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10 still in hospital after restaurant blast DOHA: Ten of those injured in Thursday’s blast at a restaurant are still undergoing treatment at Hamad Medical Corporation hospitals, with two sent to Al Wakra Hospital to receive specialist care at the centre for burns there, and another transferred to Rumaila hospital. The HMC had received 36 injured on Thursday following an explosion in a gas tank at a Turkish restaurant, and 20 of them were discharged the same evening after receiving the necessary medical care. Another six were discharged yesterday after their condition improved, said Ali Khater, Executive Director of Corporate Communications at HMC. All the injured had suffered medium or minor injuries, except one person who was still in a critical condition, said Al Khater. The 10 still hospitalised include one Egyptian, one Indian, three Nepalese, three Pakistanis, and two Filipinos. The authorities, meanwhile, have sealed off the site of the explosion with a fence until the completion of investigation. SNC to rejoin Syrian opposition coalition BEIRUT: The opposition Syrian National Council yesterday said it will rejoin the umbrella coalition from which it withdrew in protest at the Geneva peace talks with the regime. The SNC, the biggest bloc in Syria’s opposition-in-exile, quit the National Coalition on January 20 because of its participation in the talks. Yesterday, the group said it had decided “on the return of the SNC bloc and all its components to the ranks of the ... Coalition,” at a two-day meeting of its general assembly in Istanbul. All suspects in Turkey probe freed ISTANBUL: A Turkish court yes- terday released the last five suspects, including the sons of two ministers, detained in a corruption probe that has struck at the heart of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. THE ISSUE Baris Guler, the son of the former inte- rior minister, as well as Kaan Caglayan, the son of the ex-economy minister, and Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab The blast at a Turkish restaurant produced results. What is now needed is a resident who did not want to be identified. were among the remaining accused freed in Doha on Thursday that killed similar action on safety at petrol stations and There is cause for worry because petrol pending trial, local media reported. in the use and handling of gas. stations in the recent past have been sites of The private NTV channel said an 11 people has again set off a Chances are that the authorities will wake minor accidents. A filling station on C Ring Design: Abraham Augusthy Istanbul court made the decision because debate on safety. On the one up to the public demands. Safety at petrol Road recently witnessed the caving in of its the necessary evidence had been collected. hand, there are furious calls for stations is no new issue, but one which has floor, as did another one near the Mall. Some The five were also given a travel ban. been raised by experts and people at various of the old petrol stations are potential bombs See also page 8 implementation of more stringent levels. “We have been discussing the issue of in terms of safety. The blistering heat during rules to ensure safety, and on the relocating restaurants and cafeterias from summer in Qatar complicates the problems. Armed men seize other, there are demands for a petrol stations over the last couple of years, At the same time, the authorities should but without any results. They must be given not resort to over-regulation which will two Crimea airports balanced reaction. a time frame to move to other places,” says make the running of these establishments Sheikha Al Jefairi, a member of the Central extremely tough. The government needs to SIMFEROPOL: Armed men took con- hursday’s accident is the worst in Municipal Council. set up a committee with experts from sev- trol of two airports in the Crimea region the country after the Villaggio fire, All over the world, petrol filling stations eral fields to study safety at the fuel sta- yesterday in what the new Ukrainian which killed 19 people, mostly nurs- are considered hazardous working places tions and this committee needs to look into leadership described as an invasion by Tery children. After the fire, the civil which require special licensing. “It’s strange international standards and practices in this Moscow’s forces, and ousted President defence department made a rigorous assess- that some petrol stations in Qatar are used field and also the measures adopted by our Viktor Yanukovich surfaced in Russia ment of fire safety standards in the country as shopping markets. For example, take a neighbouring countries, which are operating after a week on the run. Yanukovich PAGEand the result was 6 strict implementation fire look at the Abu Hamour Petrol Station. It’s in the same climatic conditions. That will said Russia should use all means at its safety laws and a nationwide crackdown on a mini shopping-cum-restaurant complex be a far more sensible step than individual disposal to stop the chaos in Ukraine as companies and establishments flouting rules. where there are all kinds of shops. Any acci- departments formulating rules on their own. tension rose on the Black Sea peninsula. There is no doubt that those measures have dent or blast there will be disastrous,” said a See also page 2 See also page 10 THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 02 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Natural gas safer than LPG

Pics: Abdul Basit & Kammutty VP Opinion divided over eateries at fuel stations; implementation of laws said to be lax

BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB UDC and Ezdan, provide piped activities, including restaurants safety and security equipment.” gas in their housing complexes, and cafeterias, which use large Eateries operating from their DOHA: The safety of gas but a wide network for piped volumes of LPG 24 hours, posing premises apart, the condition cylinders, gas tanks and fuel natural gas is needed, said the a great danger,” said Ahmad Al of some of the private petrol stations is under scrutiny engineer. Sheeb, a CMC member. stations in Doha, especially Location of fuel after the explosion behind After Thursday’s incident, He called on the authorities the older ones, is not very Landmark Mall on Thursday several netizens, including to stop giving licences for such encouraging. stations ‘skewed’ that claimed 11 lives and left members of the Central outlets. Last year, an explosion in 35 people injured. Municipal Council (CMC), Sheikh Al Jaferi, another an underground tank at Al Experts suggest that the wrote on social networking sites member of the civic body, said: Andalus Petrol Station on use of liquefied petroleum gas about the potential dangers of All LPG cylinders, “We have been discussing the C-Ring Road caused the ground irst of all, petrol sta- (LPG) instead of piped natural using LPG cylinders and tanks even the transparent issue of relocating restaurants to cave in, leading to panic in tions should be located gas, which is safer and more at commercial establishments, non-metallic LPG and cafeterias from petrol the area. Luckily no one was away from the residen- environment-friendly, is to especially restaurants and stations over the last couple of injured in the explosion. F blame for such incidents. cafeterias located near fuel cylinders that are years, but without any results. The Peninsula has learnt tial and busy commercial “This is all because of LPG stations. considered much They must be given a time from sources that an old petrol areas. And highways and cylinders and tanks,” said a Some favour letting the frame to move to other places.” station in Al Wakra that was expressways should have petroleum engineer who did not eateries remain at the fuel safer than the metal “Stricter inspections by closed for several months for more gas stations. A gas want his name in print. stations, given the commercial ones, are potential highly qualified and experienced flouting safety rules has become station should supply only “All LPG cylinders, even the value of their location. However, bombs in our professionals should be operational after it was acquired transparent non-metallic LPG they suggest that the use of conducted on these facilities by a leading fuel retailer, which fuel, and no other com- cylinders that are considered LPG be banned at such facilities kitchens. routinely to minimise the carried out some “renovation mercial activity should be much safer than the metal and they be asked to use electric potential danger they pose to and cosmetic changes”. allowed in the vicinity.” ones, are potential bombs in ovens or heaters for cooking. customers and workers at these A legal expert who did not Qatari citizen Ali Al our kitchens,” he said. Some others said the safety outlets,” he said. wish to be named said: “There Shammari He wondered why Qatar was of those working at these However, some do not think is no dearth of laws related to not promoting use of piped restaurants should be given stringent rules and inspections safety in Qatar. The problem natural gas, which is much top priority, even suggesting needs time, but it is the best way are the answer. lies in their implementation. less inflammable than LPG, that the outlets be provided to avoid such fatal accidents in A prominent Qatari engineer, Safety and security-related etrol stations were by developing an underground subsidised electricity so that future.” who is also a columnist and issues are not confined to gas allocated without supply network for domestic they remain competitive. Al Ibrahim said that for writer, said: “Rules and stations and eateries.” Pmuch planning. With and commercial consumption. Mishal Al Dahneem, a the time being restaurants regulations should not only be He said it has been found that the exponential growth of Natural gas, being 0.6 times CMC member, said: “It is now and cafeterias should be people-friendly, they ought to people do not mind renovating population in the country, lighter than air, gets dispersed high time to think and study asked to switch over to use of be business-friendly also. We dilapidated buildings to get in the atmosphere quickly in seriously the idea of adopting electricity, and in collaboration need to exercise a balanced safety clearance from the some petrol stations, which the event of a leak or accident, the use of natural gas at homes, with Kahramaa (the public approach while setting a policy authorities and rent them out are located in busy areas, while LPG, which is 1.2 times restaurants and all other utility), there should be a framework. More often than to companies to be used as have become a problem heavier than air, remains in commercial establishments.” provision for supplying them not, it has been observed that labour accommodation. rather than providing serv- an area after an accident or He said developing a network power at reasonable rates stricter rules and regulations “There should some ices. Having a petrol sta- leak, thereby fuelling fires and of gas pipelines across the until gas pipeline networks are cause indefinite delays in conscience and a sense of causing more damage. country should be considered developed. getting civil defence clearances collective responsibility on tion in such inhabited areas Laying a network of gas as important as development Some CMC members for projects rather than the part of every individual, poses great danger to the pipelines obviously involves huge of infrastructure such as roads strongly criticised the operation improving the situation on the including inspectors and people.” costs, but due to the relative and sewage lines. of eateries and restaurants at ground.” enforcement agencies. We must Qatari citizen Ahmad Al safety of piped natural gas, it A former CMC member, fuel stations. He added: “Usually, the only realise that every human life is Aabid is used worldwide. Some real Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, said: “I “Unfortunately, our petrol beneficiaries of stricter rules precious,” said the lawyer. estate giants, such as Barwa, know this (laying gas pipelines) stations are full of commercial are companies that supply THE PENINSULA ome roads such as Al Shamal, Al Shahaniya Sand Al Khairatiyat, Tank exploded 30 minutes lack petrol stations. Many motorists are forced to come after refuelling: Reports to Doha for refuelling their DOHA: The gas tank at issue certificates to the tank cars.” the Turkish restaurant owners. Ahmad Abu Fahad, an exploded on Thursday “Woqod engineers will Arab expatriate within 30 minutes of being never fill these tanks with- refuelled, according to out a valid fitness certifi- reports. cate, which is issued only by An engineer at Woqod, the Woqod-approved consult- t is not a bad idea to have company which owned the ants,” he said. more petrol stations in gas tank, told this newspa- The Technical Director IDoha, as they provide per yesterday that commer- of Woqod, Hajji Al Rumaihi, services to people, but not cial LPG tanks, which come on Thursday said at a press at the cost of other loca- in various capacities of up to conference: “Woqod conducts 1,000 litres, cannot explode periodical inspection of all tions. There should be more unless they are mishandled gas tanks in all restaurants, gas stations in areas that are by unauthorised persons. and expert engineers ensure deprived of their services. The engineer, who is not inspection procedures have For example, the road from authorised to speak to the been carried out by approved Al Sadd to Villaggio has no media, listed the safety fea- companies. We never allow petrol station, while the other tures of the tanks. He said anybody to fix any prod- they were made of metal and uct that is not approved by side of the same road has were very strong. Secondly, Woqod. two, and both are located at they are never filled to more “All equipment of this res- a very close distance. Such than 80 percent of their taurant and the tank were skewed distribution of petrol capacity, and even if they are inspected on January 15. For stations can be avoided with overfilled, safety valves in the additional safety, Woqod had proper planning.” tanks automatically release fixed a gas detector on the Qatari citizen the extra gas. The condi- top of the restaurant, beside tion of the tanks is routinely the tank,” Al Rumaihi said. Mohammad Al Emadi checked by professionals who THE PENINSULA Home MARCH 1, 2014 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 ON SATURDAY Indian driver returns to Doha to meet his death Friend who picks him at airport also dies in restaurant explosion

BY SACHIN KUMAR money, I would not have booked my return breadwinner of his family. He hailed from ticket to Doha. I want to be with my family, a poor family and had been sending money DOHA: He owed Death his life but the for ever,” Babu had told his childhood friend home regularly. end came fast and furious. It may sound Azam over telephone from his village. On the fateful morning, Venkatesh strange, the Indian driver could have In a twist of fate, Babu had first called picked up Babu from the airport and they been alive today if he had not returned Azam to pick him from the airport. But decided to have breakfast together at the to Qatar on Thursday. Azam told him that he could not come restaurant, oblivious of what lay in store But as fate would have it, Shaikh Babu because of busy schedule. Babu then called for them. arrived in the morning and a couple of another friend, Venkatesh, also a driver, to “Both families are so poor, they cannot www.swiss-belhotel.com hours later died in the gas tank explosion pick him up. afford to come to Doha to collect the bod- Tel in the ‘Istanbul’ restaurant near Landmark And Venkatesh, who worked with Babu, ies. The families have requested friends to Mall — at 10.12am. also perished in the explosion. arrange their repatriation,” said Azam. Fax He actually did not want to come back. “Babu was big-hearted. He was always Venkatesh, 41, is survived by wife and The villager had taken leave and gone to ready to help others,” said Azam, recall- three children. Most of the people who died his home town in the southern state of ing the conversation. He could hardly con- in the explosion were from poor families Andra Pradesh to re-unite with his wife trol his emotions. It was he who identified and had been in Doha to earn and support Tel after some time. Babu’s mangled body in the hospital. them back home. Fax She had delivered and he was so over- Before going to India, Babu had insisted And Sherli Closa Castra, 30, had gone joyed to see his newborn boy that he wanted with Azam that the main purpose of his to the mall to show some products to his to be with them but for his poverty. visit home was to see his baby. client. After meeting them, he also decided “I don’t want to come back, I am so Babu, in his early 30s, had got mar- to have breakfast at the restaurant — and happy to see my baby. If I had a little more ried around a year back and was the sole died in the blast. THE PENINSULA Tel Fax

Tollfree Qatar, Bosnia discuss prospective Fax

Tel joint ventures to boost relations Fax

SARAJEVO: The President Tel of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fax Zeljko Komsic, yesterday met Foreign Minister Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah. Dr Al Attiyah conveyed greet- Tel ings of the Emir H H Sheikh Fax Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Komsic asked Dr Al Attiyah to www.doha.hilton.com convey his greetings to the Emir and wishes to Qatar of further Tel +974 44233333 progress and prosperity. The Deputy Prime Minister Fax +974 44233000 and Foreign Minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija, also met Dr Al Attiyah and reviewed relations and means to develop them in all areas. Prospective joint projects was also discussed. “We discussed topics of mutual interest,” Dr Al Attiyah said at a joint press conference with Lagumdzija. Tel “I think that we have completed Fax preparing legal steps needed to move forwards to further coop- eration,” he added. He said areas of cooperation were identified, with a focus on Tel development projects, agriculture Fax and infrastructure. Dr Al Attiyah expressed pleas- ure over the presence of Bosnian Foreign Minister Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah (left) and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, companies in Qatar to contribute Zlatko Lagumdzija, addressing a joint press conference. Tel to the development of infrastruc- Fax ture projects of Qatar National Al Attiyah also met Sheikh Qatar for support, especially in The mufti wished the govern- Vision 2030. Lagumdzija wel- Hussein Kvazovic, Chief Scholar the rebuilding of Gazi Khosrow ment and people of Qatar fur- comed Dr Al Attiyah’s visit and and Grand Mufti, and members Bek Library in Sarajevo, and ther progress and prosperity. hoped more partnerships with of parliament and officials. maintenance of some institutes He also stressed the impor- Qatar in the future. Sheikh Hussein thanked and schools. tance of cooperation. QNA Tel Fax

Tel Indian community mourns blast victims Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora addressing the condolence meeting. www.renaissancedoha.com

DOHA: The Indian community yester- Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Nepalese embassy, P S Sasikumar, Deputy Tel +974 44195000 day mourned 11 expatriates who died in bin Khalifa Al Thani. Chief, Indian embassy, Suman Sharma, Fax +974 44195100 Thursday’s gas tanker explosion at the He also conveyed the community’s condo- Second Secretary, Indian embassy, Tarun ‘Istanbul’ restaurant near Landmark lences to the bereaved families. Confirming Basu, President, ICC, Kareem Abdulla, Mall. the death of five Indians, he said 12 Indians President, Indian Community Benevolent Addressing a gathering at Indian Cultural had been treated for injuries. The embassy Fund, K M Varghese, Advisory Council Centre (ICC), Ambassador Sanjiv Arora is in contact with all concerned to repatriate Member, ICC, and leaders of Indian com- praised timely response by Qatari authori- the bodies to their native places, he added. munity organisations were present. ties and the Prime Minister and Interior Hari Har Kant Poudal, Second Secretary, THE PENINSULA MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home

House catches fire

Thick smoke billowing after a fire broke out in a house in the busy Bin Mahmoud area yesterday evening. A Civil Defence team rushed to the scene and put out the blaze. The Interior Ministry later said there were no casualties. QC printed 566,000 textbooks Opportunities in Qatar not restricted to specific for Syrians over last year countries: Minister DOHA: The Minister of develops such equipment. It pro- Transport H E Jassim bin Seif duces almost 60 percent of drill- More books this year in collaboration with Syrian Commission of Education Al Sulaiti has said Qatar is ing equipment in the world, the committed to transparency Minister added. DOHA: Qatar Charity (OC) while awarding contracts for “Qatar seeks partnership with has printed 566,000 textbooks major projects. companies in various countries for Syrian students over the Qatar has no special interests to execute projects related to the last year. in any particular country in terms Metro Rail. It has also announced to print of awarding contracts, he told Al “Herrenknecht got the con- more books this year as part of Arab. The government is look- tract after winning the bid. It has a project to support education ing for companies that meet the delivered one TBM. for Syrians, in collaboration with required technical competence as “Qatar will be receiving another Syrian Commission for Education partners to execute projects. 14 TBMs soon to help expedite the (SCE). Competent contracting compa- Metro Rail project,” he said. The announcement was made nies from various countries are Regarding partnership of the in a paper by Mohammed Al involved in the Metro Rail project private sector in the rail project, Ghamdi, QC Executive Director and works are not restricted to the Minister said partnerships for International Development, any one country, he said. with private companies are not during the second conference on On procuring the high-tech limited to the project. Syrian refugees in Lebanon, held tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Qatari private companies must in Istanbul, Turkey, on February from the German company take advantage of working with 20-22. Herrenknecht, he said this international companies, he It was organised by Federation firm is the world’s biggest that added. THE PENINSULA of Societies of Relief and Development in Lebanon and Turkey’s IHH Foundation and attended by Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and international, Aspetar takes part in knee Arab and Islamic organisations. QC will also finance 50 percent of the value of any projects for surgery forum in France Syrian refugees in Lebanon. It has allocated about QR14m DOHA: Aspetar once again for refugees in Lebanon and those A Syrian student receiving textbooks at the event. demonstrated commitment to displaced within Syria to schools, becoming a leader in sports support health centres and poly- medicine by 2015 by partnering clinics, establish a centre for psy- promoting education, contribut- Syrian students in Qatar via the Secretary-General of the Arab with the 5th Advanced Course chosocial support for refugees and ing to alleviating students and Qatari consulate in Istanbul and League for Humanitarian Relief, in Knee Surgery in Val d’Isère, meet the needs of refugee chil- their families’ suffering and pre- the Syrian embassy in Qatar. attended the distribution of books France. dren in Lebanon. serving a generation of young QC is exerting effort to receive at Recep Tayyip Erdogan School The event earlier last month The printing was part of a people. global recognition for the pro- in Antioch on October 24 last saw international speakers and programme to provide books for It aims to cover elementary, gramme by working with Islamic year, attended by a QC delegation delegates in lectures, video ses- 20,000 students displaced inside middle and secondary school Educational, Scientific and and the SCE. sions, case studies, roundtables Syria and those forced to flee the stages comprising 204 textbooks. Cultural Organisation, expand- QC continues its efforts to and interactive discussions to country. The programme includes An estimated 7m books are ing services to cover the bulk of support displaced and refugee further concepts and guidelines other school supplies and support needed and 4m have been printed educational needs in Syria and Syrians through projects and for knee treatment and care. for teachers. according to European standards, mobilising efforts with Unicef and initiatives, with a vision for the Aspetar experts, including Dr QC said the project objectives covering 55 percent of the cur- other global organisations. advancement of education in Nebojsa Popovic, Orthopaedic included printing and distribu- rent need. Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa cooperation with SCE . Surgeon, Dr Emad Almusa, tion of a revised curriculum, The books were delivered to Al Thani, special envoy of the THE PENINSULA Consultant Radiologist, and Dr Juan Manuel Alonso, Sports further sports medicine research Medicine Physician attended and education, so it was fantastic while Aspetar Chief of Surgery, being able to join hands with this Dr Philippe Landreau, was co- conference again.” director of the summit. Aspetar hosts and attends Embassy receives 578 “Knee pain and injuries are international conferences, bring- Qatari relief distributed to common in athletes and Aspetar ing together world-class prac- recognises the importance of titioners in the field. Previous complaints in two months Syrian refugees in Lebanon discussing latest approaches highlights include presenting to surgery. Bringing together a forum at the London 2012 DOHA: The Indian embassy’s Deportation Centre is 64 and BEIRUT: The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees experts from across the globe, Olympics, hosting an Altitude labour and community wel- 138, respectively. (UNHCR) yesterday distributed Qatari humanitarian aid to including France, the UK, Spain, Training and Team Sports fare section received 578 com- Following requests from Syrian refugees in Jounieh in the Mount Lebanon Governorate. Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Conference to enhance perform- plaints in the first two months Qatari authorities for travel The aid given to 200 families, included heaters and waterproof Italy and Australia, the confer- ance levels in team sport players, of 2014. documents for detainees at the plastic covers in addition to personal and household hygiene kits. ence served as a platform to and Aspetar’s Current Concepts It received 3,558 complaints in Deportation Centre, the embassy Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) had pledged, under an agree- engage some of the greatest minds Series, an initiative that explores 2013, according to a statement issued 10 emergency certificates ment with UNHCR, to provide relief worth $20m for Syrian fami- in the field of knee surgery,” said and researches sports-related yesterday. in February, along with three lies which have sought refuge in Lebanon. Under the agreement Dr Landreau. injuries. Aspetar is a leading spe- It also registered the death of tickets to nationals who could signed on December 23, QRCS will provide 24,000 heaters, 120,000 Sessions were divided into eight cialised orthopaedic and sports 20 Indians in February, taking not afford their travel expenses, blankets, 120,000 mattresses, 120,000 hygiene kits, 12m litres of topics, including ‘Imaging for medicine hospital, the first of this to 44 the total registered so far to facilitate their deportation. heating fuel and 48,000 waterproof plastic covers. knee surgeons’, ‘How to manage kind in the Middle East. Since this year. The Indian Community menisci lesions’, ‘Update on ACL 2007, it has been providing com- An embassy team visited Benevolent Forum continues to Belgian minister meets Qatari envoy reconstruction’, and ‘Athlete’s prehensive treatment to athletes the Central Prison and the help Indian workers through its knee overuse’. in a state-of-the-art facility that Deportation Centre last week welfare measures. BRUSSELS: The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Dr Khalifa Al Kuwari (pic- sets standards internationally. In to enquire about the welfare of It has been providing air tick- Economy, SMEs and Foreign Trade, Jean-Claude Marcourt, yes- tured), Director General of 2013, Aspetar became the first Indian detainees. ets, medical help and financial terday met Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani Aspetar, said “We were the main GCC Sports Medicine Reference The number of Indians in assistance to the needy. and discussed issues of common interest. QNA partners of the biennial forum. Centre in the Middle East. the Central Prison and the THE PENINSULA Part of Aspetar’s mandate is to THE PENINSULA MARCH 1, 2014 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 ON SATURDAY

Kammutty VP

AMAZING THAILAND

he Thai Embassy, in association with the Ministry of Culture of Thailand, Torganised a series of events at Al Khor Mall yesterday to promote Thai culture. A troupe of 25 performers and musicians mesmerised visitors to the mall with classical dance, masked dance, a contemporary dance, traditional martial arts and traditional dances from different parts of Thailand. There was also a display of Thai handicrafts, umbrella painting, fruit and soap carving, and silk weaving. The event was inaugurated by the ambassador of Thailand in the presence Lulu officials. 06 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Views

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hile political upheavals beset the world and its people, affecting hundreds of thousands directly — Syria, Egypt, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Wlately Ukraine, are examples — something that Ukraine has experienced keeps happening everyday and with gruesome intensity is intermittently forgotten. Either a conference brings out the seriousness of the subject or an advocacy group comes up with an innovative idea to protest — like Greenpeace members merely a change of elites did against Russia drilling for oil in the Arctic. Once in a while, a politician makes a statement against the most feared of phenomena — climate change. David Cameron did it on BY VOLODYMYR ISHCHENKO government. The cabinet, approved of the victorious “revolution”. They Wednesday in the Parliament when he called it one of the most on Thursday, consists mainly of neo- have guns captured from police depart- serious of threats. WO popular labels are being liberals and nationalists. Its official ments in the western regions and The Americans, especially those living in the east and ascribed to events in Ukraine: programme of action presented to par- now, after Yanukovych’s toppling, are Midwest felt the bite of winter in the worst possible way this it was either a democratic – liament declares the need for “unpopu- demanding that the revolution needs to year. The draft from the Polar Vortex, a huge mass of cold air, Tor even social – revolution, or lar decisions” on prices and tariffs and continue against “corrupt democracy” it was a rightwing – or even neo-Nazi its readiness to fulfill all the conditions and liberalism. The liberals celebrating precipitated by the shifting Jet Stream froze vast swathes of – coup. In fact, both characterisations of the loan from the International their decisiveness and crucial role in the United States, bringing to a halt flights and trains and are wrong. What we have have seen Monetary Fund. the Maidan movement are now dis- disrupting normal life for days. is a mass rebellion, overwhelmingly The IMF’s requirements to freeze covering the right’s reactionary ideas. Man-made climate change continues to hit us every moment. supported in western and central wages and hike gas prices was one of Recently, the press secretary of the From the pristine climes of Chicago in the Western Hemisphere Ukraine without majority support in the reasons why the former govern- Right Sector gave an interview say- to the hazy and toxic environs of Beijing, it is the climate that the eastern and southern regions, lead- ment suspended negotiations on an ing “we need to tell Europe the right ing to a change of political elites. But EU association agreement. No won- way to go” and save it from the “ter- is making life miserable for everyone. While the cold blast there are no prospects for democratic, der so many people are calling the rible situation” of “total liberalism”, made it hard for residents of Chicago, those in Beijing are radical change, at least under the new new administration the “government when people don’t go to church and always seen sporting a pollution mask. Not only has suspended government. of suicides”. It is not hard to forecast are tolerant of lesbian, gay bisexual and particulate matter (spm) been a Why was it neither a social, nor mass disappointment with these anti- transgender rights. threat, latest studies show that democratic revolution? Some of the social policies and a collapse of the cur- It is too soon for the Right Sector respiratory suspended particulate demands of the rency, further impoverishing ordinary to move against the new govern- While some Maidan move- Ukrainians. ment – it lacks the support. But the global issues matter (rspm) can also enter the ment have been The far right has also achieved a group may lead a new insurrection bloodstream through the lungs. implemented. major breakthrough in the govern- in the event of a rapid and deepen- remain in the Climate change conferences are For example, the ment. Some commentators have ing economic crisis. In the absence of spotlight, climate held periodically with a lot of hope. The new notorious Berkut warned that their level of represen- any strong leftist force in Ukraine, They start with much on the agenda regiment – the tation in the new Ukrainian govern- social grievances will be whipped up riot police who ment is unparalleled in Europe. The by rightwing populists. change faces the but end with empty platitudes. rulers in Kiev, killed most of the xenophobic Svoboda party controls the At the same time, the leading role crisis of priority. The UN climate meet becomes with links to dead protesters posts of deputy prime minister, minis- of radical Ukrainian nationalists in a platform for the developed and – was disbanded ters of defence, ecology, agriculture and potential new “social Maidan” will developing world to collide with a the right, will and the most odi- the prosecutor general’s office. preclude any all-national movement lot of sparks flying that coalesce never tackle ous of the former Andriy Parubiy, one of the founders against the ruling class, with mass par- into promises of carbon credits and emission targets. What Yanukovych offi- of the Social-National Party of Ukraine ticipation from the east and the south cials have been and a former leader of its paramilitary of culturally divided Ukraine. comes out in the end doesn’t contribute much to the solution the root cause sacked. youth organisation, who later joined Moreover, they even amplify sepa- to the problem. Thermal power plants keep spewing venom However, this the moderate Batkivshchyna party and ratist attitudes and attempts of pro- into the air, aircraft remain flying chimneys, public transport of corruption does not mean efficiently commanded self-defence Russian provocations, as we have seen keeps enforcement authorities on their toes and widespread in Ukraine: the start of sys- forces in Maidan, is now the head in Crimea. The full-scale civil war, corruption ensures that green norms are not implemented. tematic demo- of the national security and defense although not inevitable, is a real threat The issue of climate change suffers from a crisis of priority. poverty and cratic change, council. now. or that the new At the same time, the protest badly In this situation, the best policy Natural calamities — which are again often inspired by climate inequality. government is fits into the coup label of a well- for the west would be to insist on the change, political upheavals, crises of democracy, fight against in any way going planned armed seizure of power. The peaceful resolution of the interregional poverty, healthcare, terrorism, economic issues, problems to challenge the Maidan movement, particularly its conflicts in Ukraine, taking a strong faced by children, women’s rights and the like keep occupying root of pervasive paramilitary arm, was hardly con- position against participation of the our minds. International sports events take a lot of time and corruption in Ukraine: poverty and trolled by the parliamentary parties. far right in the new government and inequality. Moreover, it is likely only In fact, these parties were regularly uncontrolled rightist paramilitaries energy of nations with resources, during which the last thing a to aggravate these problems, putting trying to pacify the movement, urging on the streets. Last but not least, the government does is care about the climate. the burden of the economic crisis on compromises with Yanukovych, albeit west could offer unconditional help to The global fight against terrorism and surge in healthcare the shoulders of Ukraine’s poor, not on without much success. Ukraine by cancelling its foreign debt spending to fight diseases has built up a tempo that is far ahead the rich Ukrainian oligarchs. What is most worrying is that the – a popular demand raised by many of what the battle to fight climate change has achieved. It is The socioeconomic demands of the new government cannot control the progressive movements all over the not that one cannot fight climate change, what is needed is the Maidan movement have been replaced infamous Right Sector. Its members world. with the neoliberal agenda of the new are now popular heroes, the vanguard THE GUARDIAN realisation that it is at least as important as other global issues. The other side Quote of West should support Ukrainian reforms the day ONE of the multifaceted time, Ukraine became a member of their fair military share. Moscow knows is ethnic Russian. A stroke on the pen challenges embodied in the European Union, membership of that all of this could change. The West in 1954 made the territory an admin- Ukraine seems open to an NATO would not be far behind. The seems incapable of appreciating the istrative part of Ukraine. Historically Neasy solution. The downfall Russians do not see NATO as a defen- depth of Russian concerns. These Ukraine has had little connection with In scores of our of President Viktor Yanukovich began sive alliance. In 1999 Poland became are based on bitter experience. There the peninsular. Though nominally inde- with a contest between Moscow a member. Were the Ukraine to join, were around 30 million Russian civil- pendent in Soviet times — it once had cities and market and Brussels for economic and from Moscow’s point of view, poten- ian and military casualties in two world its on seat at the UN — the great land- political influence. It ended when the tially unfriendly tanks would be parked wars. mass of Ukraine was always expected towns, this country beleaguered Ukrainian leader tried to on its lawn, the full length of eastern In addition, if Ukraine joined NATO, to be part of Moscow’s empire. crush crowds who were no longer Europe, from the Baltic to the Black as things currently stand, the coun- Meanwhile, the Crimea was once the (Britain) in a short demonstrating about Europe but Sea. try would be unique in that it hosts a heartland of the Tatars. In 1944, after space of time has about Yanukovich himself. It matters not that European armies Russian naval base. Moscow’s Black accusing them of collaborating with With the president gone, the issue have long been shrinking and now US Sea fleet is based in Sebastapol in the the invading Nazis, Stalin deported frankly become of influence has returned. Putin’s forces face drastic cuts. It matters Crimea. Once a rusting memento of the entire Tatar population to what is Kremlin is less concerned with the not that Washington’s commitment Soviet decay, today the base is brisk now Uzbekistan. There are currently unrecognizable due Nigel Farage economic opportunities at stake than to NATO is waning because of the and business-like. Moreover the city only about 250,000 ethnic Tatars in to migration. Leader of Britain with the military implications. If, in due unwillingness of EU states to shoulder and much of the Crimean peninsular the Crimea. ARAB NEWS Ukip Party MARCH 1, 2014 Views www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 ON SATURDAY The link between Venezuela and Cuba

wealth over the past 15 years. Oil is at the heart of Venezuela’s Blessed with the largest oil reserves in Latin America, and support for Cuba, but it is also at the second largest in the world, Venezuela has struggled to attract the foreign investment needed to the heart of Venezuela’s woes. increase oil production, especially in challenging oil fields laden with BY KEITH JOHNSON long been sceptical of the Obama thick, heavy oil. administration’s efforts to reach Production has remained con- op US lawmakers out to Cuba after more than 50 stant, at about 2.3 million barrels from both parties are years of a US economic embargo per day in recent years, in part urging the Obama against the island nation. Obama’s because rampant inflation has administration to efforts to loosen restrictions on made it hard for foreign firms take a tougher line travel and remittances, especially to boost output there and partly Ton Venezuela, which is violently for Cuban-Americans, have pro- because the Chavez and Maduro cracking down on popular pro- voked a backlash among law- regimes have used oil income to tests against the government of makers, like Rubio, who count on underwrite expensive social pro- Nicolas Maduro. For some on Cuban-American votes. grammes at home, to the detri- Capitol Hill, though, the real tar- That perception was strength- ment of productive investment in get is Cuba. ened in December, when President the industry. These leading Republicans and Obama shook hands with Raul Exports, which account for about Democrats are pushing back at a Castro, the brother of Fidel and half the Venezuelan budget, have country that has been a constant the current Cuban president, at the plummeted since the advent of thorn in the side of US interests funeral of Nelson Mandela. That Chavismo. Venezuelan oil exports in Latin America in recent years. came just a month after Obama peaked in the late 1990s at about Reps Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R, suggested the United States might 3m barrels, but have since fallen Fla, and Eliot Engel, D, NY, have need to rethink the embargo. A supporter holding an image of late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez during a gathering in support of the to about 1.7 million barrels a day. both called for the Organization Rubio said in a passion- government of his successor Nicolas Maduro in Caracas yesterday as part of the 25th anniversary of the ‘Caracazo’, Additionally, some 400,000 barrels of American States, which meets ate speech on the Senate floor the violent social riots which started in February 1989. of that export total are sent to this week, to take a tougher line Monday that he also wants nor- Caribbean nations under preferen- on the Maduro government’s mal relations with Cuba -- “a tial terms, further eroding Caracas’ treatment of peaceful protest- democratic and free Cuba. But self-proclaimed “Bolivarian revo- the continued rule of Raul and prepared enough,” including potential earnings. ers. Sen Marco Rubio, R, Fla, you want us to reach out and lution” was modelled on Cuba’s, the Fidel Castro in Cuba. deeper economic ties with Brazil, While Rubio and others rail at has floated the idea of US sanc- develop friendly relationships South American oil giant replaced However, a lot has changed since the European Union, Canada, and the State Department for not tak- tions against Venezuelan officials with a serial violator of human the Soviet Union as the island the end of the Cold War. Cuba has China, she said. ing a tougher stance on Venezuela, involved in the crackdown, and rights, who supports what’s going country’s main economic patron, slowly tried to reform its economy Oil is at the heart of Venezuela’s another office in Foggy Bottom even against the Venezuelan gov- on in Venezuela and every other underwriting the Cuban economy and find more than one “sugar support for Cuba, but it is also did take one important step this ernment itself. atrocity on the planet?” to the tune of billions of dollars a daddy” to prop it up. Brazil, for one, at the heart of Venezuela’s own week that could ultimately deal But Venezuela hawks such as Cuba and Venezuela are linked as year. is increasing investment and trade woes. Much of the popular anger a big economic blow to Maduro Rubio are making a second argu- foreign policy challenges for many Some estimates of the scale in Cuba, and just helped construct in Venezuela is a reaction to the and the Venezuelan government. ment: tougher action against lawmakers because of the close ties of Venezuelan support for Cuba, a major port not far from Havana. government crackdown on stu- The State Department’s Inspector Venezuela represents a chance to between the two socialist regimes. including more than 130,000 bar- Cuba, recognizing the peril that dents. However, widespread dis- General determined that its envi- undermine one of the key lifelines Former Venezuelan strongman rels a day of oil but also salaries reliance on Venezuelan oil poses satisfaction with the Maduro ronmental review of the contro- of the communist regime in Cuba, Hugo Chavez was an unabashed for thousands of Cuban officials for its economy, has also repeatedly government’s economic misman- versial Keystone XL pipeline whose economy relies on heavily supporter of Fidel Castro, and working in the country, suggest sought to tap what it believes are agement has prompted even the suffered no conflict of interest. subsidised oil and other gifts from helped ensure that Venezuela used Caracas gives Cuba more than abundant oil reserves in the Gulf of middle class -- hammered by That removes one of the last Caracas. its oil wealth to help prop up Cuba’s $10bn a year, or between one- Mexico, but so far without success. soaring inflation, empty store potential obstacles for the Obama “The Cubans get free and ailing economy. Chavez repeatedly fifth and one-sixth of Cuba’s “Do you drive Cuba off the shelves and a cratering currency administration to finally green- cheap oil from the Venezuelans. sought medical treatment for the gross domestic product. That edge of the earth by strangling -- to join the protests. The New light the pipeline that would carry So their interest is keeping this cancer that eventually killed him comes close to the level of eco- Venezuela? Nothing the United York Times captured the mood almost 800,000 barrels a day of regime in place because they’re in Cuba, and the close relation- nomic support that Cuba received States has done in 50 years has this week talking with one such heavy crude oil from Canada to their benefactors,” Rubio told ship between the two countries from the Soviet Union in the late caused that to happen in Cuba,” protester: “Look. I’ve got a rock refineries on the US Gulf Coast. CNN this week. “And Cuba is has continued even as both have 1980s, before the Soviet collapse Julia Sweig, a Latin American in my hand and I’m the dis- The biggest loser if Keystone is clearly involved in assisting the moved on to other leaders. Nicolas abruptly ended Moscow’s eco- expert at the Council on Foreign tributor for Adidas eye wear in built? Venezuela, which currently Venezuelan government with both Maduro was one of the feted guests nomic aid to Fidel Castro. Relations, told Foreign Policy. Venezuela,” Carlos Alviarez told exports about 800,000 barrels of personnel and training and equip- last summer when Cuba celebrated In other words, some lawmakers “My expectation is that Cuba the newspaper. heavy oil a day to the United ment to carry out these repres- the 60th anniversary of the start of believe, further unrest or even a has been planning for this for And that economic malaise is States to keep those refineries sive activities,” he added. the Cuban revolution. change in the regime in Venezuela a long time, and even if they’re due in part to the systemic mis- humming. A host of key lawmakers have While Venezuela’s could represent a direct threat to not 100 percent ready, they are management of Venezuela’s oil WP-BLOOMBERG Velvet Divorce Ukrainian style is more realistic Bullies for 22 years, The 1993 partition of Czechoslovakia, Bosnians must protest the so-called velvet divorce, was a BY DAMIR ARSENIJEVIC his month’s protests in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a clear message: the elites who carved up power among mostly amicable division that was the different ethnic groups before lining their own Tpockets with the country’s resources, wealth and capi- ratified, and legitimised, by the tal, have had their day. The 85 wealthiest oligarchs in the state are collectively worth $9bn: this “wealth” was looted either via corrupt laws or by siphoning off money from the international country’s citizens. community designed to prevent a return to conflict. But now the citizens are waging a determined struggle – BY JOSHUA KEATING similarly allow the public to decide to keep open the space for direct democratic participation, the basic course of the coun- to insist their voices are heard and that their actions count. ven before the Russian flag try’s foreign policy. It would be a Public gatherings or plenums have sprung up which are open was raised over govern- messy process, and there would be to anyone, and where collective decisions and demands can ment buildings in the cap- many who argue reasonably that be made and action taken. But the plenum as a form of self- Eital of Crimea this week, Ukrainian identity consists precisely Armed men stand guard at the entrance to Belbek Airport in the Crimea region organisation in which citizens come together to articulate there was an increasingly preva- in maintaining some link with both yesterday as they took control of two airports in what Ukraine’s government demands underpinned by protest marches, is now under lent idea, even among supporters East and West. But foreign policy by described as an invasion and occupation by Russian forces. attack. The pushback comes from all quarters: from cor- of Ukraine’s European integration, referendum would be preferable to rupt and complacent elites who vilify the plenums’ demands that the 22-year-old country might the permanent division of Ukraine, thought Figes was naïve to sug- country that is majority ethnic for openness, transparency and an end to corruption, to be better off simply jettisoning its which is looking increasingly like gest that Yanukovich’s government Russian and even there, 24 percent incredulous international figures, who have been stunned southern and eastern regions. a possibility. And given Ukraine’s would ever agree to a referendum, of the population is Ukrainian and by the outstanding class solidarity shown during this crisis. As every “here’s the one thing tragic twentieth-century history, but said that if the opposition were 12 percent are Tatars, who tend to By maintaining a dysfunctional, nepotistic and parasitic you need to know about Ukraine” it would certainly be preferable to to take over and eastern regions be very anti-Russian. bureaucratic power structure, local and international politi- explainer points out, opposi- a solution imposed by an outside began kicking up a fuss - as has now The idea that Ukraine is simply cians have exhausted the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina tion to the now-ousted president power. The Ukrainian-American happened - the new government some sort of artificial construct for almost 22 years. Out of rage and despair, those who have Viktor Yanukovich and support political scientist Alexander Motyl should simply “point to the door” certainly serves Russian interests. been forced to rummage through dustbins to survive have for European integration came writes in World Affairs: and let the East walk. Vladimir Putin once reportedly told finally stood up to demand change. primarily from the predominantly Personally, I have no doubt that Tempting as it may be to think George W Bush that “Ukraine is not The plenums have given citizens a forum to vent their Ukrainian speaking west. The ex- Ukraine without its southeast would of divorce as a neat solution to this even a state.” Yes, it’s a compara- anger at the everyday terror they endure. That is, the worker president’s base, and most of the be much stronger, more stable, and problem, neat and peaceful Velvet tively new country, and I’ve down- who has not been paid for almost four years but is forced to support for closer ties to Moscow, more prosperous than Ukraine with Divorce’s like Czechoslovakia’s are loaded a couple of posts over the last go to work every day, with no health benefits. The student is in the Russian speaking East. its southeast. The southeast’s rust- historically rare. It’s worth keeping few weeks on the often seemingly who was forced to give huge bribes or sell her body to pass In December, the eminent British belt economy needs either to be in mind that Ukraine’s regions are accidental ways that its current bor- an exam. The woman whose son was severely beaten by the historian of Russia Orlando Figes shut down entirely or to be refitted not the ethno-political monoliths ders were set, but if we disqualified police because he took part in a street protest, and who came argued in Foreign Affairs that to at the cost of trillions of dollars of that many of the maps commonly every country in Europe for state- to the plenum at Tuzla and asked her son to show his bruises avoid future crises like the one we’re non-existent investments. Moreover, used to explain the situation make hood - let’s not even get into the to the gathering of more than 700 people. seeing now, the country should sim- the statistics plainly show that Kyiv them out to be. Middle East or Africa - based on For 22 years, the “transition to democracy” has not pre- ply put it to a vote and let the East subsidises the Donbas (eastern As Motyl tells Radio Free Europe, the fact that it contains multiple vented the raping and killing of mentally and physically go its own way: Ukraine], and not vice versa. “There are significant numbers of cultural groups that haven’t always abused women, men and children. Since the end of the war Given how divided Ukraine is The southeast also has a low ethnic Ukrainians who continue to gotten along and could easily have in 1995, instead of mourning their horrific losses, Bosnian on these issues -- and how incom- birth rate, a high death rate, low life speak Ukrainian in the east and in ended up as several smaller coun- citizens have been forced to accept that they can only speak patible Russia’s desires are with expectancy, high energy consump- the south... You have Russians in tries or part of a larger one, we’d be and act if they embrace the status of victims. the European Union’s -- Ukraine tion, and high AIDS and crime rates. other parts of the country, even in left with... Iceland maybe? The recent protests have created, for the first time, an ought to consider applying a prec- Last but not least, the south- Lviv, which, by the way, is a very A Ukrainian split involving opportunity to move from melancholia to mourning, to face edent from elsewhere in eastern east is home to the ruling Party of tolerant city where you can hear Crimea being absorbed into Russia the losses and start counting the gains from the war. Ours Europe: deciding the country’s fate Regions and the Communist Party. Russian spoken on the streets.” or a larger swathe of territory is a life that has survived war and genocide, but has been by referendum. The 1993 partition Remove the southeast and Ukraine’s In Donetsk, Yanukovich’s home becoming a Russian-supported semi- brutalised by the corrupt privatisation of public companies; of Czechoslovakia, the so-called vel- treasury experiences an immediate region and the base of his political independent entity, is certainly look- a life that now only dreams of fleeing the country to avoid vet divorce, was a mostly amicable boon; its demographics, energy con- power, 24 percent of the population ing more realistic as Russia turns up dying in solitude and hunger. This is the life we have to division that was ratified, and thus sumption, and health improve; and speaks Ukrainian and more than the heat on Ukraine’s fragile new reclaim. We have to create more humane ties, and a society legitimised, by the country’s own its politics automatically become half the population identifies as eth- government. But we shouldn’t kid that offers our young people a future. I am part of this life citizens. more democratic and less corrupt. nically Ukrainian. ourselves into thinking it’s an easy and every day I remind myself to get up and go to the streets Ukrainian politicians could Writing a few weeks ago, Motyl Crimea is the only region of the solution. WP-BLOOMBERG to protest because this is our only hope. THE GUARDIAN 08 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Middle East At least 13 Turkey frees suspects in graft probe killed in north Opposition challenges law tightening judicial control Yemen clashes SANA’A: At least 13 people ISTANBUL: A Turkish court His Islamic-rooted government died when Shia fighters clashed yesterday released the last five has more recently pushed through with security forces in north- suspects, including the sons of legislation tightening state control ern Yemen yesterday, govern- two ministers, detained in a cor- over the Internet and the judici- ment sources said, underlining ruption probe that has struck ary, generating criticism at home the chaos still gripping the at the heart of Prime Minister and abroad and raising questions country two years after mass Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s about the state of democracy in protests ousted its leader. government. Turkey. The fighters were from the Baris Guler, the son of the Meanwhile, main opposition Houthi movement which is former interior minister, as well party asked the top court on seeking to strengthen its hold as Kaan Caglayan, the son of Friday to overturn a law tight- on the north — one of a string the ex-economy minister, and ening government control of of challenges facing an interim Azerbaijani businessman Reza the judiciary, which it sees as government also battling south- Zarrab were among the remain- a bid by Prime Minister Tayyip ern separatists, Al Qaeda-linked ing accused freed pending trial, Erdogan to snuff out a corrup- militants and an economic crisis. local media reported. tion scandal. The security situation in The private NTV channel said Hours after the law was Yemen is closely watched in an Istanbul court made the deci- enacted late on Thursday, Justice Gulf Arab states and Washington sion because the necessary evi- Minister Bekir Bozdag appointed given the impoverished country’s dence had been collected. The five at least nine new senior members strategic position next to top oil were also given a travel ban. of the judiciary. The opposition exporter Saudi Arabia and to Asked about the releases dur- Republican People’s Party (CHP) main shipping lanes. ing a visit to the western city of said the law contained many vio- Violence erupted after mem- Balikesir, Erdogan told reporters: lations of the constitution, and bers of the Houthi group staged “This is what I expected. Justice appealed to the Constitutional a protest in al Hazm, the pro- has been served.” Court to repeal it. vincial capital of northwestern Guler and Caglayan stand Erdogan had already responded al Jawf province, against what accused of acting as intermedi- to the graft investigation by dis- they said was the government’s aries for giving and taking bribes, missing or reassigning thousands failure to boost the economy and while Zarrab was suspected of of police officers and hundreds of end violence. Officials from both A man shouts slogans against Turkish Prime Minister during a demonstration in Ankara yesterday. People took to forming a ring that bribed offi- judges and prosecutors, in what sides gave different accounts of the streets for the fourth consecutive day in protest against Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government after corruption cials to disguise illegal gold sales his aides acknowledge is a bid to what happened next. to sanctions-hit Iran via state- allegations against the prime minister surfaced. wipe out Gulen’s influence. One government security owned Halkbank. “This is clearly in violation of source, who asked not to be The men walked free two weeks business and political allies were Prosecutors have opened a probe of people, including the premier, the principles of separation of named, said armed Houthis after Suleyman Arslan, the former detained. The fallout prompted a into the phone-tapping incidents. cabinet ministers and journalists. powers and the independence of exchanged fire with soldiers at chief executive of Halkbank, was cabinet reshuffle and the resigna- The opposition has stepped The premier has accused sup- courts,” he said, after filing the an army checkpoint near a local also released. He faces allegations tion of three ministers whose sons up calls for Erdogan’s resigna- porters of exiled Muslim cleric party’s appeal. government compound, leaving of corruption, fraud and money were among those targeted. tion following the revelations Fethullah Gulen, who wields con- The corruption scandal, which at least 10 Houthis and three laundering in connection with The controversy has since wid- of the incriminating audio siderable influence in the judici- Erdogan has described as an soldiers dead. illegal gold sales to Iran. ened to implicate Erdogan him- recordings. ary and police, of launching the attempted “judicial coup” ahead Another security source said Police also seized $4.5m in cash self, after recordings were leaked Thousands of demonstrators corruption probe to destabilise his of elections this year, erupted on some of the soldiers may have hidden in shoe boxes from his online this week in which the pre- have also taken to the streets government ahead of local polls in December 17 with the arrest of been supporters of one of the home. In subsequent street pro- mier can allegedly be heard dis- in Ankara and Istanbul this March and a presidential election dozens of bureaucrats and busi- Houthis’ long-standing foes - the tests against government corrup- cussing hiding large sums of cash week to protest against the pre- in August. nessmen close to him, as well as Sunni Islah party, a group linked tion, citizens have waved empty and conspiring to extort a bribe mier and his ruling Justice and Erdogan retaliated by sack- three ministers’ sons. to the Muslim Brotherhood. shoe boxes as a symbol of their from a business associate. Development Party (AKP). ing hundreds of police and pros- The law on the judiciary is The Houthis said they were anger. Erdogan has dismissed the It comes after the government ecutors believed to be linked to among several the government attacked by armed Islah mem- The graft scandal first erupted recordings as fabricated, say- accused associates of US-based Gulen, but the crisis has evolved is pushing through parliament bers supported by a group from with police raids on December ing they were the result of a Gulen in the police and judiciary into the biggest challenge yet to before local elections on March the army, according to a state- 17, when dozens of Erdogan’s key “vile montage” by his rivals. of eavesdropping on thousands his 11 years in power. 30. AGENCIES ment on a Houthi-linked website. Islah member Mohammed Qahtan said the group had no armed wing and played no part in yesterday’s fighting. Yemen’s Call for peaceful regime interim President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has been strug- gling to restore order and meet change in Algeria the demands of the country’s rival groups since his pred- ALGIERS: Former Algerian premier Mouloud Hamrouche called ecessor, veteran strongman Ali for a “peaceful” change of the regime, which he said was no longer Abdullah Saleh, was forced out capable of running the country, joining a growing chorus of dissent. of office in 2012. Hamrouche said April’s presidential election, in which ailing leader On Wednesday, the UN Abdelaziz Bouteflika is expected to seek a fourth term after his can- Security Council authorised didacy was announced last week, was “pointless”, whether or not his sanctions against anyone in mandate is renewed. “The factors paralysing (Algeria) are still there,” Yemen who obstructs the coun- he told reporters at a press conference in Algiers. try’s political transition or com- “This regime has crumbled and will fall (which is why) I want to see mits human rights violations but it fall in a peaceful way, not in a wave of violence,” added Hamrouche, stopped short of blacklisting any a pro-reform prime minister between 1989 and 1991 whose government specific individuals. was credited with the emergence of Algeria’s private press. AFP REUTERS

Protesters hold pictures of detainee Jaffar Mohammed Jaffar during a protest over his death at a hospital, ahead of his funeral in the village of Daih, west of Manama, yesterday. Clash at jailed youth’s funeral in Manama

MANAMA: Bahraini police accused of smuggling weapons, died metal rods and petrol bombs at fired teargas and stun gre- of illness in custody on Wednesday, riot police, who responded with nades at hundreds of pro- the Interior Ministry said, the sec- tear gas and stun grenades. There testers throwing stones and ond death of a person held on secu- were no immediate reports of petrol bombs in a Shia village rity-related charges this year. casualties. The Interior Ministry on Friday after the funeral of a Rights campaigners have not said on its Twitter feed: “Police young man who died in custody, disputed that Jaafar had died dispersed a breakaway group of a witness said. as a result of an illness, but the vandals that diverted from the The Gulf Arab nation, home to main opposition Al Wefaq group funeral route in Daih.” It gave no the US Fifth Fleet, has suffered said he had been denied medical further details. low-level civil unrest since mass treatment, and one activist said Demonstrations and clashes protests in 2011 led by majority he had been tortured, accusations with security forces erupt fre- Shias demanding reforms and the ministry has denied. quently in Bahrain, while nego- a bigger share of power in the Thousands of people attended tiations between the government Sunni-led island kingdom. Jaafar’s funeral in the village of and opposition aimed at ending Jaafar Mohammed Jaafar, 23, Daih, west of the capital Manama. the unrest have stalled. who was detained in December and Protesters later threw rocks, REUTERS MARCH 1, 2014 Middle East www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 ON SATURDAY

Lebanon seeks Gunmen kill death penalty for radical cleric security guard BEIRUT: Lebanon will seek the death penalty for a radi- cal Sunni cleric who has been at large since deadly clashes of Mursi’s judge between his followers and the army last year, a judicial source said yesterday. Military judge Riad Abu Ghida Surge in attack against securitymen recommended seeking death sen- tences for Ahmad Al Assir and 53 CAIRO: Gunmen yesterday Hosni Mubarak. The case, one others, including singer-turned- killed an Egyptian policeman of three already opened against fundamentalist Fadel Shaker. who was on a security team Mursi, is part of a relentless gov- The sentences are being sought guarding the home of a judge ernment crackdown targeting in connection with the summer in the jailbreak trial of ousted him and his Muslim Brotherhood clashes in the southern city of president Mohamed Mursi, movement since his ouster. Sidon, which left at least 18 sol- security officials said. Mansoura, in the Nile Delta, diers and 11 gunmen dead. Attacks on the security forces was the site of a deadly car The suspects are accused of have surged since the army ousted bombing in December when the “having formed armed groups the Islamist Mursi last July, and city’s police headquarters was that attacked an institution of the as the military-installed authori- attacked, killing 15 people, mostly state, the army, killed officers and ties press a deadly crackdown on policeman. soldiers, took explosive materials his supporters. That bombing was the deadliest and light and heavy weapons and Sergeant Abdallah Metwally since Mursi’s overthrow outside used them against the army,” the was shot dead as he rode his the Sinai Peninsula bordering indictment says. motorbike across a bridge over Israel and Gaza, where militants People inspect a site damaged by a rocket fired from across the Syrian side of the border, at the town of Britel in The judicial source said Abu the Nile in the city of Mansoura have killed scores of police and Lebanon’s Bekaa, yesterday. Ghida, the investigator respon- north of Cairo. soldiers. Since January, at least sible for recommending charges The attack on Metwally, who 27 policemen have been killed and penalties, has also recom- was wearing plain clothes, was outside the peninsula, mostly in Israel warns Lebanon over Hezbollah mended prison sentences for carried out assailants who were shootings. around 20 other people. also on a motorbike, at about Meanwhile, Belgium and Assir and a number of his sup- 7:30 am (0530 GMT), Brigadier Switzerland warned tourists JERUSALEM: Israel warned In an unusually forthright pub- “It is self-evident that we see porters, including Shaker, have General El Saeed Omara of yesterday against going to the Lebanon yesterday to prevent lic statement about the incident, Lebanon as responsible for any been on the run since the clashes Mansoura police said. Egyptian resort of Sharm el- threatened Hezbollah retali- Hezbollah said on Wednesday it attack on Israel from the terri- in June. His killing comes with an Sheikh after what Brussels called ation for an alleged Israeli air would “choose the time and place tory of Lebanon,” Israeli Strategic The cleric gained notoriety for appeal court on Saturday set to a “serious threat.” strike on a site used by the and the proper way to respond” Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz his fierce opposition to Lebanese examine a defence request to Belgian Foreign Minister guerrillas on the Syrian border. against Israel, with which it said yesterday. Shiite movement Hezbollah, par- appoint a new panel of judges in Didier Reynders gave no details Israel has neither confirmed fought a war in south Lebanon “It is the duty of the Lebanese ticularly following the group’s Mursi’s jailbreak trial. of the threat but the warning nor denied carrying out Monday’s in 2006. government to prevent any ter- decision to back the Syrian Mursi and 130 other defend- follows a bomb attack on a bus strike, in keeping with its silence Israel has frequently prom- rorist attack - whether a terror- regime in the country’s civil war. ants including Palestinian and that killed three South Korean on at least three such attacks ised to target Lebanon at large ist or missile attack, or any other Hezbollah is a key supporter Lebanese militants are charged tourists in south Sinai earlier this over the past year targeting sus- in any new conflict, noting that kind — on the State of Israel,” he of President Bashar al-Assad with organising jailbreaks and month which was claimed by an pected Hezbollah-bound convoys Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed told Israel Radio. Israel is tech- and has sent fighters across the attacking police stations during Al Qaeda-inspired group. of advanced weapons from civil Shia militia, had politicians in the nically at war with Lebanon and border to Syria to bolster regime the 2011 revolt against strongman AFP war-torn Syria. Beirut government. Syria. REUTERS forces which have been battling an uprising since March 2011. Syrian air strikes No Iran report with bomb research information: IAEA kill three near Lebanese border JERUSALEM/VIENNA: The thawed. Sources familiar with the be continuing. Iran rejected the considerations,” Tudor said, giv- “Because the matter of the UN nuclear watchdog said yes- matter said the IAEA apparently allegations as fabricated and ing no other details. PMD (possible military dimen- BEIRUT: Syrian air strikes terday it had not prepared a had not gone ahead with writing baseless. Israel disapproves of the sions) is so important to a final near the Lebanese border town report with new information the report and that there was no Since then, the U.N. watchdog Western rapprochement with its deal with Iran, I call on the of Arsal killed three people and about suspected atomic bomb way of knowing what extra infor- has said it has obtained more arch-foe over the last six months, IAEA to complete and publish wounded seven yesterday, secu- research in Iran, after Israel mation might have been included information that “has further arguing that Iran has won sanc- the report at the earliest oppor- rity sources said, in further urged it to go public with all in such a document, although one corroborated” its analysis in the tions relief while retaining the tunity,” he said. Israel is widely spillover from Syria’s civil war information it has regarding source said it could have added to 2011 document, but has not given infrastructure to pursue nuclear assumed to have the region’s only that has raised tensions across such suspicions. worries about Iran. details. “The IAEA has not pre- weapons. Iran says its atomic nuclear arsenal. It has represent- Lebanon. Israel’s statement followed a According to the sources, pared any report containing new aspirations are peaceful. atives in the IAEA but, unlike The sources said the dead were Reuters report on Thursday that the IAEA was believed to have information relating to possible “The role of the IAEA is to Iran, has not signed the nuclear believed to be rebels involved in the International Atomic Energy dropped the idea of a new report, military dimensions of Iran’s expose to the international com- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Syria’s conflict but their nation- Agency (IAEA) had planned a at least for the time being. nuclear programme,” spokes- munity all information regarding The sources said the planned ality remained unclear. Mainly major report on Iran last year In 2011, the IAEA issued a woman Gill Tudor said in an military aspects of the Iranian IAEA report would probably have Sunni Syrian insurgents and that might have revealed more of landmark report with a trove of email yesterday, in response to a nuclear project, and not to with- amounted to a wider review of Sunni allies from Lebanon are its alleged activities that could be intelligence indicating past activ- question. “The agency’s reports on hold it for reasons of diplomatic the Iranian nuclear file, includ- fighting to topple President used for designing a nuclear war- ity in Iran which could be relevant Iran to its Board of Governors are sensitivity,” Israeli Strategic ing PMD and other outstanding Bashar Al Assad and they often head, but had held off as Tehran’s for developing nuclear weapons, factual and impartial. Their con- Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz issues. use Arsal as a border crossing. relations with the outside world some of which it said might still tent is not influenced by political said in a statement. REUTERS AGENCIES Hamas making feature film on Israeli soldier’s captivity

GAZA CITY: A young Israeli soldier captured by Gaza militants and held for five years before being traded for Israel army clashes hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is the subject of an ambitious low-budget with Palestinians after film being made by his captors. The fate of Gilad Shalit, a corporal cap- tured in a deadly cross-border raid when West Bank funeral he was just 19, transfixed Israel for years as his captivity in an unknown location BIRZEIT: Israeli soldiers shot and wounded five challenged what most Israelis see as Palestinians in clashes in the West Bank yester- the state’s sacred duty to bring its sol- day, medics said, after the funeral of a man killed diers home. But for the Islamist Hamas during an army raid. Clashes broke out between movement ruling Gaza, his capture and stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli troops eventual exchange for more than 1,000 at the Atara checkpoint near the town of Birzeit prisoners was a triumph for the “resist- shortly after the funeral, and medics said five peo- ance,” an epic worthy of a blockbuster ple suffered bullet wounds to the legs. feature —even if produced on a shoe- The army said some 200 Palestinians began throw- string budget. ing stones at Israeli forces, who used “riot dispersal A shortage of funds has drastically means” against them, including live fire “against the slowed the production, and even its main instigators.” The clashes came after Motazz director said it may not live up to the Washaha was found dead in his home in Birzeit fol- high-quality epic envisioned. lowing a Thursday morning raid by the army, which Entitled Fleeting Illusion, the said he was “suspected of terror activity.” 90-minute film promises revelations about Some 4,000 mourners attended Washaha’s funeral Shalit’s capture and top-secret captiv- at Birzeit, north of the West Bank administrative ity “about which neither Shalit nor the centre of Ramallah, calling on Palestinian factions to resistance have spoken before,” director unite and avenge Washaha’s killing. He was identi- and screenwriter Majed Jundiyeh said. fied by neighbours as a member of the leftist Popular Jundiyeh, who says he is not a member Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the move- An armed Israeli policeman points his gun towards Palestinian demonstrators and photographers during clashes in of Hamas, made the 2009 biopic Emad ment’s red flags were visible at the funeral. AFP East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras Al Amud, following noon prayers, yesterday. Akel about a commander of Hamas’s military wing who headed Israel’s hit list until he was killed in 1993. Palestinians. Gilad’s father Noam Shalit, is being questioned after his capture by 21-year-old Mohammad Radhi, a jour- He says that Mohammad Qarara, cast Filming on his latest work began in who was long the public face of the cam- Israeli troops on the eve of the Shalit nalism student by day. His interrogator in the role of Shalit, gets paid “no more December, and the first of the film’s paign for his release, declined to speak raid. Muammar’s interrogators, played is played by Mohammad Abu Qumsane, than 2,000 shekels ($570) a month.” two parts was to have been ready for about the film, saying he did not want by fellow Gazan actors, plunge his head son of a militant killed by Israel. The film will by necessity be a low- the eighth anniversary of Shalit’s June to “engage in a dialogue with Hamas.” into a bucket of water to try to make “I love being an actor because it is a budget affair, in part because Shalit’s 2006 capture by Hamas and two other “The story is behind us,” he said. The him cough up information that could way of expressing the issue of prisoners capture prompted Israel to impose a militant groups, whose fighters tunnelled first scenes of the film were shot in a compromise the operation planned for with humanity,” he says. Most of the cast blockade on Gaza that remains to this into Israel and attacked a border post. small room at the ministry of prison- the next day. “I dream that this film of 40, among them 12 women, are ama- day, though some of the restrictions have Shalit was eventually released in ers’ affairs, depicting a dark Israeli cell on Shalit will make me known in the teurs, says Jundiyeh, who himself plays been eased in recent years. October 2011 in exchange for 1,027 where Hamas fighter Mustafa Muammar world,” says the actor playing Muammar, an Israeli officer. AFP MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com International

Female serial 10 armed men killer jailed for life in Britain seize airports LONDON: A British female serial killer who admitted mur- dering three men and dump- ing their bodies in ditches was yesterday sentenced to a life in in Crimea prison without parole. Joanna Dennehy, 31, had expressed no remorse for killing the men, who she knew, although Russian fleet denies involvement she apologised for two attempted murders of strangers while she SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine: Paruby, secretary of the National was on the run last year. Armed men took control of two Security and Defence Council, Sentencing her at the Old airports in the Crimea region yes- told a televised briefing in Kiev. Bailey court in London, Judge terday in what the new Ukrainian One of the options being con- Robin Spencer told Dennehy she leadership described as an inva- sidered was declaring a state of was a “cruel, calculating, selfish sion by Moscow’s forces. emergency in Crimea, he added. and manipulative serial killer”. More than 10 Russian military The United States warned all Dennehy had earlier pleaded helicopters flew into Ukrainian parties not to inflame the situa- guilty to murdering Lukasz airspace yesterday over Crimea, tion and said it had raised the issue Slaboszewski, 31, Kevin Lee, 48, Kiev’s border guard service said, of the reported armed takeovers of and John Chapman, 56, in and accusing Russian servicemen of the airports with Russia. Moscow around Peterborough in eastern blockading one of its units in the said it had no intention of vio- England over a ten-day period in port city of Sevastopol, where lating Ukraine’s sovereignty, US March 2013. part of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet Secretary of State John Kerry said. All three were stabbed to death is based. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei and the bodies left in ditches. The A serviceman at the scene con- Lavrov said Ukraine’s new leaders body of Lee, Dennehy’s landlord firmed he was from the Black Sea should implement a political deal Newly elected Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (left) watches TV in Kiev as ousted President Viktor with whom she was having an Fleet and said they were there brokered by the European Union Yanukovych addresses a press conference yesterday. affair, was dressed in a black to stop the kind of protests that before Yanukovich’s ouster, while sequin dress and arranged in what ousted Yanukovich in Kiev. they sought an emergency U.N. the court heard was a sexual pose. The fleet denied its forces were Security Council session on the crisis. Defiant Yanukovich vows to fight Dennehy went on the run involved in seizing the military Russia announced war games when the bodies were found, to airport near Sevastopol, where on Wednesday near the Ukrainian Hereford on the border with armed men later occupied the border, putting 150,000 troops on Wales, where she repeatedly runway, Interfax news agency said, high alert, although Kerry said on as he emerges in Russia stabbed two randomly-chosen dog while a supporter described the Lavrov had told him the exercises walkers, Robin Bereza and John armed group at the civilian inter- were pre-planned. ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia: officer” after being “compelled to by phone with—but had not met— Rogers. They survived. national airport in Simferopol as The Russian Foreign ministry Ukraine’s ousted president leave” Ukraine over security fears. Russian President Vladimir “Within the space of ten days Crimean militiamen. said on its Facebook page that Viktor Yanukovych insisted on He vowed to continue to fight Putin, but voiced surprise that you murdered three men in cold Moscow has promised to Russia’s Consulate General in Friday that he had not been for Ukraine’s future while boy- his ally had not yet spoken out blood. Although you pleaded defend the interests of its citi- Crimea would hand out Russian overthrown as he defiantly cotting snap presidential polls on Ukraine since his flight. guilty, you’ve made it quite clear zens in Ukraine and has said it pasports to the servicemen of resurfaced in Russia from a the new Western-backed team Ukraine’s general prosecutor had you have no remorse,” the judge will not intervene by force. But Ukraine’s Berkut riot police. week in hiding and savaged the in Kiev has set for May 25. earlier yesterday warned that Kiev told Dennehy, who laughed and its rhetoric since the removal of Protestors had accused Berkut new pro-Western powers in “I have not been overthrown by would ask Moscow to extradite smirked as she was sentenced. Yanukovich a week ago has ech- of firing the live bullets that had Kiev. anyone, I was compelled to leave Yanukovych — accused of “mass “Only a matter of days later you oed the run-up to its invasion of killed dozens of protesters in Kiev. The deposed pro-Kremlin leader Ukraine due to an immediate murder” over carnage in Kiev that attempted to kill two more men— Georgia in 2008. Switzerland, Austria and spoke hours after Ukraine’s pro-EU threat to my life and the life of claimed nearly 100 lives last week. victims chosen entirely at ran- Any armed confrontation in Liechtenstein moved yesterday to interim authorities said they had those close to me,” he said. Ukraine’s bloodiest crisis since dom. Miraculously they survived. Crimea would have major global freeze assets and bank accounts regained control of two Crimean “I intend to continue the fight its 1991 independence erupted The judge said Dennehy had repercussions, with Russia and of up to 20 Ukrainians including airports seized during an “armed for the future of Ukraine against in November when Yanukovych written to him saying she was not the West already at odds over Yanukovich and his son. Yanukovich invasion” by Russian forces. those who try to saddle it with fear made the shock decision to ditch sorry for the murders, and said the change of power in Ukraine said talk of foreign bank accounts Yanukovych — sitting confident and terror.” He called Ukraine’ new an EU trade pact in favour of she told a psychiatrist: “I killed and supporting opposite sides in was “empty chatter”. in a pressed suit with a dark blue leaders “young neo-fascists” and closer ties with old master Russia. to see how I would feel, to see if Syria’s civil war. They have, how- Ukraine’s new rulers have said tie in front of three Ukrainian blamed the “irresponsible policies” In his address to reporters, I was as cold as I thought I was, ever, pledged to cooperate to prop loans worth $37bn went miss- flags — appeared before a swarm of the West for his country’s crisis. which was broadcast live on then it got more-ish.” up Ukraine’s faltering economy. ing from state accounts during of reporters in the southwestern Yanukovych also apologised to Russian television and last for Three men were also sentenced Ukraine’s top security official, Yanukovich’s three years in power Russian city of Rostov-On-Don, the Ukrainian people and said he over an hour, Yanukovych said the for helping Dennehy, including Andriy Paruby, said the armed — a jaw-dropping sum even for a less than two hours’ drive from would return once his safety could Crimea tensions were a “natural Gary Stretch, who went on the men in Crimea were taking their population now used to tales of a the border with Ukraine. be guaranteed. “I am ashamed,” he reaction” to the “bandit-like” take- run with her and waited in the orders from the top in Russia. lavish lifestyle and opulent resi- The 63-year old said he had said. “I did not have the strength over of power but that the region car while she attacked Bereza and “These are separate groups ... dence outside Kiev. arrived in Russia “thanks to to keep stability.” must remain part of Ukraine. Rogers. commanded by the Kremlin,” REUTERS a patriotically-minded young He revealed that he had spoken AFP AFP

Most Icelanders want referendum Northern Ireland set for IRA terror ‘amnesty’ spat on EU talks: Poll LONDON: Northern Ireland’s Cameron’s government on After Cameron made his still face prosecution if new evi- was a “dreadful mistake made by assembly was to hold an emer- Thursday averted Robinson’s announcement, Robinson con- dence did emerge about terror the Police Service of Northern REYKJAVIK: More than gency debate over letters sent to resignation by announcing a firmed he would not be quitting, offences. Ireland” — and promised to exam- 80 percent of Icelanders want on-the-run IRA terror suspects, judge-led investigation into the adding: “I hope we can put this The row erupted on Tuesday ine the whole scheme. the government to ask them which threatened to bring down so-called ‘amnesty’ letters sent to episode behind us.” when a London judge ruled that Announcing a judge-led inquiry, directly in a referendum before the province’s administration. suspected Irish Republican Army About 200 fugitive republi- John Downey, a 62-year-old sus- Cameron said the probe would it breaks off European Union The devolved legislature in paramilitaries living outside UK cans suspected of crimes during pect in the 1982 Hyde Park bomb- be given “full access to govern- membership talks, a survey Belfast has been recalled at the jurisdiction. Northern Ireland’s violent past ing that killed four soldiers, should ment files and officials” and indicated yesterday. request of First Minister Peter A fuming Robinson claimed have received letters inform- not be prosecuted for the attack. would report back by the end of The zealously independent Robinson, who threatened to quit London had kept him in the dark ing them that they will not face He cited the fact that Downey had May. The findings would then be north Atlantic island with a pop- over the affair. about the letters. prosecution if they return to the received an official letter while he published. ulation of 320,000 only began to Had he done so, the move The existence of the letters United Kingdom, because there was on the run in 2007, assuring The Hyde Park bombing rul- consider EU membership seriously would almost certainly have col- became public knowledge this is not sufficient evidence to him he would not face prosecution ing caused outrage in Northern after a credit crunch brought lapsed Northern Ireland’s power- week after one of them — erro- prosecute. if he re-entered the UK. Ireland, where most of the 3,500 down its three biggest banks in the sharing executive and triggered a neously sent — caused the collapse Robinson welcomed clarifica- Cameron’s government did killings during the so-called space of a week in 2008, sending snap election. of the trial over a deadly 1982 IRA tion from the British government not appeal the decision. The Troubles remain unresolved. the economy into meltdown. British Prime Minister David bombing in London. that recipients of the letters could prime minister said the letter AFP But Europe’s own debt prob- lems have now eroded Icelanders’ interest in joining the bloc. The government that came to power Queen visits Chequers last May has frozen negotiations and is keen to scrap them alto- Brooks paid official for gether, and parliament is now considering whether to do so without a referendum that the ruling parties had promised. Saddam anthrax story “We are deceiving 28 nations in the EU membership talks when LONDON: Rebekah Brooks, the is illegal, on a “half a dozen” occa- there is no whole-hearted intention ex-chief executive of News Corp’s sions from 1998 to 2009, a period behind them,” Finance Minister British newspaper arm, told a which covered her time as time Bjarni Benediktsson, leader of the London court yesterday she had as editor or deputy of Murdoch’s centre-right Independence Party paid a public official for a story British tabloids, the Sun and News that rules in coalition with the about former Iraqi leader Saddam of the World. Progressive Party, said this week. Hussein planning to attack Appearing for a sixth day in However, pro-EU Icelanders Britain with the poison anthrax. the witness box at London’s Old have demonstrated outside parlia- Brooks, who is on trial on Bailey court, Brooks said the pub- ment this week to demand a vote, charges of sanctioning such ille- lic official, who was later revealed and more than 40,000, or a sixth gal payments, said she agreed to be a chief petty officer in the of the electorate, have signed an to pay for the 1998 report when Royal Navy, had called the paper online petition. she was deputy editor of Rupert about the threat from Saddam In the opinion poll, con- Murdoch’s Sun tabloid because and the deadly poison anthrax. ducted on February 26 and 27 there was an “overwhelming pub- “They said they had reason to by Frettabladid newspaper and lic interest” to do so. believe ... that the government or Channel 2 television, 82 percent However, she denies approving the security services were cover- of the 805 people surveyed said almost £40,000 ($66,700)in pay- ing up a plot by Saddam Hussein they wanted a referendum. ments to a Ministry of Defence offi- to bring in anthrax into the coun- A parliamentary spokeswoman cial for a series of stories for which try for the start of a terrorist said debates were likely to con- she on trial. She also denies charges campaign attack,” she said. “It tinue next week, and that the of conspiracy to hack phones and was very quickly brought to my resolution would also be discussed Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha escort Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip perverting the course of justice. attention because it was a public by the Foreign Affairs Committee (obscured) as they tour Chequers, the Prime Minister’s official country residence, near Ellesborough in On Thursday, Brooks admitted official and they were asking for next week. southern England, yesterday. she had authorised payments to money in return for information.” REUTERS public officials, something which REUTERS 11 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Asia 15 die in Thailand school bus mishap 47 injured in pre-dawn collision ahead of seaside trip

BANGKOK: At least 15 peo- in hospital with injuries including Health Organization said ple, including 13 children, were broken arms and legs, the Public Thailand saw some 38.1 road killed when a bus carrying stu- Health Ministry said. deaths per 100,000 people in 2010 dents on a trip to the seaside A row of bodies covered by -- behind only the Dominican collided with a lorry in eastern sheets was seen laid out by the Republic in the Caribbean and Thailand yesterday, police said. side of the wreckage of the bus, the South Pacific island of Niue. The smash is the latest in a whose top deck was crushed on That compares with an aver- series of deadly accidents involv- one side. age of 18.5 in Southeast Asia as ing buses in Thailand, where Police said the bus driver had a whole. roads are among the most dan- fled the scene of the crash -- a Yesterday’s accident happened gerous in the world. relatively common occurrence in on a narrow stretch of road that Forty-seven others were Thailand, where safety standards cannot be widened because it injured in the pre-dawn accident are generally poor. cuts through a national park, in Prachinburi province involv- The cause of the accident has said Nuttapong Boontob of the ing a double-decker bus and an not yet been established but the nonprofit Thailand Accident 18-wheel truck, the authorities authorities suspect human error Research Center. Rescue workers stand by the bodies of victims on a road in Prachinburi province yesterday. said. or a mechanical problem. “The road is always busy with The students, aged around 10 “The bus’s brakes may have big trucks as it links the north- by human error, according to are not legally obliged to use in the kingdom’s northeast. to 14 years old, were heading to failed or the driver might have eastern region and the eastern Nuttapong, with poor road and them. At least 20 people were killed in the resort city of Pattaya from the fallen asleep,” Police Lieutenant seaboard where there are many vehicle conditions posing addi- In December dozens of people October when a tour bus carrying northeastern province of Nakhon Colonel Anukarn Thamvijarn said industrial estates,” he said. tional hazards. were killed when a bus carrying elderly Buddhist devotees fell into Ratchasima. by telephone. Roughly 60 percent of traffic Bus operators are required to New Year travellers plunged off a ravine, also in the northeast. Twenty-three of those hurt are A recent report by the World accidents in Thailand are caused provide seat belts but passengers one of Thailand’s highest bridges AFP

China arrests 1,000 for baby North Korea snubs South’s One-year for Cambodian protester trafficking bid to free jailed missionary PHNOM PENH: A Cambodian presented and witnesses told the 2 million people, so be ready to BEIJING: China this month court sentenced a man to a year court they were not involved,” Yin join,” he told supporters in Kandal arrested more than 1,000 SEOUL: North Korea yester- a public “confession” which can in prison yesterday for attack- Savat, lawyer for the men, said. province near the capital, Phnom people suspected of involve- day refused to entertain an then expedite their eventual ing police and destroying public Rights groups said Nguyen Penh, this week. ment in baby-trafficking, in official request from Seoul to release. Seoul dismissed the property during protests over Thydoc had been tortured by “When its 2 million people, it a police operation which also release a South Korean mis- charges against Kim, saying he election results last year, but his police to confess he had thrown will be like Ukraine and I believe rescued 382 infants, local sionary arrested four months was involved in “purely religious lawyer said torture was used to rocks at police and claimed double that the armed forces won’t kill media reported yesterday. ago on espionage charges. activities.” extract a confession from him. standards, noting the court had you but will join hands with the A total of 1,094 suspects The South’s Unification Fellow activists and missionar- A general election last July was not moved ahead with a case filed people.” Cambodia has a popula- involved in four baby traffick- Ministry said it had attempted to ies said Kim had been providing won by the ruling Cambodian by families of the dead and injured tion of 14 million. ing rings were detained in a send a written demand for Kim shelter and food for seven years People’s Party (CPP) but the against the authorities. Adding to the pressure on Hun nationwide operation which Jeong-Wook’s immediate release to North Korean refugees living in opposition alleged it was fraudu- The opposition is still boycott- Sen, trade unions, which have began on February 19, the through the border truce village China’s northeastern border city lent and launched protests that ing parliament, refusing to accept formed an alliance with the oppo- Beijing News daily said, citing of Panmunjom. of Dandong. posed the biggest challenge to the election results. sition, said they would resume a a police statement. But North Korean officials They said he had crossed the long-time Prime Minister Hun Talks between Hun Sen’s CPP nation-wide strike on March 12 to China has a flourishing refused to accept the message, Yalu border river in October Sen in years. and the opposition Cambodia demand the release of 21 people underground child traffick- the ministry said. to establish the whereabouts Six men faced charges related National Rescue Party (CNRP), jailed for taking part in previ- ing industry, for which tens At a government-arranged of some North Korean refu- to those events and the Phnom which are due to continue next ous stoppages and to push for an of thousands of children are news conference in Pyongyang gees who had been arrested in Penh Municipal Court found week, have so far gone nowhere. increase in the monthly minimum believed to be stolen each year, on Thursday, Kim, 50, said he Dandong by Chinese authorities three of them guilty yesterday. CNRP leader Sam Rainsy has wage to $160. with demand fuelled by a one- had been engaged in a number of and repatriated. Two received suspended sen- called for a more aggressive pro- The opposition CNRP had child limit combined with a “anti-government” activities that Although religious freedom is tences, while the third, Nguyen test, taking a lead from weeks promised before the election to traditional preference for sons. he had undertaken with the sup- enshrined in the North Korean Thydoc, is to spend a year in jail of anti-government protests in double the minimum wage in Police were alerted after port of South Korea’s intelligence constitution, it does not exist in of his three-year sentence, with Ukraine, which ultimately led to clothing factories to $160 a month investigating a series of adop- agency. practice and religious activity the rest suspended. the removal of President Victor if it won power. The government tion websites which were found Foreigners arrested in North is severely restricted to groups “These people must be cleared. Yanukovich. “The next protest, imposed a minimum wage of $100 to be fronts for child traffick- Korea are often required to make linked to the government. AFP There hasn’t been any evidence it won’t be 200,000 people but this year. REUTERS ers, the Beijing News said. Last month China gave a suspended death sentence Fowl play in Hanoi? -- generally commuted to life in prison -- to a doctor who abducted and sold newborn New WWII national days babies in a case that drew widespread outrage. HK tycoon bets in Chian puzzles Japan on free press TOKYO: Tokyo yesterday said yesterday he could not under- it was puzzled over why Beijing stand why China had made this HONG KONG: Influential approved national remem- change at this point. Hong Kong tycoon Li brance days to commemorate “I can’t deny there is a ques- Ka-shing yesterday con- the Nanjing Massacre and its tion why they have to set up these demned a brutal attack on defeat in World War II, after commemoration days more than a veteran journalist and decades of Japanese pacifism. 60 years after the war,” he said. warned the territory will The move is the latest in a vit- “But this is a domestic mat- suffer serious harm if it loses riolic diplomatic spat between ter for China, so the government press freedom. Asia’s two largest economies, who declines to comment on it. Li, who is Asia’s richest per- are at loggerheads over disputed “Japan’s position on World son, joined a chorus of dismay territory and differing interpreta- War II has not changed a bit, over Wednesday’s attack on tions of their shared history. and Japan has followed the path Kevin Lau, who is being treated Meanwhile, Tokyo said it was of peaceful nationhood since the in hospital after being hacked pressing ahead with a controver- end of the war, which has been with a cleaver in broad daylight. sial plan to re-examine evidence highly commended by the inter- A new alliance of journalist on which a 1993 apology for the national community,” he added. and news organisations plans to A woman sells poultry at a market in Hanoi, Vietnam, yesterday. Vietnam has confirmed 77 cases of avian influ- system of wartime sex slavery was Tokyo and Beijing are embroiled stage a rally tomorrow to con- enza in 21 provinces and cites so far, according to reports. based, an issue that provokes par- in a series of rows, including a demn a string of violent attacks ticularly strong feelings in South long-running diplomatic set-to against the media which have Korea. over disputed islands in the East stoked concerns for freedom State media in China reported China Sea. of expression in the southern Aid agencies’ access to Rakhine urged Thursday that the National Tensions rose further late Chinese city. People’s Congress, the rubber- last year when Japanese Prime “Violence can in no way be stamp parliament, had designated Minister Shinzo Abe visited the right. No matter what, the rule YANGON: The United States Government spokesman Ye declined to be identified said that September 3 as victory day and Yasukuni shrine, which honours of law is the most important yesterday urged Myanmar to Htut told media that MSF had MSF was in negotiations with December 13 as a day to remem- Japan’s war dead, including con- (aspect) in Hong Kong. Hong allow humanitarian agencies been ordered to cease operations. officials in the capital, Naypyidaw, ber those killed when imperial victed war criminals. Kong is nothing without rule “unfettered access” in Rakhine He accused the organisation of after suspending operations late troops raped and pillaged the Abe told the parliament this of law,” Li said at a press con- state, following reports the gov- falsely claiming it treated victims on Thursday. then-capital of Nanjing. week he “must make more effort” ference held as his conglom- ernment had ordered medical aid of violence around the time of an An MSF spokesman declined to Japan invaded China in the to get countries such as China and erate Hutchison Whampoa group Medecins Sans Frontieres alleged massacre in mid-January, comment. Ye Htut and other gov- 1930s and the two countries South Korea to understand his announced financial results. (MSF) to stop working there. which the government denies ernment officials were unavailable fought a full-scale war from 1937 pilgrimage. Appearing solemn and con- The Nobel Prize-winning char- took place. for comment. to 1945. Suga said Abe “meant to say cerned, he said press freedom ity has been giving healthcare to The United Nations and human Myanmar’s government has China says more than 300,000 that his visit was to pledge that “is our core value. If Hong both ethnic Rakhine Buddhists rights groups say at least 40 repeatedly rejected reports people were slaughtered by Japan would never wage war Kong does not have press free- and Rohingya Muslims, a mostly Rohingya were killed by secu- by MSF, the United Nations Japanese troops in a six-week again, that he would build a dom, Hong Kong will face huge stateless minority who live in rity forces and ethnic Rakhine and human rights groups that killing spree in Nanjing, which peaceful nation.” losses.” apartheid-like conditions and Buddhist civilians in a restricted Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw started on December 13, 1937. At a parliamentary commit- Li, an 85-year-old self-made who otherwise have little access area of the conflict-ridden west- township were attacked and their Some foreign academics put the tee, Suga separately said the figure who is worth $32bn and to healthcare. ern state. homes looted. figure lower. administration would set up a rarely comments on political “Free, regular and open access MSF said on January 24 it had On January 29, the government It was unclear what signifi- team to look at the lead-up to matters, is considered pro- is essential to ensure the ben- treated 22 people in the area of called diplomats to a briefing cance the formal “national days” the 1993 apology issued to “com- Beijing and has criticised pro- efits of humanitarian activities the alleged massacre for injuries where officials said they had found will have, although they are not fort women,” the euphemism for democracy campaigns in the are delivered appropriately to all including a gunshot wound, stab no evidence of a massacre, but expected to be public holidays. those forced to work in Japanese past. AGENCIES people of Rakhine State,” a US wounds and beatings. promised further investigation. Japan’s top government military brothels during WWII. embassy official said. A diplomatic source who REUTERS spokesman Yoshihide Suga said AFP 12 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Philippines Govt-Milf peace treaty to push through International monitors express confidence that war against Muslim rebels will end despite derailing attempts

MANILA: International moni- by both Manila and the Milf, and agreement in late March to share the southern port of Zamboanga would be an organic law that signing was targeted for the end tors observing Philippine gov- growing popular support. power in the southern part of the in September last year in an President Benigno Aquino wants of next month though no exact ernment talks with Muslim “Both parties realised from largely Christian Philippines, end- effort to wreck the talks, leaving passed by next year authorising date has been set. rebels expressed confidence the beginning that there will ing decades of armed rebellion to more than 220 people dead. the creation of a Muslim self-rule “The successful conclusion of yesterday that efforts to end always be parties who disagree... set up an independent Islamic MacDonald said he saw no signs area in the south. the Mindanao peace process... one of Asia’s bloodiest and long- who take their disagreement to state there. that Milf fighters were defecting Oruc, an official of makes possible the empowerment est insurgencies will survive the point of trying to disrupt the The rebellion has claimed an to the hardliners. Humanitarian Relief Foundation of all the peoples of Mindanao,” derailing attempts by hardline process,” the monitoring group’s estimated 150,000 lives, mostly The more the peace process (IHH), a Turkish aid group, urged Aquino told reporters. guerrillas. chairman Alistair MacDonald civilians. moves forward, “the less there Filipinos to publicly support the Aquino was speaking to report- Smaller factions opposed to the said. A small Milf splinter group will be an opportunity for the impending deal. ers in Malaysia’s administrative Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s “But as far as seeing widespread that still wants independence, spoilers to throw sand in the Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime capital Putrajaya on his first visit impending peace deal with Manila support for such views, we have the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom wheels,” he added. Minister Najib Razak said to the neighbouring country. lack the following to block the not seen that,” said MacDonald, Fighters, has continued to attack Another monitoring team President Benigno Aquino invited The Philippine government and process despite repeated acts of a retired European Union ambas- government forces there as well member, Huseyin Oruc mean- him to witness the ceremony the Milf completed negotiations violence, the monitors told a news sador to the Philippines. as court support from Milf while warned spoilers could also when “the comprehensive agree- last month for a power-sharing conference. “What are their (the hardlin- members. crop up from the government ment is due to be signed by the arrangement with the nation’s The observers, who have been ers’) numbers? 200? 500? That is Followers of Nur Misuari, side, disrupting the passage of end of March”. Muslim minority in the south. sitting at protracted talks that a drop in the bucket.” founder of the Milf’s rival guer- laws needed to implement the An official in the office of Muslim-majority Malaysia concluded last month, also cited The 12,000-strong Milf is set rilla faction the Moro National peace deal. Aquino’s adviser on the peace hosted the negotiations. a strong commitment to peace to sign a comprehensive peace Liberation Front also attacked The key piece of legislation negotiations confirmed the AFP

Organ donors attempt Power restored in Mindanao to set world record MANILA: Power was restored in the southern Philippines yes- MANILA: Thousands of people Guinness World Record, Tayag terday after a massive blackout in the Philippines pledged yes- said. Guinness did not immedi- left millions without electricity terday to donate kidneys and ately certify the Manila donations. for hours, but officials warned other body parts after death The Philippine effort however of more outages due to ageing as part of a bid to set a world failed to surpass India’s eight- equipment. record for organ donations, the hour world record of 10,450 peo- All of the Mindanao region, health ministry said. ple set in Haryana in December home to about 25 million people, “If they meet an unfortunate last year, Tayag said. regained power around 12.00pm, accident and they are brought People signed up in six locations 32 hours after lights went out to a hospital and declared brain around the Philippines today as before dawn Thursday, Energy dead... then doctors will know part of the world record bid, the Secretary Jericho Petilla said. what to harvest,” Assistant official said. Each will receive an The suspected cause of the Health Secretary Eric Tayag said. organ donor card that they can region wide blackout was equip- A “record” 3,548 people signed put in their wallets, which speci- ment failure at a high-voltage up for organ donor cards at one fies what organs can be harvested, switchyard that utility officials Manila university in the space of said Tayag. said is about 26 years old. an hour in the campaign launched The event was also intended to “Some of these are really old by the ministry, he added. spread awareness and remove the equipment, probably older than This overtook India’s one-hour stigma in the Philippines about Students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines participate in an organ donation registration campaign on you,” Petilla told reporters at a record of 2,755, set in Gujarat organ donation, he added. Manila news conference. their campus in Manila yesterday. in September last year for a AFP AFP MARCH 1, 2014 13 Pakistan / Afghanistan www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY

Over 80,000 Anti-Taliban protest living in slums Rebels ‘shot at US ISLAMABAD: Suggestions from the police regarding slums have created new head- aches instead of solutions for the civic agency of Pakistani chopper head-on’ federal capital Islamabad, as some of the suggestions fall beyond established policies. Officials grilled over 2001 attack that killed 30 in Wardak The Islamabad Police has shared a survey list of slums WASHINGTON: Taliban also suspected Afghan soldiers The attack occurred when the located within Islamabad fighters shot at a US helicopter involved in the operation could American CH-47D Chinook with Capital Territory limits with head-on from nearly point-blank have passed word to the Taliban the call sign “Extortion 17” flew the Capital Development range, US lawmakers heard on of the chopper’s route. But offi- low into the Tangi Valley. Authority (CDA). Thursday, in what was the sin- cials sought to counter allegations US Army Ranger forces had The findings of the survey gle deadliest incident for US and that have circulated online, saying staged an operation earlier tar- compiled after conducting Nato forces in the Afghan war. officers at the time employed the geting the Taliban figure and the door-to-door verification of Lawmakers were grilling US right helicopter and the right tac- Navy Seals were flown in to try inhabitants with the help of military officials over the August tics and that the remains of the to cut off the escape route of the the police special branch say 6, 2011 attack on the Chinook that dead were handled with respect. fleeing commander. there are at least 24 slums in killed 30 Americans as it trans- Taliban fighters atop a building Reid dismissed the possibility urban and rural areas of the ported Navy SEAL commandos, near the designated landing zone that Taliban militants learned city, with 13,521 families con- along with other American and fired rocket-propelled grenades about the helicopter’s route sisting of 84,591 individuals are Afghan troops, to flush out a (RPGs) at the chopper from beforehand, saying only the Navy living in them. Out of these 24 Taliban commander in Wardak. nearly head-on, at a distance of Seals and air crew knew the flight slums, 21 are located in urban Families of some of the vic- less than 250m, said Garry Reid, route and landing zone. areas, while the other three are tims have alleged the military the Pentagon’s principal deputy A C-130 aircraft, a Predator in rural Islamabad. has not revealed all the facts of assistant secretary of defence drone and two Apache helicop- During the last five years, the incident, failed to punish com- for special operations. The close ters had flown over the designated the Islamabad Police traced 674 manders in charge of the opera- range left “the pilot no chance landing area minutes earlier and cases of crimes to residents of tion and mishandled some of the to perform evasive manoeuvres,” failed to detect the Taliban fight- these areas. remains of the dead. They have Reid said. ers nearby, he said. AFP Pakistani activists of Sunni Tehreek shout anti-Taliban slogans during a Three rebels protest in Lahore yesterday. die in clash ISLAMABAD: At least Major reforms in Pakistani 2,000km walk for ‘missing’ nears end three militants were killed and three injured in a clash with security forces in North bureaucracy on the anvil ISLAMABAD: After 2,000 awareness of their cause. armed insurgency, was found shot West Pakistan. gruelling kilometres on the “We want to tell (the world) dead in 2011 after going missing. According to official sources, ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan they believe, the institution of the road, a band of families led by a that people are being kidnapped The marchers set out from the in the Shlobar area of the government is contemplat- civilian bureaucracy cannot be 72-year-old marching in protest every day in Baluchistan, dis- Baluchistan capital Quetta last Khyber Agency, security offi- ing major reforms in the civil- revived to meet the modern day over missing relatives reached tricts are being bombarded and October, walking the first 700km cials tried to stop a suspicious ian bureaucracy, which many challenges. the edge of the Pakistani capi- almost every day we are receiv- to Karachi, on the shores of the vehicle, when it did not stop agree has become inefficient Capacity building of the gov- tal yesterday. ing mutilated bodies,” Qadir said Arabian Sea, before turning the security personnel opened and lethargic because of dec- ernment officials, irrespective They were relatives of people on the road close to Rawalpindi, northwards to Islamabad, nestled fire on it, Dawn news reported. ades-long politicisation of the of their cadres and groups, and disappeared in the troubled south- Islamabad’s twin city. in the foothills of the Himalayas. Three suspected militants service. their present promotion systems western province of Baluchistan, “We have no more hope in the Today, they will complete their died on the spot, whereas, three There is a consensus among are under review. allegedly at the hands of the secu- Pakistani government, which is marathon trek in front of the others wounded were arrested Prime Minister, his key minis- Minister for Planning and rity services. why we want to talk to interna- city’s Press Club. by security forces afterwards. ters and advisers that the coun- Development Ahsan Iqbal, who The marchers, led by a retired tional organisations, so they can “We hope to be heard, but if we Sources said that two security try faces a dearth of competent has a better understanding of banker known as Mama (uncle) apply pressure.” are not we will evaluate the situ- personnel were also injured. and capable government servants, governance issues, is amongst Qadir, hope to present a petition His son Jalil Reki, a member ation and who knows, maybe we AGENCIES sources here say. those working on these reforms. to UN officials in Islamabad and of the Baloch Republican Party, will march to Geneva,” Qadir said. Without implementing reforms, INTERNEWS meet foreign diplomats to raise which is suspected of links to the AFP 14 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com India

Petrol price hiked by 60 paise and Sahara chief diesel by 50 paise NEW DELHI: Petrol price was raised yesterday by 60 paise a litre, minus taxes, while the die- Subrata Roy sel rate was hiked by 50 paise per litre. The revised prices will take effect from midnight, it was announced. Diesel prices were last increased by 50 paise per litre on arrested January 31, while petrol price was kept unchanged. Allowing for local taxes, the Sent to police custody till March 4 price of petrol per litre will be Rs73.16 in Delhi, Rs80.96 in LUCKNOW: Sahara India somewhere else. Kolkata, Rs82.07 in Mumbai and chief Subrata Roy surrendered The surrender came soon Rs76.48 in Chennai, while that of before police here yesterday, a after Roy released a statement diesel per litre for the four met- day after they failed to trace to the media, saying he was not ros, respectively, will be Rs55.48, him to execute a Supreme Court absconding. Rs60.09, Rs63.86 and Rs59.17. warrant for his arrest. He was “I am not that human being Announcing the rates, Indian arrested and presented before who will abscond. In fact, being Oil specified that the petrol hike the chief judicial magistrate a law-abiding citizen, I shall hate in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai who sent him to police custody myself to do any such thing ever is “due to revision in state specific till March 4. in my life,” he said. cost”. The Supreme Court earlier Roy had on Thursday informed yesterday declined to revoke the the court that his non-appear- Maoists kill five arrest warrant. ance was neither intentional nor Roy was scheduled to address deliberate. The Sahara group Chairman Subrata Roy (centre) is escorted by police to a court in Lucknow yesterday. policemen in a press conference at a hotel in The apex court on February 26 New Delhi, but Sahara officials had issued a non-bailable arrest in the country started saying I am the balance of Rs19,000 crore out A source said that the chief Chhattisgarh told police that he was willing to warrant against Roy for failing absconding,” he said, adding: “Am of Rs24,000 crore that these firms judicial magistrate lost his temper give himself up. He then surren- to appear before it in person as I absconding? I have started hat- had collected through optionally at Roy’s counsel after he came to DANTEWADA, dered and was arrested. directed by the court. In its order ing myself.” fully-convertible debentures. the court at 3pm but the Sahara Chhattisgarh: Maoist guerril- Sources said that soon after his Friday, it declined to revoke the He said a lot of people advised These Sahara companies had chief did not show up. las yesterday gunned down at surrender, Delhi Police sought his warrant. him to get himself admitted to deposited Rs5,120 crore with the The court was closed yesterday least five policemen in a forested transit remand. Roy had said he was absent some hospital and could remain regulator in December 2012. and the chief judicial magistrate area in Chhattisgarh’s restive Chief Judicial Magistrate since he wanted to be with his there, as was the “general prac- The matter has been listed came owing to the urgency of the Bastar region, police said. Anand Kumar later said Roy will ailing mother, who is 92. tice to avoid courts” on for medi- for further hearing on March 4, matter. Dozens of Maoists fired on a be kept in police custody till the “Last evening, I had gone out cal reasons. “However, I hate to even as Roy requested the court When the court later asked police team checking roads for apex court hearing on March 4. of Sahara Shaher, Lucknow, to do such drama.” to allow him to be with his mother Roy if he had something to say, a possible concealed land mines The Sahara chief walked into consult with a panel of doctors The Supreme Court had till March 3. relaxed Roy laughed and replied: in an area about 440km south of the court around 5.30pm, and his with certain medical reports of directed the presence of Roy and The Sahara chief drove to the “Waise to main ghar par hi rehna Raipur. The police team was led counsel V K Shahi said Roy was my mother and then I had gone the three directors of his group chief judicial magistrate court in chahoonga (I would like to remain by Vivek Shukla. a law-abiding citizen and was not to a lawyers’ house also,” he said firms following their failure to a fleet of luxury cars. at home).” He said he respected “At least five policemen running away from the court. in the statement yesterday. submit to the market regulator Accompanied by lawyers, fam- the Supreme Court and was ready including Shukla were mar- The chief judicial magistrate, “I was informed by my family title deeds of some of the unen- ily members and Sahara officials, for anything. tyred in the deadly attack,” however, left it to the discre- members that police had come cumbered properties. The direc- Roy was taken straight inside the Meanwhile, security at Sahara Datewada Superintendent of tion of police to decide whether and they said something to the tors had since surrendered. court where the entry of journal- Shaher has been increased. Police Narendra Khare said. to keep Roy in his bungalow or media and then the whole media The court order was to secure ists was barred by police. IANS “The Maoists walked away with AK-47s of the dead policemen.” TRS decision on merger with Cong Cabinet decides to impose President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh on March 3

NEW DELHI: The union cabi- Governor ESL Narasimhan general secretary Digvijaya Singh Though a section of party in two separate states. HYDERABAD: TRS chief K net yesterday decided to impose had accepted Kiran Reddy’s res- called on party president and leaders from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Chandrasekhara Rao said his President’s rule in Andhra ignation the same day and asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Seemandhra were opposed to the Bill, 2013, passed by the par- party will decide on March 3 Pradesh, which is set to be him to continue as caretaker chief Thursday. idea of President’s rule, the party liament last week, is awaiting whether or not to merge his divided to create a separate minister till alternate arrange- The last and the only time leadership had to go for it as it President’s Pranab Mukherjee’s party with the Congress. Telangana state. ments were made. President’s rule was imposed in realized that a new government assent. This will be followed by He told reporters here yes- The cabinet, which met at After consultations with Andhra Pradesh was in 1973 when will have no time to take any deci- a gazette notification, giving the terday that he alone can’t take a Prime Minister Manmohan Congress leaders from both P V Narasimha Rao of Congress sion in view of the election code appointed date or formation date decision on the issue. Singh’s residence, also decided to Telangana and Seemandhra for party was the chief minister. The of conduct. of Telangana as 29th state of the A joint meeting of the place the Andhra Pradesh assem- nearly a week, the Congress situation created by the violent The Election Commission is country. Telangana Rashtra Samithi bly in suspended animation. party took the decision to impose ‘Jai Andhra’ agitation for a sepa- likely to announce schedule for Union minister Jairam Ramesh (TRS) politburo and other bodies N Kiran Kumar Reddy on President’s rule as recommended rate Andhra state forced the cen- general elections early next week. has hinted that there could be will be held on March 3 to chalk February 19 had resigned as by the governor. tre to invoke Article 356 of the Simultaneous assembly elections a gap of three months between out the future course of action chief minister and also quit the The decision was taken Constitution. The state was under are also due in Andhra Pradesh the notification date and the in the wake of the passage of the Congress to protest parliament after Union Home Minister President’s rule from January 11, but there is no clarity if the polls appointed date. Telangana bill in parliament. passing the Telangana bill. Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress 1973 to December 10, 1973. will be held in undivided state or IANS AGENCIES

Oman minister welcomed Kejriwal summoned First train to chug into for defaming Gadkari Meghalaya on April 1

NEW DELHI: A court here whether an offence has been SHILLONG: The railways will Railways was approved in 1992- yesterday issued summons to committed which can be legally be debuting in Meghalaya with 93, but, faced hurdles during its former Delhi chief minister tried. the first train scheduled to chug initial days due to opposition from Arvind Kejriwal in a defama- The complaint filed by Gadkari into Mendipathar station in the local population. However, it tion case filed by Bharatiya said that on Jan 31, “Kejriwal North Garo Hills on April 1, an is slated to be completed by 2013. Janata Party (BJP) leader deliberately released the list official said yesterday. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Nitin Gadkari for calling him of ‘India’s most corrupt’ peo- “With the integration of the had earlier said that Meghalaya “corrupt”. ple mentioning his (Gadkari’s) Dudhnoi (Assam)-Mendipathar had missed many opportunities in Metropolitan Magistrate name in a grossly irresponsible line with the national railway bringing the railways in the past. Gomati Manocha has asked manner”. grid yesterday, Meghalaya found a “We have to open up and also Kejriwal to appear on April 7 on Advocate Pinki Anand, appear- place on India’s railway map,” pub- change our mindset,” Sangma said the next date of hearing. ing for the Bharatiya Janata lic relations officer (construction) referring to opposition against The court said: “In view of Party leader, told the court that of North East Frontier Railway, the railways from some groups the testimony of the witnesses, Kejriwal made the statement D C Borah said. Borah, however, in Meghalaya. including the deposition of the with malafide intention to lower said the first train will chug into Railways have been opposed complainant and other evidence Gadkari’s dignity. Meghalaya only on April 1. in Meghalaya by the influential produced on record as discussed The court Feb 18 had recorded “The new line needs to be con- Khasi Students’ Union, claiming herein above, the impugned state- the statements of Gadkari and nected to Dudhnoi’s lines through it would encourage influx. Projects ments allegedly made by Kejriwal two other witnesses. an interlocking and signalling like the Byrnihat-Shillong project have the effect of harming the Kejriwal “has deliberately tried arrangement. To make this possi- which is slated to be completed by reputation of the complainant to malign (Gadkari’s) image ble, the existing station interlock- 2018, thus stand threatened. and lowering his estimation in though he is not involved in any ing system has to be temporarily He said the railways would the eyes of others.” wrongful or corrupt act”, the suspended and new lines have to change the socio-economic land- The court observed that these complaint stated. be connected with the existing scape of the state and would statements were widely published. It also requested the court to system,” the railway official said. benefit everyone by providing “Also, it has been alleged that act against the Aam Aadmi Party “This will allow trains to enter employment to the youth and these statements are false and (AAP) chief and prosecute him and leave Dudhnai station by using giving better markets to farmers. were made maliciously in order for defaming the former BJP signals from the Mendipathar end Sangma said the facility will to get political mileage and media president. and vice versa. Non-interlocked generate new hope for the people. attentions, without there being Gadkari had told the court that systems were started on February He added: “People should not any basis for making these state- false, baseless, scandalous, defam- 25 and integration was com- have the perception of alienation ments,” the court noted. atory statements and news items pleted on February 27. Thus, the and all fear of the people should The court ordered that in these by Kejriwal against him have been first step towards integration of be allayed,” he said. circumstances, it is prima-facie widely published, circulated and Dudhnai-Mendipathar new line Incidentally, railways in satisfied that there is sufficient read by public at large and have with India’s railway network is Meghalaya is not something new. material on record to proceed lowered his dignity in the eyes of complete,” he added. Although this is for the first against the accused for the public. The 19.47km railway line time the railways would chug offence under sections 499/500 Being then the chief minister, M inister for Foreign and External Affairs Salman Khursid with Oman would connect Dudhnoi in the into Meghalaya after it attained of the IPC. Kejriwal failed to maintain the Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (left) prior to a Goalpara district of Assam and statehood in 1972, but present-day The court added that it will dignity of the post by making a meeting in New Delhi, yesterday. Abdullah is in India for a two-day Mendhipathar in the North Garo Meghalaya is one of the first places consider the material before false statement, the petition said. visit to strengthen ties between the two countries. Hills district of Meghalaya. in India to have the railways. it and shear the accused on IANS This project of the Indian IANS MARCH 1, 2014 15 Business www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY

Opec oil production rises in February Supply up by 170,000 b/d, led by Iraq and Angola

LONDON: Opec’s oil output delays caused by bad weather in 12-month moving average for has risen further in February January were cleared. Shipments actual prices over the last 18 from December’s two-and-a- of Kirkuk crude also increased months, and are still around $4 half-year low, due to more ship- from Iraq’s north. per barrel below the spot market. ments from Iraq and Angola, Angola’s exports have increased Reuters surveys top oil analysts and further upward creep in in February, mainly as the shorter at more than 30 banks and other Iranian exports, a Reuters sur- month lifted the daily rate. The leading financial institutions vey found yesterday. increase is unlikely to last as every month for their expecta- Output from the Organisation maintenance at BP’s Plutonio tions of the world’s crude oil of the Petroleum Exporting oilfield is set to reduce exports in benchmark. Countries averaged 29.96 million March. Since estimates for this year barrels per day (b/d), up from a Iranian supply to market was were first gathered at the end of revised 29.79m b/d in January, estimated at 2.82m b/d, up 70,000 2012, the Reuters monthly survey according to the survey based on b/d. The modest pickup is the has forecast the average Brent shipping data and information fourth consecutive monthly rise, price for 2014 between $103.50 from sources at oil companies, according to sources who track and $109. The latest survey pro- Opec and consultants. tanker movements, and adds to jected prices this year would aver- The survey illustrates the signs that the easing of sanctions age $105 per barrel. potential for Opec supply to on Tehran is helping it sell more The 2014 Brent forecast has People walk past a board of an exchange counter in central Kiev yesterday. rebound in 2014 if Iraq and Iran crude. tended to follow the average sustain higher output, potentially The largest decline in Opec actual price over the previous 12 weighing on oil prices unless was from Libya, where output months minus a discount of 3.6 outages persist in Libya or top declined to 230,000 b/d by the percent, or $3 to $4 per barrel. European markets stable; exporter Saudi Arabia cuts back. end of the month from January’s So far this year, the average “If Opec production is rising, average of 550,000 b/d because of closing price for front-month this would only add to the exist- strikes and protests. Brent futures has been close to ing over-supply,” said Carsten Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, $108 per barrel. The Reuters data Ukraine’s currency firms Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank industry sources say, trimmed suggests oil analysts have tended in Frankfurt. He expects Brent output slightly. Saudi state oil to underestimate the loss of sup- crude to fall further towards company Saudi Aramco told some ply from key oil producers such LONDON: Europe’s main stock rebounded on Friday from record judged unlikely to prompt a the middle of its trading band of term buyers that it will supply as Libya, Iraq and Iran, and may markets closed stable or mod- dollar lows after the IMF urged European Central Bank rate cut. $100-110 a barrel over the next less Arab Extra Light crude due have been too gloomy on the out- erately higher yesterday, while calm. International Monetary Eurozone inflation stood at 0.8 few weeks due to ample supplies. to maintenance at one of its big- look for global oil consumption. Ukraine’s under-pressure cur- Fund chief Christine Lagarde percent in February from a year In February, a jump in Iraqi gest oilfields, Shaybah. Oil dropped below $109 a barrel rency, the hryvnia, firmed on the said: “We do not see anything that earlier, official data showed. The exports, an increase in Angola “I think they are taking advan- yesterday as tension in Ukraine promise of IMF financial help. is critical, that is worthy of panic euro at 1700 GMT was trading and a further small rise in Iranian tage of a seasonal slow period,” dampened risk appetite and the London’s FTSE 100 stock mar- at the moment.” at 1.3804 to the dollar, up from shipments outweighed reduc- said an industry source of the United States revised its estimate ket index barely moved from close Kiev contacted the IMF on 1.3710 late Thursday. tions in Libya, Nigeria and Saudi timing of the maintenance. “They for fourth quarter growth below the day before, finishing just one Thursday to ask for emergency The European unit also gained Arabia. may re-jig production from other analyst expectations. point down at 6,809.7 points. The help and an IMF fact-finding team on the yen, at 140.90 yen against Opec’s December output was fields to keep pace with demand. A severe winter in the United DAX 30 in Frankfurt added 1.08 is expected in Ukraine within days. 140.05 the day before, while the dol- the lowest since May 2011, when If market demand is there, then States supported oil prices ear- percent to 9,692.08 points, and The hryvnia rose to around 9.100 lar stabilised against the Japanese the group pumped 28.90m b/d, they will supply it.” lier this year, helping oil avoid the Paris’s CAC 40 closed up 0.27 to the dollar, having plunged to a currency, at 102.08 yen from 102.15 according to Reuters surveys. Oil prices have been higher so weakness of other risk assets such percent at 4,408.09 points. historic low of 11.3075 on Thursday. on Thursday. The European single Despite increases this month and far this year than predicted, as as base metals, as have supply Wall Street stocks moved higher Ukraine’s central bank also took currency rose to 82.43 British pence in January, supply is below Opec’s bearish forecasters focus on wor- losses in Libya and South Sudan. in early trade, shrugging off a the step of capping cash withdraw- from 82.15 pence on Thursday. nominal target of 30m b/d for a ries about future oversupply and Brent crude were down 34 lower estimate of fourth-quarter als in the country to 15,000 hryvnia The pound gained to $1.6743 fifth straight month. faltering demand, Reuters data cents to $108.62 a barrel by 1420 US economic growth. About 35 ($1,400) per day to stem a run on from $1.6688. On the London The biggest increase came shows. GMT, after dropping 56 cents in minutes into trade, the Dow Jones bank accounts. Bullion Market, the price of gold from Iraq, whose exports from Forecasts of North Sea Brent the previous session. US oil was Industrial Average rose 71.06 points Meanwhile the euro picked fell to $1,326.50 an ounce from its southern terminals jumped by crude oil futures prices in 2014 down 28 cents to $102.12. (0.44 percent) to 16,343.71. up against the dollar, strength- $1,332.25 on Thursday. more than 300,000 b/d as shipping have been 3-4 percent below the REUTERS Ukraine’s hryvnia currency ened by eurozone inflation figures AFP

UK public debt World’s first Bitcoin shop opens to rise by HONG KONG: A shop selling the virtual “What we want to do is enable people to Bitcoin currency opened in Hong Kong yes- have an easier way to purchase Bitcoins,” over £100bn terday, as fresh concerns grew in Asia over Lo said. “I’m quite bullish in the long run,” the currency’s viability and security. Daniel Chan, a 27-year-old blogger who pur- LONDON: The official meas- Touting itself as the world’s “first” physi- chased one Bitcoin, which amounts to around ure of Britain’s trillion-pound cal Bitcoin retail store, Hong Kong-based HK$5,000 ($644) from the store, said. government debt will rise by exchange ANXBTC said it could help raise The Bitcoin market would improve as it more than £100bn ($167bn) in the popularity of the crypto-currency. matures, Chan said. “I feel virtual currency September, as part of a major It came on the day that Japanese Bitcoin is a trend. I will save up to buy when the revamp of the politically sensi- exchange MtGox was forced to file for bank- price drops,” Charlie Wu, a 22-year-old from tive numbers by the country’s ruptcy protection, saying it had lost nearly Shenzhen in mainland China who travelled to statistics agency. half a billion dollars’ worth of the digital cur- Hong Kong for the opening ceremony, said. Some of the changes are due rency in a possible theft. Analysts have warned that the lack of gov- to new European Union statisti- ANXBTC Chief Executive officer Ken Lo ernment support and security risks may fuel cal rules, which mean the not- said the MtGox saga was only “a drop in the further uncertainties for the digital currency. for-profit body which operates bucket” and the Bitcoin market remained bull- Late last year, the People’s Bank of China Britain’s rail network will be clas- ish. “There is no shortage of demand,” Lo said (PBoC), the nation’s central bank, ordered sified as a public rather than a at the opening ceremony of the shop located financial institutions not to provide Bitcoin- private corporation. Promotion girls pose during the opening ceremony of the first bitcoin retail shop in Hong in the residential district of Sai Ying Pun, related services and products while cautioning But the bulk are an attempt Kong yesterday. where people later queued to open an account against its potential use in money-laundering. to clean up how Britain’s public or make purchases. AFP accounts have been presented since the financial crisis, which saw the purchase of big stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, as well as of over £375bn of government Crackdown on shares fraud yields 110 arrests in Europe, US bonds by the Bank of England. The changes are almost wholly LONDON: Anti-fraud police have Codenamed Operation Rico, the inves- “It is our most important investigation City of London Police and Spain’s Policia in line with proposals the Office for arrested 110 people in Europe and the tigation led to 84 arrests in Spain, 20 in ever, targeting people we believe are at the Nacional examining reports of investors National Statistics (ONS) made in United States in an international crack- Britain, four in Serbia and two in the top of an organised crime network that worldwide being sold bogus shares in car- December, when one of its officials down on gangs selling bogus shares that United States, with most of those arrested has been facilitating boiler rooms across bon credits, gold, renewable energy, for- described the existing statistics cost some investors their life savings, on suspicion of money laundering and Europe and which is suspected of being estry, eco projects, wine and land. as “no longer fit for guidance, no British authorities said yesterday. fraud, City of London police said. responsible for millions of pounds of invest- In the last year of the investigation, longer fit for purpose”. City of London Police, responsible for It prompted the closure of what are ment fraud,” he said in a statement. British police froze £1.5m ($2.5m) in British Data in the old format will law enforcement in the British capital’s believed to be 14 boiler rooms in Spain, two Head said City of London Police inves- bank accounts believed to contain proceeds cease to be published after April financial district, said the arrests, made in in Britain and one in Serbia with goods tigations have produced numerous pros- from boiler room activity. 2015. The ONS plans to replace a series of raids this week, arose out of a worth over £500,000 ($836,500) seized ecutions in recent years where organised “Many investors had suffered devastat- its current headline measure of two-year investigation into “boiler room” including an Aston Martin, Mustang, crime gangs have been found to be running ing financial losses and emotional distress,” Britain’s total outstanding bor- operations believed responsible for millions designer clothes, watches and cash. boiler rooms, mainly located in Spain. the police statement said. rowing — public sector net debt of pounds of investment fraud. City of London Police commander Steve These schemes promise high returns Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority excluding financial sector inter- Boiler rooms consist of teams of young Head said the network was believed to and may initially offer dividends but those has estimated that as much as £200m is ventions — with a new measure, men cold-calling potential investors offer- have had upwards of 1,000 victims, and the who invest, often the elderly and vulner- lost to boiler room fraud in Britain each public sector net debt excluding ing them worthless, overpriced or even arrests highlighted how law enforcement able, usually end up losing their money, and year, and it receives 5,000 calls a year from banking groups. non-existent shares using high-pressure can work globally to find suspected crimi- some have seen their life savings evaporate. people who think they are victims of share REUTERS sales techniques. nals seeking shelter in other countries. The investigation began in 2012 with the fraud. REUTERS MARCH 1, 2014 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Business ON SATURDAY 16

Japan’s core CPI rises China’s yuan at US economy eight-month low against dollar

SHANGHAI: China’s yuan grew 2.4pc in currency fell nearly one percent against the US dollar in intra- day trade yesterday, its biggest drop in years, before recovering some ground but still closing at fourth quarter an eight-month low. The currency has fallen repeat- edly in the last two weeks with many dealers believing the depre- Shift in tapering policy likely ciation is a deliberate move by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), the WASHINGTON: The US econ- grew at a robust rate of 4.1 per- central bank, to target speculative omy grew more slowly late last cent in the third quarter but sig- funds betting on continued rises. year than previously thought, but nificantly lost momentum as it The yuan — also called the ren- there was enough vigour that the entered 2014. Since then, a batch minbi (RMB) — dropped around Federal Reserve will likely con- of economic data has been disap- 0.9 percent from the previous tinue reducing its stimulus pro- pointing in January and February day’s close in morning trading gramme, analysts said. as severe winter weather gripped to 6.1808 against the dollar, its The Commerce Department on much of the country. largest slide since the country Friday cut its estimate of gross “Growth is slowing a bit from ended a fixed peg to the dollar domestic product growth in the the inventory-juiced pace of late A staff checks clothes at a store in Tokyo yesterday. Japan’s core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes in 2005, according to Dow Jones final quarter to an annual rate of last year, but the main culprit is fresh food prices but includes oil products, rose 1.3 percent year-on-year in January. Newswires. 2.4 percent, from an initial read- winter weather, which is weigh- The yuan ended at 6.1450 on ing of 3.2 percent. ing heavily on activity,” said Scott the national foreign exchange Analysts had expected a some- Hoyt of Moody’s Analytics. market, still down around 0.3 what smaller GDP revision to a Inflation slowed in the fourth percent from Thursday’s close of 2.6 percent pace in the final quar- quarter and remained well below 6.1284, marking the weakest fin- ter, which began with the negative the Federal Reserve’s 2.0 percent ish since June last year. effects of the government shut- target. The PCE price index was India clocks tepid 4.7pc growth “PBoC’s recent action is to down in October and ended with up 1.0 percent, compared with curb the one-way bet and possi- disappointing holiday retail sales a 1.9 percent pace in the third NEW DELHI: India’s economy said Capital Economics economist on the economy. Overall, eco- bly unwelcome arbitrage activi- in December amid bad weather. quarter. The core PCE, exclud- grew by a sluggish 4.7 percent Miguel Chanco. nomic growth “is likely to remain ties,” Australia and New Zealand Most of the downward fourth- ing food and energy prices, rose in the last quarter of 2013, data The figures reported by India’s muted,” said Chanco. Banking Group said in a research quarter revision of 0.8 percent- 1.3 percent. showed yesterday, marking ministry of statistics was the The third-quarter perform- report. China’s financial authori- age point came from smaller than The new chair of the Federal more bad news for the ruling fifth straight quarter of below ance was slightly weaker than ties allow the currency to move first estimated growth in con- Reserve, Janet Yellen, yesterday Congress party ahead of loom- five-percent expansion. Growth the previous three months when up or down one percent daily on sumer spending, the main engine suggested that the US central ing elections. has crumbled from nearly double- the economy grew by 4.8 percent. either side of a mid-point they say of US economic activity. bank could shift its tapering policy The 4.7 percent year-on-year digit expansion just two years ago, Earlier this month, the govern- is set by polling market makers. Personal consumption expen- if recent weaker data represented expansion in the three months a level economists say India must ment forecast the economy would But worries over a slowdown in ditures (PCE) were revised lower a fundamental change in growth. to December undershot market reach again to generate jobs for its grow by 4.9 percent in this fiscal the property market and the state to 2.6 percent from the prior esti- Yellen, in semi-annual Fed forecasts of around five percent vast young population. year to March, after expanding of the domestic economy were mate of 3.3 percent. The weaker testimony to Congress, told the growth and reflected high interest Although down from November, by a decade low of 4.5 percent also hurting the yuan, analysts spending growth picture was not Senate Banking Committee that rates that have crimped invest- stubbornly high consumer price last year. However, most private said. The sharp fall came despite surprising, after economic data Fed policymakers believe severe ment and consumer spending. No inflation continues to constrain economists see expansion in the the China Foreign Exchange and retailers’ reports had shown weather was behind some of the immediate improvement was seen household spending power, low four percent range. Trading System, the national for- consumers were holding their disappointing numbers of the on the horizon for growth in the economists said. What’s more, “There is no sign of a lift in the eign exchange market, announc- wallets tight in the face of high past two months on job crea- gross domestic product (GDP) of economists say, a huge backlog real economy,” senior Moody’s ing a mid-point of 6.1214 yuan for unemployment and Washington tion, industrial production and Asia’s third-largest economy. of projects stalled by India’s infa- Analytics economist Doug Levine the day, stronger than Thursday’s budget uncertainty. consumption. “We continue to expect India’s mous bureaucratic red tape will said. Economists say the economy fix of 6.1224. Other factors were downward She said the Fed would try to economic recovery to remain keep weighing on investment. grew 4.6 percent in the first half The yuan steadily appreciated revisions to private inventory “get a firmer handle” on exactly slow and uneven. Local condi- Meanwhile, recent tighten- and needs to expand 5.2 percent against the US dollar last year, investment, exports and state and how much of the weaker data can tions remain challenging, which ing of both monetary and fiscal in the second half to meet the rising more than three percent, local government spending. be explained by weather or if any is critical as the economy is driven policy to curb inflation is plac- government’s full-year 4.9 percent official figures showed. The world’s largest economy is due to a softer outlook. AFP primarily by domestic demand,” ing added downward pressure growth target. AFP AFP MARCH 1, 2014 17 Classifieds www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY

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BQPMMPQSPQ!RBUBSOFURB Sport MARCH 1, 2014 19 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY Federer stuns Djokovic in Dubai Swiss to play Czech Berdych in final

DUBAI: Roger Federer showed start but the crowd kept push- an enterprising new side to his ing me on and I played well. It’s a Tennis Results game as he beat Novak Djokovic quick court so I am always trying for the first time in 18 months to be aggressive. I wish I could do ATP Dubai Open and ended the top seed’s defence Stefan’s volleys, but I work with DUBAI: Results from the fifth of the Dubai Open title. what I have.” day of the Dubai Duty Free The record 17-time Grand Later the 32-year-old was Tennis Championships yester- Slam title winner beat the six- asked when he might be back to day (x denotes seeded player): time major champion 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, his best again, after a difficult Semi-finals: Roger Federer (SUI x4) bt Novak turning the match around not 2013. Djokovic (SRB x1) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Tomas only with scintillating ground- “I hope it’s now,” he said. “It’s Berdych (CZE x3) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber stroke hitting but with some bold all happening. Beating Novak on (GER x7) 7-5, 7-5. approaches to the net. the hard courts here in Dubai, it’s Djokovic looked the more likely tough. This is a big step in the ATP Brazil Open Results winner when he got within a point right direction for me. It gives me SAO PAULO: Results from of going a break up in the fifth a lot of confidence.” the fourth day of the ATP game of the second set, but a Federer also improved what Brazil Open yesterday (x couple of minutes later came a he calls his transition game -- denotes seeding): short rain delay which halted his the strokes and timing which Second Round: Thomaz Belluci (BRA) bt momentum. facilitate his movement to the Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, After that Federer’s game rose forecourt -- and from late in the 6-3; Juan Monaco (ARG x4) bt Albert Ramos to much higher levels, and his second set he generated a spell of (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-5; Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) increasing willingness to come six winning games out of seven. bt Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-4, 6-3; Martin forward, which earned him 11 Djokovic may have suffered Klizan (SVK) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP x3) points from 17 net forays, seemed from lack of match practice -- this 6-4, 6-3. to bear the stamp of his new was only his third match since coach, Stefan Edberg. losing his Australian Open title WTA Brazil Cup Results “There was a buzz out there more than five weeks ago, and FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil: tonight, and I was able to enjoy although he played some great Results from the WTA Brazil myself with that crowd,” five-time counter-hitting rallies he never Tennis Cup in Florianopolis Dubai champion Federer said on looked like stopping Federer when yesterday (x denotes seeding): court. he was on a roll. Quarter-finals: Carla Suarez (ESP) bt “For some reason I had a tough AFP Monica Niculescu (ROM) 4-6, 6-0, 4-1 retired; Klara Zakopalova (CZE x3) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 6-3, 5-2 - retired; Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Alexandra Cadantu (ROM x6) 6-3, 6-3; Garbine Muguruza (ESP x2) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-2, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3. Roger Federer of Switzerland Abierto Mexicano Telcel Results serves the ACAPULCO, Mexico: ball to Novak Results from the ATP and Djokovic of WTA Abierto Mexicano Telcel Serbia during yesterday (x denotes seeding): their semi- Men’s singles Quarter-finals: Kevin final match Anderson (RSA x5) bt David Ferrer (ESP x1) in the ATP 2-6, 4-2 retired; Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. Dubai Open (UKR) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); Championships Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x4) bt Ernests Gulbis in Dubai, yes- (LAT x7) 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5; Andy Murray terday. Federer (GBR x2) bt Gilles Simon (FRA x6) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Women’s singles Quarter-finals: Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x1) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-4, 7-5; Shuai Zhang (CHN x8) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2; Christina McHale (USA) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST x3) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4; Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x2) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray are listed as ‘Icon Players’ Nadal, Djokovic lead along with Stanislas Wawrinka, Agassi and Sampras, as well as women’s world number one Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and names on ITPL draft Caroline Wozniacki. There is also a ‘Past Champions’ DUBAI: Rafael Nadal and participate in a ‘draft’ of 70 male category, featuring eight former Novak Djokovic, as well as and female players in Dubai on tour stars, including Pat Rafter, former stars Pete Sampras Sunday. the former US Open champion. and Andre Agassi, lead the The players, put into differ- In addition, there are four more names saying they are prepared ent categories according to their categories of current tour players, to take part in the planned status and market values, will go while a handful of doubles players International Tennis Premier up for auction, with the five ven- will also feature in the draft for League (ITPL). ues -- expected to be Hong Kong, the tournament, which is likely to However, Roger Federer and Mumbai, Singapore, Bangkok be staged in the traditional off- Maria Sharapova are the most and Kuala Lumpur -- competing season between late November notable absentees from the list against each other to bring the and late December. of players released yesterday to players to their city. AFP Players from seven countries for Qatar Junior Open squash DOHA: Players from seven tournaments will help some of Technical Secretary at Qatar countries including hosts Qatar the upcoming local players to Squash Federation (QSF). The will be vying for top hon- test their abilities against some tournament will be played on the ours at the Qatar Junior Open of the best players from the same knock out system. squash championship which age-group,” said Gamal Rasmi, THE PENINSULA will begin from today at Khalifa International Tennis and Qatar Junior Open Squash Championship Squash Complex. The tournament will be held on Boys Under-11 five categories namely: Under-19, Yousef Ahmad Elsaka, Abdulaziz Saleh Daoud, Zeyad Tariq Al Zeyara, Humoud Salah Abu Hussain, Under-17, Under-15, Under-13 Abdulaziz Talal Al Thani, Ibrahim Ahmed Darwish, Mohammed Tareq Alemadi, Hamad Ali Al and Under-11. Naimi, Thamer Ali Al Naimi, Youssef Essam Farag, Mohamed Tarek Ouda, Jassim Talal Al Thani, Players from Malaysia, Iraq, Saleh Umar Zaman, Abdulraouf Aboubakr Abdelzaher, Abdulrahman Ali Al Khalaf, Salem Yousef Pakistan, India, Kuwait, Iran and Al Malki, Yousef Abdulla Al Kubaisi, Mohammed Abdulla Al Kubaisi, Abdulla Ahmed Al Qahtani Qatar are taking part in the five and Pouya Shafieifard day championship. Boys Under-13 The finals will be played on Vasudef Vasanthan, Hussein Ayad M Al Tameemi, Ahmad Tariq Alobaidli, Nayef Saleh Daoud, Jaafar March 5. The Qatar Junior Open Ferman Hasan, Bader M S KH Almoghrebi, Abbas Zeb, Hussein Ali Jihad Al Bawi, Eissa Soud Al will be followed by the Doha Aqeedi, Naveed Rehman, Waleed Umar Zaman, Hamoud A H M Aljenaidel, Hayder Mohammed Junior Open which will begin on I Al Dulaimi, Ali Saeed Al Dosari, Jaber Saleh Daoud, Muhammad Bilal Islam, Abdulaziz Khaled March 6 and end on March 10. Al Ishaq, Rashid Ali Al Harib, Yousef E M R Alnajjar, Tameem Abdulrahman Alaji, Ali Ahmed Al “The two back-to-back Qahtani, Abdulaziz A M H Jasem, and Mohammad Danial Gharooni 20 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Sport Strijbos, Herlings top qualifying sessions at Losail Circuit FIM Motorcross World Championship: The fall put me back, says Cairoli Rossi tops

DOHA: Belgian rider Kevin Sepang test Strijbos yesterday made the most of a fall suffered by world champion Antonio Cairoli to despite tyre top the season’s first MXGP qualifying session at Losail woes International Circuit. Earlier, Dutch star Jefferey Herlings laid down the marker SEPANG, Malaysia: Valentino for MX2 rivals by posting the Rossi topped the time sheet on fastest time in the qualifying ses- the last day of MotoGP testing sion for today’s opening round of in Malaysia yesterday, despite the 2014 FIM Motorcross World he and Yamaha teammate Jorge Championship. Lorenzo voicing frustrations Riding a Suzuki, Strijbos with lack of traction in their clocked the fastest time of rear tyres. 23:49.172 to finish the 12-lap qual- Nine-time world champion ifying session ahead of Gautier Rossi came in with 1 minute Paulin, the French rider who 59.999 seconds, the same time was 4.343 seconds slower than as rival Dani Pedrosa of Honda, the day’s headline grabber from whose teammate world champion Belgium. Marc Marquez has missed this In third place was Russia’s round’s testing due to a broken Honda star Evgeny Bobryshev leg. Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati who was 6.157 seconds adrift was third, just 0.068 seconds of the time posted by Strijbos behind the top two. on the dirt track inside Losail Riders taking part in the qualifying session for today’s opening round of the 2014 FIM Motorcross World Championship at Losail International Circuit Rossi, who finished fourth on International Circuit. yesterday. Today, the MX2 race will start at 10:10pm while the MXGP race begins at 11:10pm. PICTURES BY: SHIAVAL DALAL Thursday, had earlier said he was Kawasaki rider Steven struggling to get the maximum Frossard of France was fourth from his Yamaha with the new fastest (23.55.429) while Italy’s the qualifying session. Cairoli, the race of the new season. The KTM and I can improve,” the Dutch Circuit. Yamaha’s British rider specification Bridgestone tyres at Davide Guarneri (23:57.216) title favourite, was 9.270 seconds giant clocked an impressive time said. Max Anstie (24:08.748), Belgian Malaysia’s Sepang circuit. was fifth fastest on his TM bike slower than Strijbos of 23 minutes 42.613 seconds over In third place was another Julien Lieber (Suzuki, 24:11.311), “The main thing at this test is Germany’s Maximilian Nagl “The fall put me back. I was his 12 laps. Kawaski rider Switzerland’s Frenchman Christophe (Yamaha, to adapt the M1 (bike) to work (Honda, 23:57.920), defend- right at the end but let’s see what Herlings pushed French rider Arnaud Tonus who was 10.931 24:19.570), compatriot Jordi Tixier well with the new Bridgestone ing MXGP champion from happens in the race. It is a long Dylan Ferrandis to the sec- seconds adrift of Herlings while (KTM, 24:20.467) Bulgaria’s tyres. We’ve worked a lot and Italy Cairoli (KTM, 23:58.442), season. I am feeling good about ond spot. Riding a Kawasaki, Suzuki star Glenn Coldenhoff Petar Petrov (Yamaha, 24:22.474) tried many things but at the end Belgium’s Clement Desalle my riding,” Cairoli said. Ferrandis was a massive 7.336 trailed Herlings by 17.068 seconds completed the top-10 in MX2 of the day we are not very happy,” (Suzuki, 24:06.515), compatriot Earlier, Dutch motocross star seconds slower than Herlings. Herlings’ stablemate Spain’s qualifying he said late Thursday. Jeremy Van Horebeek (Yamaha, Herlings lived up to his reputa- “I am happy the way I rode Jose Butron was fifth fastest, fin- Today, the MX2 race will start “We’re suffering because with 24:13.132) and Italy’s David tion of flawless riding by emerging today,” Herlings said. ishing his 12 laps 22.899 seconds at 10:10pm while the MXGP race this tyre our bike becomes dif- Philippaerts (Yamaha, 24:19.585) as the fastest biker to top official “My target is to avoid crashes slower than the day’s leader on the begins at 11:10pm. ficult to manage. We don’t have completed the top-10 bracket in qualifying for today’s first MX2 and keep riding well. I am just 19 dirt track at Losail International THE PENINSULA much that we can do.” Spaniard Lorenzo came in seventh yesterday, 0.620 seconds Rutledge behind Rossi and Pedrosa. He was ninth Thursday -- over a second launches 2014 down on that day’s leader Pedrosa. Yamaha factory racing team manager Wilco Zeelenberg, how- campaign on ever, said that the two-time world champion was “disappointed.” positive note But Zeelenberg refused to state if the tyres were a concern for DOHA: Australian teen rider Yamaha’s race competitiveness Meghan Kat Rutledge led a especially after Honda riders Kawasaki 1-2 in the opening seemed to be able to throttle up qualifying of the new season, with the same tyres. finishing with a better time than that of Livia Lancelo on the dirt track inside Losail International Perez on top in Circuit. Yamaha rider and reigning FIM Bahrain, Red WMX World Champion Chiara Fontanesi finished third-fastest, Bull recover just a notch behind Lancelo of France. MANAMA: Force India’s Rutledge, the 19-year-old Sergio Perez topped the time Australian, posted the fastest Women taking part in the FIM WMX World Championship pose for a charts for the second succes- time 1:57.881 which she recorded group photo along with Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, President of Qatar sive day of pre-season Formula on the seventh lap. Motor and Motorcycle Federation yesterday. One testing yesterday as world Last year’s WMX runner-up champions Red Bull finally Rutledge has signed up for the found some pace. entire season thanks to the sup- last two years and it will be inter- The first round of the 2014 FIM Perez clocked 1min 35.570sec port of Bud Racing Kawasaki and esting to see how the talented Motocross World Championship off a marathon 108 laps with will be looking for nothing less Italian wonder lady handles the in Qatar are being broad- Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso just than WMX glory in the seven pressure from old rivals today. cast on new TV channels such behind on 1:35.634 off 122 laps. races for female riders in 2014. Irish rider Natalie Kane (KTM) as Mediaset Italia 2 in Italy, But Red Bull’s Australian Lancelot, who also completed was fourth fastest (2:00.241) while Eurosport in Europe, while CBS driver Daniel Ricciardo was the maximum allowed eight laps, a notch below was Dutch cham- Sports Network is covering North third-fastest with a best time of was just 0.975 seconds slower pion Nancy van de Ven (2:01.115) American (the US and Canada). 1:35.743 having completed 66 laps. than Rutledge. who was riding a Yamaha. BEIN Sports MENA is also “It went a lot better today,” said Fontanesi - who just completed Meanwhile, after the success attending round one of MXGP in Ricciardo, who was a despondent five laps - clocked 1:58.935 to of last year, the television cover- Qatar today and will be airing a 6 seventh on Thursday. finish as the third fastest rider age of the FIM Motocross World hours live programme with races Kevin Strijbos of Rockstar Energy Suzuki World during the qualifying “In the afternoon we did some among a group of 22. Championship has increased and and studio shows starting today session of MXGP. The Belgian rider topped the season’s first qualify- good stuff. We had a go on the The two-time FIM WMX existing relationships have been evening at 6:00pm local time. ing session. soft tyre, which was nice, to see World Champion dominated the extended, according to details. THE PENINSULA how the car responds with a bit more grip. “We also did one long run at the end, which was very important, just to see how the car is behaving with the tyres. A big Blair edges Stapleton to win race one improvement everywhere over yesterday and a much more opti- DOHA: Britain’s Ryan Blair finished with a time of 23:16.343, mud so much so I tried to keep practice, Kuwaiti rider “I am looking forward to win- mistic outlook now I think. yesterday won race one of the some 7.530 seconds slower than steady and finish the race. Mohammed Jaffar emerged as the ning again tomorrow,” Jaffar “We still have a lot to learn and fifth and final round of the Blair. “Overall it was a good result winner and finished fourth in the added. understand, but we’re making National MX Championship, Starting along side 32 riders, and I am pleased with the win,” overall standings. Jaffar’s compatriot Abdullah progress and the past two days edging American Dennis Blair struggled for pace in the an exhausted Blair said after the “First of all I want to say that Al Shatti finished second in the have been a big step in the right Stapleton to the top spot on first two laps but kicked off there- race. it is a great feeling to see all the MX2 while Saeed Al Shenqiti of direction.” the dirt track inside Losail after to remain in the lead until Stapleton said race leader Blair best motocross riders of the world the UAE was third. Ricciardo has now completed International Circuit. the end. made it impossible to catch the here and watching our race,” Both three riders were riding his winter testing with world Blair - who reached his top “It was a very tough and com- Briton. Jaffar said. KTM bikes. The second race of champion Sebastian Vettel to speed of 46.11km/h on lap two on plicated race, more difficult than “I made a good start but after “I consider it a big apprecia- the Losail MX Championship will take over the driving duties on his Kawasaki - finished with the the previous round,” Blair said. the second lap I came second and tion for the sport, fans and for be held today. Before the start Saturday and Sunday before the best time of 23 minutes 08.813 “I want to thank all my friends it was impossible for me to catch the lower level riders who are of the race, there was a group teams head for Australia and the seconds. in Bahrain who always support Ryan,” Stapleton. champions in the Middle East,” photo with all MXGP, MX2 and March 16 Melbourne opener. Stapleton, riding a KTM bike, me and are behind me one hun- “This time, the track was he added. WMX riders in the podium with Felipe Massa in the Williams was 5.160 seconds slower than dred percent,” he added. very muddy, maybe it was over- “The track was really difficult QMMF President Nasser bin was fourth-fastest on Friday with Blair in the 20-lap race. “Regarding the race, I would watered for the MXGP but we today, full of mud which is some- Khalifa Al Attiyah, Youthstream Jenson Button in a McLaren fifth In third place was South say I really had a bad start, cov- will see tomorrow how it goes,” thing we are not used to but I am chief Giuseppe Luongo, and Dr and Marussia’s Jules Bianchi a Africa’s Sean Gugain who was ered in mud so I tried to make Stapleton added. very happy with the result as I Wolfgang Srb. surprise sixth-fastest. riding a Kawasaki bike. Gugain quick passes. I don’t stay in the Earlier in the MX2 free came first in my class. THE PENINSULA AGENCIES MARCH 1, 2014 21 Sport www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY

Europa League Results PARIS: Collated Europa League round of 32, Comeback victory second-leg results on Thursday night: At Kazan, Russia Rubin Kazan (RUS) 0 Real Betis (ESP) 2 (Nono 45, Ruben Castro 64) Betis win 3-1 on aggregate At Sofia helps Spurs qualify Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) 3 (Bezjak 67, Zlatinski 78, Juninho Quixada 88) Lazio (ITA) 3 (Baldé 1, Perea 54, Klose 82) Europa League: Porto and Napoli win Ludogorets win 4-3 on aggregate At Basel, Switzerland FC Basel (SUI) 3 (Stocker 18, Streller 60, ARIS: Tottenham Hotspur minutes in at the San Paolo sta- 71) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 0 Football Fixtures are through to the last 16 of dium when Lorenzo Insigne cutely Basel win 3-0 on aggregate (All times in GMT) the Europa League after a lifted the ball over Michel Vorm At Salzburg, Austria English Premier League dramatic recovery saw them in the away goal. Salzburg (AUS) 3 (Van der Hoorn 56-og, Today get the better of ten-man Jonathan De Guzman hit back Mané 66, Jonatan Soriano 77) Ajax (NED) 1 Dnipro at White Hart Lane on for Swansea and for a long time (Klaassen 82) Everton vs West Ham United (1500) Thursday night. it looked as if they would progress Salzburg win 6-1 on aggregate Fulham vs Chelsea (1500) After losing 1-0 in the first leg on away goals. At Frankfurt am Main, Germany Hull City vs Newcastle United (1500) of the round of 32 tie in Ukraine But Gonzalo Higuain took Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 3 (Aigner 37, Stoke City vs Arsenal (1500) last we+ek, Spurs looked to be advantage of a lucky ricochet Meier 52, 76) FC Porto (POR) 3 (Mangala Southampton vs Liverpool (1730) heading out of the tournament in the box to put the hosts back 58, 71, Ghilas 86) 5-5 on aggregate, Porto win on away goals Tomorrow when Roman Zozulya headed in in front 12 minutes from time, a delivery from visiting captain and Gokhan Inler made sure of At Naples, Italy Aston Villa vs Norwich City (1630) Ruslan Rotan two minutes into Napoli’s progress in stoppage Napoli (ITA) 3 (Insigne 17, Higuain 78, Inler Swansea City vs Crystal Palace (1630) the second half. time. 90+3) Swansea City (ENG) 1 (De Guzman 30) Tottenham Hotspur vs Cardiff City (1630) That left the Premier League Napoli will now take on 2011 Napoli win 3-1 on aggregate English League Cup Final club needing to score three unan- Europa League winners Porto, At Donetsk, Ukraine March 2 swered goals to go through, but after the Portuguese club won a Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 1 (Luiz Adriano 88) a Christian Eriksen free-kick remarkable tie against Eintracht Viktoria Pilsen (CZE) 2 (Kolar 29, Petrzela Manchester City v Sunderland (1400) reduced the deficit on 55 min- Frankfurt. 33) Ligue 1 fixtures utes before Zozulya was shown a Following a 2-2 draw in last Viktoria Pilsen win 3-2 on aggregate Tomorrow straight red card by the French week’s first leg, Eintracht looked At Seville, Spain St Etienne vs Monaco (1600) referee following a headbutt on to be going through thanks to Sevilla (ESP) 2 (Reyes 42, Gameiro 59) Jan Vertonghen. goals from Stefan Aigner and Maribor (SLO) 1 (Vrsic 90+2) FC Lorient vs Bastia (1900) Spurs made the most of their Alexander Meier either side of Sevilla win 4-3 on aggregate Sochaux vs Girondins Bordeaux (1900) man advantage as Emmanuel the interval. At Trabzon, Turkey Nice vs Toulouse (1900) Adebayor struck twice in the A double from Porto’s Trabzonspor (TUR) 0 Juventus (ITA) 2 (Vidal Stade Rennes vs En Avant Guingamp (1900) space of four minutes to seal a 3-1 France international defender 18, Osvaldo 33) Stade de Reims vs Valenciennes (1900) win on the night and go through Eliaquim Mangala silenced the Juventus win 4-0 on aggregate Tomorrow 3-2 on aggregate. crowd of close to 50,000 in the At Florence, Italy Tim Sherwood’s side will now Commerzbank Arena, only for Ajaccio vs Lille (1300) Fiorentina (ITA) 1 (Ilicic 47) Esbjerg (DEN) 1 face last season’s beaten final- Meier to put the hosts back in (Vestergaard 90+1) Olympique Lyon v sMontpellier HSC (1600) ists Benfica, who saw off PAOK front. Fiorentina win 4-2 on aggregate Paris St Germain vs Olympique Marseille (2000) of Greece, and they will do so as But Nabil Ghilas netted four At Lisbon Scottish Premiership fixtures the only Premier League side left minutes from time to make it Benfica (POR) 3 (Gaitan 70, Lima 78-pen, Today in the tournament after Swansea 3-3 on the night and take Porto Markovic 79) PAOK (GRE) 0 Aberdeen vs St. Johnstone (1500) City went down 3-1 to Napoli in through on away goals, the result Tottenham Hotspur’s Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates after scoring his Benfica win 4-0 on aggregate Italy. easing the pressure on coach Celtic vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle (1500) side’s third goal during their Europa League match against Dnipro at At Valencia, Spain Following a goalless first leg, Paulo Fonseca. Valencia (ESP) 0 Dynamo Kiev (UKR) 0 Motherwell vs Hearts (1500) White Hart Lane in London on Thursday night. the Serie A side took the lead 17 AFP Valencia win 2-0 on aggregate Ross County vs Partick Thistle (1500) At Alkmaar, Netherlands St. Mirren vs Kilmarnock (1500) AZ Alkmaar (NED) 1 (Viergever 19) Slovan La Liga Liberec (CZE) 1 (Budnik 72) Today Lampard backs Torres AZ win 2-1 on aggregate At Genk, Belgium Malaga v sReal Valladolid (1500) Genk (BEL) 0 Anzhi Makhachkala (RUS) 2 Levante vs Osasuna (1700) (Tshimanga 64-og, Aliyev 71) Getafe vs Espanyol (1900) Anzhi win 2-0 on aggregate Elche vs Celta Vigo (2100) to fire Chelsea’s title bid At London Tomorrow Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 3 (Eriksen 56, Adebayor 65, 69) Dnipro (UKR) 1 (Zozulya Villarreal vs Real Betis (1100) LONDON: Frank Lampard leg will spark a goal glut from opportunity to pull clear of one 48) Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid (1600) insists Fernando Torres can the former Liverpool forward. of their main title rivals. Tottenham win 3-2 on aggregate fire Chelsea’s challenge for the “People have made a lot about And Chelsea will make the Sevilla vs Real Sociedad (1800) At Lyon, France Barcelona vs Almeria (2000) Premier League title when Fernando and his £50 million short trip across the capi- the leaders face west London price tag over the years, but I tal expecting to take all three Lyon (FRA) 1 (Lacazette 80) Chornomorets Rayo Vallecano vs Valencia (2000) Odessa (UKR) 0 rivals Fulham today. don’t think he has to prove or points given Fulham’s position Lyon win 1-0 on aggregate Serie A matches Jose Mourinho’s team hold sit back and analyse too much at the bottom of the Premier Last 16 draw Today a slender one-point advantage what he’s got to do,” Lampard League and Chelsea’s seven- PARIS: Draw for the last 16 of this season’s AS Roma vs Inter Milan (1945) over second-placed Arsenal and said. game unbeaten record at Chelsea’s lack of firepower has “He just has to go out and Craven Cottage. Europa League following the conclusion of Tomorrow the round of 32: led some pundits to suggest they score goals, and 13 out of 17 If the leaders suffer a shock AZ Alkmaar (NED) vs Anzhi Makhachkala (RUS) Cagliari v Udinese (1130) won’t be able to keep pace as the European games is the sort of slip against Felix Magath’s Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs Valencia (ESP) Atalanta Bergamo v Chievo Verona (1400) title race hots up. stuff we’re talking about. team, Arsenal will hope to capi- Genoa v Catania (1400) Blues strikers Torres, Samuel “He showed what he can do talise by regaining top spot with FC Porto (POR) vs Napoli (ITA) Lyon (FRA) vs Viktoria Pilsen (CZE) Sassuolo v Parma (1400) Eto’o and Demba Ba have scored against Galatasaray, scored a a rare victory at Stoke. Chelsea`s Fernando Torres cel- Sevilla (ESP) vs Real Betis (ESP) Torino v Sampdoria (1400) only 11 league goals between very important goal for us, and Arsene Wenger’s side have ebrates after scoring against them this season. got behind them a lot, particu- won only one of their last five Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) vs Benfica (POR) Verona v Bologna (1400) Galatasaray during the UEFA But Chelsea midfielder larly in the first half.” visits to the Britannia Stadium FC Basel (SUI) vs Salzburg (AUT) Livorno v Napoli (1730) Champions League round of 16 Lampard is hopeful that With third placed Manchester and the fixture has often proved Juventus (ITA) vs Fiorentina (ITA) AC Milan v Juventus (1945) on February 26 at the TT Arena Torres’s crucial goal in the 1-1 City in League Cup final action especially bruising for the some- First legs to be played March 13, second Fiorentina v Lazio (1945) Stadium in Istanbul. draw at Galatasaray in the against Sunderland on Sunday, times fragile Gunners. legs on March 20 Bundesliga Champions League last-16 first Mourinho’s men have an AFP Today Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz (1430) Borussia Dortmund v sNuremberg (1430) PSG ready for test from resurgent Marseille Eintracht Braunschweig v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1430) FC Augsburg vs Hanover 96 (1430) PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain into the ‘Classique’ boosted by Monaco continue their chase of host Marseille in France’s fierc- their recent improved form under the leaders with a tough trip to Werder Bremen vs Hamburg SV (1430) est rivalry on Sunday night with interim coach Jose Anigo, which Saint-Etienne, who are fourth. Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04 (1730) the capital club hoping to have has reignited their hopes of fin- Monaco are unbeaten in 2014 March 2 (GMT) Edinson Cavani back to help ishing in the top three and quali- and their Colombian playmaker Hoffenheim vs VfL Wolfsburg (1430) them see off their resurgent fying for next season’s Champions James Rodriguez says the race is Eintracht Frankfurt vs VfB Stuttgart (1630) opponents. League. still alive, especially if PSG slip up Laurent Blanc’s PSG side have Inspired by Andre-Pierre against Marseille. Dutch championship matches on Friday had a superb last 10 days, crush- Gignac, who has scored 12 times “Personally I want to win the Today ing Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the in 13 games, OM have won three title but we know that Paris are PEC Zwolle vs NEC Nijmegen (1745) Champions League and then beat- and drawn two of their last five very strong,” said the 22-year-old. ADO Den Haag v NAC Breda (1845) ing Toulouse 4-2 away last Sunday league matches. “To get in front of them, we Go Ahead Eagles Deventer v PSV Eindhoven to maintain their five-point lead That run of results has allowed have to show more intensity in (1845) over Monaco at the top of the them to close to within three our game and win every match Vitesse Arnhem v Roda JC Kerkrade (1945) Ligue 1 table. points of Lille, who remain on because the margin of error is Since then they have been the podium despite a poor start very small. We all know anything On Sunday boosted by the news that France to 2014. can happen in the championship, Utrecht v sTwente Enschede (1130) midfielder Blaise Matuidi has Now, though, Marseille must and Marseille can win at Paris for Groningen vs SC Cambuur (1330) finally put pen to paper on a new try to end a sequence of four suc- example.” Feyenoord vs Ajax Amsterdam (1330) contract tying him to the Parc des cessive defeats in all competitions Elsewhere, Lyon have dragged AZ Alkmaar v RKC Waalwijk (1530) Princes until 2018. against their old foes. themselves back into the race for Now there is real hope that “It is a really exciting match, European places but they face a Portuguese championship Uruguay striker Cavani will be but to get a result against Paris tough test on Sunday at home Today able to make his comeback after would be a massive achievement against Montpellier, who are PSG French midfielder Blaise Matuidi Estoril vs SC Olhanense (1800) four weeks on the sidelines with for us,” said midfielder Alaixys unbeaten in eight Ligue 1 matches giving a thumbs-up during the French Sporting vs Braga (2015) a thigh injury. Romao. under the leadership of Rolland L1 against Sochaux at the Parc des Tomorrow “The objective is to have him at “If we raise our game than why Courbis. Remi Garde’s team are Princes Stadium in Paris his file pic- our disposal against Marseille,” can’t we win? We have improved five points behind Lille, who travel Nacional Madeira vs Rio Ave (1600) ture of December 7, 2013. Matuidi’s revealed Blanc. over the last few weeks and are to bottom side Ajaccio. contract with the Paris Saint-Germain, FC Pacos de Ferreira vs Maritimo (1600) “We will have to see how the defending better. “It will be dif- While the Corsicans have which was due to end on June 30, Gil Vicente vs Vitoria Setubal (1600) injury evolves, but when I see him ficult but over one game who been cut adrift, Herve Renard’s 2014, was extended to 2018, the foot- in training I think he is close to knows. Paris don’t intimidate me. Sochaux have caught a glimmer of Belenenses v Benfica (1700) ball club announced Vitoria Guimaraes vs Porto (1915) being ready. In any case, we are They play good football so you just light in the their bid to stave off not going to take any risks, but hope to show that you can com- relegation as they sit five points Monday things are on the right track.” pete at their level.” from safety ahead of a home clash Arouca vs Academica (2000) Bitter rivals Marseille come Meanwhile, second-placed with Bordeaux. AFP 22 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Sport

Qatar wins women’s handball tournament in Doha

The podium winners at the four-nation Qatar International Women’s Handball championship pose for a picture along with Ahlam Salem Mubarak Al Mana, President of Qatar Women’s Sport Committee (QWSC) at QWSC Hall at Aspire Academy in Doha yesterday. Hosts Qatar defeated Nepal 40-16 in the final round match. The hosts finished with an all-win record and with nine points, Pakistan came second with seven points. Nepal had to settle for the third place with five points and Kuwait finished last with three points. RIGHT: Action from the match between Qatar and Pakistan.

Pietersen takes swipe at ‘big Sangakkara sinks India cheese’ Prior

Asia Cup: Spinners Mendis and Senanayake share seven wickets LONDON: Kevin Pietersen lashed out at Matt Prior yester- day as the controversial bats- FATULLAH, penultimate over when just seven I’ve worked hard on my fitness man labelled his former England Bangladesh:Kumar runs were needed for victory. and the experience counts.” team-mate a ‘big cheese’. Sangakkara hit a brilliant 103 But Mendis and Perera saw Sri Opener Shikhar Dhawan Pietersen, who has been axed as Sri Lanka survived anxious Lanka through with four deliver- scored 94 as India, sent in to bat, by England after a turbulent moments to overcome India by ies to spare in a nail-biting finish, moved to 175-2 in 35 overs before Ashes tour, took his cheeky swipe two wickets in a thrilling last- giving their team a second win losing five wickets for 40 runs to in response to Prior’s suggestion over finish yesterday, securing after they beat Pakistan in the slide to 215-7. the England dressing room would their second win in the Asia tournament opener. Big hitting by the lower order, be a better place without their Cup. India, who won against including two sixes by last man flamboyant star. The victory was set up by Bangladesh, must defeat arch- Mohammed Shami off Mendis, Prior had already been accused spinners Ajantha Mendis and rivals Pakistan in Dhaka on lifted India past the 250-run of having “stabbed (Pietersen) Sachithra Senanayake, who Sunday to stay in contention for mark. in the back” during the Ashes shared seven wickets to restrict a place in the final. Mendis, who replaced seamer by journalist Piers Morgan, a the reigning world champions to Sangakkara, a 36-year-old vet- Suranga Lakmal for the match, friend of the South Africa-born 264-9 in the day-night match in eran of 366 one-day matches, said justified his selection with four batsman. Fatullah. India did well to make the game for 60, including the key scalps At the time, Sussex wicket- But Sri Lanka lost wickets a close affair. of Dhawan and stand-in captain keeper Prior dismissed Morgan’s at regular intervals and were “The dew on the ground made Virat Kohli. take on events, but on Thursday reduced to 216-7 in the 44th over it a lot easier for me,” he said. “My Off-spinner Senanayake fin- he was reported to have welcomed when Thisara Perera helped job was to stay there for as long ished with his best one-day fig- news that Pietersen would no Sangakkara add 42 crucial runs as possible and stay competitive. ures of three for 41 as the Indians longer be playing international for the eighth wicket. I think handling pressure comes struggled against the turning ball cricket. Left-handed Sangakkara, who with experience. on the slow wicket. The tit-for-tat exchange hit 12 boundaries and a six in his “It was a great team effort. It’s Kohli, leading India in the appeared to hint at the sim- 18th one-day century, fell in the been a few good months for me. absence of the injured Mahendra mering disharmony which has Singh Dhoni, put on 97 for the reportedly existed within the second wicket with Dhawan after England ranks. Scoreboard Rohit Sharma had been trapped According to reports, Prior INDIA SRI LANKA leg-before by Senanayake for 13. made his comment about Kohli praised his bowlers for Pietersen at a question-and- R Sharma lbw Senanayake ...... 13 K Perera c Karthik b Ashwin ...... 64 taking the match till the last over, answer session in Dubai, insist- S Dhawan b Mendis ...... 94 L Thirimanne lbw Ashwin ...... 38 despite the dew which made it ing England needed players with V Kohli b Mendis ...... 48 K Sangakkara c Ashwin b Shami ...... 103 tough to grip the ball. passion for the cause in their A Rahane c Thirimanne b Senanayake ...... 22 M Jayawardene c Sharma b Jadeja ...... 9 “I think the bowlers did a good team. A Rayudu c K Perera b de Silva ...... 18 D Chandimal b Jadeja ...... 0 job,” he said. “There was a lot Pietersen responded by mock- D Karthik c de Silva b Mendis ...... 4 A Mathews lbw Shami ...... 6 of dew towards the end. But we Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara plays a ball as India’s wicketkeeper Dinesh ing his old middle-order col- R Jadeja (not out) ...... 22 S Senanayake c Sharma b Shami...... 12 could have been smarter with league’s recent form, labelling him S Binny lbw Senanayake ...... 0 C de Silva lbw Jadeja ...... 9 Karthik (left) watches during their Asia Cup 2014 One-Day International our batting and added 25-30 runs (ODI) match in Fatullah, yesterday. ‘The Big Cheese’. R Ashwin b Malinga ...... 18 T Perera (not out) ...... 11 more. “Fewer Q&A’s, more Sussex B Kumar st Sangakkara b Mendis ...... 0 A Mendis (not out) ...... 5 “We have to now pull up our nets methinks,” Pietersen wrote Mohammad Shami (not out) ...... 14 Extras (LB-7, W-1) ...... 8 socks and rectify the areas in for 38 and then having Kusal trapped skipper Angelo Mathews on Twitter. Extras (B-4 LB-1, W-6) ...... 11 Total (for 8 wkts in 49.2 overs) ...... 265 which we are not good.” Perera caught behind for 64. leg-before and had Senanayake Pietersen, whose interna- Total (for 9 wkts in 50 overs) ...... 264 Fall of wickets: 1-80, 2-134, 3-148, 4-148, Kusal Perera and Lahiru India bounced back strongly caught at mid-wicket, before tional career was effectively Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-130, 3-175, 4-196, 5-165, 6-183, 7-216, 8-258 Thirimanne gave Sri Lanka a when left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja got rid of Chaturanga de ended by the England and 5-200, 6-214, 7-215, 8-245, 9-247 Bowling: Kumar 9.2-1-45-0; Shami 10-0-81- flying start with an 80-run part- Jadeja dismissed Mahela Silva as Sri Lanka slumped to Wales Cricket Board’s decision Bowling: Malinga 10-0-58-1 (w1); Mathews 3; Ashwin 10-0-42-2; Binny 4-0-22-0; Jadeja nership for the first wicket by the Jayawardene and Dinesh 216-7 before their final push. to “start the rebuilding proc- 3.2-1-9-0; Senanayake 10-0-41-3; T Perera 10-1-30-3 (w1); Rayadu 1-0-9-0; Sharma 5-0- 18th over. Chandimal with consecutive Afghanistan will take on hosts ess” without him on returning 6.4-0-40-0; Mendis 10-0-60-4 (w4); de Silva 29-0. Off-spinner Ravichandran deliveries to reduce Sri Lanka to Bangladesh in the next match in from Australia, then responded 10-0-51-1 (w1). Result: Sri Lanka won by two wickets. Ashwin removed both openers, 148-4 in the 32nd over. Fatullah on Saturday. to a number of replies to his trapping Thirimanne leg-before Seamer Mohammad Shami AFP initial tweet. One urged him to “be strong”, and Pietersen said: “I’m always strong! The Big Cheese won’t Smith expects even contest on Newlands wicket be happy in the Sussex nets... haha.” When another Twitter user CAPE TOWN: South Africa it than in the past.” The Proteas in good form and was looking for- de Villiers had been tampering the squad after the demoralising suggested Pietersen’s initial com- captain Graeme Smith expects captain said he expected a differ- ward to playing on a ground where with the ball in the second Test 231-run loss in the second test in ment was “why KP isn’t in the an even contest between bat and ent type of wicket to the one that he averages 52 over his career. “I would add extra-motivation to the Port Elizabeth last Sunday. England set up any more”, the ball to set up a thrilling finale saw Australia bowled out for 47 in feel like I have been batting well side. Smith himself was clearly “It’s been fantastic having him 33-year-old said: “neither is The in the series-deciding third test their second innings in 2011. the whole season, it is just these seething. around and great for me person- Big Cheese Prior!” against Australia at Newlands “I think the wicket has settled last two games. In Pretoria I felt I “He is becoming a little bit of ally,” Clarke told reporters on Former England spin- in Cape Town today. down quite a bit since then. That was unlucky there and I let myself a rent-a-quote. My thoughts are Friday. “I have a wonderful rela- ner Graeme Swann, who quit The wicket has been a key test was also played in November down in Port Elizabeth. strong and I will probably say tionship with Warney and it’s the national team during the factor in the opening two tests, just after winter.” “My training has gone well, something towards the end of the always nice to have him around, recent Ashes tour, joined the a lively pitch helping Mitchell Smith denied that the South mentally I feel in a good space. I test match. It’s sad that it took especially for those players that debate, suggesting both Prior Johnson bowl Australia to a 281- African team had asked Newlands have ticked all the boxes, it’s now the gloss off a great test win and have not spent a lot of time with and Pietersen would have been run win in the series opener in curator Evan Flint for any spe- about going out there tomorrow a great performance.” him, they have had their eyes better served discussing their Pretoria and a slower and more cific type of wicket or that they and getting in.” Meanwhile, Shane Warne’s vast opened. issues on the phone, instead of abrasive surface in Port Elizabeth had done so ahead of the second Having former coach and fellow Test experience has been well uti- “The spinners really enjoyed in public. aiding South Africa to get prodi- test. left-handed opener Gary Kirsten lised by the Australian squad in the work he did with them yes- Swann told BBC Radio 5 Live: gious reverse-swing and claim a “Port Elizabeth has been back with the squad this week the lead-up to the series-deciding terday (Thursday). He will do “I think Matt’s been a bit naive 231-run win. exactly the same for the last 40 in a consultancy role has been a third Test. whatever it takes to get the doing a Q&A in Dubai...you’re “It looks like a really good test years, I’m amazed that so much boost, Smith said. “It’s always nice Clarke says the veteran of players to bring the best out of never safe in these things. But wicket and will have something was made of the wicket after the to have Gary back, he always adds 145 Test matches and arguably themselves. Kevin has come back in a fairly for both bat and ball,” Smith told test. We knew exactly what to value with his calmness, experi- the greatest leg-spinner of all “I have said for a long time he childish way. reporters yesterday. expect down there and we were ence and work rate. He is a great time has played a leading role in is probably the best captain I have “I’m sure he (Pietersen) has “It can get a bit flat and slow the team that adapted best to the asset to us.” mentoring the team in his role played under and his knowledge is still got his (Prior’s) mobile towards the back end if it is hot, conditions.” Proteas coach Russell Domingo as a consultant. Clarke believes like no other, He played 145 test number and could have rung but it has also changed of late Smith has scored 37 runs in said that Australia opener David Warne’s cricketing brain and matches and knows the game very him. But public spats are the new and there has been a bit more in four innings in the series, but felt Warner’s suggestion that AB infectious personality will help lift well.” AGENCIES thing.” AFP MARCH 1, 2014 23 Break Time www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ON SATURDAY

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HYPER C RSO S W O RD

1234 5678 910111213 2 Ninth in a series 31 Bête ___ 3 Almost 32 Unresponsive? 14 15 16 4 Canadian P.M. 33 Put up, in a way Pierre Trudeau’s 39 The English Beat, 17 18 19 middle name for one 5 1931 film for which 42 Red, white and blue 20 21 22 Wallace Beery won players Best Actor 43 Clint Eastwood, for 23 24 25 26 27 6 Piece by piece one 7 All the way through 45 Split 28 29 30 31 32 33 12th grade, 47 Hotel room amenity informally 48 Where Archimedes 34 35 36 8 It goes through had his “Eureka!” many phases moment 37 38 39 40 9 Least genuine 52 L. Frank Baum Yesterday’s answer 10 Restrained, as a dog princess 41 42 43 44 45 11 Biology subject 53 No. 2 How to play Hyper Sudoku: 12 One of the 54 ___ Rapee, A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper 46 47 48 Kardashians longtime Radio Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all 13 Setting for much of City Music Hall regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like 49 50 a normal Sudoku. Homer’s “Odyssey” conductor 21 Scand. land 55 Mysterious glow 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 22 Skull and Bones 56 Babe Ruth’s 2,220, How to play Kakuro: member for short The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any 58 59 60 61 62 25 Baseball Hall-of- 57 2012 campaign size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells Famer nicknamed issue like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, 63 64 65 Knucksie some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some 58 Thinking figs. cells will contain two numbers. 26 Give, as a little extra 59 Rum ___ Tugger 66 67 68 However, in a crossword the numbers reference 27 Tops (“Cats” cat) clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! 28 Funny Tracey 60 “You don’t say!” They denote the total of the digits in the row or 29 Often-grated cheese column referenced by the number. ACROSS 40 The Wildcats of the N.C.A.A. 30 Thin sheet metal Within each collection of cells 1 Wine’s partner 41 Like some photos - called a run - any 5 Overflow 44 Winter playground CATS AL I ST LAVA of the numbers 1 9 Y’s 45 Hardly UNUM RACKS EDEN to 9 may be used 14 Spingarn of the N.A.A.C.P.’s Mr. Personality but, like sudoku, Spingarn Medal 46 Discuss reasonable STRONGWEEK FONT each number may 15 Astronomical effect outcomes upfront only be used once. PINTO I TSTRUE 16 Broadway musical that opens 49 Generic H I DDENSCENE Yesterday’s with “Maybe” 50 Gent, in Britain answer 17 List shortener 51 Emergency shout … or a NAMEDROP KAY 18 Come again? possible title for this puzzle 19 Mammal that hums to its 58 One providing assistance AVER NE IN PESKY young after a crash ZIT LOSTONE LAS Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman 20 Language that gave us 61 Nonentity “kowtow” 62 Hayseed I DAHO TOTO WANE 23 “I know that one!” 63 Filling in a gordita ECK MULLOVER 24 Rough shelter 64 Help list, e.g. 28 Clutch performer? 65 It’s got all the answers BRAKEREPA I R 34 Kaplan course subj. 66 Cosmetician’s goof NAIVETE MSNBC 35 “Right You Are, Mr. ___” 67 Per OBOE THEYREHERE (1957 novel) 68 ___ Anglia 36 “___ aren’t the droids you’re METH LANA I I RAN looking for” (“Star Wars” line) DOWN ESSO EBOOK PONT 37 On 1 Entertained at a reception, 38 God-fearing maybe ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 24 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Morning Break

PRAYER TIME World’s longest

Fajr (Dawn) 4:41 aircraft unveiled Shorook (Sunrise) 5:57 LONDON: An airship-type vehicle billed by its makers as the world’s longest air- Zuhr (Noon) 11:46 craft currently in operation was unveiled in Asr (Afternoon) 3:07 Britain yesterday. The Airlander, which was originally devel- Maghrib (Sunset) 5:37 oped for the US military, is 300 feet (91 Isha (Night) 7.07 metres) long, according its British maker Hybrid Air Vehicles. The environmentally friendly helium-filled behemoth is designed to stay airborne for up to three weeks and can carry up to 60 tonnes, the company said. WEATHER It was shown off yesterday in a giant hangar in Cardington, central England, where great Weather British airships of the past were built, including Today Sunday Monday Conditions: the ill-fated R101. The R101 crashed in 1930 on Clear Clear Partly cloudy its maiden voyage, killing 48 passenger and crew. Partly cloudy The new craft is longer than the current with chance of record holder, the Russian Antonov An-225, which is 84 metres long, and the Boeing 747-8, High: 28° High: 27° High: 28° scattered rain at 76 metres long. But it is dwarfed by airships Low: 19° Low: 15° Low: 19° at first. of the past such as the German zeppelin the Hindenburg, which was 244 metres long. Filled with hydrogen, the Hindenburg A handout video still released by Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd yesterday and created on August 7, 2012 famously crashed in the United States in 1937, shows the huge aircraft named HAV304 in flight over Lakehurst in New Jersey on August 7, 2012. A killing 36 people. The Airlander is essentially giant aircraft, combining some of the cababilities of a plane, airship and helicopter — claimed by its DOHA - SUN & SEA three streamlined airship-type bodies merged makers to be the world’s largest — was unveiled in the UK. into one with wings and rotary engines. SUN TIDE SEA It was built for the US military but the lat- ($4.1m) British government grant, now say the “innovative” craft “has the potential to SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND ter cancelled the contract after it was deliv- they intend to build hundreds of the aircraft. lead the world in its field”. ered. Its makers, who have received a £2.5m British Business Secretary Vince Cable said AFP 05:57 17:37 05:00 & 17:00 11:30 & 22:45 07-15/20 KT

THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW

HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER

MUSCAT 28/18 Partly cloudy 30/21 Partly cloudy MAKKAH 32/23 Clear 33/25 Partly cloudy Cigar aficionados vie to create ‘longest ash’ KUWAIT 25/15 Partly cloudy 26/16 Clear BAHRAIN 23/18 Chance of rain 23/18 Partly cloudy SANAA 27/10 Thunderstorm 27/10 Chance of rain HAVANA: A thick cloud one intact ash that came as “It’s much harder than it world, which is meeting this year RIYADH 26/18 Partly cloudy 28/18 Clear of smoke hung in the air at close as possible to the length looked,” said another participant, for the 16th time. DUBAI 26/16 Partly cloudy 25/17 Partly cloudy Havana’s annual cigar festival, of the cigar at the start of the Tamara Teixo, a Spaniard who The competition was held at BAGHDAD 23/11 Partly cloudy 25/11 Clear where some 200 smokers took competition. markets Cuban cigars in Russia. Havana’s convention centre, a part in a novel contest to pro- Contestants sat with heads Chilean sommelier Sebastian venue usually reserved for august THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW duce the longest unbroken ash. tilted backwards to prevent the Pardo said he had unlocked the events involving politicians or for- HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER Many of the participants, for- ash from crumbling onto the table secret to keeping the gray col- eign statesmen. Some contestants eigners as well as Cubans, finished — or onto their faces. umn of consumed stogie from had to quit, complaining of dizzi- ATHENS 14/12 Rain 16/10 Chance of storm with throbbing headaches but In between puffs, they held cascading to the floor. “You have ness and nausea. WASHINGTON 09/01 Chance of rain 15/-1 Chance of rain smiling faces, laughing and clap- their stogies as close as possible to have a good pulse and smoke But there was at least as much SYDNEY 26/17 Chance of rain 26/17 Chance of rain ping yesterday as their smoked- to vertical, in a sometimes futile very slowly,” he said, adding that lightheartedness as lightheaded- LONDON 10/04 Partly cloudy 12/05 Partly cloudy down stogies were transformed effort to keep them in one piece. it was a challenge because, with ness, as participants gave rave PARIS 11/05 Chance of rain 11/06 Partly cloudy into prodigious pillars of ash. “It was exhausting,” said April all the smoke in the room, “one reviews to the event. ISTANBUL 10/06 Mostly cloudy 14/09 Mostly cloudy Each smoker started out with Angeloni, from the United States, begins to choke a little.” “I liked this contest, and I espe- MANILA 33/21 Partly cloudy 33/22 Partly cloudy DHAKA 25/17 Haze 25/17 Partly cloudy a 17.8 centimetre (seven inch) H. whose impressive showing, meas- It was the first time that the cially liked the flavor of the cigars, DELHI 20/11 Mist 22/12 Chance of storm Upmann label cigar, an esteemed uring 13.9 centimetres, appeared contest was held at this annual which were delicious,” said Lazara ISLAMABAD 22/08 Partly cloudy 21/09 Partly cloudy Cuban brand. nevertheless to have been bested gathering of cigar aficionados Anastasia Garcia, who works at a The challenge was to produce by other competitors. and merchants from around the cigar factory in Cuba. AFP