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Thursday 31 October 2013 26 Dhul-Hijja 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5869 Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 State key employer of Qataris Emir meets UAE Crown Prince Country has lowest unemployment rate in the world, says Minister

DOHA: Notwithstanding the jobs provided to nationals in the He said that as part of a five- “Our aim, therefore, is to see government’s thrust on push- above period,” H E Abdullah Saleh year (2011-15) strategy to increase this gap between the private and ing nationals in private jobs, the Mubarak Al Khulaifi said. the participation of Qataris in the state sectors narrowed down,” said state continues to be a major Addressing an event on Qatar’s job market, bigger private compa- the Minister talking about pay employer of Qataris. Population Day, he said more than nies have been asked to absorb packages for Qataris. Official figures suggest that half (53 percent) of the 30,000 locals in leadership positions and “We are also encouraging more nearly 30,000 Qataris have been nationals who were provided with jobs that require specialisations. and more women to take up pri- absorbed in jobs in the past six employment were women. The Minister, however, hinted vate jobs.” years — 75 percent of them in the He said data made available that no force was being applied on The other challenge in pushing government sector. by the Ministry of Development these companies as they needed citizens into private employment is The Minister of Labour and Planning and Statistics based on to keep their human resource that they need to be encouraged to Social Affairs said yesterday that a survey conducted in the second requirements in mind while hir- pursue higher and technical edu- of the 29,788 citizens who entered quarter of 2013 reveal that the ing staff. cation, said Al Khulaifi. the job market between 2007 and rate of joblessness among nationals One of the challenges facing the The Ministry is now working to 2013, 22,505 were absorbed in state was negligibly low at 0.3 percent. job nationalisation drive in the implement the above strategies in jobs. “This is the lowest unemploy- private sector is a huge disparity all earnest and as per a timeframe, “The state sector, thus, ment rate in the world,” said Al between pay and perks in this and added Al Khulaifi. The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with the Crown Prince accounted for 75 percent of the Khulaifi. the public sector. THE PENINSULA of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, H H General Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Sheikha Moza presents WISE awards Qatar, Bahrain in Syria talks face delay causeway talks DOHA: Qatar and Bahrain as big powers split yesterday resumed talks on the proposed 40km causeway that AMMAN: International pow- show that the November 23 goal would link the two countries and ers are unlikely to meet their will be difficult to meet,” said one decided to review the project’s goal of convening peace talks of the officials involved in prepar- cost in the wake of rising prices on Syria in Geneva next month ing for the talks. of construction materials. as differences emerge between US, Russian and UN envoys The causeway is proposed to Washington and Moscow over are due to meet in Geneva next be a cable bridge with a four-lane opposition representation, Arab Tuesday as part of the prepara- road. In addition, there would be and Western officials said. tion for the long-delayed peace an emergency lane and a pedes- Failure of the main Syrian conference, which was first trian walkway. Work on the National Coalition to take a clear proposed back in May. A main causeway was expected to begin stance over the talks, which aim point of contention, the official by 2011 at an estimated cost of to find a political solution to said, is the role of the Western- $4.5bn. The 40km bridge would Syria’s 2-1/2 year civil war, are backed opposition coalition - an link Al Ishairij in Qatar to Al also expected to contribute to a issue which has flared up since a Askra in Bahrain. The cables will delay of up to one month, the offi- meeting in London last week of be hanging at a height of 40m on H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with the winners of the 2013 WISE awards for education at the gala dinner cials said. “A clearer picture will Western and Gulf Arab countries Qatar’s side and 27m on Bahrain’s yesterday. (Report on page 6) AR AL BAKER emerge when the US and Russia opposed to Assad. REUTERS side. THE PENINSULA meet next week, but all indications See also page 10

HOME THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Food labs may be set up in private sector SCH ready to grant permission if there are investors

Wassan Al Baker (Supreme Council of Health), Dr Shadi Salah Zeyadah (Doha Municipality), Joelle Hamamji Seyouri (Qatar Foundation), and Mohammed Hassan Ibrahim, (Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning), at a panel discussion during the Food Chain conference at the Hilton Hotel yesterday.

DOHA: Qatar may soon have industry experts and representa- Al Baker said Qatar is working food laboratories in the private tives of SCH, Qatar Foundation on new food safety regulations, sector with decks being cleared and the Ministry of Municipality which will come into force with for such facilities. and Urban Planning. the establishment of the proposed A senior official of Supreme Al Baker said once authorised Food Safety Authority. A draft Council of Health (SCH) said yes- food laboratories are established law on the authority is awaiting terday that the regulatory body in the private sector, companies the Cabinet nod. The authority is ready to grant permission to working in the food industry will will be responsible for control- private food laboratories, if there be able to do quality tests there. ling and monitoring all stages of are potential investors. “However, the government lab- the food supply chain, including “Establishing food laborato- oratory will continue to conduct retailing, transportation, labelling ries in the private sector will in food tests by collecting samples and packaging. fact reduce our burden since all from the market to ensure the It will also lay down rules for tests related to food safety are quality and safety of all food prod- recall of products, which is pri- conducted in the government ucts in the country.” marily the responsibility of the laboratory. Permission for such Earlier, in a presentation on companies, added Al Baker. facilities will be granted sub- food safety regulations in the She said a food safety regime is ject to strict quality standards,” country, Al Baker said the GCC lacking in Qatar. Insufficient stor- Wassan Al Baker, Director, Food states are working on a unified age facilities and improper han- Safety and Environmental Health food safety system and a uni- dling are leading to huge waste Department at SCH, told The fied food law. “Unified food safety of food. The new regulations will Peninsula yesterday. guidelines are ready for imple- focus on a risk-based assessment She was speaking on the side- mentation and the draft food law system to ensure food safety, she lines of the ‘Food Chain’ confer- has been completed.” added. ence which began at the Hilton The unified food law will be in Dr Shadi Salah Zeyadah, Hotel yesterday. The two-day compliance with the food laws of food consultant at the Doha conference attended by repre- the member countries and will Municipality also addressed the sentatives from the local food serve as a common guideline on opening session, among other industry saw presentations by food safety-related issues. speakers. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Qatar team participates in Yemen Orphan Care projects SANAA: A Qatari team, led by the Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohamed bin Jabor Al Digital media expert cautions Thani, participated yesterday in laying the foundation stone for projects affiliated to Yemeni Orphan Care Centre, a development organisation, with donations from Qatar charities. The projects include an education centre, graphics and multimedia centres and labs for electronics and physics. QNA firms against similar content Advertising staff should not handle real-time communications: Scott

Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud, CEO of Dar Al Sharq; Khalid Al Sayed, Editor-In-Chief of The Peninsula and other officials listening to David Meerman Scott (inset) at a seminar on ‘The Rules of Digital Marketing’ organised by Dar Al Sharq in collaboration with Digital Marketing Arts Academy at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday. ABDUL BASIT

DOHA: Many companies with Digital Marketing Arts content but also think about end up with similar content Academy. Scott, who is the the perspective of customers because they rely too much on author of eight books, includ- and buyers. agencies to handle marketing ing three international bestsell- “You need to find somebody and public relations for them. ers, said that companies should who is a good communicator and A leading expert of digital train their own people to handle I truly believe that a journalist is media said yesterday that while PR if they wanted to distinguish a right person to do that.” companies should hire in-house themselves from others. Scott said almost everyone marketing people, those in the Most hotel websites, for now goes to Google and social are challenges in every country. advertising department should instance, looked the same and media sites to search products, A lot of people say in our coun- not be made responsible for han- used stock images that fail to including company executives. try it’s different, it’s more dif- dling real-time communications. attract customers. “I ask executives, why don’t ficult. I think some of that is an “Companies tend to do what “If you’re trying to create you think people will be looking exaggeration. everybody else does. They rely content, don’t put the people in for your content? Your content “In every country there are too much on agencies. They just the advertising department in needs to be online so that people organisations that are success- pay agencies and trust them charge of it because they can’t can find it.” ful in social networking and with their PR,” David Meerman do it. I know many companies Asked if he thought Qatar real-time media.” Scott said. who hire journalists to do that.” had a long way to go to catch The seminar at Ritz-Carlton Scott was speaking on the He said journalists were up with digital media trends in was attended by digital media rules of digital marketing at in a better position to under- the world, especially real-time representatives of more than 35 a seminar organised by Dar stand the reader’s perspective, communication on social net- countries in Qatar. Al Sharq in collaboration and they could not only create working sites, Scott said: “There THE PENINSULA Stage set for first Red Bull Flugtag thrills DOHA: Thirty-five aircraft in the form of tropical birds, insects, wild animals, old cars and planes will entertain hun- dreds of spectators at the first Red Bull Flugtag in Qatar tomorrow at Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park. Each aircraft will be intro- duced with an entertaining show performed by its crew before the Red Bull Flugtag: launching fly- ing machines from a purpose- built platform before landing in the water. Every team comprises a pilot Officials attending the Food Chain conference at Hilton Hotel yesterday. and three assistants to be evalu- SHAIVAL DALAL ated by a panel of five judges based on three major criteria, including and try to break the 78.6m flying Sports Club and the Airport/ creativity of the craft, showman- distance record before landing in Airport Road. ship and flying distance, provided the water. A free shuttle bus service will that all aircraft are exclusively MIA Park and MIA parking be available to take the public human-powered. areas will be closed for the day, to and from the event location The custom-designed platform so spectators and visitors to the (10am-7pm). No parking will be was carefully checked for safety museum are urged to park in the available at the event area. measures and correct installation dedicated parking lots in three Doors open at 11am, and the of safety nets for the teams to locations around the city: close first flight is at 1pm. make their six-metre high launch to the Ministry of Interior, Qatar THE PENINSULA HOME THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05

UN rapporteur on human rights to Insulting GCC flag visit Qatar a punishable crime DOHA: A UN special rappor- teur on human rights will visit Qatar to evaluate the state Cabinet approves GCC draft law of migrants workers, the UN Human Rights Council said in a release yesterday. amending Penal Code provisions During his eight-day visit, Francois Crepeau will meet offi- DOHA: The Cabinet approved Development Forum in Qatar cials, representatives of major yesterday a draft law amend- on December 12 under the aus- manpower sending countries, ing some provisions of the pices of the Premier as part civil society members and work- Penal Code issued by Law No. of National Day of Statistics ers. He will also visit a prison (11) of 2004. celebrations. and a migrant detention centre. Following a resolution by the The Cabinet then approved a Crepeau, who is arriving on Supreme Council of the Gulf draft agreement on cooperation November 3, will share the Cooperation Council (GCC), the and exchange of news between preliminary findings at a press draft law was prepared, stipu- Qatar and Romania. conference on November 10 at lating punishment for publicly It also endorsed a draft the UN Human Rights Training insulting the GCC flag by dam- memorandum of understand- and Documentation Centre for aging or lowering it or any other ing for cooperation in organis- South West Asia and the Arab act that expresses hatred and ing exhibitions between Qatar Region in West Bay. contempt. and Egypt. Qatar has one of the highest The Prime Minister and The meeting reviewed a draft ratios of migrants to citizens in Interior Minister H E Sheikh law amending some provisions the world, Crepeau said. “Quite Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa of the telecommunications law uniquely, about 88 percent of Al Thani chaired the weekly ses- issued by the decree law No. 34 the population is foreign nation- sion at the Emiri Diwan. of 2006 and a draft decision of als in this destination state for After the meeting, the Deputy the General Manager of Qatar migrants, who are employed Premier and Minister of State New Agency setting charges for mainly in construction, services for Cabinet Affairs H E Ahmed commercial advertisements on and domestic work.” bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud said QNA’s offers on its websites and He will present the report to the Cabinet also endorsed the took the appropriate decisions. the Council in June 2014. holding of the Statistics and QNA THE PENINSULA Ooredoo to raise international calling rates DOHA: Ooredoo’s interna- Shahry Pack customers can service allows customers to select tional calling rates for several benefit from Ooredoo’s Shahry three international numbers and global destinations will increase Unlimited promotion, giving receive a 25 percent discount on to 99Dhs/min, the company has unlimited free calls to any land- international calling rates that said, adding the new stand- line or mobile in Qatar until would normally apply to these ardised prices will apply from December 19. The new Hala calls. The ‘Friends & Family’ November 1. International Saver Key enables service cost QR10 a month and The rise in price is in response Hala customers to unlock the can be activated by dialling *100# to increasing costs of terminating international call rate of 60Dhs and accessing the “My Services” overseas calls, which is an issue per minute and 45Dhs per SMS to menu. The India International effecting the industry globally, it 121 countries — a major saving on Pack allows Hala customers to said. Ooredoo also said its local the standard international rate. call India for 19Dhs/min — the calling rates are not changing. The International Saver Key best rate in Qatar. To subscribe Hala customers can avail costs QR1 a week and is available to the Hala India Pack, custom- local calling rates of QR0.55 per to all Hala customers. The key ers can SMS ‘IND’ to 121, and the minute and Shahry customers can be activated by sending the pack is valid for seven days and QR0.35 per minute for voice calls SMS ‘ISK’ to 121. will be automatically renewed for on Ooredoo. Ooredoo’s ‘Friends & Family’ QR1 per week. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME ‘Educate A Child’ benefits 2m across world Sheikha Moza: Education not only a human right but also an economic imperative BY RAYNALD C RIVERA Camp in Kenya, we are work- is an investment in the greatest ing with organisations that will resources — human resources,” H DOHA: Educate A Child (EAC) contribute to health, employment H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said. initiative launched at the WISE and energy issues of the camp.” Grandi announced the sign- Summit last year has benefited Guterres responded: “This ing of an agreement with EAA more than two million children cultural shift is one of the most to provide emergency education through projects in collabora- important contributions of EAC. to 67,000 Palestinian refugee tion with partners around the In emergencies, education is as children affected by the conflict world. urgent as other life-saving inter- in Syria. EAC, a programme of ventions, such as providing food, Beerfeltz, representing Education Above All (EAA), tar- shelter and vaccination. Germany’s donor agency, also gets to reach 10m children by the “We can no longer deal only announced a strategic partner- end of the 2015 school year. with issues, we need to deal with ship with EAA. The milestone achievement people. A comprehensive, multi- The president of the and target were revealed before sectoral approach to needs and International Committee of the a group of international educa- rights with education at centre Red Cross announced a commit- tion stakeholders at a plenary is vital.” ment to support education and session at WISE, attended by Launched last year with the children under threat in conflict H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, aim of significantly reducing the zones by helping rebuild schools, Chairperson and Founder of EAA. estimated 57m children world- by providing psychosocial treat- Reflecting the need for multi- wide who are denied their fun- ment for children and space for sectoral collaboration to achieve damental right to education, EAC families and children so that the goal of ensuring access to a projects reach countries that even in the most difficult circum- quality education for all, the ple- account for nearly 70 percent stances they can continue their nary featured leading experts of all out-of-school children. Its education. and stakeholders in education, focus is replicating and scaling up including H H Sheikha Moza successful quality programmes, DEALS SIGNED bint Nasser; UN Special Envoy promoting innovative approaches Education Above All (EAA) H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser taking part in a panel session at the Education Above All Foundation plenary for Education, Gordon Brown; and encouraging collaboration to signed agreements to further session on the second day of WISE Summit. A R AL-BAKER Director General of Unesco, ensure the best outcomes for chil- accelerate access to education Irina Bokova; Executive Director dren and their communities. for the world’s 57m out-of-school WISE and Banco Santander, Annual Roundtable on Innovation Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani, of Unicef, Tony Lake; UNHCR The financing gap for education children. The first agreement through its Santander in Higher Education prior to the Chairman of WISE, told the High Commissioner for Refugees, in low-income countries amounts was signed with UN Alliance of Universities Global Division, annual WISE Summit and sup- media yesterday. AntnioH Guterres; Commissioner- to $26bn per year according to Civilisations. Both will work on signed a collaboration agree- port the WISE Programme for He said academic rankings General of UNRWA, Filippo 2011 OECD figures. To address programmes to promote educa- ment. Banco Santander, through Education Leadership, a pre- implemented in some countries Grandi; and German State this, EAA is developing a global tional actions targeting youth and Santander Universities, will sup- WISE initiative for new univer- such as the US and China have Secretary of the Federal Ministry resource mobilisation model. out-of-school children and inter- port ‘The Future of Education sity leaders. improved the quality of education. for Economic Corporation and “We need to tap into new cultural dialogue and understand- Fund’ that will help innovative, Sheikh Abdullah, however, Development, Hans-Jürgen sources of funding, from philan- ing, as fundamental conditions for transformative enterprises and RANKING OF UNIVERSITIES admitted that there’s still much to Beerfeltz. thropists to governments. We peace and development. solutions in education. Banco WISE plans to initiate a rank- be done in education to meet the Commenting on the multi-sec- need all sectors to understand EAA also signed a deal with the Santander will also cooperate ing of universities in the Middle Millennium Development Goals toral approach to support educa- the importance of education, not UN Relief and Works Agency for with the WISE Learners’ Voice East to enhance the quality of with regard to education within tion, H H Sheikha Moza said: “By only as a human right, but as an Palestine Refugees in the Near Programme in developing an education. the next two years. bringing the expertise of differ- economic imperative. East (UNRWA) to provide emer- intensive training module in busi- “We are looking into how to Although WISE is a global ini- ent partners, we are changing “One additional year of school- gency education support to over ness, finance, and social entre- elevate the quality of education tiative, he said it also works at the the ecosystem around education ing increases a child’s potential 67,000 Palestinian refugee chil- preneurship for top students. It in the Middle East by ranking local level to benefit teachers and and making it sustainable. For future earnings by up to 10 per- dren living in Syria or having fled will assist WISE and Hamad Bin the universities and academic educational institutions in Qatar. instance, in Kakuma Refugee cent. So investing in education to Jordan and Lebanon. Khalifa University to organise the institutions in the Gulf,” Sheikh THE PENINSULA

International Ladies’ Potluck Group meeting 4 Indians die in manhole

DOHA: Four Indians, from the others went looking for them and southern state of Kerala, died all the four perished. yesterday in Al Shahaniya after Community sources identified the they entered a manhole that was four as Ishaq, 26, Faisal, 30, Muneer, apparently connected to sanitary 20 and Mohamed. Muneer landed sewer lines. here some six months ago and had The Indian Embassy confirmed been looking for a job. the deaths and said the bodies were Ishaq was from Kuttipuram in brought to the mortuary at Hamad Malappuram district, while Faisal Medical Corporation (HMC) around hailed from Calicut, Muneer from 9pm yesterday. Varkala in Trivandrum. Mohamed The tragic incident reportedly was a resident of Kottakkal in took place last afternoon. “We are Malappuram district. trying to get details of the incident,” Ishaq’s brother had won a contract an embassy official said. for cleaning in at the labour camp Unconfirmed reports suggest the and the four were involved in the job four were cleaning a septic tank in that proved fatal. International Ladies’ Potluck Group convened yesterday at Al Jazi Garden 4 Club House to introduce Quranic art and culture to members and a labour camp when two of them Mohamed was said to be a civic guests. A fashion show of Hanbok, the traditional South Korean outfit, directed by fashion designer Elizabeth Y S Ju was also held. The Chief entered the manhole that was con- employee who came there and was nected to sewer lines. helping the trio, community sources Guest was Yoon Seong-mee, Counsellor at the South Korean embassy. When they didn’t come out the claimed. THE PENINSULA

Royal Circus artists performing an act. Thrilling acts mark Royal Circus success DOHA: Global Entertainment Group sponsored by Mohammad Rashid Al Shorouqi, in collaboration with the Jungle Zone, Hyatt Plaza has lined up entertaining events to woo spectators of all ages. The audience have much to look forward to in the form of world-class thrilling performances, some of which are being presented for the first time in the region and are brought on stage by a team of people who bear a history of entertainment through generations. The key people of the group, El Sayed Hussein Amin Ismael Akef and Mohammed Elsayed Mohammmed Mohammed Ali El Helow, belong to reputed families in Egypt that have been associated with the business of entertainment. The two families who initially competed with each other started an era of entertainment that grew through genera- tions. The Royal Circus introduces new acts every week. This weekend, organisers plan to introduce the “Wheel of Death”, the Roman Empire, trampoline act and aerial acts. Royal circus features two shows during Thursdays & Fridays: 5.30pm and 9pm, Saturdays: 4pm and 6.30pm. Customers can enjoy one show (5.30pm) during week days, except Sundays and Mondays. Tickets can be purchased at the venue, Virgin Megastores or online at virginmegastore. me. Advance tickets can be purchased from the ticket counter at Gate No. 5 in Hyatt Plaza. For details, custom- ers can contact 4499 9666. THE PENINSULA HOME THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07

Construction work on 14 complexes to begin in Nov

DOHA: Construction work on 14 commercial complexes in residential areas is expected to start next month. The project is the last phase of a project to con- struct 44 commercial complexes in distant res- idential areas across the country. The 14 complexes together will have a capac- ity of 290 shops. The facilities will include a supermarket, laundry, tailoring and barber shops, beauty salon, butchery, restaurant and cafeteria, among other things, The Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce have jointly signed a contract with a local construction com- pany to develop the facili- ties, Qatar News Agency reported yesterday quoting Abdul Aziz bin Naser Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of the Bank. As per the contract, con- struction work will start by mid-November and it is expected to complete in eight months, he added. The project started in May with the aim to build a total 44 complexes with 588 shops in three municipalities including Doha, Al Rayyan and Al Daain. The facilities are being developed on government land on the outskirts of the city including Jaryan Nujayma, Laqtifiyah, Hazam Al Markhiya, Al Merad, Rawdat Aqdim and Rawdat Al Hammam among others. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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Heart attack-ed Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

HINA’S Tiananmen Square was never in the news with this ferocity since 1989’s pro-democracy protests rocked the Communist regime. On Monday, a car went Cup in flames after crashing into a crowd in the historic Tom Friedman is too optimistic square just metres from the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong, father of China’s Cultural Revolution. The incident has sparked a flurry of reports enlisting details of what Beijing says was a about China’s schools terrorist strike. Yesterday, the Chinese government announced to have detained five suspects related to the incident. BY ADAM MINTER The man driving the vehicle, police say, was an Uighur from China, tuned to unnerve an American educational system is structured to pre- the volatile northwest region of Xinjiang. His mother and wife public afraid of falling behind an Asian pare students for the multiday examina- were inside the car with a large quantity of fuel that was ignited he New York Times recently pub- competitor that, by most accounts, is tion. Cram schools are a popular means after the crash, sending flames leaping into the air. lished “The Shanghai Secret,” pulling up alongside the United States, of supplementing government-provided There have been thousands of suicide attacks across the Ta column by Thomas Friedman if not ahead of it. Yet for all its merits, education with private coaching. that explained how Shanghai’s students Friedman’s view of Shanghai’s educa- This type of education has many ben- world. But this one stands out in its complexity. The Tiananmen received the world’s top scores on the tion system (not to mention his previ- efits, as anyone who visits a Chinese Square is no Times Square of New York, which is lined with 2009 Program for International Student ously proclaimed affection for China’s school can attest. But, as Chinese edu- numerous shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, and offices that Assessment exams. Administered “reasonably enlightened” autocrats) is cators have long known, such a system stand below glitzy neon-lit boards screaming out names of every three years (the 2012 results will out of sync with the Chinese public’s doesn’t necessarily produce students famous brands. The Square in the heart of Beijing is a symbol be released on December 3), PISA is own scepticism of its test-focused edu- capable of excelling in settings beyond of China’s overbearing power on its citizenry. It was here that in designed to assess how well 15-year- olds cational system. the testing room — precisely, and per- worldwide are prepared to apply their It was particularly ironic that haps ironically, what PISA is supposed 1989 hundreds of students were killed or maimed after security educations to real- world situations. Friedman’s Sino-utopian column was to be measuring. forces and tanks hurtled down the streets around the square. For some, the fact that students published the same day that a national The emphasis on rote learning may China deletes all mention of the Tiananmen massacre in 1989 from Shanghai did particularly well on discussion emerged in China about ultimately even impede the development in its media, and no one knows what the 2009 assessment says a lot about implementing reforms that could begin of real skills and creativity. “What is the happened to the man who stared the trajectories of the US and Chinese to move schools away from a focus on real purpose of learning English?” Cai economies and the two nations’ abili- test success. The discussion, which Jigang, a professor at Shanghai’s elite down a line of tanks with shopping The suicide ties to inno- occurred primarily in some of the most Fudan University, asked in a 2012 inter- attack at bags in his hands. The recent suicide vate. As Chester important government-owned newspa- view with the Global Times. Cai, who attack, if Chinese authorities are to E Finn Jr, a mem- pers, was ignited by an announcement is director of a programme to reform Tiananmen be believed, was well planned and ber of President that the city of Beijing was proposing English-language instruction at the Square should executed, killing five people including Indeed, in China, Ronald Reagan’s to reduce the importance of English city’s colleges, answered his own ques- the suicide bomber and two of his Department of in its version of the national college tion with force. “Frankly, up till now it’s not unusual Education, said entrance examination, known as the our students have just been studying force the Chinese family. What forces an Uighur from to meet high in a 2010 New gaokao. (Each city and province has its English to pass exams.” government a province in the forlorn northwest school and York Times arti- own edition of the test.) The changes, if Indeed, in China, it’s not unusual to to address the of the country to kill himself along cle about the they’re eventually implemented, would meet high school and college students with his family in the heart of college students Shanghai scores: occur in 2016. who have, say, mastered the intricacy Uighur question. Beijing? who have, say, “Wow, I’m kind The proposal suggests reducing of the English past participle but can’t The Uighur minority has been of stunned, the value of the English portion of order in English at McDonald’s. This mastered the I’m thinking the multisubject test and increasing phenomenon, widely known as “dumb at loggerheads with the Chinese intricacy of the Sputnik.” the value of the Chinese and social or English,” was described and assailed in government for quite some time now. Mostly Muslims, they In his col- natural sciences (students can choose) a 2002 paper by Lin Lin, then an associ- often clash with Han Chinese in the restive province. Accusing English past umn, published parts. Perhaps even more significant, ate professor at the Foreign Language Beijing of crushing their rights, the Uighur minority has till participle but on October 22, the English section would also put a College of the Chinese University of now become a major concern for the Communist Party leaders. Friedman sug- stronger emphasis on practical listen- Political Science and Law in Beijing: “It’s can’t order gested that ing skills, rather than grammar and high time we remedied the phenomenon The question of ethnic rights and oppression of minorities in in English at Chinese schools reading. Though the proposal is local, of ‘deaf English’ and ‘dumb English’ China has been a haunting one. Be it the Uighurs or Tibetans, are succeeding the fact that it’s happening in China’s (when students can read, but cannot the Chinese regime has been found wanting in an effective McDonald’s. because of “a capital is a signal that other schools speak English fluently, or understand and sustainable strategy to deal with the issue. Freedom is relentless focus can — and probably should — consider what people say). Some students said anathema to Chinese authorities, and the minorities feel most on all the basics that we know make similar reforms. (Jiangsu province was their vocabulary was probably larger threatened in such a milieu. The Communist Party has just for high-performing schools but that are apparently already thinking about than that of some native speakers, but difficult to pull off consistently across diminishing the English requirement they could not express themselves in got past the Bo Xilai controversy, a heady cocktail of murder, an entire school system.” The unspo- before Beijing’s announcement.) English. After ten years’ English learn- intrigue and corruption. It’s time Chinese leaders dealt with the ken extension of that statement is that For outsiders, this might sound like ing, they were still ‘deaf and dumb.’” terror problem before its gets unwieldy. US schools — American students fin- a relatively innocuous change, but in Adam Minter, the Shanghai corre- The suicide attack, though relatively small, proves that ished behind Shanghai ones on the 2009 China, where the gaokao is a national spondent for the World View blog, is the terror has reached the hub of the country. It would be wise for assessment — might not be focusing on obsession that determines the fates of author of “Junkyard Planet,” a book on Beijing to quickly come to grips with the situation by devising a these basics enough, even though educa- millions of young people every year, such the global recycling industry that will be tors know they should be. a modification would alter curriculums published in November. strategy, which is effective, and doesn’t undermine the freedom This is a simple, seductive view of — and potentially lives. China’s entire WP-BLOOMBERG of individuals and groups • The other side Quote of China, EU must pull together the day

HINA and the European Herman Van Rompuy once referred to the use of trade remedy measures and for solutions that cater to the interests Union concluded their the two economies as being mutually step up communication and coordina- of both sides. fourth high-level trade talks in need of each other and inseparable, tion within international platforms such In last week’s trade talks, negotia- Cin Brussels last week. They and a spirit of cooperation featuring as the World Trade Organization. Only tions on an investment agreement have were the first high-level trade dialogue mutual respect, reciprocity and a win- by translating these consensuses into been a focal point. A comprehensive between the two sides since China’s win outcome is indispensable if their action can China and the EU enhance China-EU investment agreement will Open objections new leadership took office in March. trade ties are to grow as desired. their ability to resist risks in trade. play a positive role in promoting and have surfaced A People’s Daily commentary on Considering the sheer size of their Since 2012, the EU has been facilitating mutual investments as well Tuesday stressed that the two sides trade and the differences in their increasingly resorting to trade remedy as promoting bilateral trade coopera- against holding this have reached important consensuses national conditions, cultural back- measures targeting Chinese export- tion to a higher level. during the talks, and have sent a posi- grounds and political systems, disputes ers, but as long as the two sides pull At present, the potential of mutual Russia-US meeting, tive signal that China and the EU are and frictions are bound to occur; the together in the same direction and investments has yet to be fully tapped. not only among committed to deepening and broaden- crux of the matter, then, is how to prop- strengthen cooperation, no obstacles Both sides should quicken their steps ing their trade and economic coopera- erly handle them. are insurmountable. To nip any potential so that negotiations on an investment Syrian sides but also tion. At present, the daily trade volume Among the consensuses they have disagreements in the bud they should agreement can be started at an early among capitals. between China and the EU is $1.5 bil- reached in the Brussels talks, the two start communication on the issue at date. Sergei Lavrov lion, but European Council President have agreed to exercise prudence over the earliest possible stage and search China Daily Russian Foreign Minister THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 Obama administration hit by trouble The US president was hit with a public relations crisis that struck at the core of his domestic and foreign policies.

BY STEVE HOLLAND industry analysts said on Tuesday. The scenario could affect a relatively small o his critics, President Barack percentage of Americans, but neverthe- Obama often has seemed less could involve hundreds of thousands to be conveniently distant of people who have had inexpensive poli- when trouble has hit his cies with few benefits, analysts said. administration. White House spokesman Jay Carney TBut on Tuesday, Obama was hit with a said that the administration has always public-relations crisis that struck at the said that some healthcare plans would core of his domestic and foreign policies - not meet the new requirements, which one that raised questions about whether require that coverage include emergency he had misled Americans on his signa- services, maternity care, prescription ture healthcare overhaul, and whether drugs and other popular features. he really was unaware of the US govern- Carney argued that these Americans ment’s alleged spying on its allies. would end up with better insurance cov- It was a dramatic twist for the erage because they have been in a “Wild Democratic president, who was seen West” part of the insurance market that as outflanking Republicans during the was under-regulated. budget battles that led to a partial govern- Republican critics pounced on the ment shutdown and a near-default by the White House’s defence, saying that government this month. Until this week, Obama had misrepresented the health- most of the discussion in Washington on care law for years. They also chided the “Obamacare” health insurance pro- the administration for saying Obama gramme focused on its clumsy rollout, had been surprised by the depth of the as symbolised by a balky website that is glitches on HealthCare.gov, the federal frustrating uninsured Americans’ efforts government’s online insurance exchange. to enrol in the program. But several “In the old days people used to call media reports on Tuesday raised ques- (Republican President) Ronald Reagan tions about whether the administration the ‘Teflon president’ if something bad US President Barack Obama was completely truthful in selling the happened in his administration and it did program to Americans four years ago, not stick to him,” Republican strategist Feinstein, a Democrat who chairs the people are in an anxious mood. And this government shutdown and the problems after Obama was first elected president. Charlie Black said. “But that title much Senate Intelligence Committee, said in sort of drum beat of troubles that the with the healthcare program’s launch. The latest flap dates to a pledge that more fits President Obama, who goes out a statement that Obama apparently had administration seems to have is just “While all politicians were affected Obama made in 2009 about the healthcare of his way to not take responsibility for not known that Merkel’s communications really unsettling.” Even TV comedian Jon by the former, Obama personally suf- initiative that remains the biggest achieve- anything bad that happens.” had been collected since 2002. Stewart of Comedy Central’s “The Daily fers more from the latter due to the fact ment of his nearly five years in office. Black’s shot at Obama was part of “That’s a big problem,” Feinstein said. Show,” who typically saves his sharpest that it is, quite literally, branded with his “If you like your healthcare plan, you’ll a chorus of “I-told-you-so” criticism White House spokesman Carney has jabs for Republicans, is making light of name, ‘Obamacare,’” she said. be able to keep your healthcare plan, launched by Republicans who have made declined to comment on specific reports what he suggests is the president’s curi- Obama’s defenders believe the con- period,” he told the American Medical reversing Obamacare their top priority, of NSA spying. But analysts said that ous disengagement from anything con- troversies will blow over and that he Association in Chicago on June 15, 2009, claiming that it will kill jobs and raise Obama’s apparent distance from the troversial. “If the president is unaware should focus on the next round of budget a mantra he has repeated regularly - medical costs. It also reflected another NSA controversy follows a pattern with that we were spying on our allies, who negotiations with Congress as key dead- including during his 2012 re-election, accusation made by Republicans in recent his administration that they have seen gave the go-ahead to spy on our allies?” lines for action approach in December when Republicans were saying that the months: that Obama doesn’t seem to be in other sensitive matters, including the Stewart said this week during a segment and January. The fight over spending is law would force millions of Americans to in the loop on key issues involving his own fatal attacks on a US diplomatic post called, “Wait, wait ... Don’t tell him.” likely to set the stage for the November lose their insurance. “No one will take it administration. in Benghazi, Libya, last year and the Obama’s difficulties likely have contrib- 2014 midterm congressional elections, away, no matter what,” Obama has said. On Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Director flap over whether the Internal Revenue uted to a decline in his public approval the outcome of which will determine But as potentially millions of Americans of National Intelligence James Clapper Service targeted conservative groups for rating, now down to 40 percent in the whether Obama will have enough fellow are learning now, the pledge came with and National Security Agency Keith additional scrutiny. latest Reuters/Ipsos tracking polls. Only Democrats in Congress to get much done some caveats. Those who buy their own Alexander faced questions from lawmak- “The president has some issues here 19 percent of those surveyed this week in his final two years in office. “I think insurance on the open market and who ers about reports that the NSA had spied that are really a sad pattern for his sec- said the country is on the right track. the big things for the president now are have policies that don’t meet minimum on leaders of US allies, including German ond term,” said David Yepsen, Director Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said the how he handles what happens in January standards of the Affordable Care Act are Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key friend of the Paul Simon Public Policy Centre at approval rating is about the lowest and February and how the Republicans likely to have their policies cancelled and of the United States. The hearing came the University of Southern Illinois. “The Obama has had, and is likely the result handle it,” said Democratic consultant replaced with higher-cost alternatives, a day after California Senator Dianne economy is very fragile. The American of political fallout from the 16-day Bob Shrum. REUTERS Spying on Europe gives US more intelligence Quake revives Japan’s

but that is not necessarily the case. Phone nuclear nightmare The NSA is a big, calls, emails, and text messages have to be interpreted in context. When Chancellor BY WILLIAM PESEK well-funded Merkel texts her defence minister, she is com- municating in a form of code. To break the code – that is, to comprehend s Tokyo shook early Saturday morning and loud shrieks intelligence agency fully the meaning of the words – the analyst from mobile-phone earthquake-warning alarms filled bed- needs to understand the personal and politi- rooms around the city, one word immediately sprung to mind: but has no authority to cal relationship between the two, as well as all AFukushima. the previous discussions and decisions on the Those who don’t reside 135 miles away from the worst nuclear crisis issue. But the analyst is never someone who since Chernobyl won’t understand this reaction. But the first thing most deport anyone. knows Merkel or her minister and, however of Tokyo’s 13 million residents do once things stop wobbling is check if good their knowledge of Germany might be all’s well at the Fukushima Daiichi plant still leaking radiation into the BY PETER GALBRAITH (and quite often, it is not that good), this is atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean. Worse, a fresh spate of accidents not the same as knowing the people involved. there make some wonder if the Marx Brothers are in charge. I’m no s a US diplomat and UN official, I Ironically, the more important the intelli- engineer, gents, but next time you might want to avoid disconnecting operated with the certain knowledge gence target, the less experience those analys- the wrong pipe, dumping another 10 tons of toxic water into the soil that the host country intelligence ing the intelligence actually have. One reason and contaminating yourself to boot. It’s been almost three months since Aservice – and, possibly, other serv- US intelligence on Iraq was so dramatically Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to step in to help the hapless Tokyo ices – listened to my calls. And as for anyone wrong before the 2003 war is that the analysts Electric Power Co end the crisis. It’s been two months since his office else, many of these calls dealt with personal had never been there and therefore had no feel went even further, saying it was laying out “emergency measures” to matters. So, I have sympathy for Europeans for the country. take control of the disaster recovery. It’s been seven weeks since Abe who are outraged by revelations that the NSA Intercepts only tell you so much, but because told the International Olympic Committee not to worry about that little invaded their privacy by monitoring hundreds the US government pays so much to get this nuclear situation up north to secure the 2020 Games. And, well, we’re of millions of calls. information, it has a weight in the policy- still waiting for and worrying that the next quake will cause a fresh NSA Director Keith B Alexander But how serious is the invasion of privacy? making process that is often unwarranted. meltdown. Abe did visit Fukushima on October. 19, his fifth visit since The NSA can vacuum up huge quantities of I experienced this firsthand as US ambassa- taking office in December. But each one is becoming more and more data but that doesn’t mean it is useful. Most criminal activity, intercepts gathered without dor to Croatia during the Croatia and Bosnia about spin, less about demanding faster action by Tepco executives. of us lead lives that are of no interest to any a warrant cannot be used in a criminal pro- wars. At critical junctures in these wars, the Here’s the Japan Times headline the most recent visit generated: “Abe intelligence agency and, even for persons of ceeding in the United States or any European CIA misestimated Croatian intentions and Tries to Dispel Rumours About Fukushima Seafood.” All the while, interest, most conversations and email are of country (except, possibly, Belarus). capabilities. In making their assessments, CIA Abe’s real priority is restarting the nation’s 50 reactors, arguing that no intelligence value. I always felt sympathy for I have less sympathy for European leaders analysts relied heavily on the NSA’s electronic his economic recovery is at risk. The Liberal Democratic Party has long the Croatian analysts who reviewed recorded who are “shocked” to learn that the US is intercepts, as well as paid spies and other been a shill for the nuclear-power industry and far be it from Abe to conversations from my residence phone. Even eavesdropping on them. Europeans also spy intelligence sources. rock that boat. excluding the conversations between my teen- on Americans and, in the case of the French, I saw this information but I also relied on The public isn’t convinced that nuclear power is as safe, clean and age son and his friends, most of the calls would this is well-documented. Some have suggested what Croatian leaders told me and on what I cheap as the LDP says. Even before new radiation leaks were discovered have been inconsequential and boring. Even I that European leaders are mostly outraged observed on the ground. But because the US in August, roughly half of Japanese were against restarting reactors fell asleep on some of my calls. For most of us, because their collection capabilities do not government paid billions for its intelligence, I that have been offline for 2 1/2 years. You can bet public opposition has the sheer volume of data gathered by the NSA match America’s. (In this regard, British offi- had a hard time persuading Washington that hardened since then, perhaps significantly. Complicating Abe’s campaign is the best assurance of privacy. cials have been tellingly quiet.) the intelligence was wrong, even when it devi- is the recent about- face by his mentor, Junichiro Koizumi. The former Europeans are mindful – in a way But it may also be that European agen- ated from common sense. prime minister sent shockwaves through Nagatacho, Japan’s Capitol Americans, with their different history, are cies do it quite well. There is, however, no In the field of intelligence, more is not nec- Hill, with an October 1 speech, declaring his opposition to nuclear power. not – of how totalitarian regimes maintained European version of Edward Snowden to tell essarily better. In order to collect, analyse and Koizumi siding with the anti-nuclear movement is important for two extensive files on their citizens and, more us. And if Angela Merkel uses an unsecured use the vast quantities of data, the US govern- reasons. One, he’s a perceptive politician with a unique ability to read the importantly, how they used the data. An cellphone, she should not be surprised that the ment provides security clearances to hundreds public mood and sell sweeping change to the masses. Two, he’s calling unguarded comment in an intercepted phone NSA intercepts it. of thousands of government employees and for a kind of Manhattan Project in reverse. The reference here is to the call could lead to a concentration camp or But it may not just be the NSA: I suspect contractors. The Obama administration is in US project that produced the nuclear weapons that levelled Hiroshima gulag, or worse. her text messages and phone calls may be its current mess because Booz Allen Hamilton, and Nagasaki in 1945. What Koizumi envisions is an ambitious plan to And not only the speaker was at risk. A of far greater interest to Greek intelligence a contractor doing billions of dollars of secret do the opposite and rid Japan of the reactors the public has come to fear listener who failed to report on the speaker than to the US. (And I would be amazed if work for the government, gave a troubled since March 11, 2011, when a giant earthquake destroyed Fukushima. might meet the same fate. And even those Germany’s intelligence agency, the BND, was 29-year-old high school graduate access to a What’s more, Koizumi believes, Japanese are likely to rally around such who informed could be deported for consorting not tapping the phones of the US ambassador vast array of secrets. The system is in need of an endeavour. “As the current LDP leader dukes it out with a former with a state enemy. and CIA station chief in Berlin.) reform and the smaller, more agile European one, the residents of Japan are being feted to an almost daily offering The NSA is a big, well-funded intelligence Europeans might imagine that this intel- services may be a model. After all, espionage of troubling news from the nuclear zone. Earthquakes are scary enough agency but it has no means to deport any- ligence-gathering gives the US an enormous is not just about collecting secrets but also without having to worry the next one can transport the nation right one. And even if the NSA intercepts uncover advantage in the conduct of its foreign policy, keeping them. THE GUARDIAN back to the darkest days of March 2011. WP-BLOOMBERG THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST Protest as Brotherhood senior leader arrested Islamist party accused of rejecting reconciliation

CAIRO: Egyptian police fired many other senior leaders. teargas at protesting students Bahaa El Din has tried to find at Cairo’s Al Azhar university a way out of Egypt’s political cri- yesterday hours after authori- sis since he put a proposal to the ties announced the detention cabinet in August that called for of Muslim Brotherhood leader an immediate end to the state of Essam El Erian, part of a emergency, political participation crackdown against the Islamist for all parties and guarantees movement. of human rights, including free Erian, deputy leader of the assembly. Brotherhood’s Freedom and State-run media have whipped Justice party, was taken into up public opinion against the custody from a residence in New Brotherhood and helped create Cairo where he had been in hid- a climate in which there is little ing, an Interior Ministry source tolerance for the Islamist move- said. ment that won every national Police officers carry the body of a suicide bomber from the crime scene at a beach near the tourist resort of At the Al Azhar university’s vote after a popular uprising Sousse, in Tunisia yesterday. main campus, students smashed toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak windows, hurled chairs and cov- in 2011. ered walls of an administrative Near-daily street protests, building with graffiti. clashes between supporters and Bomber targets Tunisian resort “Sisi is a dog. Down, down Essam El Erian opponents of Mursi and rising with the lord of the army,” one attacks by militants who secu- protester scribbled, refering to whose leaders are due to appear rity officials say are linked to the town; police foil second attack army chief General Abdel Fattah in court next week, of undermin- Brotherhood have hammered Al Sisi, who led the overthrow of ing efforts to resolve political tourism and investment in Egypt, TUNIS: A suicide bomber blew to being members of the mili- Tunisia, which attracted 5.8 mil- President Mohamed Mursi. turmoil. a US ally. himself up in the Tunisian tour- tant Ansar Al Sharia move- lion mostly European visitors to One police officer yelled: “The government realises from Brotherhood officials, most of ist resort of Sousse yesterday, ment, which it says is linked to its Mediterranean beaches and “Arrest anyone you see. Bring me its side the importance of rec- whom are in jail or on the run, the first such assault in more Al Qaeda’s North Africa affiliate. desert tours in 2012. those kids. If you see anyone just onciliation,” said Deputy Prime were not immediately available than a decade in a country now “The two suicide bombers are Tourism is still recovering arrest them right away.” Minister Ziad Bahaa El-Din in a for comment. The group accuses battling militants boosted by radical Islamist jihadists. They from the 2011 uprising that top- Students at Egypt’s top insti- statement. the army of staging a coup chaos in neighbouring Libya. are Tunisians, but they had been pled the North African country’s tution for Islamic teachings have “Those who are until now against Mursi and undermin- Police foiled another attack in a neighbouring country,” said autocratic leader Zine Al Abidine demonstrated for weeks in sup- rejecting or stalling any under- ing democratic gains made since when they arrested a would- Interior Ministry spokesman Ben Ali. port of the Islamist Mursi, whom standings aimed at achieving rec- Mubarak’s ouster. be suicide bomber at former Mohammed Ali Aroui, without Tunisia’s stock market dropped the army toppled in July after onciliation and stability for the Many Brotherhood leaders President Habib Bourguiba’s tomb specifying the country. 0.95 percent after the bombing. mass protests against his rule. Egyptian people are the leaders of have been detained since the in the seaside town of Monastir, The first bomber had tried to “We don’t know the conse- Demonstrations there are a the Muslim Brotherhood.” overthrow of Mursi, Egypt’s first and detained five other people enter the Riadh Palms Hotel with quences right now ... Whatever sensitive matter because the The army toppled the freely elected president. in Sousse thought to be plotting a suitcase. Turned away, he ran happens it will be negative institution has historically toed Brotherhood’s President He, Erian and 13 other assaults, security sources said. onto the beach and blew himself because this is the first time they the government line. Mohamed Mursi in July. Brotherhood leaders are expected No group has claimed respon- up, a security source said. No one attack a hotel,” said Mohamed Ali Egypt said yesterday it was Security forces killed hun- to go on trial on Monday on sibility for the attacks, but the else was hurt. Toumi, head of Tunisia’s federa- committed to reconciliation and dreds of its members and jailed charges of inciting violence. Islamist-led government said all The bombing is bad news for tion of travel agencies. accused the Muslim Brotherhood, thousands, including Mursi and REUTERS the arrested men had admitted the vital tourism industry in REUTERS Syrians will decide on talks: Assad Israel frees 26 prisoners but ramps up settlements DAMASCUS: President Bashar regime’s term for rebels. Al Assad insisted in a meeting “The success of any political JERUSALEM: Israel freed 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners yes- yesterday with visiting UN-Arab solution is linked to putting an terday in line with commitments to the US-backed peace proc- League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi end to support funnelled to ter- ess, but moved in tandem to ramp up settlement in annexed east that Syrians alone will decide rorist groups,” the Syrian leader Jerusalem. The move was denounced by the Palestinian Authority, on the fate of an initiative for added. State television reported which said it “destroys the peace process.” Plans to build another Geneva peace talks. that Brahimi agreed with Assad 1,500 settler homes in the city’s Arab eastern sector came to light The encounter came a day that Syrians themselves need to almost immediately after Israel began freeing 21 prisoners to the after the Red Crescent evacu- find a solution to the conflict that West Bank and another five to Gaza Strip. ated hundreds of civilians from a has been ravaging the country The sequence was almost a mirror image of August 13, when besieged town near Damascus, in since March 2011. a first tranche of 26 prisoners were freed and Israel announced an operation that saw rare coop- “The efforts being made for the construction of more than 2,000 new settler homes, mostly in east eration among the regime, its Geneva conference to be held are Jerusalem. In West Bank, thousands turned out to welcome home opponents and the international focused on finding the way for the the 21 prisoners at a formal ceremony at Mahmoud Abbas’s presi- community. Syrians themselves to meet and dential compound in Ramallah. Brahimi has been travelling to agree on solving the crisis as Meanwhile, a senior US official said that plans to build 1,500 new the Middle East to muster sup- quickly as possible,” the envoy was Israeli settler homes in east Jerusalem do not create a “positive envi- port for proposed peace talks quoted as saying. ronment” for ongoing peace negotiations with the Palestinians. “We do dubbed Geneva II. The Syrian leg In an interview this month, not consider continued settlement activity or east Jerusalem construc- of the tour is the most sensitive, Assad himself cast doubt on the tion to be steps that create a positive environment for the negotiations,” as Brahimi needs to persuade a Syrian President Bashar Al Assad with UN-Arab League peace envoy possibility of his regime attend- State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “At no time in the wary regime and an increasingly Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus, yesterday. ing, saying he would not negotiate course of pursuing negotiations toward a two-state solution have we divided opposition to attend. with any group tied to the rebels condoned settlement activity or east Jerusalem construction.” During his last visit to than one hour, and his spokes- the right to decide on Syria’s or to foreign states. The very purpose of the talks, which were relaunched in late July Damascus in December, Brahimi woman only said he was hopeful future,” state media quoted him The main opposition National after dogged efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry, was to resolve was heavily criticised in the that Saudi Arabia, a main backer as telling Brahimi. Coalition has said it will refuse the issues such as settlements that have torpedoed past negotiations. Syrian media for asking Assad if of Syria’s opposition, would take “Putting an end to support for to take part in any talks unless “The talks are continuing, and both sides remain committed to the he intended to step down at the part in the proposed talks. the terrorists and pressuring the Assad’s resignation is on the nine-month time frame,” Psaki added. end of his presidential term in Assad flatly rejected that pos- states that support them is the table, and some rebel groups have mid-2014. The Algerian’s latest sibility, insisting that “the Syrian most important step to prepare... warned anyone who goes will be meeting with Assad lasted less people are the only ones who have for dialogue,” Assad said, using his considered a traitor. AFP First MERS case in Oman

MUSCAT: Oman has discovered the first case of the MERS coro- navirus in the sultanate, Health Minister Ahmed Al Saeedi said yesterday. The patient, a 68-year-old Omani man, was receiving Curious crowds disrupt treatment at a hospital in Nazwa, 150km west of Muscat, and was “stable,” Saeedi said. He said the case, the first in Oman, had been US to help Iraq fight discovered on Tuesday, and that the patient had diabetes. Oman Europe-Asia rail service News Agency said the patient was “suffering from a chest infection”. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) ISTANBUL: Turks intrigued by Istanbul’s new underwater terrorist targets has so far claimed 62 lives worldwide, with most of the deaths occur- rail line linking Europe and Asia are overcrowding trains by ring in Saudi Arabia, where the disease first appeared in September riding to and from under the Bosphorus, forcing closure of one WASHINGTON: The United and it has a presence in terms 2012, according to the World Health Organisation. station and causing delays by pressing emergency stop but- States is aiming to help the of camps and facilities and stag- tons, state railways said. Iraqi government battle an ing areas that the Iraqi forces are Envoy involved in crash leaves Iran The service was also hit by a brief power cut in the morning increasing threat from Al unable to target effectively,” the rush hour, prompting television footage of passengers walking Qaeda linked terror groups US official said, asking not to be TEHRAN: A Saudi diplomat involved in a fatal road accident while through the tunnel next to a stationary train. with military sales and intelli- named. Many militants were slip- allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol has left Iran, media Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the multi-billion gence sharing, a US official said ping into Iraq from Syria, armed reported yesterday. “The diplomat left Tehran on September 27 dollar Marmaray, a 13km tunnel, to great fanfare on Tuesday. It yesterday. with heavy weapons. Washington after the end of an examination of his case,” the official Irna news is expected eventually to carry some 1.5 million passengers a day “We do want to help the Iraqis now had “a pretty good handle now agency quoted an “informed source” as saying, without giving fur- under one of the world’s busiest waterways. develop the capability to target on the Islamic State of Iraq and the ther details. An Iranian citizen was killed mid-March when the State rail company TCDD said the service was facing strong these networks effectively and Levant networks and where they are Saudi diplomat’s car reportedly hit another vehicle on a express- demand. It had closed one of its stations to alleviate overcrowd- precisely,” the senior adminis- and where it’s coming from,” he said. way in Tehran while speeding at 130kph. Iranian authorities said ing. Some passengers riding the trains for the first time and tration official said, after a two- “We’re kind of increasing the accident happened because the diplomat had been driving while unfamiliar with the systems had pressed ‘emergency stop’ but- hour meeting between US Vice expert cooperation with the Iraqis drunk and barred him from leaving the country pending “clarifica- tons, causing delays. President Joe Biden and Iraqi in terms of developing that infor- tion of the (legal) status”. Consumption of alcohol is forbidden in “We expect our passengers to take into account the crowds and Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. mation base. But we really want Iran under its Islamic law. to avoid constantly going back and forward if possible to make Unrest in Iraq has reached a to help the Iraqis have a better space for other passengers,” it said. level unseen since 2008 and killed vision of what they face so they Saudi Arabia jails Jordanian spy The two bridges and ferry services crossing the Bosphorus are more than 5,350 people this year, can target it effectively.” heavily crowded with commuters in Europe’s biggest city. as Iraqi authorities have so far US officials have already noti- RIYADH: A Saudi court yesterday sentenced a Jordanian to nine Government critics say the opening of the tunnel, one of failed to curb daily attacks despite fied Congress of plans to sell Iraq years in prison and 80 lashes after he was convicted of spying for Erdogan’s “mega projects” designed to change the face of Turkey, carrying out a swathe of opera- “a major air defence system which Israel, local media reported. The specialised court charged the man was rushed to coincide with Tuesday’s 90th anniversary of the tions and implementing several allows them for the first time to with “contacting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and founding of the modern Turkish republic. REUTERS tightened security measures. take sovereign control of their air contacting a Zionist intelligence officer in voice and picture via “It is a fact now that Al Qaeda space which right now they don’t email, as well as agreeing to go to them and cooperate with their has a presence in western Iraq have,” the official said. AFP intelligence,” reported Alriyadh daily on its website. AGENCIES THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11

Protesters turn violent False alarm over Senate plans MERS in France PARIS: A patient suspected of having contracted the MERS coronavirus has tested negative vote to expel for the lethal respiratory dis- ease, France’s health ministry has announced. The ministry had initially said on Tuesday that a person Berlusconi who had just returned from Saudi Arabia, where the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Former premier seeks secret ballot Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) first appeared in September 2012, was ROME: Italy’s Senate will Yesterday’s decision prompted likely infected by the virus. hold an open vote next month a flood of anger from Berlusconi’s But in-depth tests on the on whether to expel Silvio supporters, stoking tensions in 43-year-old patient revealed that Berlusconi from parliament Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s they had not been infected. because of a tax fraud convic- unwieldy coalition between “The two cases identified in tion after an upper house com- the PDL and the centre-left May 2013 are therefore the only mittee narrowly rejected the Democratic Party (PD). two confirmed cases in France so former prime minister’s bid to “Democracy was murdered in far,” it said in a statement. make the ballot secret. the Senate today,” said Daniela Of these two cases, one patient The decision has been the sub- Santanche, one of the 77-year-old fell ill when he came back from ject of intense wrangling, with leader’s most hardline loyalists. a trip to Dubai and later died on the billionaire media magnate’s “How can anyone still maintain May 28. He is believed to have political enemies fearing a secret on the basis of some false idea infected the other person, who is vote might allow him to escape of stability that this government still hospitalised in the northern expulsion through backroom serves the country?” city of Lille but no longer carries dealings. The full Senate, where there the virus. AFP A special Senate panel voted is a majority in favour of expel- Protesters clash with stall holders during a demonstration against a lack of housing in central Cape Town, by 7 to 6 in favour of an open ling Berlusconi, must vote before South Africa, yesterday. Hundreds of protesters looted shops, overturned rubbish bins and smashed car win- vote, overruling objections from the former prime minister can dows as police struggled to contain a mob rampaging through the heart of the top tourist city. Riot police in EU checking Russia Berlusconi’s People of Freedom be stripped of his seat under a full body armour cordoned off roads in the city centre, where a large crowd, many wearing ruling ANC regalia, (PDL) party, which argued that law passed last year banning con- were protesting against a lack of state housing in the only metropolis governed by the official opposition. votes on individual senators are victed criminals from parliament. G20 gifts for bugs traditionally held in secret. However, the showdown has BRUSSELS: The European “The panel has voted but it’s been delayed by heated disa- Commission yesterday said it given birth to a constitutional greement between the PDL and is checking gifts and gadgets monster,” PDL Senator Anna Letta’s PD, and aggravated ten- Merkel, SPD agree on transaction tax which host Russia gave to del- Maria Bernini told report- sions between Berlusconi hardlin- egations at last month’s G20 ers. “This was a decision aimed ers pressing for a rupture with summit to see if they pose a against one person.” Letta and moderates around BERLIN: German Chancellor a new “grand coalition” govern- reporters. EU lawyers say the security risk. No date has yet been set for PDL secretary Angelino Alfano Angela Merkel’s conservatives ment in place by Christmas, with plan is illegal because it exceeds With daily revelations stok- the vote, but the Senate agenda is who want to keep supporting the and the Social Democrats (SPD) 16 working groups drawing up member states’ jurisdiction for ing concerns over the extent of full until November 22, requiring government. agreed in a second round of coa- policy compromises on a wide taxation, could hurt non-partic- covert surveillance by friend and a change to the timetable if the “The decision of the Senate lition talks yesterday to push range of issues, including Europe. ipating EU countries and would foe alike, the latest reports sug- ballot is to be held before then. panel should be respected,” PD for a financial transactions tax Plans for 11 European Union be an obstacle to the free move- gest that Russia hoped to trick Berlusconi is expected to lose secretary Guglielmo Epifani said in Europe if they manage to states to tax banks about ¤35bn ment of capital and services in the G20 delegates into using devices his seat in the upper house after in a statement. “People should form a new government. a year — partly in return for get- single market. which could feed back sensitive Italy’s top court found him guilty lower their tone and remember “We agreed to push ahead ting assistance from taxpayers Banks have lobbied furiously information. in August of being at the centre that the law is supposed to be the with the financial transactions during the financial crisis — face against the plan, which could Asked about the reported gifts of a giant tax fraud scheme at his same for everyone.” tax,” said SPD negotiator Martin stiff opposition from other EU be scaled back by lowering the of phone chargers and USB drives, Mediaset television empire. Letta, who survived an attempt Schulz, president of the European states, especially Britain. standard tax rate on transactions Commission spokesman Frederic But the expulsion procedure to bring down the government Parliament, after a meeting of the “It’s quite clear that there are from 0.1 percent in the original Vincent said the authorities were is proving long and divisive, earlier this month, has expressed main group of 77 negotiators from very different views even among blueprint drafted by Brussels and looking into the matter. with the PDL repeatedly trying confidence that he has the num- Merkel’s Christian Democrats, the 11 states who want to intro- by introducing it more gradually. “Our findings up to now, based to delay the vote, which would bers in parliament to keep going their Bavarian Christian Social duce it, but nevertheless we But Berlin, one of the main upon analysis of hardware and strip its leader of parliamentary even if Berlusconi decides to with- Union allies and the SPD. agreed today that both parties backers of the FTT, remains software, have not amounted to immunity and leave him open to draw support from his coalition. The two sides began formal want to have this tax introduced determined to introduce the tax any serious security concerns,” arrest in a string of other cases. REUTERS talks last week aimed at having on a European level,” Schulz told swiftly. REUTERS Vincent said. AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL Girl who lived UK phone hacking trial begins as a toddler Prosecutors say top executives at News of The World were aware of tapping dies at 20

LONDON: Top executives at security chief Mark Hanna. WASHINGTON: An American Rupert Murdoch’s News of the The tabloid’s head of news girl who was born with an World knew that staff were Ian Edmondson is charged with extremely rare condition that routinely hacking celebrities’ phone hacking, while royal edi- kept her a toddler for life has phones, British prosecutors said tor Clive Goodman is accused of died at the age of 20, her father yesterday as they opened their bribing officials. told AFP yesterday. case at the long-awaited trial The final defendant is former Brooke Greenberg, whose rare over the scandal that sank the managing editor Stuart Kuttner condition was sometimes called tabloid. — who also denies phone-hacking syndrome X, raised scientists’ Two former editors of the — but he was not in court yester- hope of unlocking the secret to newspaper — Murdoch’s prote- day for health reasons. ageing. gee Rebekah Brooks and Andy More than 100 people have been She died last week of a lung ill- Coulson, a one-time media chief arrested since July 2011 as part ness, Howard Greenberg said in a to Prime Minister David Cameron of a huge police investigation into phone interview. — are among eight defendants at criminal practices by the British “We are going to remember her the high-profile trial. press. every day. She was a very, very, It is the first time that criminal Ian Edmondson Rebekah Brooks Clive Goodman Cameron also ordered a public very special child,” he said. charges have been put to alleged inquiry in the wake of the scandal, Brooke, who lived in Maryland key players in the scandal that at the News of the World — Greg was accused of paying £40,000 to a Buckingham Palace phone which exposed the close relation- with her parents and three sis- rocked the British media and the Miskiw, James Weatherup and a Ministry of Defence official for directory. ship between British politicians ters, stayed about the size of a political world two years ago. Neville Thurlbeck — have pleaded information. “The prosecution say that at a and the Murdoch press. two-year-old for life. Brooks, Coulson and the six guilty to conspiracy to hack Flame-haired Brooks rose from newspaper where there is a great The premier has faced ques- Only her hair and nails grew, others are accused of offences phones, Edis revealed. a secretary to become chief execu- deal of phone hacking going on — tions over his friendship with according to an ABC news report ranging from plotting to illegally Murdoch shut down the tive of Murdoch’s British news- and which is intensely interested Rebekah and Charlie Brooks — that covered the family’s story hack celebrities’ phones to con- 168-year-old News of the World paper wing News International, in the royal family — the acquisi- who he knew from his days at the in 2009. She had the mental cealing evidence and bribing offi- in disgrace in July 2011 amid a which was rebranded News UK tion of phone books with phone elite Eton boarding school — and capacity of a one year old and cials for stories. storm of allegations that its staff after the scandal. numbers is something of obvious his decision to employ Coulson. weighed about 15 pounds (seven All the defendants deny the had hacked the mobile phone Brooks is accused of conspir- significance,” Edis said. Coulson was forced to resign in kilogrammes). charges against them. voicemail messages of a murdered ing to hack the mobile phone “It would be very useful, 2011 over persistent allegations She underwent a series of Opening the case at London’s schoolgirl as well as hundreds of voicemail messages of more than wouldn’t it, in doing some phone that he knew more about hacking medical emergencies in her early Old Bailey court, prosecutor celebrities and public figures. 600 celebrities, public figures and hacking.” at the News of the World than he years, including stomach ulcers, Andrew Edis said the jury had Brooks and Coulson, both 45, crime victims, hiding evidence, Brooks’ racehorse trainer hus- previously admitted. an apparent stroke, and an unex- “quite a simple” question to are the most high-profile defend- and paying officials for stories. band Charlie is on trial alongside Several journalists from the plained lethargy that caused her consider. ants in a trial that is set to last up Coulson, who was News of the her, accused of helping to hide News of the World’s sister paper, to sleep for two weeks. “There was phone hacking,” he to six months. World editor before becoming evidence in the chaotic last days The Sun, are due to go on trial She was diagnosed with a brain told the panel of nine women and The prosecution stressed that Cameron’s media chief in 2007, of the News of the World, as are her separately next year accused of tumour and her family began pre- three men. “Who knew?” the case was about more than just is accused of phone hacking as former assistant Cheryl Carter paying officials for stories. paring for her funeral, but then Three former senior journalists phone hacking. Edie said Brooks well as bribing officials to obtain and former News International AFP she suddenly opened her eyes and doctors could no longer find any tumour. At age 16, she still had some baby teeth. She rode in Mentoring Rousseff an infant car seat and was often pushed around in a stroller during family shopping trips. NSA hints at curbing Brooke was unable to speak but communicated her wants and needs through vocalisation snooping on leaders and mannerisms, and her sisters said in the ABC news report that she sometimes rebelled the way a WASHINGTON: The director forthcoming — something that teenager would. of the National Security Agency US legislators have balked at, One of her physicians, Richard conceded yesterday that scal- despite months of wide-ranging Walker, told ABC that he had ing back some of his agency’s leaks from Snowden. seen minimal changes in Brooke’s surveillance on foreign leaders Alexander, during an appear- brain over time. If scientists could might be appropriate. ance at a Bloomberg government decipher a genetic mutation that “I think in some cases the forum in Washington, did not made Brooke the way she was, partnerships are more impor- directly confirm the report, but perhaps it could be tested in lab tant,” said army general Keith intimated throughout his lunch- animals to help unlock the secrets Alexander, the embattled NSA time talk that spying on foreign of ageing and mortality, Walker director, launching a public leaders was widespread through- said. Greenberg said his family defence of the spy agency for the out global intelligence services. was never aware of other children second time in as many days as an Echoing the recent White who had the same condition as international row over the NSA House line, Alexander said that their daughter. “We have been continued. the US had to rebalance its sur- told that she was one of 6.7 billion Alexander also issued a flat veillance needs with its diplo- people,” he told AFP. “She was a denial of a new leak from whistle- matic and economic ones. But the unique individual.” AFP blower Edward Snowden pub- NSA director, who spent much lished by the Washington Post as of his talk defending his embat- Islamic scholars Alexander spoke, which claimed tled agency, suggested that there that the NSA was able to inter- would be deleterious security con- Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) speaks with President Dilma Rousseff during a cer- launch professional cept Google and Yahoo user sequences to scaling back foreign- emony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the social welfare programme Bolsa Familia (Family Allowance) information as it was transferred leader surveillance. in Brasilia, yesterday. between data centres. “We have to define it. And it association Partnerships between has to be both ways. We cannot be LONDON: Some of the world’s Washington and several European naive enough to say, ‘Well, it’s just most well-known Islamic schol- nations, particularly Germany, us, or it’s just them’,” Alexander ars are launching a self-regu- have come under extreme strain said. It was a rare concession from Argentina SC: Media group ruling fair lating professional association since Chancellor Angela Merkel Alexander, who argued forcefully that will develop training and confronted the US about the NSA and emotionally at a Tuesday professional conduct standards intercepting her phone calls. hearing of the House intelli- BUENOS AIRES: The head of regulate public media and official of expression.” Opposition law- for the gatekeepers of Islamic The White House, evidently gence committee that the NSA’s Argentina’s Supreme Court yes- advertising.” maker Elisa Carrio went further, finance. chastened by the fallout in existing surveillance authorities terday denied the government “It was concretely demon- denouncing what she called a The Association of Sharia recent days, has begun suggest- should neither be restricted nor influenced a ruling upholding a strated that (the law) creates no “long-standing” and “spurious Scholars in Islamic Finance ing that some restrictions on pose a threat to civil liberties. controversial law that will force impairment for free expression,” pact” between the government (ASSIF), a British-registered foreign-focused surveillance are THE GUARDIAN the break-up of the country’s he said. and the court’s top judge. charity, will address a longstand- largest media group. “Last year, they said I was a She claimed the judge had ing problem in the industry: the “The court has not made a friend of (Clarin CEO Hector) promised the court would uphold lack of a clear, commonly rec- pact with anyone, it’s the same as Magnetto and now it is the other the law in return for the court ognised set of qualifications for always,” Ricardo Lorenzetti told a way around,” Lorenzetti joked of being allowed to manage its own scholars. Boards of Shariah schol- UN warning over teen moms local radio station, in response to his treatment in the press. finances. ars at financial institutions rule LONDON: Around 7.3 million girls under the age of 18 give birth accusations from opposition poli- Clarin, which also publishes Opposition newspaper La on whether activities and prod- each year in developing countries, risking death and suffering ticians and media. Argentina’s largest circulation Nacion made a similar accusa- ucts follow religious principles that can only be addressed by changing social attitudes, a UN After years of wrangling, on newspaper, has said its attorneys tion, alleging the court’s ruling such as bans on interest payments report said yesterday. Tuesday six of seven justices are reviewing the court’s deci- was negotiated “more than three and monetary speculation. Most are in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with one in 10 ruled that the 2009 law was con- sion and has not ruled out filing months ago by the president, her- The new association aims to girls in Bangladesh, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique and Niger stitutional, upholding an antitrust an appeal. self, who is now on medical leave.” work with the industry’s existing reporting having a child before the age of 15, the UN Population clause that will force Clarin to sell The ruling hits media outlets President Cristina Kirchner is bodies around the globe rather Fund (UNFPA) said. An estimated 70,000 girls aged 10 to 19 die most of its lucrative cable televi- “that exercise critical journalism” convalescing after brain surgery than replace them, Mufti Abdul each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, sion operations. including those that challenge the earlier this month. The ruling Kadir Barkatullah, ASSIF’s dep- according to the Fund’s annual State of the World Population report. The top judge said that “what government, Clarin said in its came two days after mid-term uty president, said on the sidelines Many more are left incontinent and in pain by giving birth before we did was validate the activ- statement Tuesday, calling the legislative elections. of the World Islamic Economic their bodies are ready, while they also face a tough future if they ity of Congress, which can also decision “an affront to freedom AFP Forum in London. REUTERS are pressured to leave school early. AFP

Canada party alarm over scandal Putin trumps Obama in Forbes list of powerful leaders OTTAWA: Canada’s ruling NEW YORK: Having outfoxed him on 16-day US government shutdown caused Damascus to hand over chemical weapons. Merkel rounded out the top five. Conservatives go into what Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin by a budget and debt crisis in Washington. “Anyone watching this year’s chess Among 13 newcomers were Samsung was supposed to be a trium- has pipped Barack Obama to the title “Putin has solidified his control over match over Syria and NSA leaks has a Chairman Lee Kun-Hee at number 41 and phant convention this weekend of the world’s most powerful leader as Russia, while Obama’s lame duck period clear idea of the shifting individual power Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, the trying to limit damage from a ranked by Forbes yesterday. has seemingly set in earlier than usual for dynamics,” Forbes wrote. richest man in Africa, in at number 64. scandal over improper expenses It was the first time in three years that a two-term president — latest example: the The 2013 list of 72 powerbrokers was There were 17 heads of state who run that reaches the office of Prime the US president has dropped to second government shutdown mess,” wrote Forbes. chosen to reflect one for every 100 million nations with a combined GDP of $48 tril- Minister Stephen Harper and place on the magazine’s list and came as In August, Russia granted asylum to lesser mortals on Earth. lion and 27 CEOs and chairs who control could undermine the party’s US-Russia relations slid to a new low. former National Security Agency contrac- Third prize went to Chinese President over $3 trillion in annual revenues. chances of winning re-election Putin, who has enjoyed 13 years of domi- tor Edward Snowden, wanted in the United Xi Jinping, who is expected to rule for a Only nine women made the cut despite in 2015. nant rule over Russia, was again elected States over a mammoth intelligence leak. decade in which China is set to eclipse the representing half the world’s population. Harper has been on the defen- president in March 2012. A month later, Putin played the trump US as the world’s largest economy. The entire list can be seen at www.forbes. sive since news of the scandal Obama, on the other hand, has just card again by averting Obama’s threatened Pope Francis made his debut at number com/power. broke. REUTERS emerged scathed from an embarrassing missile strikes on Syria with a plan for four and German Chancellor Angela AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 ASIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Spying row Largest Ball Pit spreads to Indonesia Jakarta protests wiretapping report

JAKARTA: Indonesia pro- at embassies in Kuala Lumpur, tested strongly to the United Bangkok, Phnom Penh and States yesterday after a report Yangon. It said the US facilities in said Washington had been East Asia were focused on China, monitoring phone calls and with centres in the US embassy communication networks from in Beijing and US consulates in its embassy in Jakarta, as the other cities. spying row spread to Asia. According to the map, a Central The Sydney Morning Herald Intelligence Agency-National newspaper reported on Tuesday Security Agency group known as that a top-secret map leaked “Special Collection Service” was in Participants play in a swimming pool filled with pink and green plastic balls during a Guinness World Records attempt of the Largest Ball Pit as part by fugitive intelligence analyst charge of the sweeping surveillance of the “Pink October” campaign at Kerry Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai, yesterday. The event, aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer prevention, Edward Snowden showed 90 US operation. It said the map was set the world record with one million balls in the 25-metre-long and 12.6-metre-wide swimming pool. surveillance facilities at embassies initially published in full on Der and consulates. Spiegel’s website but later replaced The report, which was based with a censored version. There was on a map in German news weekly no immediate comment from the Der Spiegel, gave details about US embassy in Jakarta. such centres around the world The anger in Asia will heap fur- Malaysia rebuffs but paid particular attention to ther pressure on the US as it seeks Five held for Tiananmen attack their presence in Australia’s clos- to placate European nations over Iran call to halt est neighbours in Asia. the spying claims. On Tuesday, US BEIJING/TURPAN: China 1989 pro-democracy demonstra- its microblog. “We firmly believe It followed days of angry pro- espionage chiefs sough to turn the said yesterday that it had caught tions were suppressed by the mili- that the Communist Party and executions tests from America’s European tables on their European allies in five suspected Islamist mili- tary. Sources earlier said that it government have the ability and KUALA LUMPUR: Mala- allies after newspaper reports, the row over intercepted phone tants after a vehicle burst into was a suspected suicide attack. the power to resolutely beat back ysia insisted yesterday that based on leaks from Snowden, that records, saying that in many cases flames on Beijing’s Tiananmen “Police have identified Monday’s and defeat all illegal terrorist two Iranian women sen- Washington collected tens of mil- it was European agencies — not the Square in what police called a incident at Tiananmen Square as activities.” tenced to death for drug lions of telephone calls and online NSA — that gathered and shared terrorist attack. a violent terrorist attack which As authorities stepped up trafficking must face “due communications in Europe as part them with America. Authorities also moved to was carefully planned, organised already-tight security in Xinjiang, process” despite a warning as a vast anti-terror sweep. Meanwhile, China said it will tighten security in the restive far and premeditated,” police said, Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the from Tehran that their exe- Indonesian Foreign Minister step up its security following alle- western, energy-rich region of adding the three people in the main exiled Uighur group, the cutions would harm bilateral Marty Natalegawa said yester- gations that the NSA collected Xinjiang, where the suspects are vehicle died after they set the World Uyghur Congress, warned relations. Shahrzad Mansour, day that the issue had been raised data on millions of phone calls in from. The Xinjiang-registered SUV gasoline on fire. The other two against believing China’s side of 31, and Neda Mostafaei, 26, with the US charge d’affaires in Europe and snooped on leaders of involved in Monday’s incident in people killed were tourists. At the story. “Beijing has always were sentenced to death in Jakarta. “Indonesia cannot accept major US allies. “Like many other which five people were killed was least 38 people were injured. made these kind of accusations, September for smuggling and protests strongly over the countries, we have been paying driven by Usmen Hasan, police Five people connected with but they refuse to make public methamphetamine into report about wiretapping facilities close attention to these reports,” said, a man whose name suggested the incident were caught just 10 the reasoning behind them. They Malaysia in December 2010. at the US embassy in Jakarta,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes- he is an ethnic Uighur, a Muslim hours after the attack, with help will not make the story behind the Defence lawyers are appeal- Natalegawa said in a statement. woman Hua Chunying said. people from Xinjiang. from the Xinjiang government, accusations transparent,” he said. ing the case. The two Muslim “If confirmed, such action is “China is concerned about the His wife and mother were with the police added, all of whom also Raxit said he was worried the nations both use the death not only a breach of security, but continued revelations of eavesdrop- him in the car, along with devices have names that suggest they are incident would provide authori- penalty against drug traffick- also a serious breach of diplomatic ping and surveillance and is pay- filled with gasoline, knives and a Uighur. Police said they had seized ties with an excuse “to further ers. More than 200 Iranians norms and ethics and certainly ing attention to how the situation flag with “religious extremist con- Islamist militant flags and knives repress Uighurs”. “If an attack are jailed in Malaysia, mostly not in the spirit of friendly rela- develops,” she added. “We will take tent” written on it, police said on from where they were staying. is committed by a Han Chinese, for drug-related offenses. The tions between nations.” the necessary steps to resolutely their official microblog. “As a common enemy of man- it’s not terrorism, but if a Uighur two women were arrested The Sydney Morning Herald maintain the security of our own The vehicle ploughed into pedes- kind, terrorism has no future, and commits it, it is,” he said, refer- on arrival at Kuala Lumpur reported the map showed there information,” Hua said, without trians in the square, which has is doomed to failure,” state tel- ring to the majority community. International Airport. were also intelligence facilities elaborating. AGENCIES drawn occasional protests since evision said in a commentary on REUTERS Sri Lanka detains media activist Mini-zoo in villa found COLOMBO: Immigration authorities raided a meeting Dhaka working on wage of journalists here yesterday and detained an Australian activist on a charge of working rise for garment workers without a visa, a local rights group said. The International DHAKA: A government panel ($38), which was last raised in Federation of Journalists (IFJ) was striving yesterday to reach 2010. “Both sides have to make representative for the Asia- agreement on a wage rise for some concessions so that we can Pacific region, Jacqui Park, Bangladesh’s crisis-hit gar- find a solution,” Kamaluddin said. was taken into custody by ment industry, amid warnings Bangladesh is the world’s sec- immigration officials, the Free of fresh crippling strikes if the ond largest clothing exporter. Media Movement (FMM) increase is too low. But wages are well below those said. “She was meeting with The panel is trying to set a new in other major nations such as us at a hotel in Colombo while minimum wage for four million China, Vietnam and Cambodia. on holiday,” said FMM spokes- garment workers, after factory Owners’ representative Arshad man Sunil Jayasekera. disasters in recent months killed Jamal Dipu said that manufactur- more than 1,000 people and high- ers were “ready to hike wages by South Korean MPs lighted the industry’s appalling around 50 percent”. But union pay and conditions. official Sirajul Islam Rony warned cross into North The government pledged to raise of fresh protests if owners did not SEOUL: Twenty-one South wages by November, based on the agree to more than double the Korean lawmakers crossed Minimum Wage Board’s recom- monthly wage to 8,114 taka. the fortified border into North mendation, after strikes last month “No way we’ll agree a 4,500 taka Korea yesterday to visit a Indonesian government wildlife officials from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency confiscate a tiger saw hundreds of thousands of minimum wage. The owners must jointly run industrial park (sedated in picture), and other endangered animals kept in a mini-zoo in a luxury villa in Bogor, West Java. workers take to the streets, torch offer more, otherwise workers that recently re-opened after Police probing the murder of a young woman at a luxury villa stumbled upon a secret collection of exotic factories and clash with police to will hit the streets again,” he said. military tensions caused a animals, including a cross-breed of a lion and tiger, officials said. demand an increase. “We expect Dipu said many factories could five-month closure. They will to reach a final decision tomorrow,” not afford to raise wages further visit four of the 100-plus South M Kamaluddin, a member of the than the current offer, pointing to Korean companies with fac- six-person panel, said. a slump in orders from Western tories in Kaesong, which lies However he said negotiations retailers. Some factories have also 10km inside North Korea and within the panel — which includes been forced to spend heavily to fix was established in 2004 as a Beijing road tips anger women union officials and factory own- fire and building safety problems symbol of inter-Korean coop- ers — were still continuing over at their factories following the eration. The lawmakers were BEIJING: Don’t wear high heels while driving. when you’re driving,” the posting warns. how much to increase the cur- Rana Plaza and other disasters. joined by officials from the Make sure you release the hand-brake before set- Another driving tip points out that “while the rent monthly wage of 3,000 taka AFP South’s Unification Ministry. ting off. And don’t panic if you suddenly realise hand brake is typically used for stopping the car’s AGENCIES you’re going the wrong way. movement, quite a few new women drivers often Those are some of the suggestions given by the hurriedly get on the road without releasing it”. The Beijing police department to women drivers in a posts appeared on the police department’s verified series of microblog postings that have sparked a account, which has nearly six million followers. backlash among Chinese Internet users who say the Women in China are guaranteed equal rights Watchdog slams Sri Lanka navy chief tips are sexually discriminatory. under the law, but conservative social mores often “Some women drivers lack a sense of direction, lead to gender discrimination in workplaces, schools and while driving a car, they often hesitate and are and in other areas of modern life. COLOMBO: An anti-corrup- new portfolio will be of immense The navy carries out some indecisive about which road they should take,” reads One of the police postings cited an example of a “care- tion watchdog yesterday criti- importance... for Sri Lanka to be policing functions in Sri Lankan one of the suggestions, posted on the police depart- less” woman driver who knocked over a pedestrian and cised the appointment of Sri the ‘wonder of Asia’”, it said. waters, where the CSC competes ment’s official microblog on Tuesday. forgot to lock her door when she went to check on the Lanka’s navy chief as head of Transparency International with other companies to run com- Women drivers, the posting continues, often dis- person’s condition, only to realise someone had stolen the country’s shipping company, criticised the appointment as a mercial maritime services, posing cover that “when they’re driving by themselves, her wallet when she returned to her vehicle. calling it a further sign of the conflict of interest, and said it a conflict of interest, he said. they’re not able to find the way to their destination, “After getting into an accident, it’s easy for women military’s growing influence. reflected the military’s growing “As head of the navy, he would even if they’ve been there many times”. Another drivers to get nervous and panic,” the police posting Vice Admiral Jayanath involvement in business. “There have access to navy intelligence posting features a cartoon depicting a confronta- said. “Their minds usually go blank, and it’s easy Colombage took over as chairman is a clear message in this appoint- that would impact commercial tion between a police officer and a woman driving a for them to let bad people exploit the opportunity.” of the state-run Ceylon Shipping ment. That is, the government shipping operations,” Weliamuna vehicle shaped like a large red high-heel shoe. Web users responded with anger at what they Corporation (CSC) on Tuesday wants to expand the defence min- said. “If they want him so badly, It relates to a story of a woman named Liu who condemned as sexual discrimination on an account which he will run along with the istry’s authority into civilian areas then ask him to quit the navy caused an accident and then told a police officer: maintained by the authorities. “Surely this official navy, the navy said. “With his that are coming under other min- and take up the civilian job, but “I hit the brake, but my shoe got stuck in the car!” microblog is planning to devote its next postings to vast knowledge and professional istries,” the watchdog’s chief in he can’t have both.” “Women drivers, please change into flat shoes tips for male drivers?” one user asked. AFP expertise, his contribution to the Sri Lanka, J C Weliamuna said. AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PHILIPPINES Philippines vulnerable to climate change: Report Risk management official says measures underway to mitigate the impact of calamities in the country

MANILA: The Philippines namely exposure to extreme Congo (7th), Cambodia (8th), (45th), Kenya (56th) and China The Maplecroft Climate “What cannot be disputed is ranked ninth among countries climate-related events; the sen- Philippines (9th) and Ethiopia (61st), all classified at “high risk.” Change Vulnerability Index also that the ‘high’ and ‘extreme risk’ that are most vulnerable to cli- sitivity of populations in terms (10th). “The ability of highly vulner- came up with sub-national cal- countries in Maplecroft’s CCVI mate change, a report by British of health, education, agricul- Sought for comment, National able countries to manage the culations that covered 50 cities. include emerging and developing risk consultancy Maplecroft tural dependence and available Disaster Risk Reduction direct impact of extreme events Manila was among the five markets, whose importance to the said. infrastructure; and the adaptive and Management Council on infrastructure will be a signifi- cities that present “an extreme world economy is ever increas- Maplecroft’s Climate Change capacity of countries to combat (NDRRMC) spokesman Major cant factor in mitigating the eco- risk” along with Dhaka, Mumbai, ing,” the risk consultancy said. Vulnerability Index (CCVI) 2014 the impacts of climate change. Rey Balido said measures are nomic impacts of climate change Kolkata and Bangkok. The Philippines ranked third also included Manila in the list of This year’s index rated a total of underway to mitigate the impact and may present opportunities for London in England and Paris in among global disaster risk cities most at risk of the effects 193 countries. of calamities. investment,” Maplecroft said in a Frances were the only two areas hotspots in the 2012 World Risk of climate change along with Bangladesh ranked first in “We are doing our best to be statement. classified as “low risk.” Report, with more than half of Dhaka in Bangladesh, Mumbai the index, which means that the prepared [for the impact of cli- “Adaptive measures, such Maplecroft said Shenzhen its population exposed to natural and Kolkata in India and Bangkok country will most keenly feel the mate change],” Balido said. as building flood defences and and the Pearl River Delta, hazards. About 81.3 percent of the in Thailand. economic impacts of changes in Maplecroft also cited the vul- greater infrastructure resil- which encompasses the cities country’s land area is also vulner- The index was developed to the climate. nerabilities of other important iency, will, however, require the of Guangzhou, Dongguan and able to natural disasters. identify climate-related risks to Also in the top 10 in terms of growth markets namely India sustained commitment of gov- Foshan and make up China’s An average of 20 tropical populations, business and govern- vulnerability were Guinea-Bissau (20th), Pakistan (24th) and ernments,” it added. The report manufacturing heartland, are cyclones, five to seven of which are ments over the next 30 years. (2nd), Sierra Leone (3rd), Haiti Vietnam (26th), all of which are said the regions facing the most among “the most exposed to phys- destructive, enter the Philippines Three factors were evaluated (4th), South Sudan (5th), Nigeria in the “extreme risk” category; increased levels of risk are West ical risks from extreme climate- every year. in coming up with the findings (6th), Democratic Republic of the and Indonesia (38th), Thailand Africa and the Sahel. related events.” THE PHILIPPINE STAR Voting Evacuees return to destroyed homes after Zamboanga crisis ZAMBOANGA CITY: The poles standing. Pulalon has been to return to the place now acces- excitement of hundreds of a resident of the place which sible only through a foot bridge. Muslim natives, longing to was then a location project “In kabayaan namu makabalik go back and see their homes, of the Southern Philippines kami (What we only want now is turned sour after person- Development Authority (SPDA) to return),” said Salha Ordoñez ally seeing all that was left of established through Presidential citing the difficulty of staying in their native stilt houses in the Proclamation 472. the cramped evacuation centre. coastal village of Mariki, one of However, following the exodus Ladja Asaali, 78, a vendor and the Barangays directly affected of people escaping at the height neighbour of Ordoñez, immedi- in the recent siege between of the rebellion in the 70’s led by ately placed strings on the poles the Moro National Liberation the MNLF from the neighbour- which he believed bordered his Front (MNLF) and government ing province of Sulu, Basilan former stilt house. troops. and Tawi-Tawi the area became “Bukon ako mabaya ha reloca- The residents of Mariki and village. tion, basta makabalik ok na haja Rio Hondo were the last batch of Most of the residents of Mariki (I don’t agree to be relocated far, thousands of evacuees who were are the Badjao (sea dwellers) it’s okay to be back here),” said allowed to see their places by the and Samal (divers) tribes and Asaali. Crisis Management Committee Tausugs. The CMC have already con- (CMC) after one and half months Pulalon said they have not ducted tagging on the residents from being confined at the evacu- experienced a similar conflict of the area to determine those ation centre. since the 70’s until the September who are really home owners of “Makaulong in lugal kamu (We siege that drove them out. “It was the devastated place while work- pity our place),” said 67-year old painful to see what were left from shops will be conducted among mother of seven Ulong Pulalon our simple and calm dwellings,” the affected house owners as part after seeing what were left from she said in Tausug dialect. of the resettlement plan of the their dwellings of hundreds of Despite the ruins, residents government. stilt houses were mere charred were happy that they were able THE PHILIPPINE STAR Jail guards stand behind a detainee casting his ballot at a school used as a polling station in Taguig city, south of Manila, early this week. Voters went to polling stations all over the country to elect their village officials. Whistleblower not held, went on spiritual retreat: Priest Two die as bus falls into ravine MANILA: The defence panel in Mass at the Heritage Park in not aware of,” said Lavin. Lavin (Ramirez) told me that Benhur held against his will as they would the bail petition hearing of busi- Taguig for the birthday of Napoles’ told the court that he offered a has already started his spiritual greet each other whenever he MANILA: Two persons died nesswoman Janet Lim Napoles late mother, Magdalena, he was retreat house adjacent to their counselling with him,” said Lavin. would visit the Magallanes house. after a passenger bus fell yesterday presented as their approached by Napoles’ brother seminary in Antipolo for Luy’s Lavin told the court that he “I just said hello and he said he into a ravine in Carranglan, witness a priest who claims and co-accused, Reynald Lim. retreat. Lavin also told the court saw Benhur last December 26 was okay,” he said. Lavin said he Nueva Ecija early yesterday. that whistleblower Benhur Luy Lavin told the court that Lim that he also offered to act as Luy’s walking at the house’s garden visited the Magallanes house six Police identified the fatalities was not illegally detained but had asked for his help saying that spiritual adviser during his retreat. and praying. In another visit, he times since December 26, 2012. as Christine Compalas, 37 and had spent a spiritual retreat at Luy wanted to undergo a religious However, Lavin said Luy again saw Benhur praying at the During his cross-examination, Jennifer Payupo, 18. the house in Magallanes Village renewal for alleged drug addic- did not appear at the Antipolo house’s chapel and was even seen Lavin told Prosecutor Christoper Investigators said that the reportedly owned by Napoles. tion and involvement in an alleged retreat house. He told the court later talking with someone on a Garvida that he does not know driver of the bus fell asleep Taking the witness stand before anomalous loan. he later learned that Luy chose to mobile phone. Napoles personally. Lavin said while driving along a highway the Makati Regional Trial Court “After the Mass, Reynald go instead to the “Bahay ni San “He was quite happy because he would just sometimes help in Barangay Capintalan. The Branch 150, Fr Peter Edward approached me and told me that Jose” located at 52 Lapu Lapu St he was talking with someone on Monsignor Ramirez say Mass at bus was bound for Manila from Lavin, 53, of the Alagad ni Maria Benhur wanted a spiritual retreat in Magallanes Village in Makati a cellphone,” he said. Napoles’ office or at her mother’s Tuguegarao. The bus driver has Seminary in Antipolo, testified that for drug addiction and anomalies with Monsignor Josefino Ramirez Lavin told the court that he was mausoleum. been taken into police custody. on December 20, 2012, after saying for a loan that the company was as his retreat master. “Monsi not aware that Benhur was being THE PHILIPPINE STAR Malaysian dead Sleeping away to glory as boat sinks ZAMBOANGA CITY: A I am not a thief: Aquino Malaysian national died while 63 passengers and crewmen were rescued when MANILA: Philippine questions about their own alleged the wooden-hulled motor- President Benigno Aquino went misuse of so-called “pork barrel” boat they were on board in on national television yester- funds. sunk when it hit an under- day to declare that he was “not Aquino, who was elected in water rock formation off a thief” in an attempt to head a landslide in 2010 running on Basilan province, according off a growing corruption scan- an anti-corruption platform, to an official of the Naval dal that threatens to derail his defended his use of the special forces Western Mindanao political agenda. funds, insisting it was done legally, (NFWM) yesterday. In a rare address to the nation for urgent cases and for projects Rear Admiral Isabela Gador, on TV and radio, Aquino defended that benefited the country. NFWM chief said the ill-fated hundreds of millions of dollars in Public anger over government M/L Muna-Isa 1 was steaming government spending that has corruption has risen since a whis- from Mapun Island off Tawi- come under scrutiny as he lashed tle-blower said in August that a Tawi last Saturday bound for A boy sleeps on top of a grave in a public cemetery in Paranaque City, south of Manila yesterday. Millions of out at the opposition, saying they businesswoman connived with Basilan when it sunk near the were stirring up controversy to opposition legislators to syphon vicinity of Pilas island Hadji Filipinos will flock to cemeteries around the country to visit departed relatives and loved ones to mark All Saints divert attention from their own off some 10bn pesos ($230m) from Muhtamad town. Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2. corruption scandal. a special fund allocated to the pet “The issue here is theft. I did projects of law-makers. Military kills not steal. Those who have been Massive street rallies have been accused of stealing are those who held to condemn the alleged cor- rebel leader Medical teams sent to quake-hit Bohol are sowing confusion. ruption while squabbling over the “I have never stolen. I am not a issue has dominated legislative ZAMBOANGA CITY: MANILA: The Department of that were hardest hit by the The teams would also assist thief. I am the one who goes after sessions. Troops killed a commander Health (DOH) sent medical and quake. They would expand medi- in the distribution of medicines. thieves,” he added. The woman, Janet Napoles, of the New People’s Army sanitation teams to Bohol to cal coverage to give more people They will be in Bohol for five Opposition figures and critics has since been arrested and the (NPA) during an encounter prevent the outbreak of diseases medical treatment. days and another team would be have recently attacked Aquino government is preparing graft in Misamis Occidental, a mil- in evacuation centres sheltering The sanitation team, mean- deployed in the province after for his use of two controver- charges against her and some leg- itary official said yesterday. hundreds of families affected by while, would provide disinfection their tour of duty. sial funds, the Disbursement islators. The Justice Department Lt Col Rommel Almaria the 7.2-magnitude earthquake and sanitation services in evacu- “We will continue to respond to Allocation Programme (DAP) earlier this month, also sought to of the Army’s 55th Infantry that hit the province. ation centres. They would check the health needs of those affected and the President’s Social Fund, cancel the passports of three sen- Battalion, identified the slain Eduardo Janairo, director of on the potability of water supply, by the disaster and will provide accusing him of using them to buy ior opposition senators and dozens NPA commander as Henry DOH-National Capital Region, monitor excreta disposal, super- continuous assistance until such favours from legislators. of their aides, allies and suspected Celajes alias Jongjong, a native said the medical team would aug- vise the management of solid time that the people have already But Aquino countered that the conspirators to keep them from of Davao. ment the health and emergency waste and conduct anti-dengue recovered,” Janairo said. opposition created the contro- fleeing abroad to escape charges. AGENCIES teams in far-flung communities spraying. THE PHILIPPINE STAR versy after they failed to answer AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

Afghan prisoners released Iran may drop Afghan team to gas pipeline

DUBAI: Iran will probably abandon a multi-billion-dol- lar contract to supply gas to visit ex-Taliban Pakistan, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Iran’s oil minister as saying yesterday. “The contract for supplying gas to Pakistan is commander likely to be annulled,” Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on the sidelines of a gas forum Deal reached during London meet in Tehran. He gave no details. Under the contract, Iran is KABUL: Afghan negotia- Omar, has been released and is supposed to export 21.5 mil- tors seeking peace with the free to meet anyone to further the lion cubic meters of gas per Taliban will soon travel to peace process. day to Pakistan from next Pakistan for their first meet- But the Taliban complain he is year. Dubbed as the “peace ing with militant commander effectively still behind bars and pipeline”, the $7.5bn project Mullah Baradar, officials said Pakistani security officials last has faced delays since it was yesterday. month said he was being held at conceived in the 1990s to con- Afghan President Hamid a safe house in Karachi. nect Iran’s South Pars gas Karzai said in a statement that Afghan officials believe that field to Pakistan and India. a deal had been reached after Baradar could encourage Taliban Iran has spent hundreds of talks on Tuesday in London with leaders to seek a negotiated millions of dollars and nearly Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz settlement to end the 12-year completed the 900km pipe- Sharif. insurgency if he were fully at line to the Pakistan border. Baradar was freed from jail in liberty. Pakistan, although suffer- Pakistan in September as part of A Taliban office in Qatar ing severe gas shortages, has efforts to kickstart Afghanistan’s that opened in June was meant made little progress on its peace process, but since his to lead to talks, but instead it A policeman escorts prisoners following Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s order for their release, in Herat yester- part of the line due to a lack “release” it appears he has been enraged Karzai after it was day. Marking Eid Al Adha, Karzai ordered the release of 72 prisoners, including six women, who were sentenced of funds and warnings it kept under house arrest by the styled as an embassy for a for less than a year in jail for petty crimes. could be in violation of US Pakistanis. government-in-exile. sanctions on Iran. “It was agreed on that a High Karzai and Sharif met in Peace Council delegation will visit London with British Prime Two soldiers Pakistan and meet with Mullah Minister David Cameron in the Baradar in the near future,” the fourth of a series of trilateral India, Pakistan meeting delayed die in blast statement from Karzai’s office meetings designed to foster sta- said. bility in the volatile south Asia ISLAMABAD: Top military official said yesterday. (LoC) and the international bor- ISLAMABAD: A bomb The High Peace Council is the region. commanders from Pakistan and “Pakistan wants foreign min- der during talks between Prime explosion yesterday killed Afghan body charged with open- The meeting was considerably India were likely to meet this istry officials to attend the Minister Nawaz Sharif and his two Pakistani soldiers and ing negotiations with the Taliban more low-key than one hosted by month to de-escalate tensions DGMOs meeting - which is Indian counterpart Manmohan wounded four in a restive insurgents as US-led Nato forces Cameron at his official country sparked by weeks of border apparently not acceptable to the Singh at the sidelines of the UN Pakistani tribal region near prepare to withdraw from the retreat in February, which ended skirmishes. Indian side,” added the official General Assembly last month. the Afghan border, secu- country by the end of next year. with grand promises of a peace However, the meeting between who requested not to be named The Indian side had proposed a rity officials said. The explo- Support from Pakistan, which deal within six months. directors general military opera- in the report. face-to-face meeting which was sion took place in a village backed Afghanistan’s 1996-2001 Karzai’s statement said that tions (DGMOs) has been put A military official confirmed expected to take place by the end in the South Waziristan Taliban regime, is seen as cru- Sharif had agreed to make his on hold, for now, due to India’s there was no precedent of face-to- of this month or early next month. tribal region. “Two soldiers cial to peace after Nato troops first visit to Kabul soon since intransigence. face talks although senior military The DGMOs were mandated by embraced shahadat (martyr- depart -- but relations between coming to power after May’s “The meeting is unlikely to be officials met in the past as part the two prime ministers to work dom) and four were injured the neighbours remain uneasy. general election, but there was held in the near future due to a of talks on defence and security out a plan to restore the 2003 when an improvised explo- The Pakistani government no immediate confirmation from disagreement over a framework related issues. The two countries ceasefire agreement along the sive device planted by terror- insists Baradar, once the number the Pakistani side. under which the DGMOs could agreed on a meeting to lower ten- LoC in the disputed Himalayan ists exploded on roadside in two to Taliban supremo Mullah AFP meet,” a senior foreign ministry sions along the Line of Control state of Kashmir. INTERNEWS (a) village,” a security official said. Homemade bombs are a major weapon for militants who attack government forces in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prov- ince and the tribal districts Afghans tried to woo Pakistani rebel seized by US bordering Afghanistan. WASHINGTON: The US operation that heightened ten- Afghanistan would not harass intelligence services of ties to States to keep US troops in the Bomb kills apprehension of a Pakistani sions with the Western-backed Pakistani Taliban fighters along militant groups fighting across country once Nato wraps up its Taliban commander last month government of Afghan President the border if they did not attack the border in Afghanistan. combat mission at the end of 2014. five in Quetta came during a failed attempt Hamid Karzai. Afghan forces. Asked about the Times report, The Pakistani Taliban, or by Afghan officials to form The Times reported on Tuesday “Publicly, the Afghan govern- a Western official, speaking on Tehreek-e-Taliban, is believed to QUETTA: A bomb exploded an alliance with his militant that the United States staged the ment has described Mr. Mehsud condition of anonymity, broadly have trained Pakistani-American yesterday in a crowded car group, a Western official said operation to seize Mehsud after as an insurgent peace emissary. confirmed Afghan efforts to form Faisal Shahzad in bomb-making repair market in restive on Tuesday, confirming some being tipped off about the plan But according to Afghan officials, an alliance with the group but did techniques and funded his plot southwest Pakistan, killing details in a New York Times by Afghan intelligence officials the ultimate plan was to take not provide further details. to detonate a car bomb in New five people and wounding 17, report. to try to work with the Pakistani revenge against the Pakistani Karzai called the US capture York’s Times Square in 2010. The officials said. The blast hap- The US this month confirmed Taliban and later use that as lev- military,” the Times wrote. a violation of Afghan sovereignty device failed to explode and was pened near a main road in the arrest of Latif Mehsud, a erage against Pakistan. The Afghan embassy in and public disclosure of the defused by a bomb squad. The Quetta city, the capital of trusted deputy to Pakistani It quoted two Afghan officials Washington declined comment. incident comes as Afghanistan TTP seeks to topple Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Baluchistan Taliban leader Hakimullah saying that they had struck a The Afghan government considers whether to approve government. province. “Apparently, the Mehsud, during a military tentative deal with Mehsud: and the US accuse Pakistani a security pact with the United REUTERS bomb was planted in a bicycle parked in the market,” Azhar Shah, a senior police official, Warming up said. “We have received five bodies and 17 injured peo- Pakistan politician’s ple from the site,” Rasheed Jamali, a doctor at Quetta’s London mansion Pakistan likely to civil hospital, said. seized by bank 91 arrested ISLAMABAD: A mansion on buy gas from India in Peshawar a super-expensive street nick- named ‘Billionaire’s row’ has ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Indo-Pak Young Entrepreneurs ISLAMABAD: Pakistani become the UK’s most valuable Federal Minister for Petroleum Forum (YEF) organised by ICCI Police on Tuesday arrested repossession after going on the and Natural Resources Shahid in collaboration with Aman Ki at least 91 suspects dur- market for £30m. Khaqan Abbasi has said the Asha here yesterday. ing search operations in The house, named Dryades, Indians had offered to export gas The state owned company Gas Peshawar. Officials said is located in the centre of The to Pakistan but Islamabad had Authority of India Limited had police during their crackdown Bishops Avenue, a leafy street in asked them to review their high offered to sell natural gas, imported conducted house-to-house northern London. price, writes Mehtab Haider. from Qatar in the shape of LNG. search in Bhana Mandi area But the property, owned by a “There was no idea under But its rates were too high and we and raided criminals’ dens in Pakistani political dynasty, has consideration to import diesel have asked them to lower the rates. different parts of Peshawar been seized by Deutsche Bank or any other petroleum product The minister said that there neighboring tribal agencies. after a lengthy High Court bat- from India. An offer was floated would be severe shortages of gas Police arrested 91 suspects and tle, a report in Daily Mail’s online some two months back for pur- in the upcoming winter season also confiscated Kalashnikovs, edition said. chase of re-gasified LNG from and availability of gas except for repeaters, G3 rifles, pistols The 8,000 square-foot home has Amritsar depot,” the minister said domestic consumers would be and hundreds of bullets were now been put on the market by while talking to reporters after affected. recovered from them. the bank for a staggering £30m, addressing in the conference on INTERNEWS but plans are already in motion Boys warming themselves by a fire in Kabul yesterday. Tax campaign to knock the existing house down and replace it with a giant new losing steam home. Planning permission has been ISLAMABAD: The federal granted by Barnet Council for a Islamabad pays contractor to build pool for self government’s campaign to 46,000square-foot replacement, broaden the tax base is fast which could more than triple the losing steam despite parlia- present value of the property. LAHORE: A contractor for In most of these ghost schemes, against PWD officers and con- contractor had been on his own mentary backing for steps to The proposed home would boast the Pakistan’s Public Works department officials colluded with tractors at its offices in Lahore, farmhouse. The contractor was access bank account details 21 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and 12 Department (PWD) was paid contractors to make payment for Multan and Faisalabad for caus- paid over Rs10m for the work. of tax evaders. Several major reception rooms when completed. Rs10m to build a swimming development schemes when no ing the public exchequer a loss of Further, according to the initiatives against tax evaders It will also have an acre and pool, car park and boundary actual development work had Rs160m. inspection report, a U-turn was have hit a wall of resistance a half of gardens, despite being wall at a ‘community centre’ in been done, or where develop- One ghost development scheme constructed on a main road solely in the absence of regulations. minutes from the busiest parts of Manga Mandi area of Punjab ment work had been done already was for work on a community cen- to allow him and his guests easy A senior Federal Board of London. province that, it later emerged, by other agencies, according to tre in Manga Mandi. Muhammad access to the farmhouse. Revenue official revealed that The property was bought for was his farmhouse. FIA officials and PWD inspec- Ismail, of Ismail Construction The report stated that PWD the government’s revenue col- around £12m in 2005 by the fam- The scam is among 14 ‘ghost’ tion reports. In some cases, the Co, was contracted in May 2012 officials and at least two women lection department had been ily of Pakistan?s former privati- development schemes in Lahore, contractor used substandard to build a swimming pool with a parliamentarians had colluded unable to frame the rules sation minister SeNator Waqar Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, materials. fibre glass roof, a car park and a with the contractor and had necessary to seek information Ahmed Khan as they looked to Faisalabad, Okara and Multan The Federal Investigation boundary wall. enjoyed the hospitality at the from banks about the bank invest in the London property that have been uncovered by Pak- Agency (FIA) has completed A PWD inspection later farmhouse. account holders. AGENCIES market. INTERNEWS PWD inspectors. an inquiry and registered cases found that the work done by the INTERNEWS

THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA

Promoting eco-friendly Diwali Sonia Gandhi is Infosys to pay world’s third most powerful woman WASHINGTON: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has $34m fine in been listed the third most powerful woman on Forbes’ list of The World’s Most Powerful People. Gandhi, 66, described as “de facto head of US visa case India”, is ranked 21st among the world’s 72 most power- ful. She takes the third spot after German Chancellor Visa fraud, immigration abuse denied Angela Merkel (No.5) and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff (No. BANGALORE: Infosys Ltd to work in the United States. A 20) among the nine women, said yesterday that it has person on a B-1 visa in the United more than ever before. Prime reached a $34m settlement with States can participate in meetings Minister Manmohan Singh, US authorities in a case involv- but is not allowed to work. 81, takes the 28th spot with ing the widespread practice by “It is likely to add more fuel to two other Indians, Reliance Indian firms of flying workers to the ongoing debate around visa Industries Chairman Mukesh client sites in the United States reforms,” Chirajeet Sengupta, Ambani, 56, ranked 38th, and on temporary visas. practice director in Mumbai at ArcelorMittal Chairman and The fine, which the US Everest Group, which advises cli- Volunteers of a social organisation release sky lanterns to promote a peaceful and eco-friendly Diwali and CEO Lakshmi Mittal, 63, in Department of Justice said is the ents on technology vendors, said create awareness against child labour in the fire cracker industry during a function in Kolkata yesterday. the 51st position. largest in a case of its kind, comes on Tuesday after reports that a as US lawmakers consider legis- settlement was imminent. Tariff value of lation that would make it more “These reforms, if executed, difficult and costly for Indian have the potential to impact Indian gold hiked IT firms to send workers to the service providers’ landed resource Rise in infiltrations with tacit support NEW DELHI: The govern- United States on temporary, model that is largely driven by ment yesterday hiked tar- restricted visas. access to H-1B visas in large num- iff value or the base price of “Infosys denies and disputes bers,” he said. In its statement, imported gold to $442 per 10 any claims of systemic visa Infosys said only .02 percent of of Pakistan Army, says Antony gramme, in line with the rise fraud, misuse of visas for com- the days that Infosys staff worked in price of the precious metal petitive advantage or immigration on US projects last year were per- NEW DELHI: Defence still continuing, but this year inked during Prime Minister in global markets. Earlier the abuse. Those claims are untrue formed by people on B-1 visas. Minister A K Antony yesterday there is unusual developments Manmohan Singh’s visit to Beijing tariff value of gold was $418 and are assertions that remain “The company’s use of B-1 visas voiced “serious concern” over an taking place... unusual sudden last week. Asked if it would pre- per 10 gramme. The Central unproven,” Infosys said. “There was for legitimate business pur- “unusual increase” in ceasefire series of ceasefire violations on vent situations like the April-May Board of Excise and Customs were no criminal charges or court poses and not in any way intended violations and infiltrations on the International Border, which is three-week-long face off between (CBEC) issued notifications rulings against the company. to circumvent the requirements the border with Pakistan, which more a matter of concern,” he said. troops of both sides in Depsang for the new rates. However, Furthermore, there are no limita- of the H-1B program,” the he said cannot take place with- He also said that India has area in Ladakh, Antony said he the tariff value of silver is kept tions on the company’s eligibility Bangalore-based company said. out the “tacit support” of the repeatedly said that it wants to cannot foretell if it would pre- unchanged at $699 per kg. for federal contracts or access to Infosys has secured roughly one Pakistani Army. improve relations with Pakistan. vent such incidents. “I am not US visa programmes as a result B-1 visa for every 10 H-1B visas, Addressing reporters on the “And if (Pakistan) is serious about an astrologer,” he said. Kerala to foot Saudi of the settlement,” it said. according to a person with direct sidelines of an Institute of Defence improving relations, how can the The minister played down the returnees’ bill Infosys employs roughly 15,000 knowledge of the matter who Studies and Analyses event here, infiltrations and ceasefire viola- prospects of a speedy conclusion people in the United States. As of declined to be identified. Antony, referring to the Keran tions increase,” he asked. to contract negotiations with THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: March 31, about 10,800 of those US authorities have been looking incident in Jammu and Kashmir, Another factor of concern, he France’s Dassault Aviation for the The Kerala government yes- were on H-1B visas, which allow into Infosys’ use of visas since 2011. said that the Pakistan forces were said, is that the infiltrators are acquisition of 126 Rafale fighter terday decided to meet all an employee to stay and work in Earlier this month, Infosys set doing nothing to prevent infiltra- better equipped and prepared jets. Asked about recent reported expenses of people from the the United States up to six years, aside a reserve of $35m, including tions across the border into India. for a long haul inside India. He comments from a senior air force state forced to return from and 1,600 were on temporary L-1 legal fees, as it worked towards a “Attempts at infiltration are said the inking of a new border figure that the deal might be signed Saudi Arabia after November visas, a company filing said. resolution of the US investigation. still going on, and increasing, accord with China was a “sincere by March, Antony replied that the 4, when the amnesty period The US investigation focused The case is “an important event which means with support of ele- attempt” by both countries to contract had to go through numer- set by that country ends, on the use of B-1 business visas in the annals of Indian IT indus- ments across the border... Nothing avoid tensions on their disputed ous stages of scrutiny. “How can Kerala Chief Minister and I-9 forms. Infosys has said. try,” Sundararaman Viswanathan, can happen without the tacit sup- border. I set a deadline?” Antony told Oommen Chandy said. “We I-9 forms verify the identity of a consultant in Bangalore with port of Pakistan Army,” he said. The Border Defence reporters. “The process is on.” have asked the central gov- employees and their authorisation Zinnov, said. REUTERS “The ceasefire violations are Cooperation Agreement was AGENCIES ernment to chip in. Even if they do not come to our help, we will meet all the expenses of those who have to return from Saudi Arabia,” Chandy 88pc of Kerala diaspora said, after the weekly cabinet meeting. He added that fears of a mass exodus had been in the Mideast: Survey proven baseless. “The exact numbers (of those who will leave Saudi Arabia) would THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: called at each household in the be known only in the coming Of the 1.63 million Kerala state. “Our brief to the officials days, as the Indian Embassy diaspora, 88 percent lives in the was no question on finances officials there are on the job. Middle East countries, accord- should be asked. We felt that if The next cabinet meeting ing to a Kerala government sur- we included such questions, then would also take up a rehabili- vey released yesterday. many would not have given cor- tation scheme for returnees,” K C Joseph, minister for rect information. Our only pur- Chandy said. diaspora, said it is the only com- pose was to find out the actual plete survey on diaspora. He numbers of our people abroad,” Clashes kill three said: “There are 1,625,653 NRI said Joseph. Keralites, of whom 1,426,853 The survey showed that five in Muzaffarnagar are working, including 1,325,527 million people in the state are LUCKNOW: The frag- males and 99,326 females.” dependent on the diaspora. The ile peace in Muzaffarnagar The maximum number of Muslim-dominated Malappuram was shattered yesterday as Keralites, around 573,289, live district has most number of communal clashes between in the UAE. Also, approximately dependents, around 292,753 peo- two groups left three peo- 450,229 live in the Saudi Arabia. ple, while the hilly Idukki with ple dead, police said. The In the US, there are 78,357 14,575 people is the district which clashes occurred in the Keralites, while in Europe there has the least. Bhaurankalan police sta- are 52,887, in Canada 9,629, and in The tribal panchayat at Idukki- tion area, when people from the African continent there are Edamalakuddi is the only place in two communities fought a 6,863 Keralites. the state which does not have a pitched battle in which three Incidentally, it was the central single person outside India. youngsters were shot dead. government that ordered an-all Approximately 58,559 of the The youngsters belonged to India survey on the diaspora and women from Kerala work as the Hussainpur Kalan vil- the Kerala government joined in nurses and Kottayam district lage. As the news broke out, with a separate list of question- accounts for the maximum district officials went into a naire, to find out the basic infor- number of women who work tizzy and rushed to the crime mation about Kerala diaspora abroad, while Kasargode has just scene. The police forcibly and from every Kerala household. 1,240 women who work abroad, sent the bodies for post-mor- More than 9,000 enumerators, the survey states. tem examination. supervised by 2,500 officials, IANS AGENCIES Call to hike diesel price by Rs5 a litre

NEW DELHI: The Kirit Parikh Committee on fuel pricing yesterday recommended an immedi- ate increase in diesel price by Rs.5 a litre to offset the loss incurred by state oil marketing companies (OMCs) in selling the fuel below cost. The committee suggested that the balance loss should be met through a fixed subsidy on diesel of Rs6 per litre to the OMCs. The panel has also sug- gested increasing kerosene price by Rs4 a litre, and a cap on subsidised domestic LPG to be restricted for each household to six cylinders per year. “The limit for subsidised cylinders should be reduced from the present 9 to 6 cylinders per annum to each household,” the report said. The panel was constituted to recommend a pricing methodology for diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene sale through the public distribution system. The panel said that until diesel pricing was made market-determined, the existing pricing mechanism based on trade parity should continue. IANS THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Traces of Third Prince Charles due on November 6 Front as 14 NEW DELHI: The Prince of Wales promote partnership in key areas parties oppose and Duchess of Cornwall of the UK like education, business, women’s will undertake a nine-day trip to empowerment and training, a state- communalism India starting from November 6 to ment said yesterday. IANS

NEW DELHI: Traces of a Third Front emerged yesterday in time for the 2014 general election as 14 parties from across India shared a dais here and vowed to combat the threat of communalism. The gathering, convened by Left parties, brought together Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as well as representatives of the AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Although there was no formal talk of a Third Onlookers stand next to a burnt bus after an accident at Mahabubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh yesterday. Front to take on both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the 14 parties resolved to preserve Bus fire kills 45 in Andhra communal amity. The communal riots in HYDERABAD: As many as 45 out. But others were not lucky. caused the accident. Police booked Muzaffarnagar in Uttar passengers were burnt to death He said the door was also locked, a case against Jabbar Travels and Pradesh in September and five others injured early leaving no escape route for most detained its manager. which left around 50 people yesterday when an air-condi- passengers. Heart-rending scenes were dead and rendered 43,000 tioned bus caught fire in Andhra Four bodies were handed over witnessed at the scene as res- homeless were the trigger Pradesh’s Mahabubnagar dis- to their relatives after they were cue workers found the body of a for the meet. A resolution trict, police said. identified by wrist watch, rings child on a mother’s lap. Both were passed at the convention The private bus, proceeding to and other ornaments on them. charred. They were identified as accused communal forces Hyderabad from Bangalore, caught The remaining bodies were Jabeen Fatima and her daugh- of “again seeking to ... cre- fire after hitting a culvert around shifted to the Osmania Hospital ter, Uzma, six. Jabeen’s husband ate communal tensions” 5.20am near Palem in Kottakota in Hyderabad. Officials said they Azmatullah also died. ahead of the Lok Sabha mandal, about 150km from here. would be identified with the help of The dead included four women election due next year. Besides the driver and cleaner, only DNA test. Police have asked rela- and a child. Majority of the vic- A clear hint about a pos- five passengers escaped the hor- tives of the victims to approach the tims were in their 20s and 30s. sible Third Front was given rific disaster. The injured passen- Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science They included software profes- by Nitish Kumar, who said gers were shifted to a hospital in Laboratory in Hyderabad to give sionals, some of whom were com- that his Janata Dal-United Hyderabad. Police are questioning their DNA samples. ing home to celebrate Diwali with (JD-U) and other parties the driver and cleaner. Initially, there was confusion on their family members. should ponder how to mobi- Flames engulfed the bus the number of passengers in the Mahabubnagar district col- lise “democratic forces” to in no time as its diesel tank bus, which left Bangalore at 10pm lector M Girija Shankar said defeat “communal forces”. burst after hitting the culvert, on Tuesday and was scheduled to five passengers were shifted to “There is no new front Mahabubnagar superintendent reach Hyderabad at 6.30am. the DRDO Apollo Hospital in here but we will have to of police Nagendra Kumar said, Transport Minister Botsa Hyderabad. The condition of one think how the democratic quoting witnesses. The passen- Satyanarayana said that 45 peo- of them is stated to be critical. forces can be united based gers were asleep when the acci- ple were killed. He said the Volvo Prime Minister Manmohan on issues,” he said. “One dent took place, leaving no time bus, belonging to Jabbar Travels, Singh, Chief Minister N Kiran hundred percent unity will for them to escape. The victims had a capacity for 43 passengers Kumar Reddy and other politi- not be possible but we must were charred beyond recognition. but was carrying 50 people. cal leaders of Andhra Pradesh explore whatever is practi- According to a survivor, some Preliminary investigation by expressed shock and anguish over cal and possible,” he said. people broke the windows to jump police revealed that speeding the deaths. IANS IANS

Thursday 31 October 2013 26 Dhul-Hijja 1434 Volume 18 Number 5869 Price: QR2

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Ooredoo posts QR25.65bn revenue Qatar Exchange becomes Cellular, fixed data businesses drive up Indosat revenue full member of WFE

DOHA: Driven by continued Ooredoo said: “Our success as a networks is helping to drive our On the group’s operations in DOHA: In a new recognition of the progress achieved by Qatar strong performances in Qatar, business comes from the strength business growth, and we look Indonesia, the financial results Exchange (QE) at various technical, regulatory and opera- Algeria and Iraq, Ooredoo’s of our relationship with our cus- forward to a significant step- noted that Indosat’s year-on-year tional levels, Qatar Exchange yesterday obtained full member- Group revenue grew by 2.6 per- tomers. Throughout the year, as change in our services in Algeria, revenue increase was driven by ship in the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) after being a cent to QR25.65bn during the we have transformed our brand where we have received a new 3G cellular data and fixed data busi- Correspondent Member for many years. first nine months of 2013 on and executed our strategy for licence, and in our newest mar- ness. Foreign Exchange rates had In a speech at the WFE 53rd Annual Meeting in Mexico, Rashid year-on-year. Excluding foreign growth, we have remained focused ket of Myanmar. We believe that a negative impact this quarter bin Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of QE, expressed his gratitude and hap- exchange impact, the group’s on supporting human growth communication technology can and year-on-year comparisons piness in Qatar Exchange getting full membership in the WFE net profit for the nine months in all its aspects. Through new transform people’s lives, and that should also take into account the and considered it a new step in the context of integration with the increased by 12 percent com- initiatives such as investments is what we intend to do across our one-off positive effect in Q3 2012 global financial markets and stock exchanges. pared with the same period in in sports sponsorship, youth global footprint.” of the completion of the Indosat He said: “I’d like to use this opportunity to thank you, the Board 2012. coaching and other community The group’s operational per- tower sale. and all my colleagues here for accepting Qatar Exchange for full As at September 30, 2013, the programmes, we are making a formance showed Ooredoo Qatar Wataniya Telecom or National membership of the WFE. We are happy to be part of an organiza- croup’s consolidated customer positive contribution to the lives delivering impressive results for Mobile Telecommunications tion that represents markets worldwide that are fair, transparent, base stood at 89.6 million, repre- of our customers and reinforcing the group during the third quar- Company encompasses the well regulated and that play an important role in the economies of senting year-on-year growth of our role as a trusted provider and ter, with revenue growing by 4.6 Ooredoo Group’s businesses in our respective countries. 0.4 percent. Group EBITDA in the partner. We look to the final quar- percent year-on-year to QR4.86bn Kuwait, Tunisia, Algeria, Kingdom “In just over 15 years we’ve made significant progress. Our listed period decreased to QR11.29bn ter with confidence and believe and a consolidated customer base of Saudi Arabia, the Maldives and companies represent a good part of our domestic economy, local compared to QR11.67bn dur- that we are well placed for a of 2.8m compared to 2.4m in Palestine. It’s revenue for nine investors are active and increasingly sophisticated and more and ing the corresponding period in robust outcome to the year as a September 2012. EBITDA per- months of 2013 was QR 7.22bn, a more, international investors are attracted to our market by the 2012. EBITDA margin at the end whole.” formance showed a decrease of 3.5 year-on-year decrease of 1.2 per- strong economy of Qatar and the reliable market infrastructure,” of September 2013 was 44 per- Dr Nasser Marafih, Group percent year-on-year to QR 2.37bn. cent while EBITDA dropped to Al Mansoori said. cent Vs 47 percent reported for Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Qatar significantly QR2.83bn from QR3bn. Al Mansoori confirmed QE’s commitment to implement the best the same period of 2012. Ooredoo said: “Ooredoo has con- enhanced its product portfolio The operations in Oman con- international standards, saying that the acceptance in the WFE Net profit attributable to tinued to produce strong revenue during the quarter, with a range tinued to build positively over the membership has been achieved as a result of remarkable develop- Ooredoo shareholders dropped to growth in this period, with par- of new services tailored for high- first nine months of this year. At ments and commitment with best international practices in terms QR2.06bn from QR2.15bn, repre- ticularly impressive performances end and business customers. In 30 September 2013, Nawras’ con- of providing better services to local and international investors, senting a four percent year-on- from Ooredoo Qatar, Nedjma and particular, the full commercial solidated customer base stood at which was reflected in upgrading the Qatari market status by MSCI year decrease. The net profit was Asiacell. Our customers con- launch of 4G services for prepaid 2.3 million customers compared to into an emerging market. largely impacted by the QR466m tinue to respond positively to our and postpaid customers, deliv- 2.1 million for nine months in 2012. The membership of the WFE reflects the commitment of member stock foreign exchange loss for the third services, particularly to the new ered during Q3 2013, offers the Asiacell in Iraq recorded rev- exchanges with the generally accepted international standards to allow quarter of 2013. product areas made possible by potential of significant returns enue of QR5.31bn in the first nine attracting more investment. It is an important reference for international Commenting on the results, our next generation networks. and strengthens Ooredoo’s posi- months of 2013, representing year- investors about the investment atmosphere in the member markets. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Our focus on the best customer tion as the leading provider of 4G on-year growth of 5.3 percent. THE PENINSULA bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman of experience and the most reliable LTE in the region. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS

Mashreq expands ‘Qatar has major mega project financing across the Gulf states petrochemical DOHA: After the success of taking part in the consor- tium financing of a joint ven- ture that was awarded the expansion plans’ QR8.46bn contract by Qatar Railways Company, Mashreq has announced the signing of a Dh392m syndicated con- International experts to visit Doha tracting facility for the expan- sion of Midfield Terminal DOHA: Qatar has greater pet- where they will still have a sig- Complex (MTC) at Abu Dhabi’s rochemical expansion plans nificant price advantage but will International Airport, in part- than any other country in the have to reinvent supply chains nership with Union National region over the next 5-10 years and establish new customer Bank (UNB). Ross Officer, and is well positioned for suc- relationships. One alternative Country Head, Mashreq Qatar, cess, a global team of chemicals strategy which many Middle predicted a rise in demand for experts said ahead of their two- Eastern chemical producers credit facilities to finance gov- day visit to Qatar to meet with have considered, but not yet ernment infrastructure and CEOs and CFOs of leading pet- conquered will be to acquire investment projects. rochemical companies in Qatar or develop technology to pro- Ross commented: “We are very and discuss key issues facing duce more specialized premium proud that Mashreq is supporting this industry. products which can then attract these major projects which have a Paul Harnick, COO of KPMG’s higher prices and margins.” direct impact on the economic and global chemicals practice, based Gopal Balasubramaniam, A view of the Qatar companies’ stall at the K Trade Fair. social development of this region. in the US remarked: “Qatar is Qatar-based Head of Oil and Gas Our recent success in Abu Dhabi taking good steps to continue for KPMG in the Middle East, has only cemented this. In Qatar, we their success in the petrochemi- said: “The real challenge for Muntajat, Qapco and Qatofin take support several large state-owned cal industry and is responding to Qatar and the rest of the Middle development projects including the potential threats from the inter- East chemical industry is to try Qatar Railways Company. As an national marketplace. As US pro- to move away from just petro- international bank with a robust ducers are now benefitting from chemical production into some of part in Dusseldorf K Trade Fair track record of over 40 years in the low cost shale gas as a feedstock, the more specialty downstream region, we have established long- it will make the US the cheapest chemical areas where increased DOHA: Qatar Chemical together more than 3,000 exhibi- Abdulrahman Ali Al Abdulla term local relationships in every place in the world to manufacture margins can be achieved.” and Petrochemical tors from over 50 countries and said: “It was a pleasure to re-join market, giving us unique insight to petrochemicals. “There are already several Marketing and Distribution 222,000 delegates from all over with Qapco and Qatofin for this benefit the significant economics of “Over the next five years, the interesting developments taking Company (Muntajat), Qatar the world. The fair is attended important exhibition for the glo- such mega projects.” US plans to invest over $100bn place in Qatar. Firstly, Qatar is Petrochemical Company by leading raw material produc- bal plastics industry. This par- Mashreq acted as the exclusive in petrochemical facilities. When planning to set up some SME’s (Qapco) and Qatofin Company ers, processing companies and ticipation provided us with the Coordinator for the transaction that this product starts to come based on the byproducts produced Limited participated at the machinery manufacturers. This opportunity to reinforce confi- will finance the bonding and work- on-stream, much of it is likely by the existing petrochemical world’s premier trade fair for year’s fair had 19 exhibition halls dence among our international ing capital requirements for Anel to flow into the Asian market plants which will further boost plastic and rubber, K Trade covering over 170,000 square customers following the seamless Elektrik Proje Taahhut ve Ticaret, – putting it in direct competi- the industry here. Secondly, Fair (K 2013). The companies meters area. transition of LDPE and LLDPE Turkey (Anel) and Anel Emirates tion with the product from the Qatar has started to market pet- joined forces to showcase Qat K 2013 presented an excel- produced by Qapco and Qatofin General Contracting LLC, UAE Middle East.” rochemicals through a separate ar’s polymer products to cus- lent opportunity for Muntajat in July of this year, and introduce (Anel Emirates) to carry out the Mike Shannon, global head entity, ‘Muntajat’, which aims to tomers and industry influencers to showcase and promote the the value proposition of Qatar’s Electrical Works (Subcontracting of KPMG’s chemicals practice improve the prices fetched by the from around the world dur- high-quality polymer products chemical, polymer and ferti- Works) being undertaken at the commented: “Petrochemical petrochemical companies in the ing the fair, held in Dusseldorf, produced in the State of Qatar liser products to international airport. The Midfield Terminal companies in Qatar have some international marketplace”, Gopal Germany. by Qapco and Qatofin. customers.” Building Project is the largest sin- really big decisions ahead of added. K Trade Fair is regarded as The collaboration between Muntajat’s participation in gle contract awarded in the GCC in them. They are facing the KPMG works with many of the the world’s largest international Muntajat, Qapco and Qatofin the fair in Germany comes the first half of 2012. The terminal choice of defending their mar- top petrochemical companies in plastic and rubber fair; this 40 follows a similar joint exhibit at after the recent establishment building will be the largest in Abu kets in Asia against the low cost Qatar and the Middle East to pro- year old event is one of the old- Asia’s leading plastics and rub- of Muntajat’s marketing head- Dhabi comprising of 700,000sqm US product – with a potential vide strategic advice across their est and most universal gatherings ber trade fair, ChinaPlas, back in quarters in The Hague, The and is destined to become the pri- impact on price and margin. Or, core functions of audit, tax and for industry players in the whole May, 2013. Netherlands in Europe, one of mary gateway for airlines operating do they change their strategy advisory services. world. K Trade Fair takes place Commenting from Muntajat’s Muntajat’s focus markets. out of Abu Dhabi. and look to expand into Europe, THE PENINSULA once every three years and brings stand at K 2013, Muntajat’s CEO THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA

Brent above $109 on Libya, WTI falls Aamal Company records QR240m profit in nine months on US stock build DOHA: Aamal Company an existing client. These trends Advanced Pipes & Cast Company, hydro-carbons.” 18 percent sales growth for Aamal recorded QR240m net profit for are starting to reverse however, which is nearing completion. Sheikh Mohamed bin Faisal Al in the third quarter.” LONDON: Brent edged higher the first nine months of 2013 (9M as witnessed by the 18.1 percent Financial gearing remained low at Thani, Vice-Chairman of Aamal, Tarek M. El Sayed, Managing above $109 a barrel yesterday 2013) compared to a net profit of increase in Q3 Sales, the company 9.9 percent at September 30, 2013. added: “2013 has seen Aamal Director of Aamal, said:“This is as export disruptions in Libya QR199.5m reported for the cor- revealed yesterday. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al continue to make great strides in another excellent performance cut supplies to Europe and Asia, responding period last year. Underlying net profit mar- Thani, Chairman of Aamal, com- consolidating and building on its from Aamal and bears testimony while the benchmark US con- The company’s earnings per gin ie before fair value gains on mented: “For the first nine months market-leading positions across to the endeavours of everyone tract fell towards $97 after a share (EPS) amounted to QR0.40 investment properties, for the of 2013, Aamal has managed to grow many areas of the rapidly evolv- concerned at the Company, from bigger-than-expected increase in for the period ended September nine month period strengthened its earnings per share in excess of ing Qatari economy. What is also the strategic to the operational inventories in the United States. 30, 2013 versus QR0.33 for the to 12.2 percent compared to 11.3 21 percent, which is a wonderful heartening to see is the turna- level. However, there is no ques- The divergent courses of North corresponding period in 2012. percent reported during nine result. This is testimony to the very round that is starting to emerge tion that we shall become compla- American and international oil Revenue was down marginally months in 2012. strong foundations that we have in the Industrial Manufacturing cent and sit on our laurels but will markets boosted Brent’s premium at 2.4 percent to QR1.5bn reflect- Capital expenditure of QR97.3m put in place for the Company and division, which is the principal continue to strive to seek ways over the US benchmark to more ing delays in key projects to be (9M 2012: QR193.6m) driven how we are positioned to capitalize driver to Aamal’s future growth, in which Aamal can create addi- than $12 a barrel. commissioned in the Industrial by the completion of Phase 1 of on Qatar’s rapid industrialization where certain key projects are tional further value, from both Traders were also looking ahead Manufacturing division, along the City Center Doha expansion and diversification away from an now starting to come back on- existing and new operations.” to comments from a US Federal with a deferment of orders from project and construction of the economy predominantly based on stream: this is borne out by the THE PENINSULA Reserve policy meeting that ends later in the day, but any impact on oil prices may be limited. Brent crude for December South Korea industrial output falls delivery was up 9 cents at $109.10 a barrel by 1302 GMT, after Ahli United Bank posts falling 60 cents on Tuesday. It touched an intraday high of $109.64 yesterday. US crude, also known as West $502.2m net profit Texas Intermediate (WTI), was 86 cents lower at $97.34, having DOHA: Ahli United Bank thereby improving core operating hit an intraday low of $97.10. (AUB) reported a net profit income. The cost income ratio was attributable to its equity share- contained at 29.6 percent. Commercial Bank holders of $502.2m for the nine The group’s total assets rose by months ended September 30, $1.9bn to $31.8bn since December 31, to raise QR2bn 2013. This included an excep- 2012. The non-performing loan ratio tional gain of $212.9m on the was 2.6 percent as at 30 September DOHA: Commercial Bank of sale of its 29.4 percent stake in 2013 and the specific provision cov- Qatar yesterday announced Ahli Bank Qatar (ABQ). erage ratio as at September 30, 2013 its intention to raise QR2bn Core earnings increased by 9.5 stood at 89.4 percent. in Additional Tier 1 Perpetual percent to $289.3m compared The total provision cover- Capital Notes to enhance the September 30, 2012 net profit age ratio, inclusive of collec- Bank’s capital adequacy ratios of $264.2m. Q3, 2013 net profit tive impairment provisions, was and to support future growth was 8.6 percent higher at $99.1m 150 percent as at September across the Commercial Bank compared to $91.3m for Q3, 2012. 30, 2013.The group’s operating Group. The basic earnings per share return on average equity for the The proposed issue will be were 9.2 cents, compared to 4.8 period ended September 30, 2013, a local Private Placement by cents achieved in Q3, 2012. The excluding the exceptional gain, Commercial Bank and is expected resultant adjusted operating basic was higher at 14.2 percent, com- to be completed during December earnings per share was 5.3 cents pared to 13.3 percent achieved in 2013. Following placement of the excluding the exceptional gain. the prior period. Return on aver- Notes, the Bank’s capital ratios The operating income of the age assets, on the same basis, was will increase by approximately group increased from $660.9m to higher at 1.4 percent for Q3,2013 . 2.20 percent, the bank said $700.8m in YTD September 30, “AUB’s resilient performance in yesterday. 2013, driven largely by growth in net a challenging operating environ- The issue is subject to regula- interest income (NII) by 11.7 per- ment is reflected in its continuing tory and shareholder approval cent to $524.6m and a 10.3 percent healthy growth in operating profit and an Extraordinary General growth in fee income from $96.7m which grew by around 9.5 percent Assembly will be convened in to $106.7m. The NII increase was during the current period. This November 2013 for shareholders Hanjin Shipping’s container terminal at the Busan New Port in Busan, about 420 km southeast of Seoul. achieved through effective asset bears testament to the strength to receive and vote upon the rec- Industrial output fell by a seasonally adjusted 2.1 percent in September from August, Statistics Korea data liability management measures and diversification of the AUB ommendation for the issue of the showed yesterday, the sharpest fall since March and worse than any individual forecast provided in a survey undertaken to reduce funding costs Group business model.” said Fahad Additional Tier 1 Notes. of economists. and a prudent increase in asset vol- Al Rajaan, Chairman, AUB. REUTERS/THE PENINSULA umes within acceptable risk criteria THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Commercial Bank posts QR1.30bn net profit Total assets increase to QR105.3bn in nine months

DOHA: Commercial Bank of real estate sectors. Qatar delivered a net profit of Customers’ deposits were QR QR1.30bn for the nine months 57.7bn at 30 September 2013, ended September 30, 2013. an increase of 38 percent com- The bank’s total assets are up pared with the end of September 32 percent on year-on-year to 2012 and up 39 percent since 31 reach QR105.3bn. December 2012 with the Bank up Abdullah bin Khalifa Al 21 percent and the inclusion of Attiyah (pictured), Chairman QR7.5bn for ABank. of the Board of Directors of Andrew Stevens, Commercial Commercial Bank said: “We con- Bank’s Group Chief Executive tinue to see enormous opportuni- Officer, said: “The acquisition ties for Commercial Bank across of Alternatifbank (ABank) in our chosen operating markets. July realised an important ele- The significant infrastructure ment of our overall strategy: development required in Qatar to diversify our business into provides clear opportunity, whilst attractive, long-term growth the strong recovery in the UAE markets. With the growing and the growing trade and level of trade and investment investment flows between the between the GCC and Turkey, Gulf and Turkey also supports 2012; the first half of 2012 Commercial Bank, together our strategy of continuing to included the recovery of provi- with its regional partners, is grow and diversify our revenue sions of QR89m. now in an excellent position streams..” Provisions for impairment on to capture an increasing share Hussain Al Fardan, the the bank’s investment portfo- of the value of this trade as it bank’s Managing Director, lio increased to QR77m for the supports its customers in their commented on the financial nine months ended on September commercial objectives.” results saying: “During the third 30, 2013 compared with QR35m ABank Group delivered profit quarter of 2013, we have seen in 2012. The increase was due, of QR1m during the third quar- Fahad Ismail H M Zainal, Chief Administration Officer of the QFC Authority, receiving the award. some improving trends in our mainly, to provisions taken ter with total assets of QR 16.7bn financial performance. Despite against our emerging market and lending of QR 10.6bn at the historically slower market strategic equity investments, in September 30, 2013. Commercial QFC Authority honoured with Best conditions of the third quarter, line with international accounting Bank’s associates increased their lending has increased by three standards, reflecting the down- contribution to the bank’s net percent since June 30, 2013, turn seen in emerging market profit by 27 percent to QR242 supported by a seven percent currencies and stock prices dur- m in the nine months ended Financial Centre in Mideast award increase in our deposit base, and ing the third quarter. September 30, 2013 compared is up by 10 percent for the year The bank’s net profit was with QR190m for the same period DOHA: The Qatar Financial internationally. Financial Centre has continued to date. QR1.30bn for the first nine in 2012. Centre Authority said yester- Shashank Srivastava, CEO and its rapid progress to become a “Net interest income has also months of 2013 compared with National Bank of Oman day that it has won the Global Board Member, QFC Authority, leading financial centre, not just increased quarter-on-quarter QR1.56bn for the same period in (“NBO”) delivered a net profit Investor/ISF magazine “Best said: “This award of Best Financial in the region but more widely. along with a small improvement 2012. after tax for the nine months Financial Centre in the Middle Centre in the Middle East for It is building real momentum, in our net interest margin. Fees Loans and advances to cus- ended 30 September 2013 of East” award. Global Investor/ 2013 is an honour for Qatar. It is with ever more firms becoming were down compared with the tomers were up by 34 percent OMR 31.2m compared with OMR ISF is a flagship publication further recognition in the finan- licensed to trade and boosting second quarter but have increased to QR64.9bn at September 30, 30.5m achieved in 2012. United of Euromoney Institutional cial community of the progress Qatar’s fast-growing financial overall year-to-date compared 2013 compared with QR48.7bn at Arab Bank (“UAB”) delivered a Investor, a leading business Qatar has made in developing its sector.” with 2012….” the end of September 2012 and net profit of AED 414 m for the publisher. Global Investor/ISF financial sector and offering best This year’s awards reception Net provisions for loans and QR48.6bn at December 31, 2012. first nine months of the year, an is highly regarded in the global practice support to financial firms was held in conjunction with the advances were QR368m for the The growth in lending since 30 increase of 39 percent from AED asset management community operating within Qatar as well as Global Investor/ISF Middle East nine months ended September September 2012 in Commercial 298m achieved in the same period as a prestigious publication giv- regionally and internationally.” Summit and Awards 2013 yester- 30, 2013, up from QR66m pro- Bank has been generated, mainly, in 2012. ing authoritative coverage of Alastair O’Dell, Editor, Global day at The St Regis Hotel, Doha. vided in the same period for in the services, contracting and THE PENINSULA the top players in the industry Investor/ISF, said: “The Qatar THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Qatari bourse index adds 23.92 points Saudi telecoms boost stock market

DOHA: Qatar Exchange added third-quarter profit. yesterday 23.92 points or 0.25 Petrochemical shares recovered percent to reach 9,757.11 points some of this week’s losses. The from the previous closing of sector’s index rose 1.2 percent. 9,733.19 points on Tuesday. Shares in major Saudi con- The volume of the shares up struction firm Abdullah A M Al to 8,655,271 from 8,218,507 on Khodari Sons Co tumbled 5.8 per- Tuesday and the value of shares cent to a seven-week low after the increased to QR298,849,517.54 firm reported a 44 percent slump from QR 348,882,885.72 on in profit. Saudi Arabia’s measure Tuesday. gained 0.4 percent, recovering just Among the top losers were above the psychologically impor- Qatar National Bank whose share tant 8,000 level. lost 0.25 percent to QR162.60, In Egypt, Cairo’s benchmark while Nakilat added 0.11 percent index climbed 1.3 percent, extend- to QR19.01, United Development ing 2013 gains to 13 percent. Company gained 1.30 percnet to “It’s a psychological rebound QR21.78 and Electricity & Water because of the capture of (Muslim Apicorp Chief Executive Ahmad bin Hamad Al Nuaimi (centre) receiving the award. rose 1.21 percent to QR 159.10. Brotherhood leader Essam) El The Banking and Financial Erian,” said Mohamed Radwan, sector index was down 0.23 per- director of international sales at Apicorp chief wins Newsmaker of the Year award cent while Consumer Goods and Pharos Securities. Services sector index added 0.04 “It sends a message of security percent. The industrial sector and confidence that things will DOHA: Ahmad bin Hamad Development Bank’s Apicorp and necessary to the growth of and is co-managed by Apicorp gained 0.95 percnet while insur- cool off,” he said, referring to the Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive Petroleum Shipping Fund the region’s hydrocarbon indus- and Tufton Oceanic Middle East ance sector rose 0.42 percent. Islamist group’s protests against & General Manager of Arab (APSF), a landmark Fund try. Apicorp worked more than Limited. The management of the Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s the ousting of former president Petroleum Investments announced in February 2013. two years to develop this fund, as Fund is regulated by the Dubai bourse snapped a three-session Mohamed Mursi. Corporation (Apicorp), was pre- APSF is the region’s first fund we had to identify the appropri- Financial Services Authority losing streak yesterday after Locals investors dominate sented the ‘Newsmaker of the aimed at a specific vessel category. ate time to launch the fund and (DFSA), the regulatory author- two of its top telecom operators trading but were net sellers, while Year’ award by Lloyd’s List, the Lloyd’s List said the Fund “makes acquire the vessels.” ity of the Dubai International posted estimate-beatings earn- foreigners were net buyers, bourse world’s leading daily newspa- a signal contribution to Middle APSF is a Shariah-compliant Financial Centre (DIFC). ings and lifted sentiment, while data showed. Gainers outnum- per for the maritime industry, Eastern shipping, and to the glo- fund that manages a total of Al Nuaimi further said: “This Egyptian shares rallied in mixed bered losers 18 to 6. Large-cap at its Middle East and Indian bal advance of the industry.” $150m of which 70 percent is initiative is the first in a series of regional markets. Commercial International Bank Subcontinent Awards 2013 held Al Nuaimi said: “I am honoured composed of debt and 30 percent similar funds that we are plan- Saudi Telecom Co (STC) climbed 1.5 percent. in Dubai yesterday. Al Nuaimi to receive this recognition from equity. The fund acquired five ning to support the development jumped 7.4 percent to its highest Elsewhere in the Gulf, weak received the recognition at a Lloyd’s List. Apicorp has been medium range (MR) petroleum of shipping and other oil and gas since April 2010 after its third- earnings in Abu Dhabi weighed on ceremony attended by business working closely with its partners product tankers between Q4, sectors in the Arab world. I would quarter profit comfortably beat the benchmark, which slipped 0.4 leaders in the region’s shipping to identify unique opportunities 2012 and Q1 2013, which have like to thank Apicorp’s team, estimates. percent. Shares in National Bank industry. The government of to support the development of been chartered to Hess Energy which worked on the development The firm attributed a 73 per- of Abu Dhabi slumped 4.2 percent Qatar owns a 10 percent stake Mena’s oil and gas industry. Our Trading Company (Hetco) in of the Fund, Tufton Oceanic, the cent rise in profit to a jump in cost to a four-week low. The UAE’s larg- in Apicorp. fund is a good example of such the regional and international co-manager of the Fund, as well savings. “The main focus should est lender by market value posted The award recognises the an opportunity in the petro- tanker market for the life of as Hetco, the charterer of the be on cost efficiencies and if it its first quarterly profit decline in contribution made to the ship- leum shipping sector; a sector the fund, five years. The fund is ships.” can be sustained going forward,” nearly two years and missing ana- ping industry by the Multilateral that is strategically important fully underwritten by Apicorp THE PENINSULA said Omar Maher, equity research lysts’ forecasts, mainly because of a analyst at Cairo’s EFG Hermes. sharp fall in investment gains. “I would be cautious on the “NBAD’s miss is specific to the stock — not sure if it’s time to re- bank but overall, we’ve had a posi- rate it upwards right now until we tive outlook on the sector and the can be sure the cost saving trend results continue to reflect improve- Japan launches is sustainable.” ment in UAE’s macro recovery,” Morocco solar power project Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) added said Rami Sidani, Schroders WTO dispute 0.6 percent after it also beat fore- Middle East head of investment. casts with an 11.7 percent rise in AGENCIES over Ukraine’s gets €654m German loan

QATARI MARKET auto duties RABAT: Morocco has secured consortium led by France’s EDF . is already building the first Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P a ¤654m loan from German KFW confirmed that it will 160MW plant in the Ouarzazate GENEVA: Qatar Govt 5.15% 4/9/2014 USD 102.08 0.32 % Aa2 AA Auto giant Japan state-owned bank KFW to make the loans. area under a government ini- yesterday challenged Ukraine part-finance two solar power “We will lend ¤330m for Noor tiative to produce 2 gigawatts Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 104.88 1.57 % Aa2 AA over what it claims are unfair plants totalling 300 megawatts II, and ¤324m for Noor III, and of solar power by 2020, which is Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 120.25 2.54 % Aa2 AA car import duties imposed worth an estimated ¤1.7bn. we evaluate the first plant con- equivalent to about 38 percent of Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 113.63 2.84 % Aa2 AA by the ex-Soviet republic, the Tenders for construction of tract at ¤1bn, while the second Morocco’s current installed gen- Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 108.50 3.31 % Aa2 AA World Trade Organisation said. the two plants, one of 200 mega- would reach ¤700m,” Head of eration capacity. Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 156.25 4.80 % Aa2 AA In a statement, the WTO said watts (MW) and the other of KFW North Africa & Middle Morocco is expecting to get Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 117.75 5.16 % Aa2 AA that Tokyo had filed a formal 100MW, near the southern city East Wolfgang Reuss said. around ¤300m ($413.09m) from Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 110.00 5.08 % Aa2 AA request for consultations with of Ouarzazate are expected in the “It is almost the half of the nec- the World Bank and about Kiev, which is the first step in the next weeks, Mustapha Bakoury, essary funds,” he said. the same from the African Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 104.38 0.93 % Aa2 AA trade dispute settlement process the head of Morocco’s solar KFW would be by far the larg- Development Bank and from Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 111.25 3.13 % Aa2 AA overseen by the Geneva-based energy agency Masen, said yes- est lender to the second phase the European Investment Bank, Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 104.13 1.00 % A1 A- body. terday at the Desertec industrial of Ouarzazate 500MW project, as well as other smaller loans Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.13 2.13 % A1 A- The WTO said that Japan took initiative (Dii) Conference held banking sources said. from the World Bank’s Clean QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.50 1.49 % NR NR issue with Ukraine’s decision in outside Rabat. The authority has chosen Technology Fund, the French QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 104.00 1.14 % Aa3 A+ April 2012 to deploy what are Masen said consortia led parabolic mirror technology for Development Agency and the QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 103.88 2.15 % Aa3 A+ known in trade jargon as safe- by Spain’s Abengoa, GDF’s the 200MW concentrated solar European Union to seal the con- guard measures, with import International Power and ACWA plant with a contract estimated tracts financing. Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.25 2.19 % A2 A- duties of up to almost 13 percent Power had been pre-selected for at ¤1bn, while the 100MW Sources added that all the Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 105.25 1.55 % A2 A on certain vehicles. the 200MW (Noor II) tender. plant, expected to reach ¤700m, lenders would give the necessary Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 124.63 3.06 % A2 A Members of the 159-nation The three groups are also pre- will be built as a solar power funding, although this had not yet Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 106.63 3.70 % A2 A WTO are allowed to use tempo- qualified for the 100MW (Noor tower. been announced. Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 102.75 4.70 % A2 A rary safeguard measures to pro- III) tender, along with another Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power REUTERS Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 104.38 0.65 % Aa3 A tect a specific industry from an Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 107.25 3.21 % Aa3 A increase in imports of any product Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 108.38 3.90 % Aa3 A which is causing, or risks causing, serious harm to the industry. Malabar Gold social initiative SOVEREIGNS But Japan maintains that Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P Ukraine — which joined the WTO Abu Dhabi Govt 5.5% 4/8/2014 USD 102.25 0.23 % Aa2 AA in 2008 — did not play by the Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 123.25 2.19 % Aa2 AA rules because it failed to notify the trade body about its measures, Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 108.75 2.03 % NR NR leaving no time for talks with fel- Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 107.00 2.79 % NR NR low members. Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 119.13 4.50 % NR NR It also claims that Ukraine Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 111.50 4.79 % NR NR failed justify the imposition of Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 103.88 0.78 % Aa2 AA the safeguard measures, left them Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 113.25 3.40 % NR BBB in place for too long, and applied Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 103.25 4.90 % NR BBB them in a manner which was out of proportion to the impact of Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 94.00 6.91 % Caa1 CCC+ imports on the local auto industry. Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 102.25 4.12 % NR BBB- A request for consultations *Periodic Distribution Amount IMPORTANT NOTE: at the WTO is generally the Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which first step towards seeking the is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services establishment of an panel of Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary independent experts to rule on data and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising a dispute. out of the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not take into account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds Disputes at the WTO are often can and does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant highly complex and technical, and liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not can last for several years. a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and In the event that the WTO’s consult your financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. disputes settlement body finds Malabar Group Co-chairman Dr P A Ibrahim Haji handing over the MoU of ‘Prathyasha’, a social initiative in favour of a plaintiff, it has the from Malabar Gold & Diamonds and Kerala Social Security Mission, to V N Jithendran, Director of Social power to authorise retaliatory Justice Department as Kerala Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Devaswom V S Shivakumar, Kerala trade measures against a country Social security Mission Executive Director Dr T P Ashraf, Malabar Group Chairman M P Ahammed, Group if it fails to fall into line. Executive Director A K Nishad, Corporate Executive Director R Abdul Jaleel look on. AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

NBC drives up Comcast profit Vedanta gets Russia targets shareholder nod for India Gazprom’s buyout offers

BANGALORE: Mining con- glomerate Vedanta Resources LNG monopoly Plc won the backing of its shareholders to offer up to $3.48bn to buy the Indian gov- Other firms to be allowed exports ernment’s minority stakes in two of its subsidiaries. MOSCOW: The Russian gov- are eager to launch lucrative LNG London-listed Vedanta said it ernment took aim yesterday at deliveries to countries ranging received 92.10 percent of votes in Gazprom’s 25-year monopoly from Japan to India and South favour of the company or its units on gas exports by laying the Korea — a drive that Gazprom buying the Indian government’s groundwork for other compa- has been trying to block. 29.5 percent stake in Hindustan nies to begin their own sales to The draft legislation cov- Zinc. energy-hungry Asian markets. ers energy companies in which Vedanta also received 92.01 per- The draft legislation backed the government either owns the cent of votes in favour of acquir- by Prime Minister Dmitry majority stake or which have plans ing the government’s 49 percent Medvedev’s cabinet allows state- to build gas liquefaction facilities holding in Bharat Aluminium Co held Rosneft and privately-run near fields they already own. (BALCO). Novatek to ship liquefied natural The first provision covers The company said investors gas (LNG) to foreign clients for Rosneft while the second concerns Pedestrians walk past an NBC logo outside Rockefeller Center in New York. Comcast Corp posted net income holding about 73 percent of its the first time. the $20bnn (¤14.5bn) Yamal LNG that beat analyst estimates, as the company generated more cash flow at its cable unit and media arm, NBC shares voted at the general meet- The measure also preserves project in which Novatek is part- Universal, than it had a year ago. ing yesterday. Gazprom’s stranglehold on pipe- nered by France’s Total and China In January last year, the com- line gas exports that are primarily National Petroleum Corp (CNPC). pany offered India $2.94bn for destined for Europe. Russian Energy Minister its stake in Hindustan Zinc, “This is a very serious deci- Alexander Novak said the gov- and $338m for the shares in sion that, to a certain extent, ernment had no immediate plans BALCO as part of a broader does away with the monopoly on to open up LNG exports to other Spain escapes recession in Q3 effort to slim down its Byzantine exports,” Medvedev told a tele- players. “There is no need to talk structure. vised government meeting. about this now,” Interfax quoted MADRID: Spain escaped from INE data released last week. It Spain slowed in October to 0.1 Vedanta said the government Both houses of parliament are Novak as saying. a two-year recession in the was Spain’s second recession in percent compared to a year had not formally responded to expected to pass the legislation Analysts see Russia now try- third quarter of this year with five years, sparked by the collapse earlier, according to other pre- that offer, or to two subsequent in time for President Vladimir ing to correct mistakes of past growth of 0.1 percent, official of a building boom in 2008 which liminary data from the statistics letters. That forced Vedanta to Putin’s signature later this year. years when the state rigorously data showed yesterday, though last year made the country a focus institute, harmonised with EU renew permission from share- The proposed measure under- protected promising fields from unemployment remained of concern for the stability of the estimates. holders to make fresh offers. scores the government’s desire foreign involvement. extremely high. whole eurozone. The institute attributed the As of August last year, it had to protect Russia’s status as top The policy ended up withhold- Strengthening exports drove Yesterday’s growth figures easing in October to a fall in the a mandate to offer, in Indian natural gas exporter in the face of ing vital technological know-how the timid recovery in the euro- — preliminary data from the price of food and a smaller rise in rupees, the equivalent of $3.38bn growing competition from North from local firms and ended up zone’s fourth-biggest economy institute which are due to be con- university fees than in the previ- for the Hindustan Zinc shares American shale. seeing Russia being slow off the despite weak internal demand, firmed on November 28 — con- ous year. and $550m for BALCO, but that But it also signifies the state’s mark in both the fast-developing the National Statistics Institute firmed last week’s estimate from Inflation has been easing in mandate has expired. displeasure with Gazprom’s failure LNG and shale sectors. said in a statement. Spain’s central bank. Spain since peaking in October Now, because the rupee has to kick-start stalling production Researchers at ETH Zurich The growth figure meant a “While economic prospects are 2012, in line with a general eas- weakened, it is seeking a lower or agree contracts with countries university put Russia’s LNG pro- technical end to the recession as considerably better than a year ing in the eurozone indicated by threshold - permission to offer such as China that could expand duction total for last year at 15 measured in terms of contraction ago, particularly in the external the European Union data agency up to $487m for BALCO and Russia’s energy client base. Both billion cubic metres — just five in output. sector, domestic weakness is like Eurostat. no more than $3.48bn for both Rosneft and Novatek have been percent of the global total. But economists warn of con- to hold back any recovery in the By another measure, the non- shares combined. the rising stars of Russia’s tightly- Yet predictions from the Oxford tinuing challenges to recovery and wider economy,” said a report on harmonised inflation figure that That could still mean higher regulated energy market in the Institute for Energy Studies see expect unemployment to remain Wednesday’s data from analysis serves as a benchmark in Spain, formal offers for both or either, past 10 years. Asia’s annual demand for LNG painfully high after five years of group Capital Economics. inflation was negative for the first as the stakes do not have to be Top crude producer Rosneft is ballooning to 300-400 billion cubic crisis that have thrown millions “We expect the unemployment time for four years, at minus 0.1 sold simultaneously. trying to build up its stake in the metres by 2025. out of work and driven up poverty. rate to remain around its current percent. But India’s mining ministry natural gas market as part of a “Any delay implementing (new The International Monetary high levels for some time yet and Spain has pushed through pain- wants parliamentary approval strategy to become a global major LNG) projects may result in Fund has warned Spain’s unem- public debt to continue to climb.” ful spending cuts to bring down its before the Hindustan Zinc sale that could compete with the likes Russia losing an opportunity to ployment rate will stay above 25 The Spanish government soaring public deficit under pres- goes ahead, and the BALCO sale of US super-giant ExxonMobil. build up a significant position on percent until 2018. expects an overall contraction sure from the European Union. may need special approval from Novatek meanwhile has rapidly the Asia market at the expense of The unemployment rate was of 1.3 percent for 2013 — slightly It also last year passed labour the markets regulator. grown into Russia’s largest inde- more active competitors—Qatar, 25.98 percent, a slight decline better than the 1.6 percent in 2012 reforms that have made it cheaper India had been hoping to raise pendent natural gas producer and Australia and the United States,” from the previous quarter but — before a return to timid growth for companies to hire and fire about $9bn from the sale of state- is grabbing a growing share of the ETH Zurich said in a report. still one of the highest in the of 0.7 percent in 2014. workers. owned assets this year. domestic market. Both companies AFP eurozone, according to separate Consumer price inflation in AFP REUTERS

KPMG appoints Craig, Andreas Iraq embraces China’s growing dominance in oil sector BAGHDAD: From the giant behind Saudi Arabia from a vir- purchase of a 25 percent share in toppled Saddam Hussein. tell them, ‘Do it like the Chinese’.” as partners southern oilfields to the lively tual standing start after the dis- Exxon Mobil’s West Qurna-1 oilfield Deep pockets and corporate Baghdad has been particularly souqs of Basra, China is drilling ruptions of the US-led invasion project will allow China’s biggest flexibility in the face of rising vio- struck with PetroChina’s per- ever deeper into Iraq. in 2003. energy firm to overtake Russia’s lence here in Iraq allows compa- formance at Halfaya in the south- Driven by an insatiable thirst “The Chinese are our com- Lukoil to become the biggest single nies from China to offer the rapid ern Maysan province. for oil, Beijing secured a formida- mercial partners in managing foreign investor in Iraqi oil. production increases that many in Along with partners Total and ble position in Iraq’s prized energy and developing oilfields that are “China’s strong position means the West cannot. Petronas, PetroChina has lifted sector through auctions held four totally Iraqi. So I don’t see any the oil ministry has fewer qualms “The Chinese work cheaply flows from the field above 100,000 years ago. It is now seeking to buy issue of dominance or threats,” if Western companies back out and silently - worrying less about bpd, and output is expected to hit 850,000 barrels per day (bpd) of said Thamir Ghadhban, chair- because they are seen as being security compared to other for- 200,000 bpd by next September. Iraqi oil, 30 percent of estimated man of the advisory commission more readily replaceable,” said eign firms. They use a larger PetroChina’s peers Sinopec and 2014 exports. to Iraq’s Council of Ministers. an Iraqi analyst. number of workers, so they always China National Offshore Oil Corp DOHA: KPMG in Qatar yester- Its dominant role in Iraqi oil- “It’s the other way around. I PetroChina already partners complete the job on time, if not (CNOOC) are also on the ground, day announced the appointment fields sat uneasily with Baghdad at think the Chinese find Iraq to be with BP at Rumaila, Iraq’s largest before,” said an official with Iraq’s giving Beijing access to the whole of Craig Richardson (pictured first. That changed when China’s their favourite partner.” producer, and operates the Halfaya South Oil Co (SOC). of Iraq - from the autonomous left) as partner, Head of Tax, quick, cost-effective ramp-up in Further expansion is in the and Al Ahdab fields. It was the first “When we advise other con- Kurdish region in the north to and Andreas Philippou (pic- production helped push Iraq up works. foreign firm to sign an oil service tractors, or even our own work- the Maysan oilfield in the south. tured right) as Audit partner. the OPEC ranks to second spot PetroChina’s anticipated deal in Iraq after US-led forces ers, on how to get the job done, we REUTERS KPMG in Qatar Managing Partner, Jamal Fakhro said that the appointments reflect KPMG’s optimism for the future and its GM records strong results drive to meet the growing needs and expectations of its clients. Statoil surprises with “Craig and Andreas are important appointments for our expanding tax and audit services teams,” said Fakhro. strong Q3 profits Richardson has joined from KPMG Ukraine. He has worked OSLO: State-backed Norwegian grew by 2.0 percent to 169.8bn in Moscow, South Africa and oil giant Statoil turned in sur- kroner. China. Richardson is a quali- prisingly strong profits for the “We are producing as planned, fied Chartered Accountant third-quarter yesterday. and maintain our production and a member of the South The group announced a net fig- guidance for 2013,” chief execu- African Institute of Chartered ure of 14.3bn kroner ($2.42bn). tive Helge Lund said. Accountants and the Institute of The result, about the same as Oil prices in kroner have Chartered Accountants Australia. a year ago, compares with fore- increased by 4.0 percent in a He holds a higher diploma in Tax casts by analysts polled by Dow year, whereas the price of gas has Law as well as International Jones newswires who had broadly dropped by 9 percent. Law and a certificate in Mining expected a net profit of 11.67bn Statoil produced in the third Taxation. kroner. quarter 1.85 million barrels of oil Philippou is a fellow Chartered The company said in a state- equivalent (boe) per day com- Accountant with the Institute ment that the quarterly results pared with production in the of Chartered Accountants had benefited from a $2.65bn same period of last year of 1.81 in England and Wales. Mr transaction with OMV. million boe per day. Philippou qualified as a Chartered But the results had also suf- The group does not expect this Accountant in 2000 with PwC and fered from impairment losses year to attain the production lev- worked in PwC Cyprus’ audit related to refinery activities, els of 2012, of slightly more than department until 2009. He then reflecting lower margins and a 2.0 million boe per day. moved to Baker Tilly Cyprus as challenging outlook. But it forecast a rebound in an audit and risk management Adjusted earnings were stable the coming years, the long-term partner until the joining KPMG Opel cars at the Opel plant of Bochum. General Motors Co posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit at 40.4bn kroner after a 1.0-per- objective for 2020 fixed at more in Qatar in October 2013. on strong results in its core North American market and the first revenue increase in Europe in two years. cent increase from last year’s than 2.5 million boe per day. THE PENINSULA 40bn kroner, whereas revenues AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MARKET

QE Indices Summary EXCHANGE QE Index 9,757.11 0.25 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER QE Total Return Index 13,940.67 0.25 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 2,798.94 0.44 % RATE QE All Share Index 2,446.35 0.23 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 2,316.37 0.23 % GOLD Buying Selling Services All Ordinaries 5425.368 14.624 0.27 5453.1 4610.6 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 5,879.92 0.04 % QR158.5755 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 Services Cac 40 Index/D 4300.32 22.23 0.52 4309.15 3575.17 QE All Share Industrials 3,183.23 0.95 % SILVER UK ...... QR 5.8170 QR 5.8984 QE All Share Insurance 2,294.1 0.42 % Dj Indu Average 15680.35 111.42 0.72 15709.6 12471.5 Euro ...... QR 4.9818 QR 5.0514 QE All Share Real Estate 1,810.08 0.85 % QR 2.6712 CA$ ...... QR 3.4532 QR 3.5205 QE All Share Telecoms 1,441.34 0.38 % Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 QE All Share Transportation 1,821.8 0.71 % Swiss Fr ...... QR 4.0339 QR 4.0910 Hang Seng Inde/D 23304.02 457.48 2 23944.74 19426.36 Yen ...... QR 0.0369 QR 0.0376 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.4313 QR 3.4986 Today Previous day Iseq Overall/D 4347.42 21.96 0.51 4414.37 3396.67 CRUDE OIL 30-10-2013 29-10-2013 Ind Re ...... QR 0.0589 QR 0.0601 Index 9,757.11 9,733.19 Karachi 100 In/D 22310.59 33.94 0.15 23944.99 16036.31 Pak Re ...... QR 0.0338 QR 0.0345 Change 23.92 89.69 BRENT Nikkei 225 Index 14502.35 176.37 1.23 15942.6 10398.61 Peso ...... QR 0.0836 QR 0.0853 % 0.25 0.93 $ 109.19 SL Re ...... QR 0.0275 QR 0.0281 YTD% 16.73 16.44 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 1772.09 1343.35 Taka ...... QR 0.0465 QR 0.0477 Volume 8,655,271 8,218,507 DUBAI Nep Re ...... QR 0.0370 QR 0.0378 Value (QAR) 298,849,517.54 348,882,885.72 Straits Times/D 3230.44 21.62 0.67 3464.79 2990.68 SA Rand ...... QR 0.3667 QR 0.3740 Trades 3 , 0 6 6 2 , 6 1 0 Straits Times/D 2971.47 22.7 0.77 3035.78 2657.77 $ 107.10 Up 20 | Down 11 | Unchanged 05

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 30-10-2013

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED

A C C-A/D 1149.8 0.6 20692 Chambal Fert-B/D 35.2 -0.45 114457 Hind Org Chem-/D 9.28 0.37 17897 Kopran-B/D 15.7 0.06 6775 Ruchi Soya-B/D 33.3 0.65 3408 Legal & Genera/D 216.6 1.3 2922106 Aban Offs-B/D 244.85 10.85 632250 Chola Invest-B/D 228 -1.45 114970 Hind Unilever-/D 613.35 8.55 113257 Lakshmi Mach-B/D 2269.2 88.65 3018 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 320.55 -1.6 3612 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 78.26 0.25 65816040 Ador Welding-B/D 107 -3.3 1465 Cipla-A/D 418.8 1.7 49724 Hind.Petrol-A/D 200.85 3.2 130771 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 17.1 0.31 116473 Salora Inter-B/D 14.4 -0.75 1139 Marks & Sp./D 495.8 10.2 1234547 Aegis Logis-B/D 157.7 13 63723 City Union Bk-/D 46.6 -0.45 59715 Hindalco-A/D 113.25 3.05 1041562 Lupin-A/D 901.9 13 233877 Saur.Cem-B/D 16.48 0.31 3459 Next/D 5450 245 521700 Ahmed.Forg-B/D 89 0.3 7734 Cmc Ltd-B/D 1346.95 35.35 3487 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 846.95 8.4 169702 Lyka Labs-B/D 9.4 0 3585 Tanfac Indust-/D 7.25 -0.15 1990 Pearson/D 1320 -45 1579814 Alembic-B/D 14.74 -0.31 22960 Colgate-A/D 1237.85 -0.8 11801 I F C I-A/D 24.65 0.7 1847770 Mafatlal Ind-B/D 105 -2 10604 Thirumalai-B/D 88.55 1.1 11459 Prudential/D 1282 7 356638 Alok Indus-B/D 7.97 -0.06 324294 Dai-Bichi Kar-/D 49.5 2.25 2925 Idbi-A/D 65.9 -2.7 430640 Mah.Seamless-B/D 159.3 0.3 1039 Timexgroup-B/D 10.17 -0.11 29618 Rank Group/D 147 -3 30395 Andhra Paper-B/D 284.25 7.5 10834 Dhampur Sugar-/D 30.1 -0.15 10941 Ifb Ind.Ltd.-B/D 57 1.9 12250 Mangalam Cem-B/D 101.2 1.1 1720 Tinplate-B/D 46.65 0.45 107506 Rentokil Initi/D 112.7 -0.1 927544 Apollo Tyre-A/D 67.85 -1 522874 Dr. Reddy-A/D 2522.65 94 48323 India Cement-B/D 48.05 0.3 56085 Maral Overs-B/D 18.84 0.24 27915 Ub Engineer-B/D 10.8 -0.54 1863 Rolls Royce Pl/D 1155.05 -5 701289 Asahi I Glass-/D 44 0.05 3233 E I H-B/D 55.7 1.6 18846 India Glycol-B/D 92.05 -0.85 11704 Mastek-B/D 145.3 -5.5 6614 Ultramarine-B/D 38.95 -0.15 6122 Rsa Insrance G/D 127.8121 -0.9 2486505 Ashok Leyland-/D 16.95 0.15 936560 E.I.D Parry-B/D 141.8 -1.55 4916 Indian Hotel-A/D 50 1.8 233498 Max India L-A/D 188.7 1.8 5974 Unitech P -A/D 17.25 -0.1 2135194 Sainsbury(J)/D 398.6 0.6 526338 Bajaj Hold-A/D 820.2 3.75 1800 Electrosteel-B/D 13.47 0.05 48309 Indo-Tcount-T/D 30.3 0.75 6975 Mrpl-A/D 39.5 -1.45 86948 Schroders/D 2650 -28 90010 Ballarpur In-B/D 13.08 0.52 212479 Emco-B/D 15.91 -0.06 5522 Indusind-A/D 447 13.05 382015 Nahar Spg.-B/D 96.3 5.7 50934 LONDON Severn Trent/D 1885 0 91577 Bata India-A/D 883.05 -11.4 230123 Escorts-B/D 92.5 1.2 342442 J.B.Chemical-B/D 95.9 -1.5 40829 Nath Seeds-B/D 3.84 -0.04 1736 Smith&Nephew/D 799 1.5 220962 Bayer Crop-B/D 1739.65 55 4936 Essar Oil-A/D 52.95 -1.3 266987 Jagson Phar-B/D 9.2 -0.1 3325 Nation Alum -A/D 36.45 0.5 92673 3I Group/D 369 5.5 609242 Smiths Group/D 1419 5 131032 Beml Ltd-B/D 186 15 269108 Eveready Indu-/D 22.05 0 153663 Jbf Indu-B/D 81.5 -0.25 8456 Navneet Edu-B/D 54.4 0.2 24065 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 2210 14 206427 Standrd Chart /D 1514 -29.5 1676799 Bh Electronic-/D 1075.8 7.15 1101 F D C-B/D 87.6 -0.7 9370 Jct Elect P -T/D 0.49 -0.01 34038 Nepc India-B/D 2.11 0.14 8587 B Sky B/D 933 5 333970 Tate & Lyle/D 791.5 -6.5 200498 Bharat Bijle-B/D 323 5.9 11567 Federal Bank-A/D 79.75 0 1412665 Jct Ltd-T/D 2 -0.09 59966 Neuland Lab-B/D 270 3.6 1173 Barclays/D 274.2329 8.25 46979459 Tesco/D 369.55 0.5 2915731 Bhartiya Int-B/D 191.7 -1.25 2152 Ferro Alloys-B/D 5.69 0.14 7522 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 1.92 -0.08 5122 O N G C-A/D 288.65 -1.85 150324 Bg Group/D 1254.5 6.5 1142966 Tomkins/D 0 0 0 Bhel-A/D 139.15 2.85 862499 Finolex-B/D 121.85 -4.65 49230 Jik Indust-T/D 0.61 0.02 6141 Orchid Chem-B/D 49.15 -0.1 189001 Bp/D 486.1 8.6 20793728 Unilever/D 2545 -3 426809 Bom.Burmah-B/D 114.1 -1.8 13936 Gail-A/D 344.4 -1.45 563314 Jindal Drill-B/D 171.55 4.75 2305 Orient.Carb.-B/D 112 2.9 4346 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3451 1 418301 United Util Gr/D 716.5 -2 202205 Bombay Dyeing-/D 67.9 -0.5 155392 Gammon India-T/D 13.61 0.64 13202 Jktyre&Ind-B/D 118.9 2.25 80956 Orient.Carb.-B/D 112 2.9 4346 Bt Group/D 370.236 0.8 2506097 Vodafone Group/D 225.95 -0.3 7319230 Cable Corp.-B/D 20.3 -1.1 1218 Goodricke-B/D 118.7 -0.05 2057 Jmc Projects-B/D 73.45 1.6 2101 Oudh Sugar-B/D 17.1 0.1 17240 Centrica/D 360.57 -0.1 1599859 Whitbread/D 3451 -15 69179 Canfin Homes-B/D 149 7.3 19686 Goodyear I -B/D 326.8 -2.65 5110 Kajaria Cer-B/D 243.75 2.55 2213 Punjab Chem.-T/D 41 0 3725 Gkn/D 369.7 6.2 873997 Caprihans-B/D 36 0.9 5050 Hcl Infosys-B/D 23.3 0.05 15896 Kalpat Power-B/D 76.8 2.35 15966 Radico Khait-B/D 144.4 0 70625 Hsbc Holdings/D 688.1 1.4 8394075 Castrol Ind-A/D 306.95 -1.65 18274 Him.Fut.Comm-B/D 8.63 -0.2 570875 Kalyani Stel-B/D 51.9 0.45 456663 Rallis India-B/D 152.15 -1.7 14725 Imperial Tobac/D 2325 -7 160113 Century Enka-B/D 122.55 2.85 44760 Himat Seide-B/D 40 -0.55 67316 Kanoria Chem-B/D 25 0.55 3213 Rallis India-B/D 152.15 -1.7 14725 Kingfisher/D 379.98 4.9 1804270 Century Text-A/D 271.85 -9.2 120315 Hind Motors-B/D 7.94 0.01 20797 Kg Denim-B/D 17.8 -0.04 13577 Reliance Indus/D 353.55 14.5 498095 Land Secs Grou/D 994 -5 311727 THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27

Baseball: Cards catcher Mickelson heads all-star Molina snares sixth Gold Glove award cast at ‘Asia’s major’ ST LOUIS: St Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (pic- tured) won his sixth straight The world No.3 gets ready for battle at $8.5m event in Shanghai Gold Glove award yester- day when Major SHANGHAI: World number McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Luke League three Phil Mickelson leads a Donald. Baseball star-studded field battling for The US have the biggest con- announced the riches on offer at the $8.5m tingent in Shanghai with 24 play- the top World Golf Championships- ers. England have the next largest defensive HSBC Champions, which begins representation with 10. players today in Shanghai. The English charge is led in each The field in “Asia’s major” reads by defending champion Ian position. like a who’s who of golf with 40 of Poulter -- his 2012 win came at US golfer Phil Molina the top 50 in the world making the Mission Hills, Shenzhen -- Rose, Mickelson has long journey to the sprawling Chinese Westwood and Donald. stands as he been city for the event co-sanctioned Poulter, who last week finished explains how known for a toughness and by the US PGA, European and tied 15th at the BMW Masters, to play golf command behind the plate that Asian Tours. also in Shanghai, knows he is in to children has allowed the Puerto Rican On the fairways at Sheshan for a tough defence. in Shanghai to dominate the defensive hon- Golf Club with British Open “It is going to be a tall order to yesterday. our in recent years. champion Mickelson, who won defend my title this year against He is joined by pitcher this event in 2007 and 2009, will such a strong field. Justin, Phil Adam Wainwright as the two be current major champions and Jason won the three most Cardinals players to earn the Justin Rose (US Open) and Jason recent majors and are obviously distinction as they currently Dufner (US PGA). the in-form guys at the moment,” battle the Boston Red Sox in The most notable absentees are he said at a promotional event the World Series. world number one Tiger Woods, yesterday. The Red Sox lead the best-of- who has skipped the event despite Mickelson will tee off today seven series 3-2 ahead of Game playing an exhibition in China on alongside Rose and Keegan Six in Fenway Park today. The Monday against Rory McIlroy, Bradley in one of the signature Mission Hills, Hainan, on Monday. champions in the field -- David of the Year on the PGA Tour. The other National League players and Masters champion Adam groups. Double-winner Mickelson He has also played the Korea Howell (2005), Sergio Garcia WGC-HSBC Champions is unique honoured were Arizona first Scott of Australia, who is second has a better record than anyone Open, finishing second, and the (2008), Francesco Molinari (2010) in straddling two different tour baseman Paul Goldschmidt, in the rankings. in the event. BMW Masters in the past fort- and Martin Kaymer (2011). years. It is the second of the 2013 Cincinnati second baseman Woods once described the 7,266- “It is certainly one of my favour- night. McIlroy flew straight back The 2012 Masters champion European Tour’s “Final Series” Brandon Phillips, Atlanta yard Sheshan layout, opened in ite World Golf Championships to Shanghai on Monday night Bubba Watson had his first taste of four events, which conclude shortstop Andrelton Simmons, 2004, as “the crowning jewel of events,” he said. “I’ve won twice and looked refreshed despite his of Sheshan on Tuesday and liked with the Race to Dubai, but for Colorado third baseman Nolan all of Asian golf”, which makes his at Sheshan... so it is a course I feel whirlwind schedule. what he saw. the first time also counts towards Arenado, and outfielders absence all the more surprising. excited to return to.” So was he tired? “I didn’t know what to expect the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup stand- Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado), Nevertheless, the outstand- Mickelson’s three-ball will be “No, not at all,” he said. “It was coming here,” said the US player. ings for 2014. Carlos Gomez (Milwaukee) and ing field boasts 19 majors, 12 preceded by world number six a lot of fun yesterday.” “But it is really good. It should The Race to Dubai, the Gerardo Parra. World Golf Championships, 244 McIlroy playing with Donald and The FedEx Cup champions of really suit me and the greens are European money list, is led by the In the American League, European Tour victories, 244 US Dufner. McIlroy is continuing 2012 and 2013, Brandt Snedeker running pretty fast.” Swede Stenson, who says his wrist Baltimore and Kansas City PGA Tour victories and four play- on his Asian quest to regain his and Henrik Stenson respectively, Playing for the first time in is “100 percent” after injury as he produced three winners apiece. ers who have been ranked number form with confidence boosted by are joined by Poulter today at the China is 20-year-old American plots a strong end to his season. Shortstop J J Hardy, center one in the world -- Mickelson, a one-shot victory over Woods at tee-off. There are four other past sensation Jordan Spieth, Rookie REUTERS fielder Adam Jones and third baseman Manny Machado for the Orioles, along with Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left McIlroy says Chamblee ‘should be dealt with’ fielder Alex Gordon and first baseman Eric Hosmer. SHANGHAI: Rory McIlroy says a golf Chamblee, who accused the American of On Monday, Woods, who is not playing in I’m going to put it behind me and move “It’s a tremendous honour,” analyst who accused Tiger Woods of being “a little cavalier with the rules”. the Shanghai tournament that starts today, forward, so the ball really is in the court Hosmer told reporters, of his bending the rules was completely wrong McIlroy’s comments, recorded by TV said the matter was now in the hands of the of the Golf Channel and what they are pre- first such award. “I couldn’t and “should be dealt with”, in comments cameras, will be seen as ramping up the Golf Channel. “All I am going to say is that pared to do.” thank all my team-mates made in the run-up to the WGC-HSBC pressure on the Golf Channel to take action. I know I am going forward but then I don’t Chamblee initially took to Twitter to enough and the infield around Champions in Shanghai. “Yeah, I think Brandel was completely know what the Golf Channel is going to do apologise to Woods, but he then inflamed me for doing their part.” The two-time major winner, one of the wrong. I don’t think he has the authority to or not, so then that is up to them,” Woods the issue again by saying he stood by the Rounding out the AL win- star draws at the $8.5m tournament, criti- say anything like that about Tiger Woods,” said in Haikou, Hainan, where he played accusation, which he made in an article for ners were Boston’s second base- cised the Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee the Northern Ireland star said. “People against McIlroy in an exhibition match. www.golf.com. In the article, Chamblee gave man Dustin Pedroia and right during a promotional event on Tuesday. wouldn’t know who Brandel Chamblee “The whole issue has been very disap- Woods an “F” grade for this season and also fielder Shane Victorino, and World number one Woods broke his was if it wasn’t for Tiger Woods, so I am pointing as he (Chamblee) didn’t really recounted an anecdote about when he was Toronto pitcher R A Dickey. silence on the issue on Monday, saying it completely against what he said and I think apologise and he sort of reignited the whole caught cheating in a maths test at school. REUTERS was up to the Golf Channel to deal with he should be dealt with in the right way.” situation. But so as far as I am concerned REUTERS Sheikh Hassan, Curtis ready for key races in America

DOHA: Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani and arch American rival Marc Granet are counting the days to their potentially explosive showdown at the three-race 33rd Annual Key West Super Boat World Championships, taking place in Florida from November 6 to 10. If the first thrilling duel between the two arch rivals in Clearwater was anything to go by, the two offshore racers are set to thrill thousands of fans present in Key West and many more watching Super Boat International’s (SBI) live web streaming with some side-by-side on-water racing at break-neck speeds. It is advantage Qatar in the psychological stakes after the first round. Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis took to the water for the second time in their turbine-engined Al-Adaa’am 96 (Spirit of Qatar) off the coast of Clearwater and Al-Adaa’am 96 swapped the lead with Granet and Scott Begovich in Miss Geico for the opening few turns with both boats A part of the ‘Spirit of Qatar’ can be seen off the coast of Clearwater ahead of the 33rd Annual even making physical contact at one point. Key West Super Boat World Championships set to take place in Florida from November 6 The turbine boat seemed to hold the upper hand down the straights, but a deter- to 10. Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani and arch American rival Marc Granet are counting mined start by Granet and Begovich ensured the days to their potentially explosive showdown. that the duel was the highlight of the Clearwater weekend until the Americans fully prepared. This is a three-race format, window into the intense action between the spun out of contention on lap three and left so we need to make sure that we make no teams,” he said. “With another 1000hp each the door open for the Qatar Marine Sports mistakes in the first one to give us the best packed into our boats, this year’s competi- Federation-backed Spirit of Qatar Team to chance for the final race (November 10). I tion will be even faster. We have been test- power through to the chequered flag. am sure that is the same for everyone. ing for two weeks and have two more tests Bruised, but even more determined to “Marc is the big target. We are sure to be before the first race in Key West. We have exact revenge on his Qatari rival, Granet racing against each other in that important fresh power and a plan that we will execute has not been backed into a corner and is final race and there is so much at stake. with military-like precision. determined to come out fighting in a bid to Steve and I won the Key West World “Sheikh Hassan forgets we have more seat exact revenge and win the first of the three Championships last year and that is our time in racing a turbine Mystic offshore Key West races on November 6. goal again.” boat than anyone. We know its strengths “We know that Marc will come out fight- Marc Granet is also relishing the contest. and its weaknesses. We’ll use that knowl- ing,” Sheikh Hassan said. “When you are on top, you always have edge to go after the ultimate offshore trophy “But we have more to give and will test a target on your back. At Team USA we – first overall, Top Gun, in Key West!” again in Key West to make sure that we are are used to it! Last year’s race was a great THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Shooting: World military shotgun championship kicks off today London Games star Qatar’s Nasser to miss home event; ten countries to take part

DOHA: The Second CISM International Shotgun Championship will begin from Qatar likely to bid for today at the Losail Shooting Complex, it was announced here yesterday. World Military Games The three-day championship, sanctioned by International Military Sports Council (CISM), DOHA: Qatar is likely to bid The multisports event is will have 65 shooters from ten for the 2019 Military World based on the CISM and Olympic countries taking part in the Trap Games, it was revealed here spirit, without political, religious and Skeet categories, informed yesterday. and racial consideration nor top officials of CISM during a Lieutenant Colonel Walter discrimination. press conference here yesterday. Borghino, President of Sports The 5th edition of the Military “Shooters from Bahrain, Committee at International World Games was held in Rio de Finland, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Military Sports Council Janeiro in 2011. Latvia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar (CISM), said that top officials Almost 7,000 athletes from and Thailand, are here for the at Qatar Armed Forces and at roughly a hundred different championship. Some of the com- Qatar Shooting and Archery countries came to compete in petitors are Olympic and World Association (QSAA) are upbeat 23 sports in the Brazilian city. Champions,” informed Lieutenant on the idea of hosting the mul- The CISM programme includes Colonel Walter Borghino, President tisport event organised every 26 sports on world level, and sev- of Sports Committee at CISM. four years, one year before the eral other sports on continental Borghino thanked Qatar for Olympic Games. and regional level. coming forward to host the The hosts of the 2019 Games Basketball, Parachuting, Shotgun Championship and will be announced in 2015, a good Boxing, Sailing, Cycling, expressed optimism that the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) President, Mohammed bin Ali Al Ghanim Al Maadeed (sec- four years ahead of the games, at Shooting, Equestrian, Skiing, country will be successful in its ond left), and member of the organising committee of the Second CISM International Shotgun Championship the General Assembly of CISM, Fencing, Swimming, Football, mission to be a ‘leader in sports’. speaking at a press conference at Losail Shooting Complex, yesterday. Also seen are Lieutenant Colonel the date and venue which is Taekwondo, Golf, Track & Field “Qatar has all the possibili- Walter Borghino (second right), President of Sports Committee at International Military Sports Council (CISM), yet to be decided, informed (Cross-country and Marathon), ties, facilities and the constitu- Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Wolfensberger (right), President for Shooting events at Sports Committee at CISM. Borginho. Handball, Triathlon, Judo, ents to be a leader in sports. We Brigadier General Ali Mohammed Al Kuwari, Competition Manager of Second CISM International Shotgun “The bidding process will Volleyball (Beach Volleyball), wish to thank Qatar for giving Championship. start next year. After receiving Modern Pentathlon, Wrestling, International Military Sports the bids, an evaluation commis- Orienteering, Aeronautical Council the extra ordinary oppor- sion will be appointed by CISM Pentathlon, Naval Pentathlon tunity to host the championship motto under which we operate is suffered on Saturday during and based on the report of the and Military Pentathlon are here,” added the CISM official. ‘Friendship through Sport’, added the penultimate round of the Second CISM commission, the Games will be some of the sports which fea- The Italian said that CISM is Borghino. FIA World Rally Championship International Shotgun awarded,” said Borghino. ture in the list of events at the a worldwide organisation with Founded in 1948, the CISM is (WRC) in Spain. “Mohammed bin Ali Al Military World Games. The first member countries spread across one of the largest multidiscipli- “Nasser will not be taking Championship Ghanim Al Maadeed, President Military World Games were first continents. nary organisations in the world. part as he is recovering from an of QSAA and a Major General held in Rome in 1995, followed by Qatar Squad: “We organise various sport- The CISM officials disclosed injury,” said Qatar Shooting and at Qatar Armed Forces has 1999 in Zagreb in Croatia. ing events for the armed forces that Qatar will host the 2016 Archery Association (QSAA) Men’s Trap Team: Mohammed Al informed me that the paper The next two editions were for our 133 member countries. CISM Shooting and Shotgun President, Mohammed bin Ali Al Rumaile, Naser Al Hamaitli, Rashid Al Azba, work needed to set the process held in Catania, Italy in 2003, Our ultimate goal is to contrib- Championship. Ghanim Al Maadeed and mem- Rashhid Tablib, Mohammed Dablan, Ahmed in motion has already started. while Indian city Hyderabad ute to world peace by uniting “The 2016 CISM Shooting and ber of the organising committee Al Rumaihe. Qatar is very much interested hosted them four years later. armed forces through sports. The Shotgun Championship will be of the championship. in hosting the 2019 Military The last games were held in the first time that both shooting Some of the top shooters who Men’s Skeet Team: Rashid Hamad, World Games. Let’s see how Rio de Janiero, Brazil in 2011, Second CISM and shotgun championship will be are here in Qatar include, two-time Said Abu Shaneb, Khalid Al Mohannadi, many countries bid to host the while the next games are sched- International Shotgun held together. It will be the first Olympic Games bronze medalist Abdulaziz Al Attiya, Ali Alishak, Mohammed (Military World Games),” said uled to be held in Mungyeong, time in the 60-year history of the Fehaid Al Deehani of Kuwait and Al Mankhas. the CISM official, while talking Korea in 2015. Championship Schedule CISM that around 900 shooters Simona Scocchetti of Italy, silver to The Peninsula. THE PENINSULA Today from 65 countries will be taking medal winner at the this year’s Women’s Trap Team: Amna Al abdulah, Opening Ceremony at 4.00pm part for a single sport of shooting World Championship. Nora Al Ali, Khlod Al Khalaf, Nawal Al Khalat, Tomorrow at CISM,” informed Lieutenant Italian duo of Daniele Resca, Bana Hajji, Maitha Al bin Ali, Dina Al tabishi, Colonel Bruno Wolfensberger, bronze medal winner at the 2006 Hanan Haji, Recm Al Sharshani, Sara Trap Men: Day 1 – 75 Targets, President for shooting events at World Junior Championship, and Mohammed, hajer Mohammed, Mashail Al Skeet Men: Day 1– 75 Targets Sports Committee at CISM. Valerio Andreoni, silver medal Shammari. Trap Women – 75 Targets Meanwhile, hosts Qatar will be winner at the World Junior Skeet Women – 75 Targets competing in both the men’s and Championship in 2003 are the oth- Officials: Team Administrator women: Al (all action begins at 9.00am) women’s section. ers top shooters. Anoud Al Naimi, Team Administrator Men: 2 November Missing from the Qatar list of Among those present for the Sayed Ismail, Team Director: Abdul Naser Trap Men: Day 2– 50 Targets competitors is ace shooter Nasser press conference was Brigadier Al Sheba. Saleh Al Attiyah, bronze medal- General Ali Mohammed Al Skeet Men: Day 2 – 50 Targets Participating Countries at Second CISM ist at the 2012 London Olympic Kuwari Competition Manager (all action begins at 9.00am) International Shotgun Championship: Games. Nasser, a former Dakar of the 2nd CISM International Award ceremony: 3.00pm Car Rally winner, is presently Shotgun Championship. Bahrain, Finland, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, FROM LEFT: Al Maadeed, Borghino and Wolfensberger Venue: Losail Shooting Complex recovering from an injury he THE PENINSULA Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Thailand. First Asian Birthday boy Corfield wins Qatar Classic Schools DOHA: Lee Corfield celebrated his 31st birthday in style when England’s Lee Corfield he eagled the final hole to win with Mohammed Faisal football on the MENA Golf Tour’s Qatar Al Naimi, Executive Classic at Doha Golf Club Director of the Qatar November 8 yesterday. Golf Association, Tied for lead overnight, the Fahad Nasser Al Naimi, Englishman rolled in the tricky General Secretary DOHA: Friends Circle match-winning putt from 26 feet of the Qatar Golf Qatar in association with to close with a level-par 72, finish- Association, Mohamed Fahad International Events ing at five-under 211 for his first Juma Bumaim, Management will organise their title on the MENA Golf Tour. Chairman of the First Asian Schools football Tournament favourite Stephen MENA Golf Tour, and tournament at Wakra Sports Dodd of Wales, Zane Scotland of Club on November 8, the organ- Chris Myers, General England and Scotland’s Fraser isers informed here yesterday. Manager of Doha Golf McKenna were tied for second on The invitational tournament a three-under 213 with England’s Club (DGC), at DGC, will see participation from all the Daniel Owen taking solo fifth on yesterday. RIGHT: Al Asian schools based here in Qatar. a two-under 214. Naimi hands over a The main aim of the tourna- Young Yakub Hrinda, a ninth prize to a winner. ment is to promote sports at the grade student at Doha College, PICTURES BY: SHAIVAL school level among the Asian turned in a mature performance DALAL communities. The tournament that belied his 13 years of age organisers also plan to build a fan when he won the amateur division base for football in Qatar among on level-par 216, one shot ahead Tour and Chris Myers, General eagle,” he said. “It’s fun to play Qatar Classic Corfield the Asian communities and are of England’s James Allan. Manager of Doha Golf Club, were on MENA Tour. They are doing Leading scores after the final round (Par-72): poses with targeting the young children to Just when it appeared the also present. a fantastic job and the tour grow- carry forward the message. 211 Lee Corfield (England) 70 69 72 the trophy tournament headed for a playoff, “I couldn’t have asked for a ing, which is great.” Indian, Pakistan, Sri Lankan, 213 Stephen Dodd (Wales) 71 68 74, Corfied conjured a piece of magic better finish. The win is a lovely It was young Hrinda who Bangladesh and Philippine schools Fraser McKenna (Scotland) 76 66 71, to settle the issue. birthday present,” said Corfied flashed glimpses of his preco- Zane Scotland (England) 72 68 73 will be seen in action in the one- “I am simply over the moon,” who qualified for the MENA Golf cious talent when he closed with day tournament which will be 214 Daniel Owen (England) 70 71 73 enthused Corfied after receiving Tour after finishing runner-up on a two-under 70 to overshadow played on a League-cum-knock 215 Sandro Piaget () 73 73 69 the winner’s trophy and a cheque United Kingdom’s Jamega Golf many experienced played in the out system. for $9,000 from Mohammed Tour Order of Merit. amateur division. 216 Nicholas Mullhaupt (Switzerland) 74 Some of the invited schools are Faisal Al Naimi, executive direc- “To be honest, I didn’t play all Elsewhere, Morocco’s Faycal 73 69, Daniel Wardrop (England) 70 Pak Shama School, Bangladesh 73 73, Jonathan Fransson (Sweden) tor of the Qatar Golf Association, that well today, just managed to Serghini finished in a tie for 14th School, Sri Lankan School, and Fahad Nasser Al Naimi, gen- keep my round going by holing on two-over 218 while England’s Amateurs: MES, Ideal Indian School, eral secretary of the association. a couple of clutch putts. I had a Asian Tour veteran Yasin Ali set- 216 Jakub Hrinda (Slovakia) 74 72, 70 DMIS, Shanti Niketan School, Mohamed Juma Bumaim, good opportunity on the final hole tled for tied 11th on level-par 216. 217 James Allan (England) 71 75 71 Bhavani, DPS and Birla Public chairman of the MENA Golf and luckily the ball went in for THE PENINSULA 221 M Harradine (Switzerland) 74 77 70 School. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 29 Vettel eyes seventh successive F1 win The German star can equal Schumacher’s record tally

ABU DHABI: After securing his fourth successive Formula One title last Sunday, Sebastian Vettel can now equal the long- A rider tackles the desert sand near Sealine Beach Resort, the venue of est winning streak in the sport’s this week’s second round of Qatar International Enduro, which will be modern era at the same circuit organised by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). BELOW: where he won his first. Riders kick up a storm near the starting line. The 26-year-old Red Bull driver, whose victory in the day- to-night race at Yas Marina in 2010 made him the youngest of world champions, has won the last six Grands Prix and is now on the QMMF to stage brink of matching fellow-German Michael Schumacher’s 2004 run of seven for Ferrari. The only man to win more con- secutive races was Italian Alberto Enduro races at Ascari, whose feat of nine in a row was spread over the 1952 and 1953 seasons at a time when the cal- endar was far shorter than the current globetrotting 19. Sealine Resort Vettel will be the favourite in DOHA: The second round of 40 points in the second position: Abu Dhabi, a race he was won Qatar International Enduro - Mubarak Al Ali, Tariq Al Hattab twice in the four years of its exist- to be organised by Qatar Motor and Barrack Al Jasmi. ence, after becoming Formula Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates after winning the Indian Grand Prix at the and Motorcycle Federation Kuwaiti rider Moaath Al One’s youngest quadruple cham- Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, in this October 27, 2013, file photo. (QMMF) - will take place Ansari and Mohammad Al pion with a win in India. Vettel became Formula One’s youngest four-time world champion after winning the Indian Grand Prix for Red Bull. tomorrow at the hugely popu- Balooshi from the UAE are Anyone who imagines that lar Sealine Beach Resort. leading the E2 category with 47 the German might ease off now, Each round will be composed points both of them. his mind perhaps still coming to the German winning the next with French team-mate Romain Rosberg will be hoping the car of two off-road races of 30 min- Ali Al Kubaisi with 40 points terms with the magnitude of his four titles in a row - surprisingly Grosjean coming more and more plays to its strengths as they try utes each race, officials said. is in third place. achievements and the post-race low considering the magnitude of to the fore while the Finn’s form to consolidate second place in the Motorcycles and quads will In the quads, the leader is partying, underestimates just the task and changing regulations has dipped. constructors’ championship ahead run together with the quads Obaid Al Kitibe from the UAE how much he wants to rewrite next year that many hope will “I had a good result there last of Ferrari. starting 2 minutes and 30 sec- while Qatar’s Mohammed Abu the record books. shake up the established order. year but I had a very boring race Ferrari, almost the home team onds after the motorcycles take Issa is second with 44 points. In “Absolutely,” said Red Bull Kimi Raikkonen was last year’s there the first time I visited in considering the giant Ferrari off. third place is Abdulla Nasser Al team principal Christian Horner memorable winner for Lotus, the 2009. I’d prefer to have another World theme park next to the Administrative checks and Ali from the UAE. when asked whether he and his 2007 champion’s first victory for good result,” said Raikkonen in circuit, are four points behind scrutineering is set for today Tomorrow, there will be driver still cared about the last the team, after telling his race typically deadpan fashion. Mercedes with Fernando Alonso at QMMF headquarters. another round of T3 Challenge, three races of the championship. engineer to “leave me alone, I Grosjean has finished third in second in the drivers’ standings. Documentation will be held from the championship for off-road “There’s three to go, it’s like three know what I’m doing’. the last three races and has to Hamilton made clear in India 2.00pm to 7.00pm and scruti- buggy vehicles, similar to the FA Cup finals. Lotus turned the famously taci- be considered a contender for his that he wanted to make the year’s neering from 5.00pm to 8.00pm, National Sprint. “We’re going to go and give it turn Finn’s rebuke into a positive, first Formula One win. final races “ones to cherish”. Tomorrow, the activity at Each buggy starts individually everything all the way to the last turning it into a T-shirt slogan, “Certainly in this latter part “I’m going to be 29 next year so Sealine Beach Resort starts at at one-minute intervals com- race,” added the Briton. but they were less amused by an of the season, our latest car with I’m not looking forward to that,” 7.45am with one hour of free pleting one round of the enduro British bookmakers William outburst of bad language between the revised Pirelli tyres seems to he laughed. “This is the end of my practice. The first race is sched- course. Qatari driver Hamad Hill offered odds of 7/4 on Vetttel, the pit wall and driver in India work very well and I can get a seventh year. I don’t want to wish uled at 10.00am and the second Al Ali is leading the QMMF T3 who has 10 wins in 16 races this last weekend. good performance from it at dif- the days by because before you race of the day is at 12.45pm. Challege with 25 points. year, taking the last three Grands That has seemed sympto- ferent circuits,” he said. know it, my career will be over. In the E1 category, Abdulla Khalid Al Mohannadi is sec- Prix and equalling Ascari’s record. matic of the changed dynamic Lewis Hamilton, a winner in “I’m just going to try and be the Al Shatti from Kuwait is lead- ond with 18 points and Abdulaziz The more adventurous punter since Raikkonen announced he Abu Dhabi for McLaren in 2011, best I can ever be and see what I ing with 50 points. Al Sada is third with 15 points. could also secure odds of 16/1 on was joining Ferrari next season, and Mercedes team-mate Nico can get from them.” REUTERS Three riders are equal with THE PENINSULA Lauda wants Brawn to stay

ABU DHABI: Mercedes non-executive Prix next month, but Lauda spoke of “total be team principal - nothing else - or he will chairman Niki Lauda has responded to rubbish”. retire.” Brawn is one of Formula One’s most new speculation about Ross Brawn’s future “The situation is absolutely clear: I spoke to successful bosses, winning both the drivers’ as principal of the Formula One team by Ross a while ago and we agreed that he will and constructors’ championships with his own repeating his wish for him to stay. come back to me after the final race of the Brawn GP team in 2009 after previous owners Brawn’s position has been open to conjec- season in Brazil to tell me whether he wants to Honda had pulled out. He also masterminded ture since early in the year when Toto Wolff stay or go,” British media quoted him as say- Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles with took over as Mercedes motorsport head and ing ahead of Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Benetton and Ferrari as a technical director the team signed Paddy Lowe from McLaren “I am trying everything I can to encour- and strategist. in a senior executive position. age and motivate him to stay. I am the one In January the 58-year-old spoke of a “suc- Mercedes declined to comment on media who asked him to stay. I want him to do it cession plan” and said he wanted to see how reports that Brawn had now decided to leave but it is not my decision,” added the retired things went before making any long-term after the season-ending Brazilian Grand triple world champion. “If he stays. He will commitment to Mercedes. REUTERS

School League draw Top teams eye wins in conducted DOHA: The 2013-14 School League draw was conducted PISQ Basketball Cup yesterday at Al Bidda Tower. BY DANOTZKI SANTOS The groups: The orange shirts go for their sixteen (16) participating teams Group A second win, this time against from the Filipino community in Al Shamal High School DOHA: Opening day win- DNSTW, which bowed to Aldar Doha joining the opening rites of Doha High School ners Al Shabeeb, Gulf Ceramic, Exchange, 101-90, in their first the event. Hamad bin Abdullah High MIDMAC OFW and Aldar outing. Adjudged ‘Best in Uniform’ was School Exchange aim for their sec- Meanwhile Aldar and Team Al Shabeeb while MIDMAC Nasser bin Abdulla Al ond win as eight other squads MIDMAC, which wreaked havoc ran away with the ‘Best Muse’ Attiyah Al Zubara High School Aldar Exchange, who beat DNSTW (101-90), and MIDMAC (below), who see action for the first time at on Maison Interiors, 102-43, in award during the inaugural day Group B overpowered Maison Interiors (102-43) celebrate their wins after the the resumption of the 2013- their first assignment will try to ceremonies. Ibn Taaymiya High School opening rounds of PFASA1 Basketball League held at the Philippine 2014 season of the PFASA1 pull one over the other to eke out Organised by PISQ’s faculty Ahmed bin Mohammed Al International School Qatar campus. Basketball League tomorrow back-to-back wins. and staff, the latest edition of Thani at the Philippine International Gulf Ceramic, after storming the PFASA basketball tourna- Al Karaana High School School Qatar campus. past Keppel Infrastructure, 108- ment features a two-group single- Al Shahaniya High School Team Al Shabeeb, mentored 50, will have Trojan in the way round-robin elimination round Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab by Pinoy Basketball of Qatar ace as they target win number two in with the three frontrunners from High School slotman Radel Mallari, notched the keenly-followed event. each group advancing to the next Group C their first win with a 76-57 hus- Games in the morning start at round. Tariq bin Zeyad tling of Team Tarsiers in the 7:30 am with Team Puntos going The six (6) semi-finalists will Al Sayliya High School tournament curtain-raiser late up against Dad of Steel while slug it out in another round-robin Jassim bin Hamad High School last week. inaugural day losers Tarsier and series to earn the right for the Dukhan High School Shabeeb’s vaunted starters, Maison Interiors try to bounce two berths in the winner-take-all Qatar Independent Technical led by PBAQ stalwarts Pablo Rey back as they open afternoon hos- finals. THE PENINSULA School Solomon and Richard Raagas, tilities at 1:00 pm. Group D outplayed their counterparts from The other matches will have Ahmed bin Hanbal the starting buzzer and erected JA1 going up against Mindoro Results Abdullah bin Ali Al Misnad an insurmountable 62-32 margin Spartans, DNW taking on Keppel, Al Shabeeb beat Tarsiers, 76-57 Secondary School of Commerce early in the third period, allowing while WCT take on the might of Mousab bin Omair School Gulf Ceramic beat Keppel, 108-50 Mallari’s shock troopers to take Uhaaaw Idols. Al Wakrah High School MIDMAC beat Maison Interiors, 102-43 charge of business in the remain- The second season of the league THE PENINSULA der of the match. kicked-off on October 25 with Aldar Exchange beat DNSTW, 101-90 THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 30 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Australian and New South Cook to miss Wales captain Michael Clarke South Africa pull plays a shot Tour match; in a Sheffield Shield match Clarke makes against Tasmania at comeback off one-run heist Blacktown International SYDNEY: Matt Prior will lead Sportpark England in their first warm-up Pakistan bowled out for 182 in Sharjah in western match before the Ashes series Sydney, in Australia after regular cap- yesterday. tain Alastair Cook opted to sit SHARJAH, United Arab out the contest due to a back Emirates: South Africa staged niggle. a remarkable comeback to turn Paceman Stuart Broad, also what seemed certain defeat into nursing a back problem, batsman a one-run win over Pakistan in Ponting ‘offended’ Kevin Pietersen and frontline the first day-night international spinner Graeme Swann were also in Sharjah yesterday. rested for the three-day match Pakistan, chasing a modest against the WA Chairman’s XI 184 to win, were cruising along as Taylor wades at the WACA Ground in Perth, nicely at 165-4 but lost their last starting today. six wickets for just 17 runs off 39 Pietersen, 33, joined his team- balls to be bowled out for 182 in mates in Australia on Sunday 46.3 overs. into Clarke feud after being given compassion- It looked all over with Umar ate leave following the death of Amin (20) and Umar Akmal (18) SYDNEY: Former Australian “I’ve just given my side of it,” a friend. at the crease but leg-spinner captain Ricky Ponting yes- he told a breakfast function in “It was a tough time for Kev Imran Tahir (3-45) dismissed terday said he was “offended” Perth, Australian Associated but he’s a tough character,” Prior Umar, Shahid Afridi (nine) and after Mark Taylor blasted his Press reported, adding that he told reporters yesterday. “He’s Wahab Riaz (zero) in succsessive feud with Michael Clarke, say- had contacted Clarke on Tuesday able to ditch things pretty quickly overs to leave Pakistan struggling ing it should have stayed in the and they had made up. and move on. for the last seven runs. dressing room. “I was actually really offended “You can already see in the Last man Mohammad Irfan Current skipper Clarke was that Mark would come out and way he’s preparing, you can see and Saeed Ajmal added five runs reportedly furious when he say that I would break what mentally he’s getting into it and before Morne Morkel (2-23) learned ex-captain Ponting’s happens in the sanctuary in the switching on for a big series. bowled Irfan to send his team autobiography, released last change room. That’s not me. “He’s one of those exceptional into an unexpected but frenzied week, contained concerns about “I’m not out doing things like players - a guy that can single- celebration, much to the dismay his then-deputy’s attitude. this to sell books,” he added. handedly turn a game on its head of the 15,000 crowd who came to The book also offers an unfa- “Australian cricket is dear for in an hour or so.” see Pakistan win. vourable appraisal of Clarke’s me. It’s been my life for 20-odd England, who won the first of It was man-of-the-match ill-fated relationship with bikini years.” the back-to-back Ashes series Wayne Parnell who starred with model Lara Bingle, which ended Taylor said Ponting, who 3-0 at home, will play two more both bat and ball, hitting a career in 2010 when he flew back from a assumed the captaincy in 2003 warm-up games before the open- best 56 before taking 3-41 in his tour of New Zealand to sort out from Steve Waugh, was entitled ing Test of five against Australia eight overs. his private life. to write his book “but I’m a little starts at Brisbane on November South African captain AB de South African captain AB de Villiers celebrates with team-mates after Clarke bristled at a press con- sick of hearing all of it”. 21. Villiers said his team had the winning the first ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah Cricket Stadium in ference on Tuesday when asked “I’ve heard all these things While Cook is sidelined to belief of turning the tables. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, yesterday. for his reaction to Ponting’s before. And they’ve happened in receive treatment, his Australian “South Africans always believe comments. sides that I’ve played in where counterpart Michael Clarke we can turn things around. When “Ricky said that did he? Well, certain characters came in returned to action for New South you get a sniff you have to drive it “Our focus should be to be there final over. The win gives South Ricky has my number,” he said. and they were different. Every Wales with a solid 88 yesterday home,” said De Villiers. till the last run is scored, the bat- Africa a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ponting reportedly responded change-room, no matter how after a six-week hiatus, also due His Pakistan counterpart ting spoiled the party. We have to series with the second match in that Clarke “won’t read anything good the team is going, have to a back injury. Misbah-ul Haq was disappointed forget this game and improve for Dubai tomorrow. in the book that he wouldn’t have those differences in characters.” Clarke, 32, skipped the ongo- at losing when victory seemed the next one.” Pakistan lost opener Nasir known about himself or how I Taylor also wrote an autobiog- ing one-day international tour of certain. For Pakistan off-spinner Ajmal Jamshed (nought) early but felt about it around the team”. raphy but said he left out certain India to rest the injury, a degen- “We could not handle the pres- (4-30) was well supported by leg- Shehzad (58) and Mohammad Taylor, who was captain from thoughts in the interests of the erative condition which has trou- sure, some relaxed shots that cost spinner Afridi (3-37) as South Hafeez (28) shared a 71-run stand 1994 to 1999 and is now a Cricket national team. bled him since he was a teenager. us the match,” he said. Africa were bowled out in the for the second wicket to stablise Australia director, said the play- “I don’t think the public needs The right-hander looked rusty the run-chase. ers’ differences should have to hear everything that goes on at the start but seemed to have no Scoreboard Even when Hafeez fell, Pakistan stayed behind closed doors. no matter how close a team is problems with his back. He was never looked in trouble as Misbah “The disappointing thing for or how close you think all the happy to spend some time at the SOUTH AFRICA PAKISTAN (31) and Shehzad took Pakistan to me was that this wasn’t left in individuals are at various times,” crease before nicking one to the C Ingram c Umar b Irfan ...... 0 Nasir Jamshed c Miller b Morkel ...... 0 135 when the innings started to the change-room and it wasn’t he said. wicketkeeper. G Smith st Umar b Ajm al ...... 20 Ahmed Shehzad c Smith b Parnell ...... 58 fall apart with Misbah dismissed sorted out in the change-room,” “There are certain bust-ups at “It was nice to make a few runs. J Duminy c Amin b Tanvir ...... 20 Mohammad Hafeez c de Villiers b Parnell ... 28 by Parnell. he told commercial radio late various times and they should be I was disappointed with my shot F du Plessis lbw b Ajmal ...... 12 Misbah-ul-Haq c Du Plessis b Parnell ...... 31 The Pakistan skipper hit three Tuesday. handled straight away, handled and to get a start and throw it AB de Villiers c&b Ajmal ...... 4 Umar Amin c de Villiers b Tsotsobe ...... 20 fours off 49 balls. “Look, to me it takes two to properly with adult conversa- away... but it was nice to spend D Miller c&b Afridi ...... 37 Umar Akmal lbw Tahir ...... 18 When on 28 he reached 4,000 tango -- I reckon Michael Clarke tions, and then you should move so much time out in the mid- R McLaren c&b Afridi ...... 8 Shahid Afridi c Miller b Tahir...... 9 one-day runs with a flurry of probably could have done more on.” dle, I certainly needed it,” Clarke W Parnell c Shehzad b Ajmal ...... 56 Sohail Tanvir c de Villiers b Tsotsobe ...... 2 boundaries off Tahir. He became to appease the situation, and In his book, Ponting suggested said after the day’s play against M Morkel lbw Afridi ...... 4 Wahab Riaz lbw Tahir ...... 0 the 13th Pakistani batsmen to from what I’ve seen and read and Clarke was not a team man Tasmania. L Tsotsobe (not out) ...... 16 Saeed Ajmal (not out) ...... 1 reach the milestone in his 129th heard in recent times, there’s no “It never worried me if a bloke “I felt completely fine. I was Imran Tahir c Riaz b Tanvir ...... 1 Mohammad Irfan b Morkel ...... 2 match. doubt Ricky Ponting could have didn’t want a drink in the dress- certainly a little bit rusty and I Extras (LB-1, W-4) ...... 5 Extras (LB-4, W-9) ...... 13 It was Shehzad who set the done more as well.” ing room,” wrote Ponting, him- think my legs will certainly be a Total (all out in 49.5 overs) ...... 183 Total (all out in 46.3 overs) ...... 182 tone for a successful chase, hit- Ponting said he was offended self a reformed boozer. little bit heavy tomorrow but it’s Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-38, 3-48, 4-54 (du Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-75, 3-107, 4-135, ting five boundaries in his 92-ball by the accusation that he had “But I did wonder about blokes a nice feeling to spend so much Plessis), 5-63, 6-86, 7-125, 8-129, 9-181. 5-165, 6-165, 7-174, 8-176, 9-177. innings. broken the sanctity of the who didn’t see the value in stick- time in the middle. Bowling: Irfan 10-1-35-1 (3w); Tanvir 9.5-1- Bowling: Morkel 9.3-3-23-2; Tsotsobe 10-3-28- But once Shehzad and Misbah Australian team change room, ing around for a chat and a laugh “To me there’s no better train- 33-2; Ajmal 10-2-30-4; Riaz 6-0-24-0 (w1); 2 (w1); Parnell 8-1-41-3 (w2); Tahir 10-1-45-3 fell, South Africa sensed an unex- claiming the events were already and a post-mortem on the day’s ing than playing a game and like Hafeez 5-0-23-0; Afridi 9-1-37-3. (w2); McLaren 8-0-34-0 (w4); Duminy 1-0-7-0. pected victory as batsmen fell one public knowledge. play.” AFP I’ve said a few times, this is not after the other. AFP about preparation for me, this is about trying to help NSW start Zaheer, Qadir Sachin ends domestic career on a winning note the season well.” REUTERS keen on Pakistan New Zealand’s LAHLI (HARYANA): Master batsman playing his final domestic match leading up to On the West Indies series, Tendulkar said: board job Sachin Tendulkar ended his domestic his farewell Test series against the West Indies “The West Indies series will be a good one. Williamson to career in fitting fashion, guiding Mumbai beginning November 6 in Kolkata. Something I will be looking forward to … my KARACHI: Former Test leg- to a four-wicket win over Haryana in the Tendulkar said he enjoyed the experience. last couple of Test matches. I hope it produces miss rest of ends Abdul Qadir and Zaheer Ranji Trophy here yesterday. “It was a challenging wicket. It had a lot good cricket and lives up to the expectations Abbas have expressed interest Mumbai, resuming the day on 201/6, were for the bowlers. It was fun to bat on this,” of all my well-wishers.” in the job of Pakistan Cricket made to work hard before they got past the Tendulkar said. Tendulkar thanked the Lahli crowd who Bangladesh tour Board chairman, after a court 240-run target. Tendulkar (79 not out) and He added: “Slow outfield too, so it might turned up in good numbers. ordered elections for the post be Dhawal Kulkarni (16 not out) needed close be 240 on paper, but it is 280 anywhere else. “I want to thank the Haryana Cricket WELLINGTON: A broken held next month. to two hours to get the job done on a tricky This is just the kind of outing I was looking Association. I want to thank the security. The thumb has ruled New Zealand Cricket administration in wicket. for. It’s fun. All about talking cricket, getting police did a great job. Thanks to the people of batsman Kane Williamson out Pakistan has been rocked by The quiet little town of Lahli was the centre to know each other. It was all about keeping Lahli. Thank you everyone for making this of the rest of the Black Caps’ months of wrangling between of attraction for the past week with Tendulkar each other relaxed.” match memorable for me.” IANS Bangladesh tour and their the courts and the PCB after trip to Sri Lanka, officials said then-chairman Zaka Ashraf was yesterday. thrown out in May over his “dubi- Williamson was struck on the ous” election. thumb fielding at point during The latest twist came on New Zealand’s defeat in the first Tuesday when the Islamabad one-day international on Tuesday, High Court on Tuesday briefly immediately leaving the field and suspended caretaker chairman playing no further part in the Najam Sethi and ordered elec- game. tions for the post to be held by Black Caps physiotherapist the end of November. Paul Close said an X-ray con- Zaheer Abbas, a swashbuckling firmed he suffered a fracture in batsman in the 1970s, leg-spinner his left thumb and would have to Abdul Qadir and former opener return home to New Zealand. Mohsin Khan have all said they “This kind of injury unfortu- are ready to run. nately means Kane cannot take “I will contest the elections,” part in the rest of the tour and said Qadir, who took 236 wick- he’ll return to New Zealand to ets for Pakistan and was also a begin his rehabilitation -- Kane is former chairman of selectors. about six weeks away from play- “I have the ability to run ing again at this stage,” he said. Pakistan cricket with honesty, New Zealand Cricket said Luke know cricketing matters well and Ronchi would travel to Bangladesh have the experience for the post.” to replace Williamson. Former captain, manager and New Zealand have two more chief selector Abbas earlier this Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar (top) is carried by his Mumbai team-mates after beating Haryana by four wickets in the Ranji Trophy yesterday. RIGHT: one-dayers and a Twenty20 inter- month said he would consider Tendulkar talks to members of the Haryana Ranji team on the fourth day. Tendulkar will play his final Test match against West Indies in Mumbai next national in Bangladesh before running, while Khan said he has month. travelling to Sri Lanka for their the experience for the job. AFP ODI and T20 series. AFP THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 2013 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 31 Brazilian Chelsea, United advance Costa defends Mourinho’s side tops Arsenal; Stoke edge past Birmingham in thriller Spain choice LONDON: Chelsea knocked good teams.” Wenger was asked if MADRID: Atletico Madrid Premier League leaders Arsenal the result would have a damaging striker Diego Costa defended out of the League Cup in the impact on his team’s confidence, his decision to represent Spain fourth round on Tuesday, while but replied: “No. It’s a different rather than his homeland Manchester United reached the competition. Brazil, claiming it was the right quarter-finals at the expense of “It was a tight game and they thing to do. Manchester Norwich City. took advantage of our mistakes.” The 25-year-old’s choice to United’s Mexican The game at the Emirates United remain eight points play for the world champions was Stadium was a repeat of the 2007 below Arsenal in the league, but striker Javier confirmed on Tuesday and Costa final, which Chelsea won 2-1, and they booked a berth in the last Hernandez heads is now expected to be named in Jose Mourinho once again saw his eight after two goals from Javier towards goal dur- Vicente del Bosque’s squad for side emerge triumphant after a Hernandez set up a breezy 4-0 ing the English two friendly fixtures in November 2-0 victory over his old sparring win over Norwich at Old Trafford. League Cup fourth next week. partner Arsene Wenger. United manager David Moyes round match “It was quite a difficult deci- Both sides made sweeping made nine changes, handing young against Norwich sion to choose between the coun- alterations to their starting line- England winger Wilfried Zaha a City at Old Trafford try where you were born and the ups, with Wenger making eight first start since the Community in Manchester, country that has given you every- changes and Gary Cahill the only Shield, and saw his side take the northwest England thing, which is Spain,” he said on player to retain his place from lead in the 25th minute. on Tuesday. Atletico’s website. Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Manchester Leroy Fer was penalised for “I looked at it, weighed it up City on Sunday. a foul on Adnan Januzaj and and the correct thing is to play for Chelsea took a 25th-minute Hernandez sent Norwich goal- Spain because here I have done lead through Spanish full-back keeper Mark Bunn the wrong way everything, all that I have in my Cesar Azpilicueta, who poked a from the penalty spot. life and that I have been given has volley past goalkeeper Lukasz The Mexico striker claimed been in this country. Fabianski after Arsenal right- his second goal nine minutes into “I feel a special love for this back Carl Jenkinson misjudged a the second half, heading home at He’s been taken to hospital as a Rodallega scored again and a Wade Elliott in first-half stoppage country, here I feel very valued back-header. the second attempt after Bunn precaution,” said Norwich coach scorching 87th-minute free-kick time. for what I do every day and I feel Nacho Monreal and Aaron parried his initial effort from an Chris Hughton. by Giorgos Karagounis looked Birmingham forward Peter the love of the people.” Ramsey both went close for Alexander Buttner cross. Fulham were the only top- to have sent the game to extra Lovenkrands scored twice in the Costa had also been included in Arsenal, only for Juan Mata to Phil Jones and Fabio da Silva flight casualties on the night, time, only for Lloyd Dyer to slide last five minutes to send the game Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s make it 2-0 with a rasping right- added a pair of late goals, following going down 4-3 in a gripping game home an 89th-minute winner for to extra time before an Olly Lee preliminary squad for their two foot strike in the 66th minute. a lengthy stoppage due to a head at second-tier Leicester City. Leicester. goal in the 118th minute made it friendlies against Honduras and “The win is very important for injury sustained by Norwich for- Hugo Rodallega gave Fulham Stoke City required penalties 4-4, only for Stoke to win 4-2 on Chile next month. our confidence,” said Mata. ward Robert Snodgrass, who had an 18th-minute lead, but Leicester to overcome valiant 2011 winners penalties. However, Scolari confirmed on “After beating Manchester City to be carried off on a stretcher. hit back through Wes Morgan, Birmingham City, who twice came West Ham United, had to wait Tuesday that Costa was no longer and now Arsenal this week, we “Robert got a knock to his eye Chris Wood and Arsenal loanee from behind to force a 4-4 draw for late penalties to overcome part of his plans and slammed the feel strong because they are very socket and he got concussion. Ignasi Miquel. despite the dismissal of midfielder Burnley 2-0. AFP player’s decision to “turn his back on the dream of millions.” Costa had represented Brazil twice as recently as March in Your TV guide for friendly games against Italy and Under-strength Barca Russia. live matches today However, as he hadn’t played a competitive international he was Event Competition Time Channel still able to switch his allegiance to Spain. still too good for Celta Mexico vs Finland International Friendly 06:00 HD5 “I want the people to under- Villareal vs Getafe La Liga 22:00 +3 stand that in no moment was I MADRID: Barcelona moved pressure their defence worked. giving up on Brazil,” he added. four points clear of Atletico “In the second-half we man- Granada vs Atletico La Liga 22:00 HD6 “I don’t see it like that. Simply Madrid at the top of La Liga aged the game far easier because Roma vs Chievo Serie A 22:00 HD3 that here I feel very valued and as they eased to a 3-0 win over Cesc made it a margin of three played my whole career. Betis vs Levante La Liga 00:00 HD5 Celta Vigo on Tuesday. goals in a matter of minutes.” “I have family in Brazil, it is Alexis Sanchez continued his Carles Puyol, Marc Bartra, Athletic vs Elche La Liga 00:00 +3 where I was born and where, fine scoring form after netting the Alex Song, Pedro and Sanchez hopefully, I will live once I stop decisive goal in Barca’s 2-1 win returned to the starting line playing football. I hope that the over Real Madrid at the weekend up and it was the Chilean who people understand and respect when he tapped home the opener notched his sixth goal of the sea- Coach Klopp extends that.” after just nine minutes. son after just nine minutes. The demand for Costa’s serv- Celta had their chances to Fabregas was played through ices from two of the favourites to equalise towards the end of the on goal by Pedro and after his lift next year’s World Cup rep- first period, but went two behind shot had been beaten away by Dortmund contract resents a huge turnaround in at the beginning of the sec- Yoel, Sanchez had the simple task the career of a player that only ond when Cesc Fabregas’ drive of tapping home the rebound. BERLIN: Coach Juergen Klopp “No one needs to call until became a first-team regular at rebounded into his own net off But Celta improved mightily (pictured) has committed 2018,” a smiling Klopp told Atletico last season. goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez and as the half wore on and Barca himself to Borussia Dortmund reporters in a hastily arranged Although he came up through Fabregas added a third with a were again indebted to goalkeeper until at least 2018 after sign- news conference in Dortmund. the youth ranks at Barcelona clinical finish soon after. Victor Valdes for keeping them in ing a two-year contract exten- “We feel a lot of extraordinary Esportivo Capela in Sao Paulo, “There are games where we FC Barcelona’s Brazilian front at the break. sion yesterday with last season’s trust and confidence in this club. his first professional contract was have lacked a little punch up defender Adriano (right) and Valdes was then forced to block Champions League This is a clear sign.” with Sporting Braga in Portugal, front, like against Osasuna when another fiercely struck effort runners-up. “It is an honour that whom he joined in February 2006. Celta’s Brazilian midfielder we didn’t take advantage of our from Rafinha barely a minute Among the most some international top After joining Los Rojiblancos in Rafinha vie for the ball during the chances,” Fabregas told Canal later and Celta were right to com- sought-after coaches in clubs consider that we are 2007, he was farmed out on loan Plus. Spanish Primera Division match plain when they then had a goal Europe, Klopp, who joined doing good work here but to Celta Vigo, Albacete, Valladolid “This time they have gone in. at Balaidos Stadium in Vigo, ruled out for a very soft foul on Dortmund in 2008, led I do not belong to those and finally Rayo Vallecano. The important thing is to con- Spain on Tuesday. the keeper after he flapped at a them to the Bundesliga who constantly think However, on his return to tinue creating chances and play cross from the right. title in 2011 and the about whether the grass Atletico from Rayo last July, he well and the goals will arrive.” hamstring problem. And Martino However, Barca put the result domestic league and Cup is greener somewhere was imbedded into a side on the With Barca in the midst of was happy with the control dis- beyond any doubt just three double in 2012 before else. So thank you but no up since the arrival of coach Diego seven games in 22 days, coach played by his side in the second- minutes after the restart when losing to German rivals chance,” he said. Simeone in December 2011. Gerardo Martino made five half after a slightly shaky spell Fabregas’ wonderful effort from Bayern Munich in this “To have four and a Costa struck up a fine partner- changes from the side that towards half-time. 25 yards struck the bar and year’s Champions League final. half years of secure employment ship with Radamel Falcao and started the match against Madrid “I thought we won quite com- rebounded into the net off the Ushering in an era of exciting, in our business is unusual but we was the top scorer in the Copa del on Saturday. fortably, we just had one period unfortunate Yoel in the Celta goal. attack-minded football that has will not go soft,” Klopp said. Rey as Atletico won the competi- Javier Mascherano, Xavi, before half-time where we let Six minutes later it was 3-0 as won over scores of fans world- Instead we have a huge appe- tion for the first time in 17 years. Andres Iniesta and Neymar all Celta get in behind our midfield Messi again fed former Arsenal wide, Klopp’s arrival marked a tite to take on the tasks at hand. With Falcao having left to join dropped to the bench, whilst more easily. man Fabregas and this time he turning-point Dortmund who We want to continue the success- Monaco, he has become Atletico’s Gerard Pique was left out of “We started well and our idea made sure it was his name on the were on the brink of bankruptcy ful path and ideally make it even focal point and leads the league the squad due to an ongoing to play Cesc closer to Messi to scoresheet. AFP less than 10 years ago. more successful.” REUTERS with 11 goals in 10 games. AFP Volleyball: Eljaish to face Al Sadd in QVA Federation Cup final

An Al Qiyadah player (left) smashes the ball during his side’s Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) Federation Cup semi-final against Al Sadd at Al Arabi Sports Hall yesterday. RIGHT An Eljaish player (in black) scores a point against Al Arabi. Al Sadd won 3-0 (33-31, 22-19, 25-21) and will face Eljaish who triumphed in a five-set victory 3-2 (25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 25-15, 16-11). The two winners will play in tomorrow’s final at the same venue. PICTURES BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT Thursday 31 October 2013 26 Dhul-Hijja 1434 Volume 18 Number 5869 Sport Price: QR2 RAJDHANI - LARGEST SELLING NEPALI WEEKLY NEWSPAPER IN QATAR Mickelson Chelsea, heads field in Man United Shanghai advance PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY DAR AL SHARQ AVAILABLE AT ALL THE LEADING BOOK STORES / SUPERMARKETS IN QATAR FOR ADVERTISEMENTS CONTACT: TEL: 4465 0600 EMAIL: [email protected] Sport | 27 Sport | 31

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Kohli and Dhawan power Federer books India to thrilling victory London berth; The hosts chase mammoth target of 351 to beat Australia Nadal advances PARIS: Former world number NAGPUR: India pulled off a in to bat. India replied in stunning one Roger Federer booked his sensational six-wicket victory fashion with Dhawan hitting his place for the ATP World Tour over Australia in the do-or-die fourth ODI ton in his 24th match finals when he dismissed South sixth one-dayer, riding on Virat while Kohli struck his 17th cen- African Kevin Anderson 6-4, Kohli’s brutal unbeaten 115 tury in his 118th match. Dhawan 6-4 to reach the third round of and Shikhar Dhawan’s blister- faced 102 balls in his innings and the Paris Masters yesterday. ing century to level the seven- hit 11 boundaries while Kohli’s India’s Virat The Swiss, who started the match series 2-2 yesterday. unbeaten knock came from just Kohli (right) week in seventh place in the Chasing a mammoth 351, the 66 balls with the help of 18 fours raises his bat ATP Race to London, made sure Indians gave ample display of and a six. and helmet after of finishing in the top nine - the their batting firepower on a bel- Captain Mahendra Singh scoring a 61 ball cut required after British world ter of a track at the VCA Stadium Dhoni (25 not out) hit the win- century against number four Andy Murray pulled at Jamtha to overhaul the target ning runs -- a two -- as India Australia in the out because of back surgery. with three balls to spare in what reached 351 for four to bring the ODI match at the It is the 12th consecutive time turned out to be a thrilling flood- capacity crowd to raptures and VCA Stadium in Federer has qualified for the event lit contest which went down the the home team players hugging and equals Ivan Lendl’s record for Nagpur yester- wire. each other at the dressing room. the most successive appearances day. India cap- The incredible run chase With the scores locked 2-2, at the season-ending event. brought back memories of India’s the seventh ODI in Bangalore on tain MS Dhoni Two places are still available awesome victory in Jaipur on Saturday will serve as the sum- (left) is also seen. for next week’s showdown in October 16 when they overhauled mit showdown of the series which London and Federer’s compatriot a stiff target of 360, achieving the has already seen a phenomenal Stanislas Wawrinka stayed on Switzerland’s Roger Federer second highest successful run 2565 runs scored so far (exclud- course to snatch one of them by celebrates after defeating South chase ever in ODI history. ing the 295 scored by Australia advancing in Paris at the expense Africa’s Kevin Anderson during Dhawan (100), Rohit Sharma in the abandoned fourth match of Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, their second round match at (79) and Kohli -- who hit the at Ranchi). whom he beat 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. the Paris Masters at the Bercy third fastest ODI hundred by an India stuttered a bit towards Wawrinka and France’s Richard Palais-Omnisport (POPB) in Indian from just 61 balls, were the end as Suresh Raina (16) and -- who shared 178 runs from 29.3 56 when the left handed opener Gasquet will claim the two spots Paris, yesterday. the main architects of India’s struggling Yuvraj Singh (0) were overs for the opening wicket -- departed off the left-arm pacer if Canadian Milos Raonic, the victory in the high-scoring tussle out in the same over -- 43rd -- but Kohli tore into the visitors’ James Faulkner. third and last candidate, loses to which has restored the balance of but Kohli, who had hit the fast- bowling attack to swing the game Kohli, India’s most consistent Dutchman Robin Haase later on knock out Anderson. He broke his the series after the Ranchi and est-ever 100 off just 52 balls by an in India’s favour. batsman in the series, and Raina Wednesday. opponent’s serve in the first game Cuttack ODIs were washed out. Indian in Jaipur and an equally Dhawan was lucky to be let off got involved in a partnership of Seventh seed Wawrinka hop- and never looked back. Earlier, George Bailey (156) unruffled Dhoni saw them home when on 19 off James Faulkner at 54 to bring the home team close ing to qualify for the finals for Anderson’s series of unforced and Shane Watson (102) smashed with an unbroken partnership of fly-gully by Glenn Maxwell and to victory. the first time, started the week errors made sure there would be scintillating centuries as Australia 61 for the fifth wicket. then survived a difficult chance Mitchell Johnson, treated in eighth place. no contest at Bercy, even though put the listless Indian bowling The game looked on a knife’s after reaching his 50. harshly by Kohli in his previ- Wawrinka’s victory means the world number 21 rallied from attack to the sword to post an edge even after the great start In between these two escapes ous over, came back strongly to Spaniard Nicolas Almagro is ruled 4-1 down in the second set. imposing 350 for six after being given by Dhawan and Rohit and earlier too, he got his runs dismiss left-handers Raina and out of the race. World number one Rafa Nadal mainly by using his bottom hand Yuvraj in the 43rd over at the German Tommy Haas, who saw off fellow Spaniard Marcel Scoreboard to hit square and behind the same total of 290 to bring his side was beaten 6-2, 6-2 by fellow Granollers 7-5, 7-5 to advance into wicket on both sides and reached back into the game. German Philipp Kohlschreiber, the third round as he aims to bag AUSTRALIA INDIA his half century with a run-a-ball Kohli and Dhoni, however, also dropped out. one of the three Masters titles he P J Hughes c Kohli b Kumar ...... 13 R G Sharma c Faulkner b Finch ...... 79 effort. ensured that India got past the Federer barely broke sweat to has never won. REUTERS A J Finch b Ashwin ...... 20 S Dhawan b Faulkner ...... 100 Rohit, who made an unbeaten finish line though at one time S R Watson b Mohd Shami ...... 102 V Kohli (not out) ...... 115 141 in the earlier successful run during their partnership, the G J Bailey c Kohli b Jadeja ...... 156 S K Raina c †Haddin b Johnson ...... 16 chase at Jaipur, started off cau- home side needed 48 off 30 balls Paris Masters Results tiously against the medium pacers and then 35 off the last 18. G J Maxwell c Kumar b Ashwin ...... 9 Yuvraj Singh b Johnson ...... 0 Results from the Paris Masters Series tournament yesterday (x and then was severe on Maxwell Earlier, Watson struck 13 fours A C Voges (not out) ...... 44 M S Dhoni (not out) ...... 25 denotes seeding): M G Johnson c Dhawan b Jadeja ...... 0 Extras (LB-8, W-7, NB-1) ...... 16 whom he hit for two sixes in the and three sixes in making 102 off Second Round: David Ferrer (ESP x3) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 6-0, B J Haddin (not out) ...... 0 Total (for 4 wkts in 49.3 overs) ...... 351 29th over and then fell while try- 94 balls while the in-form Bailey 2-6, 6-3; John Isner (USA x13) bt Michal Przysiezny (POL) 7-6 (7/3), Extras (W-3, NB-3) ...... 6 Did not bat: R A Jadeja, R Ashwin, B Kumar, A ing to repeat the feat in the next was equally impressive in scor- 4-6, 6-3; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), Total (for 6 wkts in 50 overs) ...... 350 Mishra, Mohammed Shami. over. ing a career-best 156, his second 7-6 (7/3); Nicolas Almagro (ESP x12) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 6-4, 6-3; Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-45, 3-213, 4-224, Fall of wickets: 1-178, 2-234, 3-290, 4-290. When Rohit exited, India ODI ton, in 115 balls as Australia Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 7-5, 7-5; Grigor 5-344, 6-346. Bowling: M G Johnson 10-0-72-2 (5w); C J needed 173 from 183 balls and scored an imposing 350 for six. Dimitrov (BUL) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x16) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Juan Martin Bowling: B Kumar 8-0-42-1; Mohammed McKay 7-0-47-0 (1w); J P Faulkner 9.3-0-73- Kohli started off positively by These two batsmen also com- Del Potro (ARG x4) bt Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Stanislas Shami 8-1-66-1 (1nb); R A Jadeja 10-0-68-2 1; X J Doherty 6-0-40-0; S R Watson 6-0-51- striking Xavier Doherty for a piled the second-highest third Wawrinka (SUI x7) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Tomas (2nb, 1w); R Ashwin 10-0-64-2 (2w); A Mishra 0(1nb); G J Maxwell 7-0-40-0; A J Finch 4-0- six and two fours in 33rd over. wicket stand of 168 in ODIs Dhawan and Kohli brought the against India to help the visitors Berdych (CZE x6) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 6-2, 7-5; Roger Federer 10-0-78-0; V Kohli 2-0-15-0; S K Raina 2-0- 20-1 (1w). (SUI x5) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-4, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber 17-0. Series: 7-match series level 2-2. hosts 117 runs adrift of the target record their fourth 300-plus total in the last 96 balls with a stand of in the series. AGENCIES (GER) bt Tommy Haas (GER x11) 6-2, 6-2. Beckham tells fans he’s ‘very interested’ in Miami team MIAMI: Retired England $25m. Beckham, who retired league.” he said. “It’s going to but is awaiting a formal bid, announcement to come. We soccer star David Beckham earlier this year after stints get better and going to get big- including details of the owner- are ready to support MLS in (pictured) told a live online with Manchester United, Real ger over the years.” ship group, and a stadium plan, this city,” said Julio Caballero, Facebook event in London Madrid and the MLS club Beckham is still putting along with a south Florida spokesman for the group. yesterday that he is “very L.A Galaxy, toured Miami last together a team of investors, market survey. Beckham said yesterday interested” in launching a summer, meeting with city and a source familiar with the “David has certainly been he had even thought about Major League Soccer team in county leaders. negotiations said, speaking analysing the South Florida inviting Sir Alex Ferguson, Miami, appearing to confirm During the Facebook event on condition of anonymity as market. At some point we look his former manager at media reports he had chosen at Air Studios in London, Beckham’s plans have yet to be forward to David becoming an Manchester United, to come the Florida city over other the former England captain officially announced. owner of an MLS expansion out of retirement and lead the destinations. famous for his swirling free Beckham toured Miami in team,” said MLS spokesman new franchise. Asked about the reports, kicks, made it clear his future June. Dan Courtemanche. But he joked that he ruled Beckham did not deny the remains in the United States He was accompanied by MLS is hoping to expand by him out after comments in news, saying that he was “pas- as he looks to add new busi- British entrepreneur and 2020 - adding 4 teams to the Ferguson’s autobiography sionate” about becoming a ness ventures to his footballing American Idol creator, Simon current 19, and has reached published last week in which team owner. successes. Fuller, whose management agreement to launch a team in he criticised Beckham. He said Beckham, who has 30 million When asked about the news company 19 Entertainment New York City in 2015. Groups he thought he was too big for Facebook followers, was speak- that Miami was his choice, handles Beckham’s business in Orlando and Atlanta are also Manchester United and later ing during a live Q&A with Beckham replied it was “some- affairs, and Bolivian-born lining up bids. surrendered part of his career fans in Indiana, New York, and thing I’m very interested in.” billionaire Marcelo Claure, A fan group, MLS Miami by moving to the United States Sao Paulo, as part of a “digital Being in America, Beckham CEO of Miami-based wireless Bid, which has been campaign- to play for LA Galaxy. stadium” and digital book sign- said, he had “seen the excite- services company Brightstar ing for a team, welcomed the The star player said he had ing for his autobiography David ment” of fans and the addition Corporation and an avid soc- news saying it has been told to no interest in becoming a man- Beckham, to be available today. of a dozen new professional cer fan who owns his own team expect a formal announcement ager himself. His MLS player contract teams and the construction of in Bolivia. by the end of November. “Management doesn’t float included a clause giving him new soccer stadiums. MLS has confirmed it is “We’re very excited. We my boat, really,” Beckham the option to create a team for “It’s only a very young in discussions with Beckham eagerly anticipate the official said. REUTERS