ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER

Manaudou sets second world record Sport | 28

Sunday 7 December 2014 • 15 Safar 1436 • Volume 19 Number 6272 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

PM visits Shafallah Center Britain to Patients complain open new military base of needless tests in Bahrain LONDON: Britain is to Private clinics accused of misusing health insurance open a new military base in Bahrain, both countries BY FAZEENA SALEEM health insurance is a grace but it by an Indian expatriate, a doctor announced, its first perma- can also be a curse because it is in a popular polyclinic advised a nent base in the Middle East DOHA: There are increasing exploited by some doctors at pri- patient to go for an X-ray for a since it formally withdrew complaints about some private vate clinics. They are least both- throat infection. He said prescrib- from the region in 1971. doctors and clinics in Qatar ered about the patients and only ing tests was a pastime for this The new base is part of a carrying out allegedly unnec- want to help their employers get doctor and he was known for that. deal to increase cooperation essary medical tests on their more income.” “While prescribing medicines, in tackling security threats patients. This practice seems to A woman doctor prescribed the doctor said casually, get an in the Middle East, ministers have become widespread with a three tests, including a CT scan, X-ray also. I couldn’t understand said on Friday. growing number of companies for his wife for a minor gynaeco- why an X-ray was needed for a The agreement was reached providing health insurance to logical problem. He said the tests simple throat infection and I didn’t at the annual Manama their employees. were prescribed without examin- go for it,” he said. Dialogue regional security Many patients told this news- ing the patient. After getting the Another regular visitor to the summit in Bahrain. paper that they were shocked to reports, the doctor prescribed a same doctor said, “I have a cough It means Britain will have see doctors prescribing elaborate medicine, again without seeing the and was asked for a Total Blood a place to plan and to store tests even for common illnesses patient. Count test and the result was equipment and will be able to such as a sore throat or seasonal When a second opinion was negative. The bill for medicine and add to the four mine-hunter flu. Although the cost is covered by sought, another doctor advised the tests came to around QR1,000. warships based in Mina health insurance, such tests often against taking the medicine, saying If I didn’t have health insurance Salman Port, where Britain scare patients and subject them to that there was nothing abnormal I wouldn’t have spent such a big currently uses US facilities. psychological pressure. with the patient. The prescribed amount for a cough.” It will cost £15m to build. The doctors prescribe unwanted tablet was meant to regulate the He said some doctors at private “This new base is a perma- tests particularly when the patient menstrual cycle. clinics prescribe additional tests nent expansion of the Royal has health insurance, knowing “We went back to the doctor we only after confirming that the Navy’s footprint and will ena- that he/she would not refuse. consulted first and asked her why patient has health insurance. ble Britain to send more and Most patients do not object, not that tablet was prescribed. She “They always tell us to do the larger ships to reinforce sta- only because they don’t have to pay had no proper answer, but after test just to make sure that every- bility in the Gulf,” said defence the cost but also due to the fear a while she said that my wife had thing is fine. The doctor would see secretary Michael Fallon. that they could be suffering from symptoms of some cancer. But two the report after many days, which The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser “We will now be based again a serious ailment. other gynaecology specialists said means there is no sign of a serious bin Khalifa Al Thani visited Shafallah Center for Children with Special in the Gulf for the long term.” Sharing one such experience, that the medical reports showed illness,” he added. Needs yesterday to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Britain withdrew from an employee of an oil and gas only minor problems.” THE PENINSULA Disabilities. The Premier examined the services the Center offers, and bases in the Gulf in 1971 as Continued on page 7 company told this daily, “Having In another incident, reported said the state was keen to enhance the role of people with special needs part of its plan to pull out from “East of Suez”. in society. Nicholas Houghton, head of the British armed forces, told BBC radio: “It’s the strategic importance of this. Rather than just being seen as a Expats will be a problem in future, GCC forum told temporary deployment to an area for a specific operational DOHA: The dilemma faced H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad belonging were left divided Latest data suggest that there Replying to another question purpose, this is more symbolic by Shia populations in GCC Al Thani. The opening cere- between Tehran and the GCC are 16 million foreign workers in as to why GCC countries do not of the fact that Britain does states and the large presence mony was attended by the Prime states. The Shia identity of the the GCC states and they speak recruit enough Arab workers, enjoy interests in the stability of foreign workers in these Minister and Interior Minister, H GCC citizens who belong to this some 70 languages, said Fakhro. Fakhro said companies in the of this region.” countries threatening local E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin sect is not acknowledged, he said. Aisha Ettaib, speaking about region looked for cheap labour to Bahrain’s Foreign Minister social values and identity were Khalifa Al Thani. This policy proved damaging as the foreign workforce in the GCC, maximise profits, so while hiring Khalid Al Khalifa said the among the issues discussed at a One of the speakers, Dr Ashraf it made Iran more important in said they were needed after the workers they didn’t care if they deal “reaffirms our joint regional forum that opened here Osman, a university professor the eyes of the GCC Shias. early oil boom but had become a were Arabs or non-Arabs. determination to maintain yesterday. from Sudan, said several GCC “There is, thus, the need for problem now for the GCC econo- According to Fakhro, the GCC regional security and stabil- Some 70 researchers are among states had felt threatened by the political reform,” he said. mies and societies since over the governments also do not encour- ity in the face of challenging the scholars, academics and poli- 1979 Iranian Revolution. Osman said Shias in the GCC years they had seeped deep into age recruitment of Arab workers circumstances”. ticians presenting papers at the So, to resist the Iranian model states must be re-assimilated as the roots of the system. as they fear these workers would “Bahrain looks forward to three-day conference being held of Islamic identity, a Saudi Arabian a part of the GCC nation states. This had prompted GCC states bring their local political prob- the early implementation of at the Ritz-Carlton. identity was created. “This put the They must be brought back into to develop new policies, restrict lems along with them. today’s arrangement, and to The event is titled ‘The GCC Shia natives of GCC states in a the social mainstream of the GCC. the number of foreign workers Expatriate workers in the continuing to work with the Countries: Politics and Economics dilemma since the latter described On the issue of foreign work- and integrate more locals into region will become a problem in UK and other partners to in Light of the Regional and themselves as Sunni states.” ers, Ali Fakhro, a former Bahraini their job markets, said Ettaib. future as they would threaten the address threats to regional International Shifts and Changes.’ This meant that the Shias of the minister, said the situation was However, to a question if local cultures and identity amid security,” Khalid said. It is being organised by the Doha- GCC had to be opposed to the Shia alarming as in 1975 their ratio Arabs such as Palestinians liv- mounting international pressure Britain retains two sover- based Arab Centre for Research state of Iran, said Osman. “So they to the local populations was just ing in the GCC region for a long to give them nationality, warned eign bases on Cyprus in the and Policy Studies. (the GCC-based Shias) felt torn 29 percent, but 33 years hence, time should be given citizenship, Fakhro. Mediterranean. The conference was inau- between Iran and the GCC states.” by 2008, the ratio had more than Fakhro said there were no such THE PENINSULA AFP gurated by the Deputy Emir, Their feelings and sense of doubled to 70 percent. plans. Continued on page 7

Cry for justice Flag to be carved US, South African hostages out of dune DOHA: A group of Qatari youth killed in rescue bid is making a huge Qatari flag SANA’A/ADEN: A US journal- secure Korkie’s release, said it had from sand to mark the country’s ist and a South African teacher negotiated for the teacher to be National Day. held by Al Qaeda militants in freed and had expected that to The flag will compete for entry Yemen were killed along with happen on Sunday and for him to into Guinness World Records. some of their captors during be returned to his family. It will be carved out from one a night rescue attempt by US “The callous disregard for of the sand dunes in Sealine, Al and Yemeni forces in a remote Luke’s life is more proof of Sharq reported. desert village, officials said the depths of AQAP’s deprav- Sealine has been chosen as it yesterday. ity, and further reason why the is one of the most popular tourist US Secretary of State John world must never cease in seek- destinations in the country char- Kerry and a Yemeni intelligence ing to defeat their evil ideology,” acterised by its beautiful dunes official said Luke Somers, 33, and President said in and beaches. South African Pierre Korkie were a statement. The group is led by Sheikh Saud shot by their kidnappers shortly He said he had authorised the bin Hamad bin Mubarak Al Thani, after the raid began in the arid attempted rescue and said the who floated the idea. Wadi Abadan district of Shabwa, would “spare no The flag will be unveiled on a province in southern Yemen. effort to use all of its military, December 16 under the patron- Kerry said the operation, the intelligence and diplomatic capa- age of the Ministry of Youth and second attempt to free Somers in bilities to bring Americans home Sports, said the daily. 10 days, had only been approved safely, wherever they are located”. “We are making this flag as a gift because of information that the Somers was moved from the to our nation. It will be a tribute Demonstrators march through the Loop protesting police abuse, in Chicago on Friday. The protest was one American’s life was in imminent scene of the rescue attempt but to our country and its wise leader- of many staged across the US after grand juries investigating the deaths of two black men killed by police danger. died later from his wounds, a sen- ship,” Saud bin Hamad was quoted failed to indict the white police officers involved. However, the Gift of the Givers ior official in the Yemeni presi- as saying. THE PENINSULA relief group, which was trying to dent’s office said. REUTERS

SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 ITU Telecom World meet begins today 165 countries to participate

DOHA: Qatar will be at the showcase the next generation of centre of the global commu- innovations and discuss how these nication industry this week will impact people’s lives. This with ‘ITU (International week, you will see an incredible Telecommunication Union) range of technologies on display Telecom World 2014’ confer- – from Smart Cities, through to ence kicking-off today at Qatar Smart Cars, through the Smart National Convention Centre. Stadia that will host global sport- Participants from 165 countries ing events in Qatar over the next will gather to explore the trends, decade,” said Waleed Al Sayed, developments and innovations Chief Operating Officer, Ooredoo. in the field of information, com- “At ITU, we will be working with munication and technology. companies who will literally break “ITU Telecom World provides a new Internet speed records. There unique platform to bring together will be apps on display that can public and private sectors, lead- control everything from the air ers from government and indus- conditioning in your car, through try, international organisations, to the lights in your home. Science consultants, media and digital fiction will become reality at this experts – from all corners of the year’s Telecom World,” he said. Dr Hamadoun I Touré (right) with other officials and ‘Roboy’ (left) at the press conference. (SYED OMAR) world. Over the next four days, The visitors will also able to get we will explore how disruptive the future of intelligent robotics as developments in technology are ‘Roboy’- a humanoid robot- is also Ooredoo’s Imaginarium to display innovations transforming our industry, our on display. society and our world –creating “As a nation, we are investing in a new future,” said Dr Hamadoun a world-class network infrastruc- DOHA: Ooredoo will showcase generation education, health and Waleed Al Sayed (pictured), I Touré, Secretary-General, ITU ture to support the projects cur- a range of innovations at ITU workplace solutions, to mega-city Chief Operating Officer, Ooredoo yesterday in press conference. rently under development. Qatar Telecom World 2014 conference and municipality services man- Qatar. “We have laid the founda- Organised by ITU, the United is incorporating mobile into every in its special ‘Imaginarium’ dis- agement, intelligent transport tion for this growth by creating Nations specialised agency for aspect of national development, play. ‘Imaginarium’ will display and smart stadiums. Qatar’s bigger, faster network – information communication and becoming a truly smart nation,” new-wave technologies that In all, it will be the most com- now we will offer people a first technologies, the event is hosted by said Waleed Al Sayed. “But beyond will change life in Qatar for the plete display of next-generation glimpse of the incredible innova- the Government of Qatar, with the that, we are also reaching out, and better. technology ever staged in Qatar tions that will come soon to Qatar support of Ooredoo. “This edition of working with countries around The stand will have special pods or the region, demonstrating and around the world,” he said. ITU Telecom World is focused on the the world and leaders in innova- to showcase new smart technol- Ooredoo’s leadership role in Technology and innovation will future, exploring the trends, develop- tion to ensure that the benefits ogy from different international driving the latest and the best be key themes at this year’s ITU ments and innovations that shape our of new ideas are shared, not just companies that will have a major technology for businesses and Telecom World Conference. industry, our society and our world,” with the people of Qatar, but with impact on people’s lives through- consumers. “The advent of technologies Secretary-General Hamadoun said Touré. Apart from government customers everywhere. We are out Qatar and the world. “Ooredoo’s imaginarium will such as 3D Printing, robots and Touré. “I am delighted that our representatives and a new generation providing a bridge between East On display will be a range of showcase some of the most Unarmed, Unmanned Aerial upcoming event in Doha will pro- of entrepreneurs and app-developers, and West, between developed and distinct areas, with everything advanced smart technology in the Vehicles – or UUAVs – have vide the ideal platform to show- many of the world’s largest technol- developing world, and ensuring from smart infrastructure (5G world, as we host global innova- significantly enhanced the pos- case these technologies to a global ogy companies are taking part in the that the benefits of new ideas are and Next Gen Fibre), smart tions and technology that will help sibilities for transforming lives, audience and help us realise their four-day conference. felt instantly,” he said. entertainment, ‘Internet of build Qatar’s smart cities, smart especially in the remotest cor- full potential,” he said. “At ITU Telecom World, we will THE PENINSULA Everything’, connected cars, next buildings and smart stadia,” said ners of the world,” said ITU THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Qatar improves in corruption index DOHA: Qatar is the second least corrupt country in the Middle East and Learners’ Voice participants selected North Africa (Mena) region according to Transparency International’s recent report. It ranked 26th in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 which was recently released by Transparency International. Qatar scored 34 youngsters to take part in WISE Learners’ Voice Programme 69 points in 2014 index, improving its performance compared to previous year when it scored 68 points. The Index surveyed 175 countries across the globe. The UAE, which ranked 25th, is the least corrupt country in the Middle East and North Africa. Bahrain and shared 55th place while Oman was ranked 64th. Denmark topped the list as the least corrupt country scoring 92, followed by New Zealand (91) and Finland (89). Somalia and North Korea were ranked lowest in the index. THE PENINSULA

Students and mentors from the 2013-2014 Learners’ Voice Programme at WISE.

DOHA: The sixth World Innovation relevant soft skills, tools, and know-how to proved popular among all the participants. Summit for Education (WISE) once address global education issues. In addition, “The Learners’ Voice Programme has again reinforced the dedication by Qatar it provides students with opportunities to been a life-changing experience,” said Khalid Foundation to encourage innovation in explore barriers to education, and create Al Saegh, a Qatari student at Texas A&M education, particularly among young innovative, yet realistic and achievable, University at Qatar. His locally-targeted people. The annual event, which recently solutions. project, ‘iSTEAM,’ aims to bring 3D print- concluded, tackled a number of educa- This year, 34 young men and women ers to the classroom. tion issues on a global level. Through a were chosen from hundreds of promising Pakistani born Ahwaz Akhtar is a stu- series of unique programmes that address applicants to take part in the 2014-2015 dent at Georgetown University’s School key areas in education, WISE has grown Learners’ Voice Programme. of Foreign Service in Qatar. His group’s in stature to help prepare students to “Throughout the year, the programme project, ‘Orenda,’ is designed to help people become leaders within their communities. hosted multiple interactive sessions and who have been displaced from their homes An initiative of Qatar Foundation workshops on leadership, entrepreneur- due to natural disasters or war, specifically under the leadership of its Chairperson ship, and creativity,” said Qatari partici- Afghans in Islamabad. H H Sheikha Moza bin Nasser, WISE has pant Sarah M Kamal Al Emadi, a graduate Now in its fifth year, the Learners’ Voice demonstrated over the past few years how it of Qatar University. “The programme community comprises of over 100 Learners. has played a pivotal role in bringing together helped us tackle our own personal issues, The students are from diverse backgrounds global thought leaders and educational prac- which enabled us to move forward with our and disciplines, from around the world. titioners with one aim of creating a better concepts.” This year, the summit also served as the education environment for all. Sarah’s project, ‘Duende,’ uses art to official launch of the WISE Accelerator, a In recent years, WISE has established reintegrate children born during the conflict tailor-made mentorship programme to sup- itself as a global reference in new approaches of war in Uganda, into society. port high potential, scalable projects that to education through a series of on-going An integral part of the year-long Learners’ address education challenges through inno- initiatives, including the Learners’ Voice Voice Program is bringing together people vative technology. Programme. Launched in 2010, it is designed from different backgrounds and cultures to THE PENINSULA to equip young people aged 18 to 25 with the tackle a universal issue, an element which SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 QRC attends ICIC’s peace-building meet Proposal for pan-Islamic project for reconciliation

DOHA: The third meeting international peace, especially and enhancing the early-warning of the Islamic Committee of amid the recent changes and the system to predict imminent social the International Crescent many interests involved, which crises. (ICIC) Peace-Building Strategy led several countries to adopt It was proposed to cooperate Working Group in Baghdad, armed strife, such as Iraq, Libya, with an OIC centre such as peace attended by the Qatar Red Syria, Palestine, etc, even though think tanks, to make studies and Crescent, discussed social crises there are international initiatives develop a database about the con- and conflicts in the Arab region to resolve crises and encourage flict zones in the world, as well and sought solutions. peace. as to conduct intensive research The working group was formed However, most of these ini- about how to disseminate the as a result of the ICIC’s talks in tiatives had little if any impact, values of peace from an Islamic Cyprus, March 2012. The meet- which requires a peace-building perspective. ing was hosted by the Iraqi Red strategy and mechanism that The participants included Dr. Crescent Society (IRCS). engages all active Islamic players, Habib Makhtum, ICIC member The meeting presented a draft noted the meeting. and head of the working group, peace-building strategy, which The meeting proposed an inte- Dr. Yaseen Ahmed Abbas, IRCS is a top priority of the ICIC, to grated pan-Islamic project for President, Dr Fawzi Oussedik, deal with social causes of crises reconciliation and peaceful coex- Head of QRC International and tensions early before they istence among nations, estab- Relations and International turn into conflicts that result lishment of Islamic-oriented Humanitarian Law and rappor- in casualties, losses in property, organisations that promote teur of the working group, and The visiting team attending one of the presentations at Qatar University. instability, and large-scale forced international peace and security, Dr. Fayez Omar Hamad Mani, displacement/migration. in-depth research on Islamic President of the Center for Peace The working group discussed heritage and Koranic texts to and Development Studies in the Qatar University hosts members some crises that were detrimen- extract Islamic anti-violence University of Bahri, Sudan. tal to the principle of promoting and human solidarity concepts, THE PENINSULA of Arab-German Academy

DOHA: A group of forty mem- were made by representatives of already started developing and Language Centre courses open for registration bers of the Arab-German various QU colleges and research implementing interdisciplinary Young Academy of Sciences centers. projects and collaborative initia- and Humanities (AGYA) visited In his remarks, Dr Al Derham tives,” he said. DOHA: The Language Center at Hamad bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) Translation and Qatar University (QU) recently said that QU’s vision aligns with Dr Al Derham added that while Interpreting Institute (TII) has started accepting applications for its upcoming language courses. to explore opportunities for AGYA’s aims of advancing aca- placing emphasis on teaching and Those interested in learning or mastering a foreign language can enroll in a wide range of courses research collaboration with demic exchange of outstanding research, QU takes special inter- in one of five languages Arabic, English, French, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. institutions and researchers in young researchers and support- est in creating an enabling envi- Registration for the next term, which runs from January 18 through April 15. Those interested the country. ing joint innovative projects in ronment and tools that engender in pursuing a language course during the summer term, which spans from May 3 to 27, can register The researchers from academic various fields of research across research excellence by providing between April 18 and 30. Courses are delivered in TII’s facilities in Education City. institutions in Germany, Syria, different disciplines. full support to its research com- In today’s competitive market, language skills are becoming increasingly critical for professional UAE, Bahrain, Palestine, Jordan “Our focus at Qatar University munity, especially with enormous advancement in any sector. TII’s Language Center offers courses at levels suitable for beginners, and Scotland were hosted by QU is on empowering young people funding opportunities. intermediate students and advanced students, in order to provide for an optimal learning experience. Vice-President for Research Dr with knowledge so that they are AGYA advances the academic The English program is particularly extensive, with courses on offer including an IELTS Preparation Hassan Al Derham. Included in able to face challenges within exchange of young outstanding Course, a TOEFL Preparation Course, two Business English courses – namely, Business Essentials the group were AGYA President the society and proffer positive researchers from Germany and and Business Skills – and an Academic English course. Reflecting on the development and growth Dr Verena Lepper, and AGYA change-making solutions. The the Arab world, and supports joint of the Language Center, Mounir Ouanaimi – who presently serves as its Director – stated: “TII’s Deputy VP Dr Maha Al Hendawi future and wellbeing of human- innovative projects in various Language Center is now a known player in the domain of foreign language education in Qatar. Every who is Director of QU Core ity is in their hands and they must fields of research, and education semester, we are more in tune with the needs and requirements of our audiences and we are always Curriculum and Foundation be properly equipped. across different disciplines in sci- a step ahead in properly satisfying them.” THE PENINSULA Program. “Therefore, it is good to see ences, humanities, social sciences, During the meeting, presenta- that the first set of 24 members technical sciences and arts. tions on QU’s research activities who joined the AGYA in 2013 have THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Rota honours supporters on 18 new HIV cases in Qatar International Volunteer Day Supreme Council of Health marks World Aids Day with seminar DOHA: Reach Out To Asia human resource is an invest- (ROTA), member of Qatar ment in the future, adding that Foundation for Education, Roata, under the leadership of Science and Community H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Development (QF) held a cele- Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of bration in honour of volunteers, Rota, assumed the responsibility contributors and sponsors of shaping a brighter future for for its internal and external the youth of today and leaders of activities on the occasion of the the future. International Volunteer Day She explained that Rota focuses (IVD). its efforts on the global citizen, IVD was established by the through reaching out to Asia and United Nations (UN) General through the foundation’s volun- Assembly through Resolution teers who are the backbone of 40/212 on December 17, 1985. Rota, noting that the volunteer Since then, governments, the UN becomes a global citizen who does system and civil society organi- not focus only on the circumfer- zations have successfully joined ence in which he is living but also volunteers around the world to to the global circumference. She celebrate the Day on December 5 said: “Thus we contribute to the every year. creation of a generation of lead- On this occasion, Rota Board ers aware of the requirements and Member Dr Sheikha Aisha needs of the world around them, bint Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani a generation capable of making said resources of any nation is the decision that contributes the human resource and this to change communities for the is an established principle of better.” Rota because investment in the QNA Blood donation Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health at the Supreme Council of Health, and Dr Hamad Al Rumaihi, Head of SCH Diseases drive Prevalence Control (inset), and the audience listening to a speaker during a seminar on World Day AIDS yesterday. (KAMMUTTY VP) DOHA: Naseem Al Rabeeh medi- DOHA: Although the seminar held to mark the World here and students who intend to expatriate diagnosed with HIV cal centre C Ring prevalence of Human AIDS day under the theme study abroad are tested for HIV. infection is given specialised Raod branch, in Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) ‘Treatment for life: Prevention Also some 16,000 to 18,000 blood treatment at the Hamad Medical association with is low in Qatar, at least 18 new for life.’ donors are tested for HIV infec- Corporation (HMC), except for Hamad Blood cases have been diagnosed in However, since 2004, last year tion. “Every year there are more people working in some sectors, donor Centre will 2013, according to the Supreme has recorded the highest number than 500,000 HIV tests being done Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al organise a blood Council of Health (SCH). of HIV cases recorded in Qatar. for a population around two mil- Thani, Director of Public Health donation drive on The number of cases diagnosed Number of such cases has varied lion and only a very small number at the SCH told this newspaper January 2 between with HIV includes 10 Qataris and between five and 15 in the last of positive cases are found,” said on the sidelines of the seminar. 8am and 2pm. eight non-Qataris. Among them decade. Some five persons were Dr Al Rumaihi. “Anyone living here diagnosed Those who are only one person is at the age of diagnosed with HIV in 2009, it “There is a very high number with HIV infection is given the interested partici- 15 years and others are above 16 was seven in 2011 and 2010. In of migrant workers in Qatar and most advanced treatment avail- pate can contact years old, said Dr Hamad Eid Al 2008, six new HIV cases were most of them are single males, able with the best drugs. We the registration Rumaihi, director of health pro- found, while in 2007 and 2006 it who might be vulnerable to be treat them equally, either a Qatari counter or follow- tection and combating infectious was nine. In 2005 at least 14 new infected. However repeated HIV or an expatriate and respect the ing telephone num- disease department at SCH HIV cases were found and 2004 tests are not done on migrant patient’s confidentiality,” he said. bers 66224081, yesterday. had 11 such incidents. workers,” he added. “Some people who have possi- 30240955, Number of HIV positive people In Qatar, foreigners seeking If someone found with HIV pos- bility of spreading the infection 77906578. identified in 2013 shows a slight employment or a residence per- itive during the pre-employment like working at saloons will be THE PENINSULA increase from 15 with 10 non- mit, all pregnant women, drug or pre–residence screening will sent back to their home coun- Qatrais and five Qataris in users when they come for con- be refused to stay in the country. tries,” said Dr Al Thani. 2012, he said addressing a sultation, anyone getting married However, any Qatari or THE PENINSULA

Vodafone slashes call rates to Egypt, Bangladesh

DOHA: Vodafone Qatar yesterday other destinations, giving prepaid cus- Vodafone Prepaid customers can now call announced its super offers on interna- tomers the best rates across several Egypt at only Dhs29 per minute, until January tional calling to Egypt, Bangladesh and countries. 4, 2015, by dialling *200*220# for QR2 per- week. This is the lowest international calling rate to Egypt in Qatar, said the company in a press release. Vodafone Prepaid custom- ers can now call Bangladesh or SMS at only Dhs15 per week, until 26 December 2014, by dialling *200*288# for QR2 per week. Additionally, Vodafone has also introduced the most affordable interna- tional calling card giving 21 international calling min- utes to 15 countries for only QR10, valid for seven days. These 15 countries include: Nepal, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, India and Bangladesh. THE PENINSULA

Qatar, S Africa discuss justice meet preparations

PRETORIA: Adviser to Minister of Interior Major General Dr Abdullah Yusuf Al Maal, who is also Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice has dis- cussed the preparations for the Conference to be held in Doha in April next year with a number of South African officials. The discussions dealt with Qatar logistical prep- arations to host confer- ence. The two side agreed on joint cooperation and coordination between the delegations of the two countries. QNA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 National Day journalism Eritrean president arrives contest for students Celebrations to begin tomorrow at Darb Al Sai

DOHA: Students from differ- at Darb Al Saai to reveal their Department said that they were ent schools are being selected to celebration programmes at the having up to ten officials at the participate in the newly intro- site. Darb Al Saai will officially be site and will also conduct aware- duced journalism competition open to the public tomorrow and ness programmes about their as part of the national day cel- its activities will continue until activities in the country. The ebrations at Darb Al Saai. December 20. Civil Defence officials will also be The journalism competition Dr Khaled Abdul Noor from responsible for ensuring safety is among the new categories Hamad Medical Corporation from fires and related accidents introduced this year to promote (HMC) said that HMC would at Darb Al Saai. students’ talents and encourage be offering health education and Riyadh Ahmed from the Traffic them to choose media as a career, awareness activities. It will also Department said the department said Yousuf Al Malki, one of the showcase several specialized gar- will deploy officials and patrols to organisers. ments worn by medical practi- ensure safe traffic flow at the site Students will be divided into tioners like doctors. throughout the celebration. different teams to work on a Maryam Al Hamadi from the The ministry of environment national day story with pictures. Primary Healthcare Corporation will conduct drawing and painting President of Eritrea Isaias Afeworki arrived in Doha yesterday. The Eritrean President and his delegation were Each team will have three mem- (PHCC) said that a family health competitions for children on dif- welcomed at Hamad International Airport by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin bers who will work together workshop will be held at the site ferent environment themes. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and the Eritrean Ambassador Ali Ibrahim Ahmed. on their project. The winning for Qatari families. PHCC experts Other popular activities include entries will have to be published will also offer several awareness Al Shaqab, where horse stables in English and Arabic newspapers programs including a program on and camels are showcased and in Qatar, he explained. losing weight besides free diabetes visitors are taught how to ride Finland president At the end of the celebrations, tests to visitors. horses. Trained specialists will Doctors deny allegations the best story and picture will Ali Mohammed Al Kuwari that conduct horse riding trainings earn the winning team a prize. the site will feature tents that and also provide tips on how to greeted on I-Day Authorities have not yet disclosed resemble ancient Bedouin life, with care horses. A shooting sport will the prize. its generosity, sheep, camels and also be available in which visitors of unnecessary tests DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Al Malki made the announce- falcons. The attractions will include are taught the basics of shooting. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ment during a meeting yesterday Bedouin graphics, Qatari dishes, A popular Arabic football contest Continued from page 1 at private clinics or hospitals sent a cable of greetings to that brought together representa- and exhibition of handcrafts. — Al Timba — held on a sandy A Lebanese expatriate working require prior permission from the the President of Finland Sauli tives from different departments Major Abdul Hadi Al play ground will also be held. with an educational institution of insurance provider. For example, Niinisto on the occasion of his and organisations participating Marri from the Civil Defence THE PENINSULA repute said, “I was prescribed a an ultrasound scan or MRI may country’s Independence Day. blood test and urine analysis for need approval, but most ordinary The Deputy Emir H H Sheikh fever. I had the feeling that the tests can be done without that. Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani fever was due to weather change, Also an approval is required and the Prime Minister and but I didn’t want to refuse the test while prescribing medicines for Interior Minister H E Sheikh since it was prescribed by a doctor chronic conditions for a long Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa and there could be a reason.” duration. Al Thani sent similar cables to An Indian professional said “A team of doctors at the insur- the President of Finland. that he was fed up with his doctor ance company will analyse the asking for too many tests. patient’s report and decide on Deputy Emir opens “I consulted the doctor for approving the insurance claim. dizziness, lethargy and some About 80 percent of the claims Arab Research pain in the back. I have had get approved. Misuse of health four visits by now. During every insurance is a practice worldwide, Centres meet visit the doctor prescribes a but it’s less prevalent in Qatar,” DOHA: The Deputy Emir H new test. One test was for the said an official of a private health H Abdullah bin Hamad Al kidneys, another for thyroid. insurance company. Thani inaugurated the third Surprisingly, the clinic staff lost A senior official of the Supreme Conference of Arab Research one of my reports and I had to Council of Health (SCH) also said Centres held under the title From left: Dr Asma Al Attiya, Dr Ashraf Osman, Baqar Al Najjar, Ali Fakhro and Dr Fatima Al Saigh during a panel give blood again for the same that complaints about unneces- “The GCC Countries: Politics discussion at the forum in Doha yesterday. investigation. Despite all this, sary medical tests are a global and Economics in Light of the doctor has not diagnosed phenomenon. Regional and International any illness until now and all “It may be happening in Qatar Shifts and Changes” yester- Officials discuss threat to GCC identity reports are normal,” he said. as well but it is very difficult to day. The Prime Minister and Two doctors The Peninsula prove such allegations. However, Minister of Interior and a spoke to denied such allegations. we will investigate if we get a gen- number of their excellencies Continued from page 1 “After they graduate they Dr Fatima Al Saigh, from the They maintained that laboratory, uine complaint about a particular members of the Cabinet also Talking of the threat to GCC must be tested for their profi- UAE, said that in her country ultra sound and radiology tests doctor or facility,” he said. attended the ceremony. language and identity, the former ciency in Arabic language and locals presently constituted only are done to have a clear idea He added that misuse of health Bahraini minister said that GCC degrees should be awarded to 15 percent, so in 50 years their about the patients’ condition. insurance would stop with the Foreign Ministry youths graduating from universi- them only if they pass that test,” ratio would become zero. “We go through the medical implementation of the national ties are less proficient in Arabic. said Fakhro. THE PENINSULA history of a patient before pre- health insurance scheme, Seha. mail system opens scribing any test. These investi- The patient coding system DOHA: Assistant Foreign gations are done to get a correct adopted by Seha has a fool-proof Minister for Services Affairs view of the patient’s condition mechanism to assess the cost of and Follow-up H E Rashid bin before prescribing any medicine,” every treatment. Khalifa Al Khalifa inaugurated said a physician. He said he didn’t Seha currently covers all management and financial-mail Four films selected for DFI’s Qumra want his name in print because Qataris and is expected to be system as part the Ministry’s people would think that he was expanded to the expatriates by efforts to move from traditional trying to justify his clinic. the end of next year. management to e-governance. DOHA: Abderrahmane Sissako second-time filmmakers, DFI said bespoke matchmaking sessions Some medical tests conducted THE PENINSULA QNA (Timbuktu), Leila Hatami (A yesterday in press release. and tailored workshops with Separation), Cristian Mungiu (4 Directors and Producers industry experts. This creative Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) and attached to up to twenty-five exchange will take place alongside Plan for huge Danis Tanovic (No Man’s Land) projects in development or post- a programme of public screen- have confirmed to participate production will be invited to par- ings curated with input from the poultry project as Masters in the Doha Film ticipate in the event. They will Qumra Masters. Institute’s (DFI) newly announced include a number of emerging The event is organised in DOHA: In a unique plans for Qumra, set to take place filmmakers from Qatar, as well three main sections: The Qumra move, the government in Doha from March 6 to 11. as recipients of funding from the Master Classes are daily sessions, has mooted the idea of a The primary motive of the Institute’s Grants Programme. each led by one of the Masters. massive poultry project international gathering of crea- The robust programme will fea- The participating filmmakers and wants the private tive film professionals is to con- ture industry meetings designed have full access to these sessions, sector to chip in with tribute to the development of to assist with propelling projects and will also be open to accredited investment and propos- emerging filmmakers both from to their next stages of develop- industry guests to attend in an als on how to launch the Qatar and around the world, ment, including master classes, observational capacity. venture. with a special focus on first and work-in-progress screenings, THE PENINSULA A technical commit- tee at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce responsible for bolstering ICC Talent Festival private sector’s role in the economy has developed the above idea. The proposed project envisages having massive hatcheries and produc- ing 40,000 tons of chicken meat and 7,500 tons of eggs, aside from produc- ing chickenfeed, annually. The proposal is to have the project occupy some 5.7 square km of area. An investor-contact program was launched by the committee yesterday as part of which written suggestions will be sought from people about the project, their idea about production capacity and produce, among other things. And finally people being contacted for opin- ion would have to cite in writing if they would be Students performing at the 17th Annual ICC Talent (dance) Festival at Indian Cultural Centre in Doha yesterday. investing in the proposed (KAMMUTTY VP) project. THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KHALID AL SAYED [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

EDITORIAL TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR E-MAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 E-MAIL: [email protected] SUBSCRIPTION RATES: ANNUAL QR 675 6 MONTHS QR 340 Editorial

Typhoon threat Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

HILIPPINES IS bracing for another typhoon called Hagupit. One can accuse nature of inequity in its distribution of fury because this typhoon-prone Pcountry is still bearing the scars of a supertyphoon Obama must demand an accurate that devastated huge swathes of land thirteen months ago. Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall, had left more than 7,000 dead or missing and more than four count of people killed by police million homeless or with damaged houses. About 25,000 people in Eastern Samar and Leyte still live in tents, shelters and BY JOSH VOORHEES bunkhouses. enforcement agencies self-report their homicides from that year, so Payton’s Even as the country is struggling to recover from the officer-involved shootings to the FBI. death remains uncounted by the federal his week, President Barack That must change if Obama is serious government. ravages of Haiyan, Typhoon Hagupit roared into eastern Obama vowed to use his about addressing the tension between New York does not report justifiable Philippines yesterday, causing floods and bringing strong final two years in office to the nation’s predominantly white law homicide data to the FBI. The state winds that felled trees, ripped off roofs and toppled power address the “simmering enforcement agencies and the minority revamped its reporting system in 2002 lines. A huge toll was averted because the government acted distrust that exists between communities they police. As the last and again in 2006, but it still doesn’t Ttoo many police departments and too several months have illustrated, the track police killings, according to the with vision to contain the damage. About one million people many communities of color.” The first most high-profile source of that tension Journal. The best a spokeswoman for were evacuated by the time Hagupit made landfall, in what tangible step toward that goal: the is the use of lethal force. The death of the New York State Division of Criminal a United Nations agency said was one of the world’s biggest president’s request for $263m to buy Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Justice Services could offer was that peacetime evacuations. 50,000 body-worn cameras for police has garnered the most national atten- the agency was “looking to modify our Filipinos have learnt to live with typhoons; dozens of departments around the country, and tion, but it was hardly an isolated event. technology so we can reflect these num- typhoons crash into their land every year, uprooting hundreds, to pay for expanded officer training. Young black males are 21 times more bers.” In the meantime, the death of and even thousands of lives, and property. People have become Those proposals are promising, but the likely to be shot and killed by police Eric Garner, killed this summer after president is missing a more obvious first than their white counterparts, accord- being put in a banned chokehold, will inured to this natural phenomenon, which has become part step. He should immediately call for all ing to a ProPublica analysis of the lim- not be counted by the FBI. of their lives, suffering the damage with equanimity and law enforcement agencies to keep an ited data that are available. With government agencies unable or patience. It’s this experience which makes evacuations easy. accurate count of how many people the Without a formal and comprehen- unwilling to do this important work, “We received reports about a million police kill each year. sive reporting system, the president, news organizations and not-for-profits Constantly people evacuating already. There is As has been well-documented, the lawmakers and everyone else have no have attempted to fill the gap. Brian increased awareness to make early federal govern- way of knowing the true scope of the Burghart, the editor of the Reno (Nev.) battered by ment keeps no such problem. Even if the government is will- News & Review, has spent the past two action and definitive tally. The ing to believe that police officers are years tracking police-related deaths at typhoons, cooperate and do pre-emptive closest thing to an almost always justified when they kill his website, Fatal Encounters. Deadspin Philippines evacuation,” Gwendolyn Pang, official estimate suspects in the line of duty, Washington launched its own crowdsourced effort secretary general of the Philippine If Obama can be found in still owes the nation a full accounting this summer, creating a database of needs to Red Cross, said in a television the FBI’s annual of those killings that it has implicitly police-involved shootings between 2011 Supplementary sanctioned. How will Congress evalu- and 2013. Perhaps the most comprehen- interview. wants to devise a long- Homicide Report, ate whether policies aimed at curbing sive effort is the Gun Violence Archive, term strategy For the government in Manila, it’s help mend which suggests the police shootings are successful if it has which launched last year with the goal almost a daily struggle. The typhoons number is some- no way of tracking the success or failure of counting every gun-related incident to minimise cause damage worth millions of the frayed where around 400 of those policies? in the country, including an individual damage. dollars, wiping out part of the hard- per year. But that This isn’t a matter of a handful of tally of police-involved shootings. As of earned gains in the local economy. relationship data set is severely homicides gone missing, either. The Friday, the project had counted a stag- flawed, and the Wall Street Journal analyzed the most gering 2,886 officer-involved shootings International aid is always there, but between the government knows recent data from 105 of the nation’s this year alone. That figure includes all is not enough considering the enormity of the destruction. For it. For starters, the largest police agencies and discovered shootings, not just deaths, but it’s still example, in the current case, the US has offered to send nine police and report counts only that between 2007 and 2012 there were striking that it dwarfs the 420 justi- C-130 transport aircraft, three P-3C Orion, and medical and the public, he “justified homi- roughly 500 police killings that were fied homicides the FBI counted each relief workers. Other foreign governments also sent word they cides.” There isn’t nowhere to be found in the bureau’s year on average between 2009 and 2013. were ready to help the disaster-prone Southeast Asian nation. even a category for national tally. The FBI’s tally suggests The more you look at these grass-roots needs to make those police killings that there had been 1,242 justified efforts to track down the real numbers, But the huge loss of livelihood and property is something that are deemed to homicides in those same departments’ the more absurd the “official figures” Filipinos are left to address themselves. it an honest be unjustified (on jurisdictions over that period. In real- seem. While the Philippine government is trying its best to help conversation. the rare occasions ity, the paper found, the number was If Obama wants to help mend the its people, it needs to devise a long-term strategy to deal with that they are classi- closer to 1,800. frayed relationship between the police typhoons. This should include a comprehensive assessment of fied as such). More The WSJ investigation leads with an and the public, he needs to make it an frustrating is the example of one such killing that, based honest conversation. That can’t happen its disaster preparedness and a scientific study into the future fact that the report is nowhere close solely on the federal records, never hap- unless the government starts counting typhoons. Areas most prone to typhoons must be identified to a full tally. The FBI relies on statis- pened. In 2012, Albert Jermaine Payton, each and every life that law enforce- and inhabitants in the area must be relocated to safer places tics from state and local police depart- 24, was shot and killed in Washington ment takes. Ignoring the problem won’t permanently. The help of the UN and the international ments. Those same agencies, though, after he allegedly wielded a knife in make it go away. The deaths of Michael community must be enlisted in these efforts. Philippines is a are under no obligation to submit the front of police. District of Columbia Brown and Eric Garner are only the country with huge economic potential, but one of the factors data, and most don’t. In a typical year, police didn’t provide the bureau latest proof of that. only about 750 of the nation’s 17,000 law with any information on its justified WP-BLOOMBERG holding it back is the natural disasters• The other side Quote of Will the gamble pay off? the day

ricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar betting in the Indian . for legalising betting in Indian cricket. rummy is concerned. This card game is has set the cat among the Among these stand indicted ICC Gavaskar feels that since betting is awaiting the courts’ ratification of it as a pigeons now by demanding Chairman N Srinivasan’s son-in-law currently illegal, black money is find- game of skill and not merely of chance. Canswers from N Srinivasan Gurunath Meiyappan as well as the ing its way into the betting circles and The legal aspect is complicated further … by any definition, on why he remained silent despite COO of the IPL, Sundar Raman. ICC that legalising it will ensure the Indian by the fact that the states have the juris- his knowledge about match-fixing by Chairman N Srinivasan himself is said government at least gets revenues. diction to make laws on this issue, so the country of players, as the Mudgal Report alleges. He to be in the know about betting and Legalising gambling in various forms legislation differs from state to state. has also acknowledged the elephant in match-fixing by some players but his has been a demand for decades from Consider what could happen if Afghanistan, the room — making a case for legalising silence has been deafening. the gaming community. Indians throng Gavaskar’s plea is implemented. This betting in Indian cricket. Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar the online gaming sites and are the big- could open up a whole new field of the people of It’s the elephant in the room but no has set the cat among the pigeons gest customers for the gaming and lot- revenue for the Indian government, as Afghanistan are one wants to acknowledge it, it seems. now by demanding answers from N tery sectors outside India. At the core Gavaskar envisions. Bookies, who are As Indian cricket goes through probably Srinivasan on why he remained silent of the debate is chance versus skill. currently operating under wraps, could far better off today its lowest ever ebb, the dirty laundry is despite his knowledge about match- Indian courts have upheld that games be made to come under the govern- now being aired. The Indian Supreme fixing by players, as the Mudgal Report of skill, like many card games, cannot be ment’s lens and monitored closely within than they were 13 Court has revealed a few names in the alleges. He has also acknowledged the construed as gambling. The legal battle stringent rules to ensure that match-fixing years ago. Chuck Hagel Mudgal Report on match-fixing and elephant in the room — making a case continues though, as far as the game of does not take place. KHALEEJ TIMES US Defence Secretary SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 How Washington became irrelevant

Development Block Grant, per- Local leaders who need help no haps the federal government’s most iconic and flexible urban longer have any business travelling programme, was originally funded at some $2.5bn per year to Washington. The US capital has in 1974 ($11bn in 2014 dollars). Despite urban population gains become the site of photo ops, pep in the tens of millions over the past 40 years, funding now sits around only $3bn. talks, news conferences and little else. Second, the piecemeal way Washington allocates discretion- BY BRUCE KATZ funding and few mechanisms that ary spending severely limits its tie the capital to the rest of the ability to stimulate large-scale ow that the mid- country. change. It’s a legacy arrangement terms are behind us, How has this happened? — money is distributed through let’s have an honest First, the federal government a set of outdated agencies, many Nassessment of what’s just doesn’t have as much discre- formed in the 1950s and 1960s, really happening in the US capi- tionary money to spend as it used carrying out programmes estab- tal: The federal government’s to. Demographics and the con- lished in the 1970s and 1980s, power is diminishing. Washington figuration of social programmes through means more appropriate is becoming less effective at have consigned it to spending for a pre-Internet age. The funds addressing many of the nation’s nearly half its yearly revenue on are narrowly targeted at discrete problems and less consequen- Social Security, Medicare and programmes run by separate tial in bolstering the cities and Medicaid, a percentage that will agencies under inflexible rules. regions that drive the economy. continue to rise as the popula- Today’s economy demands the Given the excessive partisan- tion continues to age. These pro- opposite. In the metropolitan ship on display, it’s tempting to grammes are absolutely crucial, areas that produce 91 percent blame Washington’s stumbling but their growth puts the squeeze of GDP, economic and political A woman checks her smartphone as she walks past the US Capitol in Washington. solely on ideological polarisa- on everything else. Discounting conditions vary enormously, and tion. But that’s not the case. The the defence component, discre- integration and collaboration has the discretion to help metro in their home districts and forced partner to cities and metro areas. source of the federal govern- tionary spending represents only across public agencies is nec- areas finance important projects them to (occasionally) set aside Put simply, local leaders who ment’s feebleness is structural, 17 percent of the national budget. essary for success. Cities need and carry out complicated tasks. their ideological convictions for need help no longer have any busi- and until its run-down founda- The fiscal 2015 budget allocation the flexibility to devise their Congressional earmarks used the sake of a deal. Without the ness travelling to Washington. tions are addressed, Washington’s for non-defence discretionary own approaches to problems — to serve as the vehicle that tied ability to procure federal funding The US capital has become the influence around the country will spending is set at an all-time low, because what works in Phoenix, national representatives to the for local efforts, representatives site of photo ops, pep talks, news continue to wane. as a percentage of gross domes- for example, will not be the same goings-on back home, but they have very little discretion over conferences and little else. As In the past, Washington has tic product, and will continue to as what works in Pittsburgh. To were done away with in 2011. This what happens in their districts Washington fades into the back- been in the business of investing decline over time. be a meaningful platform-setter has had terrible consequences — and are virtually irrelevant in ground, the rest of the nation is at scale in the assets that drive The effects of this scal- for the nation, the federal gov- it has untethered senators and the real decision-making proc- engaging in a great experiment the economy, including education, ing back are already being felt. ernment needs to allow cities and House members from the places esses that local, metro and state — can a country successfully infrastructure and research and Federal research and develop- metropolitan areas to consolidate they were elected to represent. leaders are involved with every invest in its future without the development. No longer. Instead, ment spending, for example, funding streams and use them to The system wasn’t perfect, but day. In the executive branch, national government being a rel- we now have a shrunken pool has declined from 4.9 percent of address problems in ways they earmarks did require members likewise, restrictive statutes have evant player? America’s cities are of resources for investments, a the federal budget in 2004 to 3.4 see fit. of Congress to know about and left agencies with little flexibility already finding out. piecemeal approach to delivering percent in 2014. The Community Third, Washington no longer advocate for projects under way to be a helpful, problem-solving WP-BLOOMBERG Why police and public have One place where petrol prices are rising: Islamic State such different views BY ZAID SABAH, JACK anonymity because of concerns a high of about 70,000 barrels a FAIRWEATHER and about their security in a city day in August. BY MARIA HABERFELD tense, dangerous, and rapidly evolv- Attorney General was mandated by CAROLINE ALEXANDER where extremists mete out “Islamic State was mak- ing situations. Police encounters the Violent Crime Control and Law anything from public lashings ing significant amounts for its hen the Eric Garner with citizens involve a dynamic Enforcement Act of 1994 to collect hen Islamic State to beheadings for not obeying budget size with its crude, and video went viral, the interplay between both parties. data on the use of force by police, seized Mosul in June, their strict Islamic code. was creating a whole constel- Wpublic responded with Situations evolve based upon both criminal justice professionals still Wthe militant group The people said the high lation of criminals and smug- two, unambivalent conclusions. The of their decisions to act, as well as do not have accurate counts of inju- boasted it provided the cheap- prices had made cars unafford- glers benefiting from the trade,” first was that the police officer used on other situational factors. ries and deaths related to the use of est fuel in the region as it tried able so they rely on using mini- she said. “Those days of them excessive force, and the second that Critics say that the above may force. This is because of both poor to win over Iraqis to its cause. buses to spread the cost. That selling at $60 a barrel are long excessive force is used too frequently. apply well to various dangerous record-keeping and under-reporting. Since then, the worldwide situation is echoed in Tikrit, gone. It has fallen back to about Police forces and the grand juries, situations, but what about the cir- Police departments are reluctant price of oil has fallen more where the price of gasoline and $20 a barrel.” however, do not see things that way. cumstances that appear to be non- to gather and provide to the public than 30 percent. Yet in Iraq’s kerosene has steadily risen, one Islamic State consumes about So how can we account for this threatening? The answer to this this information, the study showed. biggest northern city the cost local said. half the oil it controls, Hamza stark difference in views? question needs to take a number As a result, it is unknown how, or of a tank of gasoline has more Winter has already hit the Al Jawheri, an Iraqi econo- From a legal perspective, the of variables into consideration: the if, the police are trying to minimise than doubled. mountainous northern Iraqi mist and oil analyst, said from question of whether excessive force officer, departmental policies, char- their use of force. US air strikes against the regions, with snow falling on Baghdad. It’s used mainly to was used is a complicated one. The acteristics of the people they police All of the above accounts, in part, extremist group’s oil facilities parts of the Kurdish north. In power Humvee military vehi- public may say it is self-evident, but and other situational influences. for the growing gulf between how have severely reduced its abil- Mosul, where temperatures cles, tanks and trucks captured it is not the case for the courts. Within the context of the Garner these cases are viewed by the police ity to generate revenue. At the can plunge as low as minus in its conquest of Mosul. Legal standards for use of case, police officers moved swiftly and courts on the one side and the same time, eyewitnesses say the 15 degrees Celsius, residents More fuel-efficient motorcy- force are judged on a case by case through the first four steps and public on the other. militants are finding the cost unable to afford kerosene for cles are increasingly deployed to basis. Excessive force is deter- things went horribly wrong at the In the ideal world, when a confron- of governing their territory heating are collecting wood for make it harder for drone opera- mined, according to the United pain compliance stage but, one tation of any kind occurs between a and mounting a war on multi- open fires. tors and pilots to differentiate States Supreme Court in Graham thing needs to be emphasised here, police officer and a member of the ple fronts is rising, straining its A 200-litre barrel of Iraqi them from civilians, a Mosul v. Connor in 1989, by the objective training is explicit that the inten- public, the police would always use once-bulging coffers to finance kerosene used for heating resident said. reasonableness of the police officer’s tion must never be to harm. Officers other forms of persuasion than force military operations and pay costs about 300,000 dinars. Two Government forces took con- use of force. must use the minimal amount of to achieve compliance. recruits. weeks ago, one resident said she trol of the 310,000 barrel-a-day A reasonable officer’s actions, force possible in order to achieve Unfortunately, we do not live in “The situation has changed paid 280,000 for Iraqi kerosene. Baiji refinery last month after the ruling states, would take into compliance. The goal, according to an ideal world. tremendously for the group in Before the fall of Mosul, the fierce battles. Islamic State con- account the severity of the crime, police training, is to contain the sit- The notion of police officers being terms of the volumes of crude price of kerosene was 50,000 trolled the site for about a week whether the suspect was actively uation and to minimise resistance skilled enough and trained enough to it’s producing, but most signifi- dinars a barrel. in June, along with two other resisting and whether the suspect and safety threats. encounter each and every situation cantly, the volumes of refined Islamic State declared a self- refineries and seven oilfields. posed an immediate threat to the And what about protesters’ claim with the appropriate level of verbal products it has,” said Valerie styled caliphate in northeast- Among fields Islamic State officer or others. If the officer does that there is too much police vio- skills is unrealistic and harmful, Marcel, an oil analyst special- ern Syria and northwestern has lost are Ain Zala, Batma the above, and still chooses to use lence? Again, large swathes of the both to public’s expectations and the ising in Iraq at Chatham House Iraq after seizing Mosul, and and Zumar. They can’t access force, it will not be deemed excessive, public have expressed concern about officers who do their best to deliver in London. “That’s what under- has sought to entrench its rule Ajil and Himreen fields in even if it results in grave injury or this, but do police departments see what we ask them to do: solve prob- pins their war machine.” through a combination of bru- Salahuddin province because of death. The rules of escalation are things the same way? lems for us that we ourselves do not If the fight against Islamic tal repression and provision of nearby fighting, said Al Jawheri. built into police training as the Use- Part of the reason the two groups want to or cannot solve. State has reached impasse on social services, including offer- That leaves the group with only of-Force Continuum. don’t see eye to eye on this is due to Use of force is always going to be the ground as the group hangs ing reduced prices for gasoline. a few oilfields, such as Qayyara, In addition to this, the Supreme lack of evidence. contentious, but it needs to be better onto swathes of territory in Iraq In one issue of Dabiq, its which produces heavy crude Court ruled that courts must take Researchers on use of force by defined and documented, to make its and Syria, the dearth of fuel is magazine published online, the and maybe Qalak near Mosul, into account that officers are forced the police found that even though use as transparent as possible. evidence that there’s progress group lists the benefits, includ- which makes a lighter crude, he to make split-second decisions under the office of the United States REUTERS on the economic battlefront. ing “pumping millions of dol- said by telephone. Previous estimates by US lars into services,” security and Qayyara can produce about intelligence officials and energy stability, “ensuring the avail- 20,000 barrels a day of heavy analysts put Islamic State’s oil ability of food products and crude, though makeshift refin- revenue at more than $2m a commodities.” eries can’t be used to convert day. Now it would be more like Islamic State is almost that into a usable fuel product, $200,000 in Iraq if the group entirely self-financing with Marcel said. sold everything it pumped, or much of its past income The Syrian oil Islamic State about $400,000 if it then refined earned through illicit produc- is now relying on in Iraq comes the oil before selling it, said tion, refining and sale of oil. mostly from the northeast- Marcel. The US-led air strikes that ern Hasaka province, Noura A litre of refined crude was began in September, though, Salim, an Iraqi lawmaker from going for about 1,750 to 2,000 shut down Islamic State’s main Mosul, said by phone. The fuel Iraqi dinars ($1.45 to $1.66) last refining capacity. Forces loyal to is trucked across old, unpaved week in Mosul, northern Iraq’s the Baghdad government also roads and enters Iraq usually biggest city, according to locals. retook oilfields and Kurdish through one of three crossings, It’s mostly sold from oil tank- Peshmerga fighters tackled she said. ers from Syria and the qual- gangs who had been helping Back in Mosul, some resi- ity is so bad, it’s damaging car Islamic State smuggle oil out dents have begun using camping engines and fuel pumps, they of the country. stoves for heating, cooking and said. Before the city fell, the The militants will have to rely warming bath water. average price was about 400 to more on ransoms, racketeering One resident said the city 750 dinars a litre and the crude and the taxation of people and was getting close to breaking on offer was from Iraq and of goods at border crossings, said point. The situation is getting better quality. Marcel. She estimates the group grimmer by the day, people are New York City police pause as they block demonstrators on Times Square following a decision by a Staten Island grand Residents of Mosul spoke is pumping about 10,000 barrels losing patience and are broken, jury not to indict a police officer who used a chokehold on Eric Garner, who subsequently died. by telephone on condition of a day in Iraq. That’s down from she said. WP-BLOOMBERG SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST

Christians Iran confirms being driven out of Mideast, air strikes says Pope

ARBIL: Pope Francis said Christians are being “driven from the Middle East” in a mes- against IS sage to Iraqi Christians forced to flee by Islamic State group jihadists. Attacks not coordinated with US “Christians are being driven from the Middle East in suffer- BAGHDAD: A senior Iranian Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider ing,” the pontiff said, according to official has confirmed his coun- Al Abadi said on Wednesday a transcript of the video address try carried out air strikes in he had no knowledge of Iranian that was due to be broadcast later neighbouring Iraq against air strikes. Yesterday, Finance yesterday during a visit by French Islamic State fighters at the Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told a Cardinal Philippe Barbarin to the request of Iraqi authorities, security conference in Bahrain: Iraqi city of Arbil. Britain’s Guardian newspaper “It’s not 100 percent confirmed.” Thousands of Christians have reported. The Iranian role was first taken refuge in Arbil after jihad- It quoted Deputy Foreign highlighted in footage filmed by ists in June overran Mosul, Iraq’s Minister Ebrahim Rahimpour as Aljazeera television, which second city, and forced hun- saying the strikes were not coor- appeared to show an F-4 Phantom dreds of thousands of Christians dinated with the United States, striking Islamic State positions in and members of the Yazidi which is also waging an air cam- Diyala. community to flee their homes. paign against the radical Sunni Defence experts said Iran and Last weekend, the pontiff vis- Muslim militants who control Turkey were the only regional ited Turkey, during which he met large parts of north and west Iraq. operators of the F-4, and Turkey Bartholomew I, the ecumenical The purpose of the strikes was is reluctant to take on Islamic Relatives of Lebanese soldiers, who were captured by Islamist militants in Arsal, sit near a vehicle with a banner patriarch and spiritual leader “the defence of the interests of State militarily. of soldier Ali Al Bazzal, during a protest in Beirut yesterday. of the world’s some 250 million our friends in Iraq”, the newspa- “We will not allow conditions Orthodox Christians. per quoted Rahimpour as saying in Iraq to descend to the level of The two clerics issued a joint in an interview in London. Syria, which has been created by statement in which they spoke “We did not have any coordina- foreign players,” the Guardian out against anti-Christian vio- tion with the Americans. We have quoted Rahimpour as saying, Protests in Lebanon as Syria lence in the region. coordinated only with the Iraqi referring to Syria’s catastrophic “As I mentioned in Ankara ... government,” he said. “In general, three-year war in which Iran sup- due to an extremist fundamen- every military operation to help ports President Bashar Al Assad talist group, entire communities, the Iraqi government is according against rebels including Islamic jihadists kill policeman especially, but not only, Christians to their requests.” State. and Yazidis, suffered, and still suf- Rahimpour’s reported com- “And certainly our assistance BAALBEK: Gunmen and pro- Front, Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Bazzal’s execution to avenge the fer, inhuman violence because of ments were the first from an (to Iraq) is stronger than our testers took to the streets yes- claimed via its Twitter account. Lebanese authorities’ detention of their ethnic religious identity,” Iranian official confirming Iran’s assistance to Syria, because they terday after a Syrian jihadist Bazzal is the fourth hostage a jihadist’s wife, as well as the ex- the pope said yesterday. role in the air strikes in the Iraqi are nearer to us,” he said. group said it killed a captured reportedly killed by their jihadist wife and daughter of the Islamic “Christians and Yazidis were province of Diyala, which bor- Rahimpour said Iran was also Lebanese policeman to avenge captors from the 30 troops and State group’s chief Abu Bakr forcibly removed from their ders Iran, in late November. On assisting Kurdish forces in north- the arrest of family members of policemen kidnapped in August, Al Baghdadi. homes, have had to give up eve- Wednesday an Iranian official had ern Iraq, but repeated Tehran’s Islamist militants. after a major battle in Arsal in “If the sisters that were unjustly rything to save their lives and not denied that Iran had launched any insistence that it did not have any Relatives of another 25 troops eastern Lebanon on the border arrested are not released, then deny the faith. such strikes. ground troops in Iraq. and policemen being held hostage with Syria. A fifth soldier died after a short period of time the “The violence has also affected Diyala is an ethnically mixed “This is only an advisory pres- cut off several roads in Beirut and from wounds he suffered during death sentence will be executed sacred buildings, monuments, province, where the Iraqi army, ence. There is no need to send elsewhere in Lebanon, demand- the Arsal battle four days into the against another prisoner we hold,” religious symbols and cultural backed by Kurdish Peshmerga Iranian troops to Iraq. There ing the government work for their hostage crisis. Al Nusra said. heritage, as if to erase every trace, and Shia militias drove Islamic are sufficient Iraqi and Kurdish immediate release. None of the dead troops’ bod- The government source told every memory of the other. State out of several towns and vil- troops there,” he said. A top government official told ies has been handed over to AFP the arrests came after “the “It seems as if these people do lages last month. REUTERS AFP on condition of anonymity Lebanese authorities, said the security forces developed suspi- not want us to be Christians,” that the authorities had not yet government source. Late Friday, cions over the two women’s links” he said to the Iraqi Christians, received proof of policeman Ali Al Nusra posted on Twitter a to extremist groups operating in who he said “bear witness to Al Bazzal’s killing, which Al Nusra photograph that it said showed Lebanon. AFP Christ”. “I think of the wounds, the pain of the mothers with their chil- dren, the elderly and displaced persons, the wounds of those IS militants kill 16 of Iraqi tribe who are victims of any kind of violence.” BAGHDAD: Islamic State fighters kidnapped of power in Baghdad, lost ground in the last two On Thursday, Al Azhar, Sunni and killed 16 members of an Iraqi tribe which has months to the north of the capital but have tightened Islam’s most prestigious centre fought the Sunni militant group in the western their grip in parts of Anbar to the west. of learning, urged Christians in province of Anbar, a tribal leader and a hospital In Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi the Arab world to “stay rooted source said yesterday. planes bombed Islamic State targets in a village near in their homelands” in the face Tribal chief Sheikh Naeem Al Ga’oud told Reuters the town of Muqdadiya, killing seven people, army of jihadist violence and not flee Islamic State captured the men from the Albu Nimr spokesman Colonel Ghalib Al Jubouri said yesterday. into exile. tribe three days ago. Responding to a tip, tribal mem- Iraq’s armed forces, backed by Shia militias, Kurdish “We condemn the forced exile bers searched a location about 10km north of the town peshmerga and Iranian jets, drove Islamic State out of Christians and other religious of Hit, and found their bodies in a water well. The of two towns in Diyala province two weeks ago which or ethnic groups,” it said. bodies were transferred to a hospital in Hit, where a had been fought over for months. Barbarin, the Roman Catholic doctor said they had bullet wounds to the head and Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, a roadside bomb archbishop of Lyon, and his chest. Islamic State fighters have killed hundreds of exploded in a popular market in Mahmudiya, about diocese is twinned with that of members of the Albu Nimr tribe since seizing control 30 km south of Baghdad, killing four people, while Mosul. He is on his second trip of Hit, about 150km west of Baghdad, two months ago. three people were killed in a roadside bomb explo- to Arbil since Mosul fell, having Senior military officials at the 10th ‘Manama Dialogue’ in the Bahraini capital The Sunni militants, who swept through northern sion in Husseiniya, police and medical sources said. gone in July. yesterday. Iraq in June towards the Shia-led government’s seat REUTERS AFP

Lifetime achievement award After power struggle, Somalia PM loses confidence vote MOGADISHU: Somalia’s the Al Qaeda-affiliated Shebab prime minister lost a confidence rebels still carrying out regular vote in parliament yesterday attacks. after months of dispute with At least 15 people were killed the country’s president and Friday in twin bomb blasts in the international concern that the central town of Baidoa, the latest turmoil was harming rebuild- in a string of attacks. ing efforts. Ahmed, an economist, took the President Hassan Sheikh post in December 2013 after his Mohamud was given 30 days to predecessor Abdi Farah Shirdon name a new head of government was ousted by parliament after for the war-torn nation after just over a year in office. the vote against Abdiweli Sheikh The United Nations, United Ahmed, who had taken over the States and European Union have post a year ago. all warned the power struggles Ahmed received support from A journalist working with London- were putting at risk the progress only 80 lawmakers, while 153 based Kalsan TV, Abdulkadir Somalia has made. Egyptian actor Adel Emam receives the lifetime achievement award at the jury photocall for the 14th Marrakech backed a motion to oust him. Hassan Jokar, lies yesterday on a In November, the United States International Film Festival on Friday. “The motion against the gov- hospital bed in the central Somali pulled out of an international ernment has won,” said parlia- city of Baidoa a day after being summit on Somalia and said it ment speaker Mohamed Osman was deeply concerned over the injured in a twin bomb attack. Jawari. worsening political turmoil. Ahmed has for months been parliament’s decision but defended The US warnings followed Egypt court upholds death for seven locked in a power struggle with his record in office. those by United Nations envoy the president, prompting inter- “My administration has been Nicholas Kay, who said the ten- CAIRO: An Egyptian court It came just weeks after the mufti, or top Muslim cleric. national backers to warn that relentless in our pursuit for sion puts at risk political goals yesterday upheld death sen- army ousted Islamist president The sentences are subject to the infighting was jeopardising reform and we leave a solid foun- including a referendum on a new tences for seven men over the Mohamed Mursi following mass appeal. Habara previously has fragile gains. dation that carries the hopes and constitution next year, ahead of killing of 25 policemen in the street protests against his one- been convicted in several other In October, the president aspirations of all Somalis,” he said. elections in 2016. Sinai Peninsula last year and year rule. cases, including bomb attacks in accused Ahmed of “making out- Mohamud for his part said Following yesterday’s vote, Kay for collaborating with Al Qaeda. Yesterday, the court confirmed southern Sinai between 2004 and rageous decisions” and not con- he appreciated “the governing said Somalia “now needs unity The policemen were killed in preliminary death sentences 2006, officials said. Three other sulting with him before a cabinet institutions for resolving the of political purpose between its an ambush in August 2013 in the handed down in October against suspects in last year’s ambush reshuffle in the Horn of Africa political conflict without external institutions and leaders and a North Sinai town of Rafah in what the seven men, including Islamist were sentenced to life in prison, nation. intervention.” significant period of stability”. was one of the deadliest militant militant Adel Habara, after they while 22 others were jailed for Ahmed said he accepted The turmoil has also come with AFP attacks targeting security forces. were ratified by the country’s 15 years. AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 Putin, Hollande attempt to defuse Kiev tensions Ukraine to hold peace talks with rebels on Tuesday

MOSCOW: French President visit would “without a doubt con- The previous agreements com- Francois Hollande yesterday tribute to the resolution of many mitted both sides to stopping fire became the first European leader problems”. In a crucial admission, and pulling back artillery, but to fly to Russia in an attempt Putin said for the first time that succeeded only in curbing the to defuse the standoff with the pro-Russian rebels have vio- worst violence without ending it Vladimir Putin over Ukraine, lated a shaky ceasefire with Kiev. completely. where the latest round of peace “We see that both from the Ukraine and the rebels, whose talks will take place next week. side of Kiev leadership and from fighting in the east has already Meeting with Putin in the dip- the side of Donetsk and Lugansk, claimed more than 4,300 lives, lomatic terminal of an airport from both sides, not everything have agreed to suspend military outside the capital, Hollande said is respected,” he told journalists operations on December 9, calling he hoped to stop a new East-West after the meeting lasting nearly it a “Day of Silence”. division from arising in Europe, two hours. “In the subsequent 30 days, as the conflict in eastern Ukraine Hollande’s last-minute visit, (the sides) must pull back (heavy has plunged its relations with which a source in his delegation weapons) from the demilitarisa- Moscow to a post-Cold War low. said was also agreed with German tion zone outlined in the Minsk “There are times when we need Chancellor Angela Merkel, comes Protocol,” Poroshenko said. to seize opportunities. This is such as Kiev announced a fresh round Hollande said all parties must Family members of Akai Gurley attend his funeral service in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. a time... I think we must prevent of talks with the rebels next week “use all available instruments to other walls from separating us,” to try and rescue the September end the crisis” and that the new said Hollande, who also spoke ceasefire. ceasefire “has to work” and be to Ukraine’s President Petro The talks set for Tuesday will “completely respected.” Poroshenko earlier in the day. include envoys from Russia and The pro-Kiev governor of the Calls for justice at funeral “We must find solutions the Organisation for Security and eastern Lugansk region Gennadiy together,” he told the Russian Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Moskal said two civilians had been leader, who this week gave a mili- and will aim to “confirm the killed in a village 15km northwest of tant speech accusing the West of timetable for implementing the Lugansk, while a security spokes- of man killed by NY police undermining Russia. (original) Minsk agreements,” man alleged that a convoy of more Putin said there are “difficult Poroshenko said while on a visit than 100 trucks and armoured problems” to tackle but that the to Kharkiv region. vehicles had moved across the bor- NEW YORK: Mourners heard last month when he was killed. activists would work together to der from Russia on Friday. a rallying cry for justice yes- Activist Kevin Powell, who ensure that justice would prevail. Poroshenko said that 1,252 terday at the New York funeral delivered the eulogy, thanked “We ask that you would allow soldiers and volunteers fighting of an unarmed black man shot Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city brother Akai’s name to live for- among Kiev’s forces have died dead by police amid a wave of of New York for covering the costs ever in our hearts as we continue over eight months of the con- nationwide protests against of the funeral and issued a pas- to fight for what’s right in this flict, and almost 3,000 have been similar killings. sionate rallying cry for change. country and this world,” he said. wounded. Akai Gurley, 28, a father of a “Akai was innocent, innocent, “We will all work together to pur- Putin this week indicated he young daughter, was shot dead innocent,” he told the mourners. sue justice.” has no intention of softening when a police officer opened “This is modern-day lynchings, The Brooklyn district attor- his stance on Ukraine, which fire in a dimly lit staircase at a over and over again. Akai Gurley ney announced on Friday that a the West says includes sending Brooklyn apartment building as was simply the latest victim of grand jury would consider charges regular troops across the border he walked with his girlfriend late this,” he said, calling for homicide in one of the cases that has again to help the separatist cause. on November 20. charges to be brought. brought to the fore the distrust “Every time someone believes Friends and relatives filed past He demanded police reform felt by many African Americans Russia has become too strong, Gurley’s open casket to pay their and spoke of the recent protests towards the police. independent, these instruments respects at the Brown Memorial that have mobilised thousands of Brooklyn district attorney Ken get applied immediately,” Putin Baptist Church, before the lid was people across the United States Thompson said he would present said in a speech, referring to the closed and a huge spray of red and to denounce a spate of killings all the evidence for a grand jury economic sanctions imposed by white flowers placed on top of the of unarmed black men by white to decide whether charges should Europe and the United States gray coffin. police officers. “Let’s do every- be brought. “I pledge to conduct Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with French President that have weighed on the coun- Gurley, whose mother lived in thing we can to prevent any more a full and fair investigation and Francois Hollande as he escorts him to his plane after a meeting in Moscow try’s economy at a time of falling Florida, had been planning a sur- situations like this,” he said. to give the grand jury all of the yesterday, following Hollande’s two-day visit to Kazakhstan. oil prices. prise Thanksgiving trip to intro- Rev. Clinton Miller echoed the information necessary to do its AFP duce her to his young daughter same call, saying that clergy and job,” he said. AFP Belgium pays Two Sierra Leone Ebola doctors die in one day tribute to FREETOWN: Two doctors have come as “a great shock to the drive from the city. He was said to western area, including the capi- patients from the worst outbreak died on the same day after con- ministry”. “These were eminent be responding well to treatment tal. More than 100 have lost their of the virus on record, which has Queen Fabiola tracting Ebola in Sierra Leone, professionals who were greatly when his condition deteriorated lives in Sierra Leone, which is still killed more than 6,000 people. the government said yesterday, involved in the fight against Ebola dramatically on Friday. rebuilding from a devastating civil Soon after arriving in Geneva, BRUSSELS: Belgium yester- bringing to nine the number of and their services will be greatly Dauda Koroma died at the war in the 1990s. Baez received the Canadian day paid tribute to Spanish-born medics killed by the virus. missed,” Kamara said. Hastings Treatment Centre, also experimental treatment ZMab, Queen Fabiola, the devout former They are among hundreds of It was not immediately clear close to the capital, which is run CUBAN RECOVERS a precursor to the Ebola drug monarch who died the evening healthcare workers to die treat- how either had contracted the entirely by local medics. Meanwhile, a Cuban doctor ZMapp, which has been used to before at 86, two decades after ing patients infected in the deadly disease, or if they were involved They were the 10th and 11th who received experimental treat- treat several U.S. patients. her husband King Baudouin. outbreak, which appears to be directly in the treatment of Ebola doctors to contract Ebola since ment for Ebola in a Geneva hos- “Two days afterwards he was Long suffering and not seen in stabilising in Guinea and Liberia patients. the outbreak spread to Sierra pital has made a full recovery and already much better,” Geneva’s public since July 2013, Fabiola was but is still spreading at an alarm- Thomas Rogers, a surgeon Leone from Guinea in May, and left Switzerland to be reunited chief medical officer Jacques- best remembered for her 30-year ing rate in Sierra Leone. at the Connaught Hospital, the just two have survived. with his family, the hospital said André Romand told Reuters, add- marriage to Baudouin, the lonely “We lost two doctors in one main referral unit in the capi- Sierra Leone has recorded yesterday. ing that the same drug had been young king to whom she gave a day,” health ministry spokesman tal Freetown, was being treated around 1,600 Ebola deaths this Felix Baez, 43, was one of 256 sent to Rome to treat an Italian much needed spark. “To the fun- Jonathan Abass Kamara said and at the British-run Kerry Town year and has registered an wor- Cuban doctors and nurses who doctor battling the virus. niest queen of Belgium,” said added that Friday’s deaths had Ebola treatment centre a short rying recent surge in cases in its went to West Africa to treat AGENCIES a small card tucked into the Brussels palace gate where a few families were assembled to mark the historic moment. “To her royal highness Queen Fabiola, more than a queen, a Top posts for Mugabe, British MPs for overhaul great lady,” another one said, near a teddy bear stitched in the Belgian national colours. As wife in ruling party a couple, Fabiola and Baudouin of surveillance laws brought a new life to Belgian roy- HARARE: Zimbabwe’s ruling party yesterday alty, providing unity to a coun- wrapped up a key congress once again anointing LONDON: British surveil- Committee. “The inevitable try divided between French and veteran President Robert Mugabe as party leader lance laws are flawed and must consequence is that this deters Dutch speaking communities. and putting his wife Grace on a path to follow him be overhauled to stop police whistleblowers from coming “Fabiola reunited with her into power. accessing the phone records of forward.” Beaudouin,” wrote daily La Meuse. “I want to thank you profoundly for once again journalists, a group of lawmak- “We are concerned that the “With the death of Fabiola, it’s the choosing me to lead you,” Mugabe told the thousands ers said in a report yesterday. level of secrecy surrounding the Beaudouin era that passes,” said Le of cheering supporters at the ZANU-PF’s elective Police officers routinely fail to use of RIPA allows investigat- Soir. Also celebrated, were three congress. “I know where I come from... I am not note the professions of people ing authorities to engage in acts decades of gravity-defying coif- greater than the people who gave birth to me,” said whose communications data has which would be unacceptable in fures, usually a lacquered bouffante the 90-year-old who has been in power in Zimbabwe been accessed, according to the a democracy, with inadequate topped by a wide pastel hat. since independence from Britain in 1980. report by the Home Affairs Select oversight.” “Not just a pious queen,” head- The congress also elected his wife 49-year-old Committee, a cross-party group The committee called for a lined the Dutch-speaking De Grace to head the party’s powerful women’s wing, that oversees the Home Office. consultation to change RIPA to Morgen, above her most famous which would put her higher among the contenders to This raised concern for pro- include special provisions for picture, a mischievous Fabiola in succeed Mugabe. She had won a surprise nomination fessions such as journalists who privileged information such as mauve hat holding up a bright in August to lead the women’s league and has made speak to whistleblowers and law- journalists’ sources. green apple. The scene dates no secret of her ambition to clinch the southern yers who require confidentiality An inquiry into the use of the to July 21, 2009, national day in African country’s top job. in their communications with surveillance powers was launched Belgium. The queen was making For now her husband plans to hold onto that posi- clients, it said. by watchdog the Interception of a cheeky rebuke to an anony- tion as party delegates also chose Mugabe to stand The criticism of the sur- Communications Commissioner’s mous death threat, promised to as the ZANU-PF candidate in the next elections veillance law, the Regulation Office earlier this year after be delivered by crossbow. in 2018. When Mugabe announced his wife’s new of Investigatory Powers Act reports that police used RIPA “Fabiola had a great sense of role in the party yesterday it was met with tepid (RIPA), comes after it emerged to access journalists’ email and humour,” said foreign minister applause that led party chairman Simon Khaya that British police had secretly phone records. Didier Reynders in a tweet. It was Moyo to exhort the crowd to cheer louder. accessed journalists’ phone and In response to the report, this sense of humour that made Grace Mugabe had waged a fierce campaign for email records in investigations. immigration and security minis- her sympathetic even to modern the women’s league post, which also puts her on the “Using RIPA to access tel- ter James Brokenshire said that Belgians not put off by her tradi- party’s steering committee, disparaging her rivals A file picture shows Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace ephone records of journalists is safeguards were already in place tional Roman Catholicism, born including Vice-President Joice Mujuru whom she Mugabe raising her fist during a campaign meeting at wrong and this practice must against the abuse of surveillance of aristocratic upbringing. has accused of corruption and even plotting to assas- the City Sports Centre in Harare. cease,” said MP Keith Vaz, chair- powers by police. AFP sinate her husband. AFP man of the Home Affairs Select AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Philippines struggles amid typhoon damage Millions evacuated as howling winds and flooding bring back memories of Super Typhoon Haiyan

TACLOBAN: Terrifying winds of Hagupit that saw millions seek of those areas. But the govern- in Samar, about 100 kilometres and intense rains pounded the shelter. ment warned of storm surges up to the northeast, residents in eastern Philippines yesterday as “This is it. I know you are tired, to 4.5-metres high in some areas, Tacloban reported howling wind millions sheltered from a giant not enough sleep, not enough flash flooding, landslides and winds and ferocious rain, but none of storm that threatened more food, too much coffee,” Interior strong enough to tear apart even the storm surges that ravaged devastation for a nation battling Secretary Mar Roxas said a few sturdy homes. the city last year. to recover from a catastrophic hours before the typhoon hit, call- Tens of millions of people live In the eastern region of Bicol super typhoon. ing for a final effort to bring more in the typhoon’s path, including that is due to be hit throughout Typhoon Hagupit roared in people from vulnerable coastal those in the central Philippines today and tomorrow, authori- from the Pacific Ocean and homes to safe buildings. who are still struggling to recover ties said they were aiming for 2.5 crashed into remote fishing com- “This is our last push. Every from the devastation of Haiyan, million people — half the local munities of Samar island last night person we can save now is one which hit 13 months ago. population — to be in evacuation with wind gusts of 210 kilometres less we have to look for after the Haiyan was the strongest centres. an hour, local weather agency typhoon passes.” storm ever recorded on land, with The Philippines endures about Pagasa said. Roxas was speaking at a nation- winds of 315 kilometres an hour, 20 major storms a year which, The wind strength made ally televised planning conference and generated tsunami-like storm along with regular earthquakes Hagupit the most powerful storm from Samar, having based himself surges that laid to waste entire and volcano eruptions, make it to hit the Philippines this year, in one of the areas expected to be towns. one of the world’s most disaster- exceeding a typhoon in July that among the first hit so he could In Tacloban, one of the cities plagued countries. killed more than 100 people. oversee preparations there. worst-hit by Haiyan, thousands The storms regularly claim “Tin roofs are flying off, trees Hagupit was forecast to take of traumatised typhoon survivors many lives but they are becom- are falling and there is some three days to cut across the crammed into schools, churches ing more violent and unpredict- flooding,” Stephany Uy-Tan, the Philippines, passing over mostly and other evacuation centres. able because of climate change, mayor of Catbalogan, a major city poor central regions, while also “We are afraid. People are according to the United Nations on Samar, told AFP by phone bringing heavy rain to the densely panicking,” Alma Gaut, 36, who and many scientists. minutes after Hagupit made populated capital of Manila lost her mother and her home Haiyan was the world’s deadli- A man secures a shanty in Tacloban city on the Leyte Island of Philippines landfall. slightly to the north. during Haiyan, told AFP yester- est natural disaster last year. yesterday. Fearful of a repeat of last year Damage assessments from day morning as she huddled in In 2011 and 2012, there were when Super Typhoon Haiyan communities initially hit are not the second floor of a university, consecutive December storms claimed more than 7,350 lives, likely to be known until after day- sheltering with more than 1,000 that together claimed more than And in July this year, Typhoon the capital for days, and other the government undertook a break today, as power and mobile other people. 3,000 lives and were the word’s Rammasun killed 111 people when parts of the main island of Luzon. massive evacuation effort ahead networks have been lost in many After the storm made landfall deadliest disasters of those years. it cut across Manila, paralysing AFP Hong Kong student leader ends hunger strike HONG KONG: Joshua Wong, “indefinite” hunger strike follow- Earlier television news footage the teenage face of Hong Kong’s ing one of the worst nights of vio- showed a weak-looking Joshua pro-democracy movement, said lence at the demonstrations last Wong being wheeled around the yesterday he has ended a four- Sunday. main protest site in Admiralty in day hunger strike designed to Wong’s latest announcement a wheelchair. force the government into fur- came after fellow hunger striker He and other students on the ther talks on political reform. Isabella Lo said she would stop hunger strike had been camping “Under the strong urging of the the hunger strike on Friday. in tents near the city’s govern- doctor, I have stopped the hunger Scholarism said the hunger ment headquarters during the strike,” Wong, who had not eaten strike was still ongoing after two past week in an attempt to push in 108 hours, said on his Facebook more people joined the action. the government to restart the and Twitter feeds. But in another blow late yester- political reform process. The 18-year-old said he felt day, the group confirmed another Over 1,000 people joined a rally “extreme physical discomfort, diz- hunger striker, 17-year-old Prince last night in the Admiralty pro- ziness and weakness in the limbs”. Wong, had been sent to the hospi- test site to show their support for “Even if I stop the hunger tal on the advice of their doctor. Wong and other students. strike, it doesn’t mean that the News footage from TVB News Student-led demonstrators are Hong Kong government can showed an exhausted Wong, a sec- demanding free leadership elec- ignore our demands,” Wong said. ondary school student who joined tions for the semi-autonomous Joshua Wong (right) addresses protesters at the movement’s main protest site in the Admiralty district of Hong Wong and two young female the hunger strike with Joshua Chinese city, with the main pro- Kong yesterday. members of his Scholarism Wong and Lo on Monday, being test camp continuing to block a student group announced the stretchered onto an ambulance. stretch of a highway. AFP

US denies Lanka minister’s remark Two-day holiday in Maldives to COLOMBO: The United a statement. “They reflect a States embassy in Sri Lanka fundamental misunderstand- tide over denied yesterday it was ing of our engagement with “pumping money” into the senior government officials and water crisis country to topple President our policy towards Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as the US political and (pictured) after the alle- economic system.” The minis- MALE: The upmarket honey- gations were levelled by a ter also alleged that Sison had moon destination of Maldives minster. offered him “a five-year schol- yesterday declared two days of Resettlement minister arship for my children (and) a public holidays in bid to manage Gunaratne Weerakoon accused house in the US and a green fraying tempers and ration sup- US envoy Michele Sison of seek- card” if he agreed to a demand plies following a drinking water ing to fund opposition forces in to remove military camps in crisis caused when a fire crip- the election campaign in order an election campaign rally the island’s former war zone. pled a key desalination plant. to oust Rajapaksa who is seek- Friday. The US embassy Dismantling the camps has President Abdulla Yameen ing an unprecedented third strongly rejected the minister’s been a longstanding demand of ordered the closure of govern- term in next month’s elections. accusations. US and other Western nations, ment offices today and tomorrow “She is pumping money to “The allegations by Minister as well as of neighbouring India, as engineers struggled to repair topple President Mahinda Gunaratne Weerakoon are which have criticised Colombo’s the fire-damaged main water Rajapaksa,” the minister told baseless,” the embassy said in human rights record. AFP purification facility in the capital island of Male. The two days of holidays were announced to “alleviate difficul- ties faced by the public due to Swiss captive flees Islamist the current water shortage” in the densely populated capital, a presidential statement said. Much of the capital was still militants in Philippines without drinking water yester- day, two days after the fire, the MANILA: A Swiss man kidnapped by Vinciguerra, Ewold Horn, was unable to run cause of which police are still Islamist militants in the Philippines nearly away because he was too frail and is believed investigating. three years ago escaped yesterday after a to still be a captive, Muyuela said. Yameen appealed to Maldivians fierce struggle with one of his captors over a Local military commander Colonel Alan to remain “patient and united, machete and a frantic run to freedom under Arrojado said his troops, acting on a tip, had while working with the govern- gunfire, the military said. been able to track the gunmen on Jolo island, ment to resolve the national Lorenzo Vinciguerra took advantage of a a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf about crisis.” pre-dawn assault by soldiers on his Abu Sayyaf 1,000 kilometres south of Manila. India and Sri Lanka began air- abductors in the jungles of a remote southern “It was in the jungle, in the darkness. I sent a lifting bottled water to the capital island to make his bold escape, the local military message to the Scout Rangers that they should of the holiday destination Friday spokeswoman told AFP. not shoot randomly. Sure enough, we encoun- as taps ran dry while China and “One of them (gunmen) caught up with him tered them,” Arrojado told AFP. the United States were also rush- as he was running away and there was a scuf- An informant later reported to the military ing help, the government said. fle over his machete,” spokeswoman Captain that the man Vinciguerra had fought with had India has also sent ships with Rowena Muyuela said. died, according to Arrojado, but he said this desalination capabilities to boost “Vinciguerra was slashed on the cheek but he could not be confirmed. Vinciguerra, who was supplies. Street scuffles erupted stabbed the other man in the head... then the reported to be 47 when kidnapped, was only Friday in Male at many places bandits shot at him but he got away.” slightly injured in the scuffle, Arrojado said. where authorities were distrib- A Dutch man who was abducted with AFP uting bottled water under a strict rationing system. AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13

War on terror Top Al Qaeda costs Pakistan over $80bn in leader killed last 10 years ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has suffered a whopping Rs8.1 tril- lion ($80bn) losses over the past 10 years due to the on-going war against terrorism. These in Pakistan estimated losses are more than twice the size of the country’s budget for 2014-15 which is Five terrorists arrested in raid Rs3.94 trillion. The Ministry of Interior and ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mil- The operation started late on Narcotics Control, which collated itary said yesterday that it had Friday and residents in Wana, a these figures with the help of the killed a senior Al Qaeda leader main town in South Waziristan, finance ministry, claimed that more wanted by the US over a 2009 some 15km east of Shinwarsak, than 50,000 Pakistanis also died in plot to attack the New York heard the gun fire and helicop- this deadly war which started soon subway system. ters’ movements. after the United States invaded “In an intelligence borne opera- “Two Pakistani helicopters Afghanistan in 2001. tion top Al Qaeda leader Adnan as well as four drones had been “Pakistan is a victim of terror- El Shukrijumah (pictured) was flying very low in the area since ism, sponsored by anti-state ele- killed by Pakistan Army in an early morning and then gunfire ments. Unfortunately, extremist early morning raid in Shinwarsak, continued for several hours,” a groups have also been active with South Waziristan today,” the mili- tribesman in the neighbouring their own ideology and motives,” tary said. Azam Warsak village said. It Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani shakes hands with US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel during an arrival said the interior ministry’s par- Shukrijumah, one of the FBI’s was not immediately clear if the ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul yesterday. liamentary secretary, Maryam most wanted terrorists, was hid- drones were part of the US’s cov- Aurangzeb. ing in a compound in Shinwarsak, ert drone programme. MNAs Shaikh Salauddin and northwestern Pakistan, after Analyst Imtiaz Gul said that the Nighat Parveen had sought fleeing from neighbouring North raid against Al Qaeda reflected a Additional 1,000 US troops to details of the losses Pakistan has Waziristan tribal shift in Pakistan’s suffered in the war on terror. district where the military policy to go The interior ministry, however, army launched a after every militant informed the House that it, in its major operation group. “It means stay in Afghanistan: Hagel initial findings, has collected data against militant Pakistan army is of 11,285 innocent citizens killed bases in June, the changing its posi- in terrorist attacks. More than military said. “His tion on Al Qaeda, KABUL: An additional 1,000 stability as the Nato military pres- the insurgency is weakening as 28,561 people were also injured in accomplice and local on how it views the US troops will remain in ence declines, with the national Nato’s 13-year war ends. various bombings in the past five facilitator were also militant groups,” Afghanistan next year to meet army and police enduring record “The recent wave of Taliban years, it added. killed in the raid,” it Gul said. a temporary shortfall in Nato casualties in battle this year and attacks has made clear that the In its initial break-up, the added. US investigators forces, US Defence Secretary following a series of high-profile international community must ministry revealed that over 4,415 Saudi-born told CNN in 2010 Chuck Hagel said yesterday Taliban attacks in Kabul. not waver in its support for a people were killed in Fata, 4,204 Shukrijumah is that Shukrijumah during a visit to Kabul. About 130,000 Nato troops stable, secure, and prosperous in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 1,503 in described by the FBI is believed to have US President Barack Obama were fighting in Afghanistan in Afghanistan,” Hagel said. He said Balochistan, 974 in Punjab, 128 in as “one of the lead- worked his way up approved the move despite an 2010 at the peak of the foreign Afghanistan had “come a long Islamabad Capital Territory, 60 in ers of Al Qaeda’s into the leadership earlier plan to limit the US force intervention, after the 2001 fall of way” over the past decade and Gilgit-Baltistan and 14 in Azad external operations ranks of Osama to a maximum of 9,800 troops in the Taliban regime that sheltered that the newly-elected govern- Jammu and Kashmir. programme” and is wanted in bin Laden’s terror network after 2015. A protracted Afghan elec- Al Qaeda. ment and its security forces were Responding to a question, posed connection with an attempt to starting out as a dishwasher at an tion delayed the signing of secu- The Nato support force tak- ready to take charge of security. by MNA Zahra Wadood Fatemi, blow up the New York subway Al Qaeda training camp. rity deals with the United States ing over on January 1 will be “As difficult, as challeng- the ministry informed the law- in 2009, as well as for plots con- The FBI believe he then went and Nato countries, which set 12,500-strong, made up of mainly ing, as long as this has been — makers that drone strikes and nected to targets in the United to Pakistan’s Waziristan region, back plans for Western govern- US, German and Italian troops. by any definition, the country terrorist attacks affected 92,660 Kingdom. The FBI has a $5m and ascended to his current posi- ments to contribute troops to the Hagel said Obama’s decision of Afghanistan, the people of families of North Waziristan and reward available for information tion after two other Al Qaeda post-2014 mission, Hagel said. did not change the new mission Afghanistan are far better off South Waziristan agencies. leading to his arrest. operational leaders were killed in “President Obama has provided — which will focus on training today than they were 13 years Former principal economic Pakistan military spokesman suspected US drone strikes. US military commanders the flex- Afghan forces — nor did it alter a ago,” Hagel told reporters. adviser of the finance ministry Major General Asim Bajwa said Shukrijumah moved to ibility to manage any temporary long-term deadline for a US troop Afghan and outside experts Saqib Sherani said: “We would in a tweet that five “terrorists” America as a young child, liv- force shortfalls that we might drawdown over the next two tend to offer a less optimistic have a healthy economy, if we had were also arrested during the ing in the New York borough of experience for a few months as years. The Pentagon chief added view of the conflict, warning of not fought a war against terror raid. “The intelligence had been Brooklyn, before moving with his we allow for coalition troops to US forces would also maintain a the danger of an all-out ethnic for a decade,” he said. working on the whereabouts and family to Florida in the 1990s, arrive,” he told a press conference. limited counter-terrorism mis- civil war. Economist Kaiser Bengali said: movements of Shukrijumah for according to FBI investigators. “This will mean the delayed sion to prevent “Al-Qaeda from But Hagel insisted Afghanistan “War left severe impact on our about five to six years,” a senior As an adult, he worked odd jobs withdrawal of up to 1,000 US using Afghanistan as a safe haven would not go the way of Iraq, economy, which also suffered Pakistani security official said. and took classes at a local college, troops — so that up to 10,800 to threaten the United States”. where another US-trained army significant losses due to ethnic Local intelligence official and including an English course with troops, rather than 9,800, could Militants have targeted for- virtually collapsed in the face of clashes, sectarianism and extrem- residents said that authorities a professor who remembered his remain in Afghanistan through eign guest houses, embassy vehi- an onslaught by Islamic state ism related issues.” To improve had sealed all entry points to former student when FBI agents the end of this year, and for the cles, US troops and Afghan army jihadists after American troops its economy Pakistan has to find South Waziristan and shut down came knocking years later. first few months of next year.” buses in Kabul over the past left the country in 2011. ways to end the war, he added. phone networks before the raid. AFP Concern is growing for Afghan month, undermining claims that AFP INTERNEWS Buzkashi in Herat Chief Election Commissioner takes oath

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new Chief Election Commissioner took his oath of office yester- day as opposition protests for a probe into allegations of vote rigging by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif run into their fourth month. Sardar Muhammad Raza, 69, a retired Supreme Court judge and chief of Sharia court, was sworn in as Chief Election Commissioner by Supreme Court Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, the Supreme Court said in a state- ment yesterday. Pakistan’s Election Commission had been without a permanent chief since the previous chief Afghan horsemen compete for the goat carcass during the traditional sport of Buzkashi in Herat Fakhruddin G Ebrahim resigned province. Buzkashi is played between two teams competing to throw an animal carcass into a circle. in July last year after the Supreme Court ordered him to change the dates of presidential election. Ebrahim conducted the land- mark May 2013 election, which for the first time saw the transition Govt-PTI talks may resume today from one civilian government to another. But cricketer-turned-oppo- ISLAMABAD: Wedged between hope and National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah. sition leader Imran Khan has despair, talks between the Pakistan Muslim The two sides are said to be in contact through alleged massive vote rigging took League-Nawaz (PML-N) government and direct and indirect backdoor channels. However, place during those polls. Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a formal dialogue is yet to resume. An opposition Khan has been holding dem- are likely to resume today after a lapse of parties’ Jirga, headed by Jamaat-e-Islami chief onstrations around the country more than two months. Sirajul Haq, is also trying to get both the parties since mid-August to force Sharif “We have no issue in resuming stalled talks back to the negotiating table. Dar demanded that to step down — earlier this week with the PTI. Most probably these talks will be the PTI postpone its protest rallies as a gesture he warned he would “close the starting from Sunday evening after the return of goodwill before resumption of talks. However, whole of Pakistan” as part of a bid of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from his foreign he did not say it was a pre-condition. to topple the government. trip,” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said yesterday. The PTI has announced to shut down three His campaign is losing momen- Before leaving for London, the Prime Minister major cities, Faisalabad, Karachi and Lahore, tum, but Khan has warned that had asked Dar to approach PTI, which is in a on December 8, December 12 and December 15, on December 16 he and his sup- protest mode since August 16 against the per- respectively, and the whole country on December porters would paralyse major cit- ceived electoral fraud in the May 2013 polls, and 18, if its demand for an independent audit of the ies starting with Lahore, Sharif’s resume the dialogue process. The decision had May 2013 general elections is not accepted. seat of power. come on the request of Leader of Opposition in INTERNEWS AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Key accused Ambedkar’s death anniversary in Burdwan blast arrested Militant’s wife, son held earlier

GUWAHATI: Shahnur Alom, their minor son from Guwahati. a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen The DGP also said the JMB Bangladesh (JMB) militant who has been eyeing Assam and West is a key accused in the October 2 Bengal to spread its base after blast in West Bengal’s Burdwan being banned in Bangladesh. district, has been arrested While it has established its base in Assam, police said here in West Bengal to some extent, yesterday. in Assam it has not been able to He was arrested by Assam spread much. Police’s Special Operation Unit “Some of the top leaders of the from Nalbari district late Friday. Jihadi group have come to Assam Alom, one of the main opera- and married local girls and settled tives of the JMB in Assam, had in West Bengal,” he said. been absconding from his house Besides, the police chief said the in Barpeta district’s Chatla village JMB has a presence in some lower since October this year. and central Assam districts and The accidental blast took in Barak Valley. place at a house in Burdwan’s Sarma said Assam Police Khagragarh area, killing two JMB have kept certain areas under Dalits take a nap near statues of B R Ambedkar, displayed for sale on his 58th death anniversary in Mumbai yesterday. Ambedkar, a low-caste militants and injuring another. surveillance and are monitor- leader, fought against discrimination based on caste. He is also known as the architect of the Indian Constitution. Assam Director General of ing the activities of some youths Police (DGP) Khagen Sarma for their alleged links with the said: “Alom was taking shelter Jihadi group. in Meghalaya and areas along “We have also received names the India-Bangladesh border in of some women members of Assam. But finally, he came to the group. There are about five Kashmir attacks shameful, says Modi Nalbari with an intention to take women members of the JMB shelter among his relatives.” and they have taken part mainly RANCHI: Prime Minister Twenty-one people, including attack. He is survived by an eight- the state with forest and mines... “Alom was a trained cadre of in motivational training of the Narendra Modi yesterday eight soldiers, were killed in a year-old daughter and a four- and it has the potential to emerge the JMB and he was involved group,” he said. described the terror attacks string of attacks across Kashmir year-old son. Modi also appealed as an economic power,” Modi said. directly in the Burdwan blast. Assam Police have termed the in Jammu and Kashmir as a Friday. to the people of Jharkhand to vote He said the state will be able We have records of him visiting arrest of Alom as a big catch as “shameful act on the democratic The attacks came in the midst for development. The state too is to generate billions from coal in Burdwan and meeting some of the they hope to get vital details about process” in the state, which is of assembly polls in the state. in the midst of five-phase polls, coming years under a new coal top leaders. Alom is a good moti- the Jihadi organisations operating witnessing a healthy turnout in The third phase will take place the third phase of which will be policy. vator and that is why his arrest in the state, including their cadre assembly polls. on December 9. The first two held December 9. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party was important to us,” he told the strength, financial transactions Addressing a poll rally in phases saw a turnout of around “Enough politics has been done (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha media. and other details. Hazaribagh district, Modi also 70 percent. in the name of caste and creed. was also present in the rally. “Assam Police had missed Alom The National Investigation asked the Jharkhand electorate to “An army officer from The time has come to vote for He shared the dais with his son closely several times during its Agency, which is probing the vote for development in the state. Jharkhand was also killed. I pay development,” Modi said. Jayant Sinha who is Hazaribagh operation,” Sarma said, adding Burdwan case, had announced a “The terrorists did a shameful my tributes to the security per- “Only development will take MP and a minister in the Modi that police were on the lookout for bounty of Rs500,000 on Alom and act by attacking the democratic sonnel killed in terrorist attack,” the state forward...,” he said. cabinet. about five other top JMB cadres. raided his home at Chatala village process in Kashmir. Our brave said Modi. “Jharkhand is living under Votes will be counted in Last month, police arrested at least three times. security personnel gave a befitting Lt Col Sanklap Shukla, a resi- darkness despite the fact that both Jammu and Kashmir and Alom’s wife Sujina Begum and IANS reply to them,” Modi said. dent of Ranchi, was killed in the state produces coal. God graced Jharkhand December 23. IANS Taxi driver Some blinded by botched surgery may get back sight rapes NEW DELHI: Doctors may be doctors dispatched from New Government officials blamed told AFP. Volunteer groups and govern- able to restore the vision of at Delhi and Punjab state capi- tainted drugs for the deaths, but “Technical teams are question- ment authorities regularly hold least six of the 20 people blinded tal Chandigarh say “at least six an independent report said the ing him (the doctor) on different medical camps to treat tens of woman by botched free cataract sur- of the victims could get their women had suffered septicaemia aspects,” Singh said. thousands of poor Indians each gery in northern India, a gov- normal sight back after special that could have been caused by Punjab police were seeking to year for various ailments. ernment official said yesterday. treatment”, senior Punjab state lack of hygiene. trace every patient operated on Authorities said the problem in Delhi Authorities have suggested government official Ravi Bhagat In the case of those having eye at the camp to ascertain the total first came to light when victims poor surgical hygiene may be to told AFP. surgery, the organiser of the camp number of victims. began coming forward earlier in NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old blame for the loss of sight after Local media reports, however, has been arrested on accusations A government doctor who the week. woman was allegedly raped what are normally considered say the number of people blinded of allegedly running the camp treated the latest victims on Police said there could be more by a cab driver when she low-risk operations, in the latest could range from 30 up to as without government permis- Friday said they had contracted arrests in the cataract case. was returning home in Delhi scandal to highlight poor medical much as 60. sion, police said, while the doc- infections after undergoing the “Our police team is leaving for after completing her shift at a care in parts of India. The cases have raised fresh tor who performed the cataract cataract surgery on November 4. Mathura in neighbouring state of Gurgaon-based finance com- Authorities in India’s Punjab concerns about the hygiene stand- operations has been been held for “They came to us in a very Uttar Pradesh, where the NGO pany, police said yesterday. state reported 20 confirmed cases ards in India’s severely stretched questioning. bad condition... the infection had (non-governmental organisation) The incident took place Friday of blindness after a medical char- health care services. “Our preliminary enquiries already spread,” Karanjeet Singh has its headquarter,” Singh said. night after the woman boarded ity conducted free cataract opera- The incident comes just weeks have indicated the doctor per- told India’s NDTV news channel, “In Mathura, we hope to get the cab around 9.30pm from tions on 157 people in November after the deaths of 13 women fol- formed more than 30 operations adding “chances of restoring their the names of all the other people Vasant Vihar area in south Delhi. in Amritsar. lowing sterilisation surgery at a in a single day,” Manvinder Singh, eyesight” are as a result much directly responsible for this illegal In her police complaint, the But now a special team of camp in central India. a senior Punjab police official, lower. camp,” he said. AFP woman alleged that she had finished her day-long shift around 7pm and went to a hotel in Gurgaon for dinner with Broom-ing up her friends. The woman was later dropped Another AAP leader joins BJP off in the Vasant Vihar area by her friends from where she hired NEW DELHI: Ashok Kumar Chauhan, the former Aam Aadmi a private cab around 9.30pm, Party legislator from Delhi’s Ambedkar Nagar constituency, yes- police said quoting the complaint. terday joined the BJP. He said he was “feeling suffocated” in the “While on my way home, I fell AAP and decided to leave. asleep on the back seat of the Elected on an AAP ticket in the December 2013 assembly polls, cab. A few minutes later, I real- Chauhan had defeated Congress heavyweight Chaudhary Prem Singh ised that the car had stopped at a — a four-time legislator from Ambedkar Nagar — by 16,486 votes. deserted place and the driver was “I was feeling suffocated in the party and therefore decided to leave. molesting me,” the woman said in I think the Bharatiya Janata Party will better utilise my talents as the her complaint. AAP has lost focus,” Chauhan said. The woman, a resident of north “I want to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Delhi’s Inderlok area, said in her Modi,” he added. complaint that the cab driver — Chauhan, who belongs to the Dalit community, said AAP chief Arvind identified as 44-year-old Gaurav Kejriwal “cheated” and “betrayed” the Valmiki community and never — slapped her several times when fulfilled pre-poll promises. she objected to the act. “The Valmiki community connected with the AAP with great expec- “I tried to unlock the cab door tations but they are today feeling cheated and betrayed. Party workers but failed. The driver threatened from the Dalit community are disappointed with the leadership. The to kill me and raped me,” the AAP has not given due recognition to the Valmiki community,” he said. woman said. The AAP was reportedly miffed with Chauhan who along with two Police said the driver later other party leaders had gone to Goa to meet BJP leaders in September. dropped off the woman near her Along with Chauhan, former secretary of the Congress’ state unit, home and once again threatened Rahul Rajpal too joined the BJP. The development comes just days her with dire consequences if she after AAP leaders Ashwini Upadhyay and M S Dhir joined the BJP. approached the police. IANS Police said the woman, who was working as an analyst in a finance Veteran actor Dilip Kumar in hospital company in Sector 21 in Gurgaon for the past three years, made a call to the police control room MUMBAI: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, who is suffering from around 10.30pm and informed severe cold and cough, was yesterday taken to the Lilavati Hospital officials about her ordeal and the here, a close friend of the family said. number of the cab. “He has been taken to Lilavati as he has cold and cough for past Police said a case has been reg- Newly-married Hindu couples hold brooms as they pledge to clean their houses, after taking their wedding two-three days. He might be in hospital for a routine check-up for a istered against the driver who is vows during a mass marriage ceremony in the western city of Ahmedabad yesterday. few days but there is nothing to worry about,” the source said. on the run. IANS IANS

SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME

Fajr (Dawn) 4:45 Shorook (Sunrise) 6:06 Zuhr (Noon) 11:25 Asr (Afternoon) 2:24 Maghrib (Sunset) 4:45 Isha (Night) 6:15

WEATHER

Weather Today Monday Tuesday Conditions: Partly cloudy Mostly cloudy Partly cloudy Hazy to misty at places at first becomes moderate High: 27° High: 25° High: 26° temperature Low: 19° Low: 18° Low: 18° daytime with some clouds and relatively cold by night

DOHA - SUN & SEA

SUN TIDE SEA SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND 06:06 16:44 05:45 16:30 12:45 22:45 05-15 KT Pizza Hut is testing what it calls “the world’s first subconscious menu”, a special eye-tracking tablet. The digital menu shows diners a canvas of 20 toppings and builds their pizza, from one of 4,896 combinations, based on which toppings they look at longest. THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER Pizza Hut to take orders straight from our minds MUSCAT 28/19 Clear 27/18 Clear MAKKAH 36/24 Partly cloudy 34/23 Partly cloudy LONDON: Ordering pizza by get it right,” a Pizza Hut spokes- Domino’s has said customers seconds is different from wanting KUWAIT 25/10 Clear 25/10 Clear thinking and speaking words man said, “so that the focus of din- spend more, and come back more to binge on a large meat lover’s. BAHRAIN 23/16 Clear 24/16 Clear is so last century. Pizza Hut is ing can be on the most important often, when they can order online. But the technology is not that far 22/10 Clear 23/12 Partly cloudy now testing technology that part — the enjoyment of eating”. But the pizza arms race has removed from Web retailers’ ubiq- RIYADH 22/13 Partly cloudy 21/13 Mostly cloudy allows diners to order within The menu, built by Swedish eye- brought about a growing line of uitous recommendations engines, DUBAI 30/17 Clear 31/15 Clear seconds, using only their eyes. tracking firm Tobii Technology, questionably useful technology which predict what a shopper BAGHDAD 24/11 Partly cloudy 24/14 Partly cloudy The future! is the product of six months of aimed at knocking down one might want based on what items Calling it “the world’s first sub- retina-scanning development and of the few remaining borders they’ve looked at before. THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW conscious menu,” the pizza giant “psychological research,” accord- between wanting a pizza and What makes restaurants so has since October been testing a ing to Pizza Hut. An expansion eating one. Xbox One gamers in excited about ordering via tab- HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER special eye-tracking tablet with into the United States could be in Britain can say “Domino’s, Feed lets? They make it easier for us to some of the diners in its 300 loca- the cards, based on how well the Me,” and the voice-activated con- impulsively order items we might ATHENS 17/13 Partly cloudy 15/11 Rain tions across Britain. pilot programme goes. sole will send in a delivery order regret if, say, we had to talk to a WASHINGTON 07/0 Clear 06/06 Chance of rain The digital menu shows diners Across the world’s fast-food instantly. And hundreds of thou- person to order it. They show din- SYDNEY 29/19 Chance of storm 32/19 Chance of storm a canvas of 20 toppings and builds empire, few companies have sands of customers use the new ers a wider range of goodies, mak- LONDON 09/03 Chance of rain 06/-1 Clear their pizza, from one of 4,896 com- invested so heavily in changing voice-ordering function of the ing them more likely to see extras binations, based on which toppings the way people order as the elites chain’s mobile app. they want. And they make ordering PARIS 07/04 Chance of rain 06/01 Chance of rain they looked at longest. To try again, in America’s $38bn pizza industry. Will the tablet be a herald, faster, more convenient and more ISTANBUL 14/09 Partly cloudy 14/10 Mostly cloudy a diner can glance at a “restart” And for good reason: Pizza Hut as the chain said, of the end of streamlined, with fewer humans MANILA 27/22 Partly cloudy 27/24 Rain button. “Finally the indecisive said digital orders made up 40 the paper menu? Analysts said in the middle taking orders (and DHAKA 27/14 Partly cloudy 27/16 Clear orderer and the prolonged menu percent of its delivery and car- that seems unlikely. Looking at wanting paychecks). DELHI 27/09 Partly cloudy 26/11 Clear peruser can cut time and always ryout business last quarter, and a picture of pepperoni for a few WP-BLOOMBERG ISLAMABAD 21/07 Clear 19/06 Clear

World’s largest Run for fun The cost of covering Obama’s trip to truffle sells for $61,250 Asia, Australia? $100,000 per reporter WASHINGTON: News organ- this and trying to get to the bot- organisations — perhaps spooked at auction isations knew that covering tom of what happened,” said by the expected price tag — balked US President Barack Obama’s Christi Parsons, the president of at sending a reporter on the char- NEW YORK: Consider it a ba r- trip to Asia and Australia last the White House Correspondents ter. Other journalists simply with- gain: The world’s largest white month was going to be expen- Association (WHCA), which drew for unknown reasons. truffle sold at auction yesterday sive. Now they know just how represents reporters. Parsons, a By the time the charter left on for $61,250 — far less than the expensive — and it’s causing reporter for the Los Angeles Times November 8, only 40 media rep- cool $1m its owner reportedly some sticker shock. who covered the Asia trip, was resentatives had committed to had hoped for. The White House Travel Office fielding calls from journalists who flying on all five segments. And The White Alba’s Truffle has told reporters that the final were trying to explain the hair- that’s just the average number. weighed 4.16 pounds (1.89kg) cost for the charter jet that flew raising bill to their bosses. Some reporters made their own when unearthed last week in the them to and from China, Burma The WHCA coordinates presi- arrangements, flying commer- Umbrian region of Italy, making and Australia will be stunning: dential press travel with the cial on some legs and joining the it by far the largest ever found. $89,000 per person. White House Travel Office, which charter on others. Which meant Sotheby’s said it was purchased That’s not only the most ever collects bids from charter carri- that on some flights, the 365-seat by a gourmand from Taiwan, who for a presidential trip, it’s also ers and organises the flights. The Boeing 777-200 used by Delta took had placed his winning bid by nearly 50 percent more than what higher bill is a result of some off with fewer than 40 journalists, telephone. journalists thought they were inaccurate pre-trip estimates, but leaving acres of empty seats. Bidding started at $50,000 for going to be paying Delta Airlines, who’s responsible for the miscal- The Washington Post was among the record-breaking fungus. the charter carrier, in early culations is still in dispute. the news organisations that sent It was owned by the Balestra November. Back then, the esti- Press charter costs are split a reporter on the charter. Others Family of Sabatino Truffles, mated cost was a mere $60,000 among all travelling journal- included Fox News, NBC, ABC, whose CEO told the New Haven per head, also record territory. ists, and the price of a seat is a CBS, CNN, the Associated Press, Register newspaper this week The final total doesn’t include reflection of the number of media Tribune newspapers, and Kyodo that he hoped it would fetch the other costs of covering the people who sign up for a trip. As and Fuji TV of Japan. seven figures. president on the road, such as more people travel, the cost of Some news organisations are “I told everybody I wanted a hotels, meals, ground transpor- each seat falls. But the opposite withholding payment for the million dollars,” said Federico tation and such incidentals as the is also true. charter until they can get to the Balestra telling the newspaper fees for renting press filing cent- And that’s what seems to have bottom of what happened. that a Sabatino employee in Italy ers in the four cities that Obama happened in this case. Days before Presidential trips are fast-mov- “was hunting truffles for us and visited. All told, the final bill could the president’s departure, the ing affairs, and the press charter, found the truffle for us”. be stratospheric, roughly $100,000 WHCA said it expected an aver- which flies on a schedule similar Balestra added that the mas- per person for the nine-day trip. age of 51 travellers on the five legs to that of Air Force One, is usu- sive fungus — slightly smaller Like a homeowner presented of the trip, which meant that each ally the only way for reporters to than an American football — was with an unexpected repair bill, person would pay $60,000, based keep up. Obama’s next major trip large enough “to feed a party for Runners wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in the ‘Santa Claus journalists are asking the obvi- on an estimate by the White abroad is in January, when he is 300-400 truffle dinners.” Run’ in Budapest yesterday. About 3.000 runners took part in this ous question: What?!? House Travel Office. scheduled to travel to India. Long after the dinner plates year’s event. “We are very concerned about Instead, some news WP-BLOOMBERG are cleared away, the Balestra truffle was expected to enjoy immortality as an entry in next year’s edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. News reports said this Pluto-bound spacecraft to be woken from hibernation new record holder was about twice the size of the previous champion. CAPE CANAVERAL: After nine years It is the last unexplored region of the that Pluto, located about 40 times farther Nevertheless, the dethroned and a journey of 4.8bn km, Nasa’s New solar system. “It’s hard to underestimate away from the sun than Earth, was not white truffle fetched far more Horizons robotic probe will be woken from the evolution that’s taking place in our alone in its diminutive size, prompting when it was sold in 2010 — some hibernation to begin its unprecedented view of the architecture and content of the International Astronomical Union to $417,200, according to Sotheby’s, mission: the study of the icy dwarf planet our solar system as result of the discovery reconsider its definition of “planet”. The auction house said the Pluto and its home, the Kuiper Belt. of the Kuiper Belt,” lead researcher Alan In 2006, with New Horizons already on Balestra family plans to donate A pre-set alarm clock is due to rouse Stern said. The probe will make its closest its way, Pluto was stripped of its title as proceeds from the auction to a New Horizons from its electronic slumber approach to Pluto on July 14. the ninth planet in the solar system and number of charitable organisa- at 3pm EST. The scientific observation of Since its discovery in 1930, Pluto has became a dwarf planet, of which more than tions, including Citymeals-on- Pluto, its entourage of moons and other been a mystery. Scientists struggled to 1,000 have since been discovered in the Wheels, a local group to feed bodies in the solar system’s frozen back- explain why a planet with a radius of just Kuiper Belt. With New Horizons approach- the hungry, and the Children’s yard begins on January 15. Pluto lies in the 1,190km could come to exist beyond the ing Pluto’s doorstep, scientists are eager for An artist’s impression of Nasa’s New Horizons Glaucoma Foundation. Kuiper Belt, a region of icy mini-planets giant worlds of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and their first close-up look at this unexplored spacecraft, currently en route to Pluto. AFP orbiting the sun beyond Neptune. Neptune. In 1992, astronomers discovered domain. REUTERS Sunday 7 December 2014 15 Safar 1436 Volume 19 Number 6272 Price: QR2

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Imports of construction materials set to double by Q1, 2016 BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB additional berths in Mesaieed, immediately for comments. be able to increase imports from the aggregate has to be moved in QPMC serves about 60 percent which are located adjacent to the Al Rabban said that QPMC traders to fulfil the expected rise in less than 20 days to make room for of the Qatar market with washed DOHA: The import capacity of gabbro berths, will add 3mtpa to has also taken out a lease on demand of raw materials as Qatar’s additional supplies.” sand. Qatar has a capacity to pro- primary raw materials for the the existing capacity. the southern breakwater of Ras major infrastructure projects He had also said that the gov- duce 10mtpa of washed sand per construction sector will more “We have also initiated two Laffan to build floating jetties moves forward. ernment has appointed QPMC to year. Based on a study, it is esti- than double to 44 million tonnes other projects to increase import capable of handling 7 mtpa which The GTEP will enhance effi- create a strategic stockpile of 10 mated that local raw supply for per annum (mtpa) from the capacity. To this end, in addition was expected to be operational by ciency at the berths by installing mtpa of aggregate for emergency washed sand will be depleted in existing 21 mtpa with the com- to operating the existing jetty in the end of this year. conveyors and stackers to help use which will only be released on three to five years’ time. pletion of ongoing construction Lusail, we are building a new jetty The QPMC was set up in 2006 reduce the time for trucking and a case-by-case basis, so as not to Due to dwindling resources and of Gabbro Terminal Expansion due to be completed by the end of by an Emiri decree with the man- moving materials to enhancing the interfere with local traders. To environmental concerns, Qatar Project (GTEP) by first quarter October which will provide another date to boost the efficiency of port total gabbro berth terminal capac- date QPMC have secured over 7.5m may need to import about 18mtpa of 2016. Works on the QR1.2bn 3m tonnes of capacity,” Khalid facilities used to import construc- ity in Mesaieed to 30m tonnes. tonnes and is in the process of get- of sand which will be mixed with ($329m) GTEP project, being Al Rabban, former chairman of tion materials, primarily aggre- Asked how successful has ting the rest. local washed sand to prolong the implemented by a consortium QPMC told Oxford Business Group gates including limestone, gabbro, QPMC been at increasing stock- Regarding cement, it is esti- life of local supplies to meet con- from the European Union, to (OBB) in an interview conducted sand and other free-flowing bulk piles locally for materials, and mated that an additional 3mtpa struction needs. However, the develop additional berths at for its latest “The Report Qatar construction materials. what more needs to be done to will need to be imported on top of concerned authorities, according Mesaieed port is progressing in 2014”, an annual publication. In 2007, the three berths (at enhance storage capabilities, he what is produced locally. In addi- to reports, have also taken initia- full swing, according to a sen- Khalid Al Rabban has passed Mesaieed port) had a capacity to said: “For local traders there is a tion, Qatar has initiated a project tives to recycle excavation waste ior official of Qatar Primary away since conducting this inter- import up to 10mtpa of aggregates, 5mtpa-capacity stockpiling yard to build storage silos next to the and demolition debris to achieve Materials Company (QPMC). view, the current chairman of which was increased to 21 mtpa. in Mesaieed near the berths. This berths in Mesaieed. These will be sustainable supplies and also to Besides the GTEP project, the QPMC is Abdulaziz Al Ansari, And with the completion of GTEP is small in comparison to market able to store 70,000 tonnes and will reducing pressure on ports. QPMC has also started leasing who could not be contacted in less than two years time, will requirements, so the challenge is be ready by first-quarter 2015. THE PENINSULA

Salary protest in Turkey CBS and Dish reach deal QR80bn project works after CBS pulls programming completed in 2013 Al Rayyan witnesses completion of maximum projects NEW YORK: US broadcasting BY SATISH KANADY companies CBS Corp and Dish construction section (buildings). QR11bn. In terms of project value, Network Corp reached a mul- Of these, main contractors com- Doha Municipality was the topper. tiyear deal yesterday with CBS DOHA: Qatar, which is pro- pleted 2,923 projects, at a value The year saw Doha Municipality agreeing to continue to deliver jected to spend $182bn over the of QR32bn, while sub contrac- completing a total of 5246 projects its programs to Dish’s 14 million next five years on infrastruc- tors completed 544 projects worth worth a total estimated value of subscribers. ture, has completed a total of QR2.32bn. QR52bn. 905 projects was com- The deal came hours after 9,213 projects worth QR80bn The year witnessed completion pleted in Al Wakra Municipality CBS pulled CBS, CBS Sports and in 2013. Buildings, electricity, of 342 roads and bridges projects with a total value of QR3.95bn. Showtime from top Dish markets water desalination, and roads with a total value of QR8.7bn and Other municipalities collectively in the latest of a string of disputes and bridges accounted for maxi- 557 projects were completed in completed 1308 projects with a between media conglomerates and mum number of the country’s electricity generation and water combined value of QR13bn. distributors over the price of car- completed projects in 2013. desalination sectors with a total The MDPS said project num- rying cable channels and terms. Almost 3,225 projects, with value of QR9.89bn. bers and their values included in A CBS statement did not disclose a collective value of estimated A total of 51 pipeline projects in its data does not reflect construc- the financial terms of the deal but QR48bn, were completed under the oil and gas sector were com- tion works carried out by foreign said it will result in the dismissal the government sector, while pleted during the year, this is in contractors for the purpose of oil of pending litigation between the private sector saw the comple- addition to six projects related exploration and development of the companies. There were a number tion of 5,592 projects at a total to the drilling oil and gas wells. North Gas field or any other areas. of factors involved in the agree- value of QR26bn, the Ministry Another 51 projects were com- Deloitte’s report says Qatar’s ment including the price Dish pays of Development Planning and pleted in the ports and harbour infrastructure sector witnessed CBS for each subscriber, the issue Statistics (MDPS) data said. sector with a value of QR966m. Of a 16 percent growth in 2013-14 of digital rights and the number of According to the market intel- the total 9,213 projects, main con- with an allocation of $24bn to networks wrapped up or “bundled” ligence reports, infrastructure tractors completed 5,521 projects key projects. Funds have been in the agreement, according to a spending will continue to grow worth a total of QR63bn. Sub con- set aside for completing Hamad source close to the deal. double digit in 2015-16. Global tractors completed 3,692 projects International Airport, the New Talks between Dish and CBS consulting and financial advisory worth a total value of QR17bn. Doha Port Project, the rail and broke down after two exten- firm Deloitte noted in its lat- A breakdown of projects car- metro projects, and the roads sions to their contract’s initial est report that Qatar will spend ried out at various municipal programme. A major part of the November 20 expiration, which $182bn over the next five years. areas suggests maximum number spending will be on the Qatar Rail had allowed them to continue A total of QR34bn was spent of projects were carried out in project, which is expected to cost Thousands of public employees rally in Ankara’s central Sihhiye Square their negotiations and keep the during the year to complete Al Rayyan Municipal area, 1,768 around $45bn to build. as they protest against the planned low salary hike by the government CBS channels available to Dish 3,467 projects in the general projects with a total value of THE PENINSULA yesterday. The protesters in Turkey are demanding a larger increase subscribers. On Friday evening, in their 2015 salaries. CBS said it would no longer be available to Dish viewers in 17 major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver, near Dish headquar- Talent gap growing in energy and ters in Englewood, Colorado. The stakes for such negotiat- ing tactics are high and timing for the deal likely hinged on two huge chemical sectors in Qatar: KPMG sporting franchises that draw in millions of viewers. CBS broad- DOHA: KPMG’s “2014 global they attract and retain the best people activities are driven by a casts National Football League talent crisis survey” revealed talent.” clear business need. Governance and the Southeastern Conference that the number one concern There are a number of driv- and infrastructure also plays a college football games. Yesterday, of the energy industry is the ers that are forcing the need part. Having the right data on tal- CBS airs the SEC championship gap between a retiring work- for change with employers. ent and requirements and operat- game with the Alabama Crimson force and the shortage of expe- Businesses are facing increasing ing the right systems will provide Tide and today it will carry the rienced, qualified people within competition and cost pressures valuable input. Establishing clear match-up between the Denver the sector to replace them. requiring greater productiv- roles and structure within the Broncos and the Buffalo Bills. On Thursday, KPMG in Qatar ity from their workforce. This, Talent Management Team and As part of the deal, Dish agreed brought together 20 members of linked with an ageing workforce, creating the right processes is to block use of its commercial- the country’s energy and chem- a drop in the number of students essential,” he said. skipping AutoHop for new pro- ical industry to discuss the pos- choosing to study alternative Hilda Mulock Houwer, Partner grammes on CBS stations for a sible impact this will have on industries, increased mobility at KPMG and Global Head of seven-day period. The deal also the industry. and high employee expectations, Advisory, Energy and Natural gives Dish rights to Showtime Robert Bolton, KPMG’s Global means that employers need to Resources, said; “It’s important video-on-demand content but only Head of Talent Management, take action. that a framework is developed for within the home. The AutoHopper present at the event, said: “There are several key areas managing talent. Before leaping has been a source of tension “KPMG research has shown that that companies should focus on. in to recruitment, organisations between Dish and major media only 32 percent of companies have Changing the approach to recruit- should consider needs, risks, companies like Walt Disney, detailed strategic workforce plans ment is crucial and HR teams evaluation and investment. Once Twenty-First Century Fox, and and two out of three don’t have should look to implement global the foundations are in place, CBS, all of which launched law- succession plans. By focusing on recruitment strategies and exam- recruitment methods, talent suits to try to prevent the satellite strategic requirements and taking ine the way that they build and development and engagement is company from letting its custom- Hilda Mulock Houwer (left), Partner at KPMG and Global Head of Advisory, a global view to talent manage- maintain talent pools. HR teams all key to ensuring that qualified, ers skip commercials. Energy and Natural Resources, with Robert Bolton, KPMG’s Global Head ment, oil and chemical compa- should also focus on aligning with experienced people stay with the REUTERS of Talent Management, at the event. nies in Qatar can ensure that the business — ensuring that all company.” THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Deflation poses risks to global house prices: QNB

of the global financial crisis and Drop in commodity prices raised deflation possibilities recession and have been rising steadily over the last few years. DOHA: The rising risk of defla- over the last five years. Broadly The recent sharp decline in However, the slowdown in EM tion in selected markets poses speaking, advanced economies commodity prices has signifi- economies in 2013-14 has dragged downside risks to the anaemic were the most heavily impacted cantly dampened the outlook for down housing prices and led to a recovery in global house prices, by the crisis, mainly in the US, global inflation with rising risks slowdown in price growth. QNB said in a weekly report. UK and most of the eurozone. of deflation, particularly in the China is of particular concern. The global housing market has In these countries, house Euro Area. The increase in real house prices struggled to recover from the prices fell sharply in 2007-09 and This is likely to have a nega- slowed from 16.3 percent in the steep correction during the Great recovered only slowly since then. tive impact on global house prices. year to Q4, 2013 to 5.1 percent in Recession of 2008-09. The recent Elsewhere (mostly emerging mar- Falling goods prices can feed Q2, 2014 and real prices actually drop in commodity prices has sig- kets [EMs]), house prices were through to asset prices leading fell 2 percent in Q3, 2014. This nificantly raised the risk of defla- more resilient during the crisis to expectations of further price suggests that the Chinese real tion, especially in the eurozone. and rebounded earlier in line with falls, creating a downward spiral estate market could be nearing a In summary, global deflation- As in the case of Japan during higher economic growth. of asset price deflation. crunch point. ary pressures add to the risk of its “lost decades”, deflation could The eurozone is at the root of In 2013-14, the recovery in A sharp correction in property a correction in house prices in feed through to a general decline the weak global recovery in house UK and US housing markets has prices could lead to an increase 2015. In some countries, particu- in asset prices, including housing. prices. Sluggish growth and the strengthened. Low interest rates in defaults, risking a crisis in the larly in the eurozone with slow or This could imply a significant cor- disinflationary environment have and policies to support the hous- same, the IMF assesses current overextended shadow banking negative house price growth, the rection in house prices in selected led to a gradual and steady decline ing sector have helped. However, US house prices to be broadly in system. Measures to constrain risk of deflation and a downward markets going forward. in house prices. The eurozone’s rising price increases have line with fundamentals. credit to the real estate sector spiral in house prices is rising. In In real terms, average global house price index has declined raised concerns about potential Deflationary pressures, how- and restrict speculation appear other countries where a recovery house prices in 50 large countries 15.4 percent in real terms since its overheating. ever, could impact markets in the to have taken some heat out the has taken hold up to now, there reached a trough in the second peak in Q3, 2007. Property mar- IMF analysis suggests that the UK and the US as well, notwith- market, but any further house is a risk that real estate markets quarter of 2009. The recovery kets in Greece, Italy and Spain UK house prices may be overval- standing their relationship with price declines going forward could may be overvalued and a destabil- since then has been fairly anae- were particularly affected, given ued by about 30 percent when fundamentals. have significant repercussion on ising correction could be around mic, with average real house the sharp recession that followed compared with long-term aver- In most EMs house prices were private consumption and the the corner. prices up only 1.2 percent a year the eurozone crisis. age incomes and rents. At the relatively resilient to the impact banking sector. THE PENINSULA

Citi’s credit card Ex-IMF chief denies Japan business gets joint bid bank misrepresented from three buyers accounts before listing TOKYO: Three companies have emerged to make a joint bid MADRID: Ex-IMF head report. “We were not acting for Citigroup Inc’s credit card Rodrigo Rato denied that alone, we were completely con- business in Japan, the Nikkei bailed-out Spanish lender trolled,” added Rato, a former reported, as the US lender goes Bankia misrepresented its Spanish economy minister. ahead with plans to exit con- accounts ahead of its doomed Bankia nearly collapsed in 2012 sumer banking in the country. 2011 stock listing while he was and had to be bailed out by the Shinsei Bank Ltd, department chairman of the bank. Spanish government for $30bn. store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi The allegations came in a Bank Thousands of customers who Holdings Ltd and credit card of Spain report submitted to a say they lost their money after service provider JCB Co Ltd court investigating the public being misled into converting want to buy the unit, which offers listing of Bankia, many of whose their savings into Bankia shares Diners Club credit cards in Japan, customers lost their savings. have brought separate lawsuits the business daily reported. The financial evaluation of against the group. Shinsei is expected to be the Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet (left) listens to IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde during the opening Bankia included in the brochure In several hundred cases main buyer, with JCB assist- for the stock listing “did not judges have ruled in their favour, ceremony of an economic forum in Santiago. ing with account settlements present a faithful picture of the according to associations repre- and Isetan Mitsubishi provid- company”, the experts wrote in senting those affected. ing department store services to the report which was made pub- The experts said Bankia over- cardholders, the report said. Latin American ‘spaghetti bowl’ lic on Thursday. valued its real estate assets in its The companies have not yet They added that they had dis- accounts for 2011, damaged by decided what they will pay for the covered “inexplicable purchases” the property crash that hurled business, the Nikkei said. of Bankia shares and “sales Spain into crisis in 2008. The sale price is expected to be integration not working: IMF immediately after the stock list- The accounts “do not fulfil the in the range of 30bn - 50bn yen ing that cast doubt on the real Bank of Spain’s norms, due to ($247.18m-$411.90m), according SANTIAGO: International economies has produced numerous, region also include the four-mem- interest of certain investors”. accounting errors,” the experts to some estimates. Citi declined to Monetary Fund chief Christine sometimes overlapping blocs. ber Andean Community of Nations Rato, a former International wrote. comment or confirm the report. Lagarde said that Latin America MERCOSUR (the South (CAN), the 15-member Caribbean Monetary Fund chief who was These errors “are the result Reuters had reported last needs to simplify its complex web American Common Market) Community (CARICOM) and Bankia chairman at the time of of omissions or imprecisions month that four banks includ- of regional customs unions and groups Brazil, Argentina, the Latin American Integration the flotation, has been questioned due to the failure to use the ing Sumitomo Mitsui Banking trade blocs in order to boost eco- Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay. Association (ALADI), which acts in Madrid’s National Court over information that was available Corp (SMBC) and Shinsei, nomic growth. ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance as an umbrella group of regional the case along with some other when the financial reports were were expected to participate in “The proliferation of trade for the Peoples of Our America) is bodies. former managers on suspicion of drawn up, and which the the second round of bidding for groupings, such as MERCOSUR, a leftist regional bloc that groups The two-day conference in the fraud. BFA-Bankia group could and Citi’s consumer banking business ALBA, UNASUR and SICA, has Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chilean capital Santiago is focused None of them so far has been should have used.” in Japan. The consumer bank- created a spaghetti bowl of regimes Nicaragua, Cuba, Antigua and on reviving economic growth formally charged, but they have Bankia’s 2011 accounts were ing unit, estimated to have $9bn and preferences whose aggregate Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia, and reducing inequality in Latin become targets of popular anger reformulated in May 2012 worth of dollar-denominated benefits are unclear,” said Lagarde and Saint Vincent and the America, whose economies are fac- in a country with a 24-percent by the lender’s current team deposits, has spurred interest at the opening of a regional eco- Grenadines. ing a slowdown after a so-called unemployment rate, fanned by headed by chairman Jose Ignacio of Japanese banks. Citi wants nomic conference. “Policymakers UNASUR (the Union of South “golden decade” of growth fueled a string of political corruption Goirigolzarri, and were restated to pull out of consumer banking should reassess the current American Nations) is a pan-South by high commodities prices. scandals. to reflect a €3bn loss for 2011, in Japan after 100 years, due to approach to trade and create new American political bloc. In its latest forecast, the IMF “We had no intention to fool rather than a €309m profit. weak demand for loans and fall- ways to integrate the region,” she And SICA (the Central American estimated that the GDP of the anybody. But besides, we did not But the experts’ report also ing interest margins. The lender added, calling on policymakers to Integration System) groups the region would grow by only 1.4 per- have the least possibility to do alleged accounting failures dating is expected to pick a buyer for “rejuvenate” trade integration. seven Central American countries cent in 2014, the slowest growth so,” Rato said during an inter- to just after Goirigolzarri took the Japanese business as early as Latin America’s patchwork plus the Dominican Republic. The since 2009. The body projects 2.2 view with radio Onda Cero when the helm of Bankia. December. REUTERS approach to integrating the region’s more than one dozen blocs in the percent growth in 2015. AFP asked about the Bank of Spain AFP

QFB, QU sign MoU under Al Rowad initiative for business learning

DOHA: Qatar First Bank (QFB) Abdulla bin Fahad bin Ghorab Al a unique opportunity to transfer has signed a Memorandum of Marri QFB Chairman; and Ahmad our business skills and profes- Understanding (MoU) with Meshari, QFB Acting CEO. sional knowledge to the younger Qatar University (QU) aimed Areas of cooperation will generation to help better prepare at engaging the students of include organisation of support for their professional life. We the College of Business and and participation in joint activities will be looking forward to a long Economics (CBE) in joint activ- such as “A Day with a Billionaire”, standing relationship with Qatar ities including guest speaker where the Bank facilitates hosting University”. seminars, internship opportu- a prominent figure in the business Prof Al Misnad said: “We are nities and academic research. and finance community to spend pleased to establish this partner- The MoU is the first under a day with the CBE students to ship with QFB which provides our the Al Rowad initiative which share their life experiences and students with invaluable opportu- the Bank launched with the aim success stories in the business nities to advance their business of providing an enriching learn- world. The MoU also enables the education. Hands-on guidance ing experience to students and students to avail of internship and from experts at QFB and inter- equipping them with crucial busi- job training opportunities offered action with leaders and change- ness and banking fundamentals by the Bank. makers in the finance sector in to complement their academic Al Marri said: “At its core, Qatar, will enrich our students’ knowledge. The initiative dem- QFB’s corporate social respon- experiences and complement onstrates QFB’s commitment sibility strategy focuses on their education”. toward educating and developing supporting local bodies and aca- The Al Rowad initiative com- the youth of Qatar. demic institutions that provide plements the existing QFB The MoU was signed in the the youth with the education Executive Program that targets presence of Prof Sheikha Abdulla and the right skills to support university graduates. The Bank Al Misnad, QU President; Dr the nation’s vision in its efforts plans to expand the initiative Mazen Hasna, Vice-President to become a knowledge-based to include other universities in Qatar University President Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al Misnad (left) and Qatar First Bank Chairman Abdulla bin Fahad and Chief Academic Officer; Prof economy. Our collaboration with Qatar in the near future. bin Ghorab Al Marri signing the Memorandum of Understanding. Nitham M Hindi, CBE Dean; Qatar University provides us with THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19

QNB gets award Iraq exports to add pressure on oil price for best premium Supply boost to hit Russian crude; Higher Iraqi output cited as factor against Opec cut banking service

LONDON: Iraq’s plan for higher unable to boost exports and receiv- Mehdi expressed concern about exempt from Opec supply restraint Iraq has missed its targets to DOHA: Qatar National Bank oil exports in 2015, emerging ing lower revenues for crude sales lower prices on arrival for the as it is recovering from years of expand supplies in the past, but (QNB) has recently been rec- in detail just days after Opec following a 40 percent drop in meeting, but later told reporters sanctions and conflict. Exports only a small increase is needed ognized as the “Best Premium shunned any output cut, will prices since June. Iraqi exports would rise in 2015 have been held back for most of to push Iraq’s exports above the Banking Proposition 2014 in add to global over supply and is Extra Iraqi crude is set to reach to an average of 3.2 million bpd 2014 because of the closure in record high of 2.80 million bpd set Qatar” for its QNB First pre- likely to entrench the reluctance a market forecast to need less including Kurdistan. March of Iraq’s northern pipeline, in February. mium banking service, by the of other Opec members to curb Opec oil globally in 2015 because Before the November 27 meet- which flows to the Turkish port of This could happen as soon as Global Banking and Finance their own supplies. of rising supply of US shale oil ing, Opec delegates cited Iraq’s ris- Ceyhan from the Kirkuk fields, due December as an initial 150,000 Review. Iraq’s government on Tuesday and other competing sources, and ing production, as well as a lack of to attacks from Sunni militants bpd of Kirkuk is scheduled to flow In a press statement, the Bank reached a temporary agreement no significant increase in world willingness by non-Opec producers from Islamic State, which controls this month. The prospect of extra said that receiving this award is a with Kurdish regional authorities, demand growth. “In purely volu- such as Russia, as a reason against much of the north and west of Iraq. supplies has already put prices of clear recognition of QNB First’s preparing the ground for flows of metric terms, it’s a rather unfor- other Opec members cutting sup- At present, Iraq is exporting competing, sour crude oils, such as premium banking service based 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of tunate time for prices that this is ply. “If you are going to cut produc- about 2.50 million bpd from its Russian Urals, under pressure in around innovation, quality service Kirkuk crude exports to resume, coming on,” said Eugene Lindell, tion and Iraq is going to increase southern fields — which have kept the Mediterranean market. and commitment to meet custom- on top of 250,000 bpd from the analyst at JBC Energy in Vienna, with others from non-Opec, then pumping and remained secure “We might see more flows soon,” ers evolving financial needs and region’s own fields. The increase who added that the oil would be you will achieve nothing,” said one. despite battles in other parts of said a trader with a company that aspirations. could cause unease for other mem- a “game changer” for the local Iraq is expanding its oil industry Iraq — and an estimated 250,000 buys Iraqi crude, who sees Iraq’s Understanding how to balance bers of the Organisation of the Mediterranean crude market. with the help of Western oil com- bpd of Kurdish shipments. plan to export 3.2 million bpd next today’s needs with its clients’ Petroleum Exporting Countries Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdel panies and has argued it should be Smooth progress is not certain. year as realistic. REUTERS future aspirations, and to form a long-term enduring relationship, based on mutual trust and an in- depth understanding of its clients’ Hungary’s retail sales up specific lifestyle, QNB First, is a premium service exclusively cre- China opens projects ated and designed to provide the bank’s clients with a unique, excep- tional priority banking experience, that offers a wide range of prod- to private investors ucts tailored to meet their needs. QNB First membership enables it BEIJING: The Chinese cases, PPP projects are funded and members to benefit from a wide Ministry of Finance rolled out operated by private investors and range of innovative products and 30 projects to solicit private supervised by local governments. services provided by the bank’s capital in the form of a public- Last week, China’s State Council unrivalled domestic and interna- private partnership (PPP). released an investment and financ- tional network. They can also ben- These projects, worth a total ing guideline emphasising the efit from the exclusive, stable and of 180bn yuan ($29.3bn), include importance of PPP in mobilising outstanding service they deserve water and heating supply, sewer private capital. at home and abroad through QNB systems, garbage disposal, under- PPP is favored at a time when Global Recognition Programme. ground pipe networks, medical China is confronted with mounting The Global Recognition care, sports facilities and other local government debt and a press- Programme which was launched urban infrastructure, Xinhua news ing need to fund urbanisation. The this year by QNB First, concur- agency reported. funding method has existed since rently available in 5 countries – Both domestic and foreign the 1980s, though public money Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, UK and investors are welcome to take part and debt securities issued by the France. The Global Recognition in the construction and operation government have been the main Programme is the premise that of these projects as China is striv- channel to finance infrastruc- QNB First members will be rec- ing to lower government spending ture development for decades. ognized as premium customers and improve public service. But the increased scale of invest- wherever they go. Whether trav- PPP refers to long-term coop- ment required means government elling, investing or seeking oppor- eration between governments and finance alone is not sufficient, with tunities abroad, QNB is committed A vendor weighs cheese at a store in Budapest as Hungary’s calendar-adjusted retail sales rose by an private companies in infrastruc- public institutions generally lack- to looking after their needs. annual 5.2 percent in October based on preliminary data after a 4.5 percent increase in September, the ture or public services. In most ing qualified people. QNA THE PENINSULA Central Statistics Office said. Ireland upgraded to A S&P lowers Saudi, Oman outlook on oil drop

DUBAI: Standard and Poor’s to raise the ratings over the next between $85 and $93 a barrel. prices. S&P also affirmed Oman’s by S&P over growth has lowered the outlook for the two years,” S&P said. Saudi Arabia pumps around 9.7 satisfactory “A/A-1” long- and world’s top oil exporter Saudi It said low oil prices will place million barrels per day. short-term sovereign ratings on LONDON: Ratings agency position,” Standard and Poor’s Arabia to stable from positive pressure on the kingdom’s gross S&P said the hydrocarbons “strong net external and general Standard and Poor’s raised said in a statement. and its Gulf partner Oman to domestic product (GDP) and sector contributes about 45 per- government asset positions”. Ireland’s credit rating to “A” , Now the fastest growing in negative on sliding oil prices. per capita income which was cent of GDP. “The ratings are constrained citing the country’s improved the eurozone, Ireland’s economy However, the ratings agency reduced for the 2014-2017 period The agency said the stable out- by our view that the quality of economic growth forecast and is forecast to grow almost five affirmed the strong “AA-/A-1+” to $23,400 from $25,600 in June. look reflects that Saudi Arabia Oman’s public institutions and its repayment of debt. percent this year, a significant long- and short-term foreign “We view Saudi Arabia’s econ- will keep its very strong fiscal governance is moderate, that The move to “A” from “A-” was rebound that contrasts with slug- and local currency sovereign omy as undiversified and vulner- balance sheet and net external high fiscal, external and eco- the second time in six months that gish growth in much of the bloc. credit ratings for Riyadh over able to a sharp and sustained asset position, while monetary nomic dependence on volatile the ratings agency has upgraded Standard and Poor’s forecast the “strong external and fiscal decline in the oil price, notwith- policy flexibility remains limited hydrocarbons receipts will per- Ireland, which was stripped of its that Ireland would grow an aver- positions” it has built up in the standing government policy to and dependence on hydrocarbons sist, and that monetary policy maximum “AAA” rating amid the age of 3.7 percent between 2014 past decade when oil prices were encourage non-oil private sector stays high. flexibility is limited by the (US financial crisis in 2009 and a sub- and 2016. too high. growth,” S&P said late Friday. For non-Opec member Oman, dollar) pegged exchange rate,” it sequent EU-IMF bailout. It forecast unemployment “We base our outlook revi- Although Riyadh built fiscal S&P said the negative outlook said. “The upgrade reflects our view would fall to nine percent in 2017, sion on our view that, although reserves of around $750 billion was based on the view that Oil prices have lost more of Ireland’s solid economic growth the lowest level since 2008, and real economic growth remains from surpluses from high oil the deterioration in the fiscal than a third of their value since prospects, which we expect to said the labour market was flex- relatively strong, we think Saudi revenues, its public spending or external positions could be June over a glut in output, weak underpin further improvements ible due to emigration and wage Arabia is unlikely to achieve suf- rose to record highs that raised sharper than currently expected demand and a strong dollar. in the government’s budgetary adjustments. AFP ficient levels of nominal income the breakeven price for oil to because of the steeper fall in oil AFP

Jean Tirole at Nobel Museum Germans resist ECB money-printing move

FRANKFURT/VIENNA: be decided next year. The next has enjoyed success in the US or European Central Bank policy- steps are to be decided in the first in Japan,” he said. “In the USA, maker Ewald Nowotny backed quarter of next year.” there is a central state that issues ECB President Mario Draghi The ECB has set itself a goal bonds that are very safe and (pictured) on steps to revive of expanding its balance sheet by secure. We don’t have that cen- the euro zone economy with buying assets from banks and oth- tral state here.” new stimulus, while Germany ers in return for cash it hopes will He also said that making it firmly maintained its opposition be pushed into the economy — by overly cheap for countries to bor- to buying sovereign bonds. up to €800bn or even €1 trillion. row could discourage them from The support of Nowotny, Buying sovereign bonds reforming. Austria’s central bank chief, through QE would help it achieve Italian media reported that six may prove crucial for Draghi as that target. or seven members of the ECB’s he seeks to expand the scale of The ECB discussed a bond 24-strong Council opposed the ECB action next year, most likely purchase programme with a vol- decision on Thursday to firm up including quantitative easing ume of more than €1 trillion at language on the expansion of the (QE), the printing money to buy its meetings this week, German bank’s balance sheet. government bonds. newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Weidmann’s opposition to more Draghi said on Thursday the Zeiting reported on Friday. expansive ECB stimulus measures ECB would decide early next year Nowotny said there was no comes despite the Bundesbank whether to take fresh action to detailed list of what would keep halving its 2015 growth forecast revive the economy, and said the the ECB from acting, but fac- for Germany on Friday and also bank’s Governing Council would tors to watch included the trimming its estimate for this not need to be unanimous to begin overall economy, how euro depre- year. German Finance Minister sovereign bond buying. bundled debt known as asset-back ciation was affecting exports, and Wolfgang Schaeuble, speaking at Indeed, central bank sources securities (ABS), swung in behind whether bank lending was pick- a conference with Weidmann, said say a change in wording to firm the ECB president on Friday. ing up. expansive monetary and fiscal up language on Thursday about “The position of the Austrian In Frankfurt, the Bundesbank’s policies were a cause of economic the expansion of the bank’s bal- National Bank is in line with Weidmann laid bare the woes, not a solution to them. ance sheet already came over the what Draghi said in his opening entrenched German opposition Commenting on the idea that objections of the two Germans on remarks,” Nowotny told a news to buying government bonds. economic weakness required an the ECB, Bundesbank chief Jens conference in Vienna. Such quantitative easing, expansive monetary and fiscal Weidmann and ECB policymaker “The goal is for the ECB bal- although used in the United policy, Schaeuble said: “I am not Jean Tirole, 2014 Nobel Economy laureate, poses with his sig- Sabine Lautenschlaeger. ance sheet to expand to counter States and Japan, might not work convinced of this. Rather, I am of nature on a chair at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm yesterday, Nowotny, who central bank a trend toward sinking inflation in Europe, Weidmann said. the view that this approach is not when this year’s Nobel Laureates gathered for the traditional sources say opposed an ECB and growth weakness,” he added. “You cannot simply apply the the solution, rather the cause (of signing of the chairs. decision earlier this year to buy “How exactly that will happen will same formula in Europe that economic woes).” REUTERS SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Bullish US jobs report keeps Fed plan on track Employers added largest number of workers in 3 years

WASHINGTON: US employ- and the euro zone, as well as a help determine when the U.S. ers added the largest number recession in Japan. A separate central bank starts lifting bor- of workers in nearly three years report from the Commerce rowing costs. in November and wage gains Department showed exports Average hourly earnings rose picked up, a sign of economic increased 1.2 percent in October, by 9 cents in November, the larg- strength that could draw the helping to slightly narrow the est increase since June of last Federal Reserve closer to rais- trade deficit. Exports to the year. Nevertheless, the gain left ing interest rates. European Union, China and Japan them up just 2.1 percent from Nonfarm payrolls surged by all increased. a year ago — in the same tepid 321,000, the most since January The economy added 2.65 mil- range they have held for the past 2012, the Labor Department said. lion jobs over the last 11 months, few years and well below the 3 The unemployment rate held surpassing the 2.33 million cre- percent or more economists say steady at a six-year low of 5.8 ated in 2013. “The economy is the Fed wants to see before lifting percent. “This greenlights a Fed literally blasting off. It’s heading benchmark borrowing costs. lift-off in mid-2015,” said Robert in the right direction and the The Fed has held overnight People wait in line to enter the Nassau County Mega Job Fair in New York. Dye, chief economist at Comerica outlook is a solid one,” said Chris rates near zero since December in Dallas. Rupkey, chief financial econo- 2008 and has pledged to keep Details of the report were six-year low of 11.4 percent from largest rise since last December, Data for September and mist at MUFG Union Bank in them low for a “considerable upbeat, even though a smaller and 11.5 percent in October. as employers stepped up hiring in October were revised to show New York. The data buoyed US time.” Many economists said more volatile survey of households In addition, the number of long- anticipation of a strong holiday 44,000 more jobs created than stocks and helped lift the dollar to policymakers could back off that showed mild job gains after robust term unemployed Americans fell shopping season. previously reported, adding more a 5-1/2-year high against a basket pledge as soon as their next meet- increases in prior months. to its lowest level in nearly six Hiring in both the manufac- sparkle to the report. November’s of currencies as traders brought ing on December 16-17. Most of the measures Fed years, and the number working turing and construction sectors job gains blew past Wall Street’s forward bets on the timing of “The November wage increase Chair Janet Yellen tracks to gauge only part-time even though they accelerated, and the government expectations for an increase of the first rate hike. The yield on is a warning that labour market the amount of slack in the labor wanted full-time work hit a six- added 7,000 workers. only 230,000. the two-year Treasury note hit a conditions are already starting market showed improvement. year trough. The length of the workweek It marked the 10th straight 3-1/2-year high. to turn,” said Joel Naroff, chief A broad measure of joblessness The bigger establishment sur- increased to an average of 34.6 month that job growth has The employment report pro- economist at Naroff Economic that includes people who want to vey showed job gains were broad- hours, the highest since May exceeded 200,000, the longest vided the latest sign that a Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania. work but have given up search- based last month. Employment in 2008, from 34.5 hours in October. stretch since 1994 and further strengthening jobs market is “I suspect the Fed will be talking ing and those working part-time professional and businesses serv- With workers putting in longer confirmation the economy is starting to spur faster wage about a tightening labour market because they cannot find full- ices jumped by 68,000, while retail hours, further job gains may be weathering slowdowns in China growth, a key factor that will at its next meeting.” time employment fell to a fresh payrolls increased by 50,200, their in the offing. REUTERS Wall St assessing fallout from oil price slide Dow, S&P hit NEW YORK: With crude oil businesses that supply the energy a note this week that some big officer of Solaris Group in Bedford upcoming analyst day next week, new records prices hitting five-year lows, industry. manufacturers have significant Hills, New York. Energy earnings is “less tied to oil trends,” accord- investors are scrambling to Tomorrow, Dover Corp, which exposure to the oil and gas indus- expectations have continued to ing to Goldman Sachs. gauge the impact of the sharp develops pumps and sensors used try. Dover’s annual report notes crater. On Monday, the fourth- Honeywell and GE will have after robust drop in petroleum costs on in oil and gas extraction, will hold that its energy business comprises quarter estimate was for a year- analyst days the week after next. companies beyond the energy an analyst day. Its shares have about a quarter of its annual over-year decline of 11.2 percent Volatility in GE’s shares has been US jobs report sector. fallen 9 percent in the last eight sales, and its annual report last for S&P energy stocks. By Friday, lower than usual of late, which Determining the effects of the trading sessions. “In the next year said it expected to continue that had dropped to 14.7 percent means anything unusual out of the NEW YORK: The Dow and decline in commodities prices for couple of quarters, should drill- expanding. decline, according to Thomson company could affect the stock. the S&P 500 climbed modestly ancillary industries is difficult. So ing and the build-out of infra- “It could be early for a number Reuters data. Whether the drop The same goes for Honeywell, to fresh record highs on Friday it will be instructive to see what structure slow down, these are of these companies to announce in energy prices will have an effect whose shares Goldman notes have after a blockbuster US labour kind of comments come out of the guys that are going to get or speculate on how the decline on other sectors is yet unclear. moved, on average, 3.4 percent report showed widespread jobs a number of analyst meetings hit,” said Kim Forrest, senior in oil prices has impacted or Sector behemoths Honeywell and after its last seven fiscal outlook growth in November. being held in the next few weeks equity research analyst at Fort will impact their results, either General Electric have a 15 percent calls, compared with an average 1.9 The Dow Jones Industrial from major industrial companies, Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh. positively or negatively,” said exposure to oil and gas each while percent move after its last eight Average added 58.69 points (0.33 some of which have substantial Goldman Sachs pointed out in Tim Ghriskey, chief investment United Technologies, also with an earnings releases. REUTERS percent) at 17,958.79, topping its Wednesday mark by about 46 points. The broad-market S&P 500 index added 3.32 (0.16 per- Greece-Turkey Business Forum cent) at 2,075.24, also a record, and the tech-rich Nasdaq US trade gap narrows Composite Index rose 11.32 (0.24 percent) to 4,780.76. The Dow capped the first week of December closing just to $43.4bn in October shy of the 18,000 mark after the Labor Department reported the WASHINGTON: The US Imports increased 0.9 percent economy added a much stronger- trade deficit narrowed less than in October to a record high of than-expected 321,000 jobs in expected in October as lower $241bn. Petroleum imports were November, the best jobs growth crude oil prices failed to off- the lowest since November of in nearly three years. set a jump in imports, while an 2009. A domestic energy boom Despite the jobs data coming in increase in exports suggested has enabled the United States to far better than analysts expected, the economy was weathering reduce its dependence on foreign the stock market struggled to find faltering global demand. oil, easing pressure on the trade direction before following finan- The Commerce Department deficit. cials higher, Briefing.com analysts said the trade gap fell 0.4 percent Declining oil prices, which fell said in a market note. to $43.4bn. September’s shortfall in October to their lowest level “The lack of broad strength on the trade balance was revised since February of 2011, are also following a solid jobs report was up to $43.6bn from a previously helping to curb the import bill. a reflection of concerns that the reported $43.03bn. While a slowing global econ- Fed may be inclined to hike the Economists polled had forecast omy is dampening crude oil fed funds rate sooner than the the trade deficit falling to $41.4bn. prices, there is little sign that US market expected,” they said. When adjusted for inflation, exports are taking strain. Exports The jobs report came less than the deficit was little changed at increased 1.2 percent to $197.5bn two weeks before the Federal $50.84bn, suggesting trade would in October. Reserve’s next monetary policy be a drag on fourth-quarter gross Exports to the European Union meeting. The Fed has signaled domestic product. Trade was one increased 8.5 percent, while China it would raise its federal funds of the contributors to the third saw a 36 percent jump in the rate from near zero in mid- quarter’s brisk 3.9 percent annu- value of goods it imported from Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras (centre), Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (left) and Greek 2015, depending on economic alised growth pace. the United States. REUTERS Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos attend the Greece-Turkey Business Forum in Athens, Greece, yesterday. performance. AFP Davutoglu is in Athens on a two-day visit to attend the third Greece-Turkey High-Level Cooperation Council. IMF team plans Ukraine visit to determine extra aid KIEV: The International Monetary Vacher said only that “the mission $4.6bn delivered by early September. that should cover the delivery of one of Fund said yesterday it would dispatch will begin policy discussions with the The money has been essential for Kiev the four billion cubic metres that Ukraine a team to Ukraine to determine how Ukrainian authorities in the context of — its foreign currency and gold reserves plans to purchase in the coming months. much extra aid the war-wrecked and the Fund-supported economic reform last month dropped to less than $10bn for “We will provide the volumes Ukraine energy-starved nation will need to programme.” the first time in nearly a decade because needs for its domestic consumption,” make it through winter. Yet its arrival will also deliver a vote of of the draining toll of the war. Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency quoted The nine-day visit due to start on confidence in the reformist cabinet that The fighting has shuttered the east’s Gazprom boss Alexei Miller as saying. Tuesday comes as Ukraine suffers roll- President Petro Poroshenko put together factories and left the rest of Ukraine But Russia’s “deliveries to Europe will ing blackouts and resentment grows after weeks of political infighting that left desperately short of the coal needed to be made using an alternative route,” he over severe IMF-prescribed austerity Ukraine’s Western supporters frustrated generate electricity used by industries added. measures. and dismayed. and households. The comment underscores Moscow’s The Fund has helped piece together a The finance ministry is now headed A deal for Kiev to make up for the commitment to cut off Kiev’s pro-Euro- $27bn global rescue package — promising by Natalie Jaresko (pictured), a US shortfall by buying 100 million tonnes pean leader from the fees they generate to contribute $17bn of that sum over two citizen who once worked in the State of coal from South Africa fell apart this from Russian gas transits. years — in the weeks that followed the Department and more recently held a expectations that Poroshenko and (Prime week due to graft charges that led to the Russia this week abandoned plans to February ouster in Kiev of a Russian- senior post in a private equity firm in Minister Arseniy) Yatsenyuk are going arrest of the head of Ukraine’s main state build a gas pipeline that would circum- backed president. But it has since said the Kiev. The Lithuanian investment banker to move swiftly against corruption and energy firm. But the Fund’s money has navigate Ukraine by running under the new pro-Western government may need Aivaras Abromavicius will serve along- on other key issues that will transform helped Ukraine pay back debts to Russia Black Sea, but it still has a link that at least $19 billion in additional assistance side her as economy minister. Both Ukraine’s economy and governance,” said that should see natural gas flows — halted crosses the Baltic Sea to Germany. should its war against pro-Russian insur- were handed Ukrainian passports by John Herbst of the Washington-based by Moscow in June because of a price Russian President Vladimir Putin said gents in the eastern industrial heartland Poroshenko just hours ahead of their Atlantic Council think tank. spat — resume within a matter of days. on a visit to Ankara on Monday that drag on through the end of 2015. confirmation by parliament. The Fund is next due to mete out a Russia’s state-run gas firm Gazprom he also intended to boost gas exports The IMF’s Kiev representative Jerome “These appointments raise $2.7bn payment that comes on top of said it had just received $378m from Kiev through Turkey. AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 BUSINESS VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

Canada wheat exports dogged US oil rigs increase as shale by quality complaints BY ROD NICKEL drillers face Opec challenge UYERS of Canadian wheat are increasingly complaining about quality ever since Ottawa changed how its biggest crop BY LYNN DOAN is sold and inspected, raising the risk the world’s third largest and Opec, he said. In the three formations that account for Bexporter will lose sales to rivals like the United States. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting 88 percent of US shale oil output — the Problems include underweight shipments, lower-than-expected HE boom in US oil production Countries, responsible for about 40 per- Bakken, the Eagle Ford and the Permian protein content and gluten strength in the wheat, and even the will live to see another week. cent of the world’s oil supply, decided on Basin — explorers can drill wells profitably occasional mixture of wheat with other agricultural products. In The nation’s crude explorers, November 27 to maintain its collective crude in some areas with crude at $25 a barrel, a October, Singapore-based Prima Group found 850kg of peas in a engaged in a pricing war with output target at 30 million barrels a day, team of analysts led by Manuj Nikhanj at 25-tonne wheat shipment. A tonne is the equivalent of about 2,200 the world’s largest suppliers, resisting calls for cuts to shrink the excess ITG Investment Research Inc said. pounds (1,000kg). defied predictions of a drilling in global markets. Domestic oil output climbed 6,000 bar- “We don’t know what’s going on in the system here,” said Prima Tslowdown and ran the most rigs since mid- The international benchmark North Sea rels a day in the week ended November advisor Derek Sliworsky in Winnipeg, who said that while not all November, boosting the US count by three to Brent oil and the US counterpart West 28 to 9.08 million, the highest level in EIA Canadian wheat shipments suffer from poor quality, “we don’t have 1,575, Baker Hughes said on its website. Rigs Texas Intermediate crude both slid below data going back to 1983. Harold Hamm, these problems from other origins.” Prima buys between 500,000 drilling for natural gas were unchanged at $70 a barrel after Opec’s decision. Brent for chairman and chief executive officer of US and 1 million tonnes of Canadian wheat a year to produce flour at 344, the Houston-based field services com- January delivery fell 57 cents on Friday to driller Continental Resources Inc, said that its mills in Singapore, Sri Lanka and China. pany’s website showed. $69.07 on the London-based ICE Futures the drop in prices is bound to slow drilling. Problems have grown since 2012, when Ottawa stripped the The number of US oil rigs has fallen from Europe exchange. WTI dropped 97 cents “Nobody’s going to go out there and drill Canadian Wheat Board of its centralised role in marketing wheat, the 2014 peak of 1,609 amid a global surplus to $65.84 on the New York Mercantile areas, exploration areas and other areas, at said Sliworsky, who used to work for the Wheat Board. The follow- of crude that has dragged prices down by Exchange. Both settlements were the low- a loss,” he said. ing year, Ottawa cut one-third of the workforce of the Canadian more than $45 a barrel and threatens to est in more than five years. James Volker, Hamm’s counterpart at Grain Commission, the agency responsible for quality. slow the nation’s unprecedented shale boom. The nation’s 52 largest US exploration and Whiting Petroleum Corp, said at an oil Randy Dennis, the commission’s chief grain inspector, also said Opec decided last week to maintain produc- production companies are running about 92 conference in San Francisco in September that since 2012, buyers have increasingly complained about the tion, placing more strain on US oil produc- horizontally drilling rigs in North Dakota’s that the contracts for about one-third of quality of wheat exports, especially about gluten properties. ers that have some of the world’s highest Bakken formation, Hallead said. At $60 oil, its rigs expire annually “so that we can go Since late 2012, exporters have been able to have cargo certified drilling costs. that count would shrink by almost half next from the rigs we have to date to zero in on the basis of a composite vessel sample or from each incremental “There’s just so much momentum built year, he said. Texas’s Eagle Ford formation three to six months”. 2,000-tonne load. This change was poorly communicated to buyers up in the system right now and a lot of would lose about 30, and the Permian Basin Drillers in US shale plays including the such as Prima, Sliworsky said. In spring 2014 Prima was shipped projects have already been funded,” Kurt of Texas and New Mexico, the biggest US oil Bakken will probably “take their foot off wheat from Canada with lower protein than expected, reducing Hallead, co-head of RBC Capital Markets’ field, would drop by eight. the gas and cut some rigs going into 2015,” its value by up to $12 per tonne. global energy research team, said by tel- “You will see a pretty sharp reduction in Fred Lawrence, a vice president for the As of 2013, government weighing staff no longer monitor vessel ephone from Austin, Texas. “There are some overall spending by next year, probably in Independent Petroleum Association of loading at the elevator, but review information provided by the projects that will continue on into the next the order of magnitude of 20 to 30 percent,” America, said. grain handler before certifying weight. This year, Prima received quarter. Right now, you’re seeing the smoke, Hallead said. “It’s going to really accelerate US gas stockpiles dropped 22 billion cubic a shipment that was 375 tonnes light. and you won’t really see the fire until about as you get into the second and third quarters feet last week to 3.41 trillion, according to The government also no longer requires the grain commission the second quarter.” of 2015.” the EIA. Supplies were 9.8 percent below to inspect and weigh rail cars unloading at port, instead allowing Future output in the US is at risk with oil While the US rig count has dropped, the five-year average and 6.2 percent under grain handlers or third parties to do it. That change has led to less trading below $80 a barrel, Jeffrey Currie, domestic production continues to surge, with year-earlier inventories. Natural gas for rigorous inspection, said Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture head of commodities research at Goldman the yield from new wells in shale forma- January delivery gained 15.3 cents to $3.802 Union, which represents commission workers. “The fact that there Sachs Group Inc, said in an interview on tions including Bakken and Eagle Ford pro- per million British thermal units on the are screw-ups — I would have been shocked if there wasn’t,” he said. Bloomberg Television on December 1. “Below jected to reach records this month, Energy Nymex, down 8 percent in the past year. $60 creates a lot of pain for both” the US Information Administration data show. WP-BLOOMBERG ADAPTING TO CHANGE Formal complaints filed with the grain commission haven’t become more common, said spokesman Remi Gosselin. “It’s not a question of who is to blame (for quality concerns) but how the grain sector adapts to change,” he said. Canada is renowned for the quality and consistency of its crops, said Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in an email. The grain commission “continues to ensure consistent grain quality exports that meet the expectations of buyers,” he said. Quality problems were confirmed by other buyers and traders. One Chinese flour mill reduced Canadian spring wheat purchases last year and through the first half of 2014, and bought more instead from the United States because of concerns about protein levels, weights and gluten, a mill executive said. Last year, weak gluten strength in Canadian wheat also sparked concerns from China’s Cofco Corp. Australia has gained market share in Asia this year due to weather-related concerns about Canadian quality, including wheat with an unusual appearance after wet late- summer conditions, said a trader, estimating that Australia had sold about 500,000 tonnes more than normal to Asia this year. A European grain trader who supplies durum wheat to Morocco said buying Canadian wheat was less complicated under the Wheat Board, which sorted and tailored grain specifications to each buyer’s requirements. The board also built loyalty by sometimes giving buy- ers better quality than they paid for, while exporters now deliver the bare minimum grade, the trader said. To be sure, several traders said there have been concerns about quality in other countries’ shipments as well, including the United States and India. A Singapore flour mill manager and a spokesper- son for Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said separately that they have not seen Canadian wheat quality issues. Cereals Canada President Cam Dahl, whose group includes grain handlers Richardson International, Viterra Inc and Cargill Ltd, said he had confidence in the commission’s “science-based” qual- ity assurance system. Canada’s share of global wheat exports has hovered around 14 percent for the current and past two years, up slightly from the final two years of Wheat Board control. That share has declined from 17 percent in 2000 and 21 percent a decade before that, reflecting rising export competition. To ensure Canada’s place in the wheat world, “reputation really matters,” said Neil Townsend, director of market research at grain market- ing company CWB, the board’s successor. “It’s a very competitive world out there.” REUTERS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Commodities: Oil continues to fall; base metals climb LONDON: Oil struck fresh technical rebound. “Prices have 12-nation Opec cartel. Reports said Bullion Market, the price of gold delivery in three months rose to from $413.80 a week earlier. On five-year low points last week once again turned lower as con- Riyadh cut January prices for its rose to $1,194 an ounce from $6,453 a tonne from $6,427.50 a ICE Futures US, the price of unre- on the back of the strong dollar, cern about the excessive supply crude to Asian and US buyers, as $1,182.75 a week earlier. Silver week earlier. Three-month alu- fined sugar for March decreased oversupply fears and major pro- continues to weigh,” said Forex. the world’s leading exporter defends gained to $16.33 an ounce from minium declined to $1,991.25 a to 15.14 US cents a pound from ducer Saudi Arabia slashing its com analyst Fawad Razaqzada. its market share and, some analysts $15.97. On the London Platinum tonne from $2,025. Three-month 15.91 US cents a week earlier. export prices. Oil dipped on Tuesday after speculate, seeks to drive high-price and Palladium Market, platinum lead firmed to $2,031 a tonne COFFEE: The coffee market The market had already dived the Iraqi government and auton- producers out of the market. stood at $1,231 an ounce against from $2,030. Three-month tin also registered losses. “The price last week after the Organisation omous Kurds struck a deal that By Friday on London’s $1,205. Palladium decreased to gained to $20,325 a tonne from fall was sparked by reports that of Petroleum Exporting Countries will boost the nation’s crude oil Intercontinental Exchange, Brent $806 an ounce from $809. $20,140. Three-month nickel rose Brazil exported 2.86 million bags (Opec) left its output ceiling exports to an already oversup- North Sea crude for delivery in BASE METALS: Base or to $16,940 a tonne from $16,240. of coffee in November — more than unchanged, despite a global sup- plied global market. Under the January sank to $68.36 a bar- industrial metal prices mostly Three-month zinc increased to the 2.71 million bags exported last ply glut. Crude futures have now deal, due to take effect at the rel compared with $73.05 one climbed despite weak Chinese $2,238.75 a tonne from $2,221.25. November,” said Commerzbank slumped by about 40 percent since start of 2015, 250,000 barrels week earlier. On the New York manufacturing data. China’s offi- COCOA: Prices forged ahead this analysts. They added the outlook June, faced also with cheaper per day of oil will be exported Mercantile Exchange, West Texas cial purchasing managers index week as traders shrugged off sup- was clouded by “high uncertainty” oil being extracted from North from the autonomous region and Intermediate or light sweet crude fell to an eight-month low of 50.3 ply jitters for the commodity that surrounding key producer Brazil’s American shale rock. another 300,000 b/d from the dis- for January dived to $65.31 a bar- in November from 50.8 in October. is mostly used to produce choco- harvest in 2015, while “continued Weak economic data has added puted province of Kirkuk. rel from $69.13 a week earlier. “We would view the current late. By Friday on LIFFE, London’s scarcity” of Arabica coffee should to the pressure, with worse-than- The agreement could help push PRECIOUS METALS: Gold weakness of Chinese manufactur- futures exchange, cocoa for deliv- support price levels. expected manufacturing figures in Opec member Iraq’s daily output prices advanced as dealers ing as a reason to buy base metals, ery in March rose to £1,922 a tonne By Friday on ICE Futures US, China, the world’s largest energy past three million barrels per day, shrugged off the rallying dollar given the likelihood that Chinese from £1,901 a week earlier. On the Arabica for delivery in March consumer. Commodities were up from around 2.5 million bar- and brighter-than-anticipated authorities will act to support ICE Futures US exchange, cocoa slid to 181.75 US cents a pound also hit as the dollar rallied on rels in November. The oil market non-farm payrolls data. The growth,” Natixis analysts said. for March increased to $2,887 a compared with 192.80 cents one bright data showing the US econ- diverged on Wednesday as traders reaction “suggests that the dol- “Base metals also look cheap rela- tonne from $2,862 a week earlier. week earlier. On LIFFE, Robusta omy created 321,000 new jobs in digested a drop in US crude inven- lar is no longer having as much tive to the rapid gains in Chinese SUGAR: The price of sugar hit for January fell to $2,049 a tonne November, some 90,000 more than tories, which tends to signal strong impact on gold’s direction as it equities over the past fortnight.” three-month troughs on specula- from $2,094 a week earlier. expectations. demand. However on Thursday had previously”, noted analyst The figure is the latest point- tive selling and abundant global RUBBER: Kuala Lumpur rub- OIL: Crude futures sank to and Friday, crude futures hit Razaqzada. ing to a slowdown in the world’s supply. “Sugar was lower in part ber prices fell due to lower oil fresh five-year lows on Monday, reverse gear once again, dented The stronger dollar normally number two economy and fol- on selling seen by speculators in prices and the weakening ringgit with New York crude hitting by reports that Saudi Arabia has makes commodities priced in the lows a surprise move by the cen- all commodities markets,” said currency. The Malaysian Rubber $63.72 a barrel — the lowest level trimmed its export prices and is unit more expensive for buyers tral People’s Bank of China on Price Futures Group Jack Scoville. Board’s benchmark SMR20 dipped since July 2009. London Brent oil doing nothing to tighten supplies. using weaker currencies, denting November 21 to cut interest rates. By Friday on LIFFE, the price to 148.10 US cents a kilo from 151.30 touched an October 2009 low of Saudi Arabia is the biggest and demand and price levels. By Friday on the London of a tonne of white sugar for deliv- US cents the previous week. $67.53 a barrel, before staging a most influential member of the By late Friday on the London Metal Exchange, copper for ery in March reversed to $395.20 AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com GECM & TENDERS

GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS MAP (GECM) Every Sunday China’s manufacturing growth Inflation rises to 1.3pc in slows again in November October Unemployment in France up BEIJING: China’s factory activity LONDON: United Kingdom inflation 0.2 pc in Q3 slowed by more than expected US trade deficit drops to rose to an annual rate of 1.3pc PARIS: France’s jobless rate in November, highlighting how a South Korea’s exports shrink $43.4bn in October in October, up from 1.2pc in the inched up by 0.2 percent in the cooling economy is impacting its vast 1.9 pc on-year in November WASHINGTON: The US trade previous month, as the Office for third quarter of 2014, the national manufacturing sector. The official SEJONG: South Korea’s exports deficit fell slightly in October National Statistics (ONS) said. statistic agency Insee said on purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped slightly from a year as exports rebounded while oil The slight increase moves the rate, Thursday. In France’s mainland , dipped to 50.3 in November from earlier last month, but its trade imports dipped to the lowest as measured by the Consumer with 2.841 million out of work, 9.9 October’s 50.8, closer to the 50 point surplus widened as imports level in five years. The deficit Prices Index (CPI), above its percent of the active population are mark that separates growth from shrank at a faster rate, the edged down 0.4 percent to recent five-year low. unemployed, it added. contraction. government said Monday. $43.4 billion, a drop from Outbound shipments came to a revised $43.6 billion in US$46.99 billion in November, September, the Commerce down 1.9 percent from the same Department reported Friday. month last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Rupee slumps to 9-month low Brazil posts $2.35bn trade of 62.25 against US dollar deficit, worst in 20 years Rand slumps to six-year low MUMBAI: The rupee lost 22 paise to RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil on Monday versus dollar on US jobs gains trade at a fresh nine-month low of posted a $2.35 billion trade deficit 62.25 against the US dollar in early JOHANNESBURG: The currency of in November, the country’s worst trade on Monday at the Interbank Africa’s second-largest economy monthly result in 20 years, and Foreign Exchange due to rise in the Australia trade deficit depreciated as much as 1.7 percent cementing its slide into the red greenback’s value against other narrows before paring losses to trade 1.4 for the year after a decade of currencies overseas. percent weaker at 11.3538 per SYDNEY: Australia’s trade surpluses. The deficit for the dollar, the weakest level on a deficit narrowed in October , The year to date stands at $4.2 billion, closing basis since October 2008. deficit shrank to A$1.3 billion the worst showing since 1998, from A$2.2 billion in September, Yields on government rand bonds the ministry of trade said, and against economist forecasts for due December 2026 climbed seven November’s monthly deficit was a deficit of A$ 1.8 billion. Exports basis points to 7.77 percent. 15 times worse than last year’s. rose by 2pc in October from September, while imports fell by the same amount.

TENDERS

TENDER TENDER CLOSING TENDER TENDER CLOSING No. COMPANY TENDER NO. SUBJECT No. COMPANY TENDER NO. SUBJECT BOND FEES DATE BOND FEES DATE

Sale and removal of surplus pipes stud Bidding for renting a studio at the General 11 Monday bolts, coupling/Cap/union/ Nipple, nuts 20 directorate of passport & Expatriates QR 10,000 QR 100 29/12/2014 2014-2015 01/12/2014 1LT14MT0064 elbows, flanges, reducers, tees, cross QR 2,000 Free Affairs-for (3) years (12:00hrs) gaskets valves, thermodynamic elbowers etc. 92 Supply of sportswear and accessories for Monday 21 QR 15,000 QR 250 2014-2015 the police college 08/12/2014 Fusion bonded Epoxy (FBE) internal pipe coating for tubulars of onshore & offshore 17/12/2014 Ministry of 2GT14MT0025 QR 250,000 QR 1,000 Interior 93 Production of security and traffic Mionday drilling operations on a call-off basis for a (12:00hrs) 22 QR 30,000 QR 500 period of three (3) years 2014-2015 awareness items 08/12/2014

Sale and removal of split/windows/ 30/12/2014 94 Supply of various gifts for different Monday 3 ST14MT0236 QR 2,000 Free 23 QR 40,000 QR 500 package AC units & water coolers etc (12:00hrs) 2014-2015 occassions and activities police college 08/12/2014

Price agreement for miscellaneous 14/12/2014 95 Supply of consumable materials for police Monday 4GT14MT0034 QR 435,000 Free 24 QR 25,000 QR 250 instrumentation spares (origin: Europe) (12:00hrs) 2014-2015 clinic and dental clinic 08/12/2014

Supply, install, commission of custom 24/12/2014 5LT14MT0086 QR 60,000 QR 500 build VT cell (vapor liquid equilibium unit) (12:00hrs) 11/12/2014 GTC Not later 25 Contract center enhancement QR 150,000 QR 500 627/2014 than Sale and removal of butane tank power 30/12/2014 6 ST14MT0237 QR 2,000 Free 12:00am transformer & regeneration cooler (12:00hrs)

Supply of ABS submersible pump spares Sale and removal of electronic system 30/12/2014 PWA/ 7 ST14MT0239 QR 2,000 free 26 for pumping stations AA/DOM/14-15/ QR 32,000 QR 500 22/01/2015 materials/ items etc (12:00hrs) STC/030/14-15 M/1656-2.05/S Sale and removal of electrical cables and 30/12/2014 8ST14MT0241 QR 2,000 Free equipment/ electroinc materials etc (12:00hrs) Construction, completion & Maintenance of proposed administrative offices, PWA/ Vehicle light bars for Emergency &safety 09/12/2014 27 Garage & Labor accomodation at Wadi Al QR 4,800,000 QR 5,000 20/01/2015 9ST14MT0253 QR 7,000 Free GTC/064/14-15 vehicles (12:00hrs) Mazroua Zone ( Jarle Al Samar) BA/13- 14/C/087/G PWA/ Motor Control centers-upgrading AA/ 10 QR 60,000 QR 1,000 7/12/2014 ITC/027/14-15 DOM/14-15/OM/1673/I PWA/ Road safety improvement program stage 28 QR 1,750,000 QR 3,000 30/12/2014 GTC/065/14-15 2B AA-R/14-15/OM/045/C2/G Barwa STP facilities (improvement works for Barwa City STP, Barwa Al Baraha PWA/ PWA/ Supply of ductile iron manhole cover and 11 STP)-O&M miscellaneous electrical QR 350,000 QR 1,500 9/12/2014 29 QR 39,000 QR 500 25/12/2014 GTC/050/14-15 STC/029/14-15 Gully grating AA-DOM/14-15/M/1686/S purchase & work orders AA-D/14-15/ OM/1627-9/G Road improvement works in Al Dayeen PWA/ 30 and Umm Salal Zone 70 & 71 Phase -5 QR 1,750,000 QR 3,000 23/12/2014 Post contract consultancy services for GTC/058/14-15 IA/14-15/C/078/G Modification and additional works to PWA/ 12 existing schools and kindergartens ( Fire QR 430,000 QR 1,000 2/12/2014 GTC/051/14-15 life safety code compliance-phase four) PWA/ Road safety improvement program, stage 31 QR 1,750,000 QR 3,000 16/12/2014 BA/14-15/S/013/G GTC/059/14-15 2A AA-R/14-15/OM/045C1/G

PWA/ Supply, install & upgrade symantec 13 QR 42,000 QR 500 4/12/2014 Three years on-call supply of STC/028/14-15 Netbackup appliances ISD/14-15/SS/16/S PWA/ miscellaneous hoses for drainage 32 QR 900,000 QR 1,500 6/1/2015 GTC/066/14-15 networks O & M Dept. AA/DOM/14- Operation and maintenance of CCTV PWA/ 15/M/1677/G 14 system throughout Qatar AA-R/14-15/ QR 110,000 QR 1,000 7/12/2014 ITC/029/14-15 OM/042C1/I 037-TC/ Operational supplies (HSE and 33 QR 85,000 QR 800 22/12/2014 SOS15/2014 consumables) Monday 08 CVF/TC/ Cashier manpower and services at Katara of December 15 QR 35,000 QR 300 038-TC/ Supply of automobile dry charged AB/001/2014 beach 2014 at 34 QR 80,000 QR 800 23/12/2014 12:00 pm SDBAT/2014 batteries

12:00 hours QF/RD/TC/ QR 16 Provision of consumables supply QR 50,000 QR 500 on 05-Jan- 35 GT14115100 Epic for EOC and CRC at Ras laffan QR 500 14/12/2014 OP/001/2014 4000,000.00 2015 Provision of pumping, pressure testing CHI Al Shaqab Event-Renting of temporary QF/PD/14/ 36 GT14115300 and cementing sercies oncall-off basis for QR 600,000 QR 500 21/12/2014 17 strcutures, electrical equipment and other QR 150,000 QR 1,000 7/12/2014 MRM-021-QF well integrity in Dukhan fields miscellaneous services

PWA/ Interim upgrade of E-Ring road and Najma CHI Al Shaqab Event from 02 March 37 QR 5,250,000 QR 6,000 16/12/2014 to 07 March 2015-logistics services GTC/057/14-15 street IA/14-15/C/080/G QF/PD/14// 18 required for the transportation of 135 QR 50,000 QR 300 7/12/2014 MRM-022-QF horses/ 25,000 kgs equipment/ 103 accompanying grooms Morning studio landscape works at Al 21/12/2014 38 GTC 038-2014 QR 150,000 QR 1,000 Al Jazeera Media Jazeera Media network (13:00hrs) Ministry of 08 Monday 19 Bid for selling boat (Fath No. 9142) QR 5,000 QR 100 Network Interior 2014-2015 1/12/2014 SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Celtics down Lakers in duel of struggling rivals Tim Duncan’s triple-double fires Spurs past Grizzlies

BOSTON: Tyler Zeller’s 24 points helped lift Boston to a 113-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in a battle of storied NBA rivals St Louis Blues defenseman Ian Cole (left) and Chicago Blackhawks left- fallen on hard times. wing Brandon Saad chase the puck during the first period at the United Zeller connected on 10 of 11 Center in Chicago on Friday. shots from the floor and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Celtics, who had 19 points from Jeff Green as they notched a second straight victory in the wake of a five-game Blackhawks edge skid. Jared Sullinger delivered 17 points and 13 rebounds, Avery Bradley chipped in 16 points and out Canadiens 4-3 Rajon Rondo scored 12 points and handed out 16 assists. CHICAGO: Most of the bounces direction. Let’s be positive in find- Kobe Bryant ended with 22 — even crazy, hard-to-explain ing a way,” he said. points for the Lakers, who have ones — seem to be going the Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher dropped two straight. Chicago Blackhawks’ way. scored and set up 40-year-old The Lakers and Celtics have Brandon Saad scored with 27 Sergei Gonchar’s first goal in met 12 times in the NBA finals seconds left in the third period nearly a year. P.K. Subban added a over the years, and Celtics coach and surging Chicago won its power-play goal for the Canadiens, Brad Stevens said their history fifth straight game, 4-3 over the who have lost two straight and made any game between them Montreal Canadiens on Friday are 1-4-1 in their last six. special. night. Following the game, Canadiens “It is unique to think you’re Saad snapped a shot past kept watching replays of Saad’s driving downtown to play the Corey Price from the low edge winner, trying to figure out just Lakers,” he said. of the right circle for the winner. what happened. Heading into But Boston and Los Angeles Patrick Kane shot from the top of the game, Montreal was a per- went into the contest with a the slot and Canadiens defense- fect 10-0-0 when leading after two combined 10 wins this season, and man Andrei Markov couldn’t periods. “It was just a bad break,” Bryant’s breakfast with Rondo on handle the puck. Montreal coach Michel Therrien Thursday excited as much com- San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (left) is guarded by Memphis Grizzlies centre Marc Gasol during an NBA That turned out to be the dif- said. “I thought our effort was ment as the game itself. game at the FedExForum in Memphis on Friday. RIGHT: Boston Celtics centre Tyler Zeller (44) tries to block ference in a back-and-forth, up- there and we competed against Bryant insisted it was just a Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague in the second quarter of an NBA game at the Philips Arena in Atlanta on Friday. tempo game between two Original a really good hockey team. At social meeting of friends and col- Six rivals played before a crowd times you need breaks to win the leagues, and not an attempt to with a dominant third quarter, in career triple-doubles — four in blocks for Memphis. Mike Conley of 22,087, the Blackhawks’ largest hockey game, and we didn’t have try to talk up the Lakers to the which they out-scored the Lakers the regular season and four in the added 23 points and 10 assists for this season. the break tonight,” he said. 28-year-old Rondo, who will be a 33-22. playoffs. He became the second- the Grizzlies, who have lost two “I think Kaner was trying to It was the second and final reg- free agent next July. Los Angeles never got closer oldest player, behind 40-year-old straight after seeing their five- get to the net and it got deflected ular-season contest between the Although Bryant has been than nine in the fourth and Karl Malone in 2003, to post a game winning streak snapped by and ended up right on my stick, so teams. The Blackhawks won 5-0 vocal in his praise of Rondo, while Bryant’s points total led triple-double. Houston on Wednesday. AFP I’m thankful for that,” Saad said. at Montreal on Nov. 4. he said their conversation on the Lakers, he needed 21 shot His feat, and San Antonio’s 14 Chicago’s Jonathan Toews Antti Raanta made 38 saves Thursday was of the “basketball attempts, connecting on just nine three-pointers, helped the Spurs scored a power-play goal early as Blackhawks No. 1 goalie Corey geek” variety, the Los Angeles of them. overcome the third-quarter NBA Results in the third to tie it at 3. Michal Crawford sat out his second game Times reported. In Memphis, Tim Duncan departure of Tony Parker with Charlotte 103 NY Knicks 102 Rozsival and Ben Smith con- with a foot injury, sustained while “We get along extremely well,” notched his first triple-double what the team called a mild ham- Oklahoma City 103 Philadelphia 91 nected at even strength as the leaving a concert. Bryant said. “We see the game since 2010 on Friday as NBA string strain. Blackhawks won for the eighth Price blocked 32 shots. Washington 119 Denver 89 in a similar fashion in terms of champions San Antonio beat The Spurs jumped out to a 13-2 time in nine games by coming Gonchar, acquired from Dallas our aggressiveness and mindset. Memphis 107-101 to end the lead and never trailed. Boston 113 LA Lakers 96 back from a 3-2 deficit after two on Nov. 11, scored his first goal It was good to get together with Grizzlies’ 22-game regular-season Manu Ginobili contributed Atlanta 98 Brooklyn 75 periods. It was just Chicago’s sec- with the Canadiens and first since him.” home winning streak. 17 points and seven assists and Cleveland 105 Toronto 91 ond win this season when trailing Jan. 25, a span of 44 games. The Celtics seized an early Duncan scored 14 points, pulled Danny Green added 16 points for San Antonio 107 Memphis 101 after 40 minutes. AGENCIES advantage, taking a 30-20 lead down 10 rebounds and handed out San Antonio, who have won nine Houston 114 Minnesota 112 “I think there was compo- after one quarter. 10 assists for the Spurs, who have of their last 10 games. Phoenix 118 Dallas 106 sure,” Blackhawks coach Joel NHL Results Los Angeles pulled within now beaten the Grizzlies nine Spanish center Marc Gasol, Quenneville said. “You could Milwaukee 109 Miami 85 Anaheim 5 Minnesota 4 three several times in the second straight times including in post- who was a game-time decision sense on the bench there was no period, but the Celtics responded season clashes. with a right knee bruise, posted Orlando 98 Utah 93 desperation.” Winnipeg 6 Colorado 2 each time and put the game away Duncan, 38, now owns eight 28 points, 12 rebounds and four Sacramento 102 Indiana 101 “We were heading in the right Chicago 4 Montreal 3 RugbyU: Bath keep hopes Hockey: England stun Australia alive with Montpellier rout in Champions Trophy opener

PARIS: Bath kept their falter- BHUBANESWAR: Debutant ing European Rugby Champions Sam Ward scored two goals as a Cup campaign alive with a 30-5 spirited England upset defend- triumph over an ill-disciplined ing champions Australia 3-1 Montpellier side who sank to in the opening match of the the foot of Pool Four on Friday. Champions Trophy field hockey Bath, the 1998 champions, had tournament in India yesterday. started the evening with just a Rapidly-improving Belgium point from two opening defeats also made a winning start in the to Glasgow and Toulouse, but eight-nation event with a 2-1 win they were well worth their win over Pakistan in another pool A in France and even had the match at the Kalinga stadium in added bonus of seeing former the eastern city of Bhubaneswar. rugby league star Sam Burgess Australia, the reigning world get his first taste of continen- champions who are are seeking an tal action with a second-half incredible sixth successive title, appearance. struggled to keep pace with their The English side now have five rivals after England went into points, three behind Toulouse half-time 2-0 up. and four off pace-setting Glasgow Alastair Brogdon opened the Germany’s Martin Zwicker (centre) and Moritz Furste (right) block India’s although their chances of making scoring in the fifth minute with Akashdeep Singh (left) during a Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2014 the knockout rounds in the new a spectacular back flick before the match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar yesterday. year remain slim. 23-year-old Ward increased the “It’s hard at the moment. We lead off a rebound from the post was a good morale-booster for In the opening pool B matches are having a difficult time but in the 27th. his team. later yesterday, the Netherlands are trying to find solutions,” said Chris Ciriello pulled back one “It is a very good feeling to have meet Argentina and Olympic Montpellier captain Thibaut for Australia with a penalty secured the very first match in champions Germany clash with Privat. corner but Ward, a last-minute our favour,” said Middleton. hosts India. The teams have been “We just have to continue to Montpellier’s French scrum-half Benoit Paillaugue (centre) passes the replacement for the injured Harry “Australia are a very tough divided into two pools for the fight but the squad is united.” ball during the European Rugby Champions Cup match against Bath at Martin, made it 3-1 with a swift team and this win today against preliminary league which will Bath cruised to a 23-0 lead at the Yves-du-Manoir Complex in Montpellier on Friday. counter-attack three minutes them will definitely boost the determine the line-up for the the interval as Montpellier paid a from the end. boys.” knock-out stage to be contested heavy price for their indiscipline Montpellier twice reduced to Replacement hooker Charles It was a disappointing start Thomas Briels scored Belgium’s by all the eight sides. AFP with the French side seeing two 14 men. First, flanker Antoine Geli became the third Montpellier for the new-look Kookaburras, match-winner in the 43rd minute players sin-binned. Battut was yellow-carded for tak- player to be sin-binned just five who were without retired vet- after Muhammad Imran con- England fly-half George Ford ing out Thomas at a ruck. Bath minutes after coming on for erans Liam de Young and Rob verted a penalty stroke for Champions Trophy ended the opening 40 minutes scored 10 points while Battut was hands in the ruck. Hammond and the injured duo of Pakistan in the 36th to equalise with 12 points while Bath grabbed kicking his heels. Burgess then made his appear- five-time world player of the year a 10th minute goal from Tanguy Results two tries — one from prop Henry Three minutes from the break, ance with the match safely Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles. Cosyns. Preliminary league Thomas with the second score lock forward Privat was also wrapped up and put in a hand- “It’s very disappointing to lose,” World number four Belgium, Pool A a penalty try on the stroke of sin-binned after clashing with ful of big hits to announce his said skipper Eddie Ockenden. “We who are playing in only their England 3 Australia 1 half-time. Thomas at a line-out. presence. did not start well and that cost us second Champions Trophy tour- Belgium 2 Pakistan 1 It was impossible to keep Bath added a third try just With 10 minutes left, in the end. We had our chances, nament, play Australia next on Thomas out of the action at the after the restart courtesy of No8 Montpellier finally got on the but need to push up our game. Sunday. Pool B Stade Altrad as he was involved Leroy Houston which Ford con- scoreboard when No8 Alex Tulou A delighted England captain England take on Pakistan the The Netherlands 3 Argentina 0 in both incidents which saw verted for 30-0. scored from a maul. AFP Barry Middleton said the win same day. Germany 1 India 0 SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Aussie coach slams late night 17th Asian Club League title Olympic finals

DOHA: Australian head coach Jacco Verhaeren has described the apparent decision to stage clash an all-Qatari affair the swimming finals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at 10pm as showing “a lack of respect”. Lekhwiya edge Al Kuwait Club, El Jaish beat Al Qurain Sporting Club While there has been no formal announcement confirming this to be the case, neither has the DOHA: Defending champions International Olympic Committee El Jaish and Lekhwiya will clash (IOC) moved to dismiss reports of in tomorrow’s all-Qatari final late-night starts. of the 17th Asian Clubs League Instead IOC spokesman Mark Championship here at the Ali Adams said: “There was no for- Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Sports mal decision on the schedule, but Hall in Al Sadd. the schedule is one that has broad In yesterday’s semi-finals, both acceptance. the Qatari clubs overcame their “The games are a global event Kuwaiti opponents to set up the that will be seen around the world title clash. and the schedule has to work In the first semi-final, around the world to give the best Lekhwiya defeated Al Kuwait showcase for each sport,” he said, Club of Kuwait 33-30 in a closely adding “the athletes are at the contested match, while in the sec- very centre of that.” ond title holders El Jaish coasted “The athletes are happy in to an emphatic 38-29 win over Al the case of swimming. FINA are Qurain Sporting Club of Kuwait. happy.” Lekwhiya goalkeeper Branimir Such an assertion, though, Boucek played a crucial role in his is directly contradicted by team’s win. Verhaeren who has guided one Boucek made several key of the world’s biggest swimming saves, specially in second-half, nations since January 2014. including a penalty from Kuwait Dutchman Verhaeren has team’s prolific scorer Mohamed coached at the last five Games Al Gharaballi with 10 minutes to and guided freestyler Pieter van go for the final whistle. den Hoogenband to three titles “You can say that the whole at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. team was hero today. The match He also oversaw Dutch suc- was so close. Just before the cess in London in 2012 including close, it was difficult to think Ranomi Kromowidjojo’s triple who would be the winner,” said gold. the goalkeeper. The Dutchman, therefore, has “We all played like one unit and Action from the 17th Asian Clubs League Championship semi-final match between Lekhwiya SC Qatar and Al Kuwait Club, Kuwait at the Ali Bin proven pedigree and he said: “It’s yeah…I’m relieved that we have Hamad Al-Attiyah Sports Hall at Al Sadd yesterday. Lekhwiya won 33-30. Lekhwiya will take on El Jaish in the final on Monday. BOTTOM: Salah Al simple. It’s a lack of respect.” been able to reach the first final of Saadi (right), Head of Games Services, Qatar 2015 Organising Committee and Selim Turki, General Manager, Careem, shake hands after signing an The 45-year-old also pointed any international championship. agreement in Doha yesterday. Careem has been announced as a ‘Business Partner’ of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship tournament to the repercussions for others, “We expected a difficult match at a ceremony held recently by the Qatar 2015 Organising Committee. adding: “I am not so concerned as the Kuwait team was quite about not being able to perform at strong. Match after match we that time because I think what- played with full energy and tried 17th Asian Club ever we prepare for we are able to do our best. Let us see what to do - if it is morning, midnight happens in the final,” he added. League Championship or afternoon. In the second match, Al Qurain Semi-final Results “But that doesn’t mean it’s a took an early lead but El Jaish Lekhwiya (Qatar) bt good choice and it’s not a good bounced backed and there was choice. Al Kuwait Club (Kuwait) 33-30 no looking back. “I think first of all you have “We played a good game against El Jaish (Qatar) bt Al Qurain Sporting Club to respect the place where the a strong team, and in spite of what (Kuwait) 38-29 Olympics are (being held) and the final score indicates, that was Today’s schedule respect the people there. not an easy game. After we played 7-8 Placement Match “We are not swimming only so strong in the semi-final, we are Samenalhojaj (IRI) vs for America, we are swimming confident for the final,” El Jaish’s Al Khalij Club (KSA) at 3.00pm for the world. Ahmed El Ahmar said. “I think it would show respect 5-6 Placement Match: Meanwhile, Al Gharafa, the to the Brazilian people to have it third club from Qatar, won 35-32 Manyazium Ferdows Club (IRI) vs Al Gharafa at normal times. It would show Al Khalij Club of Saudi Arabia Sports Club (QAT) at 5.00pm more respect to the athletes. It and earned the right to meet Tomorrow schedule is a concept that has never been Manyazium Ferdows of Iran in a Bronze Medal Match: tried out. fifth and sixth place match. Al Kuwait Club (KUW) - Al Qurain Sporting “We don’t know how it works in Earlier in the day, Al Salt Club Club (KUW) at 4.15pm terms of performance, in terms of of Jordan defeated Ahli Sadab Final: Lekhwiya (Qatar) vs health and preparation. 39-25 of Oman. The winless “Clearly the choice is not made El Jaish (Qatar) at 6.45pm Omani club thus finished at the for performance reasons. There is bottom of the table. Venue: Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Sports only one reason and that is televi- THE PENINSULA Hall Al Sadd sion and money.” AFP

Stokes fires Celtic’s winning Ibrahimovic brace takes PSG on top streak in SPL PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain since 2002 and were unlucky not leapfrogged Marseille into top French Ligue 1 to be further in front in the 12th spot in Ligue 1 yesterday by com- minute when Papy Djilobodji GLASGOW: Anthony Stokes ing from behind to beat Nantes Results turned in a Jordan Veretout free- fired Celtic to a 1-0 win over 2-1 at the Parc des Princes PARIS: French Ligue 1 Results yesterday: kick only for the referee to disal- ten-man Motherwell at Fir thanks to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic Paris Saint-Germain 2 (Ibrahimovic 34, 48) low the goal for a foul that was Park yesterday to extend their brace. Nantes 1 (Bedoya 8) not clearly visible even with the winning streak to seven suc- Nantes had led thanks to a Playing today help of several replays. cessive matches in the Scottish stunning early strike by United Evian vs Lyon (1300 GMT), Lens vs Lille, “I don’t see where the foul Premiership. States international Alejandro Reims vs Guingamp (both 1600 GMT), was, there was nothing at all,” The score doesn’t reflect Bedoya, but Ibrahimovic equal- Marseille vs Metz (2000 GMT) said Nantes coach Michel Der Celtic’s dominance of the match ised before the interval and then Zakarian. “It would have been 2-0. with the Glasgow giants squan- got what proved to be the winner one eye on the next game. It’s ok Would they have been capable of dering a host of chances to add to with a ferocious free-kick three because we won but sometimes we scoring three goals after that? I Stokes sixth minute opener. minutes after the restart. are playing with fire.” don’t know.” Motherwell defender Simon The result maintained PSG’s Of his team’s unbeaten record, The incident proved to be the Ramsden was at fault for the goal unbeaten record this season -- the Blanc added: “It doesn’t give you turning point as PSG grew into and his miserable afternoon was only one left in Europe’s leading anything, no extra points, no the game and drew level on 34 compounded in the 66th minute leagues after Premier League qualification for any competition. minutes, Ibrahimovic converting a when he saw red for a reckless leaders Chelsea lost earlier in the It just means that you are having low ball in from the right by Lucas. challenge on James Forrest. day -- and allowed the defending not too bad a season.” Thiago Silva then came close to Dan Twardzik made a series champions to move provision- Scorer of eight goals in his putting the hosts ahead on the of saves to deny Celtic before the ally two points clear at the top last nine games, Edinson Cavani stroke of half-time with a header Hoops were nearly made to rue of Ligue 1 before rivals Marseille was left on the bench at kick-off from Ezequiel Lavezzi’s free-kick their lost chances when substitute host Metz today. along with David Luiz and Blaise that was well saved by Remy Riou. Lee Erwin missed a great chance Laurent Blanc’s side had been Matuidi, and it was Nantes who However, Ibrahimovic struck to equalise late on. held at Lille in midweek but they started the game better. again on 48 minutes, his thunder- The win moved the Hoops four bounced back to make it just The Canaries began the day in ous dead-ball hit from 25 yards points clear at the top but man- one defeat in their last 39 home eighth place after back-to-back taking an identical trajectory to ager Ronny Deila felt his side league games despite several lead- defeats had seen them slip down Bedoya’s earlier effort on its way could do better. “I think the first ing players being rested ahead of the table, but they opened the into the net. 20 minutes was brilliant,” Deila Wednesday’s Champions League scoring just eight minutes in. The Swede’s eighth league goal said. “They created chances and clash with Barcelona. Paris lost possession inside of the campaign proved enough to they pressed well when they Nevertheless, Blanc was not their own half and the ball even- secure the points, although Lucas didn’t have the ball. entirely satisfied after, saying: tually came to Bedoya, who took and Lavezzi both passed up oppor- “If they can do that for 90 then “Nantes posed us problems all a touch 25 yards from goal before tunities to increase the advantage. we are talking about a team play- over the park and deserved their arrowing a superb shot across Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne will ing at the top level.” goal. That woke us up. The essen- Salvatore Sirigu into the top left- look to extend a 10-game unbeaten Motherwell caretaker manager tial thing is to win but we will hand corner of the net for his first run in all competitions when they Zlatan Ibrahimovic (centre) of Paris Saint Germain reacts after scoring Kenny Black admitted his side have to be much more aggressive goal of the season. entertain bottom club Bastia and the 2-1 lead during the French Ligue 1 match against FC Nantes at didn’t deserve anything from the and determined in Barcelona. Nantes were looking for their Rennes host Montpellier chasing Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, yesterday. match. AFP “I managed this match with first win at the Parc des Princes a fifth successive win. AFP SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25 Pakistan include Ajmal in Cup squad List also includes all-rounder Shoaib Malik, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal

DUBAI: Ace spinner Saeed bowling action has been referred Ajmal is in Pakistan’s 30-man for assessment, all-rounder preliminary squad for next Mohammad Hafeez. Cook to stay as year’s World Cup, despite serv- A report on his bio-mechani- ing a suspension at the moment cal analysis is likely to come next for an illegal bowling action. week and if Hafeez is also sus- The 37-year-old off-spinner is pended Pakistan’s bowling attack England captain undergoing remedial work on his will be weakened further. bowling action which was deemed Misbah-ul Haq admitted LONDON: England confirmed illegal in September this year. Ajmal’s suspension was a huge Alastair Cook as captain for next His action was reported as sus- blow. year’s World Cup in Australia pect during the Galle Test against “Ajmal has been our trump and New Zealand after naming Sri Lanka in August. card for the last five six years and their provisional 30-man squad Ranked as number one bowler his suspension is a big jolt for us,” yesterday. in the world in one-day cricket said Misbah yesterday. National selector James in August, Ajmal’s suspension “I am praying that he is cleared Whitaker had made it clear was a huge blow to Pakistan’s before the World Cup.” before England embarked on hopes of lifting the World Cup, The ICC World Cup commences their current one-day interna- being co-hosted in Australia and tional tour of Sri Lanka that Cook by Australia and New Zealand on would be in charge for the World New Zealand Preliminary Squad February 14, with Cup despite questions about his and being held Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Pakistan facing leadership and form with the bat. in February and Jamshed, Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Misbah-ul arch-rival India There was no change to that March. Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, in their first policy as the opener was joined in However, chief Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Group B game the squad by all those chosen for selector Moin Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, a day later at the Sri Lanka trip and frontline Khan hoped Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Ehsan Adil, Adelaide. pace bowlers Stuart Broad and Ajmal will be Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Khan said James Anderson, currently recov- Alastair Cook cleared. Raza Hasan, Yasir Shah, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Pakistan’s final ering from their knee injuries in “We have Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Sarfraz Ahmad, squad will take South Africa. England intend to pare down included Ajmal Kamran Akmal. shape after the Jonathan Trott is the one their squad, to a 16 for the tri- in a hope that he five-match one- notable omission from the initial series in Australia, just before will be cleared,” Khan said. “We day series against New Zealand group named for the tournament, Christmas — of whom 15 are have been monitoring him during starting in Dubai on Monday. which begins in February. expected to form their final World his remedial work.” “In our assessment, by the time Trott had to leave last winter’s Cup squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board the five 50-over games against the Ashes campaign in Australia Preliminary 30-man England (PCB) earlier this week requested Black Caps and the short away with a stress-related illness, but squad for next year’s World Cup the International Cricket Council series in New Zealand as well as the batsman gradually returned in Australia and New Zealand, (ICC) to have Ajmal’s action reas- the practice games are over in the to form and well-being for announced by the England and sessed but seemed to have backed next two months Pakistan will Warwickshire during the English Wales Cricket Board yesterday. out of the plan after unofficial be close to hitting its peak,” said domestic campaign. AFP tests on the off-spinner showed Khan, a member of Pakistan’s Among others who have been little improvement. only World Cup winning team in included in the World Cup reck- Under the ICC rules a bowler 1992 in Australia. oning are a sextet from Yorkshire Preliminary Squad is allowed to flex his elbow by 15 The preliminary squad also - Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan degrees but Ajmal’s action showed includes former captain Shoaib Tim Bresnan, Jack Brooks, Liam Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, his goes to 43 degrees. Malik and Kamran Akmal who Plunkett and Adil Rashid - joining Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Jack Brooks, Jos Misbah-ul-Haq has already have not played for Pakistan for county colleague Joe Root, already Buttler, Alastair Cook (capt), Steven Finn, been named as captain of the over a year. in Sri Lanka. Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Craig squad, which has to be trimmed Pakistan and New Zealand Surrey batsman Jason Roy, who Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Parry, Samit to 15 by the stipulated January 7 start a five-match one-day series In this file picture taken on August 5, Pakistani bowler Saeed Ajmal made his international debut in Patel, Liam Plunkett, Boyd Rankin, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, deadline. in Dubai on Monday with the delivers a ball during a practice session at the Galle International Cricket a Twenty20 against India at James Tredwell, James Vince, Chris Woakes, The 30-man squad also focus on building confidence for Stadium in Sri Lanka. Edgbaston in September, is also includes another players whose next year’s World Cup. AFP in the 30. Luke Wright IOC outlines 2024 bid process, wants invitation phase

MONACO: The International designed to overhaul the Olympic and decide before bidding if the IOC President Thomas Bach smiles Olympic Committee (IOC) bidding and organisation, has Games are a project worth fol- after a news conference, which was unveiled its timeline for can- become clear. lowing or not. held on the sidelines of the IOC didates for the 2024 summer The invitation phase, which is “We have heard positive discus- Executive Board meeting in Monaco Games but President Thomas part of these recommendations, sions of potential bids in differ- yesterday. Bach said the IOC would Bach said an invitation phase would allow cities to present their ent countries and we wanted to impose “zero tolerance” punishment would precede it if changes to projects and discuss with the IOC give some certainty to national if accusations of widespread doping the bidding process are approved prior to committing to two years Olympic committees and by Russian athletes were proved. next week. of campaigning and millions of countries about the timeline,” “What is important for the IOC is that The IOC is eager to avoid a dollars of spending. Bach said when asked why repeat of the 2022 winter Games Cities have until September 15 the IOC had issued the timeline we take these allegations seriously,” bidding process in which four of next year to officially put in a bid now. Bach said about the doping claims the six candidates dropped out with the decision to be taken in Germany has confirmed it made in a German television during the race over financial the summer of 2017. will bid with either Hamburg or documentary. He said the IOC had fears or lack of public support. “If approved, this invitation Berlin for 2024, while the United written to the IAAF ethics commission This left Beijing and phase will be added and will pre- States are more than likely to join demanding “to be informed about all Kazakhstan’s Almaty as the only cede the phases the IOC Executive the race with either Washington, the results which may affect people candidates. Board approved, following the Boston, Los Angeles or San and the jurisdiction of the IOC.” With neither being a global procedure already in place,” Bach Francisco. Russian officials have strongly denied winter sports powerhouse, the told reporters yesterday. Bids are also likely from the claims of state-backed doping need for changes in the bidding That would mean the potential Rome, Doha, Budapest, an African made in the documentary. process, included in the Agenda bidders would have a clearer idea city, Paris and possibly Istanbul. 2020 of 40 recommendations of what they would need to do AFP Chess: Closing ceremonmy of Qatar Masters Open Media course concludes at Josoor Institute

Qatar Foundation’s Executive Yu Yangyi of China, winner of the Director of Operations Research Qatar Masters Open 2014 chess and Development Abdullah Al tournament poses with his trophy Mullah addresses delegates at Hotel Crowne Plaza in Doha on during Josoor Institute’s course, Thursday night. The 20-year-old titled Media and Journalism: Best Grandmaster finished ahead of top Practice for Major Events, which seed Anish Giri of the Netherlands ended on Thursday. More than 70 and former world champion journalists and media professionals Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. from the Middle East attended BOTTOM: Yangyi, Giri, Karmnik, the two-day educational training Bela Khotenashvili of Georgia and course on media and journalism. Salem AR Saleh of UAE cut a cake During his talk, Al Mullah shared his during the closing ceremony of the extensive experience on delivering event. Qatar Chess Association major events, including the Asian (QCA) president Khalifa Mohamed Games, the 24th Men’s Handball Al Hitmi, QCA General Secretary Championship and the Qatar Open and Grandmaster Mohammed Table Tennis Tournament. A broad Ahmed Al Modiahki. mix of speakers and delegates participated in this course, organised by Josoor Institute. It marked the latest in a successful series of events designed to equip sports practitioners and professionals within Qatar and the MENA region with the necessary skills and management capabilities to deliver major sporting tournaments successfully. The introductory two-day course featured several workshop sessions to provide participants with practical guidance on successfully organising print, broadcast, digital and social media activities at sporting events. SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Willett shines, Donald Step forward for Woods, leads at Sun City

CAPE TOWN: Danny Willett produced the outstanding but miles behind Spieth round of the day as overnight leader Luke Donald maintained a one-shot advantage going Ill golfer shows progress but tails leader by 14 strokes into today’s final round of the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City. Ross Fisher was two shots fur- WINDERMERE, Florida: ther back in third as the English Tiger Woods took a step for- trio surged clear at the top of ward but acknowledged he the leaderboard after yesterday’s had a lot of work ahead after third round. Friday’s second round of the Donald leads on 13 under par Hero World Challenge where he after a steady 69 in the third trailed leader Jordan Spieth by round in which he failed to 14 strokes. find the spark that took him to Woods, back in competition within one of the course record Danny Willett of England watches after nearly four months away on Friday. his shot from the first fairway due to back injuries, improved to Willett, whose only European during the Nedbank Challenge at a two-under 70 after an opening Tour win came in 2012, carded Sun City yesterday. 77 despite suffering from a fever, a seven under par 65 includ- but a wobbly short game contin- ing eight birdies and an unlucky ued to plague him. bogey on the 13th. “It’s not very good,” conceded That was his only error as the Nedbank Golf Woods, who stood last in the 27-year-old gained momentum 18-man field. “Just going to take with an early birdie on the second. Challenge Scores more time, more patience.” Fisher led after the first round Not so for rising American and needed a steady hand as he Third round scores in the Spieth, who scorched the back carded four birdies but also two Nedbank Golf Challenge at the nine with five birdies including dropped shots in his 70. Gary Player Country Club, Sun three in a row from the 12th to Some way back in fourth City, South Africa yesterday position on five under par was (GBR/IRL unless stated; par German Marcel Siem, who carded 72): Hero World a 71 for a total of 211. 203 Luke Donald 71 63 69 “It was a little bit of hard work 204 Danny Willett 71 68 65 Challenge Scores on the back nine, I didn’t hit the 206 Ross Fisher 66 70 70 Scores from Friday’s sec- fairway enough which I did well 211 Marcel Siem (GER) 68 72 71 yesterday,” Donald said in a TV ond round of the Hero World 212 Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 70 73 69, interview. “The pins were a little Challenge at Isleworth (USA Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 71 70 71 unless noted, par 72, two players tighter today and from the rough 213 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 72 73 68, must finish round on Saturday it was hard to be aggressive. Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 70 74 69, due to darkness) “It’s a dangerous course, every Tim Clark (RSA) 70 71 72 135 Henrik Stenson 67-68 Tiger Woods watches his errant tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the Hero World Challenge hole there is something lurking out there and you have to be on 214 Dawie Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 72 69, 136 Patrick Reed 73-63, Justin Rose (ENG) at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, Florida, on Friday. your game and patient. Alexander Levy (FRA) 68 70 76, Jonas 72-64 reach 11-under with one hole to and went out in a sensational hampered him again a day after “It was nice to get a birdie at Blixt (SWE) 71 73 70 137 Jimmy Walker 68-69, Bubba Watson finish when play was halted due seven-under 29 on his way to a 63. flubbing three chips on his former the last, it will make dinner taste 215 Stephen Gallacher 70 73 72, Tommy 69-68, Rickie Fowler 67-70 to darkness after an 82-minute Woods came to the first tee with home course of Isleworth. a bit better. It’ll also be fun to play Fleetwood 74 67 74, Shane Lowry 72 138 Jason Day (AUS) 71-67, Keegan Bradley weather delay late in the round. his grey shirt already drenched in The 14-times major winner, the final round with my fellow 72 71, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 73 71 71 72-66, Chris Kirk 70-68, Zach Johnson Spieth said the rain helped his sweat and coughed before several who is undergoing a swing change, Englishmen.” 216 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 70 71 75, 67-71 birdie run. shots, but got through the front also bladed a short chip some 60 Lee Westwood, twice winner of Brendon Todd (USA) 73 68 75 139 Matt Kuchar 69-70 “It was nice for us,” he said. nine in even par and reached feet past the hole at the eighth the tournament, had a disastrous 218 George Coetzee (RSA) 68 74 76 141 Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 68-73, Graeme “The greens putted a little slower.” four-under for the day before a where he took a bogey. round including an eagle, five 219 Brooks Koepka (USA) 70 74 75, Marc McDowell (NIR) 68-73 Australian Open winner flubbed chip led to double bogey Woods said it was all related bogeys and a triple-bogey on the Warren 75 73 71, Joost Luiten (NED) 142 Hunter Mahan 71-71 Spieth held a two-shot lead over at the last. to his swing changes, adding that 17th as he finished in the water. 72 74 73, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 74 75 70 145 Billy Horschel 73-72 Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who The poor finish came right two previous major swing revi- His six-over-par 78, the worst 220 Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 80 72 68, Martin posted a 68 despite back-to-back after the rain delay and washed sions earlier in his career should of the day, left him tied 24th with 147 Tiger Woods 77-70 Kaymer (GER) 74 75 71, Lee Westwood bogeys from the 15th. away some of the gains of a back- help him. defending champion Thomas Players who must finish second round on 72 70 78 Another shot back at eight- nine stretch where Woods made “The good news is I understand Bjorn and Martin Kaymer, the Saturday: 222 Kevin Na (USA) 77 73 72 under were England’s Justin Rose eagle and two birdies in a span of the process,” he said. “I’ve made world number 13 and highest Jordan Spieth 66 (64) and Patrick Reed, who played four holes from the 13th. changes before in my game and it ranked player in 30-man field. 226 Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 76 78 72 Steve Stricker 67 alongside fellow American Woods Short game shortcomings takes time.” REUTERS REUTERS 231 Danie Van Tonder (RSA) 77 78 76 Dream World Cup FIA honours Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 DOHA: The FIA’s star-studded annual Prize-Giving awards draw for Japan ceremony on Friday culminated with the presentation of the FIA OTTAWA: Defending champi- June 6 against China, with New Formula One World Drivers’ ons Japan gained a dream draw Zealand and the Netherlands Championship trophy to Lewis yesterday for the 2015 Women’s rounding out Group A. Hamilton, with the world cham- World Cup in Canada while Two-time champions Germany pionship’s Constructors’ trophy two-time champions the United could also breathe a sigh of relief being awarded to the Briton’s States face a tough challenge to at their draw in Group B, which Mercedes AMG F1 team at a make the knockout stages. includes dangerous 1995 cham- glittering event in Doha. The Nadeshiko, seeded atop pions Norway but also inexperi- Hamilton’s second career title Group C, will face Switzerland, enced Ivory Coast and Thailand. came at the end of an enthralling, Cameroon and Ecuador, all Brazil, led by five-time women’s season-long battle with team- first-time qualifiers for the world player of the year Marta, mate Nico Rosberg. Team-mates tournament. will face South Korea, improving in their junior karting career, the The United States face a tough Spain and Costa Rica in Group racing aces resumed their rivalry first-round path against Australia, E and France, ranked fourth at Mercedes in 2013 and this year, ranked 10th in the world by FIFA, in the world, will face England, with the championship’s most Nigeria and Sweden — a European Colombia and Mexico in Group F. competitive car at their disposal, powerhouse ranked fifth in the First-round matches will be the pair thrilled fans worldwide world and only unseeded for “geo- played in Vancouver, Edmonton, as they battled tooth and nail for graphic” reasons. Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal the ultimate prize. Their Group D, with most of its and Moncton, with the final in 2014 FIA Formula One World first-round matches in Winnipeg, Vancouver on July 5. AFP Champion Lewis Hamilton said: immediately appeared the tough- “This has been an incredible est but US forward Sydney season and definitely one of the Leroux took to Twitter to indi- Groups for the toughest I’ve ever been part of. FIA President Jean Todt cate the Americans are up for the We had a phenomenal car, which (right) applauds as Mercedes challenge. 2015 Women’s allowed both Nico and I to battle AMG F1’s British driver “Bring it on,” Leroux tweeted. hard throughout the year and it Lewis Hamilton lifts the FIA Adding intrigue to the match- World Cup was incredibly close throughout. Formula One World Drivers’ up between the United States Groups for the 2015 women’s I’m really grateful to Mercedes Championship trophy during the and Sweden, current Sweden World Cup drawn yesterday. for giving us that opportunity and FIA 2014 Prize-giving ceremony manager Pia Sundhage guided (Prefix denotes FIFA world of course to the team for working at the Katara Cultural Village the Americans to back-to-back ranking. City after group des- so hard. As I said when I won in in Doha on Friday. RIGHT: Olympic titles before taking the Abu Dhabi, winning my first title ignates venue.) Mercedes AMG F1 Executive helm in her native country in was fantastic but this win was Group A (Edmonton) Director Toto Wolff (left) arrives September of 2012. even more special and I hope it’s (8) Canada, (14) China (19), New Zealand (15) The former Sweden interna- a sign of a lot more success to for the FIA 2014 Prize-giving Netherlands tional admitted before the draw come with Mercedes.” ceremony at the Katara Cultural she thought it was “weird” that Group B (Ottawa) At the end of the 19-race cam- Village in Doha on Friday night. sixth-ranked Brazil, rather than (2) Germany (64), Ivory Coast (9), Norway (30), paign Hamilton and Rosberg had fifth-ranked Sweden, got the nod Thailand taken 16 wins, sealed 11 one-two Mercedes AMG F1 Executive as a seeded team. Group C (Vancouver) finishes and scored a staggering Director Toto Wolff said: “For “But I’m not the person who (3) Japan (18), Switzerland (55), Cameroon 18 pole positions — a level of dom- Mercedes-Benz, 2014 has been can do anything about it,” she (49), Ecuador inance not seen in the sport for a remarkable and historic sea- with 11 one-two finishes and to are hugely proud to have won the said, adding the best policy was Group D (Winnipeg) almost three decades and attrib- son. Firstly, because it saw the have scored 18 pole positions has first Constructors’ Championship to “just accept it and go with it.” (1) United States (10), Australia (5), Sweden utable in large part to Mercedes’ introduction of F1’s new 1.6l tur- earned us a place in the history for Mercedes-Benz and the com- The seventh edition of Women’s (35), Nigeria W05 Hybrid car. bocharged, hybrid power units, books and it is testimony to the pany’s first Drivers’ title since World Cup will feature 24 teams For the 2014 season, the cham- which were an enormously hard work put in by everyone at the great Juan Manuel Fangio Group E (Montreal) for the first time — up from 16. pionship switched to technologi- exciting challenge for all the the team. Both Lewis and Nico in 1955. But back at base, we’re The first- and second-place fin- (6) Brazil, (17) South Korea, (16) Spain, (40) cally-advanced and fuel-efficient teams. But you can never go drove like champions throughout, already hard at work to make Costa Rica ishers in each group automatically 1.6l, turbocharged, hybrid engines into a season expecting the kind with Nico winning the qualifying sure we can defend our title from advance to the round of 16. Group F (Moncton) — a regulation change the of success we have managed to battle but Lewis prevailing in the Melbourne next year.” Hosts Canada will open the (4) France, (7) England, (31) Colombia, (25) Mercedes team exploited fully. achieve. To have won 16 races, races to become champion. We THE PENINSULA tournament in Edmonton on Mexico SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27

English Premier EPL: Chelsea unbeaten run ends League Result LONDON: English Premier League results yesterday: Hull 0 West Brom 0; Liverpool 0 Sunderland Cisse scores brace in New Newcastle win, Toure earns Man City victory 0; Newcastle 2 (Cisse 57, 78) Chelsea 1 (Drogba 83); QPR 2 (Fer 51, Austin 74) LONDON: Chelsea’s unbeaten minutes from the end. Substitute leading marksman Sergio Aguero Burnley 0; Stoke 3 (Crouch 1, Bojan 35, start to the season ended with a Cisse, who replaced Remy Cabella because of a left knee injury inside Walters 45) Arsenal 2 (Cazorla 68-pen, dramatic 2-1 defeat at Newcastle after the break, put Newcastle in the first five minutes at the Etihad Ramsey 70); Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 0; United yesterday when Papiss front after 57 minutes following but still had too much for Everton Manchester City 1 (Toure 24-pen) Everton 0 Cisse struck twice to stun the a slip by Gary Cahill and struck who only came to life late on. Playing today Premier League leaders at St again on the break 21 minutes The winning goal was slightly Aston Villa vs Leicester (1600GMT), West James’ Park. later, seconds after Eden Hazard fortuitous as Phil Jagielka’s 24th- Ham vs Swansea (1330GMT) Champions Manchester City was denied an equaliser by the minute challenge on James Milner Playing Monday took full advantage of Chelsea’s woodwork. was deemed illegal by the referee Southampton vs Manchester United surprise reverse to cut the gap at Didier Drogba’s majestic header despite no protests from the City (2000GMT) the top to three points as Yaya halved the deficit late on but midfielder.Toure calmly stroked the Toure’s penalty earned a 1-0 home Newcastle survived six minutes penalty past keeper Tim Howard victory over Everton. of stoppage time and Chelsea’s and that proved enough to secure Newcastle Spanish League Arsenal’s hopes of a third suc- 14-match unbeaten start to the three points for the home side who United’s cessive win were dashed by a 3-2 league season, which had drawn face a vital Champions League Senegalese Results defeat at Stoke City, where they comparisons with the Arsenal clash at AS Roma in midweek. striker Papiss MADRID: Result from trailed 3-0 at halftime. Liverpool ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04, was over. Arsenal fell behind to a Peter Cisse celebrates Spain’s La Liga yesterday: were held to a 0-0 home draw by “We were unlucky,” said Crouch goal after 19 seconds scoring their Elche 0 Atletico Madrid 2 (Gimenez 16, Sunderland, one of three goalless Mourinho who criticised at Stoke before Bojan and Jon second goal dur- Mandzukic 53) stalemates yesterday. Newcastle’s fans and ball boys for Walters made it 3-0 by halftime. ing the English Playing today Undefeated in 23 matches in wasting time by not returning the Santi Cazorla’s penalty and a Premier League Rayo Vallecano vs Sevilla (1100), Barcelona all competitions since April’s ball when it went out of play. goal from Aaron Ramsey gave match against vs Espanyol (1600), Villarreal vs Real Champions League semi-final “The best team lost, the Arsenal hope after the break Chelsea at St Sociedad (1800), Granada vs Valencia against Atletico Madrid, Chelsea team that tried to win lost, but but the damage was already James’ Park (2000) proved far from invincible as that’s football,” he told a news done for the visitors who had 10-man Newcastle survived a late conference. Calum Chambers sent off with in Newcastle- Tomorrow barrage to prevent the Londoners “What’s important is that it’s 12 minutes to go. Skipper Steven Upon-Tyne, north Eibar vs Almeria (1600), Levante vs Getafe creating a club record unbeaten the kind of defeat which is easy Gerrard was left on the bench east England, (1800) run. to accept. I don’t like to lose when by manager Brendan Rodgers as yesterday. Few could deny Newcastle a the referee isn’t good...which Liverpool laboured to a 0-0 draw deserved win that lifted them to wasn’t the case today.” at Anfield against Sunderland. seventh in the table although vis- Chelsea now have 36 points He joined the fray after 67 min- Results iting manager Jose Mourinho said from 15 matches, with Manchester utes but could not stir the attack GLASGOW: Scottish Premier- his side were unfortunate. City on 33. Southampton have into life as Liverpool remained in ship results yesterday: The hosts lost goalkeeper 26 and play their game in hand mid-table. Queens Park Rangers to injury at halftime, against fourth-placed Manchester beat Burnley 2-0 to climb out of Aberdeen 3 (Taylor 28, McGinn 51, Rooney replaced by young rookie debutant United (25) tomorrow. West Ham the relegation zone. Tottenham 55-pen) Hamilton 0; Dundee 1 (Stewart 21) Jak Alnwick, and had to man the United (24) can climb from fifth Hotspur drew 0-0 with Crystal Inverness CT 2 (McKay 55, Christie 88); barricades with only 10 men when to third if they beat Swansea City Palace, as did Hull City with fel- Motherwell 0 Celtic 1 (Stokes 6); Partick 1 Steven Taylor was dismissed after at Upton Park today. low strugglers West Bromwich (Seaborne 19) Kilmarnock 1 (Obadeyi 11); St getting a second yellow card nine Manchester City lost 14-goal Albion. REUTERS Mirren 0 St Johnstone 1 (O’Halloran 8) Atletico up to second with Elche win

Atletico Madrid’s mid- MADRID: Reigning Spanish who are in action later at home to into the roof of the net from post effort surprised Przemyslaw fielder Raul Garcia champions Atletico Madrid Celta Vigo, while Barcelona host the edge of the box to open his Tyton in the home side’s goal. (left) vies with Elche’s leapfrogged Barcelona into sec- Espanyol on Sunday. account for the club. Antoine Griezmann replaced defender Domingo ond in La Liga with a hard- In what was a tense first half From then on, Atletico domi- Mandzukic with 17 minutes to Cisma during the fought 2-0 victory away to Elche of few chances, Los Rojiblancos nated possession, but they were go as Simeone looked ahead to Spanish league match yesterday. scored with their first attack of thankful to goalkeeper Miguel Tuesday’s Champions League against Elche FC at the Jose Maria Gimenez opened the note, and as so often happens, Angel Moya, who managed to visit to Juventus, and the scoring in spectacular fashion just their goal came from a dead ball. tip over a cross-cum-shot from Frenchman saw an effort smoth- Martin Valero Stadium in past the quarter-hour mark with After Guilherme Siqueira had Faycal Fajr five minutes before ered by Tyton as Atleti contin- Valencia yesterday. his first goal for the club, and a seen a cross headed behind, the the break. ued to dominate. Mario Mandukic strike just after Brazilian combined with Koke Eight minutes after the restart However, despite failing to add the break was enough to seal the and Arda Turan from the result- captain Gabi won possession just to their tally, the visitors comfort- win for Diego Simeone’s men. ing corner, feeding Uruguayan inside the Elche half and clipped ably held on to secure their fifth Victory takes Atletico to within defender Gimenez, who instantly a delightful ball over the top for consecutive win in all competi- a point of leaders Real Madrid, controlled the ball before firing Mario Mandzukic, whose near tions. AFP QBL: Wins for Al Gharafa, Al Rayyan Aspire tri-series: Qatar Under-17 finish on top

DOHA: Qatar Under-18 team won the Aspire Academy Under-18 tri-series while Italian club, Atalanta Bergamo topped in the Under-16 section of the tournament. Another edition of the tri- Members series tournament organised by of the ASpire Academy brought the Qatar U-16 and U-18 teams of JEF Under-18 United of Japan and Atalanta team, win- Bergamo of Italy to Aspire ners of Academy last week. What stood the Aspire out was the strong performance Academy of Aspire’s U-18 team, which was Under-18 in fact is the Qatari Under-17 tri-series, national team, which won its age celebrate group after beating Atalanta and finishing the tournament with a their win in Doha. Action from the match between Al Gharafa and Qatar SC of the Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) league at goalless draw against JEF United. Al Gharafa Stadium in Doha yesterday. Al Gharafa won 97-81. In the U-16 competition, Aspire’s team finished with a 1-1 against the Japanese. Atalanta Bergamo finished first in this group, having beaten both their opponents. THE PENINSULA

Atalanta Bergamo of Italy, the win- ners in the Under-16 section of the Aspire Academy tri- series pose for a picture dur- ing the awards ceremony.

Action from QBF match between Al Rayyan and Al Shamal at Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. Al Rayan won 89-68. Sunday 7 December 2014 15 Safar 1436 Volume 19 Number 6272 Sport Price: QR2 Celtics down Pakistan Lakers, Spurs include Ajmal edge Grizzlies in Cup squad

Sport | 23 Sport | 25

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Manaudou races to Asian Clubs League Championship: All-Qatari final second world record Hosszu continues golden run at worlds

BY FAWAD HUSSAIN the culmination of the ongoing year’s world record of Russia (one championship. minute and 29.53 seconds), clock- DOHA: When Florent “I am pretty satisfied with my ing one minute and 28.57 seconds Manaudou broke the men’s 50m performance this year and I am to grab the gold medal. Russians freestyle world record on Friday, happy.” were the runners-up followed by he said he was not expecting Meanwhile, Alia Atkinson of team Brazil. such a feat from himself. But Jamaica equaled world record by Meanwhile, South African star now it seems the Frenchman winning gold medal in the wom- Chad Le Clos won another short has developed a habit of shat- en’s 100m breaststroke with a course gold medal, winning the tering records. time of one minute and 02.36 sec- men’s 50m butterfly with a time of The 24-year old stunned almost onds. She now shares the record 21.95 seconds – a new champion- packed spectators at the Hamad with Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania, ship record. Le Clos fell short of Aquatic Centre in Doha yesterday, who achieved the feat last year. just 0.15milliseconds of the world when he annihilated five-year old “I was shocked to see my name record marked by Germany’s record of 22.61 seconds by Peter on top of the list because I am not Steffen Deibler in 2009. Marshal in the men’s 50m back- used to it. It was a good shock Nicholas Santos of Brazil stroke event, clocking 22.22 on though,” said delighted Atkinson and Andrii Govorov of Ukraine the penultimate day of 12th FINA on her triumph. took silver and bronze medals World Swimming Championship In both the team events yester- respectively. (25m). day, world records tumbled with Apart from the finals yesterday, Manaudou’s performance was Russia and the United States win- some outstanding performance Action from the 17th Asian Clubs League Championship semi-final match between El Jaish of Qatar and Al special as the United States swim- ning gold medals. was witnessed in the semi-finals Qurain Club of Kuwait at the Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Sports Hall at Al Sadd yesterday. El Jaish won 38-29. mer Marshal created the record Russia bettered their own as well with three championship RIGHT: Action from the semi-final match between Lekhwiya SC Qatar and Al Kuwait Club, Kuwait. Lekhwiya in controversial shiny suit. Also, record in men’s 4x50m freestyle, records being smashed. won 33-30. The final will be played on Monday. (See also page 24) he defeated Eugene Godsoe with finishing the job in one minute Emily Seebohm of Australia a good margin of 0.83 seconds to and 22.60 seconds – 0.76 seconds set a new mark in women’s 50m claim the gold medal. Stanislav ahead of their previous best time. backstroke, Sarah Sjostrom of Donetec of Russia took bronze The United States took silver and Sweden smashed championship medal. Italy secured bronze medal in the record in women’s 100m butter- Meanwhile, Hungary’s golden competition. fly while Adam Peaty of Great girl Katinka Hosszu continued In mixed 4x50m freestyle relay Britain achieved the similar feat with her brilliant show as she what was the last race of the day, in men’s 50m breaststroke. tamed her own world record in the United States surpassed last THE PENINSULA women’s 200m individual medley, winning the race in two minutes and 01.86 seconds, 0.27 seconds better than her previous feat. This was the fourth gold medal and world record for the Hungarian in the championship so far. She defeated silver medallist Siobhan-Marie Oconnor of the Great Britain with a huge mar- gin of 4.01 seconds. But Hosszu wanted more pace from herself in the race. “I wanted to break another two-minute barrier today,” Hosszu told The Peninsula while hoping for more medals on the final day today. “I have more competitions left and now I am focusing on the final day.” Hosszu said the excitement of winning and creating records help her going in spite of the hectic schedule. Katinka Hosszu of Hungary “It’s tiring to take part in so blasted her way to a stunning 12th FINA World many events on the same day but fourth world record with a win- the feeling of victory charges me ning effort in the women’s 200m Swimming every time.” individual medley at 12th FINA With so many records came World Swimming Championship Championship to her credit this year, ‘The (25m) in Doha yesterday. Iron Lady’ said she was ‘satis- BOTTOM: Hosszu waves out to fied’ with her performance in the crowd. Results 2014, which will almost end with PICTURES BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT FINALS Men’s 4x50M Freestyle Russia (Vladimir Morozov, Evgeny Sedov, Oleg Tikhobaev, Sergei Fesikov) 1:22.60; USA (Josh Schneider, Tom Shields, Jimmy Feigen, Ryan Lochte) 1:23.47; Italy (Luca Dotto, Orsi Marco, Magnini, Marco Belotti) 1:24.56. Women’s 100M Breaststroke Alia Atkinson (Jamaica) 1:02.36; uta Meilutyte (Lithuania) 1:02.46; Moniek Nijhuis (Netherlands) 1:04.03. Men’s 50M Backstroke Florent Manaudou (France) 22.22; Eugene Godsoe (USA) 23.05; Stanislav Donetec (Russia) 23.10. Men’s 50M Butterfly Chad Le Clos (South Africa) 21.95; Nicholas Santos (Brazil) 22:08; Andrii Govorov (Ukraine). Women’s 200M Individual Medley Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) 2:01.86; Siobhan- Marie Oconnor (GBR) 2:05.87; Melaine Margalis (USA) 2:06.68 Mixed Freestyle 4x50M Relay United States (Josh Schneider, Matt Grevers, Madison Kennedy, Abbey Weitzel) 1:28.57; Russia (Evgeny Sedov, Vladmir Morozov, Veronika, Rozailya) 1:29.13; Brazil (Ceaser Cielo, Joao De Lucca, Etiene Medeiros, Larissa Oliveira) 1:29.17.