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Al Shaheen project: Italy’s Conte QP hints at ‘service appointed as new continuity’ Chelsea manager

TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 • 27 Jumada II 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6757 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Deputy Emir meets Russian minister Emir congratulates External auditor Senegal President

DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent yester- for 2022 FIFA day a cable of congratulations to the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, on his country’s National Day, labour welfare reports QNA. Al Qaeda leader the SC’s requirements regarding dies in US strike Supreme Committee the recruitment, employment, living and working conditions of for Delivery and everyone engaged on an SC project, WASHINGTON: A US air strike in Legacy appoints said a press statement issued by SC northwest Syria on Sunday hit a yesterday. meeting of senior Al Qaeda offi- Impactt Ltd as Developed by the SC’s Workers’ cials at which prominent leader independent monitor. Welfare Unit (WWU) in close Abu Firas Al Suri was present, the consultation with stakeholders, Pentagon spokesman said yester- including contractors, FIFA and non- day, reports Reuters. government organisations (NGOs), The US military is still assess- The Peninsula the new requirements update the ing whether Al Suri died, said the original WW Standards, which were spokesman. “We deemed that he published in February 2014. (Al Suri)was present at that meet- DOHA: Qatar has hired an inter- These revised standards are Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani met at the Emiri Diwan yesterday with the ing and we’re trying to determine nationally-famed entity as a now in the process of being further Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, if he has been removed from the third-party and independent watch- embedded throughout the supply Mikhail Bogdanov. Talks dealt with bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. battlefield.” dog to further ensure the welfare of chain in a series of workshops |with workers engaged in infrastructure contractors and sub-contractors. → See also page 8 development projects related to FIFA In addition to numerous visits 2022 World Cup. by non-government organisations The Supreme Committee for to SC projects, the SC’s Workers’ Delivery and Legacy (SC) has Welfare Unit and senior SC man- appointed Impactt Ltd as an agement conducted a two-day Illegal villa partitions cease after crackdown independent third-party External trip to London in January 2016 to Monitor to further bolster the brief Amnesty International, Engi- auditing and inspections process of neers Against Poverty, Building and By Sanaullah Ataullah housing that serves mostly low- approvals is that the small contract- trucks at the slightest suspicion and the SC Workers’ Welfare Standards Wood Workers’ International (BWI), The Peninsula income expatriate families and single ing firms that thrived on the unlawful zeroing in on any illegal construc- (WW Standards), a set of enforceable Humanity United and the Interna- workers. activity are unwilling to do the work tion activity. The municipalities have principles and regulations which are tional Labour Organisation (ILO) on It is feared that the greedy mid- anymore due to what sources say are cracked down on hundreds of ille- incorporated into all contracts for the updated standards, progress to DOHA: Civic crackdowns on illegally dlemen in the illicit business may prohibitive fines. gally partitioned villas across the the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. date, and to get feedback from these partitioned villas have brought the take advantage of the shortfall to The municipalities have increased country, triggering fear among mid- The second edition of the organisations. activity to a near halt. increase the rents. A major reason vigilance and agile inspectors are dlemen, say sources. WW Standards was published Market sources say the situation the unscrupulous elements are una- always on the move, trailing con- on March 1, and clearly sets out → Continued on page 2 has led to shortage of affordable ble to partition villas without civic struction materials transported on → Continued on page 6 Municipality shutters 18 outlets

By Mohammed Osman beauty salons. Inspectors destroyed Veterinary doctors of the munic- The Peninsula 288 tonnes of foodstuff found unfit ipality last month supervised the for human consumption. slaughtering of 64,210 animals, A majority of the inspected facili- including sheep, cows and camels. ties — 1,854 — were found complying They also checked 1,472 tonnes DOHA: The Doha Municipality tem- with health requirements, while 29 of imported fishes and destroyed porarily shut down 18 food outlets outlets were found violating the law, 3.3 tonnes of meat unfit for human last month for violating the food the Ministry of Municipality and consumption. monitoring law. The closed outlets Environment said yesterday. The inspectors detected 223 vio- included six restaurants, two gro- Municipal inspectors settled lations of the law at commercial and ceries, three cafeterias, a sweetmeat the cases of two violating food out- industrial facilities during surprise shop, a traditional kitchen, two food lets after they took corrective steps. raids and settled 74 violations after stores and three other facilities. They examined around 12,466 tonnes they took corrective measures and Municipality Health Control of vegetables and fruits at the Cen- met all conditions. inspectors conducted 2,604 inspec- tral Vegetable Market and destroyed The ministry has urged con- tions in March. A total of 2,238 were 271 tonnes found unfit for human sumers to check all foodstuff before in food outlets, barber shops and consumption. purchase. Panama Papers trigger worldwide probes

Reuters British Prime Minister David Cam- Syria skirted sanctions eron said his late father’s reported links to an offshore company were BEIRUT: Syria’s regime has been a “private matter”. Iceland’s Prime LONDON/PANAMA CITY: Gov- able to circumvent international Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson ernments across the world began sanctions and fund its war effort could not immediately be reached for investigating possible financial through shadow companies, comment on the naming of his wife in wrongdoing by the rich and pow- according to leaked “Panama connection with a secretive company erful yesterday after a leak of four Papers” seen by French daily Le in an offshore haven, which brought decades of documents from a Pana- Monde, reports AFP. opposition calls for him to resign. manian law firm that specialised in Pakistan denied any wrongdo- setting up offshore companies. funds hidden for tax evasion, money ing by the family of Prime Minister The “Panama Papers” revealed laundering, sanctions busting, drug Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after financial arrangements of global pol- deals or other crimes. his daughter and son were linked iticians and public figures including The law firm, Mossack Fonseca, to offshore companies. Ukrainian friends of Russian President Vladimir which says it has set up more than President Petro Poroshenko did not Putin, relatives of the prime ministers 240,000 offshore companies for cli- comment on his reported offshore of Britain, Iceland and Pakistan, and ents around the globe, denied any links. Australia, Austria, France, Swe- the president of Ukraine. wrongdoing and called itself the vic- den and the Netherlands were among While holding money in offshore tim of a campaign against privacy. countries which said they had begun companies is not illegal, journalists The Kremlin said the documents investigating the allegations. who received the leaked documents contained “nothing concrete and said they could provide evidence of nothing new” while a spokesman for → See also page 17 02 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 HOME

Greetings sent to Senegal ‘Approach to labour welfare transparent’ President Continued from page 1 Standards. “We also assisted the SC in The Peninsula & QNA identifying potential tenderers and the Commenting on the independent technical evaluation of tenderers for third party External Monitor coming the external monitor role,” said Dan DOHA: Deputy Emir H H Sheikh on board to enhance monitoring of Viederman, CEO of Verité. Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani the updated WW Standards, SC Sec- With two years’ experience of yesterday sent a cable of congratu- retary General, Hassan Al Thawadi, applying the WW Standards col- lations to Senegal President Macky said: “In line with our continued com- laboratively with contractors and Sall on his country’s National Day. mitment to making tangible progress sub-contractors, the WWU introduces Prime Minister and Interior on workers’ welfare, this appointment a number of amendments in Edition Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin of an independent third party Exter- Two, which seek to bolster regulations Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent nal Monitor is an important step for on auditing and inspections, as well a similar cable to President Sall. us. as ethical recruitment. “We will keep improving on The addition of the independ- every step of our journey as we make ent third party External Monitor will Deputy PM meets sure our approach to workers’ wel- mean independent audits of the SC fare progress is transparent and our and its contractors take place on a Russian official updated standards are effectively and regular basis, completing the four- stringently enforced throughout the tier auditing process. DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister entire supply chain and life cycle of “We are delighted to hear the and Minister of State for Cabinet our projects.” news that we have been appointed Affairs H E Ahmed bin Abdullah As part of its holistic approach as External Workers’ Welfare Com- bin Zaid Al Mahmoud yester- to workers’ welfare, the SC’s WWU pliance Monitor. day met the Russian President’s has been working closely with NGOs “Our approach is to put workers envoy to the Middle East and from around the world to accelerate at the centre of everything we do, Africa Mikhail Bogdanov. Talks positive initiatives already underway as we work to understand how and dealt relations, means of devel- in Qatar with the help of additional why labour standards abuses occur, to Workers taking part in one of the activities. oping them in various fields and expertise. support remediation for any individ- regional and international issues One of these NGOs was the inter- ual whose rights have been infringed of common concern. Russian nationally-recognised organisation and to build systems and practices to share with the SC a completed New Welfare Officer once the number of in 2016 include: Ambassador to Qatar Nurmakha- Verité, which has worked with the SC support decent jobs for workers now Starter Checklist on each worker workers on-site exceeds 500 work- 1. Further developing a bespoke mad Kholov was present. since early this year to help appoint and in the future. We are looking for- they recruit. The SC has maintained ers to look after site welfare matters; online IT platform auditing tool which the External Monitor. ward to applying these principles with an open dialogue with stakehold- 3. Inserting a mechanism for com- was recently launched, enabling “In January this year, Verité was the Supreme Committee for Delivery ers including governments of labour panies not working on SC projects to the SC and its contractors to gener- Advisory Council commissioned by the SC to develop and Legacy when our engagement sending countries and international voluntarily adopt the WW Standards ate more accurate, streamlined and the technical scope of services for the begins,” said Rosey Hurst, Director NGOs in this regard. and come under the auditing & com- immediate insights into the imple- holds meeting appointment of an independent exter- of Impactt. Other changes introduced in pliance regime and support systems mentation of the WW Standards; nal monitor to assess compliance with In addition, the WW Standards’ Edition Two of the WW Standards of the SC. 2. Commencing operations of DOHA: The Advisory Council the Worker’s Welfare Standards on all related to the issue of Ethical Recruit- include: The announcement of the inde- the SC Workers’ Skills Training Cen- held its weekly meeting of the SC projects. ment have been bolstered by the 1. Inserting a requirement for pendent third party External Monitor tre and 44th ordinary session, chaired by The scope requires the external introduction of a requirement that Contractors to pay all workers in and publication of Edition Two of the 3. Hiring additional inspectors to Speaker Mohammed bin Mubarak monitor to continuously review and Contractors obtain a signed state- accordance with the Wage Protec- WW Standards is the latest signal of account for growing demand and to Al Khulaifi. assess the extent to which SC contrac- ment from their Recruitment Agent tion System (WPS), introduced by Law the SC’s commitment to leading by ensure that the team is able to deliver Secretary-General Fahad bin tors and sub-contractors – including evidencing the Agent’s compliance No. 1 of 2015 in November 2015; example in continuous improvement and implement rectification plans for Mubarak Al Khayareen read out their recruitment agents - and the with the WW Standards, as well as 2. Inserting a requirement for of workers’ welfare across its projects. all issues, the press statement issued the agenda which was agreed SC itself are in compliance with the a requirement for the Contractor to the appointment of a Project Worker Additional planned improvements by SC said. upon. The council also endorsed the minutes of its previous session. It discussed a report by the Legal and Legislative Affairs Com- mittee on a draft law on biological Charity helps in release of 5 from jail Minister to attend meetings weapons and decided to refer its recommendations to the Cabinet. The council’s Services and in France to explore Public Facilities Committee yes- The Peninsula terday met during the regular 44th economic opportunities session under the chairmanship of Rapporteur Saqr Fahd Al Muraikhi. It resumed study of a draft law DOHA: A social arm of Eid Charity on protecting privacy of personal helped get five deserving people out The Peninsula The one-day meeting will be data and decided to invite special- of prison as they were spending time divided into three sessions and ists from the Ministry of Transport in incarceration for not being able to will focus on Qatari investments and Communications to its next repay loans. in France, the development of meeting to listen to the ministry’s Out of jail, these people are rehabil- DOHA: Minister of Economy economic relations and the con- viewpoint. itated and now living normal life. They and Commerce H E Sheikh tribution of French industries to had small amounts to repay so Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani promoting a diversified and sus- Eid Social Centre came to their rescue. will today leave for Paris, lead- tainable Qatari economy in line Ministry recalls The Centre repaid a total of ing a delegation to meetings in with Qatar National Vision 2030. QR130,000 on behalf of the five ear- Cadran that will bring together Participants will also discuss Honda City and lier this year, reports Al Sharq. chief corporate executives and efforts to expand partnerships The cases were genuine and the businessmen from Qatar and and identify new investment Jazz models people were not able to repay the loans France. opportunities for companies in as they faced finance-related hardships. Discussions will deal with both countries. DOHA: The Ministry of Economy The Centre spent a total of QR2.69m the promotion of bilateral Qatar and France enjoy and Commerce, in collaboration in aid provided to the needy in the first investment and commercial strong political and economic with Doha Marketing Services quarter (January to March) of this year. Foodstuff provided to needy families by Eid Charity Social Centre. ties and dialogue between the relations bolstered by the ratifi- Company (Domasco), dealer of Of this, QR2.4m was disbursed in French and Qatari business cation of economic agreements Honda vehicles, has announced cash to the needy that included patients communities to develop new and memorandums of under- the recall of Honda City models undergoing expensive treatment, and bread-winner in employment, while Then, purchase coupons were partnerships between com- standing. The bilateral trade of 2012-2013 and Jazz models of widows and divorcees, among others. bread-winners of some other benefi- given away to 90 needy families to buy panies from both countries volume reached QR7.5bn in 2012-2014 over flaw in the driver The beneficiaries were 314 families, ciary families may have been injured, foodstuff and the money spent on this and increase Qatari exports to 2015. Qatari exports to France, air bag. the head of Sheikh Eid Social Centre, for instance. support totalled QR142,000 in the first France. including natural gas and petro- The ministry said the recall is Yusuf Al Awadhi told the daily. The Centre provides monthly dole quarter. The meetings represent an leum products, stood at nearly part of its efforts to protect con- In addition, the Centre provided to 26 families and the dole varies from The Centre gives away purchase important step towards expand- QR3bn last year, and the imports sumers and ensure dealers follow QR625,000 to 86 people who were QR1,000 to QR10,000. In the first three coupons for QR300, QR800 and ing cooperation and creating at about QR4.5bn. up on vehicle defects and repairs. undergoing treatment for various months of this year a total of QR170,000 QR1,000, with which a beneficiary can new opportunities for bilat- French direct and indirect It urged customers to report diseases. was given away to these families. buy foodstuff from designated outlets. eral investments through the investments in Qatar have also any violations to its Consumer Some 228 families were provided An aid committee of the Centre The Centre’s head said that they establishment of partnerships risen in various sectors, with 294 Protection and Anti-Commercial support with cash on a temporary basis apparently does research and verifies have more requests from the needy fam- between Qatari and French companies operating in Qatar, Fraud Department through hotline: as several of them suffered finance- if the case of a needy person or family ilies for monthly dole and their target companies and businessmen to including 66 fully-owned French 16001; email: [email protected]; related woes for the time being. is genuine or not. The panel then short- is to take the number of beneficiaries benefit both sides in economic firms while several Qatari Twitter: @MEC_Qatar; Instagram: Some may not have had a lists the beneficiaries. to 500. and trade fields. investments exist in France. MEC_Qatar; and the ministry’s mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar. Doha Girls Forum Registration open for career adviser training course to hold workshop The Peninsula scholars and parents who play a Kuder’s research programme and DOHA: Doha Girls Centre, in key role in their children’s career coordinates Kuder’s Research Review cooperation with the Ministry of decisions. Board, will present the course with Dr Culture and Sports, will organise Abdullah Ahmed Al Mansoori, Mohammad Abul-Ola. on Sunday a training workshop DOHA: Registration for the second Director, QCF, said, “We have attached Dr Niles, A distinguished professor ‘Innovative Ideas and Initiatives’ edition of Qatar Career Fair’s (QCF) a great deal of importance to the and Head, Department of Educa- at the centre. career adviser training course is course because it allows individuals tional Psychology, Counselling and The workshop, sponsored by open. The training sessions will be to further professional development. It Special Education, is Director, Centre Dr Haya Al Maadhadi, aims to held between May 22 and 26 will offer in-depth knowledge of tech- for Study of Career Development and encourage girls to achieve progress Launched in 2015, it is the first nology-based applications that can be Public Policy at Pennsylvania State through ideas and innovation and specialised programme of its kind for used to enhance careers. University. transform such skills into a tangi- career advisers in Qatar and the Gulf. “Educational institutions will ben- Candidates who register for the ble reality. Girls aged between 15 Certified by Kuder, a world leader efit from the programme as it will course will automatically be accepted and 29 are allowed to participate. in career planning services, the enable them to help students make into the Introductory Career Advisory The centre is exerting efforts course aims to equip participants with better, more informed choices about Course, which will be hosted by QCF to realise its mission of present- career guidance, planning skills and their post-secondary majors. This will on April 28, at Education City Club- ing outstanding programmes to tools to assist youth along their career increase productivity on the job and house. The one-day intensive training, build national capacities and pre- journeys. personal life satisfaction,” he added. accredited by Association of Career pare leaders from among girls with Offered in Arabic and English, the During the course and six months Professionals International, aims to ability to achieve management course is open to the public and will thereafter, participants will have equip counsellors and career advisers innovation and run youth activ- also be useful for academic and voca- access to an online portal which will with skills and advisory methods to ities and institutions with high tional counsellors, human resources serve as a knowledge bank. enable them to provide effective aca- competence. personnel, professors, instructors, Dr Spencer Niles, who directs demic and career guidance. Participants at last year’s Career Adviser Training Course. HOME TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 03 QRCS begins fundraiser for Iraqis

Resource Mobilisation, QRCS, said: “People can send an SMS to 92966 The three-month to donate QR100, 92770 (QR500), or campaign to raise 92740 (QR1,000). “Donations can also be deposited QR7,300,000 for in person at QRCS’s headquarters or an urgent relief agents at malls and shopping centres. programme for “Our online donation website is www.qrcs.org.qa and donation thousands of bank account IBAN at Barwa Bank displaced families in is QA26BRWA0000000001000000 02005. For help, call any of our hot- Al Anbar Governorate. lines 66644822 and 66666364,” he Qatar Tourism Authority officials and representatives of its offices added”. abroad and Qatar attend the second Quarterly Framework Marketing An emergency appeal was issued Summit of 2016. on June 19, 2014, which secured The Peninsula Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi (centre), Secretary-General, QRCS, with humanitarian projects for more than Aiham Al Sukhni, Head, Disaster Management, and Ahmed Al Khulaifi, 30,000 people (6,000 most affected Head, Resource Mobilisation, at the press conference yesterday. families). In Ramadan 2014 and 2015, Qatar to take part in QRCS personnel distributed food DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Society packages to 25,000 displaced Iraqis (QRCS) has launched a three-month Secretary-General, QRCS, praised victims as possible,” he said. in Al Anbar, Saladin, Baghdad, and Arabian Travel Market campaign to raise $2m (QR7,300,000) media support for QRCS’s human- Aiham Al Sukhni, Head, Disas- Erbil. Under its Warm Winter Cam- to implement an urgent relief pro- itarian activities, especially the ter Management, QRCS, highlighted paign last year, QRCS distributed gramme for thousands of displaced charitable campaign that comes in QRCS’s humanitarian intervention. winterisation aid to 5,000 homeless with strong presence Iraqi families in Al Anbar Governo- a critical time for thousands of help- “We plan to provide shelter and Iraqi families in Mosul, Al Anbar, rate, Iraq, over six months. less Iraqi families who need shelter, nonfood aid for 4,000 families at a Amiriyah Fallujah, Baghdad, Ram- Last week, QRCS issued an healthcare, water and sanitation cost of $650,000, clean water and adi outskirts, Diyala, Halabja and emergency appeal to support 8,000 services and food assistance. hygiene facilities for 8,000 fami- the desert area between Hit and Ar The Peninsula Dubai from Apirl 25 to 28. families (40,000 people) affected by “Our office in Iraq is working with lies ($500,000), medical care and Rutbah and Al Anbar. Also, major “Such meeting are conducted the recently escalated violence across other local and international human- health education for 8,000 families water and sanitation projects were quarterly to maximise and expose the country. itarian organisations to ensure timely ($650,000) and food packages for co-implemented by QRCS and United the impact of Qatar’s marketing At a press conference yester- delivery of aid, avoid duplication of 8,000 families ($200,000). Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), with DOHA: Qatar Tourism Authority efforts and resources. day, Saleh bin Ali Al Mohannadi, efforts and reach out to as many Ahmed Al Khulaifi, Head, a budget of over $1,750,000. (QTA) hosted its Quarterly Frame- “We place great importance on work Marketing Summit for the promoting the key attractions that second quarter of 2016. give Qatar its distinctive cultural Heads of QTA representative edge. It is a question of synergy,” offices abroad along with members said Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Mar- of the sector in Qatar presented their keting and Promotion Officer, QTA. Festival to celebrate Poland’s art and culture first quarter achievements and sec- “We continue to avoid frag- ond quarter marketing plans. mentation of Qatar’s message and The overseas offices covering ensure we create a strong and pos- The Peninsula Gas Company PGNiG. Entry is free. Foreign Minister) at the Ministry of Forum co-organised with Qatari the GCC, the UK, France, Germany, itive Qatar brand positioning that Four films will be screened as part Foreign Affairs of Poland will visit Businessmen Association at Marriott Southeast Asia and Italy, reflected continues to resonate in our key of the festival between April 9 and Doha on April 12. Marquis Hotel. the KPI results of marketing activ- overseas markets. 14 daily starting from 7.30pm. They Kacperczyk will be accompanied Also, food lovers will have a ities undertaken during the first “This message will gain momen- DOHA: A festival to celebrate include Jack Strong; Carte Blanche; by a 30-member delegation, including chance to taste Central-European quarter of 2016 along with their tum in the region during the Arabian Poland’s art and culture will begin and Strange Heaven which will be representatives from the construction, cuisine, including Polish traditional targets and strategies for the rest of Travel Market where Qatar will dis- in Doha on Friday. screened at Katara’s Drama theatre. transport, food, agriculture, ICT, dishes, at Coral Restaurant the year. play a strong presence.” ‘Polska Presents’ is a To coincide with ‘Polska pharmaceuticals and medical sectors. (InterContinental Doha Hotel) from During Q1 of 2016 QTA’s repre- Marketing Qatar internationally weeklong event organised by Presents’ a Polish trade delegation During their two-day visit, the today until Friday, though the event sentative office organised six trips to involves collaboration between the Poland embassy and will feature headed by Katarzyna Kacperczyk, delegation will also participate is not directly related to ‘Polska Qatar for 36 representatives of inter- public and private sectors as hotels Polish films, music, drama and Undersecretary of State (Deputy in the Polish-Qatari Business Presents.’ national media and 35 travel agents and other tourist facilities and serv- traditional food. to familiarise them with the desti- ices form key factors in the selection ‘Polska’ means Poland in nation. In addition, the number of of tourism products QTA promotes Polish language. “That is the name tour operators selling trips to Qatar worldwide. of our country and that is how increased to 192 with continuous The new format of individual we want to promote it by using independent travel agents registering Market Place stations during the Q2 this particular linguistic form,” for QTA’s online Tawash programme, Summit provided networking oppor- the embassy said in a statement which assists them in developing tunities for QTA marketing personnel yesterday. ‘Polska Presents’ will expertise on Qatar and its tourism to meet private sector representa- begin with a concert of a modern offering. tives face-to-face. It also provided Polish band ‘Marcin Wyrostek March saw the introduction of QTA overseas office representatives and Tango Corazone’ at Cultural the Qatar destination brand in the with opportunities to interact with Village Foundation-Katara. German market during ITB Ber- counterparts in Qatar and familiar- The concert is being organised lin, and the branding will continue ise themselves with the destination in cooperation with Katara, with during the Arabian Travel Market in and its latest developments. the sponsorship of Polish Oil and Rumailah Hospital holds workshop on stroke physical outcome measures

Course participants pose for a group photo.

The Peninsula “The department utilises every competency examination at the end opportunity to update skills of phys- of the workshop leading to a ‘PAAS ical therapists in HMC so they can Guideline Outcome Measure Com- continue to provide the best care petency Certificate’ with 11 CPD DOHA: The best practice for patients possible for each of our patients,” (Continuing Professional Develop- requiring neurological rehabilitation said Noora Al Mudahka, Chief of the ment) points from Qatar Council for after stroke was discussed at a work- department. Healthcare Practitioners-Accredita- shop organised by the Educational “We hope the workshop, based tion Department. Committee (PTRH-EC) at the Phys- on PAAS clinical guideline, has Al Madzhar Ahmadul, Supervisor iotherapy Department at Rumailah broadened the scope of expertise of Physiotherapy, Rumailah Hospital, Hospital of Hamad Medical Corpo- of our physical therapists in provid- and the workshop co-organiser, said, ration (HMC). ing required support for our patients “The event is significant because of The ‘Stroke Physical Ther- who have suffered stroke and need the participation of many colleagues apy Outcome Measures (SPOM)’ rehabilitation,” she added. and the number of lectures compared workshop was for HMC’s physical Nearly 50 neurological physi- to last year. They have exceeded therapists to augment their practical cal therapists from HMC attended expectations in their preparations knowledge on the usage of outcome the workshop. Twenty-one inter- and delivery.” measures recommended by PAAS nationally recommended outcome The workshop was based on a (Physical Therapy After Acute Stroke) measures were selected as top- professional framework that incor- clinical guidelines, developed and ics. Course participants were able porates evidence-based strategies for implemented in March 2015. to boost knowledge and take a evaluation of stroke patients. 04 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 HOME Five projects awarded Osra grants to improve Arab family structure

The Peninsula on the Arab family. Five proposals from Qatar and the wider region were awarded, and included institutions from Morocco, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar during the recent Annual Research Conference 2016. DOHA: A new joint research grant by Qatar National The topics of the proposals varied from parenting Research Fund (QNRF) and Doha International Family studies to family law to family work balance in different Institute (DIFI) has been awarded to a study about issues Arab countries. One proposal aims to study how social related to the family structure in the region. preferences are influenced in conflict regions such as Osra, (‘family’ in Arabic), the new grant encourages Palestine. Research areas included marriage and family research which can be used to develop a knowledge base structure; parenting; family-work balance; and family laws and practices. The research findings funded under OSRA will assist the development of evidence-based pol- icies and programmes to promote the well-being of the Arab family. The initiative aims to unite researchers all Arab coun- tries under one umbrella to begin identifying strengths Visitors at a previous exhibition at the museum. and finding solutions to challenges. Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive Director, QNRF, said, “We are delighted to announce the outcome of the first cycle of OSRA grant, which is the result of a collaboration with DIFI. The pro- gramme addresses an important area for Arab societies Expo to focus on journey in general and Qatari society specifically.” Noor Al Malki Al Jehani, Executive Director, DIFI, said, “DIFI wanted the OSRA grant to support research that could advance family policies and programmes, while promoting the well-being of Arab families. We are pleased of Qatar and its people with the response of the first cycle of the grant and the diversity of topics addressed.” OSRA is part of the Thematic and Grand Challenges Programme of QNRF to competitively select research Thursday in the temporary exhibition different parts of the museum — from projects that address questions in an identified thematic space at Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al archaeological objects to a vehicle, area. To qualify for OSRA funding, a project must be led Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Museum. demonstrating the range and depth by a lead principal investigator with a doctoral qualifi- Qassim Al Thani The annual expo curated by UCL of Sheikh Faisal’s collection. cation, who has at least three peer-reviewed scientific Qatar’s MA Museum and Gallery The exhibition will be presented publications in a relevant field and is living and affili- Museum to host the Practice students will be held in part- along with stories it collectively holds. ated to an institution in Qatar or another Arab country. nership with Sheikh Faisal Museum. Sheikh Faisal has supported students The OSRA call for proposals was launched in March annual event curated Noor Al Malki Al Jehani, Executive Director, DIFI, and The two month-long event will by providing over 120 photographs 2015 and 16 proposals were submitted to QNRF-DIFI. The Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive Director, QNRF, by UCL Qatar’s MA feature memorabilia of early pio- from his private archive. The pho- proposals underwent a highly competitive review proc- Museum and Gallery neer life to create dialogue between tographs explore and celebrate the sign the QNRF-DIFI MoU for the Osra research grant. ess that led to the selection of the five awarded proposals. generations and cultures through sport of hunting in Qatar through the Practice students. the objects and stories on display. passage of time. Research has led to the develop- The exhibition will have stalls ment of intercultural understanding under four themes — Life in the The Peninsula with a focus on Qatari culture and desert; Changing landscape; Social- Northern coastline cleaned up its people. ising; and Icons to showcase Qatar’s Different mediums and means of rich cultural heritage and its diverse display such as the use of story-tell- traditions and cultures, leaving a DOHA: A temporary exhibition, ing, interviews and videos, will be an lasting impression on visitors. The ‘Shifting Sands — A Journey of Qatar attractive feature of the exhibition. exhibition is open for the general and its People’ will be inaugurated on Visitors will enjoy exhibits from public from Thursday until June 7.

As part of its campaign to clean up the northern coastline, the Beach and Islands Section at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment cleaned the coastline of the north and northwestern area. A team worked for 45 days and cleaned a 35km stretch from Abu Zaluf to Fehayhel and removed waste, including carcasses, wood, abandoned boats and sea waste.

Aspire Academy boosts collaboration with parents

QNA He called on parents to spend time with their children on a daily basis DOHA: Aspire Academy to get updates on how hosted a meeting of par- they are doing and said ents of students in grade it provides the students levels 7, 8 and 9. with a positive sense of Parents, teachers and support and guidance coaches discussed means that will contribute to of enhancing collabora- their development. tion to support academic Ali Ahmad Khalifa and athletic perform- Al Muhannadi, parent of ances of student-athletes. one of the athletics stu- The meeting also dents, said such meetings helped the teachers and are beneficial to parents coaches communicate and students, as they their expectations of stu- help identify areas of dent-athletes, build close development and facili- rapport with parents and tate continued dialogue boost trust with the local between the academy community. and parents. School Principal Engineer Abdulaziz Jassim Al Jaber said con- Mohammed, parent tinuous communication of one of the gymnas- and dialogue with par- tics students, expressed ents of the academy’s delight over his son student-athletes is one of continually improving the key objectives for the athletic and academic faculty, as it helps build performance and attrib- a positive relationship uted it to the academy’s between the academy attention to the students’ and the parents that sup- performance and support ports the development of in the areas that need the students. further development. Al Jaber stressed He also stressed the importance of par- the importance of par- ents’ role in supporting ents meetings in helping guidance and education keep them and the students receive at the academy aligned on the academy, which enriches future direction of the their growth. student-athletes. HOME TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 05

Moroccan Premier arrives Palestinian state is an impossibility: Book

CIRS Director Dr Mehran Kamrava argues why a coherent Palestinian state is no longer possible due to historical events and economic dynamics.

Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane yesterday arrived on a two-day visit to Qatar. He will chair the Moroccan side in the meetings of the sixth Qatari-Moroccan Joint Higher Committee today. The Peninsula Dr Mehran Kamrava, Director of He and his delegation were greeted at Hamad International Airport by Minister of Energy and Industry CIRS and author of the book, will H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Qatari Ambassador to Morocco Abdullah bin Falah bin Abdullah deliver a lecture at GU-Q today. Al Dosari and Moroccan Ambassador to Qatar Al Makki Kawan. in his book to explain what these DOHA: A new book that closes the dynamics are and suggest that to door on the hopes for a Palestinian changed in a way that we can no move forward, Palestine must rede- state, The Impossibility of Palestine: longer speak of occupation versus fine its present predicament and History, Geography, and the Road liberation,” he said, challenging the future aspirations. “This book is a Ahead, will be the focus of a public terms that have long framed the nar- courageous undertaking whose sub- Senyar competition opens today lecture at the Centre for International rative of “sides” in the Holy Land. ject and timing cannot be ignored, and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Geor- “Today, the occupiers and the especially given Israeli Prime Minis- getown University in Qatar (GU-Q) occupied are far too enmeshed and ter Netanyahu’s rejection of the idea today. integrated on multiple levels.” of a Palestinian state. The Peninsula The talk , part of CIRS’ monthly In retelling the story of Palestine “Mehran Kamrava’s analysis and dialogue series, will take place at through detailed fieldwork, exhaus- conclusions may arouse controversy, 6pm, featuring Dr Mehran Kamrava, tive scholarship and an in-depth but the undermining of Palestinian the book’s author and Director, CIRS. examination of historical sources, statehood cannot be denied,” said DOHA: The fifth edition of the senyar “This is a book about the impos- he concludes that the issue isn’t Charles Smith, author of Palestine traditional fishing and pearl diving sibility of a Palestinian state,” says simply a question of geography any and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. competition will open today at Katara Dr Kamrava on the first page of more, but also a question of identity “Kamrava makes it clear that beach. his book, launching a compelling and nationhood. The changes that Israel... has done a truly impressive The competition will continue argument — why a coherent Pales- have occurred to Palestinian soci- job of undermining any possibility of until April 9 and has 948 participants tinian state is no longer possible due ety and economy have fundamentally a two-state solution... The Impossibil- divided into 69 teams. to historical events and economic changed the nature of the situation. ity of Palestine... is an essential read The competitions are divided into dynamics that have resulted in a de “In this book I’ve gone to the root for those who want to understand the three major segments — Allafah, fish- facto single-state reality. causes of these social, political and dynamics that fuel the Israel-Palestine ing and pearl diving. “The question of Palestinian ‘lib- economic dynamics that have so conflict, which is not going away any- All teams are required to take eration’ no longer makes much sense intertwined identities between Pal- time soon,” said John Mearsheimer, R part in Allafah which to be held on anymore. Liberation from what? The estinian and Israeli,” he said. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Serv- April 5 and April 9. Pearl diving and nature of occupation in the occu- In his lecture, Dr Kamrava will ice Professor of Political Science, fishing competitions will take place pied territories has fundamentally present the research and conclusions University of Chicago. on April 6 and 7, respectively. Before the launch of the One of the teams contesting during the previous event. traditional competition, the organ- izing committee checked all boats to ensure that they have fulfilled all The committee has formed seven Winners of the first and second requirements including a licence for sub committees, each comprising six positions in pearl diving will have the sailing for more than five days. members and responsible for eleven priority to represent Qatar in pearl Another licence from the Ministry teams. diving competitions at the GCC level, of Transport and Communication is All the participating teams have as per terms introduced by the com- also required, besides meeting other been given different colours to make mittee this year, said a statement logistic and supply requirements. it easier for the committee to monitor. yesterday. Mall of Qatar construction work resumes

The Peninsula also implements strin- during this incident,” he official outcome of their gent safety precautions added. Pending an inves- enquiries, the cause of the on a daily basis, this was tigation by the related fire is still unknown at this expertly put into action authorities and for the stage. DOHA: Construction work and retail fit outs at the upcoming Mall of Qatar resumed yesterday as normal following the outbreak of a fire on Sat- urday (at around 2.30pm). The fire was successfully put out and there were no casualties. Mowafaq Khar- bat, Project Director of Urbacon Trading and Contracting (UCC), in a press statement yester- day confirmed that safety engineers were alerted immediately which prompted the safe evac- uation of all workers and staff on site, and in adja- cent buildings. Official authorities were informed, which led to the civil defence team, traffic department, Al Fazaa police and the Lekhwiya internal secu- rity forces to deploy their teams. “We are thankful that no one was harmed and our priority right now is to continue construc- tion work and carry on with retail fit outs within the mall. “We would like to express our gratitude to the authorities for their immediate and profes- sional support to ensure the safety of everyone on the site and to contain the fire,” said Mowafaq. “UCC has a com- prehensive operations risk plan that gets reviewed regularly and 06 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 HOME Fresh but brief spell of Workplace safety a priority unstable weather likely Civil Defence to ask establishments The Peninsula In a special bulletin issued, the Office and institutions said the weather would be partly cloudy periodically on the aforementioned days. to develop plans Moderate to fresh easterly to south- for workplace DOHA: The Met Office yesterday said a easterly winds are forecast in this period fresh yet brief spell of unstable weather and they would at times become strong emergencies and would likely affect the country in the days during rain and thunder. evacuations and to follow. Temperatures are expected to be As a result, there are chances of scat- around the average for this time of the hopes to train their tered, light rains today, tomorrow as well year, said the Met Office bulletin. staff. as on Thursday and Friday. The temperature would vary between There are more chances of scattered 29 degrees C to 32 degrees in the daytime, rains on Thursday and Friday in particular, while at night they would fall to between and the rains may at times be accompa- 19 and 22 degrees C. nied with thunder in some areas. The Met Office said it urges people to By Sidi Mohamed A trough of low pressure in the upper be cautious and avoid sea activities during The Peninsula Captain Khamis Al Suwaidi, Evacuation Officer, Directorate of Civil Defence, addressing the workshop. levels of the atmosphere is expected to the rains and thunder and follow weather affect the country in the days to come, updates on its official website and social said the Met Office. media accounts. on evacuation of buildings held principles of each kind and the make an evacuation plan and DOHA: The Directorate of Civil at the Officers’ Club in the Civil important basics to ensure the implement it under Civil Defence’s Defence at the Ministry of Inte- Defence Directorate on Sunday. safety of people who are being supervision. rior is to ask establishments and The workshop will continue evacuated. The official pointed The goals of evacuation plan all institutions to develop plans for for three days, and is being held in out the importance of training the focus on readiness at all times Qatar Charity attends ‘Hour of workplace emergencies and evac- line with the Directorate’s ‘Darb Al staff members of institutions and to tackle an emergency such as uations and hopes to train their Aman’ (Road to Safety), an aware- establishments and also talked of fire. It is important also to raise Code’ workshop on programming staff in handling emergencies. ness campaign. Representatives the significance of setting up an awareness of employees to follow Captain Khamis Al Suwaidi, of different establishments and evacuation team to handle emer- the necessary safety measures, Evacuation Officer, Directorate authorities are taking part in the gencies in each institution and which can help prevent casualties of Civil Defence, told a workshop event. Captain Khamis Al Suwaidi establishment. and accidents, Al Suwaidi said. The Peninsula and Centres’ Management at Executive it is important that establishments made a presentation. The Directorate of Civil He also shed light on the Management of Local Development at QC, have plans in place for workplace On the first day, Al Suwaidi Defence has prepared a plan responsibilities of security said that the workshop was held to acti- emergencies and evacuations. talked about the general concept related to training staff in personnel in companies and vate women’s role in the society. “Hour of In this context, he stressed of evacuation and how to evacuate institutions for evacuation establishments. The workshop also DOHA: Qatar Charity participated in a Code was to appreciate the efforts of girls the importance of training the and prepare plans for evacuation through a number of lectures and included practical exercises about workshop on programming entitled ‘Hour and women. staff of institutions in handling along with its requirements. workshops followed by practical how to account the number of of Code’ at Qatar Science and Technology More than 40 female students suc- emergencies. He also explained the vari- training. individuals who must be evacuated Park (QSTP) held last month. cessfully passed and applied what they This was the second workshop ous types of evacuation, and the Later, an institution can through emergency exists. It was held by Microsoft Qatar on the had learnt during the workshop,” he said. occasion of International Women’s Day. Microsoft Qatar’s trainers, Premier QC’s Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah Com- Field Engineers of Microsoft’s Services munity Development Centres (Women Team, trained the students on the basics Branch) participated in the workshop. of programming, how to activate it and Needs of social responsibility programmes stressed Ali Al Gharib, Director of Programs’ how to start their own systems.

The Peninsula Graveyard waiting areas sheltered

DOHA: Qatar’s first International Social Responsibility Conference concluded here with a proposal to formulate a national and institu- tional legal structure to organize legislation and determine the priorities and needs of the social responsibility programs. That structure will act as the official and independent umbrella in partnership with private sector organizations and the civil society. The three-day interna- tional conference was held under the auspices of Al-Faisal Social Responsibility Centre. It attracted a cross-section of dele- gates including ambassadors and Al Shamal Municipality’s Graveyards Service Section has set up sheltered over 40 researchers representing Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani signs ‘Al Faisal Social Responsibility Agreement’ during the closing waiting areas in the Abu Zulaif graveyard as part of efforts to supervise 14 countries. ceremony of the conference. and enhance services. During the closing ceremony, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, and a big number of the audi- institutions aligned to the Qatar relevant international organiza- A proposal submitted by the ence signed the “Al Faisal Social National Vision 2030. tions and institutions. Media Department of the Faculty Responsibility Agreement”, which Other recommendations - Initiate the expansion of a of Arts and Sciences, University received a significant support from include: Raise community aware- general framework for corporate of Qatar; and Al Faisal Centre for the participants. ness of social responsibility issues social responsibility incorporat- Social Responsibility on the Sec- The conference also called through official media; and train ing the standards of responsible ond International Conference was for efforts to integrate social and educate the public through the governance. approved. The next conference responsibility in the mission, integration of the social respon- - Stimulate Interest in cor- will take place on March 28-29 vision, philosophy and culture of sibility values in public education porate social responsibility tools next year. the institutions, into the princi- and university courses. through sustainable projects; and The conference covered a wide ples of private and governmental -Establish a funding resource simultaneously prevent the abuse range of subjects including: Main institutions. and research centres dedicated to of social responsibility practices by platforms for social responsibility, It also proposed to promote social responsibility. private and public entities. social responsibility in education, the spirit of social responsibility - Create a proposal that - Establish a committee to fol- social responsibility and the pri- amongst leaders in the vari- embodies a forward-looking con- low up on the implementation of vate sector, social responsibility ous institutions and adopt it as cept for a comprehensive Arab the recommendations of the First from the legal perspective, expe- the responsibility of the execu- initiative on Social Responsibility International Conference on Social riences and practices of social tive management. This should be led by the Arab League, in partner- Responsibility, headed by Mubarka responsibility in the energy sector, brought under the supervision ship with its affiliated institutions, Al Marri, General Manager of Al the reality of social responsibility, of the management plans in the and in cooperation with all the Faisal Social Responsibility Centre. among others. Fine starts at QR40,000 for ‘Chamber Music’ illegal partitioning of villas concert at MIA QNA Continued from page 1 expatriate families and those low-income single workers who get their wives here on either visit A company caught partitioning a villa or an or work visas. There are some limited-income DOHA: Museum of Islamic (MIA) Art apartment without legal approvals can be slapped expatriates who manage to get their wives here will hold a Chamber Music Concert on with a minimum fine of QR40,000, one source on work visas and they are hired by companies Thursday. The concert in the lobby of familiar with the illicit trade said. Many illegally as receptionists, computer operators. Those with MIA starting at 6pm will be performed partitioned structures still exist on the sly and the less education manage to land jobs in cleaning by a group of musicians from Qatar Phil- middlemen managing them are said to be itch- companies as women-only schools, govern- harmonic. ing to raise the rents. Space is rarely available ment offices and bank branches must get female It is part of concerts organised by in such structures. A single room in an illegally cleaners. Municipal approvals are hard to get MIA in connection with its programme partitioned villa or in an annex built in a villa to partition a villa as one must submit a whole ‘Music for All; to provide diverse events compound which was available for up to QR1,800 design of the proposed alterations made by an and concerts targeting all members of monthly rent, may now command up to QR2,000 engineering consultancy. It is also an expensive the family. Chamber music is a form of to QR2,200. and time-consuming affair. If a villa partitioned classical music composed for a small And two-room and three-room sets attract illegally can involve an expense of QR80,000 for group of instruments, traditionally a rents varying from QR3,000 to QR4,500. instance, the amount would double in the case of group that could fit in a palace cham- The takers are mostly limited income approved changes. ber or a large room. MIDDLE EAST TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 07 Deported migrants from Greece arrive in Turkey

Reuters Margaritas Schinas said the first returns were legal, even though Tur- In return, the key has not yet made changes to its European Union will regulations that the EU said were TURKEY: The first migrants necessary at the time of the deal. deported from Greek islands under take in thousands The EU said at the time of the a disputed EU-Turkey deal were of Syrian refugees deal that Ankara would need to shipped back to Turkey yesterday in change asylum laws to give inter- a drive to shut down the main route directly from Turkey national protection to Syrians who used by more than a million peo- and reward it with enter from countries other than Syria, ple fleeing war and poverty to reach money, visa-free and to non-Syrian asylum seekers Europe in the last year. returned from Greece. Under a pact criticised by ref- travel and progress Altogether, more people arrived ugee agencies and human rights in its EU membership on the Greek islands in the 24 hours campaigners, Ankara will take back to Monday morning than were trans- all migrants and refugees who cross negotiations. ported to Turkey, Greek authorities the Aegean to enter Greece illegally, said, putting total arrivals at 339. including Syrians. A few hours after the first boat of In return, the European Union returnees set sail from Lesbos, Greek will take in thousands of Syrian coast guard vessels rescued at least refugees directly from Turkey and World War Two. two dinghies carrying more than 50 reward it with money, visa-free travel Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan migrants and refugees, including and progress in its EU membership excoriated European governments’ children and a woman in a wheel- negotiations. response to the crisis even as his chair, trying to reach the island. Two Turkish passenger boats car- government cooperated with the “We are just going to try our rying 136 mostly Pakistani migrants EU scheme. chance. It is for our destiny. We are arrived from the island of Lesbos in “As Turkey, we embraced 3 mil- dead anyway,” said Firaz, 31, a Syr- the Turkish town of Dikili, accom- lion Syrian victims, but it is clear who ian Kurd travelling with his cousin. panied by two Turkish coast guard tried to keep them away,” He said in a Asked if he knew the Greeks vessels with a police helicopter speech in Ankara. “Did we send our were sending people back, he said: Migrants are escorted by Turkish police as they arrive by ferry from the Greek island of Lesbos at the Dikili overhead. Syrian brothers back? No we didn’t. “I heard maybe Iranians, Afghans. I harbour in Izmir, Turkey, yesterday. A third ship carrying 66 people, But they kept these people out of didn’t hear they were sending back mainly Afghans, arrived there later their countries by putting up razor- Syrians to Turkey... At least I did what from the island of Chios. wire fences.” EU authorities said I could. I’m alive. That’s it.” resettle thousands of legal Syrian ref- Monday and the Netherlands on Tues- A few dozen police and immigra- The EU-Turkey deal aims to dis- none of those deported on Monday Two groups of mainly Pakistani ugees directly from Turkey. German day. German Interior Minister Thomas tion officials waited outside a small courage migrants from perilous had requested asylum in Greece and men, totalling around 100 people, police said the first 32 Syrian refugees de Maiziere said on Sunday that the white tent on the quayside at Dikili as crossings, often in small boats and all had left voluntarily. were also intercepted by the Turkish arrived in Hanover on two flights from “high point of the migrant crisis is the returned migrants disembarked dinghies, and to break the business They included two Syrians coast guard on Monday near Dikili, a Istanbul on Monday under the deal. behind us”, but migration experts say one by one, before being photographed model of human smugglers who have who had asked to return to Turkey. coast guard official said. The European Commission said the pressure to reach Europe will con- and fingerprinted behind security fuelled Europe’s biggest influx since European Commission spokesman Under the pact, the EU will more flights were due in Finland on tinue, possibly via other routes. screening. Gaza fishermen test waters after blockade eased

AFP Israeli naval vessels and indicated by signs, he said. The extended distance means fish- UAE court jails ermen can catch more lucrative types of fish such as grouper, Abu Ouda added. Lebanese GAZA CITY: Gaza fishermen have begun Nizar Ayyash, chairman of the Gaza working further off the coast after Israel fishermen’s union, said between 200 and ‘Hezbollah’ trio relaxed restrictions for the first time in a 300 ships went out on Sunday night. decade but said yesterday that the meas- The Israeli defence ministry body ABU DHABI: An Emirati ure was not nearly enough. responsible for implementing govern- court sentenced yesterday Palestinian boats working in the south- ment policies in the Palestinian territories, three Lebanese, including ern part of Gaza Strip started to fish as far as COGAT, estimated on its Facebook page the a Canadian dual national, nine nauti+cal miles off the coast on Sunday, extended zone could add 400,000 shekels to six months in prison for the first extension to the zone since 2005. ($106,000) a year to the Gazan economy. forming a local affiliate of Previously they had been restricted to But Ayyash said most had been dis- Iran-backed Hezbollah, six nautical miles, the same distance that appointed and called the extension local media said. remains in place off the northern part of the “inadequate”. He called on the Israeli The supreme federal Palestinian enclave which borders Israel. authorities to further loosen the restric- court convicted the trio More than 200 fishing boats headed out tions to 20 miles, as laid down under the of “forming a group for from Gaza’s port on Sunday night, with most Oslo peace accords of the 1990s. Israel the terrorist Hezbollah returning early on Monday. Raed Abu Ouda, argues the restrictions are necessary to pre- (movement) in the coun- 35, returned from an overnight trip close vent weapons smuggling in the Palestinian try,” Ittihad daily reported, to the new nine-mile limit, but said he had enclave run by Islamist movement Hamas. adding that they will be been disappointed with his catch. “I hoped Palestinian militants in Gaza have deported after serving with the new permission for a bumper fought three wars with Israel since 2008. their sentences. catch,” he told AFP. “But after 17 hours of The strip of 1.8 million people has one Fishing boats float at the Seaport of Gaza City, yesterday. work we didn’t get what we expected.” of the world’s highest unemployment rates The new nine-mile limit is patrolled by and poverty is widespread. Two dead in Istanbul wall Erdogan rejects ‘lessons US air strike kills collapse ISTANBUL: Two peo- senior Al Shabaab ple were killed yesterday when a wall collapsed in democracy’ from West leader in Somalia above a tea house in a popular tourist spot in the Reuters historic centre of Istanbul, AFP that his American counterpart crit- Turkish officials said. icised him behind his back. The Five people survived president said he had pointed out in WASHINGTON: A US air strike being trapped in the rub- other meetings on his trip in Wash- last week killed a senior leader of ble that fell onto the tea ANKARA: Turkish President Recep ington that there was press freedom the al Qaeda-linked militant group house but two corpses Tayyip Erdogan yesterday lashed out in Turkey, saying that some publica- al Shabaab in Somalia, the Penta- were recovered by rescue at the West for giving Turkey “les- tions had branded him a “thief” and gon said yesterday. services, Istanbul gov- sons in democracy”, amid mounting a “killer” without being shut down. Hassan Ali Dhoore was killed ernor Vasip Sahin was US and EU criticism over an alleged “Such insults and threats are not per- in a US air strike targeting him quoted as saying by Turk- clampdown on press freedoms under mitted in the West,” he claimed. on March 31, Pentagon spokes- ish media. his rule. In a telephone conversation ear- man Peter Cook said. Dhoore was “Those who attempt to give us lier, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu a member of al Shabaab’s secu- lessons in democracy and human told German Chancellor Angela Mer- rity and intelligence wing, and was Israeli army rights must first contemplate their kel that he was unhappy about the involved in the planning of high- own shame,” Erdogan told a meet- raft of stories criticising Erdogan in profile attacks, Cook said. kidnaps three ing of the Turkish Red Crescent in German media in recent weeks. Dhoore planned and oversaw Iraqi security forces with people gather at the site of a car bomb Ankara. Davutoglu complained such pub- attacks resulting in the deaths of at Palestinians His comments came after US lications “were incompatible with least three Americans, Cook said. attack in Basra, yesterday. President Barack Obama said Tur- freedom of the press” and said there The Pentagon disclosed the JERUSALEM: Several key’s approach towards the media should be an end to the publication air strike last week but was still Israeli military vehicles was taking it “down a path that of such “unacceptable” material, he assessing then whether Dhoore IS bombings kill 22 in Iraq invaded at dawn yester- would be very troubling.” office said. had been killed. The strike came day Teqoua town and Erdogan’s government has been German weekly Der Spiegel weeks after the United States tar- Aida refugee camp, east accused of increasing authoritarian- ran a cover story deeply critical geted an al Shabaab training camp AFP and north of Bethlehem, ism and muzzling critical media as of Erdogan in its latest issue, with in Somalia in an air strike that the searched homes and kid- well as lawmakers, academics, law- a caricature of the Turkish presi- Pentagon says killed more than 150 napped three Palestinian yers and NGOs. dent—whom the magazine called fighters. BAGHDAD: Suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State group, clashes and teenagers. Two journalists from the leading “the wild man of the Bosphorus”— Al Shabaab was pushed out mortar fire killed at least 22 people in Iraq yesterday, security and medical A representative of the opposition daily Cumhuriyet face life shaking his fist. of Mogadishu by African Union officials said. The violence, which hit four different provinces, also wounded Teqoua Local Council, east in prison after being charged with The headline on the story read: peacekeeping forces in 2011 but more than 70 people, the sources said. of Bethlehem, reported revealing state secrets over a story “The fearsome friend: President has remained a potent antagonist In the deadliest blast, a suicide bomber struck a street in the southern that the soldiers sur- accusing the government of seeking Erdogan’s crusade against freedom in Somalia, launching frequent port city of Basra, killing five people and wounding 10. The Islamic State rounded the town before to illicitly deliver arms to rebels in and democracy.” Turkey last month attacks in its bid to overthrow the group, “after the losses it suffered in western areas, is seeking to move the invading it, searched Syria. Erdogan met with Obama in summoned Germany’s ambassador Western-backed government. battle to the southern areas,” where many of the forces fighting the jihadists a few homes and kid- Washington last week but said the US to protest a two-minute song lam- Al Shabaab has also been are from, Basra Governor Majid al-Nasrawi told journalists. IS overran large napped two Palestinians president had not raised the issue in pooning Erdogan that was broadcast behind deadly attacks in Kenya areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led in Bethlehem. talks and added he was “saddened” on German television. and Uganda. air strikes and training have since regained significant ground. 08 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 MIDDLE EAST

Yemen rebel Syria’s Qaeda delegation in Saudi for talks spokesman AFP

RIYADH: A delegation of Shia Huthi rebels from Yemen is hold- killed in fight ing talks in Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said yester- day, ahead of a planned ceasefire Yemen as an ideological counter- and renewed Yemeni peace nego- weight” for rival jihadist group IS, tiations. His death indeed is said Pieter Van Ostaeyen, a historian “The Huthi delegation is in a blow for Al-Nusra. and monitor of jihadist movements. Saudi Arabia and the discussions “His death indeed is a blow for are ongoing. I believe we have However, that will Al-Nusra. However, that will not made good progress,” Jubeir told not change a lot on change a lot on the operational reporters. Saudi Arabia is lead- level,” he added. ing an Arab coalition that has the operational level: Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a been bombing the rebels for over research fellow at the Middle East a year, in support of Yemen’s inter- Official Syrian pro-government forces celebrate in Al Qaryatain yesterday after Syrian troops regained control of the Forum, a US think-tank, was of the nationally recognised President same opinion. town from the Islamic State (IS), the previous day. Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi. Suri “was a very senior member “Talks with them are ongoing AFP of Al-Nusra, but organisations like with the aim of finding a politi- Al-Nusra aren’t debilitated because Observatory for Human Rights, Suri, Aleppo, killing 12 members of the Leb- of another 20 men accused of col- cal solution for the Yemen crisis,” they lose a single senior leader”, he his son and at least 20 jihadists of Al- anese Shiite Hezbollah movement. “It laborating with the US-led coalition Jubeir said. Saudi Deputy Crown said. “Their organisational structures Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa and other was Al-Nusra’s biggest operation since remains unknown. Prince Mohammed bin Salman BEIRUT: Air strikes have killed sev- are well prepared for targeted assas- fighters from Uzbekistan were killed the ceasefire began,” Observatory chief “This is the highest number of exe- was the first to reveal the presence eral Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front sinations, which are usual business in strikes on positions in Idlib province. Rami Abdel Rahman said. cutions of security officials by IS,” said of a Houthi delegation in Riyadh, in members including its spokesman for them.” Seven were high-ranking jihadists, the Suri’s killing may even be a warn- Abdel Rahman, whose Britain-based an interview with Bloomberg pub- and regime forces have retaken a According to the Syrian Britain-based Observatory said, add- ing by the regime to Al-Nusra against group has a wide network of contacts lished Friday. strategic town from the Islamic State ing that the Syrian air force had likely staging any more offensives, Abdel on the ground across Syria. “There is significant progress group in the latest setbacks for jihad- carried out the strikes. Rahman added. Yesterday, IS’s press officer in in negotiations, and we have good ists in Syria. A temporary ceasefire between “One should not over-interpret the the eastern province of Deir Ezzor was contacts with the Houthis, with a Abu Firas Al Suri (pictured), government forces and rebels has timing,” he said, adding that assassi- killed in an air strike while covering delegation currently in Riyadh. whose real name was Radwan Nam- largely held since February 27, but it nations of jihadists are usually carried fighting between the jihadists and We believe that we are closer mous, fought against Soviet forces does not cover Al-Nusra and IS. out “when a window of opportunity regime troops, the Observatory said. than ever to a political solution in in Afghanistan where he met Al- The break has, in fact, allowed opens”. “It was unclear whether the air Yemen,” the prince said. Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Russia and the US-led coalition that IS has also lost a string of high- strike that killed Mohammad al-Lafi The revelation came ahead the founding father of global jihad, has been bombing IS in Syria to con- ranking members in recent weeks, was Russian or Syrian,” the group said, of a UN-brokered truce slated to Abdullah Azzam, before returning centrate on their fight against the mainly to strikes by the US-led coali- adding that the IS official used the nom enter into effect on April 10, fol- to Syria in 2011. jihadists. tion that launched an aerial campaign de guerre Abu Abdallah Azzam. lowed by talks in Kuwait on April Suri was meeting with other Al-Nusra has generally kept a against the jihadists in Iraq and Syria On Sunday, the army seized the 18. Previous negotiations have leading Islamist fighters in an Al- low profile since the truce brokered in 2014.Last Wednesday, a drone strike town of AlQaryatain, one of the last failed and earlier ceasefires were Nusra stronghold in Kafar Jales in by the United States and Russia came near IS’s de facto capital Raqa killed IS strongholds in central Syria, a week not respected, but analysts say the northwestern Syria when the raids into force. But on Friday, the Al-Qaeda Tunisian commander Abu al-Haija. after the Russian-backed army scored prospects of a deal have improved. struck on Sunday. affiliate and allied rebels pushed Fifteen IS commanders accused of a major victory in the ancient city of UN says about 6,300 people He “was an old time Al-Qaeda regime loyalists out of Al-Eis, a stra- revealing his position have since been Palmyra, also located in the vast prov- have been killed in the war, more member ... He was brought in from tegic town in the northern province of executed by the jihadists, and the fate ince of Homs. than half of them civilians. Egyptian officials postpone Rome trip US transfers 2

Reuters important trade partner for Rome. Libyans from Egyptian officials were initially due in Italy on April 5 and later postponed the trip Guantanamo to April 7 but have now put it off again. The CAIRO: Egyptian officials have indefi- security and judicial sources did not pro- nitely postponed a trip to Rome to discuss vide a reason for the decision. AFP the investigation into the murder of an Ital- A senior Egyptian interior ministry ian student whose body was dumped on official told Reuters the investigation con- the outskirts of Cairo in February, judi- cluded that Regeni - who was researching WASHINGTO: The Pentagon cial and security sources said yesterday. the rise of independent trade unions in yesterday announced the trans- Human rights groups have said tor- Egypt - was being watched by security fer of two Libyan inmates from ture marks on the body of Giulio Regeni, services but that it did not mean that they the Guantanamo Bay detention 28, indicated he died at hands of Egyp- killed him as suspected by human rights centre to Senegal, the latest move tian security forces, an allegation the Cairo groups. under President Barack Obama’s government denies. On March 25 Egyptian police said they contentious plan to shutter the The case has raised fresh questions had discovered Regeni’s bag and passport notorious jail. about accusations of police brutality in following a shootout with a criminal gang The two men—Salem Abdu Egypt, a strategic ally of the West and an whose members had posed as policemen. Salam Ghereby, 55, and Omar Khalif Mohammed Abu Baker Mahjour Umar, born in 1972 -- Supporters of Libya’s unity government hold signs during a demonstration at Martyrs’ Square had been in the US military prison in Tripoli. since 2002. Both had ties to the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Al- Qaeda, according to their leaked Factional splits may hamper Libyan prisoner files. “The United States is grate- ful to the government of Senegal unity government’s push for control for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” the Penta- Reuters But that same support risks stiffening opposition gon said in a statement. to the unity cabinet in Libya’s east, the base of the The latest transfers mean National Salvation government’s political adversar- the remaining population at the ies and powerful anti-Islamist military commander controversial jail is now 89. Thirty- TUNIS: In its first days in Tripoli, Libya’s UN-backed Khalifa Haftar. five of these inmates have been unity government has tried to impose its author- They may fear a western coup by their armed, approved for release to other coun- ity swiftly by ordering a freeze on ministry budgets Islamist-leaning rivals in Tripoli and the pow- tries, though the complex process and securing the prime minister’s office with the erful port city of Misrata. is only completed after rehabilita- help of a powerful armed brigade. Aguila Saleh, president of the eastern parlia- tion and monitoring measures are A violent reaction by hostile militias has so ment, hinted at such concerns when he said on implemented. far not materialised as feared. And from a heav- Saturday that statements by some members of the Obama promised, on his sec- ily guarded naval base, the new government’s Presidential Council “suggest they are not comfort- ond day in office in 2009, to close leaders have begun charting the sprawling North able with the military”. the Guantanamo jail within a year. African state’s economic recovery in conjunction “We will not allow the unity government to be His efforts floundered, however, with the central bank and the National Oil Corpo- under the control of militias in Tripoli,” he said. largely due to fierce opposition ration (NOC). The brigades, who cast themselves as the guard- from Republican lawmakers. But they still face a daunting task as they strive ians of the 2011 uprising that overthrew veteran But the plan is likely doomed. to unify and rebuild fractured institutions, boost oil autocrat Muammar Gaddafi, have proved a disrup- Republicans continue to oppose production, and disband or absorb armed brigades tive presence in the past, and their loyalties can be the jail’s shuttering, especially that have established power bases while drawing fickle.Any attempt to integrate them into national because Obama wants to trans- on public salaries. security forces answering to the unity government, fer the highest-risk detainees to a Those steps will be crucial not only to the gov- or to stop paying their salaries for defying any such site in the United States. ernment’s survival, but also to countering Islamic step, could trigger violence. “The administration is deter- State militants that have seized some pockets of “They are supporting the national unity govern- mined to close the Guantanamo Libya and to rescuing an economy in free fall due ment because they are very cleverly repositioning Bay detention facility. to reduced oil output and crude prices. themselves in the new environment,” said Ricca- The continued operation of The unity government’s leadership, or Presi- rdo Fabiani, a senior North Africa analyst at Eurasia the detention facility weakens dential Council, arrived in Libya last Wednesday Group. “That doesn’t mean they will support the gov- our national security by draining without securing the formal approval of either of ernment all the time. As soon as divisions appear in resources, damaging our relation- the country’s rival parliaments based in Tripoli and the unity government they will side with one min- ships with key allies and partners in the east of the country. ister or another, like they did until 2014.” and serving as a propaganda tool It has relied instead on the support or acqui- As well as appointing Haftar as military com- for violent extremists,” Secre- escence of armed brigades that have controlled mander in the east, the government there has tried tary of State John Kerry said in a the capital since 2014, and earlier backed the self- to set up parallel structures including an NOC and statement. declared National Salvation government. a central bank. ASIA / PHILIPPINES TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 09 US and Philippines begin military drills

The joint manoeuvres -- dubbed Philippines has taken the quarrel to “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) an international court in The Hague. The US and its allies exercises -- are widely seen as a Since last October, two US war- have expressed alarm demonstration of Manila’s continued ships have sailed close to Chinese military alliance with Washington. claimed features in “freedom-of- at China’s maritime US exercise director Lt. Gen. John navigation operations” that Beijing expansion which Toolan said during opening ceremo- has called “provocative”. nies that the alliance between the Vietnam and Japan have sent includes reclamation Philippines and the US is strong and officers to observe the “Balikatan” work such as the demonstrated by the yearly drills exercises. In an editorial Monday, between the two nations. China’s state news agency Xinhua building of airfields “The United States is commit- referred to the exercises as “capping on some of the ted to this relationship and these Manila’s recent attempts to involve disputed islands. are not empty words. These are in outsiders in the regional row”. [the] American expression, putting “However, a provocation so fear- our money where our mouth is,” the mongering and untimely as such is state-run Philippines News Agency likely to boomerang on the initiators,” Anatolia quoted Toolan as saying. “We have it added. The US exercise director over 5,000 US Marines, sailors, underlined that peace in Southeast soldiers and airmen here which rep- Asia depends on cooperation. “And resent this substantial commitment as we think about the Philippines ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippines of the Pacific Command.” and its security landscape, analyz- Annual military drills involving the Nearly 4,000 Philippine soldiers ing its history, patterns and dynamics United States and the Philippines and 80 from Australia are also taking of how our militaries engage with kicked off yesterday with more than part. China claims almost the entire one another, we can identify one 5,000 US troops taking part. waters, with Brunei, Malaysia, the area that’s missing and what we can Australian forces are also partici- Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam do better to help our two nations pating in this year’s war games, to be also claiming parts. The US and its achieve their respective aspirations held until April 15, with some activ- allies have expressed alarm at Chi- for defense and security.” ities taking place near disputed isles na’s maritime expansion, which Aside from ground troops, US off Palawan province in the South includes reclamation work such as fighter jets, five warships and rocket Philippine and US soldiers march with their national flags during the opening ceremony of the annual joint China Sea -- which Manila calls the the building of airfields on some launching pads will see action dur- 11-day Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) military exercise in Manila, yesterday. West Philippine Sea. of the disputed islands, while the ing the two-week exercises. World’s first public dengue vaccine Rebels kidnap Maldives police release five security sixteen journalists programme launched in Philippines officials AFP private Maldives Independent web- AFP nothing more than an ant’s bite,” the relieved child said Anatolia site said. Police used pepper spray to afterwards. break up Sunday’s protest against the Dengue or haemorrhagic fever, the world’s most com- government’s move to criminalise mon mosquito-borne virus, infects an estimated 390 MALÉ: Maldives police have defamation, which media fear will MANILA: The world’s first public dengue vaccination million people in more than 120 countries each year, kill- ZAMBOANGA: Police and military released 16 journalists arrested be used to stifle freedom of speech. programme was launched in the Philippines yesterday ing more than 25,000, according to the World Health confirmed yesterday that three during a protest against a perceived A draft bill proposes heavy fines and as nurses began injecting the first batch of a million chil- Organization. police officers and two army sol- government crackdown on press jail terms for offenders. dren with a French drug to combat the sometimes deadly Symptoms are often mild but more than two million diers were siezed by communist freedom on the politically troubled The government said in a state- disease. people annually develop more serious symptoms -- which rebels over the weekend across the holiday islands, officials said yes- ment the demonstration was broken Several hundred children aged 9-10 queued in front can involve severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, a Philippines. terday. up because journalists were gath- of government health workers at a public school in east- rash, pain in the joints, muscles or bones and leaking blood Regional police command The journalists, which the gov- ered in “a high security zone, where ern Manila for the injections, capping a 20-year, $1.8bn vessels. Asia is home to some 70 percent of cases world- spokesperson Supt. Surki Ser- ernment said were released late protesting is prohibited”, adding effort by French drug manufacturer Sanofi to develop wide. In the Philippines 200,000 cases were reported in enas told state-run Philippines Sunday, have been ordered to report that the group was detained for 10 the vaccine. 2013, according to Sanofi. News Agency (PNA) that the five to police for questioning over the hours in total. Political turmoil in “We are the first country to introduce, adopt and The company said the vaccine should prevent eight were taken in separate surprise demonstration held outside Pres- the Maldives has dented its image implement the first-ever dengue vaccine through the out of 10 dengue hospitalisations and up to 93 percent of roadblocks put up by the New Peo- ident Abdulla Yameen’s office in as a peaceful paradise for well- public health system and under public school settings,” severe haemorrhagic dengue fever cases. ple’s Army (NPA) in the provinces the capital Male. “We were told that heeled honeymooners. The Indian said Philippine Health Secretary Janette Garin. Sanofi’s two-decade effort to develop the vaccine of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, we disobeyed police orders and Ocean nation adopted multiparty The Philippines had in December approved the included 25 clinical studies in 15 countries. and Agusan Del Norte on Sun- they want to question us further,” democracy in 2008 after decades vaccine, the first to be licensed globally to combat the This saw 29,000 volunteers receive a vaccine that, day morning. NPA is the armed Zaheena Rasheed, an editor of the of autocratic rule. mosquito-borne disease for people aged between nine aside from the Philippines, has also been registered in wing of the Communist Party of and 45. Zelin Joice Carungay, aged nine, cried briefly as Mexico, Brazil and El Salvador, according to Sanofi. Of the Philippines (CPP), which has she and her classmates fell in line for the vaccine on teach- 17,000 people who were injected with the vaccine in the been waging a 40-year guerrilla er’s orders. Philippines in February as part of the clinical study, just 27 war against the government. “I’m terrified of needles but they told us we need it developed side effects, proving it was an effective vaccine, Capt. Patrick Martinez, Qingming Festival to avoid dengue,” the girl told reporters.“In the end it felt Health Undersecretary Vicente Belizario told reporters. spokesperson for the army’s 4th Infantry Division, also confirmed the capture of the two members of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion. “The NPA threat is a plain coercion to push their extortion demands,” Martinez said. The military’s Eastern Mindanao Com- mand condemned the road blocks. “This is a cowardly act for an armed group pretending to fight for the rights of the people,” it said in a statement emailed to Anadolu Agency. “Their action... are forms of intimidation and coercion vic- timizing peace loving people. It is a contradiction of what the CPP- NPA is claiming, that they are fighting for the rights of the peo- ple,” the statement said. It claimed that the road blocks were a des- perate move by the NPA following Participants hold bamboo sticks as they push to row boats during law enforcement operations and the withdrawal of support from a traditional celebration for Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb A nurse administers the anti-dengue vaccine on a student at Parang Elementary School in Marikina, west a number of their members and Sweeping Festival, in Taizhou. of Manila, yesterday. supporters. Anti-fire agency feels the heat as Indonesian forests burn

Reuters needed at least $1bn in funding over is particularly flammable when dry, The agency’s goal is to prevent have access to funds already allocated areas earlier this year to ensure fire- five years, but that the government often causing fires to spread beyond fires by “re-wetting” 2m hectares (5m to the environment ministry as a stop- fighting resources were deployed was unlikely to allocate a budget for their intended areas. acres) of drained and damaged peat- gap until its budget was finalised. quickly. “Last year we didn’t declare another two months. “The authority to issue or freeze land - roughly the size of Israel - with “The agency is just in the insti- emergency until September, when the JAKARTA: As forest fires raged Foead, an environmental expert licences lies with the environment at least 30 percent of that carried out tution building and staffing stage,” fires were already widely spread, that like never before across Indone- who was formerly the World Wildlife ministry and local governments, not this year. The process involves raising Masduki said, adding the government was our mistake,” he said last month. sia last year, President Joko Widodo Fund’s conservation director in Indo- with this agency,” Foead said, refer- water levels using dams and irriga- remained optimistic the body would President Widodo, who last year announced he was setting up a special nesia, so far has just a handful of staff ring to permits needed to operate the tion channels. achieve its targets this year. cut short a visit to the United States agency to tackle the annual scourge and concedes the agency won’t have plantations that dominate swathes of Nearly half the fires during 2015’s As the agency looks to find its feet, because of the disaster, has threat- that shrouds parts of Southeast Asia the clout to force plantation compa- the nation’s landscape. prolonged dry season were on peaty fires are already flaring in some areas. ened to sack officials if they fail to in choking haze. nies to toe the line in helping restore Much of Southeast Asia was soil. But the agency’s budget has not Riau province on Sumatra island last contain blazes. But, with this season’s fires dried-out peatland. blanketed in acrid haze for several been decided yet, and it has been month declared a state of emergency, Foead and his fledgling agency already blazing, the Peatlands Res- The fires are often started by palm months last year and, as pollution operating since it started in Janu- with over 1,000 people deployed to want plantation companies to restore toration Agency has barely got off the oil plantation and paper firms or by levels spiked, thousands of people ary using money from around $80m manage the crisis. peatlands within their concessions. ground and has a huge task ahead of smallholders who use slash-and-burn were afflicted by respiratory ill- pledged by donors. Chief Security Minister Luhut “There is no other choice for com- it. Nazir Foead, who was appointed practices to clear land cheaply. Peaty nesses, while tourism, schools and Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Pandjaitan said the government panies but to restore or they will risk to lead the body, said Reuters it soil, found in many parts of Indonesia, flights were disrupted. Masduki said the agency would also would declare emergencies in affected huge penalties,” he said. 10 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 VIEWS

EU begins sending people back across the sea, despite rights outcry ESTABLISHED IN 1996

Turkish town of Dikili, where the can stay here, then we are totally sent back. CHAIRMAN migrants were expected to be taken safe,” he said. “But we don’t know It is unclear whether they will to temporary shelters before being if they’ll let us stay or tell us ‘go.’” go quietly. On Friday, detainees SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI transferred to other facilities else- As he spoke, buses pulled up on the island of Chios stormed the where in the country. elsewhere in the harbor, having gates of their detention facility and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Europe’s plans are premised on picked up dozens of detainees from staged an impromptu protest in the the idea that Turkey is a safe country the island’s detention facility. port. Another demonstration was DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI for refugees and that asylum-seek- Each migrant was escorted held Sunday. [email protected] ers can apply for protection there. by a plainclothes Frontex officer Some 3,400 people are being Turkey has already taken in nearly to a waiting ferry. Armed Greek held on Lesbos, which since last three million refugees from the Syr- police were also on board as the year has been the primary gate- ACTING MANAGING EDITOR By Griff Witte ian war. boats set sail. way to Europe for those seeking The Washington Post But human rights advocates A smattering of protesters held an escape from war, oppression HUSSAIN AHMAD insist that the deportation plan is aloft hand-lettered signs reading and poverty. [email protected] fundamentally flawed and repre- “Turkey is not a safe country for The vast majority of the island’s sents an abandonment of European refugees” and “Respect our rights.” migrants are being held in a deten- responsibility to help those seeking The migrants themselves did tion center set among olive groves he European Union on escape from the conflicts raging on not appear to protest. But journalists near the village of Moria. The Monday began sending the continent’s doorstep. Amnesty were kept at a substantial distance facility, ringed by barbed wire back across the sea hun- International has called it “a his- as the deportations played out. and patrolled by twitchy soldiers EDITORIAL dreds of people who, only toric blow to human rights.” Under the deal that the EU and police officers who won’t let Tdays ago, had braved the crossing Rights advocates have been struck with Turkey last month, all journalists near, was largely quiet to Greece aboard flimsy rubber particularly concerned that Tur- refugees and migrants who arrive Sunday evening - though the detain- rafts in search of a new life. key will not provide adequate on Greek shores aboard smugglers’ ees let loose with shouts and cries Bailout talks Just after dawn on Lesbos, sev- protection to people fleeing war. rafts from March 20 onward will around dinner time. eral bus-loads of men were led They also bristle at Europe’s insist- be sent back. The EU has said it will Major humanitarian aid groups reece is still struggling in its efforts towards an aboard two ferries under heavy ence on deporting all new arrivals, accept one Syrian refugee from pulled their assistance from the police and military guard. The fer- regardless of the legitimacy of their Turkey for every Syrian who is facility last month, in protest against economic recovery after a harrowing financial ries, flying Turkish flags, steamed asylum claims. returned. In an attempt to discour- the EU’s plans. A scattering of vol- turmoil plunged the country into a prolonged out of the port and turned east Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman age people from crossing on their unteers remains, however, and they Gcrisis. Athens yesterday resumed reform talks with toward the rising sun along the for the U.N.’s refugee agency, said own, those who are returned will said Sunday that detainees were the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other Turkish coast. neither Greece nor Turkey had in be sent to the back of the line for struggling to obtain accurate infor- creditors to solve differences over budget goals and the scope of The deportations are the first of place adequate systems to ensure the resettlement program. mation about their rights. ongoing pension and tax overhauls, which have been considered thousands expected under the EU’s the people being returned have full The EU has promised billions “The people inside are con- the toughest for the Greek government to implement. But the worst plan to end the continent’s refugee access to their rights. The vast of dollars of financial assistance to stantly asking, ‘Am I going to be crisis by shifting the burden onto majority of those who remain and Turkey and has pledged to ease visa deported?’ And no one can give is over for the country, and the government is moving firmly and neighboring Turkey. Human rights are ultimately slated for deporta- rules for Turks seeking to travel in them an answer,” said Ayesha Keller, steadily towards its goal of economic recovery. The government of groups have condemned the strat- tion, he said, have sought asylum. the 28-member union. The EU has a spokeswoman for the volunteer Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is extremely confident that the latest egy as a violation of basic rights. But he said authorities did not have also said it will revive Turkey’s long- group Better Days for Moria. “No audit would be concluded by April 22. A satisfactory completion of But European officials forged enough personnel to process such stalled membership application. one has a clue what’s going on. It’s this audit would enable the creditors more funds for Greece. ahead with the plan to send sev- a large volume of claims. The agreement reflects Euro- chaos.” In July, Greece grudgingly accepted a three-year, $94bn eral boatloads of people on Monday “We are calling for a suspension pean desperation to halt refugee Shahrukh Rind, a 23-year-old across the Aegean Sea from the of further returns until all safe- flows that brought more than one native of Pakistan who has been European Union bailout that saved it from crashing out of the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios guards are in place,” Cheshirkov million asylum seekers to the conti- volunteering his help on Lesbos eurozone. But the bailout came with strict conditions such as - two popular landing spots for said. He also noted that facilities nent’s shores last year. The number since arriving on the island last fresh tax and pay cuts. The terms imposed by creditors have been refugee rafts - to Turkey. More on Lesbos were becoming dan- was on pace to be even higher this November, said detainees were not painful for Greece, which even triggered riots in the country. deportations are expected to fol- gerously overcrowded, with some year until countries up and down being told how they could apply But the pain hasn’t subsided fully. Tsipras yesterday said the IMF low later in the week, with Europe 3,000 people being held in a deten- the migrant trail sealed their bor- for asylum. “These are people who was now pushing for more austerity measures like wage cuts, hoping that images of people being tion center that is only supposed ders, effectively trapping people risked their lives to get here,” he a layoff legislation and broader home foreclosures that are not sent back will create enough of a to accommodate 2,000. in Greece. said. “Just imagine paying 5,000 deterrent to halt the flow of new The pace of arrivals to Greece German Interior Minister Tho- euros to flee from your country, part of this deal. These measures are certain to stoke discontent, arrivals. has fallen markedly since Europe mas de Maiziere told the country’s and now you’re being sent back.” but the country has no option than accept the terms. But the Ewa Moncure, spokeswoman announced its deportation policy. Tagesspiegel newspaper Sunday EU officials said the initial international lender is working for some immediate relief for for Frontex, the EU border control But even as Europe was sending that he was cautiously optimistic rounds of deportations would be Athens. The agency is trying to convince agency that carried out the depor- people back to Turkey aboard fer- “the high point of the migrant cri- limited to people whose asylum the Europeans to accept is debt relief, tations, said a total of 131 people ries, migrants on rafts continued to sis is behind us.” claims have been rejected or who which Greece itself badly wants. had been sent aboard the two fer- arrive in Greece. At least 58 people New arrivals in Germany have have not applied for asylum. ries that left Lesbos. She said they made landfall on Lesbos Monday plummeted to a rate of 140 a day, Half of the 151,000 people who Interestingly, the latest Greece- Greece were primarily Pakistanis, but that morning. compared with thousands a day have arrived by boat in Greece this creditors talks are happening amid some Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and A group of them stood shiver- earlier in the year. year are from Syria, with Afghans has said interesting ‘leaks’ that the IMF was toying Moroccans were also on board. ing under gray woolen blankets in The reduced flows to Germany and Iraqis making up the majority goodbye to with the idea of a Greek default, which Moncure said the deportees had the port, some clutching babies in largely reflect a bottling up of the of the rest. All three countries have the worst of was vehemently denied by Christine been issued orders to return to Tur- their arms. flows in Greece, with borders closed been devastated by war. Lagarde. But Greece reacted furiously to key by the Greek authorities, and “We were on the sea for six from Macedonia to Austria. As of Turkish Interior Minister Efkan its economic the leaks by WikiLeaks. Athens angrily had not applied for asylum. She hours. We had so many problems,” Monday, 51,000 people remained Ala was quoted Sunday by the pro- said the process had gone “very said Shahid Kamran, a 24-year-old stuck in camps and other accom- government Aksam newspaper as turmoil and demanded explanations over the report smoothly.” Pakistani who said he was flee- modation across Greece, a country saying that Syrians returned from people are saying the IMF was looking for a crisis In addition to the deportations ing the Taliban. Kamran said he that’s already struggling with a his- Greece would be given the chance rebuilding “event” to push the indebted nation and from Lesbos, officials said that 87 had heard that Europe was send- toric debt and economic crisis. to register in Turkey, but that Iraqis, European negotiators into accepting its people were being sent back from ing people back, but still hoped that Over 6,000 of those people are Afghans and Pakistanis would be their lives. fiscal targets. Chios. The ferries arrived in the authorities would reconsider. “If we on the islands and are due to be sent back to their country of origin. Even if the WikiLeaks reports are true, it won’t help the talks and will only vitiate the atmosphere. This was highlighted by the IMF chief in her talks Immigration agents whistle Trump’s tune with the Greek government. “This weekend’s incident has made me concerned as to whether we can indeed achieve progress in a climate of extreme sensitivity to statements of either side,” Lagarde wrote to Tsipras. “It is critical that your authorities leaders try to keep us from doing agents that I know are good, hard- enable millions of undocumented our jobs.” working people trying to do the immigrants to avoid deportation ensure an environment that respects the privacy of their internal The rest of the release -- “our best job they can,” said immigra- and obtain work papers, spend discussions and take all necessary steps to guarantee their first-ever endorsement in a presi- tion attorney David Leopold, former their working hours undermin- personal safety,” she added. dential primary” based on Trump’s president of the American Immi- ing federal immigration policies. The ongoing talks are likely to end with positive results. unique campaign -- reads like a tea gration Lawyers Association, via It’s not unlike a bunch of fire fight- Greece has said goodbye to the worst, and people are looking at party decree circa 2014. e-mail. “Unfortunately, the National ers wandering about town setting rebuilding their lives and the government is likely to have learnt Immigration policy is Border Patrol Council is just another fire to abandoned buildings when- immensely complex and, like other anti-immigrant group.” ever the mood strikes them. all the right lessons from the crisis. contentious political issues, sub- If the union is even slightly There’s a limit to what the White ject to the variable weather of representative of many of the House can do about the situation. By Francis Wilkinson public opinion. But it’s also sub- agents it represents, you can see With the blessing of Congress, Bloomberg ject to a hefty amount of hostility how Obama’s policy of prioritiz- the border patrol has expanded from the federal agents who are ing deportations, with a heavy de aggressively in the past two dec- tasked with carrying it out. In 2012, facto emphasis on leniency for the ades. Border Patrol and ICE agents, a group of Immigration and Customs law abiding, could often go awry not White House functionaries, are Quote of the day ow disconnected is border Enforcement agents sued the Barack in the field. the ones out in field, patrolling policy in Washington from Obama administration, claiming On Vox.com last year, Dara Lind the border areas and the interior, Hthe border patrol agents the administration required them wrote: “Immigration agents have encountering undocumented immi- Nato continues to be a who carry it out in Arizona, New not to enforce the law. The lawsuit more power than anyone else in grants and making decisions about Mexico, Texas and California? was funded by NumbersUSA, an determining who gets deported what to do with them. lynchpin, a cornerstone Last week, the National Border anti-immigration group. - and, accordingly, have the respon- Like the anti-immigrant wing of US and European Patrol Council, which represents The affinity between some sibility to make sure that’s in line of Congress, they can be a hostile 16,500 of the nation’s more than ICE agents, border patrol agents with the administration’s policy. force, working at cross purposes defence policy. We 21,000 border patrol agents, and anti-immigration groups is no “But rank-and-file agents have to the executive under whom they continue to be united in endorsed Donald Trump for pres- secret. The Center for New Com- been fighting the administration for serve. The Supreme Court, which ident. In case this obvious affront munity, a Chicago-based nonprofit years over attempts from the White will hear the Texas lawsuit against supporting Ukraine. to the current president was insuf- devoted to “countering the reality House to restrict agents’ ability to the administration this spring, can ficiently pronounced, the union’s of racism and bigotry in America,” deport unauthorized immigrants.” rule in Obama’s favor, enabling him press release took pains to spell it issued a 2015 report pointing out In effect, many agents, along to pursue his immigration policy Barack Obama out, saying its members “selflessly ties between border agents and with employees of states such as via executive action. What it can’t US President serve this country in an environ- anti-immigration groups. Texas, which has sued the Obama do is make the agents in the field ment where our own political “Most immigration enforcement administration over its plan to carry that policy out.

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Qatar and Amnesty International accusations

By Dr Mohammad Saleh Al Misfer

rom time to time Amnesty International surprises us with controversial reports about the situation of the expatriate work- Fers in Qatar. In its recent report, Amnesty indicated that workers are subject to bad treatment and claimed that they are not receiving their due payments and rights on time. These accusations are immoral, and lack credibility because the promot- ers of these allegations are spiteful groups composed of both Arabs and foreigners. The first group is determined to put forth this unreliable information with the aim of insulting Qatar and defaming it by spread- ing rumours and writing false reports, to submit them to respectable organizations such as the International Labour Organi- zation, Amnesty International and other human rights agencies. Spitefulness and political motives are sometimes pushing such entities to try to influence the FIFA management to review or change its previous decisions by creat- ing confusion and making the international community hesitate about Qatar’s ability to host the World Cup event in 2022. The second group of Europeans receives the false information from the first group Construction work on Qatar’s iconic Khalifa Stadium, one of venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The stadium will have the capacity to accommodate 40,000 composed of Arabs, who do not like good spectators. things to happen to Qatar and any other Arab country. I personally blame in this regard some Western writers who are repeating depend on investigative teams to conduct from hired writers or public relations there are unintentional mistakes. I think should be screened showing our concerns unreliable information and deliberately field work, but the problem with some of companies seeking profits. The author- such mistakes happen when we fail to tell for the rights of foreign workers. trying to defame Qatar, whether through these teams is that they may have stereo- ity concerned here, in Qatar, mentioned the people whom we invite to attend con- I demand that every decision-maker in information received via organizations or typed images and prejudiced views even that Amnesty International’s field inves- ferences, seminars and festivals held here, this generous country should educate the public relations companies. before starting the work. Due to this they tigative report was limited to just four about our efforts for the development of foreigners who come to Qatar to partici- Composers of such false reports aim at forget all reformation efforts carried out companies out of more than 40 com- all sectors, especially the infrastructure pate in the conferences about our efforts first to earn money by creating confusion by the country to improve the labour sit- panies engaged in the renovation of the developments related to the facilities of to protect human dignity for the citizens and speaking in line with the interests and uation and to achieve justice and equity. Khalifa International Stadium, namely FIFA World cup 2022. and expatriates as well in an equal way. desires of some groups targeting certain Many ambassadors of the labour export- Eversendai, Seven Hills, Blue Bay, and I raised this issue in an article pub- It common when certain countries countries. Sometimes also famous figures ing countries in Qatar spoke openly in the Al-Nakheel Landscapes. lished in Al Sharq newspaper, on March 25 organize conferences and forums attended media about the workers situation here, Qatari officials have acknowledged that under title of “Doha Forum for Think-tanks”. by foreign participants, to take the visitors and they lauded the efforts carried out by challenges in worker’s conditions existed The text of the article was as follows; “We on a tour to show them historical sites, the state of Qatar on legal and living con- during early 2015 but, due to law enforce- are being attacked by international media development projects and achievements ditions of the workers. ment and monitoring efforts, the problems focusing on expatriate workers and their on the ground. I demand that every decision- Each embassy of these countries has have been addressed, and Seven Hills, and rights in the country. Do we arrange any Finally I would like to say that I hope considerable numbers of workers in Qatar Blue Bay were excluded from working in visits by these huge number of guests we officials in our country become aware maker in this generous country and has an attaché in charge of labour any future projects of the World Cup until invite for the conferences to see the labour about the importance of making visitors should educate the foreigners who affairs. Interested agencies and human they demonstrate that they are compliant camps, accommodation and worksites, to talk to their fellow citizens, students and rights organizations should refer first the with the standards and specifications set by let them know the reality and ask them media in their respective counties about come to Qatar to participate in host country to get the required informa- the Supreme Committee for Delivery and indirectly to convey what they have seen? Qatari efforts to enhance human rights and the conferences about our efforts tion about the workers and then refer to Legacy. Perhaps companies which were Why do we not arrange a special ses- maintain the dignity of expatriate workers to protect human dignity for the the embassies to check the information excluded from working in the World Cup sion as part of every conference to discuss taking apart in the development projects. received, as these embassies know the 2022 projects were behind some of the false the worker’s situation in Qatar, and to make This is the practical way to respond to false citizens and expatriates as well in an situation of their citizens here. information provided to Amnesty Inter- the participants listen to the concerned and biased reports being promoted by some equal way. This is the safest way to get reliable national. Officials in our country of Qatar officials from the respective embassies to distort our beloved country. Allah bless information, instead of taking information should accept our opinion if we say that in Qatar? A short documentary film also it and its leadership.

In President Ghani, Afghan women have a champion

and an identity to the greater numbers and respected. President Ghani did President Ghani’s urging, the Supreme ever before. The current generation of Afghan women who are succeed- something just as groundbreaking dur- Court in December issued a ruling that of Afghan millennials - who make ing and the millions who are working ing an interview with Deutsche Welle banned the interpretation of an article up over 60 percent of the population to bring positive change. television last December, when he held in the Constitution that courts used to - is increasingly well-educated and As First Lady Rula Ghani said at a up a horrifying photo of a 22-year- jail women who left home without per- forward-thinking. When the brutal women’s empowerment conference in old Afghan woman being lashed in a mission from male family members. murder of Farkhunda Malikzada hor- Berlin last year, “The Western media remote province after she was accused The programs, policies, and ini- rified the country in March 2015, I was has depicted the Afghan woman as a of adultery. tiatives taken by the government are working at the American University helpless, weak individual. I have said it “This is part of our shame,” he significant not only because they are of Afghanistan. A group of male stu- before and I shall repeat it: The Afghan said, the emotion in his voice clear. results-oriented and driven by lead- dents came into my office to ask how woman is strong, the Afghan woman “We have inherited situations that are ership that is committed to women’s they could commemorate her life. They By Lael Mohib is resourceful, the Afghan woman is shameful, that are absolutely despi- empowerment, but also because they were frustrated and distraught - they The Washington Post resilient.” cable.” With those words, he spoke set an example at the highest level that did not want this brutal act to become The Western And now, for the first time in his- for the nation. Ordinary Afghans are the full participation of women in every the face of Afghan men around the tory, Afghan women have a government just as horrified at how too many of level of society is needed if Afghani- world. These young men joined thou- media has that has made elevating their status and their countrywomen are still treated. stan is to be self-reliant. sands of others on the streets of Kabul depicted the he story of Afghan women protecting their rights a national pri- President Ghani is using his power But the government can only do so to protest Farkhunda’s murder, and Afghan woman as and their struggle for equality ority. A systematic effort is underway to bring about real change. In his first much. Lasting change only really occurs to offer support and protection to the Tand empowerment continues. to change laws and create conditions 15 months, he appointed four female when public attitudes and behaviors brave women who broke with cus- a helpless, weak Despite recent historic gains, much that will bring more women into the cabinet ministers, two female gover- change, and this too is happening in tom to carry her coffin. These are the individual. I have of the world still thinks of Afghani- work force, make it easier for them to nors, three female ambassadors, two Afghanistan. The past 15 years have young men who are leading the ‘cul- stan as one of the worst places to be obtain loans and own property, protect female deputies on the High Peace seen great generational shifts, particu- tural revolution’ that President Ghani said it before female. But the resilience and deter- them from abuse, obtain an education, Council, nominated a female judge for larly in the areas of voting, education, spoke of in his speech to Congress last and I shall repeat mination of Afghan women to rise and access specialized healthcare. the Supreme Court, and directed all his healthcare, and women’s labor force year. I am confident of their sincerity. up and the unprecedented support Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf ministers to appoint at least one female participation. Women constituted 40 Sustainable, meaningful change it: The Afghan for women’s empowerment by the Ghani, is committed to women’s deputy minister. Afghanistan now has percent of voters in the 2014 election; takes time. Afghanistan’s leadership woman is strong, country’s new leadership should not empowerment in word and deed. In the largest number of women in sen- 40 percent of the 9 million children in and its people are still pursuing a vision be underestimated. his inauguration speech, he thanked ior government positions in its history. school are girls; 22 percent of Afghans of equality in the country, and there is the Afghan woman Unfortunately, the Western world his wife, Rula. Though a seemingly He also ordered the review of more this year reported that women in a president who understands the chal- is resourceful, the tends to see Afghan women through small gesture to a Western observer, than 400 cases of women imprisoned their families generate an income (a lenges facing women, who is taking Afghan woman is the lens of the mutilated, the abused, there is no precedent for this in Afghan on accusations of so-called ‘moral 10 percent increase from 2009); and action to address those challenges, or the murdered. Too often, such one- culture and it sent a message to the crimes.’ To date, over 200 women Afghanistan has more women in and who is leading his country and his resilient. sided media coverage denies a voice country that women should be valued have been released. Additionally, at universities and the workforce than people in a positive direction.

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers, not of the newspaper. All correspondence regarding Views and Opinion pages should be mailed to the Editor-in-Chief. 12 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 ASIA / AFRICA South Korea fires artillery into East Sea Nigeria army AFP by Pyongyang’s fourth nuclear test the United States hold every year -- Washington with nuclear attack. on January 6. much to Pyongyang’s fury. North Korea’s top military body arrests militant The aim of the Over the past month, Kim Jong-Un Yesterday’s South Korean drill has accused US-led “hostile forces” of exercise was to role has personally monitored numerous was focused on “mastering more laying siege to the country like Lenin- SEOUL: South Korea conducted a rocket and missile launches into the efficient and accurate firing proce- grad in World War II and Cuba during group leader large-scale live fire exercise yesterday play “the scenario East Sea, including the North’s first dures at sea against enemy targets”, the Cold War missile crisis. LAGOS: Nigeria’s army on the East Sea, where North Korea of a possible North test of a medium-range ballistic mis- the defence ministry spokesman said. In a statement carried yesterday arrested the leader of has been upping tensions with a series Korean maritime sile for two years. The North’s fourth nuclear test in by the North’s official KCNA news Islamist militant group of missile and rocket launches super- Late last month, Kim watched January saw the UN Security Council agency, a spokesman for the National Ansaru, a splinter fac- vised by leader Kim Jong-Un. provocation. what state media called the country’s -- backed by Pyongyang’s main ally Defence Commission (NDC) also said tion of Boko Haram that The drill involving K-9 self-pro- largest-ever long-range artillery drill, China -- impose its harshest sanc- the latest UN sanctions imposed on has been accused of pelled artillery units and 130mm involving multiple batteries of heavy- tions to date over the North’s nuclear Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons kidnapping and killing multiple rocket launchers was held in calibre units pounding an offshore weapons programme. programme were “anachronistic and Westerners. the coastal county of Goseong, which Korean Defence Ministry spokesman island from a beach about 120km The North responded defiantly, suicidal” and could trigger a nuclear In 2012 the US State borders the North. Moon Sang-Gyun told reporters. North of Goseong. claiming a series of key break- strike on the US mainland. North Department named The aim of the exercise was to role It comes during an extended The muscle-flexing was largely a throughs in its development of a Korea sharpened its criticism against Ansaru leader Khalid al- play “the scenario of a possible North period of elevated military tensions response to ongoing, large-scale mil- long-range nuclear strike capa- the United Nations Security Council Barnawi one of three Korean maritime provocation”, South on the Korean peninsula, triggered itary war games that South Korea and bility, and threatening Seoul and (UNSC) over sanctions. Nigerian militants black- listed for ties to Boko Haram and Al Qaeda’s north African wing. Defence spokesman Floating cherry petals Brigadier General Rabe Australian Tax Office Abubakar said al-Barnawi was arrested in Lokoja, the capital of the central probes tax evasion state of Kogi, on Saturday. Bangladesh Reuters further cross-check the data from the documents. busts militant “Some cases may be referred to the Serious Financial Crime den after blast SYDNEY: The Australian Tax Office Taskforce,” Cranston said in the (ATO) said yesterday it is investigat- statement. DHAKA: Bangladesh ing more than 800 wealthy clients “The message is clear - taxpayers police said yesterday they of a Panama law firm for possible can’t rely on these secret arrange- had seized a large quan- tax evasion. ments being kept secret and we tity of explosives from a The probe follows the reported will act on any information that is suspected Islamist mili- leak of more than 11.5 million doc- provided to us.” Treasurer Scott Mor- tant hideout where two uments from the files of law firm rison told ABC Radio Monday that people were killed making Mossack Fonseca, based in the tax “our record when it comes to tax grenades. haven of Panama, revealing details avoidance and particularly multi- Police recovered 20 of hundreds of thousands of clients. national tax avoidance is one of grenades and a large The documents are at the center legislation and action.” quantity of the explosive of an investigation published on The 800 individuals under gel used to make them as Sunday by the International Con- investigation include some taxpayers well as four pistols when sortium of Investigative Journalists, who had previously been investi- they stormed a house in the German newspaper Süddeut- gated and others who had reported Visitors row boats in the Chidorigafuchi moat covered with petals of cherry blossoms as the flowers the north of the country. sche Zeitung and more than 100 themselves to the tax office under its are in full bloom in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. “Some 200-300 gre- other news organizations around so-called Project DO IT - Disclose nades could be made the globe. ICIJ is the international Offshore Income Today. The vol- with the gels that we’ve arm of the Center for Public Integrity. untary disclosure initiative, which seized from the house,” The leaked “Panama Papers” closed at the end of 2014, allowed Sherpur district police cover a period over almost 40 years, people to come forward and avoid chief Mohammad Asaduz- from 1977 until as recently as last steep penalties and criminal charges. Family of Xi used tax havens: Panama leaks zaman said. December, and allegedly show that However, the tax office said the some companies domiciled in tax individuals under investigation also havens were being used for sus- include “a large number of taxpay- AFP among 140 political figures around is supressed. In 2012 the Bloomberg Ruling party in pected money laundering, arms and ers who haven’t previously come the world alleged to have links to off- news agency published investigations drug deals, and tax avoidance. forward.” shore accounts, after an investigation into the vast wealth said to have been crisis talks over “Currently we have identified In New Zealand, the tax agency into the leak of 11.5m documents from amassed by Xi’s family, revealing that over 800 individual taxpayers and is “working closely” with its tax BEIJING: The families of some of the Panama-based law firm Mossack Deng and his wife had accumulated Zuma scandal we have now linked over 120 of them treaty partners to obtain full details China’s top communist brass -- Fonseca. several hundred million dollars in to an associate offshore service pro- of any New Zealand tax residents including President Xi Jinping -- used They include Xi’s brother-in-law company shares and property assets. JOHANNESBURG: South vider located in Hong Kong,” the who may have been involved in offshore tax havens to conceal their Deng Jiagui, who in 2009 -- when his Since becoming president that Africa’s ruling African Australian tax office said in a state- arrangements facilitated by Mossack fortunes, a treasure trove of leaked famous relation was a member of the same year, Xi has staked his reputa- National Congress (ANC) ment emailed to Reuters. It did not Fonseca, said John Nash, Inland Rev- documents has revealed. Politburo Standing Committee but not tion on pushing for transparency by party held crisis talks yes- name the Hong Kong company. enue’s international revenue strategy At least eight current or former yet president -- set up two British Vir- initiating a vast anti-graft campaign terday to discuss the ATO Deputy Commissioner manager, in comments emailed to members of the Politburo Standing gin Islands companies. to clean the party’s ranks of corrup- fallout from a court ruling Michael Cranston said his office Reuters. Nash said there is an “active Committee, the ruling Communist Xi has been dogged by foreign tion and to reassert his authority. last week that President was working with the Austral- compliance programme focused on Party’s most powerful body, have media reports of great family wealth. The daughter of former premier Jacob Zuma flouted the ian Federal Police, the Australian those who engage in abusive off- been implicated, highlighting the The claims are ignored by main- Li Peng -- who was in power from Constitution, triggering Crime Commission and anti-money shore arrangements and don’t meet hot-button issue of wealth among stream Chinese outlets, and their 1987 to 1998 --- was also identified calls for him to resign. laundering regulator AUSTRAC to their tax obligations.” China’s ruling elite. The eight are publication on the Internet in China in the documents. The ANC backed Zuma, 73, after the Constitu- tional Court rebuked him for ignoring Public Pro- tector Thuli Madonsela’s Suu Kyi drops plans to order that he pay back Gunbattles rock Brazzaville some of the $16 million spent on upgrading his private Nkandla home. Reuters since 1997, when Sassou Nguesso headquarters. The gunfire broke run two ministerial jobs But the scandal, one returned to power after months of out in the opposition strongholds of of several which have urban warfare between rival mili- Makelekele and Bacongo at 3am local dogged Zuma over the tia groups in the capital. time (0200 GMT) and lasted until AFP to NLD spokesman Win Htein. “Daw past decade, could strain BRAZZAVILLE: Gunbattles rocked He had previously ruled the oil- 6am It resumed around 8am and Aung San Suu Kyi will be the spokes- relations between the the capital of the Congo Republic yes- producing country from 1979 until intensified in late morning as mili- person for the president,” he added, ANC and its allies the terday, shattering a relative calm that he lost an election in 1992. Witnesses tary helicopters patrolled southern without elaborating on the rejig. The South African Communist had followed President Denis Sassou said young opposition supporters Brazzaville, witnesses said. Heavy YANGON: Myanmar’s Aung San move will free up the 70-year-old’s Party (SACP) and labour Nguesso’s re-election in a disputed chanted “Sassou, leave!” erected bar- weapons fire could be heard. Suu Kyi has dropped plans to run already busy day-to-day responsi- federation COSATU, which poll last month. ricades near the main roundabout Hundreds of residents of south- two major ministries but will act as bilities while reinforcing control over have helped it to retain The fighting between security in southern Brazzaville’s Makele- ern Brazzaville, some carrying their spokeswoman for the country’s new her proxy president Htin Kyaw. power since the fall of forces and unidentified gunmen was kele neighbourhood and set fire to possessions on their heads, fled their president, a ruling party official said Hopes are growing that the apartheid in 1994. some of the worst to hit Brazzaville the local mayor’s office and police neighbourhoods. yesterday. newly sworn-in government can Banned from becoming pres- accelerate the country’s economic ident by a junta-era constitution, and political rejuvenation after Vietnam seizes Suu Kyi has cemented control over nearly half a century of military the country’s first civilian-led gov- repression. Chinese ship ernment in decades by taking on Suu Kyi’s party won a huge man- a string of senior roles in the new date at last November’s elections. PHNOM PENH: Vietnam’s administration. But the constitution effectively coast guard has seized She has vowed to rule “above” bans her from the top post as it rules a Chinese fuel ship for the president, picking school friend out anyone with foreign-born chil- allegedly intruding into and close aide Htin Kyaw for the role. dren or spouses from becoming its waters, report state Lawmakers from her National president. media. The ship, carrying League for Democracy party are also Suu Kyi married and had two more than 100,000 litres pressing for a special “state counsel- sons with a British national. of fuel, was stopped near lor” position for the Nobel laureate, The military also retains control the northern maritime an appointment that would allow her of the key home, defence and border border last week. to liaise between the presidency and affairs ministries, while 25 percent Vietnamese media say parliament. of parliamentary seats are reserved the crew admitted they Last week the NLD said she for unelected soldiers. were supplying fuel to would take on four cabinet posts -- The military has already balked Chinese fishing boats in foreign, energy, education and the at the NLD’s plans to make Suu Kyi the area, according to the ministerial position in the presi- a “state counsellor” with army MPs (BBC). dent’s office. in parliament last week saying the Vietnam and China are But during a parliamentary move bypasses the constitution. locked in a dispute over session on Monday, the NLD put for- The proposal is likely to sail overlapping claims in the Residents of the southern districts of Brazzaville flee clashes between Congolese security forces and ward two new names for the energy through the NLD-dominated South China Sea. unknown assailants, yesterday. and education portfolios, according legislature. PAKISTAN TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 13 Sharif’s family defends ownership of firms

records showing they owned London call for the National Accountability real estate through offshore compa- Bureau to investigate. Among those named nies administered by the firm. A spokesman for Sharif fam- in Panama Papers “Nawaz Sharif does not own any ily late yesterday responded to the company but having companies in media reports, saying “Panama leaks are three of Sharif’s the name of his children also raises and ICIJ have made no allegations of four children — questions,” Umar Cheema of the wrongdoing against Sharif family”. daughter Maryam Center for Investigative Reporting “None of the corporations men- in Pakistan, said. tioned are owned or run by Mr and sons Hasan and The centre is partnered with the Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Hussain — with the Investigative Consortium of Inde- Pakistan,” the spokesman said in a pendent Journalists, which spent statement, which was shared by Mar- records showing months poring over the documents yam on her Twitter account. they owned London before Sunday’s online release. The statement said Maryam “There are more than 200 Nawaz “is merely a trustee of one of real estate through Pakistanis which our report has the corporations owned by Mr Hus- identified, and they include lawyers, sain Nawaz, which would only entitle offshore companies Residents cross a flooded street following heavy rain on the outskirts of Peshawar yesterday. lawmakers and some people from the her to distribute the assets to Mr Hus- administered by the judiciary,” Cheema said. sain Nawaz’s family if required”. firm. Opposition leader Imran Khan As prime minister, Sharif has called for action against Sharif. “Our invited investment in Pakistan. But Rescuers race to reach thousands stance vindicated again as Sharif’s the latest revelations could raise wealth stashed abroad exposed,” uncomfortable questions about AFP he tweeted, adding the country’s why his family has kept their wealth accountability watchdog, tax author- abroad. stranded by rains; toll rises to 61 ities and election commission must A report commissioned by Brit- take action. ain’s Department for International ISLAMABAD: The family of Paki- But Sharif’s son Hussain told the Development last year said Pakistan’s stani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif country’s largest private broadcaster economy was facing an “existential AFP rescue workers had not been able to In Pakistan-administered Kash- yesterday defended their ownership Geo his family had done “noth- crisis” stemming from its woeful reach three affected districts in the mir’s Neelum Valley, officials said of offshore companies after they were ing wrong”. “Those apartments are tax collection rates and inability to far-flung mountainous north of the thousands were stranded by land- named in the Panama Papers, one ours and those offshore companies finance itself. province. slides. At least ten people, including of the biggest media leaks in history. are also ours,” he said. Ali Nadir, a financial analyst, said PESHAWAR: Rescuers were battling “Bad weather is the main reason, five children, died there when two Revenue generation is par- “There is nothing wrong with it the use of offshore companies was in yesterday to reach thousands of peo- we are yet unable to send helicopters houses were buried in a landslide ticularly sensitive for Pakistan’s and I have never concealed them, nor some cases legitimate. ple stranded by floods and landslides to these areas,” Rehman said. Rehman caused by the rains, Raja Moazzam, government, which is receiving a $6.6 do I need to do that. But he added: “I believe political in Pakistan’s northwest and parts of said they had received reports that at a spokesman for local disaster man- billion bailout package from the IMF “It is according to British law and business leaders will be hard- Kashmir, officials said, as the death least 180 houses had been destroyed in agement authority told AFP. and has a tax-to-GDP ratio of 11 per- and laws of other countries that it is pressed to take the privacy defence toll rose to 61. those areas. “We need to get bodies and Mainly dry weather was expected cent, among the lowest in the world. a legal way to avoid unnecessary tax given the worldwide move towards Disaster management officials the injured out from under the rubble in most parts of Pakistan from Mon- The leak, comprising 11.5 via offshore companies.” a better track of money, tax evasion, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and provide food and tents to the sur- day, according to the meteorological million documents from Panama- Hussain said he left Pakistan in laundering and corruption. where 51 people have died since the vivors,” Rehman said, adding that four department’s website, though thunder- based law firm Mossack Fonseca, 1992 and therefore is not resident, “This may also start more locally downpour began Saturday night, said truckloads of supplies had been sent to storms were still predicted for Kashmir. shows how some of the world’s most adding Pakistani tax law “says that focused probes as there are likely to bad weather was hampering the res- affected districts. Poorly-built homes across the powerful people have secreted their if you are not staying in Pakistan for be disclosure issues.” cue and relief operation. “All roads leading to villages and country are prone to collapse dur- money offshore. more than 138 days, then you are not The Panama Papers have “Death toll has been risen to other areas have been blocked... There ing the annual spring rains, which Among those named are three required to declare your assets”. whipped up a storm of controversy 51, at least 150 houses have been is no movement at all,” Khalid Khan, are often heavy. Severe weather hits of Sharif’s four children — daugh- “We voluntarily present our- over offshore wealth, ensnaring destroyed,” an official of the Provin- a courier company owner in Shangla Pakistan annually, and in recent ter Maryam, who has been tipped selves before it or any other judicial political leaders, sports figures and cial Disaster Management Authority district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said, years hundreds have been killed to be his political successor, and and investigative institution in Paki- underworld members across the said. Latifur Rehman, a spokes- adding that local hospitals lack the and huge tracts of prime farmland sons Hasan and Hussain — with the stan,” he said in response to Khan’s globe in the scandal. man for the Authority, told AFP that facilities to deal with the injured. destroyed.

Allama Iqbal Open JCMB session in Kabul University Google removes Afghan launches nine Taliban smartphone app short courses AFP militant group’s “technology depart- Internews ment” was also working on a Farsi version of the app. Once seen as uneducated thugs, KABUL: Google has removed a Tal- the Taliban have developed a media- ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open iban smartphone app from its online savvy PR team who use digital University (AIOU) of Pakistan has store, the US Internet giant said yes- technology to reach out to audiences launched nine short-term agro- terday, countering the tech-savvy worldwide. When the Taliban ruled based courses to promote skill and Afghan militant group’s increasing Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, knowledge in the agriculture sector. efforts to boost global visibility. almost all electronic products were The last date for admissions The Taliban launched their foray outlawed as un-Islamic. in these courses is April 11 (Spring into smartphone apps on Friday with Photographs of living things 2016 semester). The courses relate a Pashto language app called “Ale- were illegal and ownership of a to plant protection, oil seed crops marah”, giving access to propaganda video player could lead to a public production, farm machinery, dairy statements and videos. lashing. But the Taliban have avidly farming, poultry farming, ‘jadeed The digital campaign, first embraced electronic communication zirat’ improved methods of fruit reported by the US-based SITE Intel- and social media in recent years as production, home and farm oper- ligence Group, added to the Taliban’s a recruitment tool and to promote ational management and farm already robust social media pres- their propaganda. income generating skills. ence and a website in five languages “In this era of IS and its dis- These schemes are aimed at including English. turbingly tech-savvy ways, many enabling the people of rural areas But barely a day after the launch, of the older guard militant groups Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (centre), Special Representative of UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan to earn their liveliness, said Vice the app was no longer available for like the Afghan Taliban may feel Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Sid- Nicholas Haysom (left), Afghan Finance Minister Aklil Hakimi (second left), Afghan Foreign Minister download on Google Play Store, they’re losing out,” Michael Kugel- diqui. The curriculum about these Sallahuddin Rabani (second right) and Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmer attend the Special the tech giant confirmed in a state- man, Afghanistan expert at the courses is being updated to equip Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) session in the Presidential Palace, in Kabul, yesterday. ment. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Washington-based think tank the their students with latest tech- The JCMB was established for coordination between the Afghani government and international partners. Mujahid was not reachable for com- Woodrow Wilson International Cen- niques and methods in the field of ment. He said on Sunday that the tre for Scholars, said. agriculture. “We are laying greater focus on the socio-economic needs of the society, he added. Besides these programmes, admissions in Postgraduate Diploma Homemade food business booming in Islamabad are also open till April 11 with late fee. These courses include: Educa- tional Planning and Management, Internews “Someone who is as crazy about medley of textures; A crumbly base satisfying my own sweet tooth. I don’t Hussein, said her mother returned Mass Communication, Teaching sweets as I am will know that the cup- made from wheat crackers, and vel- put anything in these items that I will from a trip to Mongolia with stories of English as a Foreign Language, cakes sold at bakeries are not really vety smooth cheese topped with a not give my own children,” she said. about the food that was very custom- Computer Science (Online) and Early fresh because their texture is chewy slice of fresh strawberry. Kubalai’s Kitchen is another home- isable, which is where the idea came Child Education. ISLAMABAD: The homemade food and they are harder than they are The Vanilla and Nutella panna based eatery that offers a healthy mix of from. The eatery is now working on Associate Degree in Commerce delivery business in the capital is supposed to be. It just speaks of the cotta is another decadent Italian protein and fresh vegetables. Special- another menu in which all the item. has also been introduced in eight really coming of age. With stories low quality ingredients they must be delight; A smooth and velvety cream ising in bowls of oriental food, Kublai’s Kubalai’s caters to vegetarians different disciplines. These spe- of restaurants being shut down for made with,” she said. dessert thickened with gelatin that offers three serving sizes; the warrior, and has included tofu and zucchini cialisations include: Accounting unhygienic kitchens and for using Shamsi then set about making her comes in a serving big enough for two. the conqueror and the emperor, in noodles in its menu. Utensils for cook- and Finance, Banking and Finance, substandard ingredients, some own cupcakes and soon, they became Asked how she achieved such ascending order. ing vegetarian and meat based foods Hospital Management, Hotel women in Islamabad have taken mat- popular with her friends and family. smooth textures, Fareeha said, “This The dishes are based around four are kept separate and are labelled to Management, Human Resource ters into their own hands and have “I started experimenting with other comes from using fresh cream; If bak- types of protein: Beef, chicken, prawns avoid being switched. Management, IT Management, begun offering homemade food for desserts as well and everyone would eries were using fresh cream, their and tofu. Customers then select five “We know people are very con- Marketing Management and Tour- delivery or takeout. say, ‘you could sell these’. So I thought, desserts would taste just as smooth.” vegetables from a long list, which will scious about cleanliness as well and ism Management. Last date for the The first of these home-based why not.” Fareeha has now expanded Fareeha is also experiment- be stir fried with the protein of their you often hear about how a restaurant admission in these programmes is enterprises is Pink Ivy, a dessert deliv- the menu to include panna cotta des- ing with her own ice cream and choice and carious sauces to taste. you frequented turned out to have a March 4. The University has set-up ery and takeaway service based in serts, flavoured breads, ice creams, has already perfected a homemade The restaurant was started by four disgusting kitchen. So, we decided to ‘Prospectus Sale Points’ at Tehsil Sector E-11. The owner, Fareeha Has- mousse, cakes and, of course, cupcakes. strawberry cheesecake and Oreo ice friends looking for something differ- periodically upload pictures of our level across the board and placed san Shamsi, says she opened shop Pink Ivy’s specialty, however, is cream, as well as chocolate brownie ent to eat. They realised there were kitchen so people can be assured that the addresses of all these offices because she could not find fresh and bite-sized cheese cakes. The fresh ice cream with swirls of fudge sauce. not many options for healthy food. they are eating from a clean place,” at its website www.aiou.edu.pk. fluffy cupcakes anywhere in the city. mini strawberry cheese cake is a “For me, Pink Ivy is a lot more about One of the owners, Samar Hussein said. 14 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 INDIA

CPI-M accuses West Bengal records 81% voter turnout Trinamool of malpractices districts of West Bengal yesterday in in Bankura districts. The elections got constituency in Bankura district. terrorisation of voters in the interior the first phase of the assembly polls over at 4pm in these constituencies. For the first phase of the elections, areas,” said state Congress president Congress and Left covering 18 constituencies. In five other constituencies of there were 40,09,171 registered vot- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. KOLKATA: Accusing the ruling Front accused The constituencies that went to Purulia, polling ended at 6pm. How- ers eligible to record their democratic Communist Party of India-Marx- Trinamool Congress of indulg- the hustings included 13 in areas iden- ever, the polling figure may go up as choices in 4,945 polling stations. Of ist politburo member Md. Salim said ing in electoral malpractices, the Trinamool activists tified as affected by the Left-Wing lot of people were in queue in many these, 1,962 were classified as critical polling was “more or less peaceful”, CPI-M yesterday refused to call of attempting Extremism (LWE). of the areas long past the closing time, where special security measures were though a section of police personnel the first phase of the West Bengal An Election Commission official said Gupta. taken Gupta said there were no reports played a “partisan role”. assembly polls “entirely fair”. The to influence and said in Delhi that the polling was “by He said there were no arrests, of poll boycott in any of the booths. The Trinamool, Left Front-Con- Trinamool rubbished the charges intimidate voters in and large peaceful”. “There was no or formal complaints about booth Prominent among the 133 can- gress combine and the Bharatiya and claimed the “massive turnout” many booths across incident of violence, any injury or capturing. “We did not receive any didates were Paschimanchal Janata Party (BJP) were in the fray indicated the party’s popularity. death to any person, which is a cred- serious complaints from the candi- Development Affairs Minister Suku- for all the 18 constituencies. Eighteen constituencies spread the three districts. itable achievement,” the official said. dates, voters or parties,” said the CEO. mar Hansda of the Trinamool Congress Among the Left Front partners, across the three Maoist-affected Till 6.30pm, the overall polling per- He said a presiding officer was from Jhargram and the CPI-M’s Pulin the CPI-M has put up candidates in districts of West Midnapore, centage was 80.92. removed after there were allegations Bihari Baske from Gopiballavpur. 11 seats, and the Communist Party Purulia and Bankura went to the While 81.66 percent voters cast their that a polling agent was moving to the The Congress and the Left Front of India and the All India Forward hustings on the day and register- IANS ballot in West Midnapore district, the voter compartment in polling station accused Trinamool activists of Bloc in one seat each. The Congress ing over 80 percent polling. figure was 80.59 percent in Bankura, No. 15 of Purulia district’s Balaram- attempting to influence and intim- was in the race in five constituencies. “The polls were fairly peace- and 80.18 in Purulia, state Chief Elec- pur constituency. idate voters in many booths across Multi-layered security was put in ful but I will not say it was entirely toral Officer Sunil Gupta said in Kolkata. Another polling official was the three districts, and also com- place around the constituencies, with fair. In places like Salboni (West KOLKATA: Braving the sweltering The scheduled time of polling was removed for dereliction of duty after plained that the central forces were at least 10 personnel of a central para- Midnapore), Bankura and Purulia, heat and oppressive humidity, nearly reduced by two hours in six insur- votes were found not being recorded not active in many of the areas. “Our military force deployed to secure each the Trinamool, even if it failed to 81 percent of the 40 lakh voters cast gency-hit constituencies of West in the Electronic Voting Machines expectations were not completely ful- polling station in the 13 LWE-affected resort to malpractices in large their ballot in three Maoist-affected Midnapore, four in Purulia and three in booth No. 30 of Ranibandh filled. We don’t know yet the extent of constituencies. way, did manage to try to disrupt the polls by orchestrating attacks, intimidating voters and the like,” said Communist Party of India- Marxist MP Mohammad Salim. “The Trinamool unleashed its Over 78% cast vote in goon brigade and used a section of the administration to try and dis- rupt the polls. In a few places, some Assam first phase poll of EC’s lower level officials worked in the interest of the state adminis- tration. However, the EC has tried to initiate immediate steps in case IANS first phase of the polls and balloting of complaints,” he said. remained peaceful. The Marxist leader credited the A total of 64 Electronic Voting Election Commission as well as the Machines (EVMs) developed snags central security forces for ensure GUWAHATI: Over 78 percent of the and were replaced. the people could exercise their 95 lakh electorate cast their ballot Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi democratic rights. “Despite the Tri- yesterday in the first round of assem- seemed optimistic. “Polling was namool endeavours to disrupt the bly elections to pick 65 legislators in good and it was due to the significant polls, the first phase has largely dis- Assam, officials said. increase in the number of young vot- played the peoples’ intent to uproot Officials said 78.02 percent turn- ers. I am hopeful that the Congress the Trinamool,” added Salim. out was recorded till close of polling, will do well,” Gogoi said. Rubbishing the opposition’s but the percentage was likely to “I don’t want to tell you any num- claims, the Trinamool asserted the increase as reports were still coming bers now, but our seats will increase large turnout was an indication of in from some remote constituencies. than in the 2011 elections,” he added. the masses’ trust in the Mamata The turnout saw an increase from Gogoi, who cast his ballot in his Banerjee-led party. the 2011 assembly election figure, Titabar constituency, earlier urged “The massive turnout displays which was 75 percent. people to vote in large numbers. the peoples’ faith in the Mamata “The poll percentage is likely to “The resilience of our democratic Banerjee government which has increase as we are waiting for reports polity will be in evidence once again V oters queue up to cast their ballots in the state assembly elections at a polling station in Diphu in the brought a revolution in Jangalma- from some of the constituencies,” said as people come out to exercise their Karbi Anglong district, some 215km from Guwahati in Assam, yesterday. hal through development,” said Additional Chief Electoral Officer right to vote,” he told the media after state Panchayat Minister Subrata Nitin Khade. casting his ballot. numbers. The BJP is going to become in the tea belt, north of the Brahmapu- Sonowal said the BJP would win a Mukherjee. “Those who do not Polling started on a brisk note The BJP’s chief ministerial can- the single largest party in the state,” tra river and in the Barak Valley. majority of the seats in the first phase. have any connect with the masses at 7am, as long queues of people didate Sarbananda Sonowal also said Sonowal, who is seeking elec- These include three seats reserved ”We can see that people are crav- can only make such baseless started forming in front of the poll- thanked the people for coming out tion from Majuli, the world’s largest for Dalits and 10 for tribals ing for a change in the state. I hope allegations. These are desperate ing stations. in such large numbers to vote. riverine island. The second and final phase of they will vote for us for a change,” he attempts to stay relevant,” said Tri- Officials said no violence was “People want change and that The 65 constituencies which saw elections to pick a 126-member said outside a polling station at Gor- namool Lok Sabha member Sudip reported from anywhere during the is why they have come out in huge polling on Monday are mainly located assembly will take place on April 11. mur in Majuli. Bandyopadhyay. DMK gives AIADMK to field record number of candidates in Tamil Nadu Cong 41 seats in Tamil Nadu IANS The decision is significant as switched loyalties to her party from Jayalalithaa has also fielded M are among the seven candidates opposition parties were hoping to the DMDK, DMK and PMK. Kalaiarasu and P T Elangovan, who from smaller parties allied with the make the government’s handling of The notable new entrant is Pan- had quit PMK, and Parithi Ilam- AIADMK. AIADMK spokesperson the floods in the city a major elec- ruti S Ramachandran, who had quit vazhuthi, who had quit DMK and Avadi Kumar said that it was the first CHENNAI: The DMK and the Con- CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s ruling tion plank. the DMDK. He was one of the lead- joined AIADMK. time that the party was contesting in gress yesterday announced seat AIADMK will field a record high- The AIADMK general secretary ing lights of the AIADMK when its Former DGP R Nataraj is one of more than 200 seats. sharing for the Tamil Nadu assem- est 227 candidates in the assembly also said that her party will contest founder, the late M G Ramachan- the new faces in the party list. He will Though the allies have been given bly elections, with the Congress elections, with Chief Minister J all 30 seats in Puducherry and put dran or MGR, presided over the contest from Mylapore in the heart seven seats, they will contest under agreeing to contest just 41 of the Jayalalithaa contesting from flood- up seven candidates in Tamil areas state. of Chennai. AIADMK’s “two leaves” symbol. 234 seats. battered Chennai. Even the allies in of Kerala. Another old timer who has been The AIADMK candidates’ list is a Thus, for the first time, the AIADMK The Congress had demanded the remaining seven seats will seek Assembly elections in all three fielded is C Ponnaiyan, a former mix of graduates, post-graduates and symbol will be seen in all the 234 63 seats, the number allotted to it votes on the AIADMK symbol. states are scheduled for May 16. minister. Though eight DMDK leg- those with professional qualifications. constituencies. in 2011. But the DMK offered only 41, Jayalalithaa, 68, announced the While a majority of the Tamil islators turned rebel and supported Over 10 percent of the candidates are Jayalalithaa first became chief which is less than the 48 where the candidates’ list, saying she will seek Nadu ministers have been retained the AIADMK during the most part women. minister in June 1991 and was voted Congress fielded candidates in 2006. re-election from Radhakrishnan as candidates, some outgoing legis- of the outgoing assembly and later Actors-turned-politicians R Sar- out in 1996. She again became chief Congress leader and former Nagar constituency in north Chen- lators, including 10 ministers, have joined the ruling party, only K Pan- athkumar and Karunas will contest minister in May 2001 but stepped union minister Ghulam Nabi nai, an area that was badly affected in been dropped. diarajan out of them has been given from Thiruchendur and Thiruvada- down in September that year due to Azad told the media that he was the unprecedented December floods. Jayalalithaa rewarded those who a ticket. nai constituencies respectively. They legal hassles. confident that DMK President M Karunanidhi would be able to form a government in the state after the May 16 election. DMK treasurer M K Stalin Break with Jackie Chan Telangana aims to added that the DMK-led alliance was confident of winning the elec- tions “as people want a change”. double IT exports Now the parties in the DMK alliance have to decide the con- stituencies each will contest. Earlier, the DMK allotted five IANS sector-specific policies — on rural seats each to the Indian Union technology centres, innovation, elec- Muslim League and the MMK, tronics and gaming & animation. another Muslim party, and one Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and seat to the smaller SSP. HYDERABAD: Telangana yesterday Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Senior Congress leader EVKS unveiled its Information and Com- unveiled the policies in the presence Elangovan said the party was munication Technology (ICT) policy of a galaxy of luminaries from IT pleased with the 41 seats given to and four other subsidiary policies sector including Infosys chairman it. “The partymen are happy now,” aimed at transforming the state into emeritus N R Narayana Murthy. party spokesman Gopanna said. “It the most preferred destination for IT The ICT policy framework says is not a climbdown.” companies and doubling current IT it is aimed at making Telangana a After the rout in the 2014 Lok exports in five years. role model for smart governance in Sabha elections, the 41 seats is not Aimed at making Hyderabad the the delivery of citizen services and a small number, he said. top most IT destination in the coun- to position the state a leading glo- “Also, Congress vice president try, the government has set a target bal hub for entrepreneurship and Rahul Gandhi wanted a minimum of doubling the current IT exports of innovation. of 41 seats, the number the party Rs68,232 crore. The electronics policy aims to contested in Bihar,” Gopanna said. It also aims to double the current attract $3 billion investment in the “In 2001, Congress contested employment of four lakh and estab- sector, generate employment for 1.5 only 14 seats. So 41 is not the lowest Chinese cinema actor Jackie Chan (right) takes a break on set with other performers as they shoot lish three tier-II cities as IT hubs in lakh professionals in five years and ever for the party,” another party a scene of the forthcoming film Kung Fu Yoga at Mandor Garden in Jodhpur in Rajasthan yesterday. five years. enhance production value from $1 leader said. The state also launched four bn to $7.5bn. INDIA TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 15 Multi-agency team to probe ‘Panama’ expose

IANS Papers is likely the biggest leak of initiative.” inside information in history - more In India, The Indian Express ran than 11.5 million documents - and it several pages of the investigation is equally likely to be one of the most reports alleging, among other names, NEW DELHI: Prime Minister explosive in the nature of its reve- Bollywood superstarts Amitabh Narendra Modi yesterday ordered lations,” the consortium said of its Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, being a multi-agency probe team on the investigation published. directors in companies in Panama. global expose by International Con- In the context of the commitment The two did not immediately sortium of Investigative Journalists of the central government to bring respond despite efforts to contact (ICIJ), dubbed the “Panama Papers”, out undisclosed money both from them. Aishwarya Rai’s media adviser which found over 500 Indians also abroad and from within the coun- told the newspaper that the informa- had alleged offshore links. try, information brought out by any tion was false. The spokesperson “A multi-agency group is being investigative journalism was wel- for Aishwarya Rai said “no” when formed to monitor the black money come, the finance ministry said. asked her if she intended to issue a trail,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley The ministry said in the past too, statement. said here after the expose was pub- based on the investigations by ICIJ in Among those named in the report lished in The Indian Express. “Details 2013 — that showed the links of 700 were Sameer Gehlaut of India Bulls of the assets worth Rs6,500 crore has Indians with business connection and K P Singh of DLF. Vinod Adani, Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra (left) administering the oath on Democratic Party leader Mehbooba already been found,” he added. with off-shore entities—the agencies elder brother of industrialist Gautam Mufti at Governor’s House in Jammu yesterday. As per a statement issued by his of the government were able to iden- Adani, politician Shishir Bajoria from ministry, the probe team will com- tify 434 persons as Indian residents. West Bengal and Anurag Kejriwal of prise officers from the Central Board It also said 184 persons admitted Loksatta Party were also alleged to of Direct Taxes’ Financial Intelli- their relationship with such off-shore have set up companies in tax havens. First woman CM takes oath in J&K gence Unit, its Tax Research Unit as entities/transactions. Bajoria told the paper that that also officials from the Reserve Bank “Although, in the previous report “erroneous beneficial owner infor- of India. of ICIJ, information relating to finan- mation” was given by mistake. The group will monitor the flow cial transactions/bank accounts The Express said it had carried IANS BJP leader Nirmal Singh remains Mustafa Mir and inducted three-time of information in each one of the was not available, the government out the investigations spread over the deputy chief minister. legislator Zahoor Mir. The other new case. The government will take all authorities have detected credit in the eight months with several global Constitutionally, the Jammu and face brought in as a junior minister the necessary actions as required to undisclosed foreign accounts of such newspapers. Many of the other per- Kashmir council of ministers cannot by the PDP is Farooq Andrabi, who get maximum information from all Indian persons in excess of Rs.2,000 sons named in the Express reports JAMMU: PDP President Mehbooba have more than 25 members. defeated state Congress president sources including from foreign gov- crores.” As a consequence, 52 pros- responded, some denying while oth- Mufti yesterday took oath as Jammu Mehbooba Mufti drove to the civil Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Dooru ernments to help in the investigation ecution complaints have been filed ers maintaining that they had worked and Kashmir’s first woman chief secretariat in Jammu that houses the constituency. process,” the statement added. against the alleged offenders so far. within the laws of the country. minister heading a 22-member coa- offices of the chief minister, minis- The BJP dropped cabinet minister The journalists’ consortium had “The government is committed to Among the global leaders named lition ministry with the BJP — and in ters and top bureaucrats. Chaudary Sukhnandan and brought said late on Sunday that its mem- detecting and preventing the genera- were 12 current and former world no time attended office. There, she was presented a guard in his place Shyam Lal Chaudhary. bers and more than 100 other news tion of black money. In this context the leaders, including Pakistan Prime Mehbooba Mufti, 56 and now a of honour by the state armed police The BJP also dropped a junior min- organisations around the globe have expose of Panama Papers will further Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family Lok Sabha member, was sworn in by in the presence of Director General ister, Pawan Gupta. found offshore links of some of the help the government in meeting the members. It also sought to reveal Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhavan of Police K Rajendra Kumar. Ajay Anand, a BJP legislator from planet’s most prominent people. The objective,” the finance ministry added. how associates of Russian President here, almost three months after the The chief minister is likely to Reasi constituency, took oath as a list included over 500 Indians. The government expressed concern Vladimir Putin secretly shuffled as state came under Governor’s Rule on chair her first cabinet meeting later junior minister. He is a fresh entrant. The details of the Indians with that tax havens were making coun- much as $2bn through banks and January 8. in the day. The BJP share of cabinet minis- such offshore funds were published tries like India suffer tax losses. shadow firms. The Peoples Democratic The new coalition takes office ters includes People’s Conference in The Indian Express. But whether “The recent initiative of ‘Base In Russia, the state-run media Party has nine cabinet and three after three months of political leader Sajjad Lone, son of late or not such funds exist, and also if Erosion’ and ‘Profit Shifting’ (BEPS) organisations were silent on the junior ministers — the chief min- uncertainty sparked by the death separatist politician Abdul Ghani they were illegal is what the probe will help India and other countries in subject. In Pakistan, however, Shar- ister included — and the Bharatiya on January 7 of then chief minister Lone. team ordered by Modi is expected to checking the practice of tax-avoid- if’s son Hussain told Geo News that Janata Party has eight cabinet and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mehbooba Mufti is the 13th chief look into. ance through such tax havens. India his family had not done anything two junior ministers in the new The PDP dropped two cabinet minister of Jammu and Kashmir, “In terms of size, the Panama is also fully committed to the BEPS wrong. government. ministers — Altaf Bukhari and Javaid India’s only Muslim-majority state.

First semi-high speed train service Four years jail for two JIPL directors in coal case from today IANS Rs.25 lakh on Jharkhand Ispat Pvt occupation and which have came acquire maximum material resources infrastructural development”. Ltd (JIPL). to be known as ‘white collar crimes’ in the name of their business, taking The court last week convicted Defining “white collar criminals” have attracted attention. benefit of open competition, economy JIPL and its directors R S. Rungta and NEW DELHI: The Indian Rail- as “a person of the upper socio-eco- “The average loss from ordinary and individual freedom. R C ungta for the offence of cheating ways yeseterday announced that NEW DELHI: In the first sentenc- nomic class who violates the criminal crimes such as burglaries, robberies “However the inevitable result and criminal conspiracy under the the country’s first semi-high speed ing in a coal block allocation case, a law in the course of his occupa- and larcenies etc may run into few of all the aforesaid acts is the large Indian Penal Code, observing that train — Gatimaan Express — will special court here yesterday sent to tional or professional activities” and thousand rupees only but the loss scale exploitation of the public by they had “fraudulently” and with a be run from today. jail, for four years, two directors of including businessmen, industrialists, which the white collar crimes may the businessmen and professionals “dishonest intention” deceived the The new express train will Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd whom it had entrepreneurs, traders, politicians, cause run not only in lakhs but in in the course of their occupational government in allocating the North operate between the national cap- convicted of criminal conspiracy and bureaucrats or well-qualified profes- crores of rupees,” it said. activities.” Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to ital’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station cheating in bagging a coal block, say- sionals, the court said: “Such white It added that to find criminality Noting coal is an important ele- the firm. and Agra Cantonment station. It ing “white collar criminals” are “more collar crimes are in fact more dan- committed by “white collar criminals” ment for the infrastructural and The Rungtas, who are already in will operate six days a week, except dangerous” to society”. gerous to the society than ordinary is often a difficult task because they industrial development of a devel- judicial custody, were present in the on Friday. Special Central Bureau of Inves- crimes, firstly, because the financial are committed after much deliber- oping country like India, it said courtroom when the sentence was The new express train can tigation Judge Bharat Parashar losses are much higher, and, secondly ations and planning undertaken by such kind of unscrupulous busi- pronounced. attain a maximum speed of 160km awarded four years’ jail terms to because of the damages inflicted on well trained minds having a higher nessmen and industrialists were Besides this case, 19 other cases per hour, according to the Minis- JIPL directors R S Rungta, 79, and R public morale.” status in the society. the reason that “despite 69 years investigated by the Central Bureau of try of Railways. C Rungta, 60, and slapped a Rs5 lakh “Off late the anti social activities The court observed that crime of independence, our country is Investigation (CBI) are pending before It will be flagged off by Railway fine each on them. of persons of the upper socio-eco- committed by “white collar crimi- still lagging behind than most of the the court, set up to exclusively deal Minister Suresh Prabhu yesterday. The court also imposed a fine of nomic strata of the society in their nals” is due to their greed or lust to countries in the world in industrial/ with all the coal scam matters. “The launch of this train her- alds a new era of high-speed rail travel in India. Railway Minis- ter has been emphasising about increasing the speed of both pas- Police dog ‘graduation’ Court trashes plea for CBI senger and goods trains in his budget speeches,” the ministry said in a statement. probe against Chandy The Gatiman Express train comprises of two executive AC chair cars and eight AC chair car coaches. The fare for a single AC IANS action over the disclosures, Chandy chair car seat will be Rs750, and told reporters at his official residence that for the executive AC chair car here that it was “rather strange” that seat Rs1,500. the solar panel scam was still sur- The ministry elaborated that KOCHI: The Kerala High Court facing even after three years. the on-board catering on the new yesterday came down heavily over “I am working on steps to go for- train will be carried out by the wastage of its time, and dismissed a ward with legal measures on this. Indian Railways Catering and plea by prime accused Saritha Nair We feel this is a conspiracy and there Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a for a CBI probe against Chief Min- is a mighty cash rich lobby behind railway undertaking. ister Oommen Chandy in the solar these new disclosures,” the chief “IRCTC has made arrangement panel scam case. minister said. for deploying train hostesses on- While hearing the plea, Justice B. Nair appeared on the Asianet board the train. This train will see Kamal Pasha said there were a lot of News channel on Sunday and said improved catering and will have other cases that merited a probe by she had written the 24-page letter options of different kinds of cui- the Central Bureau of Investigation. in 2013. While agreeing to the con- sines,” the statement added. The “The court is not interested in tents, she refused to discuss them. new train also provides on-board playing politics when the elections Former chief minister V.S. entertainment facility free of cost are round the corner,” said the judge, Achuthanandan on Monday sought by a private agency—MyFreeTv.in. and asked the parties not to waste a fresh probe into the disclosures “Under this facility, passen- the court’s time. made in Nair’s letter. gers can view various entertaining This setback for Nair comes a “Chandy should apologise and videos during the travel on their day after a news channel claimed come clean,” Achuthanandan told smartphone, tablets or laptops to have with it a copy of a letter from reporters in Kochi. even without internet connection her that said Chandy sexually abused The solar panel scam case sur- through Wi-Fi,” the statement said. her. faced when Nair and her live-in The express train features Police dog squad handlers stand with their dogs during a ceremony at India Gate lawns in New Delhi Nair has also accused Chandy of partner Biju Radhakrishnan were new LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) yesterday. A new batch of 30 dogs, all specially trained Labrador retrievers, were inducted into the taking bribes to promote her solar arrested in 2013 on charges of cheat- coaches fabricated by Rail Coach Delhi Police Squad. panel business. ing numerous investors who paid Factory (RCF), Kapurthala. Stating that he was mulling legal money for solar panels. 16 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 EUROPE / UK Infamous UK double agent talks of treachery in secret video: Report

AFP The BBC said it found the footage In the footage Philby begins his dangerous thing indeed,” he said. the contents having been photo- removing my own chief. You oughtn’t in the official archives of the Stasi, the lecture with “Dear comrades”, then “Well, in a time of war, it honestly graphed, and take them back early to listen to this,” he told the East Ger- East German intelligence service. says he is “no public speaker”, having was not.” in the morning and put the files back man spies, drawing laughter. It said the previously unseen foot- spent most of his life trying to avoid He said he befriended the MI6 in their place. “It’s a very, very dirty story, but, LONDON: The only known footage of age shows Philby discussing how he publicity. archivists by going out for drinks with “That I did regularly, year in, year after all, our work does imply get- Britain’s biggest Cold War traitor, Kim went about betraying his country. He talks about how he rose them two or three times a week. out.” ting dirty hands from time to time,” Philby, discussing his life as a double Philby was one of the Cambridge through the ranks of Britain’s Secret “Every evening I left the office He was appointed number two in he added. agent has been unearthed in Berlin, Five spy ring, a group of upper class Intelligence Service (SIS), the foreign with a big briefcase full of reports a new SIS section devoted to counter- Taking questions afterwards, he the BBC said yesterday. men shockingly uncovered as trai- intelligence agency dubbed MI6, while which I had written myself, full of files ing Soviet espionage. advises the East German intelligence In the grainy 1981 video, Philby, tors to Britain. secretly passing on information to his taken out of the actual documents— He was then instructed by his KGB officers to never confess during an who defected to the Soviet Union, After his cover was blown, he fled Soviet contacts. out of the actual archives,” he said. employers to unseat his boss in order interrogation. is seen giving an hour-long lec- from Beirut to Moscow in 1963 and “You have probably all heard sto- “I used to hand them to my Soviet to become head of the department, Philby died in Moscow aged 76 in ture to spies in then communist East spent the last 25 years of his life in ries that the SIS is an organisation contact in the evening. The next which he did. 1988 before the collapse of the Soviet Germany. the Soviet Union. of mythical efficiency, a very, very morning I would get the file back, “I set about the business of Union. First Syrians reach Germany under EU deal Tribute to travelling for a very long time.” pilot angers One of the protesters also arrived The 32 asylum to meet the group, holding a banner victims’ kin seekers flew into reading: “Please keep fleeing, refu- the northern city gees not welcome.” BERLIN: Families of the Wicher said the new arrivals victims of last year’s of Hanover on two would spend two weeks at the tempo- Germanwings crash separate flights and rary shelter in the town of Friedland deliberately caused for orientation, including lessons in by a suicidal co-pilot were taken to a basic German and logistical practical- expressed outrage after shelter about 140km ities, before being placed in housing his parents placed a around the state of Lower Saxony. heartfelt newspaper away. Under the scheme agreed with announcement in his Turkey last month, one Syrian refu- memory. gee will be settled in Europe legally in The parents of return for every Syrian migrant taken Andreas Lubitz, who AFP back by Turkey from EU member brought down the A320 Greece, which has faced the largest flight in the French Alps influx in recent months. with 149 other people Early yesterday , Greece sent on board in March 2015, HANOVER, GERMANY: The first back a first wave of migrants to Tur- ran the announcement Syrians arrived in Germany from key under the deal that has run into in a local paper thanking Istanbul yesterday under a contro- strong criticism from rights groups. friends and neighbours versial EU-Turkey migrant pact, an Refugee advocates question for their support over loss official from the German federal ref- whether the agreement is legal and of their son. ugee office told reporters. ethical, fearing individuals will be Juergen Fischenich, The 32 asylum seekers flew into denied the right to claim asylum. whose son was on board the northern city of Hanover on two Germany last year let in a record the doomed plane, said separate flights and were taken to a 1.1 million migrants and refugees but daily that he could under- shelter about 140km away. Chancellor Angela Merkel has come stand the Lubitz family’s The representative from the under intense pressure to stem the flow. The first Syrian refugees arrive at the camp in Friedland, Germany, yesterday. lasting grief. “But to say Federal Office for Migration and Merkel, who spearheaded the deal thank you in public and Refugees, Corinna Wicher, asked with Ankara, spoke by telephone with 1,600 people out of a total of just Germany has already seen a sharp asylum seekers, were now unfilled not mention the other reporters to respect the privacy of the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Dav- over 22,500 under the current drop in arrivals in recent weeks after after months of overcrowding. 149 people this per- asylum seekers, who were members utoglu early yesterday to discuss the programme and expects other EU Balkan countries closed their borders Among more than 348,000 places son murdered — I cannot of six families. An eyewitness saw start of returns and “agreed that the member states including France, to migrants and refugees. in shelters across the country, only express how ignorant and 10 children and an adolescent in a pact must be implemented success- Finland and the Netherlands to The daily Bild reported yester- about 157,000 are currently occu- disrespectful that is,” he wheelchair among the two groups. fully”, her spokesman Steffen Seibert begin taking in refugees under the day that more than half of the places pied, the newspaper reported after said. “This is all very new, very diffi- told reporters. pact early this week, an interior available at reception centres, gen- polling officials in Germany’s 16 fed- cult,” Wicher said. “They have been Berlin has agreed to accept ministry spokesman said. erally the first port of call for new eral states. Brussels airport Air France allows Handshake rule for Muslim students triggers outcry runs nearly 40 crew to avoid flights AFP after two male students complained culture, insisting that “shaking hands Christine Akeret, in charge of the BRUSSELS: Brussels air- Tehran route after that the Swiss custom of shaking is part of our culture.” Therwil school system, told media she port scheduled nearly 40 hands with the teacher is counter to “This is a gesture of respect and was not satisfied with the decision, flights yesterday, officials headscarf row their religious beliefs if the teacher good manners,” he told the 20Minuten but had not seen any other option. said, as Belgium strug- GENEVA: Some male Muslim stu- is a woman. news site. “It is difficult when someone gles to get back to normal dents in Switzerland will no longer They argued that Islam does not Christoph Eymann, who heads the refuses to adopt our way of life,” she after two suicide bomb- Reuters need to shake hands with their female permit physical contact with a person Swiss Conference of Cantonal Min- said, complaining that she had not ers blew themselves up in teachers, following a ruling that has of the opposite sex, with the excep- isters of Education, meanwhile said received any support from the sur- the departure hall nearly caused an uproar and consternation tion of certain immediate family that “such exceptions to the rules are rounding canton when she had raised two weeks ago. PARIS/BERLIN: Air France said in the country. members. not the solution.” the problem with the authorities Today, the airline will it would allow female cabin crew Education authorities in the The decision triggered an outcry “We cannot tolerate that women there. Basel-Country canton author- run 89 flights, with 48 and pilots to opt out of flying routes northern Swiss municipality of Ther- across Switzerland with Felix Mueri, in the public service are treated dif- ities, who have the power to overturn heading to European des- to Tehran after some staff said they wil, in the canton of Basel-Country, who heads the parliamentary com- ferently from men,” he told Swiss the Therwil decision, did not respond tinations, five to Africa did not want to be forced to cover reached the controversial decision mission on science, education and television. to requests for comment. and one to New York. their hair when in Iran. Some 40 return flights Air France, part of the Franco- are planned. Dutch group Air France-KLM , is preparing to restart flights to Tehran from April 17 after an eight- White carpet Catalonia Dutch police year hiatus due to sanctions. After a meeting between Air leader rules out target drug France management and unions yesterday, the French carrier said it gangs would offer female staff the choice independence of opting out of the flights. THE HAGUE: Hundreds of Under Iranian law, women AFP police raided about 100 must cover their hair in public premises yesterday in a places. Unions had raised concerns swoop on drug gangs in over an Air France ruling obliging BARCELONA: The secession- the southern Netherlands, female crew to wear a headscarf ist leader of Spain’s Catalonia prosecutors said. on leaving a plane. has ruled out any declaration of Thirty-nine suspects The debate on the wearing of independence for the wealthy were detained in the headscarves and other religious northeastern region during his ongoing “Operatie Tref- symbols in public is particularly mandate, in comments likely to punt” (Operation Meeting heated in France, which attaches see Madrid breathe a sigh of relief. Point) and more arrests importance to the separation of Carles Puigdemont was were expected, they said state and religious institutions. elected president of Cata- in a statement. “Around “This obligation does not apply lonia’s semi-autonomous 1,500 police and law during the flight and is respected government in January with the enforcement officers are by all international airlines serving task of fast-tracking the Spanish involved in searching the Republic of Iran,” Air France region towards independence from 100 homes and business said in a statement yesterday. Madrid within around 18 months. premises,” the statement A spokeswoman for British But asked whether he would said. Airways, which is planning to actually be declaring independ- Police raided a sus- restart flights to Iran from Hea- ence within that timeframe, pected meeting place for throw on July 14, said it would Puigdemont told Spain’s economic criminal gangs at a busi- make recommendations to its crew daily Expansion that he would not. ness in village of Best, nearer the time. “Because it’s not planned and outside Eindhoven, which Germany’s Lufthansa, which it’s not our commitment,” he said had been under close continued to fly to Tehran through- in an interview yesterday. surveillance for several out the sanctions, said it had not But “we will do all the work years, the statement fur- experienced any problems and that necessary for this country to ther said. Snow cover the Ostafyevo park during the beginning of the spring in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. crew followed the rules to cover up become an independent state,” when in public spaces. he added. EUROPE TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 17 Kremlin hits back at ‘Panama Papers’ leak

AFP group Hezbollah, the ICIJ said.

Hollande promises probe PARIS: A furious Kremlin said yes- France President Francois Hol- terday it was the target of a plot to lande promised that French tax destabilise Russia after a massive authorities would investigate the dis- leak of confidential documents fin- closures of the Panama Papers and gered President Vladimir Putin’s that legal proceedings would follow. (pictured) close associates along with Australia said it, too, had launched other world leaders in allegations of a probe into 800 wealthy Mossack shady offshore financial dealings. Fonseca clients. A year-long worldwide media “I think the leak will prove to be investigation into a trove of 11.5 probably the biggest blow the off- million documents, leaked from a shore world has ever taken because Panama-based law firm with offices of the extent of the documents,” said in 35 countries, exposed a tangle of told journalists in Moscow. ICIJ director Gerard Ryle. offshore financial dealings by the Peskov said the allegations con- One of the Panama law firm’s elite, from Putin’s aides to relatives tained nothing new, lacked details founders, Ramon Fonseca, said the of Chinese President Xi Jinping, sports and were based on speculation. leaks were “a crime, a felony” and celebrities and screen stars. “We know this so-called jour- “an attack on Panama”. “Certain The vast stash of records from nalist community,” he added. “There countries don’t like it that we are so legal firm Mossack Fonseca, the so- are a lot of journalists whose main competitive in attracting companies,” called Panama Papers, was obtained profession is unlikely to be journal- he said. Panama’s government said it from an anonymous source by Ger- ism: a lot of former officials from the had “zero tolerance” for any shady man daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and (US) Department of State, the CIA and deals, and vowed to “vigorously shared with more than 100 media other special services.” cooperate” with any legal investiga- groups by the International Consor- Among other key findings of the tions. The huge leak of documents tium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). probe, which named about 140 polit- recalls Wikileaks’ exploits of 2010 — Banks, companies and close ical figures including 12 current or which included the release of secret associates of Putin, who is not himself former heads of state: military files and diplomatic cables. named in the documents, “secretly The Panama Papers, from around However, in terms of size, “the shuffled as much as $2bn through 214,000 offshore entities cover- ‘Panama Papers’ is likely the biggest banks and shadow companies”, ing almost 40 years, also name the leak of inside information in history,” according to the ICIJ. The allegations president of Ukraine as well as sport- according to ICIJ. were not aired by Russian state TV. ing and movie stars including Jackie More than 500 banks, their sub- “Putin, Russia, our country, our Chan. sidiaries and branches have worked stability and the upcoming elections At least 33 people and compa- with Mossack Fonseca since the are the main target, specifically to nies listed in the documents were 1970s to help clients manage off- destabilise the situation,” Kremlin blacklisted by the US government for shore companies. UBS set up more spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who him- wrongdoing, including dealings with than 1,100 and HSBC and its affili- self figures in the leaked documents, North Korea, Iran Lebanon’s Islamist ates created more than 2,300.

Secret accounts of the Cameron under fire as govt vows to probe data

Reuters among the tens of thousands of rich and Britain’s HM Revenue and Cus- rich and powerful famous people named in a leak of doc- toms said it had asked for a copy of uments from Panama-based Mossack the leaked data so it could examine Fonseca which showed how clients had the information. AFP business links to Mexican LONDON: The British government evaded tax and laundered money. “We have already received a great drug lords, terrorist organ- sought yesterday to deflect any The documents, which emerged deal of information on offshore com- isations or rogue nations, criticism of Prime Minister David in an investigation by ICIJ, are a blow panies, including in Panama, from including North Korea. One Cameron (pictured) over his late to Cameron, a critic of tax evasion a wide range of sources, which is PARIS: World leaders, stars of supplied fuel for planes the father’s inclusion on a list of clients and tax avoidance. currently the subject of intensive the pitch and screen and doz- US alleges Syria’s regime using a law firm in the tax haven of In 2012, British media reported investigation,” Jennie Granger, direc- ens of billionaires were among used to bomb its own Panama and said it would investigate that Cameron’s father ran a network tor general of enforcement said. those named and shamed in what citizens. the leaked data. of offshore investment funds to help “We have asked the ICIJ to share looks to be the biggest ever leak P The firm’s customers include Cameron’s father, Ian, and mem- build the family fortune. There is no the data that with us. We will closely of inside information in history. Ponzi schemers, drug king- bers of his Conservative Party were suggestion he did anything illegal. examine it and act appropriately.” Covering 40 years of emails, pins, tax evaders and a US financial records and passport businessman convicted of details, an investigation by more travelling to Russia to have than 100 media groups shows sex with underage orphans, Brazil politicians how some of the world’s most who signed papers for an off- Revelations to combat tax evasion: Berlin powerful people have secreted shore company while in jail. linked to offshore away their money in offshore P The files also identify a con- jurisdictions victed money launderer AFP “We can harness this momentum the previous three decades,” his Below are some of the main who claimed he’d arranged and express the hope that restrictions spokesman Jaeger said. It was companies allegations made in Sunday’s a $50,000 illegal campaign will be imposed,” but such practices important to limit or close the loop- release based on documents contribution used to pay the “cannot be abolished with a simple holes still further and Schaeuble’s aim from Panama-based law firm Watergate burglars, 29 bil- BERLIN: The German government click of the fingers,” Jaeger said. was to pursue that with great tenac- Reuters Mossack Fonseca: lionaires from Forbes’ rich yesterday said it hoped the revela- The meetings of the International ity, he said. list, and martial arts film star tions from the so-called “Panama Monetary Fund and the World Bank in “It is not by chance that we’re P Banks, companies and aides Jackie Chan. Papers” will spur global efforts to Washington next week will provide an already in talks with Panama.” BRASILIA: Politicians from seven close to Russian President P FIFA’s ethics committee combat tax evasion and money laun- opportunity to put the issue back on the There were some countries in parties in Brazil were named as Vladimir Putin secretly shuf- member Juan Pedro Dam- dering. agenda. “And we will take the initia- the world where “a lot of energy” clients of a Panama-based firm at fled as much as $2bn using iani had business ties with “We hope the current debate will tive in this direction,” Jaeger pledged. was expended on enabling compa- the centre of a massive data leak offshore companies, gaining three men indicted in the turn up the heat,” finance ministry Schaeuble has spearheaded calls in nies and wealthy individuals to get over possible tax evasion, O Estado hidden influence in the coun- corruption scandal engulfing spokesman Martin Jaeger said. recent years for increased international round the rules. de S.Paulo said yesterday. try’s media and automotive football’s governing body— German Finance Minister Wolf- coordination to curb tax evasion and “But at the end of the day, these O Estado said names in the industries. The Kremlin has former FIFA vice president gang Schaeuble has long been at money laundering. countries must understand that the leaked files included politicians accused the ICIJ of launching Eugenio Figueredo as well as the forefront of the worldwide fight “We have made more progress models they choose have no future,” from Brazil’s largest party, the a misleading “information Hugo Jinkis and his son, who against fraud and tax havens. in the past three years than in Jaeger said. PMDB, political figures from the attack”. are accused of paying bribes PSDB, the PDT, PP, PSB, PSD and P Iceland’s Prime Minister Sig- for broadcast rights in Latin the PTB parties. mundur David Gunnlaugsson America. No politicians from Rousseff’s and his wife used an offshore P The world’s best football Workers’ Party were mentioned in company, Wintris Inc., to hide player, Lionel Messi, and the leaks. state-run oil firm Petro- millions of dollars of invest- his father own a shell com- leo Brasileiro SA. ments in three major banks pany, Mega Star Enterprises, during the financial crisis. He previously unknown to Span- has denied any wrongdoing ish investigators probing the Austria probes but faces a vote of no confi- Barcelona forward’s tax dence this week. affairs. P Two leaders who have P Suspended UEFA chief Michel two banks staked their reputations on Platini, who is serving a six- pushing for transparency— year ban from football for VIENNA: Austrian regulators are Chinese President Xi Jinping over a $2m payment from investigating whether two banks and British Prime Minis- FIFA president Sepp Blatter, named in an international data ter David Cameron—have at turned to Mossack Fonseca to leak followed procedures to pre- some point had family links help him administer an off- vent money laundering, one of to offshore companies. shore company created in the firms having attracted atten- P Several other world lead- Panama in 2007. tion for lending to a confectionery ers, including as well as the P More than 500 banks, their company owned by Ukraine’s children of the president of subsidiaries and branches president. Azerbaijan and of the prime have worked with Mossack Two Austrian media groups minister of Pakistan, also Fonseca since the 1970s to that were among the more than control offshore companies. help clients manage offshore 100 news organisations that P Mossack Fonseca worked companies. UBS set up more jointly investigated the doc- with at least 33 people and than 1,100 and HSBC and its uments’ contents identified companies blacklisted by affiliates created more than Raiffeisen Bank International A view of a sign outside the building where Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm offices are based Washington because of 2,300. and Hypo Landesbank Vorarlberg in Panama City, yesterday. as companies named in the trove. 18 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 AMERICAS Nato alliance key to collective security: Obama Candy theft could mean the Republican presidential candi- date’s recent statements. Still, his This is obviously a comments struck a strong contrast king-size tumultuous time in to Trump’s assertion that Nato is the world. Europe is irrelevant and ill-suited to fight ter- rorism. As president, Trump has said sentence a focal point of a lot he would force member nations to of these stresses and increase their contributions, even if that risked breaking up the alliance. AP strains in the global Both the president and the sec- security system. retary general aimed to dispute that characterisation. In remarks after the meeting, Obama described NEW ORLEANS: A Louisiana man Europe as especially burdened by accused of stuffing $31 worth of AP instability and reliant on Trans- candy bars into his pockets faces Atlantic alliance. a possible sentence of 20 years to “This is obviously a tumultuous life in prison, prompting a judge WASHINGTON: President Barack time in the world. Europe is a focal to question whether the sentence Obama yesterday called Nato “the point of a lot of these stresses and was “over the top.” linchpin” of US security policy and a strains in the global security sys- Prosecutors chose to charge critical ally in the fight against terror- tem,” he said. “It is because of the Jacobia Grimes, 34, under a stat- ism, indirectly countering Republican strength of Nato ... that I’m confi- ute that boosts the alleged candy Donald Trump’s recent claims that the dent that despite these choppy waters theft to a felony. 67-year-old alliance is obsolete. we will be able to continue to under- The law applies to people who Speaking after an Oval Office score and underwrite the peace and have been convicted of “theft of meeting with Nato Secretary General security and prosperity that has goods” at least twice. Grimes has Jens Stoltenberg, Obama praised the been a hallmark of the trans-Atlan- five prior theft convictions, mak- alliance’s contributions to the fight tic relationship.” ing him a “quad” offender under against the Islamic State group, its Stoltenberg described the alliance the state’s habitual-offender law. partnership in Afghanistan and assist- “as important as ever.” Grimes, 34, pleaded not guilty ance in the refugee crisis in southern “Nato has been able to adapt to a Thursday, The New Orleans Europe. more dangerous world,” he said, not- Advocate (http://bit.ly/1SIUcWm) US President Barack Obama and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a meeting in the Oval “Nato continues to be the linch- ing the Nato had begun training Iraqi reported. The possible sentence pin, the cornerstone of our collective soldiers last week. Office of the White House in Washington, DC, yesterday. raised questions with Judge defense and US security policy,” Obama said he and Stoltenberg Franz Zibilich, who was oversee- Obama said. discussed Nato’s potential role in crisis stemming from Syria’s civil war. must be “humane and thoughtful.” on troops and training in Europe, ing Grimes’ arraignment last week. Obama did not name Trump and Libya, as well as its plans to assist He says the migrants are taking very Obama noted he has proposed as part of the US military’s acceler- “Isn’t this a little over the top?” ignored a reporter’s question about the European Union with the migrant dangerous trips and that the response quadrupling Pentagon spending ating effort to deter Russia. Zibilich said. “Twenty years to life for a Snickers bar, or two or three or four.” Grimes’ attorneys, Miles Swanson and Michael Kennedy, said his prior guilty pleas were Princeton to SC deals blow to conservatives in redistricting case for similar shoplifting attempts, including stealing from a Rite-Aid, keep Wilson’s Save-A-Center, Blockbuster Video, AFP and longstanding practice, that a Democratic and rural areas Repub- equality figured prominently in the and Rouses grocery stores. state may draw its legislative districts lican, how the population is counted decision to count people, whether or Swanson said all the thefts name despite based on total population,” Justice has a direct political impact. not they qualify as voters,” the court were for less than $500 worth of WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote in deliv- If a state bases its electoral dis- said. items. The last theft of socks and Court yesterday upheld the principle ering the court’s opinion. tricting on the total population -- and “Adopting voter-eligible appor- trousers from a Dollar General racist views of setting legislative districts based The plaintiffs—Sue Evenwel and all 50 states do—people who are tionment as constitutional command store got him a four-year sen- on total population, unanimously Edward Pfenninger—argued that ineligible to vote are counted in the would upset a well-functioning tence in 2010. AP rejecting a conservative challenge Texas should count only eligible vot- process. approach to districting that all 50 One of his lawyers said he that would have disadvantaged urban ers in drawing up legislative districts These ineligible populations are states and countless local jurisdic- could have been charged under a areas with large immigrant popula- of roughly equal size. usually present in larger numbers in tions have followed for decades, even different statute than the habitual- tions. That would have favored rural urban areas. centuries. Appellants have shown no offender law. “They’re spending PRINCETON: Woodrow Wilson’s The court ruled that the “one per- areas with a high proportion of eli- As a result, each eligible voter in reason for the court to disturb this their time to lock someone up for name will remain on Princeton son, one vote” rule allows counting gible voters in the allocation of those areas proportionally has greater longstanding use of total population.” years over $31 worth of candy,” University’s public policy school, non-voters, including minors, pris- legislative districts, over urban areas clout—since it takes fewer voters to Justices Clarence Thomas and Swanson said. Grimes also faces despite calls to remove it because oners, ex-convicts and immigrants. with larger absolute populations but a elect one representative to Congress. Samuel Alito were part of the major- a charge of drug paraphernalia the former US president was a “We hold, based on constitu- smaller proportion of eligible voters. “Even so, it remains beyond doubt ity, but wrote separate concurring possession. He is currently free on segregationist, the Ivy League uni- tional history, this court’s decisions, Since urban areas tend to vote that the principle of representational opinions. $5,000 bond, court records show. versity announced yesterday. Princeton was challenged to take a deeper look into Wilson’s life in the fall, when a group of students raised questions about Efforts to curb suicide deaths his racist views. The Black Jus- tice League held a 32-hour sit-in inside the Princeton president’s among gun community office, demanding Wilson’s name be removed from programs and AP “Suicide is one of those morose buildings, including the Woodrow subjects that a lot of us don’t want Wilson School of Public Policy and to talk about,” he said. “But it’s all International Affairs, and for other MONTROSE, COLORADO: Keith too common. I believe any method changes to make the university Carey is a gunsmith in Montrose, of suicide prevention is worth a good more diverse and inclusive. a town with a frontier flavour set hard try.” University leaders concluded amid the mesas of western Colorado. Across the US, suicides account that Wilson’s accomplishments He’s a staunch, though soft-spoken, for nearly two-thirds of all gun merited commemoration, so long defender of the right to bear arms. deaths — far outnumbering gun as his faults also are candidly rec- Yet now he’s a willing recruit in a homicides. In 2014, according to ognized. Princeton also pledged fledgling effort to see if the gun com- federal data, there were 33,599 to adopt other changes, including munity itself — sellers and owners firearm deaths; 21,334 of them were establishing a pipeline program of firearms, operators of shooting suicides. to encourage more minority stu- ranges — can help Colorado and That figure represents about half dents to pursue doctoral degrees other Western states reduce their of all suicides that year; but in sev- and diversifying campus symbols highest-in-the-nation suicide rates. eral western Colorado counties, and and art. “Suicide is a tragedy no matter in some other Rocky Mountain states Wilson was president of Prin- how it’s done,” said Carey, whose with high gun-ownership rates, more ceton from 1902 to 1910, and the adult daughter killed herself with a than 60 percent of suicides involve country’s 28th president from 1913 mix of antidepressants a few years firearms. until 1921. He is credited with cre- ago on the East Coast. However, he Along with Alaska, the states ating the Federal Reserve system, sees the logic in trying gun-specific with the highest rates form a con- led the US into World War I and prevention strategies in towns like tiguous bloc — Montana, Idaho, tried to preserve a lasting peace Montrose, where guns are an inte- Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Utah afterward. He won the Nobel The Turkish-American Culture and Civilization Centre in Maryland. gral part of daily life. and New Mexico. All have age- Peace Prize in 1919 for being the “It’s very expedient for people to adjusted suicide rates at least 50 architect of the League of Nations. commit suicide by a firearm, with- percent higher than the national But he also supported segregation out too much forethought,” Carey rate of 12.93 suicides per 100,000 — including in the federal govern- Erdogan brings American Muslims said. “Unfortunately, it’s generally people; Montana’s rate, 23.80, is the ment — rolling back progress for effective.” highest in the nation. the emerging black middle class in At the urging of a local police Between 2000 and 2014, gun the nation’s capital at the turn of home to new mosque commander, Carey agreed last suicides increased by more than 51 the 20th century. As president of year to participate in the Gun Shop percent in those states, while rising Princeton, he also prevented the Project, a state-funded programme by less than 30 percent nationwide. enrollment of black students. AFP year that has seen Donald Trump dome, half domes and cupolas in in which gun sellers and range Theories abound as to why such The debate over Wilson’s name call for a ban on Muslims entering the style of Istanbul’s Suleymaniye operators in five western Colorado high rates. Commonly cited factors was part of a wave of racially the country—made sense. Mosque. counties were invited to help raise include the isolation and economic motivated activism on college LANHAM, UNITED STATES: “Unfortunately, we are going “Terrorism will never have a awareness about suicide. It’s a ten- hard times in rural areas of these campuses across the country this Beneath a majestic Ottoman dome, through a rough time all around the religion, will never have a nation, tative but promising bid to open states. There’s also belief that a self- school year that began with pro- waving Turkish flags outside their world. Intolerance towards Mus- will never have a nationality, nor up a conversation on a topic that’s reliant frontier mindset deters some tests at the University of Missouri. brand new mosque, a group of US lims is on the rise not only here in will it ever have a root or ethnicity,” been virtually taboo in these West- Westerners from seeking help when There, black students — including Muslims—the faithful and the curi- the United States but also around the Erdogan said. ern states: the intersection of guns depression sinks in. members of the school’s football ous—jostled Saturday to welcome a globe,” said Erdogan, who is accused “It is unacceptable for the Mus- and suicide. “We embrace the cowboy men- team — successfully protested for president. of increasingly autocratic rule. lims of the world to be forced to Carey’s shop counter now dis- tality,” says Jarrod Hindman, director the ouster of Missouri’s president. Hailing the beauty of its location “That’s why I believe this center pay the price of the horror and pain plays wallet-sized cards with of Colorado’s Office of Suicide Pre- In recent months, college lead- near the capital Washington, Turk- will play a crucial role,” he added, created by a handful of terrorists information about a suicide hotline. vention. “If you’re suffering, suck it ers have moved to change mascots, ish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan drawing cheers from the crowd of in the aftermath of 9/11.” Erdogan, A poster by the door offers advice up, pick yourself up by your boot building names, mottos and other officially inaugurated the Diyanet thousands of men, women and chil- who sparked fresh controversy on about ways to keep guns away from straps. But that doesn’t work very symbols some have deemed offen- Center of America. Ankara’s leader, dren packed behind security barriers. Thursday when his security detail friends or relatives at risk of killing well if you’re suicidal.” sive or outdated. Most recently, whose country bankrolled the mas- The complex, the only one in the clashed with media in the US capi- themselves. Carey says some cus- Underlying all these explana- Harvard University has taken sive project at a cost of $110 million, United States to feature two minarets, tal, said anti-Muslim sentiment on the tomers take materials home, or ask tions is the fact that firearms are steps to remove university refer- said its presence in the small town of echoes the golden age of 16th century US presidential campaign was “very a few questions. The conversations more ubiquitous in the West than ences tied to slavery. Lanham—and during a US election Ottoman architecture, with its central interesting, and shocking.” tend to be brief. in most other parts of the country. AMERICAS TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 1917 Trump hunts for votes in Wisconsin primary

over,” Trump said. “If we don’t win said in Madison. “I hope and believe here, it’s not over, but wouldn’t you tomorrow night’s going to be a very Polls show Trump like to take the credit in Wisconsin good night here in Wisconsin.” trails US Senator Ted for ending it?” A Trump loss would cap a rough Trump said an array of forces week, including an avalanche of Cruz of Texas in the were aligned against him in Wis- criticism for his suggestion, which Midwestern state, consin, including the state’s governor, he later dialed back, that women be where a loss could Scott Walker, who has backed Cruz, punished for getting abortions if the and a “very hostile media.” He also procedure is banned. Uncharacter- dent his aura of said it was “unfair” that rival John istically, Trump also acknowledged inevitability. Kasich, the governor of Ohio, refused that he made a mistake retweeting to get out of the race despite trailing an attack on Cruz’s wife, according Trump and Cruz badly. to the New York Times. “Your vote is going to be very He also drew fire last week for important because the world is saying he would not rule out using Reuters watching Wisconsin,” Trump told nuclear weapons in Europe and that supporters. “They’re seeing if this Japan and South Korea might need Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) stand on stage momentum from this incredible their own nuclear arsenals to ease after addressing a rally to celebrate New York passing into law a $15 minimum wage in New York, yesterday. movement is going to be slowed the U.S. financial commitment to MILWAUKEE: Donald Trump tried to down.” their security. put a difficult week behind him and Despite winning 20 nominating Cruz was eager to capitalise on rally his supporters yesterday ahead contests, the controversial real estate Trump’s missteps, talking about his Democrats promise cabinet to Latinos of a crucial Republican presidential tycoon has drawn opposition from an family during a town hall session contest in Wisconsin, where he faced array of party establishment forces in an attempt to soften his strident the unfamiliar position of underdog. worried that he will lead Republicans image and appeal to women turned Reuters two Democratic contenders and none front-runner Clinton wrote. Polls show Trump trails US to defeat in November. off by Trump’s recent comments. from the Republicans, according to the Senator from Vermont Sanders Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the Trump has won 736 delegates to At a later rally, Cruz told vot- results declared yesterday. promised to make his administra- Midwestern state, where a loss the July nominating convention in ers the entire country was looking Latinos and African-Americans tion “reflect the diverse make-up of today could dent the New York bil- Cleveland, but is till 501 short of the toward Wisconsin. NEW YORK: Democratic presidential have emerged as key voting blocs in the country... I can think of no place lionaire’s aura of inevitability and majority he needs to clinch the nom- “Let’s show the country that this hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie the Democratic race for the White more vital for such diversity than in make it harder for him to win the ination. Rivals Cruz and Kasich hope race is not about yelling and scream- Sanders vowed to nominate Latinos House nomination so far, and are likely the cabinet and the Senior Executive 1,237 delegates needed for the par- to stop him short of a first-ballot vic- ing and insults,” he said in Madison. into key cabinet posts in their admin- to play a large role in the outcomes of Service of the President of the United ty’s nomination for the November 8 tory and trigger a contested convention. Even with a victory in Wiscon- istrations if elected, according to their big contests looming in New York and States of America.” election. Cruz told reporters the party was sin, Cruz still faces difficult odds to answers to a questionnaire organised California. President Barack Obama has nom- But Trump told voters at a morn- beginning to unify behind him, and a win the delegates needed to secure by the nation’s largest Latino coalition. “From special assistants to cabi- inated a number of Latinos to cabinet ing rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin, they win in Wisconsin would spark a surge the nomination, given that the next The 20-question survey was net members, Latinos will play a key position during his time in office, two could propel him toward the nomina- of momentum for him in upcoming states to vote, including New York on submitted by the National Hispanic role in helping to shape my policy of whom are currently serving: Sec- tion by delivering a surprise victory contests. April 19 and five Northeastern states Leadership Agenda to all US presi- priorities and be effectively repre- retary of Labour Thomas Perez and for him over Cruz. “What we’re seeing is the party on April 26, are more Trump-friendly dential candidates on February 25, sented in our agencies,” former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel- “If we do well here, folks, it’s unifying behind our campaign,” Cruz territory. but received responses only from the Secretary of State and Democratic opment Julian Castro. Brazil attorney to seek lease for Rousseff

Reuters denied the allegations that lending from state In an effort to rally her leftist base and banks to the federal government was used to consolidate support to defeat impeachment, fund social programmes, the statement said. Rousseff last month appointed her predeces- The attorney general, appointed in March, is sor and political mentor, former President Luiz BRASILIA: Brazil’s attorney general will expected to present Rousseff’s defence to the Inacio Lula da Silva, as cabinet chief. ask a congressional committee to dismiss impeachment committee, the latest step in a The move set off a wave of legal challenges impeachment charges against President Dilma process that started with Cunha’s acceptance from critics accusing her of shielding Lula from Rousseff on grounds there is no legal basis for of impeachment charges in December. the snowballing corruption investigation that the proceedings, his office said in a statement. The committee will recommend to the started at state-run oil company Petroleo Bra- Jose Eduardo Cardozo, the government’s lower house whether there are grounds to sileiro SA, known as Petrobras. main legal advisor, will argue that the deci- impeach Rousseff. The full house would then Prosecutors have charged Lula with sion by lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha vote on the committee’s decision, which could concealing a luxury beachfront apartment to accept the impeachment request was moti- happen as soon as mid-April. provided by Petrobras contractors snared in vated by his desire for political revenge against If the impeachment passes the lower the multi-billion-dollar graft probe. Rousseff, his bitter political rival. house, Rousseff would be suspended for up If Lula takes office as Rousseff’s minister, The hearing comes just weeks ahead of a to six months while facing trial in the Senate, proceedings against him will remain under the vote that could suspend Rousseff from office in making Vice President Michel Temer acting jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The court the middle of an economic crisis, and a bribery president. Temer’s party, the largest in Con- is scheduled to rule on an injunction against scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras. gress, formally broke with the government last Lula’s appointment on Wednesday. The opposition’s impeachment request, week, sapping her support in the contentious A dozen other impeachment requests are which is not formally tied to the graft probe impeachment process. also waiting for consideration by Cunha, a threatening her inner circle, alleges that Rouss- Rousseff’s opponents need the votes of fierce critic of Rousseff who himself is facing eff deliberately manipulated budgetary accounts two-thirds of 513 deputies to take the impeach- corruption charges for allegedly receiving to boost her re-election campaign in 2014. ment case to the Senate. Rousseff has to get millions in the Petrobras scheme through Cardozo, Rousseff’s former justice minister, 171 votes or abstentions to block the process. undeclared Swiss bank accounts. Minimum wage law signed in California Fires prompt Amtrak on schedule a evacuation twice Reuters November elections in the hopes it The California measure heads off day after derailment could help mobilise voters. Demo- two competing ballot initiatives that at Newark airport cratic presidential hopeful US Senator lacked a provision to allow the gov- Bernie Sanders has called for raising ernor to suspend increases in hard AP NTSB investigator Ryan Frigo LOS ANGELES: Governor Jerry the federal minimum wage to $15 an economic times, a deal-breaker for AP said the locomotive engineer was Brown yesterday signed into a law hour by 2020. Brown. among those taken to hospitals. He a bill raising California’s minimum In New York, Governor Andrew With polls showing strong sup- said he did not know why the equip- wage from $10 to $15 an hour by the Cuomo signed a bill that will eventu- port for those measures at the NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: A termi- CHESTER, PA: Amtrak trains on the ment was on a track the train was year 2023, making the nation’s most- ally raise the minimum wage in New ballot box, Brown emphasized that nal at Newark Liberty Airport was Northeast Corridor were running using. Scheduling, the track struc- populous state the first to boost pay to York City and surrounding areas to a version passed by the legislature evacuated twice yesterday when a on schedule yesterday, a day after a ture and the work being performed that level for the working poor. $15 per hour. Other parts of the state would allow lawmakers to amend fire broke out in a ceiling and then train struck heavy equipment on the at the time of the accident would be The move marks the culmination will see the current $9 per hour rate it if needed instead of going back to later reignited. tracks outside Philadelphia, killing part of the investigation, he said. of a deal Brown brokered with labour rise to $12.50 within five years. voters. A spokesman for the Port two railroad workers. The event data recorder and leaders and state Democratic leaders Authority of New York and New The train was heading from New forward-facing and inward-fac- and puts California, home to one of Jersey confirmed that fire began York to Savannah, Georgia, at about ing video from the locomotive were the world’s biggest economies, at the just in a boiler room in Terminal B. 8 am on Sunday when it hit a piece of recovered, he said, and the recorder forefront of US states and cities that Port Authority spokesman equipment that was on the tracks in was sent to the NTSB laboratory in have moved to surpass the federal Steve Coleman said about 200 Chester, about 15 miles outside Phil- Washington. Frigo said it will help minimum wage, which has remained people evacuated, including pas- adelphia. The impact derailed the determine how fast the train was at $7.25 an hour since 2009. sengers on a Cathay Pacific flight lead engine of the train, which was going at the time of the crash. “This is about creating a little as well as service and airport carrying more than 300 passengers Schumer said it’s unclear tiny bit of balance in a system that workers. There were no injuries, and seven crew members. whether the equipment was being every day becomes more unbal- but there was significant smoke A National Transportation Safety used for regular maintenance, anced,” Brown said before signing in the terminal, which had to be Board official confirmed that one of which usually is scheduled on Sun- the legislation. ventilated, he said. The first fire the people killed was the equipment day mornings because fewer trains “There’s a lot of anger going on was extinguished about 2 am and operator. Senator Chuck Schumer of are on the tracks then, or whether it in the presidential campaign,” he the terminal reopened, Coleman New York said Amtrak board Chair- was clearing debris from high winds said. “And one of the sources (of that said, but it rekindled about 3 am man Anthony Coscia told him that in the area overnight. anger) certainly is the way the aver- and had to be evacuated again. the other was a supervisor and that But he said Amtrak has “a age American is being treated.” The terminal was reopened both were Amtrak employees. 20-step protocol” for having equip- Both houses of California’s leg- about 5:30 am As a result of the The Delaware County medical ment on the tracks, described by islature approved the measure on fires nine of the terminal’s 25 gates examiner’s office said more infor- Amtrak as a backhoe, and no trains Thursday, fast-tracking proposed leg- are closed and some flights that mation would be released after are supposed to go on a track when islation announced two days earlier regularly use Terminal B — prima- autopsies. equipment is present. by Brown, a popular Democrat. rily Delta — had to be moved to More than 30 passengers were “Clearly this seems very likely Raising the minimum wage has other gates, Coleman said. sent to hospitals; their injuries were to be human error,” Schumer said. cropped up on many Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown (centre) signs a bill hiking California’s Coleman said the cause was not considered life-threatening, offi- “There is virtually no excuse for a candidates’ agendas ahead of the minimum wage in Los Angeles, California, yesterday. believed to be electrical. cials said. backhoe to be on an active track.”

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Shaw returns to training 7 months with people too 1 Man United after breaking leg

Nigerian military arrests Boko AFP 2 Haram splinter group leader

Al-Nusra Front spokesman killed as 3 army pushes anti-IS advance MIAMI: A major international study yes- terday suggested that healthy people may reduce their risk of developing heart problems before they start by taking cho- TWEET OF THE DAY lesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins. The findings came from three trials, which included more than 12,000 peo- ple in 21 countries, and were released at the American College of Cardiology con- ference in Chicago. Until now, statins have mainly been recommended for people at high-risk of A visitor takes a picture of a video installation entitled "Caravaggio Experience" realized by video heart disease, which kills 18 million peo- designer Stefano Fake and exhibited at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Italy. ple around the world each year and causes some 50 million heart attacks and strokes. "The implications for practice are huge," said senior researcher Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at McMaster Univer- sity. "I think we certainly should consider Favreau gives ‘Jungle Book’ a makeover using statins much more widely than we have used them thus far." The trials, called Heart Outcomes Pre- vention Evaluation-3 (HOPE-3), were the AFP says Jon Favreau, who directs the big Nyong'o to upgrade the role of she- first of their kind to examine the impact budget live-action remake which hits wolf Raksha, who has a bit-part in of using statins, sometimes in combina- US theaters on April 15. The veteran the 1967 film. tion with blood-pressure lowering drugs director set about putting things right The 3D remake of the "The Jun- and other times with a placebo, in a large, LOS ANGELES: One of the best-loved by bringing on board Tinseltown gle Book" employs photorealistic Follow us on globally diverse population. animated films of all-time, "The Jun- A-lister and regular collaborator CGI in perhaps the most visually Those enrolled in the trial were gle Book" boasted iconic songs and a Scarlett Johansson to give villain- stunning yet of Disney's growing Snapchat considered at "intermediate risk for devel- cast that ensured it would be revered ous, and very male, snake Kaa the stable of animation-to-live action oping cardiovascular disease" because as a milestone in Hollywood history. feminine touch. remakes, which includes box office Open Snapchat and they had at least one risk factor, such as But for all its virtues, Disney's "I liked the character of this smashes "Maleficent," "Cinderella" scan the Snapcode smoking, a large waist to hip ratio, or a 1967 version of Rudyard Kipling's mother figure who is welcoming and and "Alice in Wonderland." It stars family history of heart disease. tale of an orphan raised by wolves also menacing. I thought that there American newcomer Neel Sethi, 12, to add The Peninsula However, none had been diagnosed lacked the one thing you'd be sure was something interesting psycho- as "Mowgli," the man-cub forced to account. with heart disease at the start of the trial. to find in the jungle -- the female of logically about that," Favreau told abandon his jungle home for a jour- For the study, people were randomly the species. "I thought it was a little AFP. The 49-year-old, who directed ney of self-discovery, guided by stern assigned to either a cholesterol-lowering gender biased. I have two daugh- the "Iron Man" and "Avengers" mov- panther Bagheera and free-spirited drug (rosuvastatin. ters, and the world is different now," ies, also hired Oscar-winning Lupita bear Baloo.

Judi Dench picks Cultural exchange Ancient human remains up record eighth Olivier Award uncovered in Laos

Reuters AFP buried in pits with a large limestone block placed over them, while other bones were found buried in ceramic vessels, separate from the jars. LONDON: Veteran film, televi- SYDNEY: Archaeologists have The researchers also found for sion and stage actress Judi Dench uncovered ancient human remains the first time an instance of a body picked up her eight Olivier Award and various burial practices at the being placed in a grave. O'Reilly said on yesterday, a record tally at Brit- mysterious Plain of Jars in Laos, Aus- while the jars were empty now, it is ain’s biggest night for theatre. tralian researchers said yesterday, possible they were once used to hold The 81-year-old scooped the as scientists attempt to unravel the bodies until the flesh had completely Olivier for best actress in a sup- puzzle of the stone vessels. decomposed so the bones could then porting role for “The Winter’s Tale”. The Plain of Jars in Laos' central be buried. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am abso- Xieng Khouang province is scattered "We don't have any evidence for lutely livid as I had a bet with my Taekwondo performers stage a show during the South Korea-Mexico cultural exchanges night in with thousands of stone jars and sci- cremation which is something that grandson, which I’ve now lost and Mexico City, Mexico, yesterday. The event was held during South Korean President Park Geun-hye's entists have long been perplexed by has been suggested in the past," I’m never going to be allowed to visit to Mexico which started a day earlier. their original use. said O'Reilly, adding that it was forget it,” Dench said in her accept- "This will be the first major effort also unclear where those buried had ance speech. since the 1930s to attempt to under- lived. Despite the finds, he said the “I know everybody says what stand the purpose of the jars and original purpose of the jars remains a wonderful time they had doing who created them," Dougald O'Reilly unknown. "The stone jars remain a something, I can truly say this time from the Australian National Uni- mystery as to what they were used that in ‘The Winter’s Tale’, it was Ten Years versity's school of archaeology said for," O'Reilly told AFP. an absolutely memorable time for wins top Asian award in a statement. He said excavations About 90 sites make up the me.” uncovered three types of burials at intriguing area in the Southeast Asked backstage if she had the site. In one practice, bones were Asian nation. any plans to slow her workload Reuters The low-budget, independent film screenings to watch the controver- down, Dench told Reuters: “Who brushed off competition from com- sial movie. Scenes include those of wants to slow down? No, I want to mercial hits like martial arts flick Ip an old woman setting herself alight be employed. It’s putting the car Man 3. “Ten Years exposed the fear of before Hong Kong’s British Con- in the garage that. You will never HONG KONG: A Hong Kong film Hong Kong people (towards China),” sulate and Hong Kong kids dressed get it started.” portraying a dystopian future under said Chow Kwun-wai, one of the five in military uniforms policing “Gypsy” picked up four prizes, Chinese Communist Party rule won directors who worked on it after win- adults in scenes echoing child the most awards for a single pro- one of Asia’s top film awards yester- ning best picture at the Hong Kong “Red Guards” from China’s duction on the night, including best day at a time when Beijing’s attempts film awards that recognises film fraught 1966-76 Cultural Revolution musical revival and best actress to rein in the city’s democratic devel- excellence across Asia. Few, including the film’s directors, in a musical for Imelda Staunton, opment have stoked growing political “Ten Years also provided Hong had expected it to win, given its polit- who opened the glitzy London cer- tensions. Kong people and us a chance to show ical undertones and dystopian vision. emony in character as Momma “Ten Years”, a feature-length that we have no fear.” China’s state-controlled Glo- Rose. film comprising five short vignettes After the awards, a few Chinese bal Times denounced the film in a “Gypsy” also picked up awards depicting a dark vision of the city in media portals including Tencent and January editorial as absurd and pes- for best actress in a supporting role 2025 is a surprise hit. It strikes a pub- Sina omitted any mention of the film simistic and said it was a “thought in a musical for Lara Pulver and lic chord nearly 16 months after tens as best picture winner while report- virus”. best lighting design. of thousands blocked roads across ing on other results of the night. Soon after, screenings of the film “Kinky Boots” picked up three the city as part of an “Occupy Cen- People across Hong Kong, which stopped in Hong Kong cinemas. Cin- Human remains at an ancient burial ground at one of Asias most awards, including best new musi- tral” civil disobedience movement reverted from British to Chinese ema operators told the film-makers cal, best actor in a musical for Matt to demand China’s leaders allow full rule in 1997, have in recent months they could no longer show it because mysterious sites in the Plain of Jars in Laos' central Xieng Khouang Henry and best costume design. democracy in 2017. thronged to cinemas and open-air of scheduling issues. province. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 23 QE 10,234.36 -17.61 PTS PAGE | 24 DOW 17,722.59 -70.16 PTS Qatar to be one of Saudi enters FTSE100 6,164.72 +18.6 PTS the best connected homebuilding nations BRENT $35.81 -$0.98 business

TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 • 27 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Al Shaheen project: QP hints at ‘service continuity’

QP’s aim is to provide continuity of service to the people contributing to the success of Al Shaheen operations, says President & CEO Saad Sherida Al Kaabi.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar Petroleum (QP) yes- Qatar Petroleum President & CEO Saad Sherida Al Kaabi addressing a Town Hall meeting of the employees of Maersk Oil Qatar. terday announced that it has plans to provide ‘continuity of service to the people’ who are contributing to off Qatar’s shores, and the largest in is among the companies invited. employees have played in the devel- Managing Director Lewis Affleck and enhance the growth and development the successful operations of its Al the country, currently producing at QP announced at the time that opment of Qatar’s largest oil field over Deputy Managing Director Sheikh of the oil and gas industry in Qatar. Shaheen project. around 300,000 barrels of oil per day. the selection of the partner will be the past 23 years.”, a statement issued Faisal bin Fahad Al Thani. QP’s Pres- Covering the upstream, midstream Addressing a Town Hall meet- The existing exploration and produc- based on its ability to offer the best by QP noted yesterday. ident & CEO was accompanied by the and downstream sectors of the oil ing with the employees of Maersk Oil tion sharing agreement with Maersk technological solutions for the field’s “We should not lose focus of the corporation’s Executive Vice Presi- and gas industry locally, regionally, Qatar, QP President & CEO Saad Sher- Oil Qatar that governs the operation of development combined with the best safety and continuity of operations dents and other members of the and internationally, the principal ida Al Kaabi said: “QP’s aim is to provide Al Shaheen field will expire mid-2017. financial return to Qatar. which are at the cornerstone of our Management Team. activities of QP, its subsidiaries and continuity of service to the people con- Last year, QP issued invitations “In his speech to the employees of objectives.” Al Kaabi added. Following Both the Town Hall meeting and joint ventures are the exploration, tributing to the success of Al Shaheen to a group of leading international oil Maersk Oil Qatar, Al Kaabi signaled his speech, Al Kaabi led an open Q&A the video conference were organ- production, local and international operations. QP supports those serving & gas companies to participate in a QP’s intention to offer continuity of session, during which he answered ized to express QP’s commitment to sale of crude oil, natural gas and gas the development of Qatar; and as the competitive evaluation process, with service to people who are contrib- questions from Maersk Oil Qatar support the safe and continuous oper- liquids, liquefied natural gas (LNG), heart of Al Shaheen, naturally, you will the successful company being selected uting to the success of Al Shaheen employees. ation of Al Shaheen oil field. refined products, synthetic fuels, pet- have a place in its future.” for the field’s future operation and operation. He also expressed QP’s The events were attended by Mae- QP, the national oil corporation, rochemicals, fuel additives, fertilizers, Al Shaheen oilfield, located 80 km development. Maersk Oil Company appreciation for the role that the rsk Oil Qatar’s employees, including stands at the forefront of efforts to steel and aluminum.

Tesla Model 3 pre-orders reach 253,000 Qatar stocks lose upward momentum

By Satish Kanady above 10,550 point, they said. The Peninsula QIB, which closed at QR101.40 yester- day, witnessed a noticeable upward move after posting a low at QR75.10 but could not show additional potential above the resist- DOHA: After edging up 4.89 percent in ance line at QR111.50. However, a technical March, Qatari stocks are losing its upward correction downwards took place towards momentum. The benchmark index lost two QR91.50, while below it will lead to QR86.00. straight sessions and edged lower by 0.2 per- On the other side, above QR104.00 would cent yesterday to close at 10,234.36 most likely re-target QR108.50 and QR111.50. Ooredo declined 1.1 percent and CBQ was “Banking major QNB closed at QR140.00. The Tesla Model 3 electric car that was unveiled in Hawthorne, California, USA recently. According to Tesla, the Model 3 down 0.7 percent. Al Rayan was 0.2 percent The stock is swinging between a tight range orders have reached the 253,000 mark. The full electric mid-size sedan car costs $35,000 before incentives. The production lower and Barwa Real Estate ended 0.6 per- of QR135.00-QR142.00 for the last two is planned to begin in late 2017. cent lower. Qatar Fuel declined 1 percent and months, without any clear direction at the Al Meera fell 1.5 percent. Qatar Electricity & moment. However, an escape out of that Water closed 0.7 percent lower yesterday. zone is needed to indicate the next move”, The market has lost its upward momen- analysts said. Qatar Gas Transport Company tum due to the continuous difficulties to or QGTS closed at QR23.29. “A fall below surpass the horizontal line at 10,500 point. QR23.00 would be the turning point to trig- Cityscape Qatar from April 26 Bulls are required to show some buying ger QR21.85 and may be QR20.60. However, activity above there to alleviate the down- managing to jump over QR24.10 will pro- side risk and to confirm another leg up mote QR25.90.” The Peninsula projects are seen by influential stakeholders. The luxury commercial office tower, located at towards the resistance area at 10,900 point Investors in most Gulf stock markets We are delighted to have the continued sup- Marina Commercial District in Lusail City, will -11,000 point, analysts said. shrugged off further losses in oil prices port of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H offer approximately 34 floors of office space “On the counter side, continuous reluc- on Monday, while foreign buyers helped to E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al and is positioned to attract both local busi- tance to inch above 10,500 point could put lift Egypt’s bourse, Reuters reported. The DOHA: Cityscape Qatar 2016, a major real Thani. This unwavering support serves to fur- nesses and international corporations alike. selling pressure on 10,000 point; while a Dubai index jumped 2.3 percent to 3,379 estate development and investment event in ther highlight the overall commitment to real The high profile three-day event will fea- fall below it would trigger further techni- points, nearing technical resistance on Qatar, will be held under the patronage of estate development that Qatar has made,” said ture over 60 exhibitors showcasing a wide cal correction downward to 9,750 point and the March peaks of 3,397-3,421 points as Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Ahmed Zakaria, Exhibition Director, speaking range of real estate opportunities to thou- 9,500 point. Both weekly and daily RSI (rel- momentum started to build in the latter Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. Now on behalf of Cityscape Qatar. sands of home-buyers, private and professional ative strength index) indicators are currently half of the session, with volume hitting a in its fifth year in Qatar, the event will be held In addition, Cityscape Qatar has recently investors as well as key industry profession- looking neutral”, commented analysts at three-week high. from April 26-28 at Doha Exhibition and Con- confirmed Just Real Estate, (JRE), as its Plat- als from Qatar, the region and around the KAMCO Research yesterday. RSI is a momen- Riyadh’s index recouped most of the vention Center (DECC). inum Sponsor. The Qatari based real estate globe. Local companies already confirmed tum oscillator that measures the speed and previous day’s drop and rose 1.4 percent, as “Cityscape is the world’s leading portfolio company will be launching at this year’s event to participate in the exhibition include United change of price movements. local retail investors bought back speculative of real estate events and provides an oppor- with a number of projects, including the archi- Development Company, Al Bandary Real Medium-term investors can stay in the stocks that they had dumped on Sunday. The tunity for exhibitors and attendees to come tecturally impressive tower ‘THE e18hteen’ Estate, Ezdan Holding Group, Gold Bay Real market with a stop-loss below 10,000 point, insurance sub index jumped 2.3 percent after together and ensure that both their brands and which is set to be showcased during the event. Estate and John Taylor. while long-term investors can only enter tumbling 3.5 percent on the previous day. 22 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing Park marks incident-free work hours

The Peninsula variety of industries in a flexible and will always be coupled with a pledge fully scalable environment. A fully to do so in the safest and most secure contained community, the GWC Bu of working environments,” said Naji Sulba Warehousing Park will also Nassar, GWC Senior Director of Com- DOHA: GWC, the leading logis- feature administrative offices, accom- mercial Services, who delivered the tics services provider in Qatar, has modation buildings, shopping and award to Al Bader construction team. presented an award to Al Bader Con- recreation facilities, as well as the “By providing the safest and most struction & Steel Works ‘One Million best in world class IT infrastructure. secure of environments, we are set- Man Hours without Lost Time Injury” The feat was completed between ting a precedent within this space that at the GWC Bu Sulba Warehousing the September 1, 2015 and February QHSE matters, from the earliest stages Park construction site, said a state- 22, 2016, an active period of time of construction all the way through to ment yesterday. where the company completed the the facility’s operations.” The upcoming GWC Bu Sulba levelling and compacting of the site “Both Al Bader Construction & Warehousing Park is one of Man- and began working on the founda- Steel Works and GWC have a long- ateq’s economic zones initiatives, tions and superstructures for the standing relationship together, having and is aimed directly at servicing warehousing park. worked well together in the past for the growing local SME sector, pro- The site currently stands at 40 the construction of a number of viding them with the best expertise percent complete, and through care- GWC’s international standard sites,” and infrastructure in Qatar while ful monitoring of the quality, health, added Mohammed Ahmed Seddiqi Al allowing them to remain competi- safety, and environment (QHSE) prac- Emadi, Vice Executive Chairman, Al tive through attractive pricing. The tices at the site, GWC in cooperation Bader. “Throughout this partnership, logistics hub will feature the well-rec- with Al Bader has been able to ensure we have found a strong peer in GWC ognised brand of GWC Distribution that the construction of the project when it has come to the health and Centres and Multipurpose Ware- be on track for completion on-time. safety of our workers, as we share an housing, offering a variety of storage “GWC has a reputation of deliv- understanding that a safe work envi- FROM LEFT: Jeo Aricatt, Senior HSE Officer, Al Bader; Sunil Cerejo, Senior Project Manager, Al Bader and options including dry, cool, chilled, ering on its commitments punctually ronment is the surest way to achieve Naji Nassar, Senior Director of Commercial Services at GWC. frozen, and bulk, catering to a wide and reliably, and this drive to achieve the greatest of objectives.” ExxonMobil’s Tamayoz empowers participants

The Peninsula ExxonMobil Qatar. “Through our Tamayoz training program, and by Approximately 150 sharing ExxonMobil’s knowledge courses have been and expertise with our partners DOHA: ExxonMobil Qatar pre- in Qatar’s energy industry, we’re sented 13 Tamayoz training courses offered free of charge working to ensure that human between January and March 2016 for to ExxonMobil Qatar’s development doesn’t end in the 280 employees from partner Qatar classroom. Our goal is to empower Petroleum; joint ventures RasGas partners and joint participants to become the best Participants at the ExxonMobil Qatar Tamayoz training course. and Qatargas; Tasweeq and Nakilat. ventures with more business leaders, communicators Tamayoz demonstrates ExxonMo- than 2,300 individuals and innovators they can be.” bil Qatar’s commitment to sharing Tamayoz delivers professional and Operations Excellence courses: operations leadership or support courses. Approximately 150 courses technical, commercial and opera- receiving training and personal development oppor- Technical and Commercial Leader- roles to understand how applying have been offered free of charge to tional expertise in a way that benefits since the inception tunities through six targeted critical ship, and Production Best Practices, best practices, tools and collab- ExxonMobil Qatar’s partners and individual participants, while also competency areas: leadership and both of which were held twice. oration contribute to excellence joint ventures with more than 2,300 reinforcing the state of Qatar’s growth of the programme in personal effectiveness; project man- The Technical and Commercial in safety, integrity, reliability and individuals receiving training since toward a knowledge-based economy. 2012. agement; commercial; operations Leadership course targets profes- profitability. the inception of the programme in “At ExxonMobil Qatar, we’re excellence; technical (surface and sionals with between five and 10 ExxonMobil Qatar also offered 2012. In 2015 alone, over 40 courses committed to developing human subsurface); and safety, health and years of experience and aims to courses in Materials Engineering; were offered to more than 600 capacity at every level and across var- knowledge-based society, a vision the environment. improve their ability to influence Crisis Management for Marine; Eco- industry professionals. All Tamayoz ious fields so that we can strengthen that can only be made possible with Courses held between January and shape the technical and com- nomic Analysis; Carbonate Geology training programmes are an exten- Qatar’s capability to innovate, adapt a workforce that is meeting its full and March included offerings from mercial direction of an organisation Basics; and Advanced Influence and sion of ExxonMobil Qatar’s ongoing and thrive. We do this in support of potential,” said Alistair Routledge, each of the six key subject areas, through leadership skills, while Pro- Negotiation; as well as a number of commitment to the development of His Highness The Emir’s vision for a President and General Manager for including the flagship Leadership duction Best Practices helps staff in project engineering and management Qatar’s national workforce. MasterCard’s ‘IQ Series’ minimises false payment declines and fraud

The Peninsula (MDES). The leading technology company in increasingly more aware about safety and experience, false fraud assessments prove of positive e-commerce data indicators the global payments industry, reinforcing its convenience, therefore balancing the growing to be a financial burden, as is evidenced between stakeholders. A balanced reputation commitment towards a secure cashless envi- desire for greater security while maintaining by a research that estimates the value of assessment is achieved considering not only ronment and superior experience through the ease of making payments is important,” false transaction declines in the US to be transactional risk indicators but also positive DOHA: MasterCard has come out with an secure solutions. The Company launched the said Raghu Malhotra, president of Middle East $118bn per year – thirteen times more than indicators better determining the authentic- innovative solution—IQ Series— that claims IQ Series at its Global Risk Leadership Con- and Africa, MasterCard. “Our IQ series lev- total amount lost annually to actual card ity of a transaction. to activate real-time intelligence to minimise ference in Dubai yesterday. erages advanced technology and insights to fraud ($9bn), according to Javelin Strategy & Both products supplement the need for false payment declines and online financial Designed to harness real-time insights help deliver consumers a convenient, unin- Research. a robust enhanced data exchange network fraud in the Middle East and Africa region. and intelligence, the IQ Series’ suite of solu- terrupted checkout experience.” Authorization IQ provides card issuers between financial institutions, merchants, and The new solution complements the com- tions empower card issuers and merchants to The initial two products developed under with relative behavioural insights on spending, issuers to understand the digital footprint and pany’s existing multi-layered approach to authorise transactions with increased accu- the series – Authorisation IQ and Assurance such as total spending on an account com- behaviour of accounts better. The application safety and security across physical and digital racy and limit fraudulent activity. The solution IQ – are aimed at optimising the payment pared to others in the country, spending in of this data in real-time decisions is critical payments with innovative solutions, like EMV/ is now available to financial institutions, busi- authentication process, leading to fewer a particular segment, and frequency of card to drive an enhanced consumer experience in chip payment method for payments, Secure- nesses and merchants across the Middle East declines in legitimate transactions and cre- usage compared over an extended period of increased approval rates and lowered oper- Code+ technology for online transactions, and Africa. ating more stable revenues for issuers and time. ational impact, without increasing the fraud and MasterCard Digital Enablement Service “In today’s digital world, consumers are merchants. In addition to hampering quality Assurance IQ enables the distribution loss exposure of our network stakeholders.

Retaj Royale Vodafone launches WiFi Doha celebrates excellence as service for business award The Peninsula can be increased in agglomerated locations and surveillance cameras can be integrated for improved security. “In the lead up to Qatar 2022, Qatar DOHA: Retaj Royale Doha Hotel DOHA: Vodafone has launched WiFi as a will witness a huge boom in construction team celebrated winning Book- service that allows business customers to offer, resulting in new corporate buildings, hotels, ing.com “Guest Review Award of in their facilities, WiFi Internet access to visi- hospitals, malls and public areas; all which Excellence for 2015”, Hotel Gen- tors and employees. Powered by a centralized will require WiFi coverage. But building and eral Manager Ahmed Khorshed authentication and web traffic analysis plat- managing a WiFi network is not easy and has expressed his delight with the form, the service provides a rich set of features requires high investment as well as skilled award, especially that this is the including a customized landing page, wide IT engineers to design, build and operate fourth consecutive year that the range of end user authentication methods, the network. Vodafone’s WiFi service takes hotel receives this award. usage reports and footfall analysis. all the pain away from business customers He added that the award is the With this platform, end-users get inter- by designing, building and operating their culmination of the efforts of all net access, while companies may extract WiFi network then charging a monthly fee employees and reflects the keen- end-users’ data that are relevant for their for the solution,” said Mahmud Awad, Chief ness of the hotel and its staff to business depending on their network’s traf- Business Officer, Vodafone Qatar. provide the highest standards of fic. For instance, the owner of a restaurant WiFi as a service takes all the pain away service and hospitality to all guests. can find out the number of times a customer from business customers by designing, The award was presented visited its restaurant and create special building and operating their WiFi. Delivered Retaj Royale Doha Hotel team celebrating Booking.com “Guest Review Award of Excellence for 2015. by Ahmed Sultan, account Man- offers based on this data. as a scalable solution due to the central- ager at Booking.com, The world The product also provides data about ized cloud infrastructure, new Hotspots leading online accommodation it among attendees and hotel CEO Dr Kamel Senhadji, Mohamed Director of Sales Amr Ghazy, Hotel WiFi users density, which can be used by can be easily added. The solution is pre- booking website. The hotel pre- guests in addition a group photo Darwish Regional Director of Mar- General Manager Mr. Ahmed local authorities for public areas in order sented without any implementation costs, pared a special cake to celebrate was taken for all hotels’ employees keting & E-commerce in charge of Khorshed and Booking.com rep- to effectively manage security services. For with the customer paying a monthly fee for the occasion and distributed headed by Retaj Hotels & Hospitality business development, Regional resentative Ahmed Sultan. example the number of security personnel the duration of the contract. BUSINESS TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 23

CI affirms QIIB ratings; outlook positive

DOHA: Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI Ratings), the inter- national credit rating agency, announced yesterday that it has affirmed Qatar International Islamic Bank’s (QIIB) Finan- cial Strength Rating (FSR) at ‘A-’. The rating agency remains Pos- itive on QIIB’s Outlook.

US judge okays $20bn The Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti (sixth right), President of Qatar University Dr Hassan Rashid Al Derham (seventh right), Group CEO settlement from of Ooredoo Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani (fifth right) and other officials during the opening ceremony of the WCNC 2016 Conference at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort yesterday. Pic: Kammutty VP/The Peninsula 2010 BP oil spill

Qatar to be one of the best connected nations AP NEW ORLEANS: A federal judge in New Orleans granted final at the Sheraton Doha. The three-day conference Conference enable us to transfer knowledge and approval yesterday to an esti- was attended by Minister of Transport and Com- build partnerships for the future, as we push to mated $20bn settlement over Ooredoo has already munications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, become the leading integrated ICT provider in the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of laid the foundations for Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, Group Chief Qatar,” he added. Mexico, resolving years of litiga- Executive Officer of Ooredoo and other sen- The Chief Executive Officer also showed a tion over the worst offshore spill 5G services in Qatar and ior officials. video on the incredible services that the Super- in the nation’s history. signed agreements with “Ooredoo is already laying the foundations net will bring to customers in Qatar. Highlights of The settlement, first global technology leaders for 5G services in Qatar. We have signed agree- the video included the nationwide use of smart announced in July, includes $5.5 ments with global technology leaders to build payments, mobile ticketing and a country-wide billion in civil Clean Water Act to build the region’s first 5G the region’s first 5G research and development super-fast 5G connection. penalties and billions more to research and development centre in Doha,” said Waleed Al Sayed in his key- Qatar’s achievement in the field of ‘Informa- cover environmental damage and note speech. “We are set to become number tion, Communication, Technology’ (ICT) sector other claims by the five Gulf states centre in Doha. one country in the world for fibre penetration, has been acknowledged in the past at global and local governments. The money thanks to our nationwide fibre programme,” level. Qatar was ranked first worldwide on the is to be paid out over a 16-year he added. He Presented company’s vision at the indicator measuring the percentage of individ- period. opening event of the conference and outlined uals using Internet in the developing countries The US Justice Department By Sachin Kumar how this investment would support the deploy- in 2014 (91.5 percent) and first among Arab has estimated that the settlement The Peninsula ment of Internet of Things innovations across a countries and second globally on the indicator will cost the oil giant as much as range of industries. measuring the percentage of households with $20.8bn, the largest environmen- “The rise of the ‘Internet of Things’ means that Internet (98 percent), according to the 2015 edi- Waleed Al Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qatar, tal settlement in US history as well we need networks that can support billions of con- tion of the State of Broadband report. speaking during the opening ceremony. as the largest-ever civil settlement DOHA: Qatar is set to become one of the best nected devices, as well as millions of people. Our The IEEE Wireless Communications and with a single entity. connected nations in the world. The country has investment in the Ooredoo Supernet means that we Networking Conference is the world premier communications and networking technology. US District Judge Carl Barbier, already initiated work for 5G services in Qatar, will be ready for this technological evolution and wireless event that brings together indus- Dr Reinaldo Valenzuela, Bell Labs, Alcatel- who approved the settlement, said Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, will offer our customers the latest solutions as they try professionals, academics, and individuals Lucent USA, delivered keynote presentation on had set the stage with an earlier Ooredoo Qatar yesterday at the IEEE Wireless become available,” said Al Sayed. “Events like the from government agencies to exchange informa- ‘5G Physical Layer and MAC: Opportunities and ruling that BP had been “grossly Communications and Networking Conference IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking tion and ideas on the advancement of wireless Challenges’. negligent” in the offshore rig explosion that killed 11 workers and caused a 134-million-gal- lon spill. Kuwait’s crude In 2012, BP reached a similar settlement agreement with pri- exports to Japan Kuwait to invest $1bn in tourism sector vate attorneys for businesses and residents who claim the spill cost up in February them money. The Peninsula 5.6 percent per annum to KWD457.3m tourism mix with an under-develop- That deal, which didn’t have a in 2025. “Kuwait is focused on adding ment collection of new luxury and more cap, led to a protracted court bat- QNA new high profile brands to its hotel mix affordable accommodation options. tle over subsequent payouts to as well as opening up the country with High-end brands such as Four businesses. DOHA: Kuwait returns to Dubai this its expansion programme for Kuwait Seasons, which will open its first A court-supervised claims April to showcase its tourism offering International airport,” said Nadege 263-key Kuwait property at Burj administrator is still processing TOKYO: Kuwait’s crude oil exports at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2016, Noblet-Segers (pictured), Exhibition Alshaya at the end of 2016, will be many of these claims. to Japan jumped 12.2% in February which takes place 25-28 April, as Manager, Arabian Travel Market. joined by the Mercure Kuwait (2017), BP has estimated its costs from a year earlier to 8.13 million investment into the travel and tourism WTTC predictions put tour- Hilton Olympia Kuwait in 2019 and a related to the spill, including its barrels, or 280,000 barrels per sector is forecasted to grow by 4.3 per- ist arrivals at 440,000 by 2024 - up Grand Hyatt in 2020. It is also enter- initial cleanup work and the vari- day (bpd), up for the second month cent per annum over the next decade from 270,000 in 2014 – and increased ing new mid-market territory with a ous settlements and criminal and in a row, government data showed. through to 2025, with a total investment capacity will be the catalyst for sec- number of upcoming projects includ- civil penalties, will exceed $53 As Japan’s fourth-biggest oil figure of KWD 276 million ($1bn). tor gains moving forward with leisure ing the 160-room Novotel Sharq (2017) billion. provider, Kuwait supplied 8.1% Kuwait’s strategy for long-term accounted for 1.5 percent of total GDP travel spending set to rise by 6.2 per- and several Rotana properties, with David Uhlmann, a University of the Asian nation’s total crude tourism growth received a boost in in 2015, and is set to rise by 0.3 per- cent per annum through to 2025, and a Centro Rotana set to debut in 2018 of Michigan law professor and imports, the Japanese Natural 2015, with airport passenger volume cent by 2025, although this is being business travel, which saw a dip in 2015, with 200 rooms. former chief of the Justice Depart- Resources and Energy Agency said, growing from around 10 million trav- revisited given the current low oil forecast to pick up in the next 10 years “As we are seeing in other GCC ment’s environmental crimes according to Kuna news agency. ellers in 2014 to just over 10.2 million prices scenario. This would take total with annual growth of 5.6 percent. countries, an increasingly diversified section, said Barbier’s ruling “ends Japan’s overall imports of crude oil last year as the Gulf state ploughs GDP contribution to 1.8 percent, or Kuwait also has a high domestic tourism portfolio requires an equally a long sad chapter in American fell 1.9% year-on-year to 3.46 mil- ahead with plans to expand its trans- KWD1.6bn in 2025. travel spend component, which gen- broad hospitality offering, looking at environmental history.” lion bpd for the third consecutive portation infrastructure. The report also highlighted poten- erated 88.1 percent of direct Travel & both the luxury and mid-range cat- “The question that remains is monthly drop. Shipments from the According to a World Travel & tial gains in leisure spend, which is Tourism GDP in 2014, and is expected egories, which is something that whether we have learned enough Middle East accounted for 82.5% of Tourism Council (WTTC) report expected to grow by 6.2 percent per to increase by 6.4 percent per annum we are focusing on this year at ATM from this tragedy to prevent simi- the total, up 0.1 percentage points entitled ‘Kuwait Travel and Tour- annum to KWD 2.4bn in 2025, while through to 2025. The country’s hotel with midmarket travel our spotlight lar environmental disasters in the from the year before. ism Economic Impact 2015’, tourism business travel is expected to grow by pipeline is also adding new value to the theme,” said Noblet-Segers. future,” he said.

Samsung S7 duo sales up GCC companies’ profits projected to fall by 6% in first quarter

The Peninsula banks are expected to benefit from ,lower from organic growth in express segments operating expense, as the 2 month bonus as well as growth from acquisitions. Slump they paid in Q1, 15 will not be repeated. in commodity prices will hurt the earn- On the petrochemicals sector, the report ings of Industrials. SICO, which covered DOHA: GCC companies’ aggregate first noted on an aggregate, the SICO forecast four major banks in Qatar forecasted a quarter 2016 (Q1, 16) profits are expected earnings to decline 14 percent YoY led by quarter-on-quarter growth to the Qatari to decline 6 percent year-on-year, led by lower product prices and rising feedstock banks. Higher provisioning charges and a 14 percent decline in the petrochemical cost after lifting of energy subsidies. low non-interest income are expected sector and weak performance in the tel- Real estate sector, sequentially, to weigh on some Qatari banks during ecom sector. expect weaker performance from the the Q1, 16.“Strong net interest income SICO Inveswtment Bank’s “GCC Equi- hospitality divisions. Telecom sector supported by robust lending growth is ties-Quarterly result preview” released expects a lackluster Q1, 16 with earnings expected to boost earnings of QIB. QIB’s yesterday noted banking sector is broadly to decline 8 percent YoY. SICI analysts provisioning charges are expected to pick expecting a disappoint quarter, with Saudi forecast a slowdown in consumers sec- up during the period. Arabia and UAE banks likely to report tor driven by lower sales led by lower Lower Urea, steel and commodity decline in non-interest income, while disposable income. chemical prices is forecasted to weigh on People wear Samsung Gear VR devices as they attend the launching ceremony of the new Qatari banks to post higher provisioning In contrast, logistics and transportation the earnings of Industries Qatar. Impairment Samsung S7 and S7 edge smartphones during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, charges in Q1, 16. sector is expected to witness a 70 percent of Fanoos Iraq and goodwill impairment Spain. Despite a pronounced slowdown in the high-end market, Galaxy S7 duo has managed Bank NIMs are expected to be weak higher earnings growth due to absence of in Tunisa in Q4, 15 impacted the earnings to exceed sales expectations, reports say. on higher funding costs with a pick-up in 2 months bonus costs, as paid in Q1, 15. of Ooredoo and it is projected to weigh on interbank rates. On the other hand Saudi Aramex is expected to continue to benefit Ooredoo’s quarter-on-quarter growth. 24 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS Saudi enters homebuilding business to tackle shortage

The development and financ- ing measures are part of a raft of Saudi Arabia actions the new government, driven signed a preliminary by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed agreement with a bin Salman, is taking as the country tries to diversify its economy to pre- Korean-Saudi group pare for a post-petroleum future. The to erect 100,000 housing ministry is looking to dou- ble housing-density limits, create an homes in the capital, office where all development approv- Riyadh, valued at als can be granted in the same place and allow the sale of homes before $20bn, says Housing they’re built. The ministry is lobby- Minister Majed Al ing the central bank to allow lenders to differentiate between first home Hogail. buyers and others seeking mortgages. The central bank earlier this year working to clear roadblocks that pre- halved the down payment required vented the country from realising the by mortgage seekers to 15 percent. Bloomberg homebuilding vision set out by former The creation of a state-owned King Abdullah in 2011. mortgage firm similar to the US’s One of the first acts of the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is government was to impose a tax on almost complete and the refinance RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is taking an urban land that’s not being developed company, which is critical to devel- unprecedented hands-on role in by its owners. With that hurdle out of oping a secondary market for home housing finance and development as the way, the ministry is turning to a loans, will start operating by the end it seeks to reenergise a plan to build profit-sharing plan that helped Dubai of this year, the minister said. Steelworkers with community trade union flags arrive for a meeting in London yesterday to discuss their more than a million homes and make turn desert land into a thriving metrop- The country’s mortgage market, campaign to save the crisis-hit UK steel industry. ownership more affordable. olis. The Tadawul All Share Real Estate estimated at around 94 billion riy- The Housing Ministry plans to cre- Development Industries Index climbed als now, “is very small,” Al Hogail said. ate its a development company and 1.6 percent as of 12:05pm in Riyadh But that will grow by 20 to 30 billion start a mortgage-guarantee fund to yesterday. Construction stocks rose 1.2 riyals a year, boosting the mortgage encourage banks to increase lending, percent. The new development company loan book to about SR250bn through Potential Tata Steel buyer sees Minister Majed Al Hogail (pictured), will give businesses plots of land to build 2020. International investment banks said in an interview. While the min- homes and help them secure financing are seeking opportunities in mortgage istry will regulate the developer, its by providing some loan guarantees. securitisation, Al Hogail said. Several UK talks advancing this week final ownership may rest with another The funding assistance will also be investment banks have approached the state entity, he said. “We are looking to extended to some home buyers. ministry to express interest in issuing improve the productivity of the local The country must attract large Islamic bonds and securitizing the developers” but also trying to attract foreign builders because the capac- portfolio of the real estate develop- Bloomberg The British government is seek- Tata. Gupta said the companies international developers and team- ity of local contractors is too small ment fund. The REDF has SR190bn ing to combat a crisis in its domestic downstream assets, which include ing consultants and builders for some to manage the scale of projects that and more than SR150bn of receiva- steel industry after India’s Tata Steel rolling mills, will be “more easy” projects, Al Hogail said. The ministry’s the country envisages, Al Hogail said. bles, he said. Ltd. said last week it’s considering the to sell then Tata’s blast furnaces in longer-term goal is to act as a regu- The ministry is in talks with And as the mega projects start, LONDON: A potential saviour of the sale of its loss-making UK division, Scunthorpe and Port Talbot that lator and a catalyst to balance supply Turkish, Egyptian, Chinese and bank loans won’t be enough to finance UK’s steel industry said it expects to jeopardizing 40,000 jobs, including compete more directly with cheaper and demand without directly devel- Persian Gulf builders, he said. Saudi the construction and “bonds will play make progress in talks with the gov- 6,500 at a plant in South Wales. A production in places like Russia and oping, he said. Arabia signed a preliminary agree- a larger role especially with the limited ernment this week. flood of cheap Chinese exports has Brazil. Despite its vast oil wealth, the ment with a Korean-Saudi group to options,” he said. Al Hogail concedes that “It’s the beginning of the dia- thrown the global steel industry into Gupta said he saw no need for country faces a shortage of more than erect 100,000 homes in the capi- building 1.5 million homes in five years log, how the dialog progresses will turmoil, eroding profits for produc- the business to be nationalized by 1.5 million homes over the next five tal, Riyadh, valued at $20bn and the isn’t feasible. The ministry’s aim is to “ini- become clear this week,” Liberty ers around the world as prices for the the UK government and that there years and most young families are minister said he expects a final deal tiate a path to home ownership” where House Executive Chairman Sanjeev alloy have plunged to the lowest in was enough time to do a deal. Busi- unable to own their homes due to a soon. The companies are Hanwha developers know where the majority of Gupta said in a Bloomberg TV inter- a decade. ness Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday lack of lending and construction that Engineering & Construction, Dae- demand is and where the state can help view yesterday. “What is clear is that Liberty House, a private com- declined to rule out a temporary falls far short of the growing popu- woo Engineering & Construction and match homes being built with govern- government is committed to finding pany, has already reached an nationalization of Tata Steel’s UK lation’s needs. Since taking power Saudi Pan Kingdom for Trading, Ind. ment grants to low-income citizens, a solution to this problem, what that agreement to buy the Clydebridge operations, while reiterating the gov- in 2015, Saudi government has been & Contracting known as SAPAC. he said. means entirely is not clear.” and Dalzell plants in Scotland from ernment would prefer not to do so.

Al Tayyar ready for $214.4m Samsung Bioepis files suit against AbbVie in UK Zakhr stake buy Reuters in recent years as copies of some of Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee, 47, to large number of overlapping patents Electronics quickly rose to become the Reuters the world’s best-selling prescription prove himself as steward of the family- around Humira, which could affect industry leader. The group is also one medicines have hit the market. run smartphones-to-insurance empire. patient access to affordable medica- of the world’s most active patent filers Unlike generic versions of simple His father, group patriarch Lee Kun- tion,” Samsung Bioepis said. and has over the years tried to move SEOUL: Samsung Bioepis Co Ltd, chemical medicines, biotech drugs are hee, has been hospitalised since a 2014 “We believe competition should beyond its image as a “fast follower”. DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Al Tay- which aims to become a force in the made from living cells, so it is impos- heart attack. take place in the market, and not “The first drug to hit the market yar Travel Group said yesterday fledgling biosimilar drugs industry, sible to manufacture exact copies. The The composition patent for through such misuse of the patent sys- takes the most market share, so this is it has completed all procedures has filed a lawsuit against the orig- IMS Institute for Healthcare Infor- Humira loses its exclusivity in the tem,” it added. AbbVie said it was aware the right strategy to go with,” said Kang to acquire a 30% stake in Zakhr inator of the world’s best-selling matics says biosimilars could save United States in December 2016, and of the lawsuit filed by Samsung Bioepis Yang-ku, analyst at HMC Investment & Investment and Real Estate Devel- drug, to stop it blocking the launch healthcare systems in the United in Europe in October 2018, but Illinois- and Biogen. “As we have said, we intend Securities. There are potentially rich opment through a share swap of its own version. The unit of South States and Europe’s top five markets based AbbVie, which earned 61 percent to defend our intellectual property,” it pickings for early movers; more than arrangement. The 30 percent stake in Korea’s Samsung Group, along with as much as ¤98bn ($111bn) by 2020. of its 2015 net revenue from Humira, said. Samsung Bioepis, which brought 10 blockbuster biological drugs with Zakhr has been transferred to Al Tay- partner and minority shareholder The South Korean conglomer- has been filing new patents in a bid to its first drug to market late last year, combined yearly sales of $60bn are yar and the commercial registry of Biogen, filed suit in Britain on March ate is hoping for big things from the push back sales of biosimilars. In addi- has a pipeline of 13 biosimilars, ver- on track to see their US and European the travel firm has been amended to 24 against AbbVie Inc, maker of rheu- unit - including a revenue target of 1 tion to Samsung Bioepis and Biogen, sions of existing drugs with similar patents expire over the next four years, reflect the capital increase through matoid arthritis drug Humira, which trillion won ($872m) by 2020 - amid more than a dozen firms have chal- efficacy at much lower prices, and is according to Allied Market Research. the addition of 9.65 million new generated sales of $14 bn last year. sagging profits at its electronics busi- lenged AbbVie’s strategy through patent initially focusing on six of them to get Biosimilars are a source of conster- shares, Al Tayyar said in a bourse It is the company’s first suit ness, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, authorities or the courts. out in front of the market. nation for investors in firms such as filing. against a drug originator. Interest in the world’s biggest maker of smart- “We believe that AbbVie has been The Samsung Group has a track AbbVie, however, as the cheaper cop- Al Tayyar, in a bourse filing on biosimilars — lower-cost copies of phones and televisions. Success in the attempting to obstruct market entry of record of moving fast. Late to enter ies threaten to undercut profits for the Jan. 5, said it will acquire 15 per- complex biotech drugs — has soared endeavour is seen as key for de facto competing products by applying for a the smartphone market, Samsung original drug makers. cent of Zakhr from Mohammed I. Alsubeaie & Sons Investment Co (MASIC) and the same stake from Abdullah Almishal & Sons Kuwait govt plans to Co (Almishal) for a total value of Asparagus season SR803.8m ($214.4m). In return, the two Zakhr share- issue KD2bn sukuk bonds holders will receive new shares in Al Tayyar, giving the pair a com- bined holding of 4.6 percent in the Reuters travel company.

Regulator revives DUBAI: Kuwait’s government plans to issue KD2bn ($6.6bn) of Islamic and conventional bonds to help cover a budget complaint against deficit created by low oil prices, Al Arabiya television quoted unnamed official sources as saying yesterday. Kuwait’s Zain The finance ministry has asked the central bank to arrange the issuance, Al Arabiya said. It did not specify the timing DUBAI: Iraq’s telecommuni- beyond saying the issuance would occur this year. cations regulator has revived The government has begun drawing down its finan- a complaint against the local cial reserves to cover part of the deficit, which it projects at unit of Kuwait’s Zain which KD12.2bn in the current fiscal year that began on April 1. could involve the imposition of But it also wants to start issuing debt to limit the speed of a $100mn fine on the company, the drawdown and develop the local financial market. Zain said in a statement to the The KD2bn issuance will be divided equally between con- Kuwaiti bourse yesterday. ventional and Islamic bonds (sukuk), and a total of KD6bn of For several years, Zain Iraq the deficit will eventually be covered by bond issues with the and the Communications and Harvest worker with fresh asparagus near Ruhlsdorf, Germany, yesterday. The cultivation of asparagus in most rest covered by reserve drawdowns, Al Arabiya reported. Media Commission battled in the Finance minister Anas Al Saleh said last month that Kuwait regions in Germany is done by manual labour. Some companies that cultivate asparagus on larger surfaces, mainly court system over an allegation was talking to its advisers about a potential sovereign bond in Brandenburg, Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt, use additional semi or fully automatic harvesters. that the unit sold SIM cards with- issue, and was considering both domestic and international out the commission’s permission. debt issues. BUSINESS TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 25

Turkish inflation Jobless rate in cools to 7- month low in March

eurozone falls Reuters

ANKARA/ISTANBUL: Turkish inflation cooled to a seven-month low in March, helped by a slow- marginally down in volatile food prices, raising the likelihood the central bank will cut rates again even though core inflation remains high. inflationary pressure.” Inflation, which topped 9.5 Inflation—a key reflection of percent earlier this year, is seen The Eurostat consumer demand—has bounced as one of Turkey’s most press- statistics agency said along the bottom for months, way ing economic problems and cited short of the European Central Bank’s by economists as evidence that a unemployment in the target of near 2.0 percent. tightening of monetary policy is 19-nation eurozone “Looking ahead, survey evi- long overdue. dence suggests that the eurozone’s “The sharp decline in Turkish fell to 10.3 percent labour market recovery is beginning inflation in March ... was driven in February, a four- to slow,” McKeown added. by a drop in food inflation and The ECB launched a massive masked the fact that core infla- and-a-half year low, stimulus programme in early 2015 tion remains extremely strong,” A technician stands at the Krechba gas treatment plant, south of Algiers. Algeria’s energy export volumes but to little apparent effect and last said William Jackson of Capital from a revised 10.4 stagnated in 2015, held back by lower output and a rise in domestic consumption. percent in January. month added even more unprece- Economics in a note. dented measures in an effort to get “Today’s data make it more the economy back on track. likely that the central bank will The ECB at the same time cut its follow up its recent interest rate eurozone growth forecasts for 2016 Algeria’s energy exports stagnate cut with another one this month.” AFP and 2017 to 1.4 percent and 1.7 per- The bank cut the upper band cent, from the previous 1.7 percent of its interest rate “corridor” last and 1.9 percent, respectively. month, prompting concern it More damaging still, it slashed its in 2015 as production falls was yielding to political pres- BRUSSELS: The eurozone unem- inflation estimates to just 0.1 percent sure. President Tayyip Erdogan ployment rate improved only from 1.0 percent for this year and to has repeatedly railed against the marginally in February, official data 1.3 percent from 1.6 percent for 2017. high domestic cost of borrowing, showed yesterday, stoking concerns Eurostat said there were 16.63 Reuters million tonnes of oil equivalent, while increased by 5 percent to 39.5 bil- equating high interest rates with the economy could be slowing after million jobless in the eurozone in natural gas output dropped 1 percent lion cubic metres. “treason”. only a modest recovery. February, down 39,000 from Janu- to 82.5 billion cubic metres, the data Demand for electricity rose 8 Consumer prices rose 7.46 Analysts said that while the ary. The EU unemployment rate was ALGIERS: Algeria’s energy exports showed. percent last year. percent year-on-year in March, economy is holding up despite recent unchanged at 8.9 percent in Febru- stagnated in 2015, held back by lower Liquefied natural gas (LNG) pro- Foreign exchange reserves fell the the Turkish Statistics Insti- financial market volatility and con- ary, it said. oil and gas production and a rise in duction declined 7.6 percent to 27 $35 billion in 2015 to $143 billion, tute said on Monday, the lowest cerns over the outlook for China, job The lowest jobless rates were in domestic consumption, official data million cubic metres. Oil refined while its trade deficit reached $13.71 since August. Core inflation, which gains may not be enough to help it Germany, 4.3 percent, and the Czech seen by Reuters on Monday showed. products output dropped 4.6 percent billion in 2015, reversing a $4.306 excludes food prices, declined get it through the current soft patch. Republic on 4.5 percent while the The North African OPEC mem- to 29.3 million tonnes, and petroleum billion surplus in the previous year. slightly but remained at more than The Eurostat statistics agency highest were in debt-laden Greece ber is trying to increase oil and gas liquefied gas output rose 2 percent to Algeria last year made 22 oil and 9.5 percent year-on-year. said unemployment in the 19-nation at 24 percent and Spain with 20.4 production which has stagnated for a 9.6 million tonnes. gas discoveries, down from 32 in 2014, Food prices were the biggest eurozone fell to 10.3 percent in Feb- percent. decade. But many foreign oil compa- Algeria relies on earnings from as it struggles to attract foreign invest- contributor to the slowdown in ruary, a four-and-a-half year low, Howard Archer at IHS Global nies are reluctant to invest because of the energy sector to pay for its ment to boost its energy sector. inflation, falling 1.53 percent in from a revised 10.4 percent in Insight said that while eurozone Algeria’s contract terms and the drop imports and a wide range of sub- State energy firm Sonatrach’s March compared with a month January. unemployment fell for a 15th con- in world oil prices. sidies, from food to housing. But main partners BP and Norway’s before. On a yearly basis, they rose The January figure was orig- secutive month, “it is notable that the Total energy sales reached public finances have been hit by low Statoil last month said they would 4.58 percent. inally given as 10.3 percent last decline of 39,000 was the smallest 100 million tonnes of oil equiva- oil prices, forcing the government to withdraw foreign workers from two “The food segment was bet- month and analysts had expected drop since May 2015. lent, unchanged from the previous freeze some infrastructure projects gas plants in the southern gasfield ter than expected and surprised the February jobless rate to come in “This stokes concern that recent year, while production declined 1.3 and raise the price of some subsidised belt after an attack by militants on everyone. Its contribution to the unchanged at 10.3 percent. Unem- slower eurozone growth and softer percent to 153 million tonnes of oil products. one site. monthly drop in inflation is rel- ployment hit a record high 12.1 business confidence could now be equivalent, the data from the energy The government has also In 2014, Algeria awarded only atively large,” said Pinar Uslu, a percent during the worst of the debt increasingly weighing down on the ministry said. launched a campaign to reduce four of 31 oil and gas blocks on offer strategist at ING Bank. crisis. labour market,” Archer said in a Energy sales make up 60 percent domestic energy consumption but to foreign consortiums. It has post- “Food remains a risk fac- Jennifer McKeown at Capital note.On the positive side which will of the state budget and account for demand is still on the rise. poned a round of bids for oil and tor as it’s difficult to predict food Economics said Monday’s figures be crucial if eurozone growth is to 95 percent of Algeria’s total exports Demand for refined products, gas exploration planned for 2015, inflation. It is very volatile.” On a “suggest the labour market remains be able “regain momentum over despite efforts to diversify the econ- mainly gasoline and diesel oil, rose but Sonatrach is in talks with for- monthly basis, prices fell 0.04 per- in reasonable health although it is the coming months after stuttering omy. Crude oil and condensate 5.5 percent to 18.3 million tonnes, eign partners about how to improve cent, contrasting with a Reuters still too weak to generate any real recently.” production fell 2.8 percent to 58.9 while natural gas consumption their offers. poll prediction of a 0.5 percent rise.

Saudi plans Rowe to lead Marks & Spencer Greece and creditors international resume bailout talks bond sale by coming week, and that the leaked AP IMF conference call was not brought up by either side. September Outside the Athens hotel where the talks were held, about 200 mem- ATHENS: Greece’s government bers of Greece’s main civil servants’ Bloomberg started a new round of austerity union, ADEDY and leftwing party talks with bailout creditors yesterday supporters held a peaceful protest, amid a dispute over a wiretapped chanting “Greeks, fight back, the DUBAI: Saudi Arabia plans to tap and leaked conversation between European Union and the IMF are international debt markets for the foreign officials involved in the drinking your blood.” ADEDY has first time as early as September and Greek rescue negotiations. called a 24-hour strike and protest set up a bond programme amid an Finance Minister Euclid Tsaka- march Thursday against the pro- unprecedented economic shakeup. lotos met representatives of Greece’s posed new cutbacks. The kingdom will prepare for European creditors and the Interna- Greece has depended on bailouts a sale and set up a two or three- tional Monetary Fund, following a since it lost access to market fund- year program once it concludes a two-week Easter break. The main ing in 2010. Last summer, Prime syndicated loan deal, Minister of sticking points in the long-dragging Minister Alexis Tsipras’s left-led gov- State Mohammad bin Abdulmalik talks are mandated new pension ernment performed a policy U-turn Al-Sheikh said during a meeting cuts, tax reforms and future cuts and signed a third rescue loan agree- between Bloomberg News and Dep- Greece is under pressure to make ment worth about 86 billion euros. uty Crown Prince Mohammed bin A man leaves a Marks & Spencer store in London. Steve Rowe, the new chief executive of British to meet bailout targets. But regular disbursal of the funds Salman and some of his top aides in retailer Marks & Spencer, is to continue to lead the firm’s general merchandise division and will not Tsakalotos said afterwards that depends on how bailout creditors Riyadh. The government is in talks appoint a new executive director for the unit. the “introductory” meeting focused assess the government’s implementa- with banks to raise about $10 bil- on how talks would proceed over the tion of agreed reforms and cutbacks. lion through a syndicated loan, two people familiar with the matter said this year. Al-Sheikh declined to con- firm the details. While the timing of the bond sale depends on mar- ket conditions, Al-Sheikh hopes Three-minute Pizza: Domino’s recipe to extend an 800% stock gain “to work with our financial insti- tutions and our lawyers to prepare ourselves to tap into the markets as Chief Executive Officer Don Meij said is asking them to embrace other Sydney. three minute target for takeaway early as September,” he said. “We in an interview. He’s calling it Project innovations to get fed faster—like a Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, based food has so far remained elusive, Meij may have our inaugural deal as a Bloomberg 3-10: pizza ready to take away in 180-kilogram (397 pound) wheeled in Brisbane, is the biggest franchisee reckons that the goal of 10-minute one-off deal, but then start a pro- three minutes, or at your door in 10. robot that scans an eyeball before outside the U.S. for the takeaway deliveries for most Australian orders gram after that. Ultimately by 2017, “The growth that’s going to come handing over hot pizza and chilled brand owned by Domino’s Pizza Inc. is attainable within three years. we will have a program to borrow from that is mind-boggling,” said the soda. In addition to outlets in Australia and Domino’s is set to trial robotic internationally.” SYDNEY: Domino’s Pizza Enterprises 47-year-old, who started his three- In the past 10 years, Domino’s New Zealand, it also operates chains pizza deliveries this month in Bris- The kingdom has been financ- Ltd, whose stock has jumped more decades long career at Domino’s as investors received a total return of in Japan and some European nations, bane, and the machine should be in ing its budget deficit by selling than 800 percent in five years, wants a delivery driver. more than 2,000 percent as prof- and has a market value of A$5 billion service on Australian streets in 2018, local debt and drawing down to take fast food to another level: the Meij’s challenge is to main- its surged, according to Bloomberg ($3.8 billion). said Meij. It will be more cost-effec- on foreign reserves. The central three-minute pizza. tain growth that in the past decade data. Yet expectations are cooling: the Making fresh pizza from scratch tive and safer than a human courier, bank’s net foreign assets have Australia’s biggest pizza chain is swelled profit tenfold and turned stock is projected to advance only 6 in three minutes requires new ovens Meij said. It’s even able to cook on the tumbled by more than 500 bil- trialling high-speed cooking tech- Domino’s into Australia’s best-per- percent in the next year, following that blast heat in several directions, move. lion riyals ($133 billion) since the nology and military-grade delivery forming consumer stock. Having average gains in the past seven years according to Meij. In trials, such tech- Yet Meij’s latest targets also start of 2015 to 2.19 trillion riyals robots in a bid to cut typical baking persuaded customers to order more of 60 percent, the data show. It was nology has already halved cooking depend on thousands of new shops in February. and delivery times by more than half, using their mobile phones, Meij at A$57.08 as of 1 p.m. on Monday in times to four minutes. And while the to cut delivery distances. 26 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

QE INDICES SUMMARY QATAR STOCK EXCHANGE QE Index 10,234.36 0.17 % QE Total Return Index 16,492.58 0.17 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,997.2 1.17 % QE All Share Index 2,843.21 0.44 % QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 2,752.51 0.04 % QE All Share Industrials 3,173.25 1.11 % QE All Share Transportation 2,511.49 0.11 % QE All Share Real Estate 2,483.04 0.34 % QE All Share Insurance 4,450.95 0.09 % QE All Share Telecoms 1,184.58 1.13 % QE All Share Consumer Goods & Services 6,563.89 1.19 %

QE MARKET SUMMARY COMPARISON 04-04-2016 Today 03-04-2016 Previous day Index 10,234.36 10,251.97 Change 17.61 124.23 % 0.17 1.20 YTD% 1.87 1.7 Volume 7,824,584 7,162,041 Value (QAR) 311,510,095.44 287,406,865.50 Trades 5,252 4,508 Up 10 | Down 31 | Unchanged 01

WORLD STOCK INDICES Index Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low All Ordinaries 5070.059 -3.726 -0.07 5379.6 4762.1 Cac 40 Index/D 4369.81 47.57 1.1 4586.11 3892.46 Dj Indu Average 17792.75 107.66 0.61 18351.4 15370.3 Hang Seng Inde/D 20498.92 -277.78 -1.34 21794.84 18278.8 Iseq Overall/D 6353.52 69.09 1.1 6791.68 5611.89 Karachi 100 In/D 33808.42 358.8 1.07 33467.47 29785 Nikkei 225 Index 16123.27 -40.89 -0.25 18951.12 14865.77 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 2134.72 1810.1

EXCHANGE RATE Currency Buying Selling US$ QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 UK QR 5.1516 QR 5.2239 INTERNATIONAL MARKETS - A LIST OF SHARES FROM THE WORLD Euro QR 4.1138 QR 4.1721 COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME CA$ QR 2.7648 QR 2.8193 NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED Swiss Fr QR 3.7657 QR 3.8193 Yen QR 0.0323 QR 0.0329 A C C-A/D 1409.4 -2.1 17566 Eveready Indu-/D 230.45 -3.95 12706 Kalyani Stel-T/D 172.1 2.6 28762 Timexgroup-T/D 29.65 -0.4 9430 Aus$ QR 2.7494 QR 2.8045 Aarti Drugs-B/D 461 0.65 5104 F D C-B/D 183.1 2.7 4389 Kanoria Chem-B/D 59 0.7 17137 Tinplate-B/D 67.55 0.55 23369 Ind Re QR 0.0545 QR 0.0556 Aban Offs-A/D 177.3 -1.7 165623 Federal Bank-A/D 44.95 -1.8 609386 Kg Denim-B/D 79.7 -2.25 37297 Ucal Fuel-B/D 102.7 -0.9 2622 Pak Re QR 0.0345 QR 0.0352 Ador Welding-B/D 280 -4.7 1300 Ferro Alloys-B/D 4.89 -0.01 5113 Kilburnengg-Xd/D 68 3.35 19024 Ultramarine-B/D 112 2.6 8248 Aegis Logis-B/D 99.2 0.1 21545 Finolex-A/D 371 3.6 9583 Kopran-B/D 51.3 0.85 41538 Unitech P -A/D 5.17 -0.11 7806193 Peso QR 0.0781 QR 0.0796 Alembic-B/D 36.6 0.65 35923 Forbes-B/D 1211 28.5 27414 Lakshmi Elec-B/D 349 0.2 1838 Uppergsugar-T/D 123.2 4.7 23781 SL Re QR 0.0248 QR 0.0254 Alok Indus-A/D 4.71 0.07 585065 Gail-A/D 348 0.35 525402 Lgb Broth-B/D 455.4 12.1 2376 Taka QR 0.0460 QR 0.0471 Apollo Tyre-A/D 171.25 -3.15 187290 Galada Power-B/D 14.15 0.05 2800 Lloyd Metal-B/D 23.85 3.95 146722 LONDON Nep Re QR 0.0341 QR 0.0347 Asahi I Glass-/D 153.6 0.5 10807 Gammon India-T/D 13.56 0.5 234849 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 5.19 0.28 61620 SA Rand QR 0.2445 QR 0.2495 Ashok Leyland-/D 109.95 -0.25 655835 Garden P -B/D 22.3 0.45 4160 Lumax Ind-B/D 419.1 1.1 2512 3i Group/D 457.2 2.7 439692 Ballarpur In-B/D 15.85 2.15 4431438 Godfrey Phil-B/D 1143.05 -49.65 20800 Lupin-A/D 1461.3 -4.1 143493 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 3393 49 77489 Bata India-A/D 522.65 18.1 105049 Goodricke-B/D 180.2 3.4 46164 Lyka Labs-T/D 81.35 1.2 41565 Barclays/D 150.55 0.55 11513403 GOLD AND SILVER Beml Ltd-A/D 1015.9 -12.45 15938 Goodyear I -B/D 507 9.8 3613 Mah.Seamless-B/D 174.2 29 42508 Bp/D 347.85 4.05 9174148 Bh Electronic-/D 1206 8.25 15497 Hcl Infosys-B/D 45.95 1.8 1099905 Mangalam Cem-B/D 227.2 -0.1 2815 Brit Am Tobacc/D 4115 31.5 815431 GOLD QR142.9192 per gramme Bhansali Eng-T/D 19 0.3 41120 Him.Fut.Comm-T/D 18.2 1.25 2755774 Maral Overs-B/D 27 -0.65 4021 Bt Group/D 442.95 4.35 5152636 SILVER QR1.7583 per gramme Bharat Bijle-B/D 920.5 -5.5 12465 Himat Seide-B/D 195.2 -1.65 30511 Mastek-B/D 144.1 0.3 26010 Centrica/D 228 3 3066642 Bharatgears-B/D 68.05 0.55 1296 Hind Unilever-/D 872 5.6 44147 Max Financial-/D 337.4 -7.7 9092 Gkn/D 288.6 2.6 1315351 Bhartiya Int-B/D 454 -1.1 1948 Hind Motors-T/D 5.16 -0.09 19816 Mrpl-A/D 68.15 -1 34397 Hsbc Holdings/D 432.15 0.15 8111452 Bhel-A/D 117.1 0.2 778228 Hind Org Chem-/D 16.4 -0.55 10211 Nahar Spg.-B/D 96.85 4.6 11777 Kingfisher/D 376 -2.5 2536759 Bom.Burmah-B/D 382.05 5 4702 Hind.Petrol-A/D 791.1 -2.05 45197 Nation Alum -A/D 39.4 0.35 127287 Land Secs Grou/D 1101 11 419370 Oil prices fall to Bombay Dyeing-/D 48.65 0.05 321855 Hindalco-A/D 89.1 2.45 1335908 Navneet Edu-B/D 83.9 -0.4 11421 Legal & Genera/D 233.6 2.5 3046069 Camph.& All-B/D 490.7 43.1 5345 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 1104.15 -7.4 209941 Nepc India-T/D 1.56 0.07 17611 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 68.35 0.45 28613453 Canfin Homes-B/D 1184 -0.55 3838 I F C I-A/D 24.5 -0.55 884521 Neuland Lab-B/D 725 4.5 1428 Marks & Sp./D 412.9 5.6 2201616 one-month low Caprihans-Xc/D 81.25 1 3778 Idbi-A/D 71.2 -1.35 716966 Nrb Bearings-B/D 128.9 2.7 1591 Next/D 5395 -50 192458 Castrol India-/D 377.15 0.2 19761 India Cement-A/D 87.8 -0.65 177838 O N G C-A/D 207.4 -1.35 293871 Pearson/D 868 19.5 740297 Century Enka-B/D 180.8 5.3 15188 India Glycol-B/D 86.65 1.45 49380 Oil Country-B/D 24.15 0.1 5045 Prudential/D 1297 18 1452992 Bloomberg Century Text-A/D 541.5 1.3 59984 Indian Card-B/D 220.3 0.7 2038 Onward Tech-B/D 69.9 0.2 1257 Rank Group/D 246.8 -4.3 96426 Chambal Fert-B/D 57.05 1.85 187446 Indian Hotel-A/D 99.65 -0.75 27402 Orchid Pharm-B/D 38.65 0.2 54577 Rentokil Initi/D 178.1 1.6 405452 Cipla-A/D 513.9 0.45 85323 Indo-Tcount-T/D 1021.85 36.35 37568 Orient Hotel-T/D 21.5 0 1030 Rolls Royce Pl/D 660.5 -2 1507740 LONDON: Oil dropped to a one-month low after Saudi City Union Bk-/D 96.7 -0.45 19369 Indusind-A/D 960.85 0.8 22277 Orient.Carb.-T/D 499.75 1.25 2122 Rsa Insrance G/D 471.8 -4.9 583327 Arabia’s deputy crown prince said his country will freeze Colgate-A/D 838.8 4.3 18120 J.B.Chemical-B/D 253.6 3.3 4960 Oudh Sugar-B/D 80.2 2.05 281523 Sainsbury(J)/D 277.1 0.5 1378365 output only if Iran follows suit, putting in doubt the pros- Container Cor-/D 1270 14.25 6413 Jagatjit Ind-X/D 77.8 3.7 1057 Patspin India-/D 8.66 0.41 1150 Schroders/D 2638 14 76559 pects of a proposed deal to freeze supply. Dai-Tichi Kar-/D 374.9 18.6 4219 Jagson Phar-B/D 34.65 0.75 10596 Punjab Chem.-B/D 153.1 6.9 3844 Severn Trent/D 2172 29 90280 Futures slipped to the lowest level since March 4 in Lon- Dcm Shram Ind-/D 142.2 8.7 20942 Jamnaauto-B/D 144.4 1 46490 Radico Khait-B/D 97.35 0.75 10677 Smith&Nephew/D 1177 11 468606 don. Producers are scheduled to meet this month to discuss Dhampur Sugar-/D 95.8 -0.45 217818 Jbf Indu-B/D 191 7.4 23180 Rallis India-A/D 167.8 -0.7 11665 Smiths Group/D 1071 9 200006 an agreement on capping supplies. Iran’s oil minister said Dr. Reddy-A/D 3015.05 35.1 28822 Jct Elect P -B/D 0.32 -0.01 22002 Reliance Indus/D 441.5 3.2 109227 Standrd Chart /D 451.5 -2.35 2140222 he’ll attend the gathering if he finds the time. Russian oil E I H-B/D 105.1 1.6 1963 Jct Ltd-B/D 4.89 -0.11 822465 Ruchi Soya-B/D 31.55 -0.9 168361 Tate & Lyle/D 585 10.5 131277 production reached a post-Soviet high in March. E.I.D Parry-A/D 216.45 -3.45 38797 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 7.65 0.09 4158 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 504 -1.05 2227 Tesco/D 192.1 2.1 5215602 “The discipline and unity needed for a freeze is miss- Eicher Motor-A/D 19489.1 250.6 3958 Jik Indust-B/D 0.8 0.03 10698 Salora Inter-B/D 43 -1.3 8806 Unilever/D 3219.5 54.5 880760 ing,” said Gene McGillian, a senior analyst and broker at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “Russian Electrosteel-B/D 18.7 0.15 51986 Jktyre&Ind-A/D 83.85 0.3 139797 Saur.Cem-B/D 61.4 -0.9 50890 United Util Gr/D 912.5 11.5 348612 production in March rose to a new post-Soviet record, Emco-B/D 26.5 0.8 11034 Jmc Projects-T/D 222 2.5 2951 Tanfac Indust-/D 26 0.9 2765 Vodafone Group/D 220.8 0.6 11662426 Iranian exports appear to be rising and the Saudis poured Escorts Fin-B/D 4.15 0.17 28703 Kakatiya Cem-B/D 235.5 26.6 112070 Thirumalai-B/D 189.1 0.5 5334 Whitbread/D 3950 22 107153 cold water on the idea of a freeze last week. This is not Escorts-A/D 145.5 6.1 272819 Kalpat Power-B/D 206.5 1.3 3334 Til Ltd.-T/D 367.4 18.5 7975 a picture that supports $40 oil.” The Saudi comments have halted a rally of more than 40 percent in oil since mid-January. Investors have this year speculated that waning production in the US would ease a glut as Saudi Arabia, Russia and others moved to cap output. Iran’s determination to increase its sales to European stock markets bounce back pre-sanctions levels and the Saudis’ insistence that Iran join the freeze have put that plan in doubt. West Texas Intermediate for May delivery fell 73 cents, or 2 percent, to $36.06 a barrel at 1:54 p.m. on AFP regained some of their equilibrium February, a four-and-a-half year Orange slumped 6.2 percent and time in six months. the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched today, as oil prices stabilised after low point. “While dark clouds Bouygues plunged 13.5 percent. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was $36.05, the lowest since March 15. rebounding off a four week low,” packed over the eurozone econ- On Wall Street, the major indi- down 0.3 percent at 16,123.27 Brent for June settlement dropped 65 cents, or 1.7 said analyst Michael Hewson at omy in the beginning of the year, ces were modestly lower in midday points. Shanghai and Hong Kong percent, to $38.02 a barrel on the London-based ICE LONDON: European stock mar- CMC Markets UK. the labour market has continued to trading on Monday despite Virgin were closed for a public holiday. Futures Europe exchange. Prices dropped as much as 1.8 kets bounced back yesterday as “The decline in oil prices over provide tailwind,” ING bank sen- America shares surging more than The news was the latest to high- percent to $37.96. The global benchmark crude traded positive eurozone data and expec- the last few days appears to have ior economist Bert Colijn said in 40 percent on news it agreed to be light renewed strength in the world’s at a 65-cent premium to WTI for June delivery. tations of low US interest rates for been largely shrugged off by equity a note to clients. acquired by Alaska Airlines in a top economy, but analysts said the Oil-producing countries are discussing a draft res- some time helped offset renewed markets, probably due to the fact “The improvements in unem- $4bn deal, including debt. Federal Reserve would still not raise olution for the Doha meeting, Russian Energy Minister concerns over a weak Japanese that the recent push higher in the ployment continue to fuel domestic In New York, the Dow was down interest rates before June at least. Alexander Novak told reporters in Novokuznetsk, Russia. economy. US dollar appears to have run its demand in times when consum- 0.1 percent at 17,771.04 points in “Friday’s US labour market The meeting may lead to a decision on tools to monitor London’s benchmark FTSE 100 course, against pared back expec- ers have become more cautious. afternoon trade, the S&P 500 was report was something of a mid- output levels, he said. index and Frankfurt’s DAX 30 each tations of future US rate rises,” he This will likely mitigate the neg- down 0.3 percent at 2,067.08 points, dling result for markets,” Philip Rigs targeting crude in the US fell to 362 last week, ended the day with a gain. The FTSE added. ative effects of people more while the Nasdaq was down 0.3 Borkin, a senior economist at ANZ the least since November 2009, Baker Hughes Inc. said 100 was up 0.3 percent at 6,164.72 Eurozone stocks had slumped concerned about the state of the percent at 4,898.36 points. Bank New Zealand. Friday. More than 1,100 oil rigs have been parked since points; in Frankfurt, the DAX 30 on Friday on the first day of the global economy.” In Asia meanwhile, Japanese “On the one hand it was not the start of last year as slumping prices make it uneco- was up 0.3 percent at 9,822.08 second quarter as falling oil prices On the European corporate stocks fell for a fifth straight session really strong enough to suggest nomical to drill. Production fell by 16,000 barrels a day to points; in Paris, the CAC 40 was and renewed economic concerns front yesterday, stocks in French as the yen strengthened against the inflation pressures are going to run 9.02 million in the week ended March 25, the least since up 0.5 percent at 4,345.22 points, in Japan hurt sentiment. telecoms companies fell sharply dollar. Most other Asian markets away on the Fed, but on the other, 2014, Energy Information Administration data show. while the EURO STOXX 50 was But they fought back yester- after market leader Orange said turned positive after a better-than- it certainly still showed, together US crude inventories probably rose 3 million barrels up 0.3 percent at 2,961.98 points. day as official data showed that talks to purchase the rival net- expected US jobs report and data with a rebound in (manufactur- last week, according to a Bloomberg survey conducted The euro slid to $1.1379. “After a unemployment across the single work owned by industrial group showing US manufacturing activ- ing data), that the economy is still before an EIA report tomorrow. slow start European markets have currency bloc fell to 10.3 percent in Bouygues had failed. Shares in ity increased in March for the first performing well overall.” BUSINESS VIEWS TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 27

Lenders ‘freak out’ Suspicion and soured relationships at London’s sank Bouygues Telecom’s deal luxury-home woes

By Jack Sidders lender backed by funds man- Bloomberg aged by Blackstone Group LP, has avoided advancing credit for projects in central London since 2013 because of oversupply fears ENDERS are charging and the market’s dependence higher interest rates for on overseas buyers, co-founder development loans for Justin Faiz said in a telephone London luxury homes interview. as slumping commodity Lprices and increased taxes deter ‘BREXIT’ THREAT overseas buyers, fueling concern “The mainstream lenders the market is oversupplied. appear to be very cautious and I Debt funding construction of think with ‘Brexit’ on the horizon the costliest homes has increased no one wants to push the boat out by about 75 basis points to 3.75 too far,” said Dragonfly’s Posniak, percentage points over bench- referring to the UK’s vote in June marks since January, said about leaving the European Union Randeesh Sandhu, chief executive political bloc. officer of residential develop- Land values in central Lon- ment lender Urban Exposure Real don’s best districts fell 0.2 Estate Plc. For large projects in percent last year compared central London, financing costs with a 24 percent gain in 2014, have risen the most since 2012 according to Knight Frank. Sales over the past six months, said Wil- of homes under construction in liam Newsom, a senior director at the UK capital dropped 19 per- broker Savills Plc. A basis point is cent to about 5,216 in the fourth 0.01 of a percentage point. quarter from a year earlier, data “Everyone is freaking out,” compiled by researcher Molior Sandhu, whose firm has loaned London Ltd. show. close to £1bn ($1.4bn) to develop- Average interest rate margins ers, said in an interview. “There for UK housing developments fell has been nervousness for a to 381 basis points from 453 basis A man phones outside his phone shop where the logos of France’s telecom giants Bouygues and SFR are pictured, in Dunkerque. while in the super prime market points in the 12 months through and there is also now nervous- June, according to a survey of ness in prime.” lenders by De Montfort University. Developers are construct- By Mathieu Rosemain Telecom assets to ease competition concerns. understood and accepted from the start. ing or plan to build about 54,000 REDUCED APPETITE and Sophie Sassard Spokespeople for the French Economy But Bouygues was not happy with homes in central London, accord- Some UK banks have a Reuters Ministry, Orange, Bouygues, SFR and Iliad Macron’s request to cap his potential ing to data compiled by researcher reduced appetite for development declined to comment for this story. stake in Orange for seven years and give Lonres last year, just as demand loans because they are required The weeks of deliberations were the best up for 10 years the double-voting rights he and values fall. Home prices in to hold significantly more capital chance in years to take a contender out of was entitled to as a long-term investor in the UK capital’s best districts against that type of credit com- HEN French Prime Minis- the game and ease competitive pressures Orange, three of the sources said fell the most since June 2009 in pared with investment property, ter Manuel Valls phoned that had hammered profits in the industry “It’s criminal to impose such conditions the six months through Febru- said Ion Fletcher, finance policy billionaire Martin and drained the capital needed for network on Bouygues,” the banker said. “It’s treating ary, according to broker Knight director at the British Property Bouygues on Thursday investments to better serve an increasingly him like a second-class citizen. Any foreign Frank LLP, as higher stamp duty Federation. evening in an attempt to data-driven economy. The deal’s collapse is raider who starts buying Orange shares sales taxes and turmoil in finan- Barclays Plc is continuing to save a merger between a blow not just for the companies but for the would get better terms.” Macron and his cial markets deterred buyers. lend to high-end developments WBouygues Telecom and state-controlled French government. advisers feared that Bouygues would use The stamp duty for a 7.5 million- based on each project’s merits, Orange, it was already too late. The deal The perception among Martin Bouygues’ the same tactic as another French billion- pound residence to be used as a said Brendan Jarvis, a managing would have created the dominant player rivals that they had the upper hand proved aire, Vincent Bollore, whose media company second home is now more than 1 director and head of real estate in an industry damaged by fierce compe- decisive on March 24 when a stand-off Vivendi quietly expanded its stake in Tele- million pounds. for Europe, the Middle East and tition, but collapsed on Friday morning between the 63-year-old businessman com Italia to eventually gain control. Africa at the bank. Royal Bank of with Bouygues deciding not and 38-year-old Macron came to a head Bouygues himself was not present ‘ON ITS KNEES’ Scotland Group Plc and Lloyds to sell his telecoms business and Bouygues stormed out of a meeting at at the discussions between Orange, The sales market for homes Banking Group Plc declined to to the former state monopoly the economy ministry, according to two of Bouygues, Iliad and SFR at the Paris valued at £2,500 a square foot or comment. even though he had floated the sources. Bouygues felt humiliated by offices of his lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois more “is on its knees,” said Mark At least one small lender the idea himself four months Macron’s demands, said one of the sources, where about 40 people gathered in the ten Posniak, managing director of views the reduced competition as earlier. who is a banker. The scene highlighted the days preceding the collapse of the deal. Dragonfly Property Finance, a an opportunity. Fortwell Capital, The fact Bouygues had rocky relationship between France’s Socialist All four companies wanted an lender which has advanced a company backed by Christian confirmed that the unprofit- government and Bouygues, who is godfa- agreement to end their price war. But the almost £2bn to borrowers since Candy’s CPC Group Ltd, is hiring able telecom service provider ther to a son of former right-wing president talks soured in the final week, according 2008. “When you start talking three staff to lend money to the he founded in 1994 was for Nicolas Sarkozy. to several people present, with Bouygues about stamp duty going over 1 luxury residential development sale made his rivals and The complex telecoms merger, whose increasingly mistrustful of the two other million pounds on a property, it market, according to spokesman The complex Economy Minister Emmanuel price tag Bouygues fixed at €10bn ($11.4bn) players Xavier Niel, the founder of Iliad, cripples the market.” Bob Sturges. Candy developed telecoms merger, Macron think the businessman in cash and Orange shares, would have made and the owner of SFR, Patrick Drahi. Dragonfly is now avoiding the One Hyde Park apartment whose price tag had decided he had no choice the conglomerate the second-biggest share- Bouygues became increasingly wary financing the development of project in Knightsbridge as part but to sell, said four peo- holder in Orange after the French state, which of the risks to his interests from the the largest and the most expen- of a venture with closely held Bouygues fixed at ple involved in the talks who would have seen its stake diluted. break-up of his telecom assets and the sive luxury homes, Posniak said Waterknights. €10bn in cash and spoke to Reuters. “It’s probably For Macron, a former Rothschild & Cie manner of their distribution among his in a telephone interview. It has Others are less enthusias- because of this first call that banker, that raised questions about the role rivals. also reduced the amount it will tic. “We are one of a number of Orange shares, they all tried to rip him apart,” Bouygues would play in Orange which owns Disagreements over break-up fees lend for the construction of a lux- lenders who are nervous about would have made one of the sources who is close and manages submarine cables that are and the conditions under which each ury homes project from around central-London residential devel- to Orange said, referring to the central to France’s surveillance apparatus, party involved would have been able 85 percent to 80 percent, he said. opment,” said Faiz at Pluto. “You the conglomerate French government, which making it a strategic asset for the govern- to withdraw from the deal proved Pluto Finance (UK) LLP, the have a market that looks a bit out the second-biggest owns 23 percent of Orange, ment. Macron did not want to be perceived as intractable, said several of the sources. specialist high loan-to-value of kilter.” and rivals Iliad and SFR. having let Bouygues gain control. He wanted “Niel made concessions but only on the shareholder in For the deal to go through, the government to keep three seats on the last day,” said one of the sources who is Orange. Iliad and SFR would have had Orange board and a blocking minority at close to Bouygues. “He tried to obtain as to agree to buy some Bouygues shareholder meetings, an idea that Bouygues much as he could.” Kashkari takes on Wall Street from farm-rich Fed region

By Olivia Oran “He’s trying to swing way above the transformational options” are needed beyond Kashkari, however, may have more of a Reuters weight of the Minneapolis Fed. He didn’t a post-crisis regulation that requires big knack for bringing mainstream attention to come from California just to rub elbows with banks to outline plans to unwind themselves a subject long the purview of policy wonks ranchers in Helena,” said Dick Bove, an ana- if they fail - known as their “living wills.” and left-leaning politicians. lyst with Rafferty Capital Markets, referring Kashkari launched a social media cam- The son of Indian immigrants, Kashkari ROM his seat atop the Fed’s smallest to the capital of Montana, a state in the Min- paign with the hashtag #EndingTBTF to earned an MBA from the Wharton School at bank, in a region known for fracking, neapolis Fed’s region. promote his event and encourage the public the University of Pennsylvania and joined farming and ranching, Neel Kashkari Kashkari’s critics argue he is using the to contribute ideas. He has amassed 10,300 Goldman Sachs. In 2006, he followed former wants to make sure he’s heard well “too big to fail” issue as a springboard to followers on Twitter, where his retweets of Goldman CEO Hank Paulson to the Treasury Fbeyond the northern plains. higher places of authority. He says he’s only economic news mix with musings on the Department, where Paulson served as secre- Since becoming president of the Federal Reserve Since becoming president of the Federal working toward prudent financial regulation. superiority of Yuengling beer and photos tary under president George W Bush. Between Reserve Bank of Minneapolis this year, the Kashkari’s crusade kicked off with a Feb- of his dogs. that stint and his gubernatorial run, he spent Bank of Minneapolis this 42-year-old Kashkari has gone on a media ruary 16 speech, in which he compared the Kashkari is not the first Fed official — a few years at bond-fund giant Pacific Invest- year, the 42-year-old blitz, visiting nine major media outlets in aftermath of large bank failures to that of a even within the Minneapolis Fed — to argue ment Management Co. two days and creating a Twitter hashtag to nuclear reactor meltdown. that much more should be done to prevent As Minneapolis Fed president, Kashkari Kashkari has gone on a promote his view that the biggest US banks He told Reuters a few days later that the future bailouts of big banks. Gary Stern, oversees a bank with $35 billion in assets media blitz, visiting nine should break up. symposium is intended to come up with a who led the Minneapolis Fed for 24 years, in a region where oil, timber, farming and On Monday, he will host a symposium at plan to prevent big banks from receiving big was vocal about the problems created by big ranching are among the important industries. major media outlets in his bank in downtown Minneapolis entitled taxpayer bailouts, the way they did in 2008. banks. Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher Although none of the U.S. banks considered two days and creating “Ending Too Big To Fail,” giving fierce crit- That’s a subject he knows intimately. At has also called for breaking them up. “too big to fail” are based there, Kashkari said ics of Wall Street’s behemoths a platform to Treasury, he ran the Troubled Asset Relief There are plenty of critics outside the Fed, his staff highlighted the issue as a top priority. a Twitter hashtag to present their views. Becoming the Fed’s bad Programme, which infused $700bn into too. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Kashkari’s position puts him at odds with promote his view that the cop is the latest ambitious move in a high- banks, automakers and insurers. The bail- Sanders bashes Wall Street at every campaign peers who have spent years crafting rules to biggest US banks should flying career that has taken Kashkari from out played an important role in stabilizing stop. Even former Citigroup Inc CEO Sandy make the financial system safer. In coming Goldman Sachs Group Inc, to the Treasury the financial system during the crisis, but Weill, who created the so-called “universal” weeks, a group of regulators is expected to break up. Department at the height of the financial cri- remains controversial. banking model in the 1990s, now says big release the latest information on banks’ “liv- sis to a run for California governor. Kashkari now says “bolder, banks are better off broken up. ing wills”. 28 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 BUSINESS

BACK TO BUSINESS sight Apple’s push to flood India with Oil speculators bet rally’s over as doubts used iPhones ignites backlash grow on output freeze

By Saritha Rai with basic assembly. Any easing of By Mark Shenk seven weeks was the largest on Bloomberg curbs on imports could give them Bloomberg record. Iran plans to boost crude pause, Hasija argued. “Make in India output to 4 million barrels a day, will become a big zero,” said Hasija, the highest level since 2008, who’s set up four phone assemblies before it will consider joining PPLE Inc’s latest attempt across the country since the program ONEY managers lost other suppliers in seeking ways to crack the Indian was launched and is building a fifth. faith in oil’s recent to rebalance the global oil mar- smartphone mar- Another criticism focuses on rally as doubts grew ket, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh ket — by selling used potential damage to the environ- over whether major said last month. Iranian output phones — is meeting a ment. When destroyed, phones Mproducers will be able to agree on rose by 100,000 barrels a day to wall of resistance. The produce toxic materials that India an output freeze. Futures in West 3.2 million in March, the most AiPhone maker is seeking permission isn’t equipped to deal with, critics say. Texas Intermediate oil retreated since May 2012, according to a to become the first company allowed Used batteries and LCD screens could last week for the first time since Bloomberg survey. to import and sell used phones into worsen the mountainous e-waste mid-February. Prices had surged “It’s not clear what they have the country, its second attempt in as problem the country already faces. from a low of almost 13 years on to talk about,” said Tim Evans, an many years. “The millions of imported used a proposal by Saudi Arabia, Rus- energy analyst at Citi Futures Per- This time, the stakes are higher phones will need their batteries sia, Venezuela and Qatar to cap spective in New York. “I don’t even and a growing number of industry replaced. What will happen to those oil output and reduce a global know why they want to gather in a executives are fighting the move, batteries, where will they go?” asked surplus. They’ll meet with other room to talk if the Saudis say they warning government officials in pri- cars are precluded by 300 percent soda vendors use “India only” prices Sunil Vachani, Chairman of Dixon countries in Doha on April 17. won’t freeze output unless Iran vate that it’ll open the floodgates to duty levies?” asked Ravinder Zut- and cut-rate “India edition” products Technologies, whose phone assem- While Iran said it would attend does, and we know the Iranians electronic waste, jeopardise local shi, Chairman of the newly formed to woo customers. Apple can’t employ blies roll out a million phones a month the talks, it ruled out limiting supply have no intention of cooperating.” players, and make a farce of Prime Mobile and Communications Council, those strategies without tarnishing for brands like Japan’s Panasonic and as it restores exports after sanctions WTI oil for May delivery Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in which issued the letter. The group’s its marquee phone’s premium aura. China’s Gionee. were lifted in January. Then Saudi dropped 7.6 percent to $38.28 a India programme to encourage local members include the largest Indian Still, its sales there jumped 76 To be sure, Apple has some of the Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince barrel in the report week on the manufacturing. “Make in India could phone brands: Micromax, Intex and percent in the holiday quarter, indi- industry’s most exacting protocols for Mohammed bin Salman said in New York Mercantile Exchange. turn into Dump in India,” said Sudhir Samsung. cating that demand for the premium recycling products. The company an interview with Bloomberg that The contract lost as much as 1.7 Hasija, Chairman of Karbonn Mobiles, Apple’s application has gone to brand is growing. Tim Cook called says it typically manages to collect his country will freeze its output percent on Monday, and was lit- who said it sells about 1.7 million so-called inter-ministerial discus- out the country’s “incredibly excit- and recycle 85 percent, by weight, of only if Iran and other major pro- tle changed at $36.77 a barrel as phones a month. sion, said Asha Nangia, a director ing” prospects during his last earnings devices produced seven years earlier. ducers do as well. That pushed WTI of 10:36 a.m. London time. Apple’s application in 2015 was in the Department of Electronics & conference and said his company will Apple’s eventual plan, as stated in its down a further 4 percent. Bearish bets rose by 11,167 rejected by the environment minis- Information Technology. devote more energy to that market. application to the government, is to “Doubts were growing about contracts, or 17 percent, to 75,598 try without much fanfare. But things The maker of the world’s most “All this will neatly tie into Apple’s set up facilities that take discarded the meeting before the Saudi com- positions in the report week, the have changed since: India, as the expensive smartphones had been strategy as the smartphone market phones and refurbish them for use. ments,” said Mike Wittner, head CFTC data show. Short posi- world’s second largest mobile popula- stymied by low incomes and regula- peaks in the country in the next few Importing used phones also dove- of oil markets at Societe Generale tions were at a nine-month low tion, now represents a vast untapped tions. But selling cheaper re-furbished years,” said Neil Shah, research direc- tails with developments on the other SA in New York. “People who fol- the prior week. Bullish wagers opportunity for Apple just as China devices can help convert price-sen- tor for devices and ecosystems at side of the globe. In February, Apple low this were coming around to decreased by 3,647 to 296,614. and the US are slowing. Apple has sitive consumers, who previously Counterpoint Research. Apple could launched a US programme that allows the position that even if an agree- The resulting net-long position publicly talked up its prospects in would have had to fork over a month’s target annual iPhone sales of 10 mil- users to upgrade older iPhones for a ment could be reached to freeze slipped 6.3 percent to 221,016. India and is on course to get the green earnings or more to own the coveted lion by 2017, he added. small monthly cost. Shah said the 14 output without Iran, it wouldn’t Technical factors may add light to open its first retail stores. brand. Apple last month unveiled a But rival smartphone makers million to 15 million older phones amount to anything.” strength to the rout in com- Sensing the threat, the electron- smaller iPhone SE that, with a start- will have none of it. One of the chief he expects to be traded-in could be Short positions on WTI crude, ing weeks, said Brian LaRose, ics manufacturing industry’s main ing price of $399, may still be out of complaints is that allowing Apple to refurbished and sent to emerging or bets that prices will fall, rose technical strategist for bro- representative body recently set up reach of many Indian buyers. have its way would result in a deluge markets — including India. the most since November in the ker United-ICAP in Jersey City, a lobbying arm that wrote directly to Apple now has less than 2 percent of used electronics imports, making “Even if the refurbished iPhones week ended March 29, accord- New Jersey. Falling below $36.50 the government vehemently oppos- of an Indian market in which four- mince-meat of Modi’s localisation are priced a bit more than 10,000 ing to the US Commodity Futures would signal a further downtown ing Apple’s application. fifths of phones cost less than $150. drive. Global players such as Foxconn rupees ($150), that will hurt our Trading Commission. The liqui- using the Elliot Wave theory, “Why even consider allow- Branded smartphones are available Technology Group are consider- sales because Indians may choose dation of shorts during the prior LaRose said. ing import of used phones when for as little as $35 in India. Western ing or have begun taking baby steps Apple for its snob value,” said Has- import of other used goods such as multinationals from car-makers to towards local manufacture, starting ija of Karbonn.

The IMF conducts its negotiations in good faith, and we Capital do not communicate through leaks. Any speculation that IMF staff would consider using a credit event as a IMF Managing Director Comment negotiating tactic is simply nonsense. Christine Lagarde

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TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 • 27 Jumada II 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Relegation fear grips teams as QSL announces fixtures

fair play is observed. Round 25 will simultaneously at 6:15pm involving · Whatever side has scored the see three games kick-off simultane- all of the sides in the relegation bat- most goals in the QSL season The Qatar Stars ously at 6:15pm on Saturday the 9th tle and the race for the top 4 places. · Head-to-head record between League sides prepare of April, it was announced yesterday These ties are: Al Kharitiyat Vs the two sides These games include Al Kharaiti- Umm Salal, Lekhwiya Vs Meisameer, · Side with the most wins in a QSL for last two rounds yat Vs Al Wakrah, Al Gharafa Vs Qatar Al Sadd Vs El Jaish, Al Wakrah Vs season of the season but the SC & Al Khor Vs Al Sailiya which all Qatar SC & Al Gharafa Vs Al Khor. · Whatever side has the lowest yel- have ramifications at the bottom of the Whilst Round 26 will conclude low and red cards over the course of bottom-placed teams QSL table. The late 8:30pm kick-off on Saturday the 16th of April when Al a season. If after all these criteria the are the ones feeling will see already relegated Mesaimeer Arabi will face Al Sailiya at Al Arabi two sides cannot be separated then immense pressure face Al Arabi at Al Arabi. stadium, kick-off at 6:15pm. lots will be drawn at random to deter- Sunday’s round 25 action will see The final game of the domestic mine the side that will be relegated another two games played at 6:15pm, season will see Al Ahli take on the QSL to the Qatargas League, the second these games are Lekhwiya Vs Al Ahli champions Al Rayyan at Al Gharafa division tier. and Umm Salal Vs El Jaish. Stadium. These games have been cho- The QSL has specifically taken The Peninsula These games are being played at sen specifically as they do not involve these measures in regards to the the same time as they involve sides sides who are involved for the race for final games of the season, to ensure who are currently battling for Qatar the top-4 places and relegation battle. the sporting integrity of the tourna- Cup places, whilst the Qatari Clasico In the likelihood of the two bot- ment is respected. DOHA: The Qatar Stars League (QSL) will close the weekend of QSL action tom sides being on the same points, The QSL and its partner the Inter- yesterday formally announced the fix- when Al Sadd face Al Rayyan in the the QSL will be using rules authorised national Centre for Sport Security tures for the final two rounds of the 8:30pm Kick-off at Al Sadd stadium. by the QFA which state the following (ICSS) has reaffirmed its vigilance in Action from Mesaimeer’s Qatar Stars League (QSL) clash against Al Ahli season. Key matches for the final two The final round of domestic foot- methods for distinguishing the two regards to any scurrilous activity in rounds of the season will be played at ball will start on Friday the 15th bottom sides. the final two weeks of the QSL sea- at Al Arabi Stadium on Saturday. Al Ahli won 2-0 against the bottom- exactly the same time, to ensure that of April. Five games will kick-off · Goal difference son, officials said. placed Mesaimeer side. 30 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 SPORT

West Indies players will share prize Windies final triumph hailed money: CEO

Reuters as ‘one of the best ever’

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: West Indies players will share the entire he said. $1.6m in prize money for winning West Indies the men’s World Twenty20 title as Former England well as a portion of sponsorship captains Michael board slam revenue, the head of the region’s Atherton and Nasser cricket board said yesterday. Sammy’s The offer, however, does not Hussain feel final on appear to have mended the rift Sunday showcased between the board and the play- remarks ers, who faced the threat of being the best of the replaced for the tournament over modern game a financial dispute, before they AFP backed down and accepted the board’s terms. Captain Darren Sammy said Agencies KOLKATA: The bitter divisions in the team had “felt disrespected by Caribbean cricket were laid bare the board coming into the tourna- yesterday as the West Indies board ment”, but the West Indies Cricket publicly reprimanded captain Dar- Board (WICB) chief executive LONDON: Carlos Brathwaite’s four ren Sammy just hours after his team’s Michael Muirhead told report- consecutive sixes that carried West stunning victory in the World T20 ers their relationship had been Indies victory over England in the final over England. repaired. World Twenty20 final capped what It should have been a day of unal- “Well I’d like to think it was former players and journalists loyed joy for the West Indies, with water under the bridge before the described as one of the sport’s great- the women’s team winning their tournament started,” Muirhead est matches yesterday. Twenty20 final against Australia on said. With the West Indies requiring 19 the same Eden Gardens ground where “Yes we had our differences runs for victory off the last over, the the men later downed England by four and we had a lot of dialogue and Barbadian needed just four of Ben wickets in a last-over thriller. it was made public, but I must say Stokes’ final six deliveries to seal a But in a post-match interview, in the end we were able to resolve four-wicket victory at Kolkata’s Eden of the modern game -- a game in win the World Twenty20 title twice, because his deliveries were not quite Sammy gave vent to months -- pos- our differences.” Gardens on Sunday. which England played a full part for there was plenty of sympathy for Eng- accurate enough. “But I feel sorry for sibly years -- of frustration with the Sammy, who dedicated the win “Anyone who was here witnessed once.” The Daily Telegraph described land bowler Stokes, who was on the Ben Stokes -- and a lot of the bowlers West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). to the fans, however criticised the one of the great T20 matches. It was Brathwaite’s onslaught as “four balls receiving end of the late mauling. in this day and age,” he added. In a reference to the lengthy and WICB and sided with CARICOM won, it was lost, then won, then that stunned the world” with its cor- England skipper Eoin Morgan Meanwhile, former Australian fast bitter pay dispute that had put their (Caribbean Community and Com- lost. No side really deserved to lose respondent Jonathan Liew writing: “It said: “Ben is going to be devastated. bowler Dennis Lillee was full of praise World Twenty20 participation in mon Market) political leaders, who it,” former England captain Nasser was one of the most remarkable vic- Cricket can be a cruel game, it will for the victors and their approach doubt, the all-rounder said his team have called for the Dave Cameron- Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail col- tories ever known. take its toll over the next couple of towards Twenty20 cricket. He told felt “disrespected by our board”. led executive of the WICB to be umn after West Indies chased down “A match that will resound well days but we share the pain, we share ESPN he had written about their bat- “We had a new manager in Rawle disbanded. England’s 155 for nine on a difficult beyond the boundaries of this sta- the success.” ting prowess in his newspaper column Lewis, who has never managed a “I want to thank the heads of batting surface. dium, well beyond the boundaries Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela before the tournament began and said team before. We had no uniforms, CARICOM. Throughout this tour- Fellow former England skipper of Twenty20 as a finish for the ages.” Jayawardene, one of the greatest it was that power that secured vic- no printing,” said Sammy. nament they have been supporting Michael Atherton wrote in The Times: While Brathwaite’s incredible batsmen of recent times, also had tory in the end. “There has never been “The trouble he went through to the team,” Sammy said. “It was a stunning end to a stunning display of power-hitting allowed the sympathy for Stokes saying on ESPN another six-hitting team like this one, just get us in this uniform. I got to give “We’ve gotten emails, we’ve tournament that showcased the best Caribbean side to become the first to that he was punished by Brathwaite and that turned out to be the clincher,” credit to the entire team here.” gotten calls... (Grenada) Prime Sammy also had another swipe Minister (Dr. Keith) Mitchell, I at the board as he thanked Grenada know what he’s trying to do and I Prime Minister Keith Mitchell for a really want to thank him. good luck message received hours “He sent a very inspiring email 5 things we learned from World T20 before the final. to the team this morning and I’m “I really want to thank him. He yet to hear from our own cricket sent a very inspiring message for board. That is very disappointing.” the team this morning and I’m yet The WICB and president Cam- AFP unleashed his power only at the very - Pressure of being hosts - reputation as big-match chokers had to hear from our own cricket board. eron congratulated both the men’s last, was the perfect retort to critics Batting legend Virender Sehwag become “a monkey on the back” that “That’s very disappointing,” added the and women’s team -- Stafanie such as English commentator Mark said he was “99 percent certain” the they would only shed by winning the 32-year-old. Taylor’s side had earlier beaten Nicholas who said they were “short hosts India would win the trophy trophy. Failure to defend a formidable Several hours later, in a statement Australia to clinch their maiden KOLKATA: Five things we learned of brains”. after a run of 10 wins out of 11 in the total against England, followed by curiously headlined “WICB President title -- afterwards and Muirhead from the World Twenty20 tourna- build-up. But in the end Mahendra defeat in a tense encounter with the has high praises for World Twenty20 said the board should get some ment after the West Indies’ dramatic - England really have changed - Singh Dhoni’s men had a tournament West Indies, showed they still tend to Organisers,” from the board’s Antigua credit. victory Sunday in the final against We had glimpses of England’s to forget, beaten in their opener lose their nerve when it matters most. headquarters, the sting came lower “All I can say is, it wasn’t by England in Kolkata: “fearless” makeover last summer, against New Zealand and only just None of the players could dominate down. chance that this happened,” he without being convinced their new edging past Bangladesh before losing proceedings like they have done “The President would like to how- said. “We put in a lot of prepa- - Never write off the Windies - look would survive when the pressure in the semis to the Windies. Apart over the years and this time it was a ever apologise for what could be rations and spent a lot of time in The conventional wisdom was: was on in a major tournament. But from player-of-the-tournament lackluster show. deemed inappropriate, comments getting both teams ready for this get Chris Gayle out early and the despite losing their opener against Virat Kohli, none of their front-line made by the West Indies’ male cap- tournament. Windies will crumble. After his the West Indies and conceding 230 batsmen performed consistently and - Afghanistan deserve more tain, Darren Sammy in a post-match “I leave it up to you (media) brilliant century in the opener against runs in their next match against South usually dependable bowlers such as games - interview and would like to apologize now to disclose that to the CARI- England, Gayle failed to spark and Africa, they refused to be intimidated Ravichandran Ashwin struggled. They were the only team to beat on behalf of the WICB, to the millions COM officials, who believe that we instead left his team-mates to prove by any situation and instead stared Playing on home turf may have its the West Indies, albeit in a dead of fans who witnessed (sic). may not be doing the job that we they were more than a one-man down all-comers on their way to advantages but these were negated rubber, and they also gave England “The President has pledged to ought to do. We have a lot more to band. Losing early wickets was a the final. Even while reflecting on by the added expectations that come and South Africa a bit of a scare. enquire the reason and will have the do and we will just have to inten- constant theme of the team’s journey the “cruel” nature of the game after with being hosts in such a cricket- But if Afghanistan are to continue matter addressed.” sify those efforts to make sure that to the final, allowing their opponents defeat in the final, skipper Eoin mad nation. their progress, they need more time WICB president Whycliffe ‘Dave’ those plans are institutionalised regular sniffs at victory. But time and Morgan signalled there would be at cricket’s top table. With the next Cameron had already appeared to and rolled out across the region again, unsung heroes such as Andre no compromising his principles. “I - South Africa still choking - major international tournament three take offence at Sammy’s remarks so we have the production of good Fletcher, Lendl Simmons and Carlos don’t think the game is ever gone,” Skipper Faf du Plessis years away, the game’s big names by tweeting: “When is the last time a players through the systems we are Brathwaite came to the rescue. Their he declared. acknowledged on the eve of the must find space in their schedules critic paid one of your bills? Always putting in place.” final triumph, when Brathwaite tournament that South Africa’s for an inspirational team of exiles. remember that when you start to give them your energy.” Last year, Cameron had to apolo- West Indies’s cricket captains gise after retweeting a comment from Stafanie Taylor (left) and Darren a supporter that West Indies opening Sammy poses for a photograph Samuels takes pot-shots at batsman Chris Gayle should be given with their World T20 trophies. a “retirement package” after a run of West Indies won both - the men’s low scores. and the women’s titles. For many years the relative weak- ness of Caribbean economies and Stokes, Warne after win the often cash-strapped condition of the WICB have led to a series of pay disputes. Reuters the West Indian gave a send-off salute whose outstanding death bowling Recently, the situation has been to the English all-rounder in a Gre- has been a key factor in England’s exacerbated by the rise of lucrative nada test last year. progress to the final, Samuels did not domestic Twenty20 tournaments KOLKATA: Marlon Samuels was “Well, he does not learn,” Samu- even try to hide that. such as the Indian Premier League, hardly magnanimous in victory as els said after Sunday’s win, suggesting “Stokes is a nervous lad you know. where West Indies players can earn the temperamental West Indian bats- it was Stokes who started the spat. What I told Brathwaite was... he’s significantly more from appearing in man sat down to face the media after “I keep telling him whenever we going to bowl a couple of full tosses franchise cricket than they can from his team’s World Twenty20 victory -- play against each other ‘do not speak as always and it worked in our favour the international game. feet on the table, batting pads still on. to me because I’m going to perform’. I and Brathwaite played a brilliant Recognising this, the WICB state- Samuels struck an unbeaten 85 didn’t even face a ball and he had so knock there.” ment, said it wanted to meet with and then watched from the other end much to say today.” He also took the opportunity to players after the end of this year’s as Carlos Brathwaite blasted four Altercations like that only spur flay retired Australian spinner Shane IPL in a bid to seek “common ground”, successive sixes in Ben Stokes’ final him to perform, said Samuels who Warne who featured in an ugly con- with officials adding they would seek over to power West Indies to a sec- was adjudged man of the match for frontation with the Jamaican during help from the International Cricket ond World Twenty20 title. his knock which kept West Indies in a Big Bash League game in 2012-13. Council. Soon after the memorable victory, the chase before Brathwaite sealed “Shane Warne has a problem with “We are fully aware of the finan- a pumped-up Samuels removed his the win. me. Don’t know what. I’ve never dis- cial rewards on offer in the lucrative shirt and was seen being restrained “That’s what I strive on. That’s respected him. Seems he has a lot of international T20 leagues, but we by some of his team mates in a clear why I’m still around for so long, inside him that he needs to come out,” believe deeply in the importance of indication that emotions had got the despite so much ups and downs,” Samuels said. cricket to the people of the region better of him. said the cricketer who received a “I don’t appreciate the way he and of West Indies cricket’s place in Samuels was subsequently fined two-year ban in 2008 following fix- continues to talk about me ... I don’t world cricket. It is therefore a priority 30 percent of his match fee for abus- ing allegations. know, maybe my face is real and his to have all of our players competing ing Stokes, a rivalry that began when If he has no respect for Stokes, face is not.” and available for selection.” SPORT TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 31

Day holds on to summit of Neymar open to PSG move world rankings

AFP record time in March, and face Manchester City in the Champi- Agent says the ons League quarter-final first leg PARIS: Jason Day, who replaced Jordan Spieth at the Brazilian superstar at the Parc des Princes tomorrow. top of golf’s world rankings last week, held on to his could join And with talisman Zlatan number one spot in the latest table published yesterday. Ibrahimovic, courted by some of The only two climbers in the top ten were Henrik Qatar-owned Europe’s top clubs, in possibly his Stenson, up one to sixth after his second in the Shell French giants for last season in France, PSG have Houston Open, and Dustin Johnson. reportedly identified Neymar as The American, third in Houston, moved up one rung 193 million euros their number one target before the to eighth. new season starts in August. WORLD TOP 20 Ribeiro added: “A contract can 1. Jason Day (AUS) 12.37 pts also be dissolved on condition of 2. Jordan Spieth (USA) 11.00 AFP paying the release clause. It’s huge 3. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 9.35 - 193 million euros. 4. Bubba Watson (USA) 8.53 “But I don’t think that would 5. Rickie Fowler (USA) 7.87 be an insurmountable problem 6. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 7.71 (+1) PARIS: Brazilian superstar for PSG.” 7. Adam Scott (AUS) 7.17 (-1) Neymar could join Paris Saint Ger- Ribeiro’s comments caused 8. Dustin Johnson (USA) 6.37 (+1) main, if the French giants pay his a stir in Spain, with Barcelona 9. Justin Rose (ENG) 5.95 (-1) huge 193 million euros ($220 mil- defender Gerard Pique suggesting 10. Patrick Reed (USA) 5.07 lion) get out clause, his agent said he could never envisage Neymar 11. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 4.76 yesterday. leaving the European champions. 12. Danny Willett (ENG) 4.59 Barcelona’s Neymar in “Neymar has a contract with “Neymar’s not going to leave 13. Branden Grace (RSA) 4.59 Barca until 2018,” Wayne Ribeiro Barca, I’m certain of that, I know action during a training 14. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.51 told French sports daily L’Equipe. him and I know he won’t be leav- session yesterday. 15. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 4.30 “But the prospect of living in ing,” the Spanish international 16. Zach Johnson (USA) 4.17 a city like Paris, and to play for a told a press conference ahead 17. Brandt Snedeker (USA) 4.13 club like PSG is also a dream for of Tuesday’s Champions League 18. Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.03 (+2) every player. quarter-final first leg with Atletico 19. Brooks Koepka (USA) 4.02 (-1) “That’s to say if PSG showed Madrid. 20. Char Schwartzel (RSA) 3.92 (+1) interest in Neymar we could talk “We’re at Barca, nobody wants about it.” to leave here! People are thrilled to PSG have dominated Ligue 1 be at the club, it’s total good fortune since the Qatari takeover of the to play for this side, in this city, with World number one French capital club in 2011. Lau- these fans. We have everything, rent Blanc’s men wrapped up their what more could you want? I’m con- Lydia Ko wins fourth successive league title in vinced that all the players will stay.” ANA Inspiration

AFP

LOS ANGELES: World number one Lydia Ko clinched Van Gaal backs United Barca seek Clasico tonic the second major of her career on Sunday with a dra- matic victory at the ANA Inspiration after a late collapse from Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn. to salvage Champions The 18-year-old New Zealander held her nerve to in Champions League conjure up a superb birdie on the 18th hole at the Mis- sion Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, to complete back-to-back major wins. League place Ko’s three-under-par 69 left her at 12 under for the AFP their Swedish star when they take on Manches- tournament, one clear of England’s Charley Hull and ter City at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday. South Korea’s Chun In-Gee. AFP Paris reached the Champions League Ko is the youngest woman ever to win two majors semi-finals in 1994-95, but City, despite their following her victory last September at the Evian PARIS: Holders Barcelona will seek to over- indifferent Premier League displays, are Championship. MANCHESTER: Louis van Gaal is come their defeat in El Clasico when they host through to the last eight for the first time. She is the youngest golfer of either sex to win two convinced Manchester United are on Atletico Madrid today in an all-Spanish Cham- Manuel Pellegrini’s side rediscovered some majors since Young Tom Morris, who was aged 18 years, track to claim a Champions League pions League quarter-final, first leg at the Camp form at the weekend though with a 4-0 dem- four months and 27 days when he won the Open in 1869. place from the wreckage of one of Nou. olition of Bournemouth, and PSG midfielder The teenager marked her win by taking the now Old Trafford’s most difficult seasons On a night when Barca paid tribute to the Thiago Motta said it would take a complete traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond, the water hazard in recent memory. late Dutch great Johan Cruyff, the Catalan team effort to overcome City. surrounding the 18th green. Van Gaal’s job as manager, in his giants’ 39-game unbeaten run came to a halt “It’s not Ibra against City. It’s Paris Saint- But it was an agonizing finale for Ariya, the 20-year- second campaign at the club, has after goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Germain against City. In my head, I’ve never old from Bangkok. Ariya’s dream of a first major been the subject of widespread spec- Ronaldo erased Gerard Pique’s opener. thought about taking to the pitch and winning unraveled in a nerve-ridden climax that saw her post ulation since United’s early exit from Barcelona have won the last six meetings a game all alone. It’s impossible,” Motta told back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th before a final the Champions League group stage with Atletico, but it was Los Rojiblancos who French daily L’Equipe. bogey on the 18th. Ariya’s problems began on the par- in December. advanced when the two sides clashed at this “If we put pressure on him like that, and if four 16th, when a poor approach left her a long putt after That failure was compounded stage of the 2013-14 competition -- the only he puts it on himself like that, we’re not good. reaching the green in two. by United’s defeat in the second-tier time Barca have failed to reach the semis in If we win, we’ll win as a team.” A nervous first putt left her a 12-footer to make par, Europa League by arch-rivals Liver- the past eight seasons. Marco Verratti is sidelined for PSG and which she missed for bogey to leave her only one shot pool last month. Bayern Munich host Portuguese league Javier Pastore is doubtful, while captain Vin- clear. Ko meanwhile maintained the pressure at the 17th, However, van Gaal, who has been leaders Benfica in the first leg with Pep Guar- cent Kompany is missing for City who are also making a difficult putt to save par and stay hard on Ari- tipped to make a summer departure diola’s side bidding to reach the last four for the sweating over the fitness of Joe Hart and Yaya ya’s heels. Yet the pressure clearly had got to Ariya, who to make way for Jose Mourinho, the fifth year running. Toure. dragged her tee shot on the par-three 17th into the left- former Chelsea manager, will lead his Bayern laboured to a 1-0 win at home to Six straight wins have reignited Real’s sea- side bunker. team into next Sunday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt as they remained five son but the Champions League represents their Her subsequent wedge rolled off the edge of the green Tottenham at White Hart Lane in points clear of Borussia Dortmund in the Bun- only realistic chance of silverware this term. and her putt to save par flew past the hole. confident mood following their 1-0 desliga, but skipper Philipp Lahm warned they Zinedine Zidane’s men travel to Germany The bogey had suddenly given Ko a share of the lead win over Everton at Old Trafford on would need to up their level against Benfica. on Wednesday for a first-ever meeting with and she then rammed home her advantage on the par- Sunday. Bayern will be without Arjen Robben at the Wolfsburg and head into the tie as heavy five 18th. Opting to lay up, she nailed a majestic third shot That was United’s fourth win Allianz Arena, but the hosts should have France favourites against a side embarking on their to within a few feet for a simple birdie that took her to 12 in five domestic league games and winger Kingsley Coman available after sitting best run in Europe’s premier competition. under, one shot clear. With Ariya’s composure in tatters, left them just a point behind fourth- out Saturday’s victory with a leg injury. However, Wolfsburg have won just three the Thai could only bogey the last and Ko had sealed placed Manchester City, currently Zlatan Ibrahimovic powered Paris Saint- of their last 15 Bundesliga games and were victory, the 12th LPGA tournament win of her career. occupying the final Champions Louis van Gaal Germain to a 4-1 win over Nice at the weekend soundly beaten 3-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on League spot on offer to English clubs. and the French champions will again look to Friday. FIFA officials, Platini, Messi named in secret offshore files

AFP International Consortium of Fonseca, a Panama-based law The ICIJ said the documents Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the FINANCIAL SCANDAL: firm, include the names of 20 also allege that Platini turned German newspaper Suddeutsche ‘THE PANAMA PAPERS’ high-profile footballers. to Mossack Fonseca to help him Zeitung and other media outlets. The most high-profile of all administer an offshore company PARIS: Disgraced FIFA officials, The records show that a law is Argentina and Barcelona star created in Panama in 2007. suspended UEFA chief Michel firm belonging to Juan Pedro ties to Figueredo. However, the Messi. Platini is serving a six-year Platini and Barcelona superstar Damiani, a member of FIFA’s panel has launched an investiga- Messi and his father Jorge ban from all football-related Lionel Messi were among the Independent Ethics Committee, tion into Damiani’s relationship are already due to stand trial in activity for an ethics breach names found Sunday in leaked did work for offshore companies with Figueredo. May charged with tax fraud for after former FIFA president documents which reveal offshore linked to Eugenio Figueredo, a Damiani told the ICIJ, allegedly failing to declare 4.16 Sepp Blatter approved a $2 mil- financial dealings. former FIFA vice president who through a spokesperson, that he million euros ($4.69 million) in lion payment to the Frenchman ‘The Panama Papers’ claim has been indicted in the US on wasn’t authorised to make state- taxes related to his image rights in 2011 for consultancy work the law firm of a FIFA ethics wire fraud and money launder- ments while officials in Uruguay between 2007 and 2009 through done without a contract a dec- watchdog had business rela- ing charges. are investigating allegations of front companies in Belize and ade earlier. tionships with three men recently “The records do not show ille- corruption related to FIFA. Uruguay. Late Sunday, Platini’s com- indicted in football’s global cor- gal conduct by Damiani or his law “He added, however, that he The pair are accused of ced- munications service told AFP ruption scandal. firm. But they do raise new ques- taken a lead in reporting cor- ing the player’s image rights to that his entire financial records Documents also bring to light tions for Damiani and FIFA,” said rupt practices within FIFA to the companies in order to avoid and properties had been made Lydia Ko of New Zealand plays her second shot how some players use offshore the report issued by the ICIJ. Uruguayan authorities and to declaring money made from known to the Swiss authorities companies to bank money from A spokesman for the ethics the soccer organisation’s eth- lucrative deals with sponsors in since 2007. at the par 4, seventh hole during the final round image rights deals. panel told the ICIJ that Damiani ics committee,” said the report. Spain. It was made clear that any of the 2016 ANA Inspiration at the Mission The findings are the result had informed the committee in The 11 million leaked records Both men deny any defamatory comments published Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California a year-long investigation by the March that he has had business from the files of Mossack wrongdoing. could lead to legal action. yesterday. 32 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 SPORT Marquez wins Grand Prix of Argentina

RESULTS ZARCO VICTORIOUS IN Spaniard takes MotoGP MOTO2 overall lead with first 1. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 34min 13.628sec, 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) at 7.679, victory of the year as 3. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 28.100, 4. Eugene Laverty (IRL/Ducati Aspar) 36.542, 5. Hector Barbera (ESP/Ducati Avintia) 36.711, 6. Pol Espargaro (ESP/Yamaha Tech3) 37.245, in third. In fourth came Northern Ire- Rossi ends in second 7. Stefan Bradl (GER/Aprilia) 41.353, 8. Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 50.709, 9. land’s Eugene Laverty. position Tito Rabat (ESP/Honda Marc VDS) 50.983, 10. Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Aprilia) 1:01.388, 11. Thankfully Marquez did a better Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Suzuki) 1:08.868, 12. Miquele Pirro (ITA/Ducati) 1:18.987, 13. And- job of staying on his bike than he did rea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 1:33.419. on the podium, falling backwards off Moto2 it in his elation at the trophy ceremony. 1. Johann Zarco (FRA/Kalex) 40:57.806, 2. Sam Lowes (GBR/Kalex) 1.347, 3. Jonas Folger Of his 25th Grand Prix win Mar- Agencies (GER/Kalex) 2.754, 4. Alex Rins (ESP/Kalex) 6.101, 5. Dominique Aegerter (SUI/Kalex) quez, who now leads the championship 17.384, 6. Hafizh Syarin (MAS/Kalex) 17.484, 7. Thomas Luthi (SUI/Kalex) 26.411, 8. Axel standings, said: “It was difficult. Pons (ESP/Kalex) 31.016, 9. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Kalex) 31.403, 10. Mattia Pasini (ITA/ “Rossi tried to push me on every lap Kalex) 31.816. and it was tough because there was not TERMAS DE RÍO HONDO: Spain’s Moto3 much difference between the bikes.” Marc Marquez won the Grand Prix 1. Khairul Idham Pawi (MAL/Honda), 2. Jorge Navarro (ESP/Honda) at 26.170s, 3. Brad Marquez leads the standings with of Argentina for Honda on Sunday to Binder (RSA/KTM) 30.060, 4. Andrea Locatelli (ITA/KTM) 30.339, 5. Joan Mir (ESP/KTM) 41 points, with Rossi on 33 and Pedrosa take the overall lead in the MotoGP 30.506, 6. Hiroki Ono (JAP/Honda) 30.736, 7. John McPhee (Peugeot-Mahindra) 32.493, on 27 ahead of the next race, the Grand standings after a shortened race over- 8. Jorge Martin (ESP/Mahindra) 40.596, 9. Jacub Cornfeil (CZE/Honda) 45.667, 10. Nic- Prix of the Americas, next Sunday. shadowed by concerns about tyre colo Antonelli (ITA/Honda) 45.893. The mood in the Ducati camp safety. meanwhile was one of what might have Marquez’s first win of 2016, after been after their last bend double crash. taking the lead on the second lap, came Laverty a surprise fourth on a Ducati. fun. But with the second bike I never Paolo Ciabatti, the Italian team’s after riders had made a compulsory After two races, Marquez has 41 points felt the same. sporting director, said: “I understand stop at half distance to change bikes and an eight point advantage over sec- “Then the two Ducatis arrive, and your teammate is the guy you want in a shortened 20 lap race instead of ond placed Rossi. without them touching I couldn’t have to beat but in this case it’s hard to the scheduled 25. Yamaha’s defending cham- made the podium.” swallow. Italian Valentino Rossi finished pion Jorge Lorenzo, who had led the Dovizioso, second last year, had “We’re very disappointed and we’ll second for Yamaha after the two Duca- championship after winning in Qatar, led early on from Rossi until Marquez talk to the riders.” tis of compatriots Andrea Iannone and crashed out on the sixth lap after nipped past to take control on lap three. Earlier, France’s world champion Andrea Dovizioso took each other out briefly leading at the start. Jorge Lorenzo, aiming to follow up Johann Zarco won the Moto 2 race to at the final corner while fighting for The tyre issues emerged in Satur- his win in the opening race in Qatar a make up for his disappointing start to position at the Termas de Rio Hondo day practice after British rider Scott fortnight ago, crashed out on lap five, the season, a low key 12th in Qatar. circuit. Redding suffered a rear failure. his Yamaha sliding from underneath Zarco recorded his ninth success at Iannone, who had been chasing Supplier Michelin, who have him on bend one. this level by beating Briton Sam Lowes Dovizioso, was handed a grid pen- replaced Bridgestone this season, with- Marquez emerged from the change with Germany’s Jonas Folger in third. alty of three places for the next race drew the rear tyres they had planned to of machine in front of Rossi and on Malaysian 17-year-old Khairul in Austin, Texas, for causing the colli- use and instead introduced an emer- target to get his title defence up and Idham Pawi, on a Honda, claimed his sion. Dovizioso pushed his bike across gency specification for the race. running at the second attempt. first career win with victory in the the line for 13th place. Riders were told to come in on their The two-time world champion, Moto3 race. “It’s a special win, not only because ninth, 10th or 11th laps and switch to who overcame a crash-hit session to Starting on the third row, Pawi con- it’s the first one of the year but also spare bikes. grab pole, won at the Rio Honda track quered a treacherous, wet track to win because with the team, we managed Rossi said he had struggled after in 2014. With rain holding off despite by a huge 26 seconds from Spain’s Jorge Spain’s Marc Marquez of Honda celebrates after winning the Grand the situation very well,” said Marquez. the change of machine. threatening black clouds he held his Navarro on another Honda and pole- Prix of Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit, in Santiago del Honda’s Spaniard Dani Ped- “On the first bike I was fast, I could nerve to win from Rossi with Mar- sitter Brad Binder of South Africa on Estero, Argentina, on Sunday. rosa was third, with Ireland’s Eugene fight with Marquez and start to have quez’ Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa a KTM.

Grosjean F1 qualifying keeps After back-to-back victories, Rosberg stalemate is team Haas madness, says on a high living the moment, fearful of Ferrari Mercedes boss

AFP AFP Reuters

MANAMA: Formula One’s failure MANAMA: After finishing sixth MANAMA: After two successive to resolve problems surrounding on his debut in Australia with the season-opening wins, Nico Rosberg the future shape and structure of new US-owned Haas Formula One is “living the moment” but says he qualifying has been described as team, Romain Grosjean went one remains fearful of Ferrari following “madness” by Mercedes team chief better in Bahrain on Sunday to their demonstration of potential in Toto Wolff. continue a ‘crazy’ run of success. Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. The Austrian, who has called The Frenchman said finishing The 30-year-old German leads for the sport to ditch the failed fifth under the floodlights at the the embryonic drivers’ championship fiasco of ‘progressive elimination’ Sakhir circuit was an early birth- by 17 points ahead of his Mercedes qualifying, said he was suspicious day present -- he turns 30 at the team-mate, defending three-time that political agendas were now at Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on champion Lewis Hamilton. play that were preventing a switch April 17 -- and further proof of the That, he says, has given him great back to the successful former wisdom of his move from Lotus. satisfaction, but in the wake of his system. “Some people said it was 16th career victory at the Bahrain Discussing the outcome of career suicide. I think they were International Circuit, he was keen to Sunday’s talks at the Bahrain wrong. Sorry guys,” he grinned as point at the advances made by Ferrari International Circuit which failed reporters crowded around in the despite their early-season setbacks. to resolve the problems, he said: team’s paddock hospitality and “I am not thinking about the sea- “All the teams had the same opin- mechanics packed up. son,” said Rosberg. ion -- that we probably need to go “I made that choice because “I am going step-by-step. I am just back to 2015. I believed in the project and I’ve enjoying it at the moment. “But there are various agen- seen enough to think that after a “I have been very privileged to das and this proved that it is not an few years in Formula One it could drive this car and go for wins. When easy one, so I cannot tell you what be good. Today is the truth.” I go to China, I know I am going to happens next. Last time I told you, Grosjean moved to Ferrari- fight for the win there as well so it is I was totally wrong...’ powered Haas before Renault such a great feeling to have... Asked if he could explain how decided to return as a construc- “Winning is awesome. Celebrat- such a simple decision-mak- tor and take over struggling Lotus. ing with the team and getting all those ing process had ended up in such There were some who felt he points... It is great to start the season chaos, he said: “A simple explana- might have been better off stay- like that, but I am not looking too far tion? Madness.” ing with a major manufacturer but ahead, I am living for the moment.” Wolff was one of the team Haas have a close partnership with He said he was well aware that bosses who met the president of Ferrari, where Kimi Raikkonen’s Kimi Raikkonen who split the two the sport’s ruling body, the Inter- contract expires at the end of the ‘silver arrows’ cars and finished national Motoring Federation season. “I said in winter testing we second behind him for Ferrari had (FIA), Jean Todt and the veteran could score points early in the sea- demonstrated threatening speed on commercial ring-master Bernie son. I was thinking that we would a day when his team-mate Sebastian Ecclestone on Sunday. be fighting between 10th and 14th,” Vettel had failed to start a race for the The teams have expressed said Grosjean. “Scoring so many first time following an engine failure. a unanimous view that the points at the beginning, I don’t “I was in control,” he said. new qualifying format should Winner German Formula One driver Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG GP (left) and British Formula One driver think anyone was expecting that.” “We were just managing the race, be dumped and replaced by its Grosjean is now level on points trying to reduce risks strategy-wise, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes AMG GP celebrate on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix predecessor, a wish shared by with Raikkonen, and ahead of pit-stop wise, and bring the race at the Sakhir Circuit near Manama, Bahrain on Sunday. virtually all neutrals and paddock Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel after home. observers. an engine problem prevented the “But at the same time, Kimi Ecclestone and Todt, however, four-time world champion from showed good pace in the race and we coming on at us and they are strong.” and Hamilton’s two successive open- said. “It is just the start of the sea- vetoed that plan and instead put starting Sunday’s race. know that Ferrari are super close. So, Ferrari’s potential has been ing lap collisions have gifted him two son....” Vettel, meanwhile, remains forward a new complex proposal Thanks to the Frenchman’s we need to keep pushing. masked this year by difficulties - a victories and a perfect start to the unconcerned by Ferrari’s early-sea- for aggregate times to be used in points, with Mexican Esteban “They haven’t shown what they strategy call that failed in Australia 21-race season. son problems. qualifying instead of single laps Gutierrez so far drawing a blank, are able to do yet. That’s clear. They where Raikkonen retired with turbo Champion Hamilton, who has “They are not connected,” he to decide the starting grid during Haas are fifth in the constructors’ have had so many mishaps, which troubles, Vettel’s reliability prob- taken both pole positions so far, said. “Of course, it is frustrating. the races. standings. “It was fun to be able have cost them dearly, so we haven’t lems and Raikkonen’s poor start in departed Bahrain with a smile, I saw smoke coming out of my car Many paddock observers to overtake Williams, Toro Rosso, seen the real Ferrari yet. Bahrain. however. and we decided to stop - but it is a believe that Ecclestone and Todt Red Bull and have some good bat- “We have to be careful. They are For Rosberg, Ferrari’s problems “I am feeling very chilled,” he long season....” want to undermine the power of tles,” said Grosjean. the teams. SPORT TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 33

NHL: Kane hat-trick lifts Blackhawks

Agencies NHL RESULTS Chicago 6 Boston 4 Pittsburgh 6 Philadelphia 2 CHICAGO: Patrick Kane scored a hat trick and dished an assist to reach Winnipeg 5 Minnesota 1 the 100-point milestone for the first St Louis 5 Colorado 1 time in his career, and the Chicago Blackhawks held on for a 6-4 win Anaheim 3 Dallas 1 over the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon. Alex Pietrangelo, Troy Brouwer, Artemi Panarin scored a goal Colton Parayko and Magnus Paa- and tallied three assists for the jarvi also had goals for the Blues, Blackhawks, who jumped to a 6-0 who lost goalie Jake Allen to an lead before Boston responded with undisclosed injury. four straight goals. Artem Anisimov Jets 5, Wild 1 finished with a goal and two assists The Winnipeg Jets ruined the for Chicago (46-26-7). party for the Minnesota Wild on Penguins 6, Flyers 2 Sunday night. Matt Murray made 28 saves to Jets centre Andrew Copp and win for the second day in a row, Sid- right wingers Drew Stafford and ney Crosby scored yet another goal Blake Wheeler scored third-period against Philadelphia and the Pitts- goals to solidify a 5-1 victory over burgh Penguins remained the NHL’s the Wild at MTS Centre. hottest team, defeating the Flyers Ducks 3, Stars 1 6-2 Sunday. Nate Thompson and Ryan Kes- Stephen Curry (left) of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a basket against Maurice The Penguins, already assured ler scored short-handed goals to Harkless of the Portland Trail Blazers at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California on Sunday. of making the playoffs, won a sea- give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-1 son high-tying sixth in a row and victory over the Dallas Stars on 12th in 13 games to cool off the Fly- Sunday night in front of 16,585 at ers, who were on a 13-3-2 surge that the Honda Center. elevated them to the Eastern Con- Ryan Getzlaf added an empty- ference’s No. 2 wild-card position. net goal and goalie John Gibson Blues 5, Avalanche 1 stopped 25 shots for the Ducks Warriors bounce back David Backes scored early in (44-24-10), who used their fourth a three-goal first period, Vladimir win in five games to move into first Tarasenko had two assists, and the place in the Pacific Division by St. Louis Blues beat the reeling Colo- one point over the idle Los Ange- while Cavaliers hit form rado Avalanche 5-1 on Sunday night. les Kings.

NBA RESULTS appearance after a 45-game absence and Derrick Favors added 17 as the caused by a torn quadriceps tendon, Utah Jazz overcame a slow start to Brilliant Curry adds New Orleans 106 Brooklyn 87 a broken hand and a four-game ban beat the Phoenix Suns 101-86 on 39 as Warriors charge Cleveland 112 Charlotte 103 for punching a team official. Sunday. towards a season Houston 118 Oklahoma City 110 Chris Paul, who scored 27 points The Jazz (39-38) stayed tied with Dallas 88 Minnesota 78 and 12 assists, said Griffin’s mere the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the presence reassured his team-mates. Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday, for record of 73 wins LA Clippers 114 Washington 109 Bulls 102, Bucks 98 seventh in the Western Conference Orlando 119 Memphis 107 Jabari Parker and Giannis playoff race. Both teams remained a Utah 101 Phoenix 86 Antetokounmpo combined for 58 game ahead of the Houston Rockets Agencies Chicago 102 Milwaukee 98 points but Jimmy Butler hit two clutch (38-39), who beat Oklahoma City on Indiana 92 NY Knicks 87 buckets late to help the Chicago Bulls Sunday. Golden State 136 Portland 111 hold on for a 102-98 victory over the Mavericks 88, Timberwolves 78 Milwaukee Bucks Sunday evening at The Dallas Mavericks played like OAKLAND: Stephen Curry scored 39 Boston 107 LA Lakers 100 the Bradley Center. a team that can smell the playoffs on points as the Golden State Warriors Butler hit 9 of 10 shots from the Sunday, pulling away late to beat the bounced back from defeat with a 136- in the early hours of Saturday the field to finish with a team-high 25 for Minnesota Timberwolves 88-78. 111 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers Cavs were required to do it all over Chicago, which gained a half-game J J Barea led the Mavericks with on Sunday. again with an early afternoon start on Indiana in the race for the eighth 21 points as Dallas extended its win The Warriors, whose charge against the Hornets. and final Eastern Conference play- streak to four games. Wesley Mat- towards a season record of 73 wins “We’ve played against some really off spot. thews had 19 and Devin Harris added stumbled with a defeat to Boston on good teams that’s been hot as of late,” Pacers 92, Knicks 87 16 points off the bench as the Mavs Friday, improved to 69-8. James said. “For us to even have the Paul George hit the tiebreaking (39-38) remained in the thick of the The Warriors have won every energy the way we played today and basket with 23.6 seconds remaining fight for a Western Conference play- match that has immediately followed go out and execute the way we did, in the fourth quarter as the Indiana off spot. each of their eight defeats this season. it’s exceptional basketball.” Pacers squandered an 18-point lead Rockets 118, Thunder 110 No team has ever finished a More encouragingly for Cleveland before pulling out a 92-87 victory James Harden delivered on both season without at least one set of con- fans as the post-season looms, the over the New York Knicks Sunday ends of the court and the Houston secutive losses. Cavaliers appear to be hitting form night. Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Curry was once again the talis- at the right time. The Pacers shot 4 of 16 in the Thunder 118-110 on Sunday at Toy- man for the Warriors, making nine of Sunday’s victory was their fourth fourth and their biggest hoop came ota Center to keep their postseason the Warriors’ 18 three-pointers. in five games heading into the final in the final minute. After getting hopes afloat. Curry also chipped in with six five matches of the regular season. an inbounds pass from Monta Ellis, Harden had game-high 41 points rebounds and seven assists, but was Hornets coach Steve Clifford George gained enough separation with nine assists and three steals, almost outscored by Portland point meanwhile was dismayed by his from his defender and knocked down including one with 37 seconds left guard Damian Lillard, who poured team’s leaky defense. a 19-foot left-wing jumper in front of that preceded his full-court pass to in 38 points. “Game on the line, three straight the New York bench. Patrick Beverley, whose dunk game Elsewhere Sunday, LeBron James blown coverages, all basic stuff,” Magic 119, Grizzlies 107 Houston (38-39) a 112-104 lead. paid tribute to Cleveland’s endurance Clifford said. “Gotta make those Center Nikola Vucevic, now in Pelicans 106, Nets 87 as the Cavaliers scored a 112-103 vic- plays, gotta make it hard on them. a reserve role, scored 25 points and Tim Frazier had his first career tory over the Charlotte Hornets. Can’t make those mistakes. They’re grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the double-double with 19 points and 13 James scored 31 points and made so good that they’re going to make Orlando Magic to a 119-107 victory assists as the New Orleans Pelicans 12 assists while JR Smith chipped plays anyway. They’re going to score over the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday put on a passing clinic during a 106- in with 27 points as the Cavaliers when there’s good defense and they night at the Amway Center. 87 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on shrugged off a grueling recent sched- play better offense. We can’t give up The Grizzlies (41-36) lost their Sunday. Chicago Blackhawks right wing ule to improve to 55-22. those blown coverages.” sixth consecutive game and 10th in After getting extensive praise Patrick Kane (bottom) shoots and The Cavaliers had been taken to In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin their last 12 as they struggle to keep from coach Alvin Gentry before the scores on Boston Bruins goalie the wire in an overtime victory over returned for the Clippers in a 114-109 their playoff position in the Western game, Frazier had the most produc- Jonas Gustavsson during the the Atlanta Hawks on Friday after a win over the Washington Wizards at Conference. tive game of his career. In his 10th second period of their NHL game win over Brooklyn the previous night. the Staples Center. Jazz 101, Suns 86 game for the Pelicans, he made 7 of at the United Center on Sunday. After arriving back in Cleveland Griffin was making his first Gordon Hayward scored 22 points 10 shots while playing 38 minutes. Volquez, Hosmer star as Royals defeat Mets

AFP ninth and win it with a five-run 12th. Liriano, a .125 lifetime hitter. “That’s MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Elsewhere on Sunday, Francisco why we turn him loose once in a Liriano was the hero in Pittsburgh, while.” where he pitched six scoreless innings While Liriano is an old hand at LOS ANGELES: Edinson Volquez two walks. Harvey (0-1) struck out and struck out 10 to lead the Pirates Opening Day starts, Toronto Blue Jays (pictured) threw six scoreless three. to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis hurler Marcus Stroman was getting innings and Eric Hosmer scored The Royals scored a pair of runs Cardinals. his first taste of launching a season. three singles and drove in a run in the sixth on four hits to make it 4-0. “You’re always a little nervous, a Stroman flirted with a complete as the Kansas City Royals beat the Alex Gordon and Omar Infante little anxious, a little excited,” Liriano game, pitching into the ninth inning New York Mets 4-3 in Major League both chipped in with run-producing said of taking the mound on Opening in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Baseball’s marquee season-opening singles. Infante’s scored off Bartolo Day. “Then you just have to relax and Rays in Florida. match-up on Sunday. Colon after Salvador Perez’s single have some fun.” “He rose to the occasion,” Jays The replay of last season’s World prompted Harvey’s exit. The left-hander also had the manager John Gibbons said after Series saw Volquez, who started in Harvey’s participation had been unexpected distinction of producing Stroman held the Rays to one run on last year’s decisive game five, make in doubt after he suffered a bladder the first run-batted-in of 2016 with a four hits through eight innings. five strike outs with three walks and infection that caused a blood clot. single that scored Gregory Polanco in Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki two hits. Harvey shut out the Royals for eight a two-run second inning. belted the first homer of the season, Mets right-hander Matt Harvey innings in Game 5 of the World Series, “He can surprise you sometimes,” a two-run blast to left field off Rays gave up four runs on eight hits with but Kansas City rallied to tie it in the Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of reliever Ryan Webb. 34 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 SPORT

FACTBOX Striker Rooney Born in Lecce, Italy, July 31, 1969 PLAYING CAREER keen to extend % Made his Serie A debut for his home- Italy’s Conte appointed town team US Lecce against Pisa aged 16 years, eight months in 1985 as a cen- England career tral midfielder % Played 89 matches for Lecce over Reuters six years, scoring one goal % Moved to Juventus in 1991, where as new Chelsea manager LONDON: England captain he played 418 games over 13 seasons, winning five Serie A titles, the Cham- Wayne Rooney believes he still pions League, the UEFA Cup and the has “a few years left” playing for Italian Cup have mounted something of a recov- his country, dispelling speculation ery and last weekend’s 4-0 win away that the 30-year-old Manchester % Represented Italy at the 1994 FIFA The Blues sign 3-year to bottom of the table Aston Villa left United forward could soon bring World Cup in the United States and the Chelsea tenth in the 20-team Premier the curtain down on his interna- 2000 European Championships in Bel- deal with 46-year-old gium and Netherlands who will start his stint League. Nevertheless they will now tional career. end the season without a trophy and A knee injury has kept Rooney % Retired from playing football at the after Euro 2016 won’t qualify for the elite Champions out of action since February and end of the 2003-04 season League, with even a place in Europe’s the emergence of strikers such as EARLY MANAGERIAL CAREER second-tier Europa League now look- Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane % First managerial appointment was AFP ing beyond them. and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy with Arezzo in the Italian Serie B in July Conte becomes the fifth Italian has led to questions over England 2006 manager of Chelsea following Gian- manager Roy Hodgson’s perceived % Appointed to manage Serie B side luca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo reliance on Rooney. Bari in December 2007, leading them LONDON: Italy coach Antonio Conte Ancelotti and Roberto di Matteo. Like Hodgson, who rejected to promotion to the top-flight follow- was named as Chelsea’s new manager His appointment will also make talk of Rooney’s ability to lead ing the 2008-09 season yesterday after the reigning Premier him the eighth full-time Chelsea man- England during the June 10-July League champions announced he had ager during Russian billionaire Roman 10 European Championships in % Was in charge of Atalanta between signed a three-year contract that will Abramovich’s 13 years as owner of France, the Liverpudlian is not September 2009 and January 2010 before joining Siena, who had recently start following Euro 2016. the Blues. One major item in Conte’s ready to call time on his interna- been relegated “I am happy we have made the Chelsea in-tray will be the future of tional career. announcement now so everything is veteran club captain John Terry. “Over the past two years my % Led Siena straight back into the top- clear and we can end the speculation,” The 35-year-old former Eng- form for England has been really flight after they finished runners up in said Conte, first tipped as a successor land central defender, who has spent good. I’ve scored a lot of goals,” Serie B to interim manager Guus Hiddink at his entire senior professional career Rooney told the PFA’s 4 The Player JUVENTUS Stamford Bridge last month, in a state- with Chelsea, announced in January magazine. % Signed a two-year to manage Juven- ment on Chelsea’s website. he would be leaving at the end of the “I’ll keep trying to, first and tus in May 2011, winning the Serie A The 46-year-old former Juventus season only for the club to respond by foremost, help the team be suc- title for three seasons in a row and two boss took over the Italian national saying he could yet be offered a new cessful and if I can score the goals Italian Super Cups team in August 2014 and secured their contract. Several other players may to help achieve that then that’ll be % Resigned as Juventus manager in qualification for the European Cham- have been considering their future at great. July 2014 pionship finals in France, which start Chelsea, given the lack of Champions “I’ve still got a few years left, in June. League football next term, but the fact I feel. I’m a lot more patient now ITALY NATIONAL TEAM “I will continue to focus on my job the Blues have signed a manager with in my play. When I was younger, % Named manager of the Italian with the Italian national team and will Conte’s track record could persuade I could be impatient and I’d end national team from August 2014 until reserve speaking about Chelsea again them to stay put. up in positions I didn’t really need Euro 2016, replacing Cesare Prandelli This May 2013 file photo shows Italian coach of Juventus, Antonio Conte, until after the Euros,” added Conte, celebrating with the Scudetto, the Italian Serie A trophy, during the Chelsea director Marina to be in.” % Won his first game as Italy manager who guided Juventus to three straight Granovskaia, welcoming Conte’s Rooney, who will turn 31 in ceremony at the end of the Italian Serie A match between Juventus FC against the Netherlands 2-0 Serie A titles from 2012-14 before tak- appointment, said: “We are very October, made his international and Cagliari Calcio at Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy. % Sealed Euro 2016 qualification for ing charge of Italy. pleased to have recruited one of the debut at the age of 17 as a substi- Italy in October 2015 with a 3-1 win He added: “I am very excited about most highly regarded managers in tute against Australia in Feb. 2003 over Azerbaijan the prospect of working at Chelsea world football and we are equally and became the side’s youngest- % Italian Football Federation confirmed Football Club. day-to-day challenge of competing permanent manager since the London pleased to do so before the end of the ever scorer with a goal in a 2-1 on March 15, 2016 that Conte would “I am proud to be the coach of in the Premier League. “Chelsea and club ended Jose Mourinho’s second current season. This aids our future win over Macedonia seven months step down as manager after the Euros the national team of my country and English football are watched wherever spell at Stamford Bridge in Decem- planning. later. only a role as attractive as manager you go, the fans are passionate and my ber after they lost nine out of the first “I would also like to take this Last September, he surpassed CHELSEA of Chelsea could follow that. ambition is to have more success to 16 games of their Premier League title opportunity to thank Guus Hiddink, Bobby Charlton’s long-standing % Conte appointed Chelsea manager “I am looking forward to meet- follow the victories I enjoyed in Italy.” defence. who has done a great job since he record of 49 goals for England on Monday on a three-year deal ing everyone at the club and the Chelsea have been without a Under Dutch coach Hiddink, they joined us in December.” against Switzerland and now has 51 goals in 109 internationals. He scored his first goal in a World Cup finals against Uruguay Franck Ribery of in Brazil in 2014 and was Eng- Bayern Munich land’s highest scorer in the Euro Bayern wary of a slip-up during the final 2016 qualifying campaign with training session seven goals. at Saebener He is also closing in on Charl- Strasse in ton’s all-time scoring record of 249 Munich, goals for Manchester United and against ‘dangerous’ Benfica Germany, is currently their second-highest yesterday. scorer with 244 goals, but might need to wait until next season to break it due to his injury. AFP afford a repeat offkey display as they CHAMPIONS LEAGUE hunt a fifth straight appearance in the QUARTER-FINALS Champions League semi-finals. History is on the Bavarians’ side. BERLIN: Bayern Munich are eager Bayern have won all three previ- to avoid suffering another Cham- to remind ourselves about what we ous meetings with Benfica in European pions League slip-up to Portuguese experienced in Porto last year,” said competition on their way to winning opposition in the Champions League Bayern’s forward Mario Goezte. the 1975/76 European Cup, reaching quarter-finals when they host Benfica Germany’s World Cup win- the 1981/82 European Cup final and yesterday in the first-leg. ner hopes to face Benfica after his lifting the UEFA Cup in 1995/96. Pep Guardiola’s Bavarians were powerful run led to Franck Ribery’s Nevertheless Rui Vitoria will bring humbled 3-1 away to Porto at the same spectacular winning goal in Saturday’s his Benfica side to the Allianz Arena stage of the competition last season in 1-0 league win over Eintracht Frank- knowing it will be “very difficult, but the first leg before roaring back with furt in a lacklustre performance from we are up for a challenge”. a 6-1 victory in Munich to reach the the Bavarians, who remain top of the “Sometimes the only way to Wayne Rooney semi-finals with a 9-2 aggregate win. Bundesliga. neutralise tougher opponents is to rec- After Bayern beat last season’s Striker Robert Lewandowski ognise their strengths, be aware that it finalists Juventus 6-4 on aggregate in admitted they were already think- will be a hard match, and understand the last 16, the German media seem ing of the Benfica game while playing that to achieve anything you have to Huth is league’s to think their passage into the semi- Frankfurt. go through difficulties,” Vitoria told games in all competitions, the excep- Allianz Arena to seal a 2-1 league finals is a foregone conclusion before Chairman Karl-Heinz Rum- UEFA.com. tion being their 2-1 home defeat to win in Germany’s top flight nearly toughest defender, they even face Portuguese league lead- menigge has warned Bayern need to “We go into this game knowing our Porto in February. five weeks ago. ers Benfica over two legs. produce more than Ribery’s stunning opponents are candidates to win the Bayern have lost at home just Guardiola will be without Neth- says Deeney But the Bavarians insist on taking bicycle kick against Benfica: “That Champions League, but we won’t be once this season when Mainz took erlands captain Arjen Robben, who nothing for granted. won’t be enough on Tuesday”. backing down.” their chances and hit Guardiola’s has a groin injury, but France winger “The game is dangerous. We have The Bavarians know they can ill Benfica have won 19 of their last 20 side on the counterattack at the Kingsley Coman should be fit. LONDON: Watford striker Troy Deeney has identified Robert Huth as the defender he least likes playing against and said the German’s partnership with Wes Morgan in the heart of Leicester Napoli, Higuain to pay dearly for moment of madness City’s defence is one of the reasons behind their success. Leicester, who have kept 13 AFP leaders and champions Juventus. “An eight-game ban seems exag- Friuli Stadium on Sunday, Sarri was Premier League clean sheets in 32 Higuain shoved the match referee gerated to me, but players have to stop sent to the stands for dissent having matches so far this season, lead the Massimiliano Irrati, then had to be approaching referees in this manner. protested the award of a second pen- division by seven points ahead of restrained by fellow players as he “Players have to stop playing at alty to the hosts, which Napoli ‘keeper Tottenham Hotspur. MILAN: Gonzalo Higuain’s (pictured) angrily remonstrated with Udinese acrobats when they’re fouled... but Gabriel saved. “I have played against every impressive scoring streak in Serie A player Felipe as he sat on the turf fol- Higuain’s shove can’t be ignored.” Afterwards, Sarri tried to explain Premier League defence this sea- is expected to be halted by an immi- lowing a challenge. Serie A officials will deliver the Higuain’s violent reaction. son for Watford, and Leicester’s nent ban that could end Napoli’s bid According to widespread reports verdict in the coming days and, if con- “I didn’t see it, because I was sit- Robert Huth is the toughest oppo- for a long-awaited Serie A title. yesterday, Higuain now risks a ‘min- firmed, it could end Napoli’s hopes of ting down low in the stands, but he nent I have faced,” said Deeney. Higuain hit his 30th league goal imum’ three-match ban. a first league title since Diego Mara- told me he just made contact with the “Huth is the sort of centre-half of the campaign on Sunday to pull to Former referee and referee’s chief dona played his penultimate season player and so he feels the victim of who will let you know he is there, within five goals of retired AC Milan Paolo Casarin said Higuain’s shove at the club in 1990. rough justice,” said Sarri. so to speak, with a challenge or striker Gunnar Nordahl’s all-time “can’t be ignored” and although he With 30 league goals so far, Higuain’s moment of madness, two early in the game. “Like his record of 35 goals in a single, 20-team said everything “will depend on Higuain has been the driving force however, could be decisive for the team-mate Wes Morgan, who I had Serie A season. Irrati’s match report”, the Argentina behind Napoli’s title charge this sea- Azzurri. Napoli have seven games to many battles with in the Cham- But the Argentine striker lost the striker is expected to pay dearly. son although the team, on the whole, close their six-point deficit but have pionship earlier in our careers, plot after being issued a red card “I think Higuain quickly realised has excelled under the guidance of an arguably more difficult run-in than Huth is old-school -- an out-and- late in Napoli’s 3-1 defeat to Udinese the gravity of the situation,” Casarin coach Maurizio Sarri. Juventus, with away games at Inter out defender who really enjoys the which left them six points adrift of told Radio Rai. In a bad-tempered display at the Milan and Roma still to come. physical side of the game. SPORT TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 35

Djokovic retains Djokovic moves past legends rankings lead, with historic Miami win Azarenka rises Agencies

MIAMI WIN ADDS A The world number MILLION TO CHAMP’S PARIS: Novak Djokovic remains streets ahead of the ACCOUNT rest in the ATP world rankings, after claiming a record- one extends his equalling sixth Miami Open title on Sunday. domination by The 20-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios has bro- for me. Made me realize I could beat ken into the top 20 for the first time by reaching the surpassing the best players in the world.” semi-finals. Federer as the Djokovic improved to 28-1 this In the women’s rankings, Victoria Azarenka has year, the lone loss coming when an jumped up to world number five after beating Rus- highest-earning eye problem forced a Dubai quar- sian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Miami Open final on player in ATP ter-final retirement against Spain’s Saturday. Feliciano Lopez. Serena Williams still holds a substantial lead at the Djokovic, who in January won top, despite losing to Kuznetsova in the last 16, her first at Doha and captured an 11th career defeat at the tournament since 2012. Grand Slam title at the Australian AFP Open, also swept the US double of Miami and Indian Wells for the third ATP WORLD TOP 20 ATP WORLD TOP 20 year in a row and fourth time overall. (MEN) (WOMEN) “The most successful month of MIAMI: World number one Novak my career is March,” Djokovic said. 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 1. Serena Williams (USA) Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer “I enjoy these two tournaments the 2. Andy Murray (GBR) 2. Angelique Kerber (GER) as the highest-earning player in ATP most of any in my career.” 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) Tour history on Sunday after captur- Nishikori, who made 30 ing a third consecutive Miami Open unforced errors against just 10 win- 4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 4. Garbine Muguruza Blanco (ESP) crown with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over ners, suffered his sixth consecutive 5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5. Victoria Azarenka (BEL) Japan’s Kei Nishikori. loss in meetings with Djokovic, who 6. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6. Simona Halep (ROM) Djokovic’s win -- his sixth leads their career rivalry 7-2. 7. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 7. Petra Kvitova (CZE) career victory in Miami to equal “It was a tough match,” Nishikori 8. David Ferrer (ESP) 8. Roberta Vinci (ITA) Andre Agassi’s record -- saw him said. “Playing Novak is always a 9. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 9. Maria Sharapova (RUS) pocket $1.028 million (902,000 great challenge for me.” 10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 10. Belinda Bencic (SUI) euros), taking him past Federer as Djokovic, who didn’t drop a set 11. Marin Cilic (CRO) 11. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) the all-time ATP earnings leader at Miami, broke Nishikori in four of 12. Milos Raonic (CAN) 12. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) with $98,199,548 to the Swiss great’s his first five service games to seize 13. David Goffin (BEL) 13. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) $97,855,881. command. 14. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 14. Venus Williams (USA) “It was my best performance of “He played great tennis. That’s 15. John Isner (USA) 15. Lucie Safarova (CZE) the tournament,” the 28-year-old why I couldn’t play like I wanted,” 16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 16. Elina Svitolina (UKR) Serbian said. “It came at the right Nishikori said. “My serve wasn’t 17. Robert Bautista Agut (ESP) 17. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) time against a great player.” going. It was a shame to have that 18. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 18. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) Djokovic’s win also took him to because he had a great return and Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates with the Butch Buchholz trophy 19. Gilles Simon (FRA) 19. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) a record 28th career ATP Masters I felt a lot of pressure on my service after defeating Kei Nishikori of Japan in the final of the Miami Open 20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 20. Sara Errani (ITA) title, one better than the old mark games. He played good and I could at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Florida on Sunday. he shared with Spain’s Rafael Nadal. have played a little better.” “The fact I managed to win the Djokovic took advantage of a most Masters ever is a remarka- Nishikori miss-hit backhand to break ble achievement I’m very proud of,” in the eighth game and held at love Djokovic said. to grab the opening set after 34 min- Sunday’s victory was also Djok- utes. Nishikori surrendered a break Sharapova’s test sparks renewed vigilance ovic’s 714th career win, moving him to begin the second set with consec- to 11th on the all-time list, one more utive errant backhands. than his coach, German six-time Nishikori, who said his left knee Reuters unaware that it had been banned by Athletes were using the organisa- said the DFSNZ. A spokesperson said Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. was fine despite having a trainer the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) tion’s website and telephone and email they typically received only three or “I’m grateful and proud of all the treat it in the second set, hit a fore- from Jan. 1. Since then, more than 100 channels to check everything from cold four requests a day via email and text achievements,” Djokovic said. “To hand long to be broken to end the athletes across a variety of sports have sore cream to asthma medication, he messaging, but that had increased to put myself in position to have the match after 86 minutes. AUCKLAND: Athletes in New Zealand been found to have used it. added. DFSNZ said in the two weeks more than 20 per day. records and be in the history books is “It’s tough to find his weakness,” have become more vigilant about the “It is sad that a famous athlete prior to Sharapova’s announcement “We’ve invested a lot of resources a great accomplishment ... Hopefully Nishikori said. “He has great defense. medication and supplements they take has been caught out in this way, but they had received 961 queries about into ensuring that our athletes, par- I can make many more records.” It’s tough to break his game.” in the wake of Russian tennis player the good outcome for us is that it has medication and another 339 about sup- ents and support personnel here in Djokovic, who claimed his 63rd As part of his victory celebration, Maria Sharapova’s positive test, Drug helped get our message across to plements through the website. New Zealand have access to the most career ATP title, stretched his Miami Djokovic kissed his left hand and Free Sports New Zealand (DFSNZ) said athletes that they need to check all In the two weeks after the up-to-date information on banned win streak to 16 matches with his patted it on the court several times. yesterday. medications and supplements care- announcement, those figures had substances and supplements,” Steel 30th victory in 31 starts over five Nishikori, 26, was in only his The five-times grand slam cham- fully,” Drug Free Sports New Zealand more than doubled to 1,982 que- added. years. His first Masters win came at second career ATP Masters final, pion announced in March she had (DFSNZ) Chief Executive Graeme Steel ries about medication and 581 for “It’s about education and access Miami in 2007 and still inspires him. after Madrid in 2014, while Djoko- tested positive for the banned sub- said on Monday. supplements. to information so that athletes aren’t “It has been a springboard for vic was in his 11th consecutive such stance meldonium at the Australian DFSNZ is a government body that “The request rate for information caught unintentionally taking a banned everything that has come after,” final, improving his record in that Open in January. implements the World Anti-Doping through DFSNZ’s text and email serv- substance, which could ultimately Djokovic said. “Opened a lot of doors run to 56-2. Sharapova said she had been Code in New Zealand. ice had also significantly increased,” affect their health and their careers.” Al Arabi kick off Emir Cup campaign on a winning note

The Peninsula Al Khor’s Alen Hadzibegovic EMIR CUP shoots the ball during their BASKETBALL 2016 Emir Cup Basketball Tournament game against Al Arabi at Al Gharafa DOHA: Seck Oumar TODAY’S GAMES Indoor Hall yesterday. struck purple patch on At Al Gharafa Indoor Hall day one of the 2016 Emir Despite his efforts, Al Arabi 5.00pm Al Arabi vs Qatar SC Cup yesterday when he recorded a comprehensive 7.00pm Al Wakrah vs Al Rayyan scored 36 points to lead Al 92-63 win over Al Khor. Arabi to a comprehensive 92-63 win over Al Khor. In the second game Soyebo Temi Narcel- of the day, Al Wakrah lius scored 17 points while crushed Al Shamal 76-53. team-mate Hamed Ibno- Boney Harold Watson mer Moutasim produced scored 23 points to go a tally of 16 points as Al along with his 6 assists in Arabi dominated pro- Al Wakrah’s first win. ceedings at Al Gharafa Abouo Charles pro- Indoor Hall. duced a tally of 16 points Narcellius had 9 (6 assists) while Ndour assists while Oumar man- Mame Souleye managed aged a tally of 4 assists. 14 points. Matalqah Osama Adel Mujkic Emir (9) and scored 14 points as Al Arabi Abdulla Mohammed Sel- - coached by Hatem Mam- eem (8) were the other louk - retained lead in all two main players for Al the four quarters of the first Wakrah. game of the Emir Cup. For Al Shamal, Al Khor - coached Hachad Mohamed Kamal by Ahmed Kamel - were enjoyed a good personal lifted by Abdulrahman performance, scoring 20 Mohammad’s 20 points points to go along with his and 6 assists. 3 assists. Alen Hadzibegovic Avdic Faris scored 13 Al Wakrah’s Boney Harold Watson leaps to score a basket against Al Shamal in their Emir chipped in with 16 points points while team-mate while Celebi Visam Tarik Adam Khalid Abdalla Cup tie yesterday. Watson scored 23 points to go along with his 6 assists as Al Wakrah scored 10 points. scored 7 points. crushed Al Shamal 76-53. 36 TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016 Qatar ready for ‘tough task’ at home event

As the host nation, Qatar has two Our first goal is to teams pre-seeded into the main draw for the event. Eighth-seeded Jeffer- qualify from the pool son and Cherif and 24th-seeded Julio and thereafter we Cesar Do Nascimento Jr and Ahmed Tijan will try to carry forward Qatar will take the match aspirations at the event. by match approach, Costa believes the championship will be the toughest with some of the says coach Costa world 20 best pairs in Doha and all of them keen to pick points from Qatar in the Olympic year with Rio qual- ification upper most on their mind. By Armstrong Vas “We know the level of the com- The Peninsula petition in the tournament will be very high, the level is close to a Grand Slam tournament. There is no pres- sure on my players, they are relaxed DOHA: Qatar coach Pedro Paulo and we are happy and we are glad Costa says his first target at the FIVB to play against all the good teams World Tour event in Doha is qualify who are here for this year’s tourna- from the pool and thereafter get ready ment. The field is stronger than last for the daunting task which lies ahead year because it is Olympic year,” said at the championship. Costa, a beach volleyball coach for “Our first goal is to qualify the last 18 years. from the pool and thereafter we Jefferson and Cherif, who won take the match by match approach. their first FIVB Beach Volleyball My expectations is to qualify from World Tour gold medals at the Kish the group and then see what hap- Island Open in February, will aim pens. And, thereafter, we will set to show their home fans why they new goals (for the championship),” are enjoying a growing reputation said the Brazilian on the eve of the on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Mohammed Ali Al Mohannadi (second right) Secretary-General of Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA), speaking at a press conference in the presence $75,000 Qatar Open which kicks off Tour. today on the Qatar Beach Volleyball The two Qatari pairs in the com- of Ahmed Amanallah Al Sheebani (second left), Executive Director at QVA, Joep Van Iersel (right), Technical official of FIVB andoberto R Reggiani, Academy courts at the Al Gharafa petition face a daunting task if they beach volleyball coordinator at QVA, on the eve of the Qatar Open Beach Volleyball championship at the Qatar Beach Volleyball Academy courts Stadium. are to win the title and Costa knows at Al Gharafa Stadium.

what lies ahead for his players. Rio Olympics. “I except the best, my teams are Costa said the confidence level of ready but I always remind them it his players has shot up after winning Norwegian duo leads way is not our main goal,” Costa said in the Krish Island tournament. response to another question. The pair won their first FIVB “Our main goal is in June. We are Beach Volleyball World Tour gold into main draw in Doha still in preparation period ( for the medals at the Kish Island Open in AVC Continental Cup Finals in Sydney, February after first serving notice Australia). The general expectations of their potential when they reached is that we will have a good perform- the quarter-finals of the Netherlands The Peninsula Hasan Huseyin Mermer and Sefa ance at the Qatar Open,” added Costa. 2015 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Urlu of Turkey 2-1 (21-13, 13-21, In January this year, Qatar Championships. 15-12). pulled off a convincing 2-0 victory “They are very confident after The world’s best men’s Beach over Oman in the AVC Beach Volley- their maiden win, I always ask them DOHA: Morten Kvamsdal and Volleyball duos will be seeking to ball Continental Cup Western Zonal to keep the same level of standard, Christian Sandlie Sorum carried on enhance their dreams of playing in Championship in Qatar to qualify for and they try to. We had a very high their development as a team when the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the the AVC Continental Cup Beach Vol- level of game in Iran and we are try- they won two from two on the open- main draw. leyball Finals in Australia. ing to keep the same level. Winning ing day of the Qatar Open yesterday The top three teams in the eight Qatar teams A and B both cap- a gold medal was very best. They felt at Al Gharafa Sports Club. pools (24 total teams) will advance tured hard-fought 2-1 victories over they can do more and they are more The Norwegian pair began with from pool play to the single-elimi- their Omani rivals on the Qatar Beach excited in our every day practice.” a 2-1 (21-19, 12-21, 15-6) win over nation knockout rounds. Volleyball Academy court. The coach however cautioned Estonia’s Kusti Nolvak and Mart On Wednesday and Thursday Jefferson Santosh Pereira and that his players are still at the Tiisaar and then followed up by will be the single elimination rounds Cherif Younnouse put the hosts 1-0 beginners stage when it comes to defeating Austrian pair Peter Eglseer with the quarterfinals also on Thurs- up when they beat Ahmed Al Housni preparation for the AVC Continen- and Daniel Mullner 2-0 that books day. The semi-finals and medal and Mazin Al Hashmi before new tal Cup Finals in Sydney. them a place in the main draw that matches and awarding ceremony pair Assam Ahmed Mahmoud and “We would like to say that we starts today. will conclude the event on Friday Ahmed Tijan overpowered experi- are still in the beginners stage. It is Australian pair Bo Soderberg and evening. The winning team at this enced Badar Al Subhi and Haitham Al the beginning of everything. So Jef- Cole Durant also reached the main year’s Qatar Open will take a share Shereiqi to win the West Asian quali- ferson and Cherif, they have been draw after winning two from two. of the $11,000 first-place prize and fiers. The AVC Continental Cup Finals playing together for one year. Julio They started with a 2-0 victory 500 points, the silver $8,000 and are scheduled to take place from June and Ahmed have started playing over Kazakhstan’s Artem Petrossy- 450 points, the bronze $6,000 and Action from the Qatar Open qualifying rounds at the Qatar Beach 15 to 21, 2016 in Sydney, Australia.The together recently. So, it is still a begin- ants and Yegor Dmitriyev and then 400 points and fourth place $4,500 Volleyball Academy courts at Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. winners will qualify directly for the ners stage.” completed qualification by defeating and 450 points. Moto2: Simeon turns luck Qatar cricket team returns home around to save four points after successful Singapore trip The Peninsula I had a problem with the gearbox. There was nothing I could do. I fin- ished twelfth, which is not the best result, but at least we got four points The Peninsula TERMAS DE RÍO HONDO, Argen- in the world championship. Without tina: Xavier Simeon ran into the going straight, I could have finished gravel trap on the eighth lap of the eighth, which is the memory I want Argentinian Grand Prix, but clawed to take with me to the next race in DOHA: Qatar national cricket team, his way back through the Moto2 Texas. I like the Austin track a lot. I after an exceptional tour of Singapore, field to present QMMF Racing Team did a very good job there last year returned home to a warm welcome at with twelfth place and four valuable and I hope I can be in front again,” the Hamad International Airport on world championship points. Simeon said. Sunday night. Whereas the 26-year-old from For Simon it was not a smooth Amin Ul Islam, Head of the Belgian celebrated a happy end of a sailing. School Boys Cricket and Member of race that took place in difficult con- “It was not an easy weekend. We the Management of the Qatar Cricket ditions after rain during the previous had difficulties with finding the right Association (QCA), was present on night and the morning in Termas de set-up for the bike, with the track con- the occasion to receive the Qatar Rio Hondo, Simon had to settle for ditions and also with the change of National Team players, who defeated 19th place. weather today. In the race, I tried eve- Singapore, in all the three Twenty20 His planned assault on the riders rything to get a good start and maybe Internationals and two One-Day Qatar national cricket team returned home to a warm welcome at Hamad International Airport on Sunday fighting for the point rankings was to get behind a group that was fighting Internationals matches. more difficult than anticipated, due for the point rankings, but this wasn’t QCA President MA Shahid night after an exceptional tour of Singapore. to the weather change but also due easy either,” Simon said. lauded Qatar’s performance in to persistent set-up problems that “We have to find a better set-up Singapore. will also gain them valuable ranking World Cup Twenty20. “It was indeed a (Captain ODI), TaimoorSajjad, had slowed the 28-year-old Span- because we don’t get the full poten- “Qatar showed their real poten- points. Qatar Airways, a long-time praiseworthy team effort by the play- Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Khalid Khatib, iard in practice. tial out of this bike at the moment. tial against a higher-ranked opponent partner with the QCA in the devel- ers and I hope the national team will Mohammad Rizlan, Faisal Khan, At the third race of the season We changed a lot of things on the and won all the five matches which opment of the sport in Qatar, had continue to raise its level in future KhurramShehzad, Kamran Khan, in Texas next weekend, Simon will bike and for the next race in Texas, is quite creditable for us. This display sponsored the trip. endeavours too,” added Ahmad. FaizUllah , Raheel Sheikh and Omran resume his hard work and try to get our idea is to go back to what we should encourage our players to work QCA General Secretary Ahmad “We intended to invite other Hussain back up to his usual speed. had last year, so we have a base that harder so that they raise their per- said: “The trip was wonderful for us. countries to play more matches in The officials who had accom- “I am a little bit confused. I had a allows us to be more consistent over formance level in the future series. I We won all the three T20 matches Qatar,” he said. panied the team on the tour were: very good start and gained seven or the weekend. I am sorry for the team want to congratulate all the players and both the ODIs quite convincingly. The players who represented Manzoor Ahmad (QCA General eight positions on the first lap. I was because we don’t deserve to be that and members of the support staff for All the players were determined to do Qatar were: Secretary), Abdul Rehman (National quite confident in tricky conditions far back in the classification. We will this unique success.” well and they proved it on the ground Imran Ashraf, Moham- Coach), Shamsuddin (Coach),Mohd and had a very good pace. But on work hard in order to more in front The successful trip has not only as well. He added that QCA vision is mad Nadeem, Ch. Iqbal, Awais Jahangir (Trainer) and Mohammad the fifth lap, I went straight because at Austin,” helped Qatar improve its image, it to reach initially to the Asia Cup and Malik(Captin Twenty20), InamUlHaq Asif, Team Coordinator.