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Friday 19 December 2014 • 27 Safar 1436 • Volume 19 Number 6284 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and other top officials attending the parade on the Doha Corniche on National Day yesterday. (RIGHT) H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson, Qatar Foundation (QF) for Education, Science and Community Development, with children during a storytelling session at the QF Tent in Darb Al Saae, the main venue of National Day celebrations. Leaders attend National Day parade Patriotic fervour at its zenith as Emir and Father Emir greet thousands on the Corniche BY FAZEENA SALEEM people, including children, and even dresses, added colour to the parade. A Dignitaries, including the Emir’s A pageantry of pure-bred Arabian accepted maroon-and-white shawls and traditional Qatari sword dance — Al Personal Representative H H Sheikh horses and camels exhibiting Qatar’s DOHA: Patriotic fervour was at its scarves from some. Arda — by schoolchildren was another Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, H H Sheikh traditions led the parade. zenith as the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim While leaving the venue in car, both attraction of the show. National Service Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani and H H The Qatari Armed Forces, Internal bin Hamad Al Thani and the Father waved at the people who were loudly trainees also joined the march, along with Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani, Security Force (Lekhwiya), Al Fazaa and Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa cheering along the Corniche. hundreds of soldiers from Qatar Armed were also present, along with the Prime the Emiri Guard marched behind, while Al Thani walked into the crowds and The parade began with the national Forces. Minister and Interior Minister H E battle tanks and multi-rocket launch- greeted thousands of citizens and anthem and a gun salute, followed by The parade started at 8am and con- Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa ers rolled along the Doha seafront and expatriates watching the National Day recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. tinued until 8.45am. The first 30 min- Al Thani, Advisory Council Speaker fighter jets flew overhead. parade on the Corniche early morning The Emir took salute as contingents from utes saw the march of armed forces and Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khulaifi, The parade showcased infantry col- yesterday. security forces marched by. showcase of vehicles. The last 15 minutes ministers, heads of diplomatic missions umns of the army, police and Emiri With smiling faces, the Emir and the Young boys from schools dressed as sol- were dedicated to an air show and a dem- and senior army officers and officials Guard. THE PENINSULA Father Emir shook hands with many diers, accompanied by girls in traditional onstration by Coast Guards. from the Ministry of Interior. Continued on page 3

FIFA executives Oil tumbles after brief meet amid probe report furore rebound; Brent below $60 NEW YORK: Global crude oil prices slumped anew yesterday, a MARRAKECH: FIFA day after a short-covering rally, as traders placed fresh bets the President Sepp Blatter opened a market would resume a six-month rout on worries about a supply meeting of his 25-member exec- glut. Benchmark Brent and US crude tumbled $2 a barrel each in utive committee yesterday amid late trading after initially extending Wednesday’s short-covering, a storm of controversy over an which lifted oil prices by more than $3. With Brent back below the inquiry into the bids by Russia psychologically-key level of $60 a barrel and US crude under $55, and Qatar for the 2018 and 2022 traders braced for more selling in a market that has lost about half World Cups. its value since June. While the market seemed to slide on renewed With a vote on the FIFA lead- worries about oversupply, traders said some of the selling could have ership looming next year, foot- been due to position squaring ahead of today’s expiry of the January ball’s governing body has been front-month contract in US crude. stung by the resignation of its The slump set in at mid-morning and accelerated in the last 30 leading investigator, top US law- minutes of trade. yer Michael Garcia, over the han- dling of his report. Palestine draft talks to take time European media said a vote may be held today on a proposal UNITED NATIONS: Negotiations on a draft UN resolution that to publish the report, but Blatter sets terms for a final Israeli-Palestinian peace deal will take time, has insisted so far that it cannot ROTA Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani with the Qatari flag on Geographical South Pole. Jordan said yesterday, indicating that a Security Council vote was be published for legal reasons. not imminent. He had also said the report Jordan presented the measure on Wednesday to the Security Council would be at the centre of a on behalf of the Palestinians, who said they were open to negotiations two-day executive meeting in on the text. “It will take time,” Jordan’s UN Ambassador Dina Kawar Marrakech, although no details First Qatari reaches South Pole, told reporters. of the agenda have been provided. Jordan, along with Britain and France, were hoping to achieve a Garcia quit as head of inves- resolution that could be adopted by consensus at the council and will tigation chamber on Wednesday, not be vetoed by the US. But the US said yesterday it did not support hitting out at the “lack of lead- hoists flag to mark National Day the resolution. “It is not something that we would support,” State ership” by FIFA over the inquiry Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. Washington has into the two bids. DOHA: Reach Out To Asia Pole. “I am proud to be the first and natural disasters. repeatedly vetoed council resolutions seen as undermining its close Qatar has strongly denied any (ROTA) Ambassador Sheikh Qatari to raise the flag of Qatar And this is the core of Sheikh ally Israel. wrongdoing in its successful cam- Mohammed bin Abdullah Al on the South Pole. Very few people Mohammed’s visit — advocacy for paign for the 2022 World Cup. Thani became the first Qatari have been privileged to visit the education. Three ‘top IS leaders killed’ In his resignation statement, to reach the South Pole, where South Pole. Essa Al Manaai, ROTA Garcia said he had found “seri- he hoisted a flag to commemo- “This milestone, I hope, will Executive Director, congratulated WASHINGTON: US-led air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in ous and wide-ranging issues” rate National Day. continue to inspire young peo- him and said, “ROTA extends its Iraq have killed three of the militant group’s top leaders but not sen- in the bid processes for both Sheikh Mohammed had ear- ple in Qatar as we celebrate our gratitude to our Ambassador ior commander Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, US officials said yesterday. tournaments. lier led the first group of Qatari National Day,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Among those killed was Abd Al Basit, whom officials described as He resigned in protest at the climbers to Mount Everest to As a member of Qatar Al Thani, who became the first the group’s military ‘emir,’ and Haji Mutazz, a deputy to Baghdadi. The summary of his report released by raise Qatar’s flag. Foundation (QF), ROTA contrib- Qatari to raise the flag of Qatar strikes took place between December 3 and 9, they said. FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert As part of a two-week excursion utes greatly towards QF’s mis- on the South Pole. Officials also confirmed last month’s killing of Radwan Taleb Al who had said no corruption was entitled ‘Ski the last degree to the sion to unlock human potential. “He is also the first Qatari to Hamdouni, whom local medical sources had described at the time as found and that no new votes were South Pole, bottom of the world’, Its approach to achieving this is raise the flag on Mount Everest. I the radical group’s leader in the northern city of Mosul. necessary. he skied from the 89th degree through skills development and congratulate not only him but also News of the killings, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, came FIFA rejected Garcia’s appeal to the 90th, travelling about 60 using its sport-based educational Qatar’s extraordinary youth who the same day the top US commander of coalition efforts against the against the summary yesterday, nautical miles across windswept programmes as tools to rehabili- continue to inspire us as leaders IS, Lieutenant General James Terry, hailed the impact of four months declaring it “not admissible”. terrain and below-freezing tem- tate children and youth suffering in the community.” of air strikes in Iraq. AGENCIES peratures to Geographical South due to wars, political disturbances THE PENINSULA AGENCIES FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Colourful parade marks National Day

The main attraction of the National Day celebration was a spectacular military parade on the Corniche in which Qatari army, air force, navy, Emiri Guards, Lekhwiya, Al Fazaa, Coast Guards, and other units of Ministry of Interior marched along with military vehicles and warfare equipment. Schoolchildren dressed in traditional and military costumes joined the colourful parade which also featured a breathtaking aerial show.

Pics: SALIM MATRAMKOT, ABDUL BASIT, KAMMUTTY V P and BAHER AMIN FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03

The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani interact with people after attending the National Day parade on the Corniche yesterday.

Emir receives Visitors throng Darb Al Saai message from Kuwait Ruler National Day celebrations in full swing DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad BY YASIN KAKANDE Zaabi, a Qatari reveller who Al Thani received a message joined the group of dancers on from Emir of Kuwait H H DOHA: Darb Al Saai, the venue stage. “But it’s much easier to Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al of National Day celebrations watch than trying it out, I admit.” Jaber Al Sabah. burst into colour and revelry Mohammed Al Mansouri, The message was related to yesterday as crowds did swell another Qatari, said the activi- bilateral relations and issues the site, with their numbers ties at Darb Al Saai were both of common concern. Kuwaiti ever greater. recreational and educational and First Deputy Prime Minister The site hosted a number of the emphasis on past showcas- and Minister of Foreign entertaining activities and shows ing old occupations like fishing, Affairs Sabah Al Khalid Al for the children and adult guests. riding camels and handicrafts for Hamad Al Sabah conveyed the Children did flow in large num- women had enriched his under- message. bers to areas designated for tradi- standing of his country. tional games like shooting which “I have also been moved by taught them the heritage game the organisation of the tents Emir greets Niger of archery. There were also some that completely depict the life of traditional games specifically for the desert several years before,” President on girls like rope jumping. he said Also there was a huge “I have played rope jumping screen that aired interviews by National Day when I was young, enjoyed it and Qatar TV and Al Rayyan Television it makes you physically fit and where visitors at the site offered DOHA: The Emir H H that is why I want my children to their eulogies to the country’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad enjoy the game,” said Umm Taha, leadership and the organising Al Thani has sent a cable of a Qatari mother of four including committee. congratulations to President two daughters aged 5 and 8 years Visitors also carried hundreds of the Republic of Niger who were jumping the rope. of small flags in their hands and Mahamadou Issoufou on There were several stages were other flags hanging out from the occasion of his country’s performances like traditional their cars. The different depart- Dazzling fireworks off the Corniche light up the Doha skies yesterday evening. BAHER AMIN National Day. Ardah dances were performed. ments and booths at Darb Al Saai The Deputy Emir H H For some visitors, watching were all decorated to the hilt; National Day. Along the streets road but also villas and flats of Vehicles filled the roads and Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al turned into participation as mem- most booths held contests that and roads of Al Sadd that led to Qataris and expatriates, govern- motorists waved to every passer- Thani and the Prime Minister bers of the audience were inviw- rewarded those with the most Darb Al Saai, traffic slowed to a ment buildings, large and small, by, while on the pavements men and Interior Minister H E ted on to the stage to perform. patriotic memories. snail’s pace as more people moved every street, every car and every shook hands, and children of all Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin “I had not danced for a long Visitors entering each booth to the venue for celebrations. lamp post was polished, deco- nationalities played together, wav- Khalifa Al Thani have also sent while but I think my perform- also rejoiced as the ring of tills It was not only the people who rated and adorned with flags ing flags and wearing traditional similar cables. QNA ance was impressive,” said Nassir played a melody celebrating the were looking their best on the and lights. clothes. THE PENINSULA Fighter jets spray Selfies take events national colours Continued from page 1 They exhibited a wide range of beyond borders armoured vehicles, both traditional and modern and military equipment. BY SACHIN KUMAR celebrations is they are designed New generation battle tanks, sophis- for expatriates. I am happy and ticated radars, airborne early warning DOHA: T he r i s e of social media these photos give me opportu- systems, armoured personal carriers, is helping Qatar’s National Day nity to tell my friend that I am missile assemblies and rocket launch- celebrations go beyond its bor- happy here,” said Mohamed, ers were on display. ders. Expatriates from dif- a Bangladeshi national, at Al An air show of fighter jets and heli- ferent countries were seen Wakra with his friends to cel- copters were also seen along with naval taking pictures and selfies from ebrate National Day celebrations. boats. The immaculate demonstra- phones and sharing it on social Expatriates started posted pic- tion of skills by the para-jumpers and media with friends and family tures and videos of National Day aerial stunts by the paragliders brought members. celebrations since morning on excitement to the thousands of people The craze to take pictures from Facebook and twitter. Most of the gathered. Fighter jets sprayed Qatar’s smartphones was so high that pictures were of military parade national colours in formations while every second there were flash on Corniche. Once the parade was choppers flew over the cheering crowd. lights of phone cameras hitting over, they started posting photos Equally scintillating was the sight of a people’s faces. Expatriates said of events happening in Al Khor, number of Air Force helicopters car- that posting pictures on social West End Park, Al Wakra and rying huge Qatari flags, flying over the media allowed their friends and other areas. venue. family members to get acquainted “Pictures and videos taken in The pilots of the Qatar Air Force by Qatari people and culture. Doha always excite my friends on fighter jets displayed their skills by fly- Expatriate teams participating in a tug-of-war competition at the Al Wakra Sports Club. ABDUL BASIT “My friends are curious to facebook. In Nepal we do not have ing their aircraft in various combina- know about Qatar and its culture. such a big stadium. I am sure pic- tions. Several patrolling vessels of the Pictures of National Day celebra- tures taken today will also sur- coast guard impressed the spectators tions posted on social media will prise my friends again. Students with their deft movements across the Expats join celebrations give them a glimpse about Qatar performing in traditional dress length and breadth of the sea along the and its culture,” said an Indian and songs are in my language Corniche. The fast attack black navy DOHA: The National Day Day celebrations give them worker. “Every year I wait for expatriate. which has made my day,” said boats dashed into the waters in the celebration events organ- chance to enjoy and break the this day eagerly because of cul- “The programmes organised Bhola, a Nepalese worker, at Al midst of traditional boats. ised yesterday at Al Wakra boredom in their life,” said a tural programmes presented here are entertaining and the Wakra Sports Club. Hundreds of Qatari and expatriate Sports Club enthralled Sri Lankan expatriate who throughout the day,” he said. Wakra stadium events are grand. Fall in the prices of smart- families thronged the area since early expatriates from India, was enjoying programmes in “Every day I follow the same I have taken many pictures of phones have allowed expatri- morning to watch the parade. Many Pakistan, Bangladesh and Al Wakra Sports Club with routine of going to office in the programmes and the surrounding ates to take more pictures and “single” men, however missed the show Sri Lanka. Students of his two children. Expatriates morning and coming back to which I will post on my Facebook videos. “I could not take pictures as they were not allowed in. Pakistan Education Centre, also got the opportunity to my residence in the evening. account. My friends and fam- of National Day celebrations last Under the theme ‘One Love’ vari- Shantiniketan Indian School, enjoy folk dances and songs National Day broke my boring ily members, through facebook, day because I had basic phone ous expatriate communities took part TNG School, Bhavan’s Public which reminded them of their routine. On Thursday I came will get to know that I enjoyed and not smartphone. Now I have in day-long celebration at four major School and Bangladesh MHM culture. to this stadium instead of going National Day celebrations,” said a smartphone and have taken locations highlighting the bond they School presented cultural pro- “We are away from away from to the office and I will be here Mohammed Raju Ahmed, owner lots of pictures which I will share share with citizens of the host country. grammes throughout the day. our family members and these till night. Pleasant weather has of a computer sales and mainte- on facebook,” said an expatriate A spectacular firework off the Corniche “There are not many options kinds of programmes bring added to today’s festivities,” said nance shop at Mushaireb. worker. lit the Doha sky later the evening. available for single expatriates, some element of entertainment another single expatriate. “The good thing about today’s THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA especially workers. National in our life,” said an expatriate THE PENINSULA FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ISLAM Islam, jihad, and terrorism

BY M AMIR ALI Allah created all humans revelations by One True God, Allah. SLAM and other various Islamic free and equal, only to be JIHAD IN THE BIBLE terms and concepts are grossly mis- distinguished from each Let us see what the Bible has to say understood in the West. Muslims about Jihad in the meaning of war and Ican hardly find anyone to blame other on the basis of God- violence. The following verses are from but themselves because (a) they have consciousness or piety and the Bible, New International Version failed to live by the Islamic tenants in (NIV), 1984 our times, and (b) they have failed to pro- never on the basis of race, “Do not allow a sorceress to live. Anyone mote understanding of Islam in the West colour or ethnicity. The who has sexual relations with an animal through outreach projects. must be put to death. Whoever sacrifices Quran and Sunnah encourage to any god other than the LORD must be SOME OF THE ISLAMIC TERMS Muslims to respect the life destroyed.” (Exodus 22:18-20) ISLAM: means a commitment to live “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, in peace through submission to the Will and property of all mankind. says: ‘each man strap a sword to his side. of God (Allah). In an Islamic state these Go back and forth through the camp from MUSLIM: is a person who makes a one end to the other, each killing his brother commitment to live in peace through rights are considered sacred, and friend and neighbor.’ The Levites did servitude to Allah. whether a person is Muslim as Moses commanded and that day about JIHAD: means “struggle” and “strive” three thousand of the people died.” against evil thoughts, evil action and or not. Islam protects honour, (Exodus 32:27-28) aggression against a person, family, soci- forbids insulting others or “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take venge- ety or country. Jihad may be a “justifiable ance on the Midianites for the Israelites. war”, borrowing the Christian term. making fun of them. It rejects The Israelites captured the Midianite MUJAHID: is a person who engages certain individuals or nations women and children and took all the in Jihad for the sake of Allah according being favoured because of their Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plun- to the Quran (Muslim’s source book for der. They burned all the towns where the guidance) and Sunnah (the teachings wealth, power, or race. Midianites had settled, as well as all their of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon camps. (Moses ordered) “Now kill all the him). Mujahidin is the plural of Mujahid. boys. And kill every women who has slept “ISLAMIC TERRORISM”: There is no with a man, but save for yourselves every girl such phrase or term in the Islamic source within one’s self to submit to Allah, fight president or head of a Muslim country he was a bosom friend. (Quran 41:34) who has never slept with a man.” books of the Quran or the Sunnah and evil within one’s self, achieve higher after due consultations with the learned Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prohib- (Numbers 31:1-18) has no place in Islam. moral and educational standards - leadership. ited Muslim soldiers from killing women, (Jesus said) “But those enemies of mine SUNNAH: Sunnah is the preferred SOCIAL JIHAD: Jihad against evil, children and the elderly, or cut a palm who did not want me to be king over them way of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) injustice and oppression within one’s self, WHAT DOES ISLAM SAY ABOUT tree, and he advised them, “do not betray, - bring them here and kill them in front of that includes his teaching. The sources family and society . TERRORISM? do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn me.” (Luke 19:27) of the Sunnah are authentic Hadith PHYSICAL JIHAD: Jihad against all The term “terrorism” does not exist in child.” “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘But now if you (reports of the Prophet’s sayings, doings that prevents Muslims from servitude to the Quran or the teachings of the Prophet “Whoever has killed a person having a have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if and approvals) collections. God (Allah), people from knowing Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him). If treaty with the Muslims shall not smell you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and defense of a Muslim society (country), the terms “terrorist or terrorism” are the fragrance of Paradise, though its fra- buy one.” (Luke 22:36) THE TRUE MEANING OF JIHAD retribution against tyranny, and/or when derived from a verb used in the Quran, grance is found for a span of forty years.” Jihad is usually associated with Islam a Muslim is removed from their home- such as 5:33 describing a “Muslim’s” ter- “The first cases to be adjudicated DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT and Muslims, but in fact, the concept land by force. rorist acts, it is in condemnation and pre- between people on the Day of Judgment Muslims follow a religion of peace, of Jihad is found in all religions includ- The Quran defines physical Jihad as scribes most severe punishment. Islam is will be those of bloodshed.” Killing is the mercy and forgiveness. If an individual ing Christianity, Judaism and political/ being the highest level of Jihad that one a religion and a way of life that does not second major sin in Islam. Muslim were to commit an act of terror- economic ideologies, such as Capitalism, can undertake. Its reward is eternal separate politics from religion. Islam is a “Truly your blood, your property, and ism, this person would be guilty of violat- Socialism, Communism, etc. Islam Paradise. Muslims also know that all religion of mercy, unity and most impor- your honour are inviolable.” ing the basic tenants of Islam. defines Jihad as striving and struggling humans are accountable for what they tantly peace with one’s self and others, “There is a reward for kindness shown When Timothy McVeigh bombed the for improvement as well as fighting back have done during their life on this earth. to defend not to fight. Allah said in His to every living animal or human.” Oklahoma City building, no American to defend one’s self, honour, assets and Muslims will be asked about what they Book the Quran: or Christian was labelled as a terrorist homeland. Also, Jihad is interpreted did with their lives and their level of sub- “God does not forbid you from showing ISLAM AND HUMAN RIGHTS or was the target of hate crimes. When as the struggle against evil, internal or mission to Allah on the Day of Judgment. kindness and dealing justly with those who The Quran and Sunnah encour- Irish Christians carry out acts of terror- external of a person or a society. Jihad, have not fought you about religion and have age Muslims to respect the life and ism against each other and on the British in Islam, means doing any or all but not DOES JIHAD MEAN HOLY WAR? not driven you out of your homes, that you property of all mankind. In an Islamic Isles, the Christian religion is not blamed limited to the following: In Islam, there is no such thing as holy should show them kindness and deal justly State these rights are considered but individuals or their political agenda. Learn, teach, and practice Islam in all war. This terminology was generated in with them. God loves just dealers.” sacred, whether a person is Muslim Unfortunately, the same is not true for aspects of one’s life at all times to reach Europe during the Crusades and their (Quran 60:8) or not. Islam protects honour, forbids American Muslims and Arabs. The vast the highest and best education in order war against Muslims. Islam recognises “Fight in the cause of God against those insulting others or making fun of majority of Muslims or Arabs have no to benefit oneself, family and society. Jews and Christians as the “People of the who fight you, but do not begin aggression, them. Islam rejects certain individu- association with the violent events around Be a messenger of Islam everywhere, Book” because they all follow the Prophet for God loves not aggressors.” ( Quran 2:190) als or nations being favored because of the world yet Islam is invoked with ter- in every behaviour and action. Abraham, believing in Moses’ and Jesus’ “If they seek peace, then seek you peace their wealth, power, or race. rorism. It is unfair to 1.5 billion Muslims Fight evil, wrongdoing, and injus- teachings. For many centuries, Muslims and trust in God for He is the Hearer, the Allah created all humans free and of the world and religion of Islam. tice with all one’s power by one’s hand have peacefully coexisted with Christians, Knower.” (Quran 8:61) equal, only to be distinguished from each Innocent until proven guilty in an open (action), with one’s tongue (speech), or Jews, and people of other faiths, main- “ and let not the hatred of others make other on the basis of God-consciousness court is an accepted universal principle at least with one’s heart (prayer). taining social, business, political and eco- you avoid justice. Be just: that is next to piety; or piety and never on the basis of race, of justice along with liberty and freedom Respond to the call for Jihad with nomic treaties. Islam respects all humans and fear Allah, for Allah is well-acquainted colour or ethnicity. Islam is a practical for all humankind. However, the U.S. money, effort, wisdom and life; yet, never and faiths as long as there is no religious with all that you do.” (Quran 5:8) religion that respects all human beings failed to practice the same principles for fight a Muslim brother, a Muslim country, oppression, forbidding Muslims from “But (remember that an attempt at) and it was revealed for all mankind. Its those who are not US. nationals. Even or a non-Muslim society that respects its serving Allah, preventing others from requiting evil may, too, become an evil: hence message is that of peace and submission worse, the US is creating military tribu- treaties and harbors no aggressive designs learning about Islam, and not respect- whoever pardons (his foe) and makes peace, to Allah. nal for secret trials because there may be against Islam or Muslims. Converting peo- ing treaties. his reward rests with Allah- for, verily He Muslims believe in all the Prophets inadequate evidence to prove Arabs and ple to Islam by force or coercion is never Jihad must be performed according to does not love transgressors.” (Quran 42:40) mentioned in the Bible, and the Quran. Muslims guilty in open courts. Jihad but a crime, punishable by law. Islamic rules and regulations and only “The good deed and the evil deed are not The Quran shares many moral teach- May Allah bless us all and purify our for the sake or in the service of Allah. alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is ings of the Old Testament and the New hearts from all misunderstanding, malice, THE LEVELS OF JIHAD The physical or military Jihad must be better, then lo! He between whom and thee Testament. These three religions (and hate and anger. INNER JIHAD: A personal struggle called by a Muslim authority, such as, a there was enmity, (will become) as though their books) were founded upon the www.aboutjihad.com Prophet Jesus in the Holy Quran BY IDRIS TAWFIQ no artists to elevate Prophet should beget a son. Glory be to Him! of a virgin mother and that he confuse the message with the he was more than just a man. Muhammad (peace be upon him) When He determines a matter, spoke in the cradle, that he per- messenger. His message was to The Quran is quite clear about HRISTIAN artists down to the rank of a deity. It has no He only says to it, “Be,” and it is. formed miracles, and that he did speak about God and to show the that, Jesus was a great prophet, through the centuries Gospel writers and no Paul to use (19:30-35) not die on the cross, nor was he power of God in this world and but he was no more than that. have shown Jesus sur- their words to make Muhammad In other words, according to raised back to life after three the next, but the message didn’t He did not die on the cross, nor Crounded by fluffy clouds (PBUH) anything more than Islam, Jesus was a prophet of days. God sent messengers down make him equal to God. His mir- was he raised to life after three or angels. Around his head a human. The Quran was revealed God. He belonged to a long line of through the ages to bring men acles were his way of conveying days, but he was a man. One of golden halo of light shines, while to a man who could neither read prophets, calling people through- and women back to Him. It is the message. the greatest men, yes. A man little children and lambs are nor write. He simply recounted out history to the worship of One part of our human nature, isn’t In fact, the Quran is quite clear with very special gifts, yes. A always at his feet. what was said as it was told to God. These include such names it, that we constantly forget, about this: Christ, the son of Mary, man whom they revere as a great On the cross, this artistic him. as Abraham, Moses, David, and and need to be called back to was no more than a messenger; prophet, yes, but not a god. There Jesus is shown suffering terri- The Jesus which God tells Solomon (peace be upon them the straight path? many were the messengers that is no God but Allah. ble agonies on behalf of others, about in the Quran is quite dif- all) and, like them, he is revered Different messengers were passed away before him. His mother In summary of all this, the asking always that his enemies ferent from the Gospel Jesus, and honoured by all Muslims. sent with different gifts, as they was a woman of truth. They had both Quran tells us what God will say be forgiven. The “gentle Jesus, although there are some simi- Whenever they mention the needed to speak to their own peo- to eat their (daily) food. See how God to Jesus in the Last Day, when meek and mild” of the Christian larities. Especially at Christmas name of Jesus, Muslims will always ple in a way that would attract makes His signs clear to them; yet see the Almighty calls all people to hymn books, the blue-eyed Jesus time, when the depictions of say, “Peace be upon him.” them and help them to under- in what ways they are deluded away Himself: And behold! God will say with curly flowing hair, is the Prophet Jesus are at their most Like the accounts in the stand. It was the special gift of from the truth! (5:75) on the Day of Judgment: “Oh Jesus, Jesus that sits in the popular florid, we need to remind peo- Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Prophet Jesus that he could per- Jesus and his mother both had the son of Mary! Did you say unto imagination. ple who Jesus really was. In the the Quran shows that Jesus’ birth form miracles: to eat food. They were human men, worship me and my mother Maybe it is because Islam Quran we read: was miraculous: I have come to you with a sign beings, like you and I. Jesus was as gods in derogation of God?” has always discouraged depic- Jesus (peace be upon him) said: Behold! the angels said, “Oh from your Lord: I make for you given the loftiest of tasks in being He will say: “Glory to Thee! Never tions of human beings in art I am indeed a servant of God. He Mary! God gives you glad tidings out of clay, as it were, the figure called to speak God’s message to could I say what I had no right (to that Christianity has managed has given me revelation and made of a Word from Him. His name will of a bird, and breathe into it and the world, but he remained just say). Had I said such a thing, You to win the publicity prize for its me a prophet; He has made me be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, it becomes a bird by God’s leave. that: a man who ate food. Out would indeed have known it. You portrayal of Jesus (peace be upon blessed wheresoever I be; and He held in honor in this world and the And I heal the blind, and the lep- of an exaggerated love for Jesus, know what is in my heart, though him). has enjoined on me prayer and Hereafter, and in (the company ers, and I raise the dead by God’s many of his earliest followers, I know not what is in Yours. For In addition to art, the Christian charity as long as I live. He has of) those nearest to God. He shall leave. (3:49) encouraged by the writings of You know in full all that is hidden. Church chose four of the many made me kind to my mother, and speak to the people in childhood Being able to perform mira- Saint Paul, began to see Prophet Never did I say to them anything Gospels that were written to not overbearing or miserable. So and in maturity. He shall be (in the cles didn’t make Jesus equal to Jesus as something more than except what You commanded me describe the life of Jesus. Saint peace is on me the day I was born, company) of the righteous... And God. Everything he did was by human, a god. to say: ‘Worship God, my Lord and Luke’s is perhaps the most beau- the day that I die, and the day that God will teach him the Book and God’s leave, to teach the people They confused the beautiful your Lord.’ And I was a witness over tiful, being a Gospel of prayer, of I shall be raised up to life (again)!” Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel.” of Israel about God Himself. Even message he brought with the One them while I lived among them. the poor, and of women. The way Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It (3:45-48) these miracles, though, were not who sent it. They saw his gift When You took me up, You were the in which Luke crafts his words is a statement of truth, about which Not only did Jesus have a enough to convince them. of being able to calm the winds Watcher over them, and You are a makes Jesus so appealing. they vainly dispute. It is not befit- miraculous birth, but the Quran It is the belief of Islam regard- and the seas, or his gift of cur- witness to all things.” (5:116-17) Islam, on the other hand, has ting to the majesty of God that He also tells us that he was born ing Jesus that we should never ing the sick, as indicating that www.onislam.net FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 Arab League hopes US won’t veto resolution Israel won’t accept unilateral Palestine bid: Netanyahu CAIRO: The Arab League said and will be used by extremists The Palestinians had said they yesterday it hoped the United as an instrument to pursue set- wanted a quick vote but backed States would not veto a draft tlement (of Jews in the occupied away, apparently under pressure UN Security Council resolution territories) and ruin the peace from Arab countries including laying out the terms of a final process,” he told journalists. Jordan, which is seeking a draft peace deal between Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin that will be acceptable to the the Palestinians. Netanyahu yesterday said Israel United States. Jordan presented the draft would never accept the “unilat- “There is not the basis for con- on Wednesday on behalf of the eral” recognition of a Palestinian sensus on the text as drafted and Palestinians, who have sought to state. that is why we need to do some avoid a clash with Washington by And the United States, holding work,” said a Security Council saying they are open to negotia- veto power as one of the coun- diplomat. tions on the text. cil’s five permanent members, “The issue now is how do we get It would set a 12-month dead- has repeatedly vetoed resolutions something that really does com- line for wrapping up negotiations seen as undermining its close ally mand consensus. The objective on a final settlement and the end Israel. that we have is to achieve consen- of 2017 as the time frame for com- The US administration opposes sus, which means we want to have pleting an Israeli withdrawal from moves to bind negotiators’ hands a text that everybody can agree,” Palestinian territories. through a UN resolution — partic- said the diplomat, who asked not Palestinian supporters of dismissed senior Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan shout slogans during a protest to “We hope that the United States ularly any attempt to set a dead- to be named. support him, in Gaza City yesterday. will not use its veto,” said the Arab line for the withdrawal of Israeli France, working with Britain League’s deputy secretary general troops from the West Bank. and Germany, was pressing on for Palestinian affairs, Mohammed But US Secretary of State John with a separate text on reviving Sobeih. Kerry has said the resolution would the peace process. “The use of the American veto not present a problem if it can avoid “We are continuing our work on Gazans rally for ex-strongman will harm the Palestinian cause exacerbating tensions in the region. a consensus text. We are working on the European text and we will see if we can make progress,” said Israelis want Netanyahu out a European diplomat. as West Bank trial begins Adoption of a Security Council but don’t see better choice: Poll resolution on reviving Israeli- GAZA CITY: Thousands of lost his parliamentary immunity “corruption” and “tyranny”. Palestinian peace talks would supporters of exiled Palestinian following allegations of financial “The time has come to put an JERUSALEM: Most Israelis would like to see Prime Minister mark a key step after the United strongman Mohammed Dahlan corruption and murder. end to the injustice facing the Benjamin Netanyahu replaced after March elections but, para- States failed in a high-profile bid protested yesterday in Gaza In May, a West Bank court Gaza Strip and our brothers whose doxically, he is seen as most suitable for the job, an opinion poll to restart the press in April. against the reported sacking of sentenced Dahlan, who lives in salaries have been cut,” Palestinian said yesterday. With Israel in an election cam- dozens of members of the secu- the United Arab Emirates, to two lawmaker and Dahlan supporter Israelis go to the polls on March 17, just over two years after paign for March polls, there is rity forces who back him. years in jail — effectively barring Majd Abu Shamaleh told the Netanyahu’s right-leaning coalition took office and following a spat concern that the resolution could The demonstration came as him from ever running in general crowd. in which the premier fired two ministers. play into the hands of hardliners a trial opened in the West Bank or presidential elections. A spokesman for Abbas’s The survey conducted by the Dialog Institute and published by and that delaying UN action would against Dahlan on charges of cor- One of his lawyers, Sevag Palestinian Authority security Haaretz newspaper, showed that 53 percent of those polled do not be wise. ruption, seven months after a Torossian, described the trial, services, Adnan Damiri said the want Netanyahu to win a third consecutive term in office, for four in “Palestinians now feeling they Palestinian court sentenced him which has been adjourned to personnel were sacked for violat- total. Nevertheless, 34 percent agreed that the incumbent and head want to rush ahead, the rest of to two years in jail for defamation. December 28, a “demolition ing regulations, not because they of the right-wing Likud Party is the most credible candidate and the us quite frankly not sure that is Dahlan once held the internal machine” operated by Abbas are Dahlan partisans. most capable to be prime minister. a good idea this side of the Israeli security portfolio and headed the against Dahlan. “We sacked those who violated Coming a distant second, at 17 percent, was Labour party head elections that we’re now going to powerful security forces in the The trial is a “farce” and a the rules of military discipline,” Isaac Herzog. have in March,” said a Western Gaza Strip, acting as pointman “parody” of justice, said the Paris- he said. The survey also said Likud could end up neck and neck with an diplomat. for the Fatah party of Palestinian based Torossian, who charged that The Gaza demonstration came alliance of Labour and the centrist party HaTnuah of former justice Diplomatic sources suggested President Mahmoud Abbas — his the defence team learned about after sources close to Dahlan said minister Tzipi Livni. the Palestinians may be willing to sworn rival. the case via media reports and the PA had sacked 100 of his In that case each would secure 21 seats in the 120-strong Knesset, hold off on a Security Council vote But he fell from grace in June have not seen the charge sheet. supporters among the security parliament, said Dialog, which had given Likud 24 seats in a survey if they get assurances that Israel 2007 when Hamas drove Fatah In Gaza, thousands of protest- forces. published three weeks ago. will freeze settlement construc- from Gaza after days of fierce ers rallied outside the Palestinian It also reflects lingering tensions A total of 505 people were polled by Dialog in the latest survey tion until a way forward can be street battles. parliament, carrying portraits between Abbas and Hamas, the de which has a margin error of 4.2 percentage points. AFP decided. In June 2011, he was expelled of Abbas covered with slo- facto rulers of Gaza. AFP from Fatah’s ruling body and also gans accusing him of “treason,” AFP

Egypt constituency law South Sudan sets stage for polls peace talks CAIRO: Egypt yesterday since June 2012, when a court dis- cleared a final hurdle to long- solved the democratically-elected resume awaited parliamentary elections main chamber, reversing a major ADDIS ABABA: Peace talks seen as decisive in cementing accomplishment of the 2011 upris- aimed at ending South Sudan’s the rule of Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, ing that toppled autocrat Hosni civil war resumed in Ethiopia’s who ousted President Mohamed Mubarak. capital yesterday, with media- Mursi, and excluding the banned In the absence of parliament, tors making a fresh appeal for Muslim Brotherhood from Sisi has used legislative authority an end to a “year of horror and politics. to introduce economic reforms tragedy”. The draft law defining voting that have impressed investors, The stop-start peace talks, districts still requires the approval while also curtailing political brokered by the east African of Sisi, who won a presidential freedoms. regional bloc IGAD and held in election in May after leading the The People’s Assembly is com- Addis Ababa, have seen a string of army’s ouster of Mursi, but that is prised of 567 seats, with 420 ceasefire deals since the war began seen as a formality. elected as individuals and 120 just over a year ago — but each has Many Egyptians welcome Sisi’s through winner-takes-all lists been violated in a matter of hours. strong hand after nearly four with quotas for women, Christians In a statement marking the years of turmoil unleashed by a and youth. The remaining seats opening of a new round of talks 2011 uprising, but critics say he is are appointed by the president. aimed at leading the government delaying elections in order to con- “It’s very clear this law is being and rebels to share power, chief solidate his rule. tailored and adjusted to avoid any mediator Seyoum Mesfin said No date has been set for the Muslim Brotherhood candidates recent weeks had seen yet more parliamentary poll, but Sisi prom- getting into parliament and also truce violations by both sides. People demonstrate outside an Istanbul court yesterday against raids targeting a newspaper and television channel ised visiting businessmen last to ensure that members who are “Let us make this the last, linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. month it would be held before an loyalists of President Sisi are the appalling year of horror and international investment sum- ones to be elected,” said Khaled tragedy, not an indicator of South mit in March, trying to reassure Dawoud, spokesman of the liberal Sudan’s future,” chief mediator them the poll would not be put off Dostour Party. Seyoum Mesfin said in remarks indefinitely. Political sources say the delay read by Lazaro Sumbeiywo, special Turkey media chiefs face terror charges Egypt is seeking to win back for- in organising the election suggests envoy for the eight-nation IGAD, eign investors and tourists scared government anxiety about the of which South Sudan is the most ISTANBUL: Two anti-gov- of seeking to run a “parallel state” and deception to deprive individu- off by political turmoil and an election outcome. With Mubarak’s recent member. ernment Turkish media chiefs and of being the source of sensa- als of their liberty, as well as slan- Islamist insurgency based mostly National Democratic Party gone, Mesfin added that since the arrested during controver- tional corruption allegations that der,” it added. in the lawless Sinai Peninsula bor- loyalists have scrambled to form last truce agreement, violations sial weekend raids that have broke a year ago on December 17. The charges were to be officially dering Israel. alliances to secure Sisi a sizeable had been verified by independent strained ties with the European Zaman, Turkey’s biggest-selling confirmed later in the day. The most populous Arab coun- bloc of support. observers and even openly claimed Union are to be charged with daily, and Samanyolu, which pro- Dumanli had earlier been filmed try has been without a parliament REUTERS by both sides. “Such actions are membership of a terrorist group, duces some hugely popular TV raising his arms in defiance as he completely unacceptable,” he reports said yesterday. dramas, are both closely linked to was led in by plain clothes officers said of reports of ongoing fight- Ekrem Dumanli, the editor-in- Gulen. to a hospital for a check-up. Mursi backers jailed for church fires ing, adding that IGAD and the chief of the Zaman daily news- Of the 30 arrested, prosecutors According to the Dogan news international community were paper and Hidayet Karaca, the have asked for 16 to be charged agency, Karaca refused to answer CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced 40 backers of ousted Islamist “profoundly disappointed by these head of Samanyolu TV, were being with the other 14 now freed. Of the judge’s questions in the hear- president Mohamed Mursi to up to 15 years in jail yesterday for vio- outrageous actions”. interrogated by Istanbul judges to the 16, prosecutors want 12 to be ing, complaining that he was not lence including torching churches, a judicial source said. IGAD mediators said a new decide whether to remand them remanded in custody and four impartial. Followers of Mursi have been the target of a relentless crackdown regional summit to address the in custody ahead of trial. released on bail. The European Union has con- by the authorities since he was deposed in July 2013 by ex-army chief crisis would also be announced Early morning raids on Sunday The 16, including Dumanli demned the arrests as going and now President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. soon. Apart from South Sudan and resulted in the arrest of 30 jour- and Karaca, are being charged “against the European values. The criminal court in Assiut in southern Egypt sentenced two Sudan, the bloc includes Ethiopia, nalists, scriptwriters and police with “becoming a member of an The charging of Dumanli defendants to 15 years each, while the others were given jail terms Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Somalia who are deemed loyalists of the armed terrorist organisation”, and Karaca had been flagged in ranging from one year to 10, the source said. and Eritrea. exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, the official Anatolia news agency advance by a mystery Twitter user They were accused of taking part in acts of violence in Assiut last Fighting broke out in South President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reported, without specifying named Fuat Avni who had also year during which five churches, several police stations and a number Sudan in December 2013 when number one foe. which group. warned of the impending raids of shops were set on fire. There were no reported casualties. President Salva Kiir accused his Erdogan accuses Gulen, who They are also being charged days before they took place. The court acquitted 61 others standing trial in the same case, the sacked deputy Riek Machar of lives in exile in the United States, with “using intimidation, threats AFP source said. AFP attempting a coup. AFP FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 06 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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ERRORISM in different forms has buffeted the world, bringing death and misery to millions. Those given to disastrous proclivities are often used by Trogue regimes to bring about death and destruction. This has not even spared the world of entertainment. Afghanistan asylum seekers The cyber attack on Sony Pictures can be classified as a new form of terrorism that seeks to determine what people shouldn’t watch, rather than what they should. The magnitude of the cyber attack in the United States has deserve better in Australia forced the entertainment and electronics giant to cancel the BY BENJAMIN LEE release of a major film. The White House has slammed the country on Afghanistan during our are often reused. Doctors pull 24-hour attack and called it a serious national security issue. two-year term on the UN’s secu- shifts. Male visitors sleep on the floor Sony’s The Interview shows two journalists going to hen I moved to Afghanistan to rity council, deftly leading debates while burqa-covered women and dusty interview North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The CIA sets up work as a lawyer with the UN and negotiations. The UN mandate I children press themselves into dim the two to have the leader assassinated as part of the plot. Wmission’s human rights unit, worked under had Australia’s finger- corners. At peak times, guards control There has been speculation that North Korea may be one of my first meetings was with an prints all over it. We’ve committed over pedestrian traffic between wings with Afghan teammate. He fled to Pakistan $134m to Afghan democratic and devel- wooden batons. This is the top hospital behind the attack that spilled into the public domain personal as a five-year-old to escape the Taliban opment projects in our current budget in eastern Afghanistan. data and salaries of Sony Pictures’ employees. Though North and returned in manhood, at great and have recently earmarked $300m On my final visit to the hospital before Korea has denied it was behind the attack that paralysed personal risk, to press for his people’s to support Afghan security forces over coming home, I visited a 15-year-old computers and led to disruption of Sony Pictures’ operations, human rights. Early into our conversa- 2015-2017, an allocation that could boy. He lay in stoic silence and wore an Pyongyang made it clear that it may have been the job of tion I dropped that I was Australian. be affected by this week’s foreign aid all-too-familiar vacant stare. His head people who sympathise with the regime, or its followers. What came next stunned me: he cuts. We’re also an ardent supporter of and torso were tightly bandaged, blood- started crying. the Afghanistan Independent Human stained gauze protruding from between Though the United States is not saying North Korean “The Afghan people will be forever Rights Commission, probably the coun- the layers. A ceiling fan cranked to full regime is behind the attack, it has vowed a proportionate grateful”, he told me, for the sacrifices try’s most respected institution. capacity was useless against the oppres- response. The secluded North Korean regime, led by the that we have made, for the lives that There’s so much for us to be proud of. sive summer heat. opaque Kim, has lately been in the we have saved. Now that I’m home after 15 months over A villager keeping vigil by the boy A strong news for various reasons. Though Few nations have matched our com- there, things make less sense. softly recounted his story to me. The it is normal for North Korea to mitment. Our When an Afghan reaches our waters Taliban had targeted the kid with a troops took on in a leaky boat, we see them very differ- remote-controlled bomb as he delivered response to the defy the international community, Uruzgan prov- ently. They change in our eyes. A person water to an Afghan army check post. cyber attack on information available till now may ince in the we’re prepared to give so much for in The shrapnel shredded him; his donkey be insufficient to implicate the When an Afghan country’s hell- Afghanistan somehow becomes repug- collapsed dead beneath him. The boy’s Sony Pictures North Korean government. reaches our waters ish south. Forty- nant. “Illegal” is a label I hear, and that’s little sister rushed to the scene. She was Cyber attacks have become a one Australian just our government talking. killed in a second blast. The kids, the in a leaky boat, Defence Force Then the “processing” begins. We villager continued, were orphans. The is necessary clever tool by which states can we see them very members dehumanise the person by tagging them boy had taken the work to support their to stem what debilitate critical systems of their have died in as an unauthorised maritime arrival extended family. foes. The infamous Stuxnet virus, differently. They Afghanistan and — a UMA — and send them to indefi- I share this story because we have could become said to be introduced by US and change in our another 261 have nite detention on Nauru or Papua New put children who have escaped these entertainment Israel in the computer systems eyes. A person been wounded Guinea’s Manus Island, where we at one circumstances into detention. We are of Iran’s nuclear programme, in action, suffer- time put Japanese soldiers on trial for compounding the harm. The recent we’re prepared ing amputations, war crimes. They will never live among amendments to the Migration Act terrorism. made the mechanism responsible to give so much fractures, gunshot us. They’ll never be Australian. now deny citizenship to kids born in for rotating the centrifuges go for in Afghanistan wounds, hearing Others we are forcibly returning. Australia to an asylum seeker who came haywire. This was a major blow to loss, lacerations, One of two Hazara men we recently by boat. In practice, this could render Iran’s nuclear programme. somehow becomes traumatic brain sent back to Afghanistan was swiftly them stateless. The attack on Sony Pictures’ to preempt the release of repugnant. “Illegal” injuries, penetrat- captured and tortured by the Taliban. During a debate on Afghanistan in the film on North Korea is a new class of cyber attacks and is a label I hear. ing fragments and Undeterred, we had slated a third 2010, Tony Abbott, then opposition multiple severe Hazara man for return on Wednesday leader, said that we “should honour the will show hackers another way of arm twisting entities into injuries. These and at least half a dozen more are wait- Australian battle casualties so far. We submission. figures make no account for the men ing in the wings. owe it to those who have died to remain The US Justice Department and the FBI are investigation and women who have come home for- I struggle with the utter incoherence confident that the cause has been wor- the attack that led to the momentous decision to cancel ever changed, some with debilitating of this home-versus-away policy. thy of their sacrifice”. the release of the film slated for December 25. The FBI has mental trauma. The most confronting and appalling The best way for us to live up to Yet our commitment goes further. part of my work in Afghanistan was these sentiments is to meet the moral warned theatres associated with the film to be on alert for During my time in the country, an meeting with the war’s child victims. courage and convictions we have asked cyber attacks. Australian brigadier general served with Our team were regulars at Jalalabad of our servicemen and servicewomen. The United States should act decisively once the group distinction as the UN’s senior military hospital. Its rudimentary emergency Let’s show the same commitment to or state responsible for the cyber attack is determined. It adviser. We have Australian aid work- room has one doctor for every 16 humanity and fundamental decency is necessary that world powers and global IT leaders come ers, doctors and nurses, engineers and patients. to the Afghans here that we do to the together to stop the spread of a phenomenon that can be diplomats over there. Beds are crammed into small wards Afghans there. Further afield, we’ve been lead and spill out into the corridors. Sheets THE GUARDIAN called entertainment terrorism. The other side Quote of Detente with the Castros the day

N RECENT months, the outlook granted the regime everything on its wish Jews. Also freed was an unidentified the government that it is the “winner of for the Castro regime in Cuba was list that was within his power to grant; a US intelligence agent in Cuba — as its ultimate battle.” growing steadily darker. The modest full lifting of the trade embargo requires were three Cuban spies who had been Mr. Obama argued that his sweep- Ireforms it adopted in recent years to congressional action. Full diplomatic convicted of operations in Florida that ing change of policy was overdue improve abysmal economic conditions relations will be established, Cuba’s led to Cuba’s 1996 shootdown of a because the strategy of isolating the With Lyudmila had stalled, due to the regime’s refusal to place on the list of terrorism sponsors plane carrying anti-Castro activists. Communist regime “has had little allow Cubans greater freedoms. Worse, reviewed and restrictions lifted on U.S. While Mr. Obama sought to portray Mr. effect.” In fact, Cuba has been mar- Alexandrovna I have the accelerating economic collapse of investment and most travel to Cuba. Gross’ release as unrelated to the spy ginalized in the Americas for decades, very good relations, Venezuela meant that the huge subsidies That liberalization will provide Havana swap, there can be no question that and the regime has been deprived of that have kept the Castros afloat for the with a fresh source of desperately Cuba’s hard-line intelligence apparatus financial resources it could have used friendly ones. We past decade were in peril. A growing needed hard currency and eliminate US obtained exactly what it sought when to spread its malignant influence in the regularly see each number of Cubans were demanding leverage for political reforms. it made Mr. Gross a de facto hostage. region, as Venezuela has done. That the basic human rights, such as freedom of As part of the bargain, Havana No wonder Yoani Sanchez, Cuba’s embargo has not succeeded in destroy- other. Not as often as speech and assembly. On Wednesday, released Alan Gross, a US Agency for leading dissident blogger, concluded ing communism does not explain why I’d like, but the Castros suddenly obtained a International Development contrac- Wednesday that “Castroism has won” all sanctions should be lifted without everything’s all right. comprehensive bailout — from the tor who was unjustly imprisoned five and predicted that for weeks Cubans any meaningful political concessions Vladimir Putin Obama administration. President Obama years ago for trying to help Cuban will have to endure proclamations by by Cuba. The Washington Post Russian President FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 US, Cuba look to the future “At a time when the democracy activ- A succession of ists on the island are facing even harsher reprisals from the brutal Cuban regime, US governments it’s pathetic that a Cuban American tycoon feels inspired to trample on the backs of those activists in order to give tried to make it the communist thugs more money with which to repress,” Ros-Lehtinen said at easier for Cubans the time. Popular culture has been impervious to the political disputes. It’s almost impos- to come to the US. sible to walk onto a college campus in the United States or Europe without see- In the mid-1960s ing Alberto Korda’s famous photo of Che Guevara, titled “El Guerrillero Heroico,” or “The Heroic Warrior.” the Lyndon Johnson The New Year’s Eve scene in “Godfather II” probably educated more Americans administration about the victory of the Castro revolution than any schoolbook. And Woody Allen sent up the Cuban revolution in his spoof instituted the Cuban “Bananas.” But farce might be the hardest genre Adjustment Act, to pull off because the reality of US-Cuba relations is often so quirky. which aids Cuban This year, the Associated Press figured out that the US Agency for International Development had sought to trigger a migrants to become youth uprising, a sort of Cuban Spring, by setting up a phony, Twitter-like network permanent residents in Cuba called “ZunZuneo,” a Cuban slang term for the sound of a hummingbird. More recently, AP revealed that USAID after being admitted had hired a Serbian music promoter to infiltrate Cuba’s hip-hop scene in hopes to the United States. Cubans cross a street in Havana yesterday. of sparking youth protests against the Castro government. And the United BY MANUEL States has spent tens of thousands of ROIG-FRANZIA consider offing him with a gift of a wet US cars share roads with clunky Soviet Bill Clinton would loosen sanctions on dollars a year to maintain a plane that is suit laced with tuberculosis or, perhaps, junkers, and where every Cuban driver the island. supposed to broadcast American televi- enlist the help of a mob hitman. has to be a mechanic. In the provinces, Four years later, the mother of Elian sion programming in Cuba but never flies he Cold War died Wednesday. Sometimes, however, the efforts to rid they don’t even have the luxury of bro- Gonzalez drowned while fleeing Cuba, set- because of a budget stalemate. Its death was foretold, yet the island of Castro were just plain tragic. ken-down cars; many people have to get ting off an epic custody battle that ended In the meantime, Fidel Castro revealed somehow it still came as a In 1961, President John F Kennedy’s around in horse-drawn carriages or walk. with the 6-year-old being wrenched from a few years back that he has been col- Tshock. administration approved a poorly planned To get to La Yuma, Cubans have been the home of Miami relatives by gun-tot- lecting annual rent checks from the US It didn’t expire on a bayside battlefield and poorly supported invasion at the Bay willing to do almost anything, including ing federal agents and sent back to his government for the use of Guantanamo, in the Caribbean or with a mushroom of Pigs. Castro demonstrated his brutality risking death. They’ve pushed into the sea father and Cuba. the US base on the island, for half a cen- cloud or even with an exploding cigar. It by executing nine of those who had plot- on rafts and inner tubes and surfboards, Thousands of Cuban migrants are tury. But, in protest of US policies, he perished at a White House podium. ted against him. It was a crushing blow anything they could find. They’ve arrived believed to have died trying to enter the says his cash-strapped government has The prisoner swap that set Alan Gross to Cuban exiles in Florida who welcomed on makeshift boats made from trac- United States by sea. only cashed one of the $4,000 checks in all free — and the sweeping changes to US the coming of each new year with the tors and old tyres. In one unforgettable Through the tragedies, a certain those years — and that was by accident. policy on Cuba that went with it — won’t toast “Next year in Havana.” escape attempt, a Cuban family tried to mystique about Cuba has been mag- For years, the two nations conducted heal all wounds, nor will it vanquish The next year, instead of reunions on get to Florida in a fantastically conceived nified by its inaccessibility. American an odd propaganda war, one-upping each the powerful cold warriors in the US the island, they got the threat of a nuclear watercraft fashioned from a green 1951 tourists slipped onto the island, evad- other, in front of the building that houses Congress. But it did fundamentally alter holocaust. Soviet missiles were spotted in Chevy truck. Tens of thousands came in ing US restrictions by flying to Havana the US Interests Section in Havana, along a curio of American foreign policy that Cuba, and it took extraordinary diplo- the 1980 Mariel boatlift, crowding into via Mexico or Jamaica and then plead- the city’s scenic seawall, known as the deeply influenced popular culture and matic gymnastics to avert an apocalyptic temporary housing at the Orange Bowl ing with Cuban airport personnel not Malecon. US officials angered Castro played an outsize role in US presidential conflict between the superpowers. in Miami while Castro boasted that by to stamp their passports. Making it by putting up a Christmas display that politics for more than half a century. Castro’s seemingly eternal squabble allowing them to leave, he had “flushed out with a box or even a handful of included a large “75” — a reference to the In April 1959, Richard Nixon was with the United States evolved into the the toilets” of Cuba. Montecristo cigars or a bottle of Havana number of dissidents arrested in an early unimpressed with the bearded revolu- central animating force of Cuban political A succession of US governments tried Club rum, for some, was a feat worth 2000s crackdown. tionary in green fatigues who arrived at discourse during his years as president to make it easier for Cubans to come to bragging about. But many exiles viewed Castro responded by erecting big signs his office. Fidel Castro’s “ideas as to how and remained there once he gave over tit- the United States. In the mid-1960s the such trips as unforgivable betrayals that showing images of US abuses at the Abu to run a government or an economy are ular control of the country to his brother Lyndon Johnson administration insti- helped an oppressive government by Ghraib prison in Iraq. Two years later, less developed than those of almost any Raúl after falling ill in 2006. Rather than tuted the Cuban Adjustment Act, which pumping hard currency into its belea- the United States infuriated Cuban world figure I have met in fifty countries,” accept blame for mismanaging the Cuban aids Cuban migrants in becoming per- guered economy. officials by installing a digital sign that Nixon, then the US vice president, wrote economy and for the startling decay of manent residents after being admitted The US Chamber of Commerce has scrolled news reports and provocative in a memo declassified in 2001. the nation’s infrastructure, the Castros to the United States. Clinton widened pressed to expand options for US busi- quotes in five-foot-tall letters on the side Nixon distrusted the newly victorious were forever pointing at the US trade the opportunities for Cuban migrants nesses in Cuba. And investors have looked of the building. On a typical day, there Castro, whom he had correctly pegged as embargo. (Even though the embargo by putting in place a “wet foot, dry foot” longingly at the island, as Spanish and were would be news items containing a communist, as did his boss, President remains in place, Obama’s policy shift is policy in which Cuban migrants who are Canadian firms have established foot- information such as the stats of a Cuban Dwight D Eisenhower. designed to increase commerce between caught at sea are usually sent back to the holds in a place with vast tracts of unde- defector playing in the major leagues or In the years to come, the Berlin Wall the nations by expanding US exports and island, while those who make it to land veloped beachfront, scuba-diving Edens a US magazine naming Castro one of the rose and fell. The Soviet Union collapsed. banking links.) are usually allowed to stay. and outmoded, inefficient farms. world’s wealthiest heads of state (the Nixon went to China. Yet the grudge Castro’s repression of free speech, jail- Some of the most intractable disputes The Cuban American sugar baron Cuban leader claims to have no personal match with Castro persisted, spanning ing of political prisoners, refusal to hold between the United States and Cuba can Alfonso “Alfy” Fanjul — a major backer wealth). And once there was a quip from 11 US presidencies. It survived intact as elections, travel restrictions and almost be traced to the waters of the 90 miles of of anti-Castro exile groups — recently the comedian George Burns: “How sad a relic of the Cold War, which may have total ban on private enterprise have made the Florida Straits. In 1996, two planes said he would be interested in explor- that all the people who would know how essentially ended in the 1990s but lived on thousands of Cubans desperate to leave. operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an ing business opportunities on the island. to run this country are driving taxis or in the dysfunctional relationship between On the streets of Havana, people talk of exile group that assisted rafters, were His remarks, published in January in cutting hair.” the United States and Cuba. escaping to “La Yuma,” Cuban slang for shot down above the straits after what The Washington Post, set Cuba watch- The Castro government responded by Dating back to the early days of the United States that most likely derived the Cuban government claimed was ers aflame with speculation that major installing 148 giant flagpoles in the park his regime, killing Castro became the from the 1950s Western “3:10 to Yuma.” an intrusion in its airspace. Four men changes in US policy might be coming. outside the building, making it almost tragicomic obsession of a generation of The reference to a long-ago film only died, and with them went the hopes of US Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican impossible to see the scrolling news American spies. If they couldn’t get him reinforces the impression of Havana as would-be Cuba-policy reformers who of Florida, accused Fanjul of trying to display. with a combustible cigar, then they might existing in a time warp, where classic were optimistic that then-President make a deal with “the devil.” WP-BLOOMBERG Jeb Bush for US presidency: Front-runner or underdog?

BY DAN BALZ state shortly after the Bush news broke presumably, he can tap into significant was considered a major asset. Today it is Tuesday. But all certainly are rethinking amounts of establishment Republican more mixed. Jeb Bush is smart enough eb Bush (pictured) could be the their own situations — not necessarily money. In fundraising, however, Bush will to know all this, which may be why he’s most unusual of presidential candi- whether they will run, but what it will have one potentially significant advan- doing what he’s doing. The normal script Jdates: both a front-runner and an mean to have a Republican named Bush tage over the many sitting governors for a presumed front-runner is to hang underdog. in the race, and a Bush who seems to be who are looking at running. They are all back, to wait, to let the opposition make Perhaps that explains the former deliberately incautious right now in the affected in one way or another by what the first moves, to play it safe, to avoid Florida governor’s unexpected announce- moves he’s making. is known as the “pay to play” rule. This engagement as long as possible. Bush is ment Tuesday that he will actively Bush will be dubbed the nominal front- is a Securities and Exchange Commission doing the opposite right now. explore a presidential candidacy. That runner for two reasons. regulation that prohibits financial insti- His detractors see Bush as a conserv- he will do so came as no real surprise, First, in the absence of Mitt Romney, tutions whose employees contribute to ative imposter, another establishment given all he’s said and done the past few he becomes the leader in early polls of candidates from doing bond business in Republican who will run an ideologically weeks. It’s been clear for some time that Republicans’ preferences. Those polls those states. It has made those institu- tepid general election campaign. Bush he was already actively exploring. That ought to be taken for what they’re worth, tions extremely cautious about political will get a preliminary reading on that he felt the need to let the world know in which is not much. contributions to governors. sentiment with his announcement of such an explicit way before the holidays That he stands atop the latest Bush is not the kind of front-runner active exploration. But only if he takes suggested he understands what comes courting big-time Republican donors in Washington Post-ABC News poll (again, that his brother, former president George the full step into a campaign will he learn with his unique position in the GOP field. anticipation of a presidential run in 2016. if Romney is removed from the field) says W Bush, was when he ran in 2000. In whether those attitudes are widespread The immediate analyses of Bush’s Christie and Bush will be after many of little. His numbers — 15 percent among that campaign, the then-Texas governor in the Republican base. announcement — which was posted on the same people as they raise the money all adults; 14 percent among registered was able to consolidate support early So there are obstacles facing Bush in Facebook, a sign of his recognition of the needed to sustain a presidential cam- voters — hardly qualify for front-runner in 1999 among his fellow governors and both the Republican primaries and cau- importance of social media in today’s poli- paign through what is expected to be a status. In this survey, he is ahead of Rep their support vaulted him to the top of cuses and, if he successfully makes his tics — focused on what this will mean for competitive and unpredictable nomina- Paul Ryan (Wisconcin), the 2012 vice the field. way through that thicket, in a general other prospective candidates, like fellow tion contest. presidential nominee, by a margin-of- Yet Matthew Dowd, who was a key election. It’s no wonder adopting anything Floridian Marco Rubio, the freshman They are just two of a dozen or so error difference. At 14 percent, he’s well strategist in both of Bush’s presiden- that seems like a true front-runner’s pos- senator who might have been the more Republicans who are now feeling the below what even Romney was getting tial campaigns, on Wednesday noted on ture could doom his chances. likely of the two to move early, given his rumbles set off by Bush’s announce- four years ago at this early stage, and Twitter: “Reminder folks: last Bush to The question is whether he can take limited national prominence and his need ment. Every candidate claims that the Romney was considered a fragile front- run was 40 points ahead, outraised eve- advantage of his establishment support to build a solid fundraising network. decisions of others will have no impact on runner because of resistance on the right. ryone at least 5 to 1, had every endorse- without letting it encumber his candi- Or Chris Christie, the New Jersey their own decision — as Wisconsin Gov What does that make Bush? ment, & nearly lost the nomination.” And dacy. Can he be both Bush and non-Bush? governor who has spent the past year Scott Walker told reporters in his home He’s the front-runner as well because, that was at a time when the Bush brand WP-BLOOMBERG FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 08 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST

Iraq to defer IS siege of Mount Sinjar broken war reparations Peshmerga push cuts IS supply line to Kuwait for a

FISHKHABUR: A broad explained that any evacuation year, says UN peshmerga operation backed would only begin today. GENEVA: Iraq can delay pay- by US-led air strikes broke the A statement from Barzani’s ment of a final $4.6bn in war Islamic State group’s weeks-old office said the operation launched reparations for its 1990 invasion siege of Iraq’s Mount Sinjar yes- by the peshmerga on Wednesday of Kuwait because of the diffi- terday, a top Iraqi Kurdistan morning had been one of the culties it faces in battling the security official said. most successful so far against the Islamic State insurgency, the “Peshmerga forces have Islamic State (IS) group. UN said yesterday. reached Mount Sinjar, the siege It said the siege was broken at After holding a special ses- on the mountain has been lifted,” 1530 GMT and was the conclusion sion in Geneva, the governing Masrour Barzani, the chancellor of of an operation involving 8,000 body of the UN Compensation the Kurdistan Regional Security peshmerga forces. Commission (UNCC), which is Council, told reporters from an “This operation represents the handling the reparations, said operations centre near the border single biggest military offensive “extraordinarily difficult secu- with Syria. against IS and the most success- rity circumstances” in Iraq had A Yazidi leader atop the moun- ful,” the statement said. presented “unusual budgetary tain, however, said he could see It also said that, as a result, challenges”. no sign of a military deployment jihadist fighters had fled en It was the first time Iraq has and a peshmerga commander masse towards strongholds such asked for a postponement in pay- as Tall Afar and Mosul, Iraq’s ments — collected as a levy on oil second city and the main IS hub revenues — since the scheme was IS fight to take at in northern Iraq. set up in 1991, and Kuwait had Barzani told reporters the pesh- agreed to the deferral, the com- least three years merga push had cut key supply mission said. lines used by IS and reclaimed a The payment, owed to the WASHINGTON: The gen- total of 700 square kilometres dur- government of Kuwait on eral in command of US forces ing the past two days. behalf of the Kuwait Petroleum Peshmerga fighters stand at the site of a suicide attack carried out by Islamic State fighters in Kesarej village, involved in the fight against A devastating jihadist attack on Corporation, relates to oil pro- Islamic State militants in the Yazidi minority’s Sinjar heart- south of Zummar city, in the northern Iraqi governorate of Nineveh, near the border with Syria, yesterday. duction and sales losses relating Iraq and Syria said yester- land in August displaced tens of to the damage to oilfields that day he thought it would take thousands of people and was one unable to hold positions in the Dawood Jundi, a peshmerga field no clashes, no movements, there occurred during the war. a minimum of three years of the reasons put forward by plains and retreated back to the commander based on the moun- is no deployment of peshmerga I It is the final tranche of $52.4bn to achieve a turning point US President Barack Obama for mountain in late September. tain, also said the road had been can see.” of reparations awarded to 1.5 mil- against the group. launching strikes four months ago. The peshmerga commander for secured but said some pockets of Said put the number of fami- lion successful claimants under Asked at a Pentagon briefing Amid fears of a genocide against the area said troops had reached IS presence near the peshmerga lies on the mountain at 1,200 and the UN scheme, and was due to about progress on the ground, the small Kurdish-speaking the mountain and secured a road advance remained to be cleared. stressed they were surviving on be paid by the end of 2015. Army Lieutenant General minority, tens of thousands of that would enable people to leave, Said Hassan Said, a Yazidi poli- fast dwindling supplies. “The decision postpones Iraq’s James Terry said that the first Yazidis fled to the mountain and effectively breaking the siege. tician also based on the moun- Speaking to reporters near the obligation to deposit five percent US air strikes had taken place remained trapped there in the “Tomorrow most of the people tain, for his part said he could see Fishkhabur border crossing with of oil proceeds and five percent only four months ago and coun- searing summer heat with no will come down from the moun- no sign that the siege had been Syria, about 80 kilometres north- of the value of any non-monetary selled patience, estimating it supplies. tain,” Mohamed Kojar said by broken. west of the mountain, Barzani said payments to service providers would “at least take a minimum Kurdish fighters, mostly Syrian, phone, explaining the offensive “I’m on top of the mountain the operation had a key road used into the Compensation Fund until of three years.” REUTERS broke that first siege but remaining had secured a corridor northeast right now, I can see all areas from by IS fighters east of their main January 1, 2016,” the UNCC said. anti-IS forces were subsequently of the mountain. my position,” he said. “There are Iraqi hub of Mosul. AFP The Iraqi economy has been suffering because of the IS insur- gency, with the International Monetary Fund last week pre- dicting a contraction of 0.5 per- UN seeks $8.4bn to help victims of Syria war cent this year. This year’s contraction is lower BERLIN: The UN appealed A further $5.5bn is eyed for any bailout of any medium-sized and protection. But they also need financial aid to countries such as than the 2.7 percent predicted in yesterday for $8.4bn to provide Syrians who have sought refuge in bank that has cost less than support in rebuilding their liveli- Lebanon and Jordan struggling October, however, with IMF offi- emergency aid and longer-term neighbouring countries and more this,” UN High Commissioner for hoods, maintaining education and under the influx of millions of cials attributing the improved help to nearly 18 million people than a million people in host com- Refugees Antonio Guterres told health services and rebuilding Syrian refugees. outlook to higher oil production. in Syria and across the region munities, it said. reporters. fragmented communities. “The humanitarian crisis The UN commission had hit by the drawn-out conflict. The Berlin appeal for Syria is He warned that refugees and “The conflict in Syria is not in Syria and the neighbouring awarded Kuwait Petroleum For the first time, the United slightly higher than an indicative people displaced inside Syria had only destroying people’s lives countries poses a threat to the Corporation a total of $14.7bn in Nations’ appeal includes funding amount announced in Geneva exhausted their savings and that today but will continue to erode stability of the whole region,” 2000 for losses during the war, the for life-saving food, shelter and earlier this month, which did not host countries were at “breaking their capacity to cope far into the Foreign Minister Frank-Walter largest amount granted under the other humanitarian aid as well include funding needs of neigh- point”. future if we don’t take a more Steinmeier said yesterday. scheme. as development support, as the bouring countries. United Nations humanitarian holistic approach now,” Amos, “This is a call to the solidarity The commission was set up by bloody war in Syria heads towards The UN is planning for up to chief Valerie Amos said Syria had UN under-secretary general for of all nations, and my country is the UN Security Council in 1991, a fifth year. 4.3 million refugees in countries slumped from a middle income humanitarian affairs, said. willing to do its part,” he added. the same year that a US-led coa- UN agencies said at its launch neighbouring Syria by the end of country to struggling with wide- Germany hosted an interna- More than 200,000 people have lition drove then Iraqi leader in Berlin that $2.9bn was needed 2015, it added. spread poverty. tional conference on the Syrian been killed in the Syria conflict, Saddam Hussein’s forces out of to help 12.2 million people inside “For those that think that this “People affected by conflict refugee crisis in October which which erupted in March 2011. Kuwait. Syria in 2015. is a lot of money, I don’t remember need food, shelter, water, medicine vowed to extend long-term AFP AFP

Resumed Yemen cabinet wins trust vote SANAA: Yemeni Prime nuclear talks Minister Khaled Bahah’s cabinet won a parliamentary Suicide bombers kill seven vote of confidence yesterday, DUBAI: Suicide attackers set off two car bombs in Yemen’s useful: Iran freeing it to tackle major Red Sea port city of Hodeida yesterday, killing themselves TEHRAN: Iran welcomed challenges facing the country, and seven other people, sources in the Shia Muslim Houthi as “useful” yesterday its first including dealing with Shia movement and medical officials said. round of nuclear talks with Muslim Houthi militia who Three other suspected bombers were killed by members the major powers since the two control the capital Sana’a. of a local security patrol before they were able to attack, the sides gave themselves another The Houthis became the de Houthi sources said. seven months to strike a deal. facto power in Western-allied “The bombs rocked the city. They were targeting a building “We had intensive and useful Yemen when they captured that belonged to Houthi movement officials,” said a resident. discussions,” Iran’s lead negotia- Sana’a in September. The The Houthis sources said “takfiris”, a derogatory term for tor, deputy foreign minister Abbas Houthis, who have links to Shia hardline Sunni Islamists who see Shias as infidels, were behind Araqchi, told state television after Iran, portray their movement yesterday’s attack. a two-hour meeting in Geneva on as a revolt against a corrupt A Twitter account belonging to Yemen’s Ansar Al Sharia, a Wednesday. political elite in their impover- Sunni militant group affiliated to Al Qaeda, claimed responsi- “All issues were discussed. We’ll ished country. bility for the attack. have a new meeting in a little Bahah’s government, com- A medical source in the city said that at least 15 people were under a month.” posed of technocrats and poli- wounded. REUTERS Araqchi held two days of talks ticians drawn from a range of with a US delegation headed by parties, has the broad support Acting Deputy Secretary of State of the Houthis but relations General People’s Congress Houthi rebels and the sectar- Wendy Sherman ahead of the ple- are not easy. Bahah suggested blocked an attempt on Tuesday ian risks they pose in major- nary session with the six powers. on Wednesday his government to stage the confidence vote, in ity Sunni Muslim Yemen, The powers, which also include could resign after the rebels protest against the authorities’ the Bahah government also Britain, China, France, Germany raided state institutions and decision to shut their party’s faces security threats from al and Russia, held formal talks sacked public officials. offices in the southern city of Qaeda militants and southern with the Iranians in Vienna last “We will work with sincer- Aden. separatists. month. ity and seriousness to promote As well as dealing with the REUTERS They failed to meet a November the integrity of all sectors in 24 deadline for a comprehensive the government,” Bahah told deal on reining in Iran’s nuclear parliament yesterday. programme in exchange for “We will keep equal distance an easing of crippling Western from all political elements and sanctions. we will get through this current All parties agreed to give period.” themselves seven more months Parliamentary sources said a -- until June 30 -- to strike a deal, majority of lawmakers backed although they said they hoped to Bahah’s 36-member cabinet in have the broad outlines ham- the vote of confidence. mered out by March. “A large majority of the par- A final agreement is aimed liamentary representatives, at ensuring Tehran will never around 155, voted in favour develop nuclear weapons under of the government by a show cover of its civilian activities. of hands,” one lawmaker who Iran denies that it is seeking did not want to be named told the bomb and insists its nuclear Reuters. Only five lawmakers programme is for peaceful pur- voted against, the source added. Members of the Yemeni parliament raise their hands to give a vote poses only. Lawmakers from former of confidence to the country’s new government, in Sana’a yesterday. AFP president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Boko Haram kidnaps 185 people in Nigeria Gunmen storm village of Gumsuri, kill 35 people; women and children among the abducted

MAIDUGURI: Boko Haram mark the beginning of the end of 116 insurgents while repelling a and boys. Gumsuri is roughly 70km our wives and daughters,” he said. An army court martial on has kidnapped at least 185 terrorism in Nigeria, but violence Wednesday attack on an army base south of Maiduguri and falls on the The military and police were Wednesday sentenced 54 soldiers people, including women and has escalated since. The Islamists in the border town of Amchide. road that leads to Chibok. not immediately available to com- to death for mutiny after they children, in northeast Nigeria, have a carried out a series of A convoy of gunmen stormed Details of the Gumsuri attack ment. Witnesses said the hos- refused to deploy for an opera- the latest mass abduction in a abductions this year, boosting Gumsuri in Borno state on took four days to emerge because tages were carted away on trucks tion against Boko Haram, blaming region where the military has their supply of child fighters, por- Sunday, throwing petrol bombs the mobile phone network in the towards the Sambisa Forest, a a lack of weapons. repeatedly struggled to protect ters and young women who have into buildings and leaving much region has completely collapsed notorious rebel stronghold, where The case underscored the civilians, officials and witnesses reportedly been used as sex slaves. of the village destroyed, two local and many roads are impassable. the Chibok girls were also report- struggles the military has faced said yesterday. Boko Haram has not claimed officials and a witness said. Those who fled the village said it edly taken before being divided in challenging the rebels, with sol- The attack, conducted on the Gumsuri attack, but multiple The officials, who put the death was too dangerous to head directly into smaller groups. diers on the ground claiming they Sunday by well-armed Islamist sources in the village blamed the toll at 35, said the local govern- to Maiduguri. Instead, they trav- Vigilantes, who have the mili- have been used as cannon fodder extremists in the town of extremists whose five-year upris- ment established the number elled several hundred kilometres tary’s backing, had defended in battles against militants armed Gumsuri, also killed 35 people. ing has killed more than 13,000 of those abducted by contacting in the opposite direction to connect Gumsuri against waves of previ- with rocket propelled grenades It recalled the April kidnappings people and forced more than 1.5 families, ward heads and clerics. with the main road that leads to ous Islamist attacks but were ulti- and heavy artillery. in Chibok, where more than 200 million others from their homes. A vigilante leader based in the the state capital. mately overpowered on Sunday, Top military brass insist gains girls were taken from a school. Northeast Nigeria has been Borno state capital Maiduguri, Mukhtar Buba, a resident who local officials said. are being made, but there have few President Goodluck Jonathan, the epicentre of the conflict, but Usman Kakani, said that fight- fled to Maiduguri, also confirmed The military has left much of signs of progress and Nigeria is who is standing for reelection in unrest has also spread into neigh- ers who were in Gumsuri during that women and children were the front-line fighting to vigilan- under intense pressure to contain February 14 polls, had pledged bouring Cameroon, where the the attack provided a figure of 191 taken. “After killing our youths, tes and hunters who have inferior the unrest before February polls. that the Chibok attack would military claimed to have killed abducted, including women, girls the insurgents have taken away weapons and almost no training. AFP

US faces long path to Top EU court rejects visa forge ties with Cuba rule in Britain

WASHINGTON: The renewal Congress, US President Barack LUXEMBOURG: The EU’s top of full diplomatic relations Obama will use his executive court yesterday found Britain between the United States and authority to ease restrictions on at fault for demanding that Cuba could be the start of a long some trade, travel and banking non-EU citizens with resident thaw in decades of animosity ties to allow Cubans to send more permits issued in other member but the path is full of obstacles, money home. states must obtain a visa before not least the US sanctions on The first concrete step in entering the country. the Communist-run island. the new policy is the prisoner The European Union defends The embargo is enshrined in swap, under which American the free movement of people as law, most notably the Helms- aid worker Alan Gross was also a fundamental principle that all Burton Act of 1996, which tight- freed. An unidentified US intel- 28 members must respect but ened bans on US trade with ligence agent was swapped for the British government of Prime Cuba and Americans visiting the three Cuban prisoners held in the Minister David Cameron wants to country. United States. curb immigration, a hugely sensi- Only Congress can overturn As part of the thaw, the State tive issue in the run-up to a May the law, and with Republicans Department is expected to then general election. due to take control of both the declare that Cuba is no longer The European Court of Justice House of Representatives and the a “state sponsor of terrorism” ruled in favour of a Colombian Senate in January, the chance of and remove it from a list that woman who argued she did not lawmakers scrapping all sanctions includes Iran, Sudan and Syria. need a visa to visit Britain as on Cuba soon is almost zero. This step does not need congres- she had a residence permit from The Obama administration sional approval. Spain where she lived with her acknowledged that Congress, As tension between the United husband who has dual Irish and already upset at the Democratic States and Cuba eases, the two Cuban President Raul Castro (right) greeting freed Cuban prisoners Gerardo Hernandez (left), Ramon Labanino British nationality. president for acting alone to countries will try to re-open (centre) and Antonio Guerrero in Havana upon their release from the United States. “Where third-country nation- change immigration policy, is embassies in each other’s capi- als hold a residence card of a fam- in no mood to help him lift the tals after decades of broken to oppose Obama’s new course once President Raul Castro and his grievance that is likely to remain ily member of a Union citizen, the embargo on Cuba. diplomatic relations. That step the new Republican-controlled brother, former President Fidel an irritant: The US presence at United Kingdom cannot make “We support efforts to remove might hit a snag if Republicans Congress begins in January. Castro. Barring unexpected Guantanamo Bay Naval Station their right of entry subject to the those restrictions. However, we in Congress attempt to halt fund- Sanctions may take years to events, Raul Castro is likely to in southeastern Cuba. requirement that they must first understand that Congress is ing to the State Department for a lift fully, even if Cuba cleans up stay in office for several years The United States has leased obtain a visa,” the court said. unlikely to take those steps in mission in Havana. its human rights act. The White more. He has announced he will the land where the naval base In 2012, the woman, Helena the immediate future,” a senior The Senate could also refuse House said that it wants to see not seek re-election in 2018. is located since 1903, although Patricia McCarthy Rodriguez, and administration official said. to confirm any ambassador to the embargo lifted by the time In addition, the US Congress Cuba has not accepted payments her husband filed suit with the Almost all trade with Cuba is Cuba named by Obama, although Obama leaves office in 2017. will be in the hands of Republicans for decades. Guantanamo is now High Court of Justice of England banned although exports of US Washington could still operate an But the Helms-Burton Act until at least after elections in home to the US prison for detain- and Wales, saying that the British medical supplies and agricultural embassy run by a more junior dip- states that the sanctions cannot 2016, so the appetite on Capitol ees in the “war on terror,” which visa requirement infringed their products are allowed if approved lomat. Senator Marco Rubio, one be ended until Cuba transitions Hill for ending the embargo will Obama has failed to close despite rights of free movement. by the Commerce Department. of the Republican Party’s most to a democratic government that be limited. If sanctions are lifted promising to do so. The court then sought an opin- Instead of going through influential voices on Cuba, vowed does not include current Cuban eventually, there is one Cuban REUTERS ion from the ECJ, the EU’s high- est court, which ruled in favour of the McCarthy family. It cited a directive on the right of EU citi- EU approves new Crimea sanctions zens and their family members to Kenyan lawmakers approve move and reside freely within the territory of member states. controversial anti-terror bill “The directive on free move- ment of union citizens does not NAIROBI: Kenyan lawmakers yesterday voted in favour of a allow measures which ... preclude tough anti-terror bill following a heated debate that sparked a family members from entering brawl in parliament between opposition and pro-government MPs. the territory of a member state The new legislation gives authorities sweeping powers to crack without a visa.” However, the ECJ down on terror suspects and curtail press freedoms in a country also ruled that member states can that has suffered a string of attacks by Somalia-based Shabaab “refuse, terminate or withdraw” a Islamists. Divisions over the legislation triggered a war of words right of entry “if there is an abuse between lawmakers that culminated in a brawl, forcing the vote to of rights or fraud” but only after be repeatedly delayed yesterday. It was finally approved to loud boos studying each case individually. from opposition MPs. The legislation includes proposals boosting AFP the time police can hold terror suspects from the current 90 days to nearly a year, increasing sentences and giving investigators more Executions in US powers to tap phones. Under the bill, journalists could also face up to three years behind bars if their reports “undermine investiga- dip to 20-year low tions or security operations relating to terrorism,” or if they publish images of terror victims without permission from the police. WASHINGTON: Executions in the United States this year fell to Anxiety grips Greece after vote falters their lowest point in two decades, the Death Penalty Information ATHENS: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande meet aside a European Council Political anxiety gripped Greece yesterday with early Center said yesterday. Looking meeting in Brussels yesterday. The EU agreed to ban all investment in Crimea and cruise ships from its ports elections a step closer after lawmakers failed to elect a new pres- back on 2014, the watchdog group as further punishment for Russia’s annexation of the region from Ukraine in March. ident in the first of three votes in parliament. Only 160 deputies reported 35 executions in seven on Wednesday supported the government candidate, former EU states, “the fewest number put to commissioner Stavros Dimas, far short of the 200 required. The death since 1994”. focus now shifts to December 23 when the parliament will vote The past year also saw 72 in a second round, once again requiring 200 votes for Dimas to death sentences handed down win. Should a third and final round be required on December 29, — a 40-year low and the fourth Australian police raid properties Dimas would need just 180 votes. However, a third failure would straight year in which there trigger the dissolution of parliament and early elections. were fewer than 100 such sentences. SYDNEY: Australian police late “The (Australian Federal Police) large-scale counter-terrorism raids Child abuse: UK police probe ‘murders’ Botched executions involv- yesterday searched several prop- and New South Wales police can across the country in September. ing lethal injections in Ohio, erties across Sydney, reportedly confirm that they are conducting Australia raised its terror threat LONDON: Police looking into accusations that powerful figures Oklahoma and Arizona, and the as part of a ongoing counter- search warrants today in Sydney level in September on growing at the heart of the British establishment were involved in child sex outcry they provoked, also con- terrorism investigation but not as part of an ongoing operation,” a concern about militants returning abuse in the 1970s and 1980s said yesterday they were investigating tributed to the decline, it said. related to the deadly cafe siege spokeswoman said. “As this activity from fighting in Iraq and Syria. allegations three young boys had been murdered. Detectives said Missouri, Texas and Florida earlier this week, officials said. remains ongoing and to ensure the On Monday, a 25-year-old man the “credible” murder claims came from an alleged victim, known represented 80 percent of New South Wales police said safety and security of the opera- was arrested as part of ongoing only as Nick, who said he was sexually abused at locations across executions in 2014, followed the raids were unconnected to tion and members involved, it is investigations into plans for an London and southeast England including military establishments by Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio, the 16-hour standoff at a Sydney not appropriate to provide further attack on Australian soil, the and at Dolphin Square, a central London block of flats close to par- Arizona, Alabama and Virginia. cafe on Monday that left the lone details at this time.” federal police said. A 22-year-old liament. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve The number of inmates on gunman, self-styled Islamic cleric The spokeswoman could also already facing a charge of prepar- Rodhouse, who heads up all the inquiries, said they were looking death row, which stood at 3,035 Man Haron Monis, and two hos- not confirm local media reports ing for a terrorist act was also into 18 different strands, of which the murder claims were just one, on October 1, also fell, continuing tages dead, but would not provide that one of the homes raided had charged with funding terrorism. and had interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses. AGENCIES a trend going back to 2001. further details about the operation. also been searched by police during AFP AFP FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES

Instant noodles Forget the past, Rajapaksa tells Tamils recalled as Sri Lanka President calls for unity in re-election campaign rally in former war zone Taiwan food

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s history repeat in this country.” January’s presidential election if electricity and fuel prices in the Wanigasooriya said. The main scare widens President asked minority Sri Lanka faces a UN-mandated the majority Sinhalese are split run-up to the vote. He has also opposition United National Tamils to “forget the past” as international probe into war between Rajapaksa and his main offered subsidised motorcycles to Party accused army chief Daya TAIPEI: Taiwanese authori- he campaigned for re-election crimes. A report is expected at rival. He faces an unexpected hundreds of thousands of public Ratnayake of deploying troops to ties yesterday ordered a lead- yesterday, vowing not to allow the UN Human Rights Council challenge from his former health servants and granted free elec- campaign for Rajapaksa and said ing food company to recall two another uprising after decades in March. The UN has estimated minister and party general secre- tricity and water to police officers his conduct will be reported to the flavours of instant noodles over of ethnic war. that at least 100,000 people were tary, Maithripala Sirisena, who, living in official barracks. international community. fears they contain a banned dye President Mahinda Rajapaksa, killed in Sri Lanka’s separatist like Rajapaksa, is a member of the Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s mili- “The deployment of sol- as the island’s latest food scan- who is seeking an unprecedented war between 1972 and 2009. majority Sinhalese community. tary rejected opposition allega- diers for such political work is dal deepened. third term, told a public rally in Rajapaksa included a few Rajapaksa, 69, was seen as the tions that it had deployed troops destroying the dignity of the uni- Health officials said sauce pack- the former war zone of Mullaittivu lines of Tamil in his address in favourite when last month he to campaign for Rajapaksa’s form,” UNP spokesman Mangala ages in the two flavours of instant that Tamils should join him to Mullaittivu, where government called the January 8 snap elec- re-election. Samaraweera told reporters in noodles produced by Wei Lih Food rebuild the battle-scarred region. forces fought their final battles tion two years ahead of schedule. Military spokesman Brigadier Colombo yesterday. Industrial Co might be contami- He made no reference to allega- with the separatist Liberation But Sirisena has emerged as a Ruwan Wanigasooriya denied He accused the army chief of nated with dimethyl yellow, which tions that his troops killed some Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). formidable opponent after secur- opposition claims that soldiers including election propaganda is banned from food products. 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final Local and foreign rights groups ing the support of all main oppo- were distributing material in leaflets in soldiers’ pay packets Wei Lih said that its own tests months of fighting, when the lead- say despite the end of the war local sition groups. The popularity of support of the President who is last month, an allegation denied found no traces of the banned dye ership of the Tamil Tiger separa- Tamils are under constant surveil- Rajapaksa’s party showed a 21 seeking an unprecedented third by Brigadier Wanigasooriya. in the suspected products, but they tists was wiped out. lance in a region where the military percentage point decline at local term at the January 8 elections. Wanigasooriya said they would were recalling them as a precau- “Let us unite. Forget the past. still maintains a high presence. elections in September. “The statement that the army investigate the claim if the oppo- tion and apologised to the consum- Let us develop this country Tamils account for about 15 Rajapaksa has announced hefty has employed soldiers for election- sition provided “information on ers for causing any unease. together,” he said in an address percent of the electorate and salary increases for public serv- related propaganda is baseless any such instances”. As of yesterday, more than 10 broadcast live. “We cannot let could emerge as king-makers in ants, drastically reduced water, and extremely presumptuous,” AFP tonnes of dozens of brands of dried tofu snacks and other tofu prod- ucts were pulled from shelves for containing ingredients supplied by Floods in southern Thai city Chien Hsin company, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Chien Hsin is under investigation China village votes to for selling soybean emulsifiers that were adulterated with the indus- trial dye, which is linked to causing expel HIV-positive boy cancer in animals, to at least 44 manufacturers. The administration has warned BEIJING: The plight of an eight- for us,” Wang Yishu, party chief of any manufacturer that used ingre- year-old Chinese boy with HIV, Shufangya village, told the website. dients from Chien Hsin to recall reportedly ordered to leave his village The Global Times said the boy’s their products by Saturday or risk by 200 petitioners, sparked intense mother left the family in 2006, a maximum fine of $6.3m. Taiwan is online soul-searching yesterday in a while his father “lost contact” after reeling from a string of food safety country where discrimination against Kunkun’s condition was diagnosed. scandals this year, which triggered sufferers remains rife. Kunkun sneaked into a specially-con- public outrage contributing to the The boy’s guardian, his grandfa- vened meeting held earlier this month ruling party’s massive defeat in last ther, was among those in southwest- by villagers to discuss how they would month’s local elections. ern Sichuan province who signed banish him, the report added. Hundreds of tonnes of prod- an agreement to expel the child to High ranking officials from the ucts made with “gutter oil” were “protect villagers’ health”, the Global township government said “legally recalled in a food safety scandal Times reported. The newspaper, speaking” the boy could not be that surfaced in September. The which has close ties to the ruling expelled, and that he has the same scandal brought down the island’s Communist Party, said the boy con- rights as other villagers, the news- health minister. That was followed tracted the virus from his mother. paper said. “Officials plan to visit by a mass recall one month later The case has highlighted the the village and speak with the vil- when Taiwanese food giant Ting stigma attached to the disease in lagers”, it added, while the People’s Women wade through floodwater after heavy rains triggered flash floods in the southern Thai city of Hsin group was accused of selling China, where many sufferers face Daily website said “ideological work” Narathiwat yesterday. Parts of southern Thailand have experienced floods in recent days after heavy oil intended for animal food. widespread discrimination. would be carried out in the village. It rains hit the region. REUTERS Previous reports said the boy — who was unclear late Thursday whether was given the pseudonym Kunkun by Kunkun was still in his village. Chinese media — was refused admis- The case has sparked much debate sion to local schools and villagers would on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo, avoid contact with him. “Nobody plays where it was the most widely-dis- (with me), I play alone,” Kunkun said, cussed topic early yesterday, with UN team to Crime lord enjoys jailhouse rock according to a report Wednesday on many asking how people could be the website of the People’s Daily news- so cold-hearted towards the child. paper. The website also said Kunkun “Why was he ruthlessly neglected, clean up MANILA: Crime lord “Herbert said. “It’s like they just transferred Colanggo decided to pursue his was referred to as a “time bomb” in it is so unfair to him,” said a post by C” was enjoying national fame from one mansion to another.” long-held ambition of becoming a the petition. one user. “This is because the Chinese oil spill in and growing iTunes success Colanggo entered Bilibid in music star, and rebranded himself “The villagers sympathise with population cannot get enough educa- after reinventing himself as a 2009 after a near decade-long “Herbert C”. He had a music stu- him, he is innocent, and only a small tion, causing ignorance and panic,” lovelorn balladeer from inside reign as the leader of a feared dio built inside his prison villa and child. But his AIDS is too scary said another. AFP Bangladesh the Philippines’ biggest jail — bank robbery gang. “His gang recorded a 10-song album of syr- until police cut short his career. was so bold and daring that their upy love songs called Kinabukasan, DHAKA: The United Herbert Colanggo lost his presence alone literally swept the which means “Future”. Nations said yesterday recording studio and other bribe- vaults of all banks in all urban Bureau of Corrections’ direc- that it has sent a team of induced musical privileges after areas nationwide,” former Bilibid tor Ferdinand Bucayu insisted international experts to a raid on the secret prison villas prison head Venancio Tesoro said that he had not known about Bangladesh to help clean kept by 20 of the nation’s most in a post on his blog. Colanggo’s music career or special up the world’s largest notorious robbery, kidnapping Police say one of his gang’s bank privileges, and pointed the finger mangrove forest, more and drug kingpins. heists on the outskirts of Manila at corrupt prison officials. than a week after it was The Philippines’ prisons have left 10 people dead, making it one For the time being, Colanggo and hit by a huge oil spill. long had a reputation for graft, but of the country’s bloodiest robber- the other crime lords have been Thousands of litres of oil Monday’s raid shocked the nation ies. Colanggo was sentenced to 12 removed from Bilibid and taken have spilt into the protected with the justice secretary express- to 14 years in jail. to a high-security facility of the Sundarbans mangrove area, ing outrage that Colanggo and the Bilibid is infamous for over- justice department’s investigation home to rare Irrawaddy and others were “living like kings”. crowding and the brutal conditions unit. Bucayu said Colanggo’s studio Ganges dolphins, after a The raid at Manila’s Bilibid — it was built to accommodate would also be dismantled. tanker collided with another prison uncovered high-powered 8,900 inmates but currently houses But Justice Secretary Leila vessel last Tuesday. A team weapons, methamphetamines, a more than 23,000. Colanggo, de Lima said this week that from the United Nations jacuzzi, a strip club and Colanggo’s though, was able to quickly buy corruption in Bilibid was insti- Disaster Assessment and fully equipped music studio. his way into the privileged world tutionalised and she could not Coordin-ation has arrived “We are very angry because of the prison’s top criminal king- immediately sack all the corrupt in the capital Dhaka to they continue to live lives of lux- pins, some of whom have previ- prison officials. Which leaves support Bangladesh’s ury,” Dante Jimenez, chairman of ously even been caught leaving open the possibility of Herbert C cleanup efforts of the oil the watchdog group Volunteers the jail for short periods of time. or another crime lord doing the spill in the Sundarbans. Against Crime and Corruption, With lots of time on his hands, jailhouse rock once again. AFP Experts have slammed authorities for failing to organise a proper clean-up effort of the oil spill, which Philippines armed forces anniversary has now spread 350 square kilometres inside the deli- cate mangrove forest area. Until now, the forest department was relying on villagers and fishermen to scoop up the thick tar from the water and river banks with sponges and pans. The UN team will help in the “ground work in coordination with the gov- ernment” and “will also conduct an assessment and advise on recovery and risk reduction measures”, it said, adding the team had been sent in response to a request from Bangladesh. The UN expressed con- cern over the disaster, urging Dhaka to impose a “complete ban” on the movement of commercial vessels through the 10,000 square kilometres forest Philippine President Benigno Aquino inspects troops during the 79th anniversary celebration of the Armed that is home to Bengal tigers Forces of the Philippines in Quezon city, Metro Manila, yesterday. and Irrawaddy dolphins. AFP FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 Pakistan court grants bail to alleged Mumbai attacks mastermind

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani hotels, a popular cafe, a train sta- carnage played out on live televi- founder Hafiz Saeed also leads over crucial evidence. court yesterday granted bail tion and a Jewish centre. sion around the world, as com- a high-profile existence despite The sole surviving gunman to the alleged mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi (pic- mandos battled the heavily-armed a $10m US government bounty from Mumbai, Pakistani-born of the 2008 terror attacks in tured), accused of masterminding gunmen, who arrived by sea on offered for his capture, regularly Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was Mumbai, lawyers said, a move events, was granted bail by a judge the evening of November 26. appearing on TV and address- hanged in India in 2012. likely to further inflame ten- in the capital Islamabad. It took the authorities three ing large public gatherings of his The attacks derailed a nascent sions with India. “We had moved a bail applica- days to regain full control of followers. peace process between nuclear- The 60-hour siege on India’s tion with the Islamabad anti-ter- the city and New Delhi has long Seven Pakistani suspects have armed India and Pakistan. economic capital left 166 peo- ror court on December 10, today said there is evidence that “offi- been charged with planning and Analyst Pervez Hoodbhoy said ple dead and was blamed on the the judge granted bail to my cli- cial agencies” in Pakistan were financing the attacks but the fail- the development would hurt ties banned Pakistani militant group ent after hearing arguments involved in plotting the attack. ure to advance their trials has with India. “After the Peshawar Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). from both sides,” Lakhvi’s lawyer Islamabad denies the charge been a major obstacle to normal- massacre there was an outpour- Relations between the two Rizwan Abbasi said. Prosecutor but LeT’s charitable arm Jamaat- ising ties with India. Delhi has ing of sympathy for Pakistan from nuclear-armed rivals worsened Mohammad Chaudhry Azhar con- ud-Dawa (JuD), seen as a front accused Islamabad of prevaricat- many countries, including India. dramatically after the carnage, in firmed the court had granted bail. for the militant group, oper- ing over the trials, while Pakistan But this will pass soon,” he said. which 10 gunmen attacked luxury The horror of the Mumbai ates openly in the country. LeT has claimed India failed to hand AFP

Army chief signs Students vow to death warrants for six militants defy Taliban, ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military chief yesterday signed death warrants for six militants on death row after the govern- ment ended a moratorium on return to school capital punishment in terror- related cases, the military said. “COAS (Chief of Army Staff) Second day of mourning observed today signed death warrants of 6 hardcore terrorists (pending PESHAWAR: Students griev- students and parents gathered to execution) convicted by FGCM ing for their classmates mas- light candles and leave flowers for in accordance with law,” military sacred by the Pakistani Taliban the dead. spokesman Major General Asim yesterday vowed to defy the Mohammad Billal, 14, said he Bajwa tweeted. Security officials militants and return to school would defy his parents’ advice to said the six were convicted by a as soon as possible. stay at home, and return to school military court and were awaiting A team of gunmen stormed the as soon as he can. “I will come execution. Army Public School in Pakistan’s the moment it opens because I am It is not clear when the execu- northwestern city of Peshawar on not scared of terrorists. I know tions will be carried out but a Tuesday, slaughtering 148 people how to send a message to them,” senior security official said the six including 132 children in the res- Billal said. would be hanged “within days”. tive country’s deadliest ever ter- Moakal Jan, 13, lost nine of his Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ror attack. Schools in Islamabad friends in the attack but said he announced on Wednesday an beefed up security yesterday and too had no fears about returning. Political party workers, traders and students light candles during a vigil in Islamabad yesterday for the children end to the moratorium on the carried out safety drills amid “I study here in this school and and teachers killed in an attack by Taliban militants on an army-run school in Peshawar. death penalty in terror-related fears of a possible bomb attack I want to continue here, I will be cases after a Pakistani Taliban targeting school buses. back when it reopens. Life and possible plot to bomb buses car- them in emergency exits and schools like the one in Peshawar massacre at a military-run As the nation observed a second death is in God’s hands,” Jan said. rying students in the capital, routes to safe locations in case were “preparing those generals, school killed 148 people, mostly day of official mourning, at the Many of the school’s students Mohammad Tahir Bhatti, spokes- of any danger. “Teacher asked us brigadiers and majors who killed children. school gates in Peshawar there are the children of army person- man for the Federal Directorate not to panic and silently follow and arrested so many fighters”. Pakistan imposed a de facto was defiance and a burning desire nel, and like many of his friends, of Education, said. instructions in case of any dan- “If our women and children moratorium on civilian execu- for revenge against the Tehreek- Jan said he wanted to punish the “We received information gerous situation,” he said. died as martyrs your children tions in 2008, though hanging e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose Taliban for Tuesday’s bloodshed. from various sources that ter- “We are very scared since ter- will not escape. If you attack us remains on the statute book and seven-year insurgency has killed “I want to be an army officer rorists were planning to attack rorist killed children in Peshawar.” we will take revenge for the inno- judges continue to pass the death thousands of ordinary people. because I have to take revenge of buses by attaching magnetic The TTP claimed that cents,” he said in a video message. sentence. Much of the school was devas- my friends and school fellows,” bombs and have alerted the Tuesday’s assault as revenge for Pakistan’s political and mili- Only one person has been tated in the eight-hour rampage, he said. Eighteen-year-old Abu managements of institutions the killing of its fighters and their tary leaders have vowed to executed since then, a soldier with walls peppered with bullets Bakar agreed. “Since my child- accordingly,” Bhatti said. families in an ongoing military stamp out the scourge of homeg- convicted by a court martial and and shrapnel from suicide blasts hood I have wanted to join the Officials of the directorate operation against its strongholds rown Islamist militancy that has hanged in November 2012. and walls and floors awash with army but now I am absolutely were also holding meetings to in the North Waziristan tribal brought so much bloodshed to the Rights campaign group blood. But officials pledged to determined to join up,” he said. review security arrangements area, and warned more attacks country in recent years. Amnesty International estimates clean and restore the buildings “I want to take revenge for and schools and colleges and also would follow. The military said yesterday that that Pakistan has more than 8,000 and reopen on January 4 — less my friends, I want to fight the visiting schools and colleges to Khalifa Umar Mansoor, the air strikes in Khyber tribal area, prisoners on death row, most of than three weeks after the attack. terrorists.” monitor them, Bhatti said. TTP commander identified by which borders North Waziristan, whom have exhausted the appeals There were emotional scenes More than 400 schools in One 11-year-old primary school security sources as the master- had killed 57 militants. process. outside the school as hundreds of Islamabad were warned of a student said teachers had drilled mind of the school massacre, said AFP AFP Afghan education Northwest on alert after warning of ‘massive’ jailbreak ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yes- terday issued threat alert for a potential “massive” prison break in the restive northwest after the government announced end to a moratorium on the death penalty in terror-related cases. “We received terror alert today about a possible prison break in four major prisons of the prov- ince,” a senior prison official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province who saw the alert said. “The letter had warned of a massive prison break,” he added. He said the Home Department has advised prison officials to col- laborate with the local police to Afghan schoolchildren study at an open-air classroom in the Mohmand Dara district in eastern increase security around all high Nangarhar province yesterday. Afghanistan has had only rare moments of peace over the past profile inmates charged with 30 years, its education system undermined by the Soviet invasion of 1979, a civil war in the terror-related offences. Another senior intelligence official con- 1990s and six years of Taliban rule. firmed that a threat warning had been issued. He said there are a number of high profile terrorists on death row in four prisons in the prov- ince. “The terrorists might Kabul to have control centre attack prisons to free their com- rades on death row specially after KABUL: A new control centre is to be created in the city or joint operations, the garrison will the end of moratorium on death to coordinate security forces and fight a rise in be in charge.” The idea for a new control centre sentence,” he said. Taliban attacks in Kabul, the capital’s police was first announced by the Afghan president In July last year dozens of heav- chief said yesterday, hours after a bomb killed Ashraf Ghani on Sunday. ily armed Taliban fighters freed a police officer and injured three in the city. Rahimi could not say when the new garrison nearly 250 prisoners, includ- As most foreign troops withdraw this month, would be formed but said its members would soon ing hardcore militants, during a Afghanistan has seen waves of suicide bombings be appointed by the president, who has vowed a sophisticated overnight attack on and commando-style assaults by the Islamist insur- security shake-up in the capital to counter the a jail in the northwest. gents. “Under previous governments, and also dur- surge in attacks. It was not the first time either ing the Soviets, we had a garrison in place which Recent incidents include two assaults on for- the Afghan Taliban or their was useful and that fought against the mujahideen,” eign guest houses, several army bus bombings and Pakistani counterparts have General Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. a deadly blast that killed a German at a French claimed prison breaks. Rahimi said the new control centre would have cultural centre packed with people attending a In April 2012, nearly 400 pris- the authority to command and coordinate a joint performance. The decline in security cost Rahimi’s oners escaped from a jail outside response by Afghanistan’s army, police and intel- predecessor his job. “The attacks will continue so Pakistan’s northwestern town of ligence force in the event of an attack. long as there is no political agreement to pressure Bannu during a similar insur- “There was no systematic coordination in (the Taliban),” the new police chief said. gent raid. place,” the police chief said. “In case of attacks REUTERS AFP FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Sonia’s India launches condition biggest rocket stable in hospital NEW DELHI: Congress presi- dent Sonia Gandhi was yester- with capsule day admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here for an infec- tion in the lower respiratory Avenues open for manned flight tract. Her condition was stable, a hos- BANGALORE: India success- “The powerful launch vehicle has pital official said. fully launched its biggest rocket come to shape, which will change our “Sonia Gandhi was today yesterday carrying an unmanned destiny... (by) placing heavier space- (Thursday) admitted to Sir Ganga capsule which could one day send craft into communications orbits.” Ram Hospital around 8.30pm. She astronauts into space, as the coun- The rocket was carrying an has an infection in the lower res- try ramps up its ambitious space unmanned crew capsule which ISRO piratory tract. Her condition is programme. said successfully separated from the stable and she is under observa- The rocket, designed to carry rocket and splashed down in the Bay tion,” hospital sources told IANS. heavier communication and other of Bengal off India’s east coast 20 The Congress president was satellites into higher orbit, blasted minutes after liftoff. admitted under the care of Arup off from Sriharikota in the southeast The Indian-made capsule is Kumar Basu, senior consultant in state of Andhra Pradesh in a test designed to carry up to three astro- the chest medicine department. mission costing nearly $25m. nauts into space. Basu is leading a team “This was a very significant day ISRO officials said the crew cap- of doctors who are closely in the history of (the) Indian space sule would be “recovered” from the monitoring Gandhi. programme,” Indian Space Research sea and ferried back to Sriharikota According to doctors, the prob- Organisation (ISRO) chairman K S by today for further studies. lem was quite common in the Radhakrishnan said from mission India’s manned spaceflight pro- winter season. control as fellow scientists clapped gramme has seen multiple stops and There has been intense specu- and cheered. starts in recent years, and ISRO says lation about Gandhi’s health after ISRO scientists have been riding the crew capsule project would take her 2011 surgery in the US. high since an Indian spacecraft suc- at least another seven years to reach She spent about five weeks in cessfully reached Mars in September the point where an astronaut could the US, where she reportedly on a shoe-string budget, winning be put into space. underwent a successful surgery Asia’s race to the Red Planet and Indian Prime Minister Narendra at New York’s Memorial Sloan sparking an outpouring of national Modi hailed the test mission as “yet Kettering Cancer Center. pride. another triumph of (the) brilliance According to media reports, she Although India has successfully and hard work of our scientists” in a was also treated for mild asthma launched lighter satellites in recent post on Twitter. for six days in 2008. years, it has struggled to match the Radhakrishnan said the next step Ahead of the Tripura assembly heavier loads that other countries would be to develop a more powerful polls in February 2013, Gandhi, increasingly want sent up. indigenous engine, reducing India’s who was scheduled to address The new rocket, weighing 630 reliance on those built in Europe, for two election meetings in the tonnes and capable of carrying a pay- the rocket, which is officially named state, cancelled her visit due to load of 4 tonnes, is a boost for India’s the Geostationary Satellite Launch ill health. attempts to grab a greater slice of Vehicle Mk-III. Gandhi also cancelled her day- the $300-billion global space market. “Our own cryogenic engine, which long tour of Maharashtra in April “India, you have a new launch is at development stage, will be used ahead of the 2014 general elec- vehicle with you. We have made it in powering the advanced heavy rock- The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mark-III) lifts off at Indian Space Research Organisation’s tions, citing health reasons. She again,” said S Somnath, director of ets in the next two years,” he said. (ISRO) centre in Srharikota, Andhra Pradesh. was to address three election the mission. AFP rallies. IANS

Four Anand Marg followers get life in jail for L N Mishra’s murder

NEW DELHI: Four followers of Hindu (75) and Sudevananda Avadhuta (79). were also convicted and punished under to put pressure on the federal govern- ‘Satyamev Jayate’, the convicts have sect Anand Marg were yesterday sen- The maximum punishment under the Explosive Substances Act. ment to release one of the group’s leaders. chosen the different attribute namely tenced to life imprisonment here for which the four were charged entail death The court also imposed a fine of Awarding life imprisonment, the court violence which is not the ‘Dharma’,” the criminal conspiracy and murder of penalty. Rs40,000 on Sudevananda Avadhuta, held that the case does not come under judge opined. “However, I find this is not the then railway minister L N Mishra They were convicted December 8 on Rs30,000 on Santoshanand Avadhuta and the “rarest of rare” category where the a cold blooded murder and the convicts do in 1975. charges of murder, criminal conspiracy Rs20,000 each on Dwivedi and Gopalji. death penalty can be given. not bear trace of any personal animosity District Judge Vinod Goel awarded life and voluntarily causing grievous hurt The Central Bureau of Investigation “Instead of following our father of with the victim. They do not appear to be imprisonment to Gopalji (73), Ranjan by dangerous weapon. Santoshanand (CBI) has alleged that Anand Marg fol- nation, who was inspired by the eter- a menace to the society,” the court said. Dwivedi (66), Santoshanand Avadhuta Avadhuta and Sudevananda Avadhuta lowers carried out the attack on Mishra nal saying ‘Ahinsa Paramo Dharmo’ and IANS

Many Santas Pakistan slammed for bail to terror mastermind NEW DELHI: India said yes- terday that Pakistan court’s decision to grant bail to the alleged mastermind of 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai was unacceptable and demanded immediate steps to reverse the decision. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is accused of planning the 60-hour siege on India’s economic capital that left 166 people dead and was blamed on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Indian foreign ministry spokes- man Syed Akbaruddin said the decision to grant bail to Lakhvi was “a reassurance to terrorists who perpetuate heinous crimes”. “We cannot accept that LeT’s chief operations commander, Lakhvi, one of the key con- spirators of the Mumbai terror attacks... a person designated as international terrorist by UN Students dressed as Santa Claus distribute sweets among children during a Christmas celebration security council, is released on at a school in Chandigarh yesterday. bail,” Akbaruddin said. AFP Audiences clueless about latest Bollywood film

MUMBAI: It’s the most about the plot, with its green- experience,” director Rajkumar red from chewing betel nut. anticipated Bollywood film of eyed hero said to be an alien or Hirani told Reuters in an One controversial poster the year and no one knows an autistic savant. interview. showed leading man Aamir what it’s about. The film’s makers have “We are trying to shake some Khan walking along railway “PK” opens in Indian cinemas laughed off speculation that pre-conceived notions, trying to tracks, in the buff. A trailer today with audiences still in the “PK” is inspired by the 1994 look at things differently.” shows Khan in a ghagra, a dark about the film’s storyline Oscar-winning film, “Forrest Trailers for the film fea- traditional long skirt worn by or why its naive and unworldly Gump”, whose slow-witted nar- ture the protagonist saying women. protagonist with pointy ears rator becomes a Vietnam war he doesn’t know his name, Trade analysts said curiosity never blinks. hero, cross-country runner and although people call him ‘PK’, about its storyline and the low- Trailers and publicity stills a successful businessman. similar to the Hindi term for a key marketing campaign would released in the past few weeks “You don’t want to reveal drunk, a conclusion drawn from help “PK” at the box office. have sparked a guessing game your film and ruin the viewing his antics. His lips are stained REUTERS FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13

Tower rents to face pressure on new supply Inadequate supply of quality four- and five-bedroom villas at desirable location is the key demand driver

DOHA: Qatar’s office and resi- property market, the report noted for smaller spaces and high-qual- large corporate and government in demand, whereas pressure on become more price conscious as dential rental markets remained prices could witness pressure as ity properties remains strong; departments in West Bay during apartment rents in The Pearl- well as due to growth in the aver- strong during the third quarter several new towers are added however, that for low-quality the third quarter. West Bay has Qatar reduced due to the addition age transaction value . of 2014 (Q3, 14). Offices recorded to the supply pool and buyers properties is slightly subdued”, the highest number of A-grade of numerous apartment build- Due to new supply in the mar- high rates across locations, with became more price conscious. the market commentators said. offices. Smaller offices also con- ings. However, there is significant ket, the sales price of apartments robust demand at Doha City Inadequate supply of good qual- Citing Qatar Central Bank tinued to witness upbeat demand demand for one-bedroom apart- in The Pearl -Qatar eased dur- Centre area and Airport Road. ity four-and five-bedroom villas (QCB) data, the report noted the due to the added flexibility. ments and four-and five-bedroom ing the quarter. Going forward, Monthly rents for residen- at desirable location is the key country’s real estate price index Rentals in Doha City Centre villas at preferred locations. investments in Qatar are pro- tial and offices increased 3 per- demand driver, leading to higher advanced 178.6 percent year-on- Area and Airport Road, which Rentals are forecast to improve jected to rise further. These would cent QoQ and 5 percent QoQ, rental rates. In addition, one-bed- year (YoY) to a record high of have major B-and C-grade stocks, due to limited new additions. largely be driven by the scheduled respectively. The sales market room apartments would remain 253.8 points in September. The advanced due to the highest occu- In contrast to the residential FIFA 2022, as well as the Qatar also performed well, while mort- in demand vis-à-vis larger apart- index has steadily been posting pancy rate and low average space rental market, the sales market National Vision 2030. Therefore, gage inquiries rose considerably, ments due to the strong afford- gains since the level of 213.8 in of about 100m2. Rentals also have performed well. Mortgage real estate sector activity in Qatar a latest GCC real estate report ability factor. May. increased in the C and D Ring inquiries is estimated to have is anticipated to increase in the released by the Gulf Investment “The private sector, particu- In the office rental mar- Road area, which accommodates risen considerably over the prior coming years due to substantial House (GIH) said. larly overseas companies, would ket, robust demand was largely a mix of A-and B-grade offices. year with the number of transac- infrastructure development plans. On the outlook for Qatar’s drive demand. Moreover, demand driven by improved demand from Quality properties remained tions declining in Q3, 14, as buyers THE PENINSULA

EU-US trade discussion Oil resumes slide after brief rebound on short-covering

NEW YORK: Global crude before the year-end,” said Gene week on a rout sparked by wor- prices fell again yesterday, a day McGillian, an analyst at Tradition ries about fast-growing US shale after a short-covering rally, as Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. oil supplies. Opec’s decision not to traders placed new bets that While the slide appeared to cut output accelerated the price the market would resume a six- be on renewed worries about drop. Oil companies also have month rout on worries about a oversupply, some also cited a been announcing cuts in explora- supply glut. Bloomberg report that said a tion and capital spending. Benchmark Brent and US crude Nigerian port workers union had Chevron Corp put a plan to each fell more than $1 a barrel to suspended a strike. Separately, drill for oil in the Beaufort Sea session lows in New York after the Opec country’s two major oil in Canada’s Arctic on indefinite initially extending Wednesday’s worker unions will meet with the hold and Marathon Oil cut its short-covering, which lifted government to discuss an end to a capital expenditure for next year prices by more than $3. They later strike that began on Monday. So by about 20 percent. Canadian oil retraced some losses, with Brent far the strike has not affected oil producers deepened cuts in 2015 hovering at the psychologically- exports, they have said. spending, as Husky Energy, MEG important $60 mark and US crude Brent’s front-month contract Energy and Penn West Petroleum trading above $55. was down 55 cents to $60.60 by joined those scaling back capital Traders braced for more sell- 1728 GMT, after hitting a ses- budgets. The oil minister of Saudi ing in a market that had already sion low at $59.67. US crude fell Arabia, the world’s top crude lost nearly 50 percent of its value 40 cents to $56.07, having earlier exporter, said on Thursday he Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (left) and Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt since June. “We’re continuing to fallen to $55.04. believed the selloff is “a tempo- attend a EU-US trade deal discussion in Brussels yesterday. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment search for a bottom and might Brent broke below $59 and US rary situation and will pass.” Partnership is facing hostility in Europe and Cameron is seeking to garner support among EU leaders. even see another significant drop crude breached the $54 level this REUTERS

Impossible for Saudi to reduce oil output: Minister Mercedes

RIYADH: Leading Opec pro- Opec to undertake any measure “The situation that we and the June. Prices plunged even fur- prices rather than reduce output recalls 4,871 ducer Saudi Arabia said yester- that would lead to a reduction in world currently face is tempo- ther after the Organisation of the to boost prices. Opec last month day that competitive pressures (their) share of the market and rary,” Nuaimi said, citing a combi- Petroleum Exporting Countries reaffirmed its production ceiling prevent it from reducing output, an increase in that of others” who nation of factors including slower decided last month against cut- of 30 million barrels per day, of cars, SUVs in and the kingdom can weather do not belong to the cartel, he said global growth, increased supply, ting production. The cartel pumps which Saudi Arabia is pumping plunging oil prices. in comments to the official Saudi and reduced demand growth for about 30 percent of global crude. about 9.6 million bpd. US for oil leak Oil Minister Ali Al Nuaimi Press Agency. oil. “The global economy, particu- The oil market has become Analysts say Saudi Arabia is denied that “political objectives” Nuaimi said while Opec’s out- larly the economies of emerging increasingly competitive with strong enough to survive lower DETROIT: Mercedes-Benz is play a role in decisions about pro- put had not changed in years, countries, will resume growth the surge in production from prices, a point also made by recalling 4,871 sedans and SUVs duction, and expressed optimism production by non-cartel nations steadily, and then demand for oil American shale oil fields. Nuaimi. He said factors includ- in the United States because of for the future despite crude’s “has been increasing constantly”. will also grow.” Analysts have said Saudi ing the kingdom’s “huge financial a potential oil leak, according to price drop of about 50 percent He added that price fluctua- Crude prices traded above $100 Arabia is content to see shale reserves” help it to withstand documents filed with US safety since June. “It is difficult, or even tions “are normal” for commodi- a barrel earlier this year but have oil producers — and even some short-term variations in oil regulators. impossible, for Saudi Arabia or ties including oil. fallen to multi-year lows since Opec members — suffer from low income. AFP Daimler AG’s Mercedes is recalling certain E-Class cars and M-Class and GLK-Class SUVs from model years 2014 and 2015 because oil may leak from around the chain tensioner gas- ket in the four-cylinder diesel Swiss central bank unveils engine, increasing the risk of a fire or a stalling engine, accord- ing to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety negative interest rate Administration. The leaking oil may also be a road hazard for other vehicles, GENEVA: Switzerland’s cen- in this development.” The rou- level of between 0.0 and 0.25 per- increasing the risk of a crash, tral bank said yesterday it ble crashed to historic lows this cent. “This measure will lead to according to the NHTSA docu- would introduce negative inter- week of 80 to the dollar and 100 a further decline in the interest ments. Mercedes officials could est rates for the first time in to the euro, as the energy-export earned on Swiss-franc invest- not immediately be reached for decades to stop the franc get- dependent economy was hit by a ments, making them less attrac- comment. Dealers will replace the ting any stronger, after the rout in oil prices. tive, and thereby easing the chain tensioner gasket at no cost Russian rouble crisis sent inves- With the safe haven Swiss cur- upward pressure on the Swiss and the recall is expected to begin tors scurrying to the safe haven rency in demand, the SNB was franc,” Jordan said. around December 26. currency. forced to take action to protect He reiterated the central The affected vehicles include The Swiss National Bank will the country’s vital export sector. bank’s “utmost determination” to certain model-year 2014-2015 impose a rate of -0.25 percent on The negative interest rate will keep to an exchange-rate floor of E250 BlueTec and E250 BlueTec certain bank deposits on January be imposed on so-called sight 1.20 francs to the euro — a move 4Matic cars and GLK250 4Matic 22, with the aim of pushing the deposits, funds which can be that effectively imposes a limit on BlueTec SUVs, and 2015 ML250 target range of Switzerland’s accessed immediately, but only how strong the Swiss currency 4Matic BlueTec SUVs, according benchmark interest rate into apply to balances above a certain can get. “Without the minimum to the NHTSA documents. negative territory. threshold. exchange rate, price stability in Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co “The Swiss franc has been The measure will have the effect Switzerland would be seriously expanded the recall of older- experiencing renewed upward of taking the three-month Libor compromised,” Jordan said. model Mustang cars that have pressure vis-à-vis the euro in rate, which Switzerland uses to He confirmed the bank was driver-side Takata air bags with the last few days,” said Thomas determine interest rates on mort- prepared to buy foreign cur- inflators, to include about 502,500 Jordan, chairman of the SNB gov- gages and savings accounts, into rency “in unlimited quantities” vehicles. Ford was one of five erning board. “Rapidly mounting negative territory. if needed. automakers asked by US regula- uncertainty on the financial mar- The target range for Libor — The wealthy nation also turned tor last month to expand a recall kets has substantially increased the franc’s three-month London to negative interest rates in the of vehicles with possibly defec- demand for safe investments. The interbank offered rate — is now 1970s, as it desperately tried to Thomas Jordan, chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), addresses a tive driver-side Takata air bags worsening of the crisis in Russia between -0.75 percent and 0.25 ward off pressure on the franc news conference in Zurich yesterday. beyond a limited area with high was a major contributory factor percent, compared to its previous amid soaring global inflation. AFP humidity. REUTERS FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

GM, JLR Economy will be suspend car deliveries cured, says Putin to Russia HAMBURG/PARIS: Carmakers including General But President offers no remedy for financial ailment Motors and Jaguar Land Rover have stopped delivering to MOSCOW: President Vladimir for “a radical change in attitude Russian dealerships in response Putin (pictured) assured towards the rest of the world and to the sharp slide in the value of Russians yesterday that the to switch to a cooperative mode”. the rouble. economy would rebound after Sitting at a big desk in front of The Russian currency has the rouble’s dramatic slide this two large screens showing close- been hammered by slumping oil year but offered no remedy for a ups of his face, a white mug with prices and Western sanctions deepening financial crisis. a presidential crest on beside him, imposed over Moscow’s involve- Defiant and confident at a Putin appeared mainly intent on ment in Ukraine, losing as three-hour news conference, Putin showing Russians he is in com- much as 20 percent against blamed the economic problems on mand and will not kow-tow to the the US dollar this week and external factors and said the crisis West. He said Russia must diver- about half its value since the over Ukraine was caused by the sify its economy to reduce depend- start of the year. “In view of the West, which he accused of build- ence on oil, its major export and a volatility of rouble exchange rate ing a “virtual” Berlin Wall to con- key source of state income, but he and with the aim to manage its tain Russia. At times sneering, at gave no details and has said many business risk, GM Russia has others cracking jokes, he ignored times during 15 years in power that decided to temporarily suspend pressure to say how he will fix an inevitable,” Putin said in comments he will do this. wholesaling of vehicles to its deal- economy facing what his economy to a packed conference centre that The rouble slipped as he spoke, ers in Russia as of December 16,” minister calls a “perfect storm” of were broadcast live to the nation. and was about 2 percent weaker General Motors’s European Opel low oil prices, Western sanctions Although he said the recovery against the dollar on the day. The division said. over Ukraine and global financial might take two years, much will central bank increased its key Cadillac, Opel and Chevrolet problems. depend on how long the West lending rate by 6.5 percentage vehicles already purchased by The rouble has fallen about 45 maintains sanctions on Russia over points to 17 percent on Tuesday, customers will be delivered at percent against the dollar this its role in the Ukraine crisis. and has spent more than $80bn the agreed price, GM said, adding year, and suffered particularly European Union diplomats trying to shore up the rouble this that it continued to monitor the steep falls on Monday and Tuesday, said the 28-nation bloc would year, but to little avail. situation. Jaguar Land Rover, the but Putin refused to call it a cri- ban investment in Crimea from Although Putin said the central British luxury carmaker owned sis and said it would eventually Saturday over Russia’s annexa- bank and government had acted by India’s Tata Motors, said its rise again. “If the situation devel- tion of the Black Sea peninsula and “adequately”, he chided the bank Russian sales subsidiary had ops unfavourably, we will have to President Barack Obama is set to for not halting foreign exchange People pass a board showing currency rates in central Minsk yesterday. stopped selling vehicles to fran- amend our plans. Beyond doubt, we sign legislation authorising new US interventions sooner, suggesting Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has demanded that chised dealers on Wednesday and will have to cut some (spending). sanctions. But Putin showed no more decisive action might have transactions of Belarus with Russia be settled in dollars or euros because would review the situation again But a positive turn and emergence sign of heeding a call by EU foreign made this week’s big rate rise on Friday. of the slump in the value of rouble. from the current situation are policy chief Federica Mogherini unnecessary. REUTERS The rouble’s fall has prompted some companies that incur costs in other currencies, like Swedish furniture retailer IKEA, to Russian firms explore ways to ease foreign debt payment pain increase the prices they charge Russian buyers. Volkswagen’s premium brand MOSCOW: Russian firms are and palladium producer Norilsk to look for alternatives. date although it may have to loans to service foreign debts, we Audi also said it was postponing scrambling to repay or restruc- Nickel, which sell their goods Pipemaker TMK which focuses pay a higher rate. Eurosibenergo will see the dollar hit new highs vehicle deliveries and may raise ture the terms of foreign cur- abroad and receive payment in for- on the domestic market has 65 declined to comment. to the rouble (as they covert rou- prices. Rival BMW said it had rency loans as the rouble’s loss eign currency, should have a ready percent of its debt in dollars and Sberbank is expecting borrow- bles),” said Denis Poryvai, a fixed- already been redirecting new of value and an interest rate supply of funds for debt servicing. euros and is trying to find better ers in the domestic transport income analyst at Raiffeisenbank. vehicles to stronger markets since hike push up the cost of debt But those with foreign debts and loan terms. “TMK is working on and leasing business to run into The rouble’s slide deepened Russian car demand slump began servicing. revenues in roubles may be hard debt optimisation, talking to all trouble in 2015 due to debt repay- early this week on concerns that in the summer, while also adjust- Many Russian companies hit as they borrow in the weaker banks about refinancing, studying ments, one analyst who attended Russia’s top oil producer Rosneft, ing prices. increased their share of rouble- Russian currency, paying a high various options to reduce debt,” a a meeting with its executives said. which recently issued a record Russia had been expected to denominated debts after the 2008- rate after the central bank hiked spokesman for the pipemaker said. Analysts say worried exporters 625bn roubles ($10.11bn) in rouble- overtake Germany as Europe’s 09 financial crisis yet some big its key rate to 17 percent, to fund EuroSibenergo, a rouble-reve- have held on to as much of their denominated bonds, was convert- biggest auto market earlier this businesses still owe large amounts repayments in expensive foreign nue power firm owned by tycoon forex earnings as possible while ing the money it had raised into decade but that breakthrough of dollars and euros. currencies. “The lending rate for Oleg Deripaska, said in 2012 that others are racing to convert rou- foreign currency to service debt. has not happened and registra- Russian corporate debt in hard a quality borrower will be 20-21 it owed $1.4bn to Sberbank, due bles into dollars or roubles, deep- Rosneft, a major exporter but tions are down 11.6 percent so far currency exceeds $600bn, of which percent — a level at which a nor- to be repaid by February 23, 2015. ening the Russian currency’s slide. one suffering from low oil prices, this year. more than $100bn falls due over mal borrower will not take loans, A financial market source said The central bank said on has denied the money would be Meanwhile, the Czech Export the coming year, so some compa- it’s too expensive. And to a poor the company had since amended Wednesday it would provide addi- used to buy dollars. It is expected Bank has suspended providing nies will suffer even though the quality borrower banks will not the loan terms but still has to tional foreign currency funds in a to repay a $7.6bn portion of a euro loans for exports to Russia government is unlikely to let a lend,” a source at a large Russian repay at least a portion of it next bid to reassure companies worried bridge loan that matures on due to the market situation there, massive default happen. Exporters, bank said. year and is in talks with Sberbank about impending debt repayments. Sunday within days. Next year, it a spokesman said yesterday. such as world-leading nickel This has forced some companies about pushing back repayment “If firms keep taking rouble has to repay $19.5bn. REUTERS REUTERS Kellogg outbids US jobless claims come down

Abraaj for third WASHINGTON: The out the year,” said Chris to 298,750. The data came a number of Americans filing Rupkey, chief financial econo- day after the Federal Reserve time in race for new claims for unemploy- mist at MUFG Union Bank in offered an upbeat assessment ment benefits unexpectedly New York. of the labour market and the Egypt’s Bisco fell last week, suggesting the Initial claims for state unem- broader economy, and signalled labour market continued to ployment benefits declined by it could start raising interest strengthen. 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted rates next year. CAIRO: Breakfast cereal While other data yesterday 289,000 for the week ended Dec. The US central bank, maker Kellogg Co has again showed factory activity in the 13, the Labor Department said, which has kept its short-term raised its bid for Egyptian mid-Atlantic region braked defying Wall Street’s expecta- interest rate near zero since snack maker Bisco Misr, sharply in December, that fol- tions for a rise to 295,000. December 2008, lowered its outbidding private equity lowed hefty gains in the prior The four-week moving aver- unemployment rate forecast group Abraaj for the third month and analysts said man- age of claims, considered a bet- on Wednesday. Many econo- time and snatching the lead ufacturing remained on solid ter measure of labour market mists expect the first rate hike in a $140m takeover battle. ground. “The economy contin- trends as it irons out week-to- in mid-2015. Kellogg said yesterday it ues to run hard as it finishes week volatility, slipped by 750 REUTERS would improve its offer to 86.36 Egyptian pounds per share, hoping to secure a brand that will give it a high US-China trade meet profile presence in the Arab world’s most populous nation. UAE’s Abraaj Investment Management, the Middle East’s largest private equity firm, has been battling Kellogg for the Egyptian firm since last month, after the US group scuppered its deal to snap up Bisco. Abraaj had increased its own bid only this week to 84.66 pounds, topping a previ- ous Kellogg offer. Food is seen as a potentially lucrative sector in Egypt, with its growing population of 86 million, and Bisco Misr is a well-known brand. Cairo has seen a flurry of mergers and share issues in recent months, signs of renewed investor con- fidence after the political and economic turmoil that followed popular uprisings in 2011. Egypt’s government this year launched a raft of reforms aimed at luring back foreign investors and shoring up growth while cutting a bal- US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker (centre) speaks at the US-China Joint Commission on looning deficit. REUTERS Commerce and Trade event in Chicago yesterday. FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

Rise of car-sharing apps Oil pulls central banks poses threat to auto sector

BY ATUL PRAKASH and SUDIP KAR-GUPTA

he humble smartphone could throw a spanner in the works in different directions of the car sector’s post-crisis turnaround, with the big BY PAUL CARREL, manufacturers facing a long-term threat from apps that terms of driving that monetary an “unambiguously net positive” are more inclined to view the glass MIKE PEACOCK and make it easier and cheaper to share or hire vehicles than policy diversion,” said Richard for Britain’s economy and saying as half full. T HOWARD SCHNEIDER to buy them. Investor sentiment is on a knife edge. Barwell at RBS, a former Bank he would look through the direct Germany’s Ifo institute revised Car sales are back in recovery mode in most major European of England economist. effect of the fall in oil prices on up its expectations for growth in markets, yet the fragility of the turnaround could yet be exposed he world’s major cen- “Otherwise, we may just be hav- inflation, which is running at just Europe’s largest economy due to by another economic slowdown while investors have flagged the tral banks are scram- ing a conversation about the ECB 1.0 percent. Britain’s central bank the falling euro and decline in oil potential danger posed by web-based services further down the road. bling to work through not raising rates while the Fed also warned of heightened geopo- prices and now expects growth of The rise of the likes of car hire app Zipcar and car-pooling rival the implications of the raises. Whereas now, we’re likely litical tensions — Russia’s rou- 1.5 percent next year. BlaBlaCar are expected to present new challenges to mass-market near halving of the to have a conversation about the ble plunged on Tuesday despite For oil-producing countries carmakers such as Ford, GM, Volvo, Renault and Volkswagen while Tprice of oil in the second half of ECB buying assets on potentially a a massive 6.5 percentage points the impact is more unambigu- presenting fresh opportunities for existing rental networks. 2014, and they are coming up with very large scale, and the Fed rais- interest rate rise — and destabilise ously negative. Russia is the prime Online taxi business Uber is another seeking a slice of the market very different conclusions. ing rates.” eurozone inflation expectations. example — and now has interest with its UberPop operation, which links private drivers to passen- Perhaps unsurprisingly, poli- Fed officials acknowledged on But for the UK economy, the rates at 17 percent to show for gers, though the US company faces legal challenges in countries cymakers looking at robust eco- Wednesday that inflation was view was sanguine. it in an attempt to shore up its including France and Germany. nomic recoveries such as in the likely to slow next year due to Contrast that with the ECB. currency. Norway’s central bank Cathie Wood, chief executive of ARK Investment Management, United States and Britain are the oil impact but chose to look Italian ECB member Ignazio unexpectedly cut interest rates is among the growing band of investment professionals expecting focused on the likely boost to beyond that and gave a strong Visco said that the effects of oil last week, citing the negative a significant behavioural shift among the car-buying public. growth and consumption from signal they were on track to raise on inflation “will be worse in com- impact on its growth from lower “Thanks to web-enabled services like Zipcar, Uber and Lyft, markedly lower energy prices interest rates sometime next year. ing months”, perhaps pushing the oil revenues. household vehicles are beginning to feel like the stranded assets and the later upward impact that The US Fed said it would take a ECB into full quantitative easing The Bank of Japan is closer to they are: high in cost but utilised on average only 4 percent of the should have on inflation. “patient” approach in deciding early next year. the ECB’s position than the Fed’s. time in a 24-hour day,” she said. But for the European Central when to raise borrowing costs. Fed ECB chief economist Peter The slump in oil prices is positive The realisation of such by consumers could eventually prove Bank, battling to revive a mori- Chair Janet Yellen said that meant Praet spelled it out last week for an economy which imports a costly for carmakers. Specialist automotive consulting house bund economy, the worry is a rate hike was unlikely for “at saying that a miscalculation, lead- huge amount of fuel, but it makes AlixPartners says that every vehicle in a car-sharing network whether cheap oil could tip the least a couple of meetings,” mean- ing to a de-anchoring of inflation the BOJ’s 2 percent inflation tar- represents about 32 scrapped decisions to buy. eurozone into outright deflation. ing April 2015 at the earliest. expectations, would be dangerous. get harder to achieve. ARK Investment Management, meanwhile, says that a rise in As a result, low oil prices will The view from the US govern- Bundesbank chief Jens All that means the new oil car-sharing to 5 percent of all journeys could almost halve US auto likely widen the gap in monetary ment is unambiguously positive. Weidmann, the most vocal oppo- reality at least cements the sales. At this early stage, the projections remain a little nebulous policy stances around the world, “Lower oil prices are like a tax nent of QE, conceded that infla- divergent monetary policies the and like-for-like comparisons between auto sales and car-share with the Federal Reserve mulling cut for the economy so in terms of tion could turn negative but said world economy is going to have figures are particularly difficult. But it is clear a trend is gathering over the timing of a first interest the macroeconomic impact it’s net this would not justify a broad sov- to navigate next year — with US momentum and there appears to be no shortage of backers keen rate rise while the ECB gets close a positive,” Treasury Secretary ereign bond-buying plan. and UK interest rate rises likely to tap the austerity zeitgeist. to making the leap into bond-buy- Jack Lew said. Weidmann is in a minority, at some point next year, while the French billionaire Vincent Bollore unveiled plans to park 3,000 ing with new money, something Bank of England Governor however. ECB takes the QE plunge and the electric cars on London’s streets by 2016 as part of a car-sharing the Fed stopped doing two months Mark Carney said on Tuesday, There is a split within the euro- BoJ debates whether to do more. project announced in March. The Bollore group, which also oper- ago. “Oil prices are important in labelling the fall in oil prices as zone, where stronger economies REUTERS ates car clubs in the French cities of Lyon and Bordeaux, said it would invest £100m on the UK initiative. At a global level, the trend has the potential to slow automakers’ annual revenue growth to less than 2.5 percent from 3 percent between 2014 and 2020, according to Yasmina Barin, analyst at Swiss bank and fund management group SYZ. The initial outlay for a vehicle and running costs that have soared for young drivers because of elevated insurance premiums are another factor in the growth of car-sharing or rental apps. Uber’s latest funding round valued the company at $40bn, broadly equivalent to the combined market capitalisation of Peugeot, Fiat Chrysler and Volvo. Gary Paulin, head of brokerage firm Aviate Global, said the trend would also benefit car hire companies such as Avis Budget Group and Hertz but could be more challenging for the traditional carmakers. “The big listed auto makers will need to adapt,” he said. The market’s potential has certainly not been lost on Avis, which runs the Zipcar scheme that says it has more than 870,000 mem- bers in various locations around the world and in October launched operations in Madrid. Hertz, meanwhile, has expanded its 24/7 car rental service to Europe and expects the number of vehicles included in the service to rise to about 500,000 by 2016, from 35,000 today. Among the manufacturers, some have been quicker to respond than others. BMW became the latest entrant in London with this month’s launch of its DriveNow car-sharing service in partnership with rental firm Sixt. The scheme is already up and running in the United States, Austria and Germany. Volkswagen’s Quicar is present in Hanover, while Daimler’s car2go operates in cities including Rome and Berlin, running 12,500 cars for a million customers. SYZ analyst Barin believes that carmakers could still cope with the car-sharing phenomenon because the smaller cars used in such schemes might have to be replaced quickly and manufacturers could focus on producing such vehicles. Yet for all their efforts to limit sales erosion, the manufacturers are likely to be left competing in a shrinking overall car market as a new breed of driver emerges. “I thought about buying a car,” 28-year-old London-based PR executive Claire Rumbellow said, “but decided it would be cheaper and more practical to use a car-sharing scheme because I use a car only once a week at most. REUTERS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

Green bond: Is it just a labelling strategy? BY ROSS KERBER and issuers face only voluntary the US Securities and Exchange Abengoa Greenfield, a unit of index, and have driven down its portfolio manager of T Rowe and HILARY RUSS standards so far. Participants say Commission to run what could Abengoa SA issued its first high- average rating to AA2 from AAA, Price’s $3.9bn Summit Municipal that to avoid the impression that be the first green bond index yield green bonds in September according to a BofA Merrill Lynch Intermediate Fund, said he has “green” bond market green bonds are just a marketing fund. Also, since July Bank of — a €500m issue in all. A repre- research report. never had client requests for green has taken root this ploy, they still need to show more America Corp, Standard & Poor’s sentative said “90 percent of our At $1.98bn, green muni bonds bonds specifically, but bought the year, with munici- corporate treasurers and investors and Barclays MSCI each have projects qualify as green projects, themselves are just a fraction the Massachusetts bonds because he palities and corpo- the bonds can make it easier to launched new green bond indexes so why not issue a Green Bond?” “green” market, possibly because liked them for traditional crite- rations issuing new fund projects, a corner they have that may form the basis of future Still unclear is how much extra many muni issues have tradi- ria like their intermediate dura- Aenvironmentally-focused bonds not yet turned. mutual funds and exchange traded demand the green label creates. tionally backed environmental tion, and their 5 percent coupon, and money managers jumping in “If people think this is just to funds. The Abengoa representative said projects and find investors even comparable to that of similar non- to buy them. raise the flag, it’s not going to last Corporate and municipal issu- the company didn’t have infor- without the green label. green bonds. But it’s too soon to tell whether long,” said Christopher Flensborg, ers started issuing bonds they mation on the extra demand. A “At the end of the day, a bond To be sure, the entire movement all the new activity — less than a Head of Sustainable Products labelled as “green” in earnest last spokesman for Bank of America, is still a bond whether it’s dubbed isn’t about labelling. A spokes- sliver of the $91 trillion worldwide and Product Development for year, when they realised that they which underwrote the Utah bonds, as ‘green’ or not,” Eva Rippeteau, woman for NRG Energy said it bond market — will send much Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken could pull in some new buyers who said executives there would not associate director at Fitch used the term “to be able to target new money to projects like effi- AB, the Swedish bank that’s the wanted to invest environmentally. comment on demand. Ratings, said in an emailed anal- an incremental universe of inves- cient buildings and better water world’s largest underwriter of “We thought the worst thing In August 2014, the first wave ysis sent after the Metropolitan tors who are more green conscious systems. Instead, the new bonds green bonds. that happens is we get more peo- of corporate junk green bonds Water Reclamation District of and to differentiate ourselves from reflect the complexities of using Still, the spike in new activ- ple interested in our bonds,” said entered the mix, when an affiliate Greater Chicago came to market other issuers.” finance to address issues like cli- ity shows some success to date, Alan Westenskow, a Zions Bank of Princeton, New Jersey, power this week with a $300m green Steve Liberatore, a TIAA- mate change. While the sale of with new issuers and new buyers. vice president who works with producer NRG Energy Inc sold bond, with a coupon ranging from CREF fund manager who over- notes termed green bonds tripled Green bonds used to come exclu- municipal issuers. He advised $500m of senior notes to pay for 2 percent to 5 percent. “In many sees $6bn in bond products that to $35bn worldwide in 2014, many sively from AAA-rated organisa- the Utah Associated Municipal the purchase of the Alta Wind cases, these bonds are funding the use social or environmental crite- are bonds that might have been tions like the World Bank; the Power Systems on a $21m offer Energy Center, a wind farm in same projects that a regular bond ria to pick investments for clients sold anyway without the label, and last year has seen rising issues of this month to pay for systems to California. Abengoa followed suit, would.” concerned about the use of their which trade at terms comparable green bonds from municipal issu- turn waste heat to electricity. The bringing the green high yield mar- Orders for a recent $350m money, said he skipped the NRG to non-green bonds. ers as well as some from corpora- offering, made in several sections, ket to $1bn. green bond sale by Massachusetts bond because the company also Nor is it clear the new bonds tions that are rated junk. pays a coupon ranging from 3 per- Corporate issues now make up exceeded $1bn, like many other has natural gas operations. He are “green” in the environmental On the buy side, State Street cent to 5 percent. 14 of the 51 green bonds tracked over-subscribed municipal offer- aims to avoid fossil fuels. sense that investors may expect, Corp has filed a registration with Spanish clean energy company in Bank of America’s green bond ings. One buyer, Charles Hill, REUTERS FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com CLASSIFIEDS

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44966107/30122300 FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

A peloton or riders waves its way through on day two of the 2014 Tour of Zubarah yesterday. PICTURES: SALIM MATRAMKOT Algeria’s Lagab storms to stage win in Dukhan 2014 Tour of Zubarah: The 28-year-old grabs the yellow jersey

DOHA: Algerian rider Azzedine Lagab yesterday grabbed stage one of the Tour of Zubarah with a slick finish in Dukhan. The 28-year-old topped the 120.1km stage - that began in Madina Al Shamal - ahead of Kristjan Fajt and grabbed the yellow jersey. In third place yesterday was Algeria’s Abderrahmane LEFT: Qatari riders Mansouri. Lagab’s clocked a time of 2 hours 45 minutes and 19 relax at the end of seconds. Fajt finished with the same while Mansouri stage one of the was 37 seconds slower than the day’s winner. 2014 Tour of Zubarah Fajt said: “I hope I can continue with my rhythm yesterday. Qatar is one tomorrow also. All the time I was close to winning the of 15 teams featuring stage but it slipped in the last few meters.” in the four-day event. Wednesday’s blue jersey winner David Per of BELOW: Riders storm Slovenia was fifth, a notch above Austria’s Martin toward the finish line in Weiss. Dutchman Wauter Sybrandy was placed sev- Dukhan yesterday. enth while Austria’s Mario Schoibl secured the eighth spot. Yellow jersey winner on Thursday Roman Van Uden of New Zealand ended the day in ninth spot while Croatia’s Radoslav Rogina of team Adria Mobil rounded off the top-10 riders yesterday. Lagab now heads the overall classification with a time of 2:50.29, some 19 seconds better than Fajt. Van Uden is in third spot, some 30 seconds adrift of Lagab. Defending champion UAE’s Yusif Mirza yes- terday finished 14th to drop down the pecking order. Remaining Qatari riders haven’t done well in the two days, going down the points table following indifferent per- stages DOHA: formances. Abdullah Afifi is in 32nd spot after two Here are days in the individual classification after stage one. details of the two Diego Hossfledt is in 39th spot whereas his team-mate remaining stages Moosa Said is in 47th place. in the second edi- Qatar coach Branko Fillip said: “There are very tion of the 2014 strong riders here. I am missing Ahmed Al Boudainy. Tour of Zubarah. He broke his leg in training. We are missing our best Stage 2 rider.” Today Fillip added: “I hope the ones present here make a Madinat Al Shamal better result than today. But we’ll see. Ahmed is out to Madinat Al for four weeks. We wanted to target the first five in Shamal , 116.8kms general classification. But without him, it seems it Stage 3 would be difficult. We will do our best. We are trying. Tomorrow We have only five riders here. But this is it. We have to compete. We have to fight.” Lekhwiya to Al Per still holds the blue jersey after two days of com- Zubarah Fort, petition. THE PENINSULA 122.6kms

LEFT: A fan holds the Qatari flag in Dukhan yesterday. RIGHT: Qatar Cycling Federation (QCF) officials are seen with the top three riders. Gay’s former coach banned for 8 years

COLORADO SPRINGS: Jon Drummond, former tests. As part of his punishment, Gay also returned in the manner expected of a coach of athletes in coach of US sprinter Tyson Gay, has been banned the silver medal he received for the 4x100m relay at the Olympic movement.” Based on testimony from for eight years after arbitrators ruled he pos- the London Olympics. parties involved, the arbitrators were satisfied that sessed, trafficked and administered banned drugs The former world champion’s ban was reduced Drummond, who learned of Gibson from Hooker, rec- to an athlete he coached. from two years to one by USADA due to Gay’s coop- ommended that Gay consult Gibson as a last resort The US Anti-Doping Agency announced the ban eration, which included information that contributed in his efforts to train and compete without pain. is to begin on December 17. to the agency’s case against Drummond. The arbitrators found that Drummond failed to The ban prohibits the 46-year-old former sprinter US sprinter Marshevet Hooker and Trinidad and intervene sufficiently when Gibson showed him and from coaching, training or advising athletes and par- Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste, both of whom worked Gay cremes labeled “Testosterone/DHEA,” “HGH” ticipating or coaching at any event sanctioned by with Drummond, also provided information. and “Progesterone Creme” which were later sent to USA Track and Field or the sport’s global govern- Drummond, who won an Olympic 4x100m relay the athlete in Oregon. ing body the International Association of Athletics gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and was part of the Drummond, who earned the nickname ‘Clown Federations (IAAF). elite John Smith stable that included former 100m Prince of the Track’ during his athletics career, “Coaches have an inherent responsibility to pro- world record holder Maurice Greene and Trinidadian argued he advised Gay not to use the cremes, but tect athletes - not to take advantage of them - but ace sprinter Ato Boldon, had denied involvement in the coach nevertheless removed the labels and took to ensure that they receive the support, training and Gay’s positive drug test. them to Europe at the athlete’s request, and Gay used advice they need to win fairly and in accordance with But the panel of independent arbitrators found some of the products in July of 2012. the rules,” USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said that Drummond was instrumental in connecting Although both coach and athlete had concerns in a statement. Gay with a chiropractor named Clayton Gibson who about the cremes, Drummond testified that he didn’t Drummond was Gay’s coach when the athlete was provided Gay with the DHEA that resulted in Gay’s believe they contained banned substances. suspended in June 2013 after testing positive for a positive test. “I didn’t know,” he said. “And so I didn’t process it banned anabolic steroid in two out-of-competition The panel ruled that Drummond “failed to act to even, like, think about it.” REUTERS FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Chiappe snatches pole at Sharjah GP Keen tussle on the cards in season finale

SHARJAH: The Qatar to secure the UIM F H2O Pole race.” Qatar’s Khalid Abdullah Team’s Alex Carella and Shaun Position Championship by a single Al Kuwari and Mohammed Al Torrente qualified in second and point, but Torrente will start the Obaidly qualified on pole position fifth positions for what promises race from fifth after suffering fuel and in sixth place for the first of to be a fascinating showdown problems in Q3. the weekend’s two F-4S Trophy for the UIM F1 H2O World “It is going to be very difficult races. Al Obaidly was sidelined Championship title at today’s for us now. Philippe was fast out after an accident on the first 15th Grand Prix of Sharjah on there and this changes our strat- turn after the rolling start lap, Khaled Lagoon. egy,” said Khalid bin Arhama Al but Al Kuwari went on to reach Outright victory in Friday’s Kuwari, head of formula rac- the chequered flag in front of all race will give Carella the title, ing at the Qatar Marine Sports his rivals to claim a maiden F-4S but his team-mate needs to win Federation (QMSF). victory and the biggest result of and hope that pole position win- “Now the start is so important. his career. ner and series leader Philippe Alex will need to try and hunt Germany’s Mike Szymura Chiappe does not finish second. Philippe down at the first turn claimed the 2014 F-4S Trophy Fractions of a second separated and try and get the lead. I am sure Championship title with one race the leading six drivers through- that Shaun will also be pushing to spare. Shaun Torrente of the Qatar Team in action at Khaled Lagoon in Sharjah yesterday. out the three qualifying sections hard and trying to make up the Never had pole position been and this sets up the prospect of time. He had fuel feed problems more important than at the fireworks at the final race of the in the Q3 qualifying and was not 15th Grand Prix of Sharjah on matched by Ahmed Al-Hameli. eliminations. Sami Selio laid down six. Torrente eventually won the season. able to push hard. Thursday. Chiappe and Carella Torrente surpassed the time with the gauntlet with a lap of 46.92sec Q2 session with a last minute lap The lead in qualifying swapped “On a positive note, the whole knew that an outright win would a tour of 46.65sec to virtually at the start of Q2 and moved in of 45.75sec and was joined in the all afternoon, but Chiappe’s flying team is delighted that Khalid give them the world title, but they secure his place in Q2. Chiappe front of Carella, Al-Hameli and shoot-out by Chiappe, Al-Hameli, lap of 44.33sec in the Q3 shoot- (Al Kuwari) secured his first had to negotiate the Q1 session was quickest at the end of the Torrente with 15 minutes remain- Sami Selio, Jonas Andersson and out swung the advantage in the win in F-4S and I am sure he first – 20 minutes where the slow- 20-minute stint with a lap of ing. But Carella hit back with a Carella. Ziwei Xiong, Yousef Frenchman’s favour heading into will be pushing hard again on est four boats would be eliminated 46.28sec, but Bartak Marszalak time of 46.18sec, as Torrente Al-Rubayan, Filip Roms, Thani the race today. Friday. There is little damage to on the 2.2km, five-pin course. did not start and was joined by slipped to seventh and needed Al-Qamzi, Erik Stark and Carella’s second place was suf- Mohammed’s (Al Obaidly) boat, Carella set the early pace with Duarte Benavente, Marit Stromoy to speed up in the remaining 10 Francesco Cantando failed to ficient for the Qatar Team driver so he will be okay for the next a lap of 47.97sec and that was and Jesper Forss on the list of minutes to get back into the top reach Q3. THE PENINSULA

Third round of Losail MX Grizzlies claw out Championship victory over Spurs Gold medallist kicks off today China’s Sun Yang SAN ANTONIO: The the Grizzlies, who beat the short- celebrates on the Memphis Grizzlies followed up handed Spurs despite squander- DOHA: The third round of podium during the their victory over league-lead- ing a 23-point lead. the Losail MX Championship award ceremony of ing Golden State with a 117-116 Memphis have won six in a row will take place at the Losail MX the men’s 1,500m triumph over reigning NBA to improve to 21-4 on the season. track here today. freestyle in this file champions San Antonio in a tri- On Tuesday they snapped the In the MX1 category, Kuwaiti picture of August ple-overtime thriller yesterday. Golden State Warriors’ winning rider Mohamed Jaffar is leading 2013. Zach Randolph scored all six of streak at 16 games. the championship with 100 points, the Grizzlies’ points in the third “It feels good to finally beat after winning all the rounds of the overtime, finishing with 21 points them,” said Randolph, whose season. and 21 rebounds. Grizzlies had lost nine straight “I am really looking forward to The Grizzlies’ Spanish center to the Spurs including play- Round 3 and I hope to get the good Marc Gasol added 26 points and off clashes. Danny Green con- results like the previous rounds, nine rebounds, delivering a three- nected on seven of 13 three-point so that I maintain the champion- pointer as time expired in regula- attempts and finished with 25 ship lead and increase the points tion to force the first overtime. points and seven rebounds for gap with Meshary Abou Shaibah. Vince Carter made five three- San Antonio, who dropped their “For this round, the level of pointers en route to 18 points and second straight. competition will be higher as WADA decides against China Mike Conley added 14 points, 10 Tim Duncan had 23 points, 16 more riders from outside are join- assists and eight rebounds for rebounds and three blocked shots. ing the event but this is good for His fadeaway jump shot bounced the championship,” said Jaffar. NBA Results off the rim before falling in to Meshary Abou Shaibah with swimming star appeal knot the score at 111-111 as time Phoenix 111 Charlotte 106 88 points and Abdullah Al Shatti expired in the second overtime. Atlanta 127 Cleveland 98 with 72 points, both from Kuwait, PARIS: The World Anti- on the Sun case would be made. announced that he was “shocked But Duncan made just five of are second and third respectively Doping agency said yesterday The WADA code says violations and depressed” over his positive Boston 109 Orlando 92 his 15 free-throw attempts as the in the MX1 category. that it will not appeal against must be publicly reported within test, which he maintains was an Dallas 117 Detroit 106 Spurs finished 13-of-27 from the In the MX2 category, Barak Al a three month ban imposed 20 days and that decisions have accident. Utah 105 Miami 87 foul line. The Spurs were without Jasmi is leading his category with against China’s controver- to be sent to WADA in the same He told his doping hearing that Toronto 105 Brooklyn 89 veteran French point guard Tony 92 points and Abdullah Al Raqum sial double Olympic swimming time-period. he did not know the substance Memphis 117 San Antonio 116 Parker, who missed another game is second with 74 points. champion Sun Yang but will The China Anti-Doping Agency was banned, and that he took it with a strained left hamstring, Portland 104 Milwaukee 97 The action will start at 9.55am warn China over the case. (CHINADA) said it had been too as part of prescription medication and Kawhi Leonard, who suffered with the free practice followed by WADA had considered action busy with other cases to announce for heart palpitations, according LA Clippers 102 Indiana 100 a left hand injury late in a loss at the qualifying practice at 10.45am. after Sun failed a doping test in Sun’s suspension, despite his high to state media. Houston 115 Denver 111 Portland on Monday. AFP The first race is scheduled at May and was banned for three profile. Trimetazidine is currently 1.00pm and the second race at months by the Chinese federa- The 1,500 metres world record- banned in competition, but from 3.00pm. THE PENINSULA tion but it was only announced holder received his suspension in January 1 will be downgraded and James Harden in November after Sun had won July but it was backdated to May, effectively no longer considered a (13) of the more titles at the Asian Games. when he tested positive at China’s banned stimulant. Houston Stallions Cricket “WADA has reviewed the full national championships for the Despite being a national hero, Rockets con- case file for the Chinese swimmer stimulant trimetazidine. Sun has had several brushes with trols the ball Carnival today Sun Yang and has decided not to Sun completed the unan- authority that has given him a against Wilson appeal the decision by the Chinese nounced ban on August 17 and in wild child reputation. Chandler of DOHA: The second Cricket Swimming Federation to impose September, he starred with three He had a public falling out with the Denver Carnival and Junior Cricket a three month sanction,” WADA gold medals at the Asian Games a coach who said that a relation- Nuggets at tournament of Stallions Cricket spokesman Ben Nichols told AFP in Incheon, South Korea. ship with an airline flight attend- Pepsi Center Academy Qatar is organising its in a statement. The case raised new suspicions ant was distracting him from in Denver, GWC Cup at the West End Park “WADA has written to about China’s doping stance. swimming.Sun was banned from Colorado, Cricket Stadium here today. CHINADA however, raising its Australia barred Sun from train- swimming for six months and The event is sponsored for the concern over the delayed public ing at one establishment. But briefly jailed after he was found yesterday. The second consecutive year, by the reporting of the case,” the spokes- Chinese officials insisted they to be driving without a licence. Rockets won Gulf Warehousing Company, a man added. handled the case properly. He was caught after his Porsche 115-111. major promoter of the game in Nichols said no other comment Sun, 22, said after the test was was hit by a bus. AFP Qatar. Junior teams from other local academies will also partici- pate in the competition. The event is being held under patronage of Qatar Cricket Association and Qatar Olympic Stevenson puts title on line against Sukhotsky Committee and organized with the main aim of promoting the game of cricket in Qatar. MONTREAL: Hard-hitting the 37-year-old champion. “He’s a World Boxing Organization belt Association light heavyweight dementia and died at his home Stallions’ players had the Adonis Stevenson puts his tough guy who has trained for 12 in 2009. belts. Kovalev is next scheduled in Roseland, Chicago on Tuesday. opportunity to play in England World Boxing Council light rounds. He’s in top condition, and “I feel in great shape and I’m to meet former world champion Born in Mississippi, Terrell during their UK tour in August heavyweight title on the line I’ll definitely have to be careful.” glad I have the opportunity to Jean Pascal, another Haitian-born beat Eddie Machen in 1965 to 2014 and the experience gath- today for a third time when he But Stevenson, who was born fight for a world title,” Sukhotsky Canadian, in Montreal on March claim the vacant World Boxing ered from the UK tour and this faces tough Russian challenger in Haiti, still thinks he can be the said, adding that he wouldn’t be 14. Association heavyweight crown tournament will help them per- Dmitry Sukhotsky in Quebec first to knock out Sukhotsky, who intimidated by the fiercely pro- Meanwhile, former heavy- and successfully defended the form better in future in academy, City. is 22-2 with 16 KOs. Stevenson crowd. weight boxing champion Ernie title in his next two fights before school and national levels. Stevenson has held the crown “I’m not going to rush in,” said “The better boxer will win,” Terrell, best known for his pun- losing it to Ali in a lop-sided bout Stallions also plan to tour Sri since snatching it from Chad Stevenson, a southpaw who boasts said the Russian. ishing loss to Muhammad Ali in on February 6, 1967. The pair Lanka in August 2015 where they Dawson in June 2013, and while a record of 24-1 with 20 KOs. “I’m Although he says he can’t afford the famed “What’s My Name?” slugged it out over 15 rounds at are expected to compete against it’s not the unification bout with going to take my time to work to look past Sukhotsky, Stevenson fight in 1967, has died at the age the Astrodome in Houston where some of best junior teams. More Russian Sergey Kovalev that him over and then finish him off.” acknowledged that Kovalev is on of 75, the Chicago Sun-Times a fuming Ali made Terrell pay for details can be found on Stallions most fight fans would prefer, the Sukhotsky, 33, will be getting his radar. He wants a 2015 fight reported. refusing to call him by his adopted website www.stallionsqatar.com Canadian champion said he’d have his second title shot. He lost a with the Russian who owns the Terrell, a towering 6-foot name, instead referring to his or by calling 70030491. to be on his guard. unanimous decision to Juergen WBO, International Boxing 6-inch boxer with an 82-inch birth name of Cassius Clay. THE PENINSULA “He’s not here as a tourist,” said Braehmer for the German’s Federation and World Boxing reach, had been suffering from AGENCIES FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Sterling lifts Rodgers as Liverpool make semis Tottenham to take on Sheffield United, Liverpool face Chelsea

LONDON: Raheem Sterling Liverpool had won at Dean Court eased the pressure on under-fire in the FA Cup last season and, manager Brendan Rodgers as after Bournemouth’s Callum Liverpool swept into the League Wilson missed a good chance Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win early on, the visitors took control. over Championship leaders England forward Sterling Bournemouth on Wednesday opened the scoring with a glanc- night. ing header from close range Williams and Rodgers has endured stinging after Jordan Henderson nodded criticism in recent weeks after Markovic’s cross back across goal Liverpool dropped down the in the 20th minute. Djokovic top Premier League table and crashed Rodgers’ relief was clear to see out of the Champions League in as he celebrated Sterling’s first the group stages. goal since September by vigor- ITF awards A dismal 3-0 defeat at arch- ously punching the air on the rivals Manchester United on touchline. PARIS: Novak Djokovic (pic- Sunday prompted Rodgers to And, with the Reds cut- tured) and Serena Williams admit Liverpool’s squad lacked ting through the Bournemouth were named as men’s and wom- the unity that almost carried defence at will, Rodgers was on en’s World Champions for 2014 them to the English title last his feet again seven minutes later yesterday by the International season. to salute Liverpool’s second goal. Tennis Federation (ITF). In the circumstances, an Philippe Coutinho ignored It is the fourth time that embarrassing defeat to second tier Bournemouth’s appeals for off- Djokovic has taken the top award Bournemouth would have been a side as he cut inside to test Artur after he won Wimbledon, the ATP major blow to the beleaguered Boruc with a low shot and when World Tour finals and finished the Rodgers’ hopes of holding on to the ball spun out to Markovic, year ranked number one in the his job, but he was able to leave the Serbia winger kept his cool world by the ATP. Dean Court with his head held to sidefoot home his first goal for The 27-year-old Serb is one of high as Sterling’s double sand- Liverpool from the edge of the Liverpool’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling (left) controls the ball under pressure from Bournemouth’s only four men to be named ITF wiched a Lazar Markovic strike penalty area. Irish midfielder Eunan O’Kane during the English League Cup quarter-final match against Bournemouth at World Champion four or more in a one-sided quarter-final. With Liverpool’s supporters Goldsands Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England, on Wednesday night. times, alongside Ivan Lendl, Pete “I thought it was a brilliant making their support for Rodgers Sampras and Roger Federer. performance. It was always going loud and clear, Sterling ran clear Williams won the US Open, to be a difficult job, but we con- to net their side’s third goal in at Arsenal, Alan Pardew’s side Harry Kane put the result Mauricio Pochettino said. Also the 18th Grand Slam title trolled the game. We thoroughly the 51st minute as he glided past were on course for another heavy beyond doubt when the on Tuesday, Premier League of her career, the ATP Tour deserved it,” said Rodgers, whose Tommy Elphick before slotting defeat from the 18th minute. Tottenham striker scuffed his leaders Chelsea had advanced Championship and was also side will face Chelsea in the two- home. Jak Alnwick, a 21-year-old shot past Alnwick in the 65th to the last four with a 3-1 win at ranked number one by the WTA. legged semi-finals in January. Former Everton midfielder making just his third appearance minute and Spanish forward Championship side Derby. AFP At 33 she is the oldest player “Raheem Sterling has got Dan Gosling got one back for in goal for Newcastle, made a hash Roberto Soldado added the fourth ever to be named an ITF Singles some stick recently which I find Bournemouth in the 57th minute of catching a corner and allowed five minutes later. English League Cup World Champion. extraordinary. He is a kid of 20 when his tame shot trickled past the ball to slip out of his grasp Tottenham’s reward was a “This was a year of challenges and he has been outstanding for a weak attempted save from Brad to midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, who semi-final tie against third tier semi-final draw and triumphs, so to win another us. Jones. hooked home from four yards for Sheffield United, who enjoyed a LONDON: Draw for the English League Cup Grand Slam and retain my year- “It didn’t matter who we got in In Wednesday’s other quar- his first Tottenham goal. shock 1-0 win over Southampton semi-finals made on Wednesday: end number one ranking is an the draw, it was just important to ter-final, Tottenham thrashed Newcastle conceded again 36 on Tuesday. accomplishment I’m very proud Liverpool vs Chelsea get there - to win this competition Newcastle 4-0 at White Hart seconds into the second half when “We have respect for Sheffield of,” she said. you have to win games against big Lane as the Magpies suffered Nacer Chadli drove a perfectly- United. They deserve to be in the Tottenham vs Sheffield United Americans Bob and Mike sides.” more north London misery. placed shot into the corner of semi-finals. We expect a tough Two-legged ties to be played January 20/21 Bryan were named men’s dou- Despite their recent struggles, Five days after a 4-1 beating Alnwick’s net. game,” Tottenham manager and 27/28. bles World Champions for the 11th time in 12 years, while Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy Unimpressive became women’s doubles World San Lorenzo scrape Champions for the third succes- sive year. PSG reach The ITF World Champions will past Auckland receive their awards at the 2015 ITF World Champions Dinner on League Cup Tuesday 2 June, in Paris, during MARRAKECH, Morocco: Argentine Emiliano Tade wrig- Roland Garros. last eight South American champions San gled free and had a low shot Lorenzo needed extra-time to saved by San Lorenzo goallkeeper see off the gallant challenge of Sebastian Torrico. I’ll keep quiet PARIS: French champions Auckland City as they beat the San Lorenzo offered little Paris Saint Germain ended a New Zealand part-timers 2-1 in threat until Emmanuel Mas broke in future: Noah run of two defeats with a come- the Club World Cup semi-final to the byline and pulled the ball from-behind 3-1 win over sec- on Wednesday night. back into the middle of the area PARIS: Former star player ond tier AC Ajaccio to reach the Auckland’s unlikely dream to Barrientos, who fired a left-foot Yannick Noah has offered an French League Cup quarter- of facing European champions shot just inside the near post. apology of sorts for criticising finals on Wednesday night. Real Madrid in Saturday’s final However, neither the goal nor France’s defeated Davis Cup PSG, who had lost to Barcelona in Marrakech ended when sub- non-stop singing from around team saying that he would keep in their Champions League group stitute Mauro Matos fired San 5,000 of their fans could inspire quiet in the future. match last week and then in the Lorenzo’s winner four minutes San Lorenzo and they were Noah, who earned legendary league to Guingamp at the week- into extra-time. stunned by an equaliser in the status in France by winning the end, went behind early on to a The rank outsiders had given 67th minute. French Open in 1983 and captain- penalty by captain Johan Cavalli. San Lorenzo an almighty scare Tade’s pass through the heart ing Davis Cup triumphs in 1991 The Paris side may have been when Angel Berlanga equalised of the defence evaded San Lorenzo and 1996 lashed out at the team missing key players like Zlatan in the 67th minute to cancel out Torrico and ran loose to Angel after they lost the Davis Cup final Ibrahimovic but they still had Pablo Barrientos’ opener for the Berlanga who slotted home from to Roger Federer’s Switzerland in players of the experience of David Argentines in first-half stoppage an acute angle. Lille last month. Luiz and Edinson Cavani in the time. The game suddenly came to At the time he criticised the starting line-up, players their San Lorenzo will attempt to life and San Lorenzo went close preparations carried out by cap- hosts could only dream about become the first Argentine side with a brilliant effort by Martin tain Arnaud Clement and said buying. to win the tournament since it Cauteruccio who flicked the ball that he was ready to resume the However, they were held at began in its current format in over an opponent and crashed a role if the players wanted him to. bay by a resilient Ajaccio outfit 2005, although they face a near- dipping volley against the post. Clement, who was given a new until Cavani finally equalised nine impossible task if Wednesday’s Auckland replied immediately two-year contract despite the loss minutes into the second half after poor display is anything to go by. as Ryan de Vries found Tade free in Lille, said he was “shocked” by being set up by Lucas. Auckland had battled their way on the left but, with a chance of the criticisms and insisted that Ivorian defender Serge Aurier past host team Moghreb Tetouan glory beckoning, he scooped his Noah had no idea what he was added a second with a header on penalties and African cham- shot high and wide. talking about.“Okay - there we from a corner 10 minutes from pions ES Setif without conced- Substitute Matos finally settled go that’s an end to it,” Noah, who time, and the last eight place was ing a goal as they became the matters when he fired home a now is better know as a reggae ensured when Jean-Christophe Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo takes part in a first Oceania side to reach the loose ball as San Lorenzo became singer, said in an interview with Bahebeck slotted home four min- training session yesterday in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, two days semi-finals. the third Argentine side to reach beIN Sports TV. utes later with Lucas once again ahead of their FIFA Club World Cup final against San Lorenzo. In a scrappy first half, they the final after Boca Juniors in “Excuse-me, sorry, sorry, the the creator. AFP created an early opening when 2007 and Estudiantes in 2009. next time I will keep my mouth shut, say nothing for several years.” French League Cup Noah insisted that he had noth- PARIS: French League Cup results on Japan stick with Aguirre for Asian Cup ing personally against Clement Wednesday night (aet -- after extra-time): and had just said what he believed. Round of 16 TOKYO: Japan will stick with involved in rigging a league Australia. “Aguirre will lead the with Everton.“If somebody told “I just expressed an opinion Lorient 0 Saint-Etienne 1 (Hamouma 48) coach Javier Aguirre for next match which saw Zaragoza defeat national team in the Asian Cup,” me in pre-season that in the mid- that was shared by the major- Rennes 1 (Armand 69) Creteil 0 month’s Asian Cup, despite Levante 2-1 to avoid relegation. JFA technical director Hiromi dle of December we’d be fifth, I’d ity of the people who were in the the former Mexico coach being The prosecutors claim that Hara said. “What we need to do say give me the paper and I’ll sign stadium (in Lille). And when I AC Ajaccio 1 (Cavalli 27-pen) Paris Saint- involved in a match-fixing scan- Zaragoza paid a total of 965,000 now is to understand the current it now,” Koeman said. said that, I was not having a go Germain 3 (Cavani 54, Aurier 80, Bahebeck 84) dal which has rocked world euros into the bank accounts of situation correctly, and most Managing Southampton in the at anyone. I was just watching a Arles-Avignon 0 Guingamp 2 (Mandanne 13, football. certain of its coaches, staff and importantly, to collect informa- Premier League had been a south tennis match. Beauvue 68) Aguirre is due to appear in a players who then gave the money tion to see where the scandal is coast breeze for Koeman - until “I have no desire to become Lille 1 (Frey 30) Bordeaux 1 Valencia court in February follow- to Levante’s players as a “bribe”. going,” he added. this month. The Dutchman’s captain again. That is not at all (Mariano 16) -- aet ing a probe into match-fixing alle- Aguirre, 56, vehemently denies Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman, Saints have spent almost the what I am about.” Lille win 6-5 on penalties gations dating back to 2011 when any wrongdoing and the Japan remains upbeat, even if he will whole season in the Premier The French were favourites he was manager of Spanish side Football Association (JFA) on be without the likes of suspended League top four but four consecu- to win the Davis Cup final but Lyon 1 (Lacazette 107) Monaco 1 (Ferreira Real Zaragoza. Thursday said he would con- Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor tive league defeats and another in were overwhelmed by Swiss stars Carrasco 97) -- aet Prosecutors in Spain allege tinue as national team coach for Wanyama and injured Dusan the League Cup have been a harsh Federer and Stan Wawrinka who Monaco won 5-4 on penalties that Aguirre and 40 others were January’s Asian showpiece in Tadic for tomorrow’s home clash reality check. AGENCIES swept into a winning 3-1 lead. FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21 Smith leads Australia’s fightback New Test captain continues consistent run of form with unbeaten 65 on day two BRISBANE, Australia: Steve Paceman Hazlewood led the Smith again proved the elusive Scoreboard way with three scalps on the sec- wicket for India as the new cap- ond morning as the Australians India (I innings): 23.2-6-68-5; Starc 17-1-83-0 (2w); M tain fashioned an Australian bounced back after Wednesday’s M Vijay c Haddin b Lyon...... 144 Marsh 6-1-14-1; Lyon 25.4-2-105-3; fightback on day two of the sec- horror day in the field in swelter- S Dhawan c Haddin b M Marsh ...... 24 Watson 14.4-6-39-1; Warner 1-0-9-0 (1nb); ond Test yesterday. ing conditions. C Pujara c Haddin b Hazlewood ...... 18 Smith 1-0-4-0. Smith, who was not dismissed “Yesterday was a pretty tough V Kohli c Haddin b Hazlewood ...... 19 Australia (I innings): by India in last week’s Adelaide slog out in the heat,” Hazlewood A Rahane c Haddin b Hazlewood ...... 81 C Rogers c Dhoni b Yadav ...... 55 Test win with scores of 162 and said. R Sharma c Smith b Watson ...... 32 D Warner c Ashwin b Yadav ...... 29 52, continued to be the bane of “It wasn’t much cooler today M Dhoni c Haddin b Hazlewood ...... 33 S Watson c Dhawan b Ashwin ...... 25 the tourists with another defiant but we all came out well and R Ashwin c Watson b Hazlewood ...... 35 S Smith (batting) ...... 65 knock. He has scored 279 so far bowled to our plans and picked U Yadav c Rogers b Lyon ...... 9 S Marsh c Ashwin b Yadav ...... 32 in the series. up the last six wickets for about V Aaron c sub (Labuschagne) b Lyon ...... 4 M Marsh (batting) ...... 7 His intuitive stroke-making where we wanted them.” I Sharma (not out) ...... 1 Extras (LB1, W3, NB4) ...... 8 was again a delight and he danced Haddin equalled the Australian Extras (B4, LB1, W2, NB1) ...... 8 Total (for 4 wkts) ...... 221 down the wicket to club spinner record of six dismissals in an Total (all out) ...... 408 Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-98, 3-121, 4-208. Ravichandran Ashwin for two innings held by Wally Grout, Ian Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-100, 3-137, 4-261, Bowling: I Sharma 9-0-47-0 (3nb, 1w); Aaron sixes over long-on in one over. Healy and Rod Marsh with two 5-321, 6-328, 7-385, 8-394, 9-407. 12-1-59-0 (1nb); Yadav 13-2-48-3 (2w); Ash- At the close, with a fierce more catches on the second morn- Bowling: Johnson 21-4-81-0; Hazlewood win 18-3-66-1. electrical storm about to break, ing. The Australians began the Australia were 221 for four in day well with two wickets before reply to India’s 408 with Smith replacement for injured skipper It was a good middle session for Dhoni and Ashwin regained unbeaten on 65 and Mitchell Michael Clarke, had registered India, who removed the dangerous the initiative with a belligerent Marsh on seven. six ducks in his previous 15 Test Warner in the ninth over. seventh-wicket stand. The pair “It’s not about Steve Smith or innings but yesterday looked to Warner, who scored twin centu- put on 57 in equal time before any names that we want to take have overcome his series of poor ries in the Adelaide series opener, Ashwin became Hazlewood’s out here, it’s going to be a couple starts. attempted to pull Yadav only for fourth wicket, playing away from of wickets that we want to take He had a big let-off on 32 when the ball to come off the top of his his body and edging chest-high to tomorrow morning,” Ashwin said Ajinkya Rahane put down a sitter bat and pop up for Ashwin to take Watson at slip for 35. of India’s chances. at leg gully off Varun Aaron in the a comfortable catch running back “I thought I batted at my best, “I think we are in front of the 45th over. from slip. after a long time I got a chance to game at this point of time. Our But he was out two overs later, Watson looked at ease before bat in the middle so I batted really 400 is enough if we can get a cou- caught by Ashwin in the slips off losing concentration on 25 and well and felt disappointed to have ple of wickets tomorrow morning Umesh Yadav on the same score. finding Shikhar Dhawan in the given my wicket away,” Ashwin then we’re right in front.” Rogers missed a chance to post deep, giving off-spinner Ashwin said. The Australians lost the wick- a much-needed big innings after his first wicket. Dhoni cracked 33 off 53 balls ets of David Warner (29), Shane a run of failures when he was out Debutant Josh Hazlewood with four fours before he fell to the Watson (25), Chris Rogers (55) in the over before tea. captured five wickets and Brad Hazlewood-Haddin combination. and Shaun Marsh (32) in the final The 37-year-old left-hander Haddin equalled a wicketkeeping Hazlewood was far and away Australia’s Steve Smith plays a shot during the second day of the 2nd two sessions. dabbled at Yadav and gave a leg- record as Australia dismissed Australia’s best bowler with five Test against India at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday. Shaun Marsh, recalled as a side catch to keeper MS Dhoni. India for 408 at lunch. for 68. AFP Waqar wants Pakistan to win New Zealand series

ABU DHABI: Pakistan coach Waqar said the series would first one-day century in six years Waqar blamed poor fielding. Williamson said good partner- end and close it out.” Williamson Waqar Younis feels a win in the give Pakistan an idea on where and stand-in skipper Shahid “Honestly, we lost the match ships built his team’s total. hoped his team improves further fifth and final one-dayer against they stand before February- Afridi who smashed 25-ball 49. because of the fielding, we gave “It was just about executing today. New Zealand in Abu Dhabi March World Cup to be co-hosted “Younis’s form was very impor- away some 20-25 runs in the field the plans we had, and just trying “It’s nice to bounce back,” said today will give his team a boost by Australia and New Zealand. tant, he has shown us his true and that is a worrying sign for to build partnerships and it was Williamson, whose team also won for next year’s World Cup. “We need to win the final one- potential,” said Waqar of the me,” said Waqar, who praised the great to come back with the ball the second match in Sharjah to New Zealand levelled the five- day,” said Waqar on Thursday. 37-year-old batsman whose 103 fighting spirit of his team, taking in the second part of the Pakistan level the series 1-1. match series 2-2 with a narrow “This series is for us to utilise went in vain as Pakistan fell seven the match to the final over. innings,” said Williamson. Pakistan won the first and seven-run win in Abu Dhabi on and get the clear picture who short when chasing a challeng- “I am happy at the fight, the “Pakistan kept coming, they third matches. Wednesday, setting up an intrigu- are the final 15 (players for the ing 300-run target. New Zealand expectations we had with our showed consistently how good “It was a much improved per- ing finale to the tour after the World Cup) and besides that win were guided to 299-5 by skipper batting were fulfilled and we they are. To have 300 on the board formance (on Wednesday) and preceding three-match Test and this series.” Kane Williamson’s 123. maintained a nine plus average, on a wicket that was tiring, they there is much we want to improve two-Twenty20 series were shared Waqar praised veteran bats- “Afridi also batted well and unfortunately we couldn’t finish pushed us and it was nice to pick on and I am sure we do it in the 1-1. man Younis Khan who scored his showed fighting abilities.” that but the fight pleased me.” up some timely wickets at the last match.” AFP Amla, Van Zyl punish Windies

CENTURION, South Africa: Hashim Amla hit his third Test dou- ble century and Stiaan van Zyl made a hundred on his debut before South Africa declared their first innings at 552 for five on the second day of the first Test against the West Indies at SuperSport Park yesterday. Amla declared half an hour before the scheduled tea break but rain prevented the start of the West Indian reply. Amla made 208 and the left-handed Van Zyl hit an unbeaten 101 on another day of suffering for a depleted West Indian bowling attack. Left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn took the only two wickets to fall on Thursday, dismissing AB de Villiers for 152 and having Amla caught on the long-on boundary. In between, Amla and Van Zyl put on 155 off 37 overs for the fifth wicket. Benn was forced to toil for 46 overs and conceded a total of 148 runs. The West Indies were without fast bowler Kemar Roach, who left the field on Monday afternoon after injuring his right ankle. A team spokesman said scans had revealed no significant damage and it was hoped he would be able to bowl later in the match. South African batsman Stean Van Zyl raises his bat after scoring Roach’s injury left the tourists with only three front-line bowlers, a century in his debut Test during the second day of the first with Jerome Taylor and Sheldon Cottrell providing pace and Benn Test match against West Indies at Supersport Park in Centurion needing to tie up one end with spin. yesterday. Although Taylor and Cottrell bowled with more control than on the first day, the West Indies were unable to prevent the total from mount- ing steadily, despite captain Denesh Ramdin setting defensive fields. hold on. Amla’s two previous Test double centuries, including a There was early success when De Villiers sliced a flighted delivery South African record 311 not out against England at The Oval from Benn to Jerome Blackwood at point, ending a South African Test in 2012, were made overseas. fourth wicket record partnership of 308 with Amla. His first home double century - in his first Test as captain The pair had come together at 57 for three after all three wickets in South Africa - was a Test record for Centurion, beating the fell without a run being added. 201 not out by Jacques Kallis against India in 2010/11. AFP Van Zyl started cautiously and was troubled by the tall Benn early on, giving a sharp, low chance to Kraigg Brathwaite at leg gully when Scoreboard he had two. But he quickly settled in and played some handsome drives on the South Africa (I innings): Bowling: Taylor 26.1-5-108-0; Cottrell off side as he reached a maiden Test half-century off 74 balls with A Petersen c Smith b Roach ...... 27 28-1-124-1 (2nb, 1w); Roach 15.5-4-52- eight fours. D Elgar c Samuels b Cottrell ...... 28 2 (1w); Benn 46-7-148-2; Samuels 20-0- He went to his century off 129 balls, adding seven more boundaries. F du Plessis c Ramdin b Roach ...... 0 89-0; Brathwaite 1-0-2-0; Blackwood He was only the fifth South African to make a hundred on Test debut. H Amla c Taylor b Benn ...... 208 3.3-0-15-0. It was an impressive innings but quality of the bowling and fielding A de Villiers c Blackwood b Benn .....152 Did not bat: V Philander, D Steyn, K Abbott, was at times some way short of international standard. S van Zyl (not out) ...... 101 M Morkel. Amla, who had a remarkable escape on Wednesday when a ball from Q de Kock (not out) ...... 18 West Indies: D Ramdin, K Brathwaite, D Roach brushed his off stump but did not dislodge a bail when his score Extras (B8, LB6, NB2, W2) ...... 18 Smith, L Johnson, M Samuels, S Chander- was on 25, was content to let Van Zyl play the dominant role in their Total (5 wkts decl) ...... 552 paul, J Blackwood, K Roach, J Taylor, S partnership. Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-57, 3-57, 4-365, Benn, S Cottrell. He had a let-off on 180 when he flicked Taylor to midwicket, where 5-520. Blackwood leapt high and got both hands to the ball but could not FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BREAK TIME

P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER TV 1 – 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm LISTINGS TEL: 444933989 444517001 Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (2D/Action) 2 – 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45pm The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies (3D/Adventure) 3 – 10:00am, 12:45, 3:30, 6:20, 9:10 & 11:55pm Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) 4 08:30 Storage Hunters 7:00 News 15:30 The Daily 8:00 Parwaaz – 11:00am, 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:40pm & 12:20am 08:55 Container Wars 7:30 The Stream Show With Jon 09:30 Khana Khazana Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Thriller) 5 09:20 Garage Gold 8:30 Earthrise Stewart 10:00 Best Of Dance – 10:20am, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:20, 9:35 & 11:55pm 09:45 How It’s Made 9:00 Al Jazeera World 16:30 Til Death India Dance Home (2D/Horror) 17:00 Late Night With 11:30 Snack Attack 6 10:10 How It’s Made 10:00 News – 11:15am, 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15 & 11:15pm 10:35 Airplane Repo 10:30 Inside Story Seth Meyers Firangi Twist The Good Lie (2D/Drama) – 10:00am, 2:30 & 7:00pm 18:00 The Neighbors 12:00 Bollywood Cut 7 11:25 Street Outlaws 11:00 News Montana (2D/Action) – 12:15, 4:45 & 11:30pm 12:15 Surviving The Cut 11:30 The Stream 18:30 Last Man 13:00 Desi Boyz Dying of The Light (2D/Drama) – 9:15pm 13:05 Storage Hunters 12:00 News Standing 16:30 10 on 10 Penguins of Madagascar (2D/Animation) 8 13:30 Container Wars 12:30 101 East 19:00 Brooklyn Nine- 17:00 Maharakshak – 10:10am, 12:10, 1:10, 3:00 & 5:00pm 13:55 Garage Gold 13:00 NEWSHOUR Nine Aryan Dying of The Light (2D/Drama) – 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00pm 14:20 Robson Green’s 14:00 News 19:30 Young & 18:00 Neeli Chatri The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies (IMAX 3D/ Extreme Fishing 14:30 Inside Story Hungry Waale 9 Adventure) – 10:30am, 1:15, 4:00, 6:50, 9:45pm & 12:30am Challenge 15:00 The Girls of The 20:00 The Tonight 19:00 Sapne Suhane Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (2D/Action) 15:10 Wheeler Dealers Taliban Show Starring Ladakpan Ke 10 – 10:45am, 3:15, 7:45pm & 12:15am 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 16:00 NEWSHOUR Jimmy Fallon 19:30 Jodha Akbar Hemathi Bithebini (2D/Arabic) – 1:00, 5:30 & 10:00pm 16:50 How It’s Made 17:00 News 21:00 The Daily 20:00 Jamai Raja Home (2D/Horror) – 2:30pm 17:15 How It’s Made 17:30 The Stream Show With Jon 21:30 Parwaaz 1 Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 4:00pm 17:40 Treehouse Masters 18:00 NEWSHOUR Stewart 22:00 Holiday The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies (3D/Adventure) – 6:00pm 18:30 Fast N’ Loud 19:00 News P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) – 8.30pm 19:20 Philly Throttle 19:30 Innovate Africa Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 11:15pm 20:10 Container Wars 20:00 News The Good Lie (2D/Drama) – 2:30pm 20:35 Garage Gold 20:30 Inside Story 2 Night At The Museum: Secret of The Tomb (2D/Comedy) – 21:00 Fast N’ Loud 22:00 News MALL 4:30, 6.30 & 8.30pm 10:00 Shrek The 05:10 A Day At The 21:50 Philly Throttle 22:30 TechKnow P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) –10:30pm Third Races 22:40 Highway To Sell 23:00 Head to Head Lingaa (2D/Tamil) – 2:00pm 12:00 Undercover 07:00 Viva Las Vegas- 3 Hamathi Bethebini (2D/Arabic) – 5:00pm Brother 08:25 Gone With The Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 7:00pm 14:00 What About Wind Montana (2D/Action) – 9:30pm Bob? 12:00 Mildred Pierce- Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 11:30pm 16:00 Dumb And 13:50 The Women-PG P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) – 2:30pm Dumberer: 16:00 The Wonderful 1 The Good Lie (2D/Drama) – 5.15pm When Harry World Of The...- Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 7:15pm Met Lloyd- 18:05 Son Of Lassie- Home (2D/Horror) – 9:30pm 04:30 Barbie Of Swan Lake 03:30 MasterChef 18:00 Friends With 19:45 The Prize-PG Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 11:15pm 06:00 Ben 10: Race Australia Kids-PG15 22:00 Rogue Cop-PG Night At The Museum: Secret of The Tomb (2D/Comedy) – Against Time 04:30 Private Practice 20:00 Life Happens- 23:35 All The Fine 2 3:00, 4.45 & 6.30pm 08:00 Wizards And Giants 05:30 According To Jim 22:00 Blue Like Jazz- Young Cannibals LANDMARK The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies (3D/Adventure) – 8:15pm 10:00 See Spot Run 05:55 According To Jim P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) – 10.45pm 11:45 Arthur’s Missing Pal 06:30 No Ordinary Family Lingaa (2D/Tamil) – 2:00pm 13:00 Everyone’s Hero 07:30 The Walking Dead 3 Montana (2D/Action) – 5:00pm 14:30 Unstable Fables: 08:30 Castle Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 7:00pm Hamathi Bethebini (2D/Arabic) – 9:30pm Tortoise vs. Hare 09:30 According To Jim Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 11:30pm 16:00 Princess And The 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy P.K. (Hindi) (2D/Comedy) – 2.30 & 10.45pm Pea 11:00 Army Wives 05:00 Red Sky-PG15 09:00 Jurassic C.S.I. 1 Night At The Museum: Secret of The Tomb 18:00 See Spot Run 12:00 MasterChef 07:00 The Words-PG15 10:00 Predator CSI (2D/Comedy) – 5:15, 7.00 & 9.00pm 20:00 Escape From Planet Australia 09:00 Turbo-PG 12:00 Battleground 11:00 47 Ronin-PG15 Brothers Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 2:30pm Earth 13:00 Private Practice 2 13:00 All Is Lost-PG15 14:00 Megacities The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies 22:00 Unstable Fables: 14:00 According To Jim (3D/Adventure) – 4:45pm 15:00 One Direction: 17:00 Live Free Or Die ROYAL Tortoise vs. Hare 14:30 According To Jim The Good Lie (2D/Drama) – 7:15pm This Is Us-PG 18:00 Ape Man Princess And The No Ordinary Family Home (2D/Horror) – 9:15pm 23:30 15:00 17:00 Turbo-PG 20:00 Engineering PLAZA Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 11:00pm Pea 16:00 The Walking Dead 19:00 The Hot Flashes- Connections Lingaa (2D/Tamil) – 2:00pm 01:00 Wizards And Giants 17:00 According To Jim PG15 21:00 Live Free Or Die 3 Montana (2D/Action) – 5:00pm 02:45 Escape From Planet 19:30 Fit For Fashion 21:00 Labor Day-PG15 22:00 Ape Man Hamathi Bethebini (2D/Arabic) – 7:00pm Earth 20:30 The Listener 23:00 Zero Dark 23:00 Knights Of Foxcatcher (2D/Drama) – 9:00pm 04:30 Unstable Fables: 21:30 Happy Endings Thirty-18 Mayhem Escobar: Paradise Lost (2D/Romantic) – 11:30pm

HYPER C RSO S W O RD 1234567 891011121314 1 See 71-Across 33 Some market 2 Ardently want fluctuations 15 16 3 They’re mobile 34 Gym surfaces in a trailer park 35 Baseball family 17 18 4 “___ believe it!” name 5 2016 Olympics 36 SCOTT 19 20 21 22 city 38 Unstable 6 E.R. personnel subatomic 23 24 25 26 27 7 A really long particle time 42 Tease 28 29 30 31 32 33 8 Grind 45 Envision 9 NASA vehicle 49 GORDON 34 35 36 37 38 39 10 Fury 52 Hear again in 11 Firmed up court 40 41 42 43 12 Old U.S./Soviet 54 File material Yesterday’s answer rivalry 55 Guiding belief 44 45 46 47 13 It’s a crock 56 “Star Wars” How to play Hyper Sudoku: 14 Best-selling PC droid A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper 48 49 50 Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all game of the 57 JOHN regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like 1990s 58 Unruffled a normal Sudoku. 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 21 Weakened due 59 Plains tribe to inactivity 61 Ends, with “up” 58 59 60 61 62 24 Kind of How to play Kakuro: 64 PC key perception The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any 65 Where Magic 63 64 65 66 67 68 size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells 26 School desk Johnson played like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, drawer? college ball, for some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some 69 70 27 Nettle short cells will contain two numbers. 29 Play-___ 67 Org. with Sharks However, in a crossword the numbers reference 71 72 30 Verb with “vous” and Predators clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! 32 ___ Mini 68 It may be herbal They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. ACROSS 47 Copy desk workers, e.g.: Within each 1 WALLY Abbr. collection of cells KAMPA L A HAM CCS - called a run - any 8 GUS 48 Very high trumpet note of the numbers 1 15 Whittling away 50 “Splendor in the Grass” IGOOFED ELI LON to 9 may be used 16 Like some email screenwriter but, like sudoku, addresses 51 Gloomy donkey of fiction TICKLED NUTCASE each number may 17 Blow the joint 53 Mark up or only be used once. TOSEA ATM AREA 18 Volatile solvents down, say 58 Caller on a cell phone? COMMONSTOCK Yesterday’s 19 50-50 answer 20 Regina’s locale: Abbr. 60 Library refs. ESSO LOOFAH 22 Burmese, for one 62 Keyboardist TICKEDOFF ERASE 23 Sites for kites Saunders 25 What is cast, in a saying 63 Stab ENT I RE DEAR I E 66 International agreement Sherman’s Lagoon By Jim Toomey 28 River of Hesse SEVEN MCL INTOCK 31 Not just hot 69 “Luck Be a Lady” 34 Bub ISOMER AOKS composer/ 37 Improper lyricist TICKETBOOTH 39 Animal with stripes 70 “I envy Seas, 40 In the style of ___ He rides”: Emily ULNA USN AUDI E 41 ALAN Dickinson R IOTACT BUTTOCK 43 Place for a baseball 71 With 1-Down, insignia first American astronauts BET I CE OPENTOE 44 Many a classical 72 DEKE ODE DOR SCREENS sculpture 46 Sandbank DOWN ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER 2014 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

PRAYER TIME Flamingos

Fajr (Dawn) 4:52 Shorook (Sunrise) 6:14 Zuhr (Noon) 11:31 Asr (Afternoon) 2:28 Maghrib (Sunset) 4:49 Isha (Night) 6:19

WEATHER Weather Today Saturday Sunday Conditions: Clear Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Hazy and moderate High: 26° High: 24° High: 25° temperature Low: 17° Low: 14 Low: 16° during day with some clouds.

DOHA - SUN & SEA

SUN TIDE SEA SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND 06:14 16:49 03:45 & 13:30 09:45 & 20:30 05-12/15 KT

THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW Greater flamingos take off from a salt lake in the southeastern Cypriot port city of Larnaca. HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER

MUSCAT 25/20 Partly cloudy 25/20 Clear MAKKAH 33/22 Clear 33/23 Partly cloudy Obesity can KUWAIT 22/11 Clear 27/12 Clear BAHRAIN 21/17 Clear 23/18 Clear Sony cancels release SANAA 23/15 Partly cloudy 25/06 Partly cloudy be deemed a RIYADH 24/12 Clear 26/13 Clear DUBAI 25/17 Clear 24/17 Clear disability at BAGHDAD 16/11 Cloudy 17/10 Clear THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW of film due to threats work: EU court LOS ANGELES: HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER Sony Pictures Skittishness about attending The National Security Council has cancelled the release of a the movie followed threats by said the US government had BRUSSELS: Europe’s top ATHENS 16/09 Partly cloudy 16/11 Clear madcap comedy about North the so-called GOP (Guardians offered Sony “support and assist- court ruled yesterday that WASHINGTON 07/00 Partly cloudy 05/02 Partly cloudy Korea that triggered chilling of Peace) hacking group, which ance” in response to the attack. obese people can be considered threats from hackers, as US invoked the September 11, 2001 Experts said Sony’s decision sets as disabled, but stopped short SYDNEY 23/16 Partly cloudy 27/18 Clear investigators reportedly blamed attacks in an ominous warning to a dangerous precedent. of saying that obesity was a LONDON 11/05 Chance of rain 09/04 Clear Pyongyang for a damaging any movie-goers planning to see “I am sympathetic with Sony condition that needed specific PARIS 13/06 Chance of rain 09/05 Partly cloudy cyber-raid on the movie giant. the film. and I am sympathetic with any protection under European ISTANBUL 10/06 Fog 10/08 Clear The Hollywood studio North Korea has denied involve- theatre that worries about damage anti-discrimination laws. MANILA 29/23 Chance of storm 29/24 Partly cloudy announced the move after US ment in the brazen November 24 and injury and worse involving its The landmark decision will be DHAKA 23/14 Partly cloudy 23/13 Partly cloudy theatre chains said they would cyberattack, which some experts staff and its customers,” Richard closely read by European employ- DELHI 21/08 Partly cloudy 21/07 Partly cloudy not screen The Interview, about a said could possibly have been car- Walter of the UCLA Film School ers and means that companies ISLAMABAD 19/07 Partly cloudy 18/07 Partly cloudy fictional plot to assassinate North ried out by disgruntled workers said. “But on the other hand I might have to provide greater Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. or by supporters of North Korea have to say there is something, support to obese staff. The dramatic action came furious over the movie. for an American and for anybody The case was instigated by as several US media outlets James Lewis, a former State who loves freedom, that viscerally a Danish court, which wanted reported that investigators now Department official, said that “of rebels against surrendering to ter- guidance over a complaint of Italian actress believe North Korea was behind the characters who are out there, ror this way,” he added. unfair dismissal brought by a the devastating cyberattack that the most likely suspect is North “The single most disturbing child-minder who was sacked by saw hackers gain access to a trove Korea.” aspect of this whole case it the a local authority. Virna Lisi dead of internal Sony documents and A unnamed Sony source said notion that studios might cave, Karsten Kaltoft, who never ROME: Italian actress Virna unreleased movies. that the suggestion that North might surrender to lunatics of the weighed less than 160 kilo- Lisi (pictured), who played Representatives for sev- Korea was behind it “sounds political fringe in terms of what grammes during his employment, opposite Hollywood stars includ- eral agencies including the FBI right,” declining further comment. movies they make and what mov- argued that his obesity was one ing Frank Sinatra in the 1960s declined to comment on the The US State Department ies they release.” of the reasons he lost his job and and later established herself an reports. sought to distance itself from the Actor Rob Lowe, among a that this amounted to unlawful acclaimed character actress, has “In light of the decision by the film, while defending the right to number of stars who have small discrimination — an allegation died at the age of 78. majority of our (theater) exhibi- free expression. cameo roles in the movie, did not the council denied. Italian media quoted her son as tors not to show the film The “We’re not in the business of disguise his indignation at the The Court of Justice of the saying that Lisi had passed away in Interview, we have decided not to signing off on the content of mov- Sony decision. European Union ruled that EU her sleep on Wednesday, a month move forward with the planned ies or things along those lines,” “Wow. Everyone caved. The employment law did not specifi- after being diagnosed with an December 25 theatrical release,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. hackers won. An utter and com- cally prohibit discrimination on incurable illness. Sony said in a statement. President Barack Obama said plete victory for them. Wow,” he the grounds of obesity, and said Born in Ancona in 1936, she was “Sony Pictures has no fur- there was “no credible evidence” said. the law should not be extended an established cinema and theatre ther release plans for the film,” of any threats linked to movie “Hollywood has done Neville to make it a protected category. actress before Hollywood produc- top prize, the Palme d’Or, at the a spokesman said, suggesting — theatres. Chamberlain proud today,” he However, the Luxembourg- ers came calling in the mid-1960s. Cannes film festival in 1966. though not confirming — the film “For now, my recommenda- added, in reference to the British based court said that if an With Jack Lemmon she made After taking a break from act- will not even be released on DVD tion would be: Go to the movies,” leader’s infamous appeasement of employee’s obesity hindered “full How to Murder Your Wife in 1965 ing in the early 1970s, Lisi rein- or in other formats. Obama told ABC News. Hitler before World War II. AFP and effective participation of that and followed up by starring along- vented herself as a character person in professional life on an side Tony Curtis in Not with my actress with a broad range. equal basis with other workers” Wife, You Don’t and with Sinatra Her portrayal of Catherine de’ then it could be considered a dis- in Assault on a Queen the follow- Medici in La Reine Margot (1994) Taking a walk ability. This, in turn, is covered by ing year. saw her pick up a French Cesar anti-discrimination legislation. Reluctant to be restricted to and the best actress award at Fasten your The nuanced ruling still leaves love-interest roles, she moved Cannes. companies open to potential dis- back to Europe after only three She also worked extensively in seatbelts... to crimination suits. years of a seven-year contract television and made the last of her “If you consider the obese disa- with Paramount studios. nearly 80 films in 2002. stay at home bled, all of a sudden it triggers While in Hollywood, she She is survived by her son certain protections for employ- maintained a parallel career in Corrado Pesci and three grand- TOKYO: Looking for that per- ees,” said Jacob Sand, a partner European cinema, notably playing children. Her husband of 53 years, fect gift for the aviation fan who at Danish law firm Gorrissen a lead role in The Birds, the Bees the architect Franco Pesci, died in has everything? One Japanese Federspiel, which represented and the Italians, which shared the 2013. AFP airline has the answer: a seat Kaltoft. from a retired jumbo jet. Considering obesity a disability If you know someone who just also reverses the burden of proof can’t get enough of sitting on an in workplace disputes over dis- airplane, and you’ve got a spare crimination, Sand added, mean- $5,000, All Nippon Airways will ing it will be easier for employees SpaceX puts off launch of sell you what it calls a “premium” to argue they had been discrimi- seat from a decommissioned nated against on the basis of Boeing 747. their disability. cargo ship to January “Unlike the economy seats, “That makes it a whole lot these seats are wide and comfort- easier for employees in that it is MIAMI: SpaceX yesterday postponed the planned launch later this able, and let users really relax,” easier to win the case,” Sand said. week of its unmanned Dragon cargo ship after unspecified “issues” said Chiho Matsukawa, spokes- However it does not mean that arose during a launchpad test, the company said in a statement. woman for ANA Trading, a unit employers cannot fire someone The launch of the Dragon atop the Falcon 9 rocket, initially set for under the airline group. whose size means that they are today, will now take place no earlier than January 6, SpaceX said. The company has removed all unable to do their job, rather that “The new launch date will provide SpaceX engineers time to inves- electrical fittings and remodelled they must consider whether any tigate further issues that arose from a static fire test of the Falcon the legs so the seat can be used at adjustments need to be made to 9 rocket on December 16,” it said, without elaborating on what the home without being bolted down. help the employee perform their problem involved. Singletons can have their own role first, said Stefan Martin, Right after the launch, the individual space for 647,000 yen employment partner at law firm California-based aerospace firm ($5,450), while couples can recre- Mayer Brown. aims to attempt its first precision ate those first cramped hours of The Danish court must now ocean landing of the first stage of their honeymoon with a double decide whether Kaltoft’s obes- the Falcon 9, setting it down on a seat for 747,000 yen. ity represented a disability. It floating platform instead of letting The airline retired the last of is expected to reach a decision it fall into the ocean. the 747-400D fleet in March this before the end of next year. SpaceX is trying to revolutionise year. The seats will go on sale Kaltoft had asked for compensa- the aerospace industry and make online from Christmas Day until King penguins walk in the zoo in Basel, Switzerland, yesterday. They are tion equivalent to 15 months’ sal- rockets more like aeroplanes that February and will be delivered in let outdoors for a walk only in winter, as they require low temperatures. ary for his dismissal, Sand said. can be used over and over. AFP March. AFP REUTERS