www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS | 17 SPORT | 24 Finance Minister Mathews shines visits new customs as Sri Lanka headquarters level series THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2016 • 22 DHUL QA’DA 1437 • Volume 21 • Number 6899 2 Riyals thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Emir congratulates Three-month Ukraine President DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday sent a cable of congratulations amnesty for to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko on his country’s Inde- pendence Day. Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani illegal residents and Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent similar cables to President Poro- Up Department to complete the shenko, reports QNA. exit procedures, from September MoI says amnesty 1 to December 1. from September 1 The ministry said the move Emir condoles with to December 1 will aims at easing exit procedures and granting amnesty to offenders from Singapore President allow illegals to leave the consequences of violating the Qatar without any law. Legal circles said this was the DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim punishment. first amnesty announced in Qatar bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday since the enforcement of Law No. 4 sent a cable of condolences to Sin- Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi (right) and Ankara of 2009, regulating entry, exit and gapore’s President Tony Tan on the residency of expatriates. Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gokcek exchanging documents after signing the deal in Ankara. death of former president Sella- By Mohammed Iqbal and The last amnesty was declared pan Ramanathan. Mohammed Osman in 2004 for three months from Deputy Emir H H Sheikh The Peninsula March 21 and extended for another Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani month and ended on July 21. About also sent a cable of condolences 10,000 expatriates sought amnesty, Doha and Ankara sign to President Tan. Prime Minister majority of whom were Nepalese, and Interior Minister H E Sheikh DOHA: The Ministry of Interior yes- Indians and Pakistanis. Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa terday announced a three-month Abdelaal A Khalil, a legal Al Thani sent a similar cable of amnesty for illegal residents to consultant, told The Peninsula yes- his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. leave the country without facing terday that the current amnesty Twin Cities agreement legal consequences. comes ahead of the enforcement Amnesty will be in force from of the new law regulating entry, QIA buys 9.9% stake September 1 to December 1, the exit and residency of expatriates. ministry said on its Twitter account. The law (No. 4 of 2009) states The Peninsula attended by Qatari Ambassador to delegation, who visited the Haci in Empire State trust “The Ministry of Interior that any expatriate violating its Turkey Salem bin Mubarak Al-Shafi. Byram project in the centre of the announces the grace period for provisions related to the purpose Speaking to the press after capital and Ankapark which is under DOHA: Qatar Investment Author- those residing in the country, vio- of his entry or residency must leave the signing of the agreement, Al construction and considered one of ity (QIA) has invested $622m in lating the provisions of the law the country in 90 days. It stipulates DOHA: Minister of Municipality Rumaihi said Doha had turned into the biggest theme parks in Turkey. the Empire State Building in New regulating the entry, exit and resi- imprisonment of up to three years and Environment H E Mohamed bin an advanced smart city with the lat- Ankara Metropolitan Municipal- York. The investment gives QIA a dency of expatriates, in order to exit and fines of up to QR50,000 or both Abdullah Al Rumaihi said yesterday est technological enhancements. ity Mayor Melih Gokcek stressed the 9.9 percent stake in Empire State from the country without the legal for violation. that Doha and Ankara had signed a With the government support, importance of Qatari-Turkish rela- Realty Trust (ESRT), a listed New consequences, in accordance with In case of repeat violation, the Twin Cities agreement. Doha would become one of the most tionship in different fields and said York-based trust which manages the law (No. 4 of 2009),” said the punishment will be jail for not less The deal was inked at Turkish important capitals in the world in the signing of the agreement would a portfolio of office and retail statement. than 15 days or fine of not less than capital Ankara’s municipality build- the field of construction and serv- strengthen relations between both properties in Manhattan and the All those staying in the coun- QR20,000. ing and aims at exchanging expertise ices, he added. countries. It would also enhance greater New York metropolitan try illegally have been asked to between them. The Ankara Municipality organ- exchange of information and exper- area. approach the Search and Follow → Continued on page 2 The signing ceremony was ised a tour for the Minister and his tise between both sides, he added. → See also page 17 Turkish tanks roll Wall of dust 120 dead in Italy earthquake into Syria; push IS out of town AP Qatar sends condolence cables AFP DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable AMATRICE, ITALY: Rescue crew of condolences to Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella on the victims KARKAMIS: Turkish tanks and using bulldozers and bare hands of an earthquake that hit the country yesterday. hundreds of opposition fighters raced to dig out survivors from a Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent a thrust deep inside Syrian territory strong earthquake that reduced cable of condolences to President Mattarella and Prime Minister and yesterday in a lightning operation three central Italian towns to Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani that within hours ousted Islamic rubble yesterday. sent a similar cable to his counterpart Matteo Renzi, reports QNA. State (IS) militants from a key Syr- The death toll stood at 120, ian border town. but the number of dead and miss- anymore,” said Sergio Pirozzi, “No family, no city, no hamlet will The air and ground offensive ing was uncertain given the huge Mayor of the hardest-hit town be left behind.” — the most ambitious launched number of vacationers in the area Amatrice. “I believe the toll will Tiny towns of Amatrice and by Ankara in the Syria conflict for summer’s final days. rise.” Accumoli near Rieti, some 100km — made rapid progress towards Residents wakened before The magnitude 6 quake northeast of Rome, and Pescara Jarabulus with rebel fighters dawn by the temblor emerged struck at 3:36am and was felt del Tronto, some 25km further proclaiming victory by the late from their crumbled homes across central Italy, includ- east were hardest-hit. The civil afternoon just 14 hours after oper- to find what they described as ing Rome, the Lazio region and protection agency coordinating ation “Euphrates Shield” started. apocalyptic scenes “like Dan- Umbria and Le Marche on the rescue and care for survivors, “Jarabulus is completely te’s Inferno,” with entire blocks Adriatic coast. said thousands needed tempo- liberated,” Ahmad Othman, Com- A massive dust storm near Aspire Park yesterday afternoon. Dense, swirling of buildings turning into piles of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi rary housing, though it stressed mander of the Sultan Mourad dust sent by strong winds caused poor visibility in Doha and many parts of sand and rock, thick dust choking visited the zone, met rescue the numbers were fluid. rebel group, said from the scene, Qatar. Picture by The Peninsula reader Mohamad Dabbous → See also page 3 the air and a putrid smell of gas. teams and survivors and said at while another rebel spokesman “The town isn’t here least 368 were injured. He said: → See also page 12 said IS fighters had fled towards Al Bab to the southwest. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the opera- tion was also targeting Kurdish State-owned firms most popular among Qatari jobseekers militia fighters opposed by Ankara — but backed by the US as a key ally against IS — who had also The Peninsula participated in the survey and majority Qatar was one of six countries best talent domestically. been closing in on Jarabulus. QATAR FACT BOX listed Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum surveyed as part of the Middle East While many Middle Eastern coun- But visiting US Vice-President Average age of respond- and Qatar Foundation as their ideal Talent Survey 2016. Conducted over tries face fierce competition from Joe Biden reassured Turkey that ent: 21.4 employers. six months, the research uncovers multinationals that can offer the Washington had told the Kurdish DOHA: Qatar’s leading state-owned The findings show that Qatar’s university students’ attitudes about opportunity for overseas travel and fighters under no circumstances Average expected monthly firms have dominated a list of most domestic employers remain widely employers and what drives their career postings, our findings suggest that to cross west of the Euphra- salary (male): QR15,163 sought after employers among Qatari favoured by its emerging talent pool. decisionmaking. Qatari firms will have first choice of tes River or face the total loss of students, a talent survey by interna- In contrast, in other Middle East Claudia Tattanelli, Chairman, Stra- the country’s emerging talent pool,” American support. Average expected monthly tional employment research company countries, students saw international tegic Advisory Board, Universum, said: Tattanelli added. salary (female): QR12,093 Universum has revealed. firms and overseas postings as highly “The findings are very positive for the → See also page 5 Hundreds of university students desirable.