It does probably (on the pres- with one of the country’s leading boosted his confidence for the sure of being pre-tournament sporting events.” top Doha event. favourite). It is what you work He added: “Here at the St Regis The 30-year-old, who edged for. Coming into a tournament, Doha we pride ourselves on our Scotland’s Scott Jamieson to knowing that your game is there first-class hospitality. We look clinch the Volvo Golf Champions and your swing feels good, that’s forward to extending a warm title by one-shot two weeks ago, what the hard work is being paid welcome to the top name golfers described the victory as ‘a perfect off for,” said the South African, as well as tournament spectators start to the season’. whose best finish in Doha came from around the world for years Oosthuizen said in a press con- in 2009 as joint runner-up. to come. After a long day at Doha ference yesterday: “It’s a perfect He added: “There is still a lot Golf Club, our guests will find a start to the season. It brings the of golf to be played, it’s a funny warm welcome, five-star dining confidence up and waiting for game. There is still a lot to be options including Gordon Ramsay the next tournament (in Doha). played before Saturday.” and Hakkasan restaurants, and I think a lot of times, it helps Oosthuizen, who is pleased with the perfect environment in which you get going again especially the golf course, admitted that the to relax.” after a win like that (in Durban). playing conditions could be tough Derbas added: “We are Hopefully I can keep that form if the four-day event is affected pleased to announce that the going.” by the wind. St Regis Doha will also host the The current world number five, He said: “The minute the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will be just one of many top golf wind gets up on this golf course Pro-Am gala dinner on Tuesday stars that will be competing at the becomes really tough. The golf 22 January 2013 (today), which Commercial Bank Qatar Masters course changes completely when will be attended by all of the pro- at Doha Golf Club (DGC) that will the wind blows. The minute the fessional players as well as many finish on a Saturday for the first wind picks up it will affect the leading figures from within the time. scoring.” Doha community.” When asked of what he thought This year’s field includes Ryder Organised as part of the of the Saturday finish, Oothuizen, Cup heroes such as Spain’s Sergio South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen looks on during a press conference ahead of the Commercial Bank Qatar tournament by the Qatar Golf who turned professional in 2002 Garcia and England’s Justin Rose, Masters at Doha Golf Club. The four-day competition begins tomorrow. PICTURES BY: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH Association (QGA), Qatar at the age of 19, said: “I think eve- as well as defending champion Olympic Committee (QOC) and ryone is just wanting to see what Paul Lawrie, who will be aiming Commercial Bank of Qatar, the it is going to feel like. I think us to clinch his third win at DGC the next three or four years so for the first time in his career, The South African golfer , who Commercial Bank Qatar Masters as players have no issue with it. after wins in 1999 and 2008. whatever any of us needs to do, said he hopes to claim one of the will make his eighth appearance Pro-Am gala dinner is one of I think it’s good that a few more One of the Ryder Cup heroes will be have to be special to catch top two positions in the world. in Doha, added: “I feel I have a the most anticipated events on people will be able to attend on who will not be competing him. I think if I can apply a bit of He said yesterday: “I want to good shout of reaching number Doha’s sporting and social calen- the Friday and Saturday. But it’s at DGC is world number one pressure by winning a major or climb up the rankings to number two at least. I need to work on dar. After an action-packed day going to be different finishing on Rory McIlroy, who Oosthuizen two, then you never know. He’s a one if I can. I always take it slow my game to achieve that and stay on the course, it gives teams of a Saturday.” describes the Northern Irishman great player.” and see where my game is. I never there, and try and get the gap amateurs an opportunity to visit After his first victory of the as a ‘great player’. The South African, who set a goal which is going to be too between me and Rory (McIlroy) one of Qatar’s leading venues to year, Oosthuizen, who won his He said: “You just cannot see reached the top 10 of the world tough to achieve or out of my down.” see the golf’s famous names for first Major title – the Open him (McIlroy) winning majors for rankings in September last year league.” THE PENINSULA the evening. THE PENINSULA Fencing World Cup: China win team gold; Xu Anqi wins individual honours Snow delays UCI’s Armstrong C A: China’s Yujie Sun, Xu Anqi, A Mingfang Yin, and Yiling Tang commission pose for a picture after winning team gold at the World Cup LONDON: The procedural 2013 at The Gate Mall yesterday. hearing of the independent B: Qatar Olympic Committee commission set up by cycling Secretary General Sheikh Saoud world governing body the UCI bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, following the Lance Armstrong (sixth left) and Qatar Fencing scandal has been postponed Federation (QFF) President until Friday due to snow. Saleh Amer Al Hemaidi (fourth UCI chiefs set up the three- member inquiry, which includes right) along with officials pose 11-time Paralympic champion for a picture with the gold, silver Tanni-Grey Thompson and and bronze medallists. C: Xu whose chairman is Philip Otton, Anqi poses for a picture after a former judge in England’s Court winning the individual title. D: of Appeal, to deal with several Two participants in action. issues notably the disgraced PICTURES BY: KAMMUTTY VP Armstrong’s relationship with cycling’s governing body. One of the key items on the B agenda, for a hearing originally due to take place in London today until a cold snap hit Britain, con- D cerns the issue of “Amnesty/truth and reconciliation”. Last week the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA), the United States Doping Agency (USADA) and pressure group Change Cycling Now all said they were withdrawing from the hearing because of the lack of an amnesty. They argued this was vital so witnesses gave evidence “without fear of retribution or retaliation from the UCI”. Friday’s hearing will take place in London. AFP Tuesday 22 January 2013 10 Rabial I Safar 1434 Volume 17 Number 5587 Sport Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Asian Beach Soccer qualifiers begin today at Katara Beach Hosts Qatar take on Afghanistan; eight matches on opening day of five-day event

DOHA: Hosts Qatar is looking for a positive result when they 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian Qualifiers host Afghanistan in the Group Date Group Stage Matches Kick off Time A match of the 2013 FIFA Beach Saudi Arabia vs UAE 14:00 Soccer World Cup Asian quali- Uzbekistan vs Palestine 14:00 fiers which kick off at Katara Philippines vs Iran 15:15 Beach here today. Today’s Bahrain vs Lebanon 15:15 Both Qatar and Afghanistan matches China vs Iraq 16:30 are taking part in the Asian quali- Oman vs Australia 17:45 fiers for the first time. Thailand vs Japan 19:00 The clash of the debutants Afghanistan vs Qatar 20:15 is one of the eight matches Bahrain vs Thailand 14:00 which are due to take place on Iran vs Iraq 14:00 the opening day of the five-day UAE vs Palestine 15:15 tournament. Jan 23 Oman vs Afghanistan 15:15 The FIFA World Cup 2022 Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia 16:30 hosts is also hosting the Asian Japan vs Lebanon 17:45 qualifiers for the first time. China vs Philippines 19:00 The hosts are keen to make an Qatar vs Australia 20:15 impressive beginning before the home crowd. Lebanon vs Thailand 14:00 Qatar’s Brazilian coach Carlos Iraq vs Philippines 14:00 Alberto Lisboa, popularly known Palestine vs Saudi Arabia 15:15 as Nenem, appeared confident UAE vs Uzbekistan 15:15 ahead of the tournament. Hamad Al Mannai (second right), Tournament Director of the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian quali- Australia vs Afghanistan 16:30 “We played against China and fiers speaking during a press conference in Doha yesterday. Joan Cusco (right), FIFA Beach Soccer CEO and Jan 24 Japan vs Bahrain 17:45 lost 3-2 and we also played two FIFA Beach Soccer Committee Member and Nenem (second left), Qatar Beach Soccer Head Coach were also Iran vs China 19:00 more pratice matches against present. The five-day tournament which is contested by 16 countries will begin from today at the Katara Beach. Qatar vs Oman 20:15 two local Brazilian Futsal sides, The top two teams along with the third-place team will qualify in the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti Play-off for the 13th Place 14:00 ahead of the championship. All in September. PICTURE BY: MOHAMMED OBAIDLY Jan 25 Play-off for the 9th Place 15:15 the players are in good shape and Play-off for the 5th Place 16:30 are keen to give their best,” said Semi-final 1 on Jan 25 at 19:00 Nenem, who is the top Brazilian Semi-final 2 on Jan 25 at 20:15 goalscorer in the history of Beach Play-off for the 13th Place 14.00 Soccer and who was voted best Play-off for the 15th Place 15:15 player in the world in 2002. Play-off for the 9th Place 15.15 “We also trained in Dubai for Jan 26 Play-off for the 11th Place 15:15 one week,” said the Brazilian who Play-off for the 7th Place 16:30 has been with the team for the Play-off for the 5th Place 16.30 last two seasons. Play-off for the 3rd Place 17:45 “It a nice thing that the quali- FC Barcelona vs AC Milan 19.00 fiers are taking place in Qatar and we hope we can qualify for the Final on Jan 26 at 20:15 World Cup in Tahiti. All our play- VENUE: Katara Beach ers are locally based players and the qualifying round is an exciting opportunity for our team. We will Manchester United train in Doha have the advantage of playing our matches in front of a home crowd. I hope that hosting the event will engage the local public with the sport and raise awareness of the talent that we have in our squad,” he added. For the first time, 16 teams will fight for one of three prized berths to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2013 in Tahiti. The first placed teams from each of the four groups advance to the semi-finals. The two finalists and the third place play-off winner will qualify for the seventh edition of the Beach Soccer World Cup, to be held from September 18 to 28 in The Palestine team trains at Katara Beach on the eve of their 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian qualifiers Tahiti. in Doha yesterday. Inset, Nenem Qatar’s Brazilian coach. PICTURE BY: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH Japan, won the 2011 Asian Beach Soccer Championship in Oman defeating the hosts 2-1, while Iran qualified as a third placed team for the World Cup Manchester United’s finals. Wayne Rooney Spectators can attend all prepares to kick the matches free of charge and a ball during a training small fan zone has been set up adjacent to the Stadium, informed session at the Aspire the organisers of the event. Academy in Doha, THE PENINSULA yesterday. The squad is in Doha for a four day training camp. GROUPINGS This is the second Qatar, Oman, Australia and Group A time the Reds are Afghanistan. training in Qatar, the Japan, Bahrain, Lebanon and Group B first time they trained Thailand. at the state-of-the-art United Arab Emirates, training facilities was Group C Uzbekistan, Palestine and Saudi in 2010. Arabia. Iran, China, Iraq and the Group D Manchester United’s Robin van Persie take parts in a training session Philippines. at the Aspire Academy, yesterday.