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WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 • 12 Rabia I 1437 • Volume 20 Number 6653 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780

Greece recognises Palestine QNB in $2.94bn Industrial Area being deal for Finansbank DOHA: QNB Group has agreed to buy a Turkish subsidiary of the National Bank of Greece for developed in 7 phases $2.94bn. Under the terms of the deal, QNB will buy NBG’s entire stake of 99.81 percent in Finans- Ashghal says first phase close to completion bank. The deal is subject to regu- latory approval. DOHA: The Industrial Area on heavy here,” said Ashghal. stations in the area and the new See also page 21 the outskirts of the city is being The Industrial Area Develop- road networks will have modern developed in seven phases, says ment Project has all the features street lights. THE PENINSULA the Public Works Authority. of a development project includ- Arrangements will be made to Ashghal said the first phase ing a network of roads and inter- pump out drain water. Turkey slams Russia is almost complete and work to sections with traffic lights. Ashghal gave the details to Al coat roads with asphalt will begin The intersections will be multi- Sharq in response to a report the for Syria air strikes soon. level and roads will have dedicated daily published on December 1 The first phase of develop- lanes for pedestrians, bicycles and to highlight the problems in the ANKARA: Turkish Prime Min- ment of the Industrial Area cov- motorcycles. The road develop- Industrial Area. ister Ahmet Davutoglu yester- ers street numbers 1 to 15. “After ment works will boast features Ashghal said that many issues day condemned an attack on the the asphalting of the streets, the like sewage networks, besides mentioned in the report do not rebel-held Syrian city of Idlib, project will be complete,” said facilities for underground elec- fall within its jurisdiction so it believed to have been carried out Ashghal. Work on three phases of tricity cables, water and telecom cannot comment on them. by Russian jets, and said Syria development of the Area is on and services. The Authority said it is coor- will not be part of “Russian impe- preparations are under way to The Industrial Area is large dinating with a number of bodies rialist goals”. launch the remaining four phases and important so that its ambi- concerned to execute the devel- Ties between Ankara and Mos- as well, according to Ashghal. tious development plan had to opment project in the Industrial cow have been severely strained “We are speeding up the execu- be divided into phases, which Area. Greek Parliament’s President Nikos Voutsis (left) hands over the parlia- after Turkey shot down a Russian tion of the development work of are being launched after careful Continued on page 5 ment’s resolution on the recognition of the State of Palestine by Greece warplane over Syria last month. Industrial Area because it is an planning. to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the parliament in Athens important zone and traffic is quite There will be electricity sub- THE PENINSULA REUTERS yesterday. Report on page 12

SEC to vet books at Independent school libraries Kidnapping of Qataris in Iraq DOHA: The Supreme Education Coun- tor as chairman, and deputy academic The job of the assessment commit- cil (SEC) has decided to assess all books supervisor and those in charge of the tee has been identified as: to review the a shameful act, says GCC and study material at Independent education resource centre as members. contents, give assessment of each sub- school libraries (education resource An assessment committee will be ject area and prepare reports that will RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council ity with Qatar in all efforts for getting its centres) to ensure they are up to date formed with representatives from dif- include recommendations with a clear (GCC) states yesterday said the abduc- citizens released, and hoped that contacts and do not contradict Islamic values and ferent subject areas. Each section will vision. tion of Qatari citizens in southern Iraq is between Qatar and Iraq will result in their the country’s traditions. assess the material related to its sub- The committee is supposed to focus a shameful act and a flagrant violation of safe return home. The SEC has set up two commit- jects. its review on the following: To identify international law and human rights. The Arab Parliament yesterday also tees to carry out the comprehensive The task of the first committee is to contents that do not suit Islamic teach- They added that it is contrary to the condemned the kidnapping of the Qatari review that will cover both the con- supervise the assessment process and ings, customs, social traditions, whether teachings of Islam. nationals and urged the Iraqi govern- tent and quality of the books, Al Sharq review the reports of the assessment they are images, text or drawings. The Gulf bloc said the abduction is unac- ment to take measures to ensure their reported. committee, discuss its recommenda- Continued on page 4 ceptable and affects relations between the safety, and get them released as soon as A supervising committee has been set tions and facilitate implementation of Arab countries. possible. up in each school with the school direc- the proposals. THE PENINSULA A GCC statement expressed full solidar- QNA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

FM receives phone call from Bahrain QU reviews academic dismissal policy DOHA: Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah received a telephone call Students failing three times in a course will not be dismissed from university from Bahrain’s Foreign Minis- ter Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed DOHA: Qatar University (QU) has First year students shall receive a warn- for academic probation decisions unless bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, who reviewed its policies related to academic ing and a hold is placed on their record if summer performance removes the aca- expressed the kingdom’s con- dismissal, probation, reinstatement and their GPA is below 2.0, and once under- demic probation for the student. Students cern over the abduction of Qatari course repeat for undergraduate students. graduate students receive two academic placed under academic probation or final citizens in Iraq and stressed As per the new policy, if students fail warnings for two consecutive semesters, academic probation may apply for transfer Bahrain’s support for Qatar in three times in a course, they will not be excluding the summer term, they are to another programme subject to QU rules measures it has taken to secure dismissed from the university. If they placed under final academic probation. and regulations as defined in the transfer their release. repeat their courses, the highest grade they Once placed under final academic pro- policy.” Dr Al Attiyah praised Bahrain’s receive will be calculated. bation at the end of a semester, under- Undergraduate students placed under support, stressing the depth of In its recent meeting, QU Execu- graduate students who fail to satisfy the academic probation or final academic brotherhood between both coun- tive Management Committee chaired by cumulative GPA requirement for “Good probation are allowed to register in a tries and peoples and said con- Dr Hassan Al Derham, President, QU, Standing” (a minimum of 2.0) at the end maximum of 12 credit hours per regular tacts at all levels are taking place approved new regulations of the Academic of the following semester, are academically semester and a maximum of six in the sum- for the release of the citizens as Probation policy. dismissed from QU in compliance with the mer term. Students may be allowed to reg- soon as possible. The panel set up standards for satisfac- policy for academic dismissal of undergrad- ister in more than the maximum number of QNA tory academic progress and achievements, Dr Hassan Al Derham, President, QU. uate students. This excludes the summer credit hours subject to prior approval from and defined procedures to identify and term and withdrawal from the academic the Student Affairs Committee. Under- Plans to develop notify undergraduate students not making into account in the following fall semester semester. graduate students will be placed under aca- satisfactory progress, to encourage them to evaluation. Dr Hasna said academic probation deci- demic warning once they exceed six years, improve academic performance. “Student academic standing is to be sions and/or academic warning notifica- excluding foundation programme. farmers’ markets New regulations cancelled the four updated by the office after final grades are tions are to be officially communicated “An advisory hold preventing students DOHA: Abdul Rahman Al intermittent academic warnings given to posted,” he said. by the office to concerned students, their from registering in classes is to be activated Sulaiti, General Supervisor, students in previous years. Once students Undergraduate students are placed adviser, and the head of their department by the office for all students placed under Farmer Markets (Al Mazroua, Al improve their cumulative GPA, this will under academic probation based on their at the end of each semester, excluding the academic probation or final academic pro- Khor/Al Dakhira and Al Wakrah cancel their previous warnings. cumulative GPA, and if they exceed 24 summer term unless summer performance bation, or receiving an academic warning fruit and vegetable yards) at the Dr Mazen Hasna, Vice-President and earned credit hours and their cumulative removes academic probation for the stu- for failing a course twice to ensure that Ministry of Environment, says Chief Academic Officer, QU, said student GPA is below 2.0. dent. “Academic warnings do not impact these students do not register in classes plans are afoot to develop the academic standing is evaluated by the He said undergraduate students receive student standing, do not appear on student offered in the following semester until they yards. Office of the Vice President for Student an academic warning notification if the transcript, and are not noted on student meet their academic adviser and academic He said he had asked officials Affairs at the end of each semester exclud- student’s cumulative GPA at the end of a academic records. Academic probations are department to get approval for removing to make paved car parking at ing the summer term, unless summer semester, except the summer term, falls noted on student transcript and academic the hold,” Dr Hasna said. Al Mazroua yard in Umm Salal. performance removes academic probation below 2.0, and if the student fails in any records,” he said. He said fish outlets will soon be for the student, and results will be taken particular course two times. “The summer term is not considered THE PENINSULA opened at Al Wakrah yard on the lines of those at Al Mazroua and at Al Khor yards and people can buy fresh fish at affordable rates. Al Sulaiti told Al Sharq that the best time to make purchases at Asean envoys take part the yards is early morning since fresh stocks last briefly due to high demand. The markets are in golf tournament open Thursdays through Satur- days from 7am until 5pm. They DOHA: The Association of Malaysian Ambassador and have become popular over the Southeast Asian Nations committee Vice-Chairman years and provide an opportunity (Asean) Committee in Dato’ Ahmad Jazri bin Mohd for local farmers to sell their pro- Doha recently organised the Johar, Brunei Darussalam duce directly to customers with- Asean Golf Tournament at Ambassador Nordin Ahmad, out middlemen’s involvement. Doha Golf Club. Singaporean Ambassador Some 77 Qatari farms are par- It was one of the activi- Wong Kwok Pun, Japanese ticipating in the yards this year: ties held by the panel annu- Ambassador Shingo Tsuda, 33 in Al Mazroua, 22 in Al Khor/ ally to promote friendship Korean Ambassador Heung- Al Dakhira and 22 in Al Wakrah. among the Asean embas- Kyeong Park and Chau Anh, About 70 types of fresh vegeta- sies in Doha. Participants spouse of the Vietnamese bles are available. included Indonesian Ambas- Ambassador. The ambassadors along with the wife of the Vietnamese envoy at the event. sador and committee Chair- THE PENINSULA man Deddy Saiful Hadi, THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Forum on emergency medicine and public health next month Over 1,000 experts to attend first-of-its-kind event organised by HMC

By Fazeena Saleem

DOHA: Most recent clinical developments in emergency medi- cine and public health will be dis- cussed at a unique conference in Workers cleaning up one of the roads. the region to be held in Doha. The five-day International Con- ference in Emergency Medicine and Public Health-Qatar (ICEP- 352 tonnes of waste removed Q 2016) aims to learn and share experiences for quality improve- ment in the areas of emergency after National Day festivities medicine and public health, offi- DOHA: More than 856 janitors Saai, public parks, 47 tribal tents cials said yesterday. were deployed and 73 trucks and across country, and another 10 The first-of-its-kind forum in equipment used by the Cleaning public places where National Day the GCC is organised by Hamad Department of the Ministry of celebrations took place, said Safar Medical Corporation (HMC) and Municipality and Urban Planning Mubarak Al Shafi, Director, Pub- the Supreme Council of Health to clean up places where National lic Hygiene, at the ministry. (SCH). Day celebrations took place. The clean-up successfully ICEP-Q 2016 will bring together Cleaners worked round-the- ended despite obstacles such as over 1,000 experts in emergency clock and removed 352 tonnes of traffic jams and crowds, especially medicine, public health and waste from the Corniche and the in the Corniche area, where peo- ambulance service between Janu- main and internal roads branch- ple waited until late hours and the ary 14 and 18 at Qatar National ing out from the area. closure of many roads prevented Convention Centre. Darb El-Saai, tribes’ celebra- cleaners from reaching the sites, Sessions will be dedicated to Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director, Public Health, Supreme Council of Health; Dr Sheikh Hassan tion areas, and tents fixed by Al Shafi added. Al Shafi said coor- infectious diseases, disaster pre- bin Ali Al Thani, Head, Trauma and Vascular Surgery Sections, HMC; and Dr Hamad Eid Al Rumaihi, Head, nationals outside Doha have also dination with the Traffic Depart- paredness, pre-hospital emergen- Communicable Diseases Control Department, with other doctors from various departments at the press conference be cleaned up, according to a min- ment and Lakhwiya facilitated cies, injury prevention, medical at the SCH headquarters in Doha yesterday. SALIM MATRAMKOT istry’s post in its official Facebook and helped cleaners complete the toxicology, critical care in the account yesterday. work before 6am on Saturday. emergency department, emer- diseases and mortality which is a lar Surgery Sections, HMC, said, Although we take it as injuries Cleaning works mainly focused gency education, nursing and result of injuries caused by traf- “In Qatar and many parts of the as it happen, it is a disease, we on the Corniche area, Darb El- THE PENINSULA other topics. fic accidents. Participants will world, emergency departments know the symptoms, we know the “It will be a major international understand why we have a high serve as points of entry into the causes, and we know how to treat. event in emergency medicine and mortality rate from road acci- healthcare system for a large per- During the conference, we will Mercedes-Benz G-Class models recalled public health, involving a great dents and how to handle com- centage of the population. share experiences and progress line-up of speakers involved in municable diseases, most common “The conference intends to in caring the injured,” he added. DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced the emergency care and public health infections and cases such as food highlight the importance of focus- Healthcare professionals such recall of 2014 Mercedes-Benz G-Class due to defects in horn, back- organisations across the world to poisoning,” he added. ing on crucial interface between as emergency care physicians, light base, reprograming of the driver’s seat and fuse box computer. share and discuss experiences in ICEP-Q 2016 aims to enhance two major domains of healthcare public health physicians, primary The ministry said the step taken in collaboration with dealer Nasser the fields of emergency medicine close working relationship — emergency medicine and public healthcare works, community Bin Khaled Automobiles company is within the framework of its con- and public health,” Dr Sheikh between HMC and SCH to health. Additionally, emergency health experts, emergency care stant coordination and follow-up to ascertain dealers’ commitment to Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, encourage research and qual- departments serve as sites of nurses, paramedics, family physi- follow up and fix defects to protect consumers’ rights. The ministry Director, Public Health, SCH, told ity improvement in the areas of surveillance for the public health cians with an interest in urgent said it will coordinate with the agent to follow up maintenance and a press conference yesterday. emergency medicine and public community. care, pharmacists, radiographers repairs and communicate with customers to ensure implementation “The forum will help under- health. “Injuries and trauma is the will be among the participants. of procedures and repairs. stand the nature of communi- Dr Sheikh Hassan bin Ali Al leading cause of deaths among QNA cable and non-communicable Thani, Head, Trauma and Vascu- youth in this part of the world. THE PENINSULA Municipality honours bank for support

DOHA: Commercial Bank has been honoured by Doha Munici- pality for its support of two contests encouraging Qatari stu- dents to ‘draw and sow’ with the civic body. The winning students received awards and the bank was hon- oured for supporting the initia- tive, at a ceremony led by the municipality director at National Day celebrations at Darb El-Saai on December 20. Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, CEO Officials at the honouring ceremony. of the bank, said: “The bank sup- ports contests that encourage Qatari youth has made a positive today is about finding ways to creativity among the younger impact on Doha’s community, in work together. I would like to generation as part of our CSR human and environmental terms, thank the municipality for organ- programme that is focused on which is in line with the bank’s ising such engaging competitions engaging more effectively with commitment to Qatar’s all-round and congratulate the winning the wider Qatari community. development in line with Qatar students on their achievements,” “The civic initiative to encour- National Vision 2030. he added. age ‘drawing and sowing’ among “Good corporate citizenship THE PENINSULA

Nominations are open for third ORYX GTL Student Awards 2016 DOHA: Nominations are open held at Qatar University (QU) frameworks that unlock human for the third ORYX GTL Stu- on April 25. potential and boost the number dent Awards 2016, which recog- The International Selec- of home-grown academics. nise outstanding individuals and tion Review Committee for the The winners of 2015 awards future thought leaders instru- awards will include Mohamed were Asma Sadia, MSc. Chemical mental in the transformation of Al Enazi, Chief QHSE Officer, Engineering from TAMUQ; Ibra- Qatar into a knowledge economy ORYX GTL; Dr Rashid Alam- him Daher, PhD, Petroleum Engi- as per Qatar National Vision mari, Dean, College of Engineer- neering, from Imperial College 2030. ing, QU; Dr Mounir Hamdi, Dean, London; Nabila Adam Mohamed, The awards celebrate recently- College of Science, Engineering & MSc. Environmental Engineering graduated Master’s and PhD Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa and Mohammed Omer Mohsen, candidates and their dissertation University; Dr Hamid Parsaei, PhD, Civil Engineering, both advisers and highlight the impor- Dean, Academic Affairs & Pro- from QU. Previous research areas tance of building postgraduate fessor of Mechanical Engineering, included oil and gas reservoir education capacity, especially for Texas A&M University at Qatar stimulation and management of Qatar’s emerging R&D in energy- (TAMUQ); Dr Bhanu Chowd- Qatar’s hydrocarbon resources; related fields. hary, Associate Vice-President, the characterisation of mul- Stakeholders and students Research & Strategic Initiatives, tiphase flow properties, capillary from industry and academia are QU; and Dr Iain Macdonald, Sen- pressure, residual trapping, wet- invited to nominate top individu- ior Programme Manager, Qatar ting and relative permeability, for als, along with an explanation for Carbonates and Carbon Storage gas injection processes, CO2 stor- their choice and details on how Centre, Imperial College London. age and enhanced oil recovery. their research supports Qatar’s Qatar hosts more tier-one US For details on nomination goals. Nominations deadline is universities than any other coun- requirements, visit http://goo.gl/ January 25, 2016. The Selection try in the Middle East and North ISZDLT and submit completed Committee will review the sub- Africa region, which have largely nominations to Brian Cozzolino, missions on January 28 and the been championed by the non- Associate, Gulf Intelligence: bri- winners will be contacted on Feb- profit organisation Qatar Founda- ancozzolino@gulfintelligence.com ruary 7. tion. The QF has also worked over An awards ceremony will be the last two decades to develop THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME HMC hospitals, departments celebrate National Day Employees, patients and their families take part in festivities

DOHA: Hamad Medical Cor- poration (HMC) celebrated National Day at its hospitals and departments with staff, patients and their families. Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, Manag- A Syrian undergoing treatment. ing Director, HMC, joined staff, patients and visitors in celebrat- ing the occasion at Al Wakrah Hospital (AWH), the Bone and Joint Center, the Transport QRCS begins healthcare Department and the Human Resources Department. “The National Day is an oppor- projects in Syria tunity to renew our loyalty, deter- mination and efforts to promote DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Over the past four months, the country and support the Society (QRCS) has undertaken the centre received nearly 12,000 development process and overall new healthcare projects in Syria patients, or 3,000 per month. It renaissance, especially in light to support victims of the ongoing is staffed by eight specialist doc- of achievements that have con- crisis. Several major projects are tors, six nurses, a physiotherapist, tributed to strengthening Qatar’s in progress, including the estab- a lab technician, a pharmacist position on the regional and the lishment of 16 primary healthcare and two service personnel. In the international stage. It is also an centres across Syria and urgent central part of the beleaguered opportunity to express our love medical intervention in the war- Eastern Ghouta, QRCS is run- for this country,” said Dr Al stricken areas. ning Saqba Health Centre, at a Kuwari. The Babbila Medical Center in cost of $242,000. With available The Transport Department Eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq on resources, it works to offer high- set up a heritage tent to receive the southern outskirts of Damas- level public health services. The guests. Horses and riders and cus began operation four months centre’s scope of work expanded schoolchildren in national dress ago to serve the area’s population from gynaecology and obstetrics, Children taking part in one of the activities. provided entertainment. National and internally displaced persons of neonatal care and paediatrics to Day videos were shown and songs different ages, with 24/7 ambulance integrated ambulance, dental, and folkdances performed. tributed to attendees. Drawing tional dress performed patriotic Hospital, the National Center for services. Working with an opera- radiographic, general clinic and At the Bone and Joint Cen- competitions for children and songs. Puppet shows, workshops Cancer Care and Research, the tional budget of $118,000, the centre gynaecological surgery services. tre, a traditional tent was set up popular games were held. Events for children and henna drawing Enaya Continuing Care Center offers natural childbirth, neonatal/ So far, it has served about 10,000 to welcome guests and visitors, included presentation of videos were also held. – Muaither 2 and HMC Medical preterm care, and incubator care. patients, or 2,500 per month. serving popular food and Arabic and patriotic songs and a march- At the Women’s Hospital, a Education Center. Clinics include paediatrics, inter- Following a ceasefire deal, fami- coffee. The entrances were dec- ing band from the Emiri Guard traditional tent was set up at the Celebrations at Al Khor Hospi- nal medicine, gynaecology and lies began moving to Idlib, which orated with flags and patriotic played patriotic music. main entrance to welcome guests tal and Cuban Hospital included obstetrics, dentistry, orthopaedics, requires humanitarian assistance, songs and Al Ardha dance were Events were also held at the and participants with Arabic cof- an Arabic tent which welcomed general surgery and urology. The basically shelter. QRCS person- presented. main entrances of outpatient clin- fee. The entrances were also deco- visitors and participants. At centre’s pharmacy secures medi- nel were the first to reach Idlib to A tent was also set up at Al ics at Hamad General Hospital rated with the national flag. The Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, cines for free for patients. prepare shelters and receive the Wakrah Hospital ground to which displayed decorated flags hospital presented special gifts of celebrations were held in the cen- Other services include psycho- first batch of 700 men, women, and receive Dr Al Kuwari and other and maroon and white striped car seats to the first 33 children tral garden with the participa- logical, physiotherapy and surgi- children. They secured 700 mat- guests from the area. Fun games balloons. Activities included Al born that day. tion of staff and long-term care cal consultations, minor surgeries, tresses and 1,400 blankets at a cost were provided for children and Ardha dances and serving Arabic Celebrations were held at the patients. awareness about chronic and pre- of $22,000. gifts and traditional foods dis- coffee. School students in tradi- Rumailah Hospital, the Heart THE PENINSULA vention of common diseases. THE PENINSULA RAF provides food boxes for Yemeni refugees QF to launch Hamad Bin

DOHA: Sheikh Thani bin Abdul- lah Foundation for Humanitarian Khalifa University Press Services (RAF) has distributed 500 boxes of over 160kg of food DOHA: Following a seven-year oped having completed the mis- supplies at a cost of QR100,000 to partnership with Bloomsbury sion, who will continue to publish Yemeni refugees in Abakh costal Publishing Plc, Qatar Founda- on the foundations established. area of Djibouti, as part of a fresh tion (QF) is to launch its own QF now has tools, knowledge and humanitarian aid. publishing house called Hamad experience to take the reins and The aid was distributed in the Bin Khalifa University Press run its publishing house.” presence of Arab League Secre- (HBKU Press). HBKU Press will HBKU Press will continue the tary-General’s envoy for humani- publish children’s books, fiction, tradition of releasing books of tarian relief, Sheikha Hessa bint academic, and education books in excellence and originality, pro- Khalifa Al Thani. The boxes con- English and Arabic. moting the love of reading and tained dates, rice, flour, edible oil, Created in 2008, Bloomsbury writing and transferring pub- beans, milk powder, canned tuna, Qatar Foundation (BQF) was a lishing and related skills to Qatar sugar and tea boxes. The initial partnership between both enti- through internships and second- cost of QR100,000 was donated by ties and included a publishing ments, said a statement. people in Qatar. Some 3,000 peo- house and an academic research BQFP published over 200 titles ple of 500 families have benefited. publisher — Bloomsbury Qatar in fiction, non-fiction, art, academ- The initiative is part of a relief Foundation Publishing (BQFP) ics and business for adults and campaign launched by RAF for and Bloomsbury Qatar Founda- young children. The partnership Yemeni people affected by the tion Journals (BQFJ). In a state- introduced ‘Ready, Steady, Read’, ongoing war. Some 20,000 refu- ment, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc a pilot training programme with gees are sheltered at Abakh. Food said: “As indicated in our interim hands-on activities for developing box were distributed in collabora- statement in October, contracts an active and stimulating school tion with local partner, Sanabil Al for Bloomsbury to provide QF library. HBKU Press will take Khair Association. Djibouti made with publishing services to enable on the work of BQFJ, which was an emergency plan in collabora- knowledge transfer to QF to have responsible for launching the Mid- tion with the United Nations to a self-sufficient publishing com- dle East’s first open access, aca- build a shelter for a large number pany reach the end of their term demic research platform, QScience. of refugees. RAF volunteers distribute food boxes to beneficiaries. this month. We are handing over com. THE PENINSULA to the strong local team we devel- THE PENINSULA

Outdated materials 159,756 people visit can be removed Continued from page 1 It is also to pinpoint content SCH health tent that promotes any ideology or doctrine that creates trouble and divisions in society. The committee should also at Darb El-Saai check the educational and sci- entific value of the contents and DOHA: The health tent set up emergency management in public find out if they are outdated. Old by the Supreme Council of Health health. Forty people from health and outdated materials can be (SCH) at Darb El-Saai was a big sectors, ministries and other removed. Some valuable old mate- hit, with some 159,756 visitors institutions took part. rial that cannot be reproduced over 13 days, SCH has said. The course discussed public must be preserved. Hamad Jassim Al Hamar, health in Qatar, role of health sec- The recommendations of the Director, Public Relations, SCH, tors in responding to emergency assessment committee should said the tent attracted citizens and crises and local and interna- be approved by the supervising and residents and offered a wide tional experiences. International committee, copies of which should variety of events. experts made presentations on be forwarded to the supervi- Ilham Al Nuaimi, Head, Pro- emergency management in pub- sion office and the educational tocol and Events, SCH, said lic health. resource section at SEC before activities included free medical Dr Mohammed Al Hajari, March 3 next year, said the daily. check-ups, vaccination against Director, Emergency Response, Implementation of the final seasonal influenza, and health SCH, said the annual course proposals will be subject to education and awareness pro- reviews developments related to approval of the educational grammes for children and adults. emergency response during crises. resource centre section. The SCH also organised a five- Some of the visitors at the tent. day national training course in THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05

Ashghal ‘not to be blamed’ Continued from page 1 Best Buddies Qatar’s film backed Al Sharq, in its report, said there are frequent traffic jams in the area and waste is found dumped in heaps all over. Cars are found abandoned around garages and streets have potholes with the asphalt Qatar Financial Centre presented with certificate of appreciation peeled away. Some areas stink because of leaking sewage DOHA: Best Buddies Qatar (BBQ) “The production represents oppor- water, with no one bringing the problem to the has presented Qatar Financial Centre tunities available to people with IDD to notice of civic authorities, said the daily. Ashghal (QFC) with a certificate of apprecia- enable them to become an integral part repeated it was not to blame for many problems. tion in recognition of the ‘No Barri- of the local community. We believe that ers to a Great Friendship’ campaign the film will reach out to many people Indian mission Open House it helped produce. and engage them with the aim of end- The programme is a touching short ing their isolation through social inte- DOHA: The Indian embassy will hold an Open film which depicts the relationship gration and one-to-one long-lasting House on Friday to address any urgent consu- between two boys, played by Khalifa and meaningful friendships. We also lar and labour problems of Indians in Qatar, an Al Kubaisi and Eid Al Shamari, as they hope to continue our collaboration with embassy statement said yesterday. The event will encourage each other, communicate QFC for the noble cause of benefitting be held from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Written informa- and share to become ‘best buddies’. the Qatari community.” tion on issues/cases proposed to be discussed may The film uses an innovative split The film will be screened soon in cin- be given from 5.30pm to 6pm. This will be followed screen technique which enables view- emas across Doha and can be viewed by meeting with officials from 6pm to 6.30pm. ers to watch their lives in parallel, on QFC’s YouTube channel; ‘QFCAu- and emphasises their interactions. thority’. Italian restaurants project The campaign was made possible due BBQ received support during the to support by QFC, and produced in campaign and would like to thank DOHA: The Italian Chamber of Commerce in association with The Film House and Officials at the honouring ceremony. QFC, The Film House and Grand Qatar has been appointed by the Italian Govern- BBQ. Hyatt Doha for providing shooting ment to select the best Italian restaurants here as Yousef Fakhroo, Chief Market- what BBQ does, by creating oppor- with BBQ. venues, along with Qatar-Bahrain part of the ‘Ospitalita’ Italiana Restaurants in the ing and Corporate Communications tunities for friendships and support Laalei Abu Alfain, Executive Direc- Cinema Co., Katara Cultural Village, World’ project. The project was launched by Italy Officer, QFC, said: “Supporting the systems, is to enable young people with tor, BBQ, expressed thanks and grati- Aspire Zone, Burgerry restaurant, to endorse Italian restaurants abroad which guar- success of young people in Qatar is intellectual and developmental disabili- tude for the overwhelming support the Museum of Islamic Art. Khalifa antee typical quality standards of Italian hospital- something QFC is passionate about. ties to reach their full potential and received from QFC. Al Kubaisi and Eid Al Shamari were ity. The top restaurants will be awarded Ospitalita’ The basis of QFC supporting BBQ achieve success.” “We are thankful to QFC for sup- also thanked for their role as the stars Italiana certification. is from our belief that great success The programme aims to raise aware- porting BBQ and sponsoring our of the film. THE PENINSULA comes from great support because ness and encourage people to volunteer awareness film” she said. THE PENINSULA

Sidra appoints two members on Board of Governors DOHA: Sidra Medical and He is the Benno C Schmidt and Sir Murray to the board. Research Center (Sidra) has Chair in Clinical Oncology, They are respected leaders appointed Dame Ruth Car- Vice-President for Inter- and mentors in the health- nall and Sir Murray Brennan national Programmes, and care industry and we look as members of the Board of Director of the Bobst Inter- forward to benefitting from Governors. national Center at Memo- their judgment and counsel. Carnall has over 35 years’ rial Sloan Kettering Cancer “Their combined expertise experience in healthcare, Center, New York. will add a valuable perspec- including 20 as a chief execu- He was bestowed with tive to supporting Sidra’s tive in acute hospitals, mental Knight Grand Companion of mission to address the grow- health, community services New Zealand Order of Merit ing need for comprehensive and health authorities. for services to medicine in patient-focused medical She is credited for hav- January 2015. It is the high- services for women and ing established the National est honour given to New Zea- children in Qatar. Together Health Service London (NHS Sir Murray Brennan and Dame Ruth Carnall. land nationals by the Queen with the world-class team, London), the strategic health of England. we are committed to estab- authority for London. the National Health Service ish Empire (DBE) for her Lord Darzi of Denham, lishing Sidra as a beacon She was awarded Com- in London in 2004. achievements in healthcare. Vice-Chair of the board, and of learning, discovery and mander of the Most Excel- In 2011, she received Dame Sir Murray is an interna- Chair of the Executive Com- exceptional care”. lent Order of the British Commander of the Most tional cancer surgeon and mittee, Sidra, said, “We are Empire (CBE) for services to Excellent Order of the Brit- leader in cancer research. honoured to welcome Carnall THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME / GULF / MIDDLE EAST QU-CMED holds clinical Work in full swing reasoning skills lectures Expert highlights reasons behind diagnostic inaccuracies

DOHA: Qatar University Col- largely an issue of knowledge and education over the last twenty- lege of Medicine (QU-CMED) skill — that the more experienced five years, Prof Schmidt proposes, recently held a series of lectures the physician, the better his or have also argued for more student and a seminar on “Innovation her diagnoses. involvement in learning, small- in Medical Education” aimed at He countered that while this group collaboration, fewer lec- improving how clinical reasoning belief has a basis in fact, it under- tures, and early participation in skills are taught. estimates the extent to which professional practice. He empha- The seminar was delivered by physicians are influenced by psy- sised on orientation towards pri- Prof Henk G Schmidt, professor chological processes or events mary care, and articulated high of psychology at Erasmus Uni- that are generally not considered expectations of the professional versity Faculty of Social Sciences to be critical. He also pointed to competencies of graduates pro- and founding dean of its problem- sources of influence on diagnos- duced by such programmes. based psychology curriculum, and tic reasoning that cause doctors “Students graduating from facilitated by CMED associate to commit errors, and proffered such schools are, for instance, dean for Academic Affairs Prof strategies to counteract them. expected to be more skilled in Hossam Hamdy. Prof Schmidt explained the interpersonal communication, are The aim of the seminar was learning processes in problem- thought to be better problem-solv- to review a variety of approaches based learning (PBL), and pre- ers, and would be better prepared employed for teaching clinical rea- sented the research findings for self-directed, lifelong learning. soning and to present new ideas to focusing on the known elements of In addition, some claim that gradu- improve them. The seminar also PBL such as the initial analysis of ates also are better able to retain discussed a number of studies that a problem, influence of situational relevant knowledge. “Finally, these Construction work going on in full swing at the Qatar National Museum building. SALIM MATRAMKOT had tested these approaches. Prof events, “scaffolding” as a tutoring graduates would choose a career in Schmidt highlighted the reasons technique, small-group collabo- primary care to a larger extent,” behind diagnostic inaccuracies, ration, and self-directed learning Prof Schmidt added. noting that physicians share the activities. Those who advocated belief that diagnostic expertise is innovation in health professions THE PENINSULA Mannai Air Travel joins Nojoom

DOHA: Ooredoo yesterday Ticketing, Hotel Booking, Holi- Qatar ID card at any Mannai Air added the popular travel agency, day & Sight Seeing Packages, Travel branch. Mannai Air Travel as the new- Rail Bookings, Cruise Bookings, As well as earning points when est earning partner for its multi Car Rentals,Certificate Attesta- travelling, members can also use award-winning Nojoom Rewards tion Services, Travel Insurances, their points to redeem with Man- Programme, as the programme International Driving Licenses, nai Air Travel. Members must continues to expand the incred- Visa Assistance, Qatar Sight visit one of the above Mannai Air ible range of experiences avail- Seeing Packages, Dhow Cruises, Travel branches and present the able. Desert Safaris, Camping etc. valid Nojoom voucher to a mem- Mannai Air Travel is an ISO With this latest partnership, ber of staff. Once validated, the 9001:2008 certified IATA recog- Nojoom members can earn 1 member will be able to use the nised travel agency specialising in Nojoom Point for every QR8 amount against their purchase. Worldwide Traveland is an affili- spent on travel at the following For more information on all ate of BCD Travel, one of world’s Mannai Air Travel branches; Nojoom partners and how to leading Travel Management Com- Musheireb Street, B-Ring enrol into Nojoom, customers pany which gives a global reach Road,Mesaieed, Al Khor, Doha can visit the Nojoom page of the for Mannai Air Travel. Sheraton, Salwa Cricket Sta- Ooredoo website at www.ooredoo. The Company provides Travel dium andD Ring Road. qa/nojoom, download the Ooredoo Management Services for Cor- To earn points, members must app or stop by any Ooredoo shop. Qatar University Vice President for Medical Education and CMED Dean Dr EgonToft, and Assistant Vice President porate Business Travel and Lei- inform staff that they are a for Communication and Outreach Zeina Al Azmeh during a seminar. sure Travellers including Air Nojoom member and show their THE PENINSULA

Ashghal plans Egypt court jails Brotherhood chief for 10 years 160 footbridges CAIRO: An Egyptian military in the canal city of Suez between Brotherhood leader Mohamed attacks on police during the 2011 their harsh and swift verdicts. court yesterday sentenced Mus- August 14 and 16, 2013. The clashes Beltagy and Safwat Hegazy, a uprising that ousted president Egypt’s constitution allows mil- DOHA: The Public Works lim Brotherhood leader Mohamed erupted after police brutally broke pro-Brotherhood Islamist, army Hosni Mubarak. The Brother- itary trials of civilians accused of Authority (Ashghal) plans to Badie to 10 years in prison over up two pro-Morsi protest camps and judicial officials said. hood chief has also been handed violence targeting military tar- build 160 footbridges all over the deadly clashes following the in Cairo on August 14 that year. Forty-one defendants were sen- life sentences in five other cases. gets, which include public infra- country to ensure pedestrians’ 2013 ouster of Islamist president The charges in the military trial tenced to serve between three and Hundreds of supporters of structure such as highways and safety. Yusuf Al Emadi, Head Mohamed Mursi, judicial officials included vandalism, inciting vio- seven years behind bars, while 90 Mursi were killed on August 14, bridges as well as universities. of Road Maintenance Section said. Ninety other defendants lence, murder, assaulting mili- others were handed down life sen- 2013 when police stormed their Since Mursi’s overthrow, the at Ashghal, said: “Ashghal has tried in absentia were sentenced tary personnel and setting fire to tences. Yesterday’s sentences can camps in Cairo, just weeks after authorities have launched a brutal already built an air-conditioned to life terms, which in Egypt runs armoured personnel carriers and be appealed. the Islamist president was ousted crackdown against his supporters footbridge on the Industrial to 25 years. two Coptic churches in Suez. Badie is facing several trials by then army chief and now Presi- leaving hundreds dead and thou- Area road (east). The bridge is Badie and dozens of others Badie, the Brotherhood’s spir- and has been sentenced to death dent Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. sands jailed after often speedy 65 meters long and four meters were found guilty of participat- itual guide, was sentenced to 10 in a separate case along with Military tribunals in Egypt mass trials. wide. Elevators and staircases are ing in clashes that killed 31 people years in prison along with fellow Morsi for plotting jailbreaks and have regularly faced criticism for AFP installed at the footbridge for the convenience of pedestrians”. A large number of pedestrians are using the footbridge. Accord- ing to a survey conducted last August, 42,181 pedestrians used Eleven migrants, including the footbridge in a month. This Iraq forces advance into Ramadi means 1,361 pedestrians use the bridge on daily basis on average three kids, drown off Turkey BAGHDAD: Iraqi security forces advanced yes- Iraq air strikes at the rate of 57 pedestrian per terday into the centre of Ramadi for a final push hour, said Al Emadi Control areas as of Nov. 25. U.S.-led coalition air strikes from Dec. 11 to 21. ANKARA: Eleven migrants bound for EU member Greece, includ- aimed at retaking the city they lost to the Islamic He was speaking at a two-day ing three children, drowned off the Turkish coast on Tuesday when State (IS) group in May, officials said. CONTROL AREAS traffic safety conference organized Faction their boat sank in the latest tragedy in the Aegean Sea, the state-run “We went into the centre of Ramadi from sev- TURKEY Islamic State by the Qatar Centre for Traffic PUK Peshmerga Anatolia news agency said. eral fronts and we began purging residential areas,” Mosul dam Safety Studies at the Engineer- Tal Afar KDP Peshmerga Sinjar Seven people were rescued in the incident off Turkey’s Aegean Sea said Sabah Al Noman, spokesman of the elite Iraqi Mosul Iraqi Army/Shi’a militias ing College of Qatar University, in Arbil Euphrat Kisik Iraqi Security Forces es R resort of Kusadasi but coastguards found the bodies of 11 people, includ- counter-terrorism service. iv Qayyarah collaboration with Traffic Depart- er Populated area ing three children, it added. “The city will be cleared in the coming 72 hours,” Kirkuk ment at the Ministry of Interior. Hawija Under PKK/YPG Deir al-Zor The migrants appeared to have been trying to reach the Greek island he said. Baiji PUK Peshmerga of Samos which lies opposite Kusadasi. “We did not face strong resistance, only snipers SYRIA Tikrit KDP Peshmerga THE PENINSULA Kurdistan region under Peshmerga The disaster happened as the UN refugee agency and the Interna- and suicide bombers and this is a tactic we expected,” Al Qaim Haditha Samarra Under ISF Al Baghdadi tional Organization for Migration (IOM) announced more than one Noman said. Habbaniyah IRAQ Hit Consultancy firm million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year. The fresh push was launched on Monday night Baghdad Ramadi Fallujah The vast majority of people — 821,008 — landed in Greece, accord- and aims to result in the full recapture of Ramadi, Turaibil Iraq's armed IRAN Kerbala ing to the figures. the capital of Anbar province in western Iraq. forces stormed to check Egypt’s the center of the Turkey, which is already hosting at least 2.2 million migrants from Footage on state TV channel Iraqiya showed city on Dec. 22, a Najaf spokesman for the the war in Syria, has emerged as the major hub for refugees and soldiers driving down the deserted streets of the counter- terrorism airport security units said. migrants seeking to go to Europe. bombed-out city, entering homes with caution to CAIRO: Egypt has hired global SAUDI ARABIA The EU and Turkey agreed a deal for Ankara to step up its work detect possible booby traps and retrieving shells and Basra consultancy Control Risks to to stop migrants heading to Europe in return for a package of EU rockets from abandoned IS positions. review security at its airports fol- financial help. The fighting in Ramadi is led by the elite coun- 50 miles lowing the crash of a plane carry- 50 km KUWAIT But even with the bad weather of winter starting, there has so far ter-terrorism force, backed by US-led coalition air ing Russian holidaymakers over been no obvious halt to the flow of migrants and deadly disasters are strikes and also supported by the police, the army Note: Air strikes are marked on the nearest identified town in the report. Markers does not represent strike the Sinai Peninsula, killing all on frequency. still regularly reported every week. and Sunni tribes opposed to the jihadists. Sources: Institute for the Study of War; U.S. Central Command. board and hurting the country’s Eighteen people drowned off Turkey overnight Friday to Saturday IS has lost several key towns in Iraq since Bagh- C. Inton, staff, 22/12/2015 tourism industry. when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea as it was heading for the Greek dad and the autonomous Kurdish region in the north Egypt said this month it had island of Kalymnos. started fighting back following the jihadist group’s a brigadier general said, speaking on condition of found no evidence so far of terror- devastating offensive 18 months ago. anonymity. IS fighters have had plenty of time to ism or other illegal action linked The Shiite-dominated Hashed Al Shaabi paramili- dig in since they took full control of Ramadi on May to the October crash, in which 224 Over 650 people rescued off Libya tary forces were heavily involved in battles that led 17 after blitzing government forces with wave after people were killed, but Russia said ROME: More than 650 people have been plucked to safety in the to the recapture of towns such as Tikrit and Baiji, wave of car and truck bomb attacks. in November that the plane was Mediterranean and one body recovered, the Italian coastguard said but they have remained on the fringes in the battle The jihadists built tunnels to move without being brought down by a bomb. Tuesday, as migrants continue to attempt the perilous crossing to for the Sunni city of Ramadi. exposed to the coalition’s daily raids but their sup- Islamic State, the militant Europe despite the winter weather. Retaking the city, an insurgent bastion that saw ply lines have been gradually severed and military group that has seized swathes The coastguard rescued 360 people from three rubber dinghies, while some of the deadliest fighting against US troops a officials estimated last week there no more than 300 of territory in Iraq and Syria, the Doctors Without Border’s boat Bourbon Argos picked up another decade ago, would be the Iraqi federal forces’ most fighters left in the city. The breakthrough came ear- claimed responsibility and said it 96 and 95 migrants from rickety vessels adrift off Libya. significant victory so far. lier this month when counter-terrorism forces broke had smuggled a bomb on board The Italian navy said one of its vessels had rescued another 100 “We built temporary bridges on the Euphrates down IS defences and retook the key southwestern hidden in a soft drinks can. migrants and recovered a body. and our forces were able to cross the river to enter neighbourhood of Al Tameem. AGENCIES residential areas and gain access to the city centre,” AFP REUTERS

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Freedom struggle Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

RO-INDEPENDENCE parties in Spain’s north- eastern Catalonia region are posing new challenges to the government in Madrid. In a significant Pdevelopment yesterday, the pro-freedom parties in the sensitive region struck a deal to form a government. It was a Europe’s year from hell may moment of rare unity in Catalonia and a sign of more headache for the government in Madrid. Parties favouring independence had won a majority of seats in a September regional ballot in Catalonia, but divisions between the parties had undermined presage worse to come their prospect of moving forward with an independence drive. Finally, putting an end to the bickering, the anti-capitalist By Paul Taylor open-border Schengen area of pass- 2016 is that Europe’s main leaders are party CUP said it is now ready to back the head of the regional port-free travel was in danger and the politically weak and so preoccupied by government, Artur Mas, allowing him to stay on as leader. Y any measure, it has been a year euro itself would be unlikely to survive domestic challenges that they are unable The deal also comprises an economic plan and an 18-month from hell for the European Union. if internal borders were shut. Juncker to take the necessary collective action. roadmap to independence. BAnd if Britons vote to leave the resorted to gallows humour after the The conservative Merkel’s survival The government in Madrid has fiercely opposed bloc, next year could be worse. last of 12 EU summits this year, most in the chancellery hinges on her ability Not since 1989, the year the Berlin devoted to last-gasp crisis management: to bring down the number of refugees independence for Catalonia, while the region has been stubborn Wall fell and communism crumbled “The crises that are with us will flooding into Germany next year and and steadfast in its demands for the same. With Spain’s political across eastern Europe, has the conti- remain and others will come.” show she has migration under control. parties facing weeks of negotiations to form a government, the nent’s geopolitical kaleidoscope been His gloomy tone was a reality check Without “Mutti” (Mummy), as she Catalan issue is now set to come into play again. shaken up so vigorously. But unlike that on the “we can do it” spirit that German is affectionately known back home, the The latest development can complicate the political climate year of joyous turmoil, which paved the Chancellor Angela Merkel — Europe’s EU would be in even more dire straits. in Spain. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the People’s way for a leap forward in European pre-eminent leader — has sought to French President Francois Hollande’s integration, the crises of 2015 have apply to the absorption of hundreds of year has been bracketed by militant Party (PP), who is a fierce champion of Spanish unity and threatened to tear the Union apart and thousands of mostly Syrian refugees. attacks on the streets of Paris in Janu- known for blocking the independence drive over the past four left it battered, bruised, despondent and Merkel has received little support ary and November that caused Europe- years, lost his majority in the December 20 general election littered with new barriers. from her EU partners in sharing the wide shock over the Islamist threat and has been struggling to form The collapse of the Iron Curtain led migrant burden. Most have insisted the from within and over failures in Euro- Catalonia’s a government. In what could lead within two years to the agreement to priority is sealing Europe’s external bor- pean police and intelligence cooperation. to a complex political coalition, an create a single ders rather than welcoming more than France’s influence in Europe is dimin- European cur- a token number of refugees in their own ished by its economic weakness as Hol- struggle for alliance of left-wing opponents of rency and, over countries. lande struggles for re-election in 2017 independence Rajoy, could include leftist parties the following This is partly due to latent resent- against rising far-right populist Marine from Catalonia that support One problem 15 years, to the ment of German dominance of the EU Le Pen and conservative predecessor has gained independence. likely to worsen eastward enlarge- and payback for its reluctance to share Nicolas Sarkozy. British Prime Minister The question of Catalonia’s ment of the EU more financial risks in the euro zone. David Cameron cares only about finding and Nato up to Some partners also accuse Berlin of a face-saving deal on changes in Brit- momentum secession is likely pose new in 2016 is the borders of hypocrisy over its energy ties with Rus- ain’s EU membership terms in February after recent problems to Madrid and the time that Europe’s Russia, Ukraine sia, while friends such as France, the to win a knife-edge referendum which has come for the entire country and Belarus. Netherlands and Denmark are simply he has hinted he hopes to hold sometime elections saw to look at the issue afresh. The main leaders That appeared petrified by the rise of right-wing anti- next year. a surge of separatist movement in Catalonia are politically to confirm found- immigration populists at home. Cameron has effectively mortgaged has faced several setbacks in recent ing father Jean One of the sharpest rebuffs to shar- Britain’s future to an attempt to deprive weak and so Monnet’s predic- ing more of the refugee burden came immigrants from eastern EU countries smaller parties. months. Fierce opposition from the tion that a united from close ally Paris. Prime Minister of the same in-work benefits that low- centre-right central government preoccupied Europe would be Manuel Valls said of Merkel’s open door paid British workers get, which many in Madrid received backing from the court too. In November, built out of crises. policy towards Syrian refugees: “It was EU partners say would be illegal. the country’s Constitutional Court blocked a resolution passed by domestic In contrast, not France that said ‘Come!’.” Given British public alarm over immi- by Catalonia’s regional parliament to start an independence challenges this year’s politi- Merkel’s critics rounded on her at an gration, an anti-elite mood and age-old process, which entailed setting up a republic within 18 months. cal and economic end-of-year EU summit. Italy’s Matteo suspicion of Europe fanned by sceptical shocks over an Renzi, backed by Portugal and Greece, media, the referendum is an accident Spaniards oppose any division of their country, while that they are influx of migrants, attacked her refusal to accept a euro waiting to happen. Catalonians seem determined to secede. The recent elections unable to take Greek debt, zone bank deposit guarantee scheme. If Europe’s second-biggest economy have further complicated the matter, in which two new Islamist violence The Baltic states, Bulgaria and Italy and one of its two main military pow- parties rocked the country’s traditional two-horse race – a the necessary and Russian mil- denounced her support for a direct gas ers became the first member state ever result which experts are saying could prove beneficial for itary action have pipeline from Russia to Germany at a to vote to leave the EU, it would be a collective action. led to the return time when the EU is sanctioning Mos- shattering blow to the bloc’s confidence the independence lobby in Catalonia. The left-wing Podemos of border controls cow over its military action in Ukraine and international standing. Die-hard and the right-of-centre Ciudadanos (parties received strong in many places, the rise of populist anti- and has forced the cancellation of a European federalists like to believe a support from voters weary of high unemployment, austerity EU political forces and recrimination pipeline to southern Europe. “Brexit” would unshackle the remain- and disgust over the country’s political status quo. The new among EU governments. “It was pretty much everyone against ing members to move ahead in a much Spanish government will have to finally come to terms with the Jean-Claude Juncker, who describes Merkel in the room,” a diplomat who closer union built on the euro zone. issue of Catalonian independence and act accordingly• his EU executive as the “last chance heard the exchanges said. Commission”, warned that the EU’s One problem likely to worsen in REUTERS The other side Quote of Resolve to deepen economic reforms the day HE annual Central Economic Plan (2016-20) but also to the pros- This is a must if China is to fulfill its goal with permanent settlement of migrant Work Conference, held in pects for global growth in the coming of doubling per capita income between workers in Chinese cities. Beijing between Friday and years. 2010 and 2020. It is also essential for Also deepened reform of the finan- Monday, has called for all-out There are ample reasons for Chi- China to be a key anchor for the global cial system is badly needed to prevent Tefforts to speed up the carrying out of nese policymakers to carefully review economy bracing for the uncertainties systemic or regional financial risks, essential economic reforms. the domestic economic performance likely to result in the divergences in the as well as more measures to reduce By focusing on supply-side reform, given the disappointing international monetary policies of major economies. transaction costs, taxes and social Whatever happens, the Chinese authorities have made the situation, which is characterized by However, the tasks ahead are not insurance fees to promote mass entre- my reputation has conference an opportunity to usher shrinking trade, plunging commodity easy. preneurship and innovation. in changes in economic policies to prices and rising capital outflows from Chinese policymakers need to cut By showing their resolve to take been sullied, I’ve been improve public services, environmen- emerging markets. excessive industrial capacity, especially on these challenges, the Chinese kicked in the teeth: tal protection, the quality of production It is believed that all-round supply- in industries with low technology and policymakers are demonstrating their and further opening-up to the global side reform will help release domestic poor market prospects. And the record determination to accelerate the reforms I’ve been put in the economic system. purchasing power and create new housing inventories demand innova- necessary for sustainable and inclusive same bag as Blatter. These are essential not only to the demand so that the Chinese economy tive efforts to combine the long-term growth. success of China’s 13th Five-Year can maintain its growth momentum. development of the real estate sector CHINA DAILY Michel Platini Europe football chief WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 OPINION www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 California attacks justify surveillance

that year and in 2012 on a local community college and commuter highway, according to an FBI affi- Critics claimed the Metadata programme allowed NSA davit released on Thursday with Marquez’s indictment. or some future administration to misuse the system Meanwhile, irrational fear that the two San Bernardino shooters and put together a complete profile of an individual represent a failure of US intel- ligence and the beginning of an American. But though the system had been there for Islamic State offensive inside the United States is being generated more than 10 years, neither Snowden nor any critic by media coverage and Republi- can politicians. could show misuse. The best example is the New York Times December 12 story that US analysts had missed that Malik “talked openly on social By Walter Pincus den era had mostly been initiated Now the phone companies media about her views on violent after 9/11 when the intelligence keep the records and NSA needs jihad. She said she supported it. wo days after the hor- community was criticised for “not approval from a judge on the And she said she wanted to be a rendous shootings in San connecting the dots” to prevent Foreign Intelligence Surveillance part of it.” Bernardino, California, those attacks. Court (FISC) to go after a US Five days later, FBI Direc- TWhite House press sec- I have watched this pendulum number. On the other hand, with tor James Comey corrected the retary Josh Earnest was asked by swing back and forth several FISC approval, the NSA analysts Times story stating that Malik’s a reporter during his daily brief- times over the past 40 years. The have new authority to go after extremist statements were not ing, “Are we at the point where current swing has come faster cellphone Internet call records, “openly on social media” but pri- the administration is ready to, if than normal, but here it goes which they could not before. vate messages not visible to the not concede, become concerned again. NSA Director Adm Michael public. Thursday’s FBI affidavit about the possibility of a major Snowden disclosed the so- Rogers told an industry group last showed that Farook’s radicalisa- intelligence failure on these indi- called metadata collection pro- week that the new law is “not an tion came years before the Islamic viduals on the West Coast?” gramme, which saw NSA collect insignificant challenge” for the State emerged and was generated How quickly people forget. It from telephone companies the phone companies and it remains primarily from lectures by Anwar was little more than two years ago time, date and length of Ameri- to be seen how his agency can get Al Awlaki and other Yemen-based that reporters were questioning cans’ phone calls, and store them records in fast-developing inves- Al Qaeda in the Arabian Penin- whether intelligence collection to for five years. tigations. sula jihadists. discover terrorists had gone too Under tight controls, a limited It could be having an effect on The FBI also noted that at far. number of NSA analysts could the San Bernardino investigation 8:43am on the morning of the National Security Agency con- have access to those records, but into the activities of the now- shootings Malik searched the tractor Edward Snowden had only if there was a reasonable, deceased shooters, Syed Rizwan web for an Islamic State website. distributed highly classified doc- articulable suspicion that the US Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Later she messaged, “We pledge uments related to the National number was linked to a foreign Malik. Under court order, the allegiance to Khalifa bu bkr al Security Agency’s collection of terrorist group. NSA analysts raw telephone metadata records bhaghdadi al quraishi,” indica- A journalist looks at personal belongings in the apartment of San Bernardino information related to terrorism could go further and expand their going back five years under the tions of how little she knew about attackers Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik, after they were at home and abroad, and White inquiry to other numbers that old system still remain in NSA the Islamic State and its leader. given access by the landlord. House press secretary Jay Carney were called by or called the US hands but, under a court order, Nonetheless, politicians have had to deal with reporters ask- number. cannot be reviewed in the San since identified the couple’s attack ing such things as, “Is the govern- Critics claimed the programme Bernardino investigation, even as a sign that the Islamic State ment striking the right balance allowed NSA or some future with a warrant. (Had Farook’s is directing activities in the US. priate. She made a public call to not posted publicly.” between privacy and security.” administration to misuse the sys- number been picked up in some For example, during last jihad, and they didn’t target it.” He then reminded reporters On December 19, 2013, a tem and put together a complete earlier search then that data week’s Republican presidential Recall that Comey said there about that swinging pendulum: reporter asked Carney if it were profile of an individual American. would still be accessible to inves- candidates’ debate, Senator Ted was nothing posted publicly by “Keep in mind it was only a cou- accurate “that the bulk telephone But although the system had been tigators.) Cruz of Texas said, “We didn’t the couple. At his Friday news ple years ago where we were hav- collection [of metadata by the in effect for more than 10 years, Farook had been radicalised by monitor the Facebook posting of conference, President Barack ing a major debate about whether NSA] has not stopped a terror- neither Snowden nor any critic Islamist extremist websites going the female San Bernardino ter- Obama pointed out, “No govern- the government was becoming too ist attack?” Hardly anyone men- could show misuse. back at least to 2011 and, with his rorist because the Obama DHS ment is going to have the capacity much like Big Brother.” tioned that the NSA systems that Nonetheless, the system was former neighbour, Enrique Mar- (Department of Homeland Secu- to read every single person’s texts were criticised in the post-Snow- changed. quez, allegedly planned attacks rity) thought it would be inappro- or emails or social media . . . if it’s THE WASHINGTON POST Split Taliban endangering US mission The next civil rights By Shawn Snow Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the Pakistani Army issue of our time he conflict in Afghani- chief, General Raheel Sharif, in stan is entering a new, October and November of this even more chaotic chap- year, the Obama administration By Emily Badger workers must commute — and the Tter. On Monday, the six is underscoring the importance time they lose with their families. US service members were killed of regional cooperation and the arlier this year, Maryland’s It affects air quality and housing in an apparent suicide attack in role Pakistan will play in creat- new Republican governor, options and where children go to Bagram province. Meanwhile, ing peace in the region. For the ELarry Hogan, cancelled school. the Islamic State has a growing upcoming fighting season the US a long-planned new transit line “As much attention as we give to presence in the country. And a government will need to maintain across Baltimore, angering city the trial of the officers who were dangerous power struggle has its steady assistance militarily to officials and residents in the charged in the killing of Freddie emerged within the Taliban. Afghan forces, while at the same mostly-black urban neighbour- Gray,” Ifill says, “we should give to Early this month, rumours time pressuring the Pakistani hoods that stood to gain from a decision that implicates 10,000 of the demise of the Taliban government to support reconcili- the new Red Line. What’s more: construction jobs and billions of Supreme Leader, Mullah Akhtar ation between moderate Taliban Hogan announced that he would infrastructure investment in Bal- Mohammad Mansour, sent shock- forces still connected to Islama- spend the state money instead on timore that were eliminated in a waves through the region. Man- bad and the Kabul based govern- roads, highways and bridges out- single day, by a single decision, sour was supposedly injured in a ment. side Maryland’s largest city. made by a single person.” shooting between rival factions of The implications for the Pen- That decision, civil rights The governor’s announcement Taliban at a meeting in Quetta, tagon are far reaching. Signs of groups said Monday in a com- came just two months after the Pakistan, dampening the pros- increased Special Forces opera- plaint filed with the federal riots in Baltimore touched off a pect of peace talks between the Members of Afghanistan’s militia forces in the Qala-e Zal district of Kunduz tions in southern Helmand prov- Department of Transportation, national debate about conditions central government in Kabul and province in Afghanistan. ince may indicate that the White violated the Civil Rights Act. By in poor urban communities. But the Taliban. House and Pentagon are willing nixing the transit project — par- the connection between the two, A supposed audio message from And things are likely to remain other, increasing paranoia and to go beyond the stated mission ticularly in favour of rural and Ifill laments, went largely unno- Mansour was distributed days messy while competing factions of anxiety over the other groups’ of “train, advise, and assist” to suburban highway funding — the ticed. later, an attempt to allay con- the Taliban continue fighting with motives and capabilities. Mean- thwart Taliban advances. A loss state will disproportionately harm The particular transit line at cerns among Taliban supporters one another over Omar’s right- while, the groups continue fight- of Helmand province would pro- African Americans, they allege. issue would have crossed the city of Mansour. But the rumour of his ful successor. It is believed that ing the government, a situation vide the Taliban with a strategic And, they add, the move follows from east to west for 14 miles, death or injury continues to pre- since the death of the reclusive that’s become increasingly evident foothold in the south, access to a long history in which transpor- connecting neighbourhoods with cipitate among key members of leader, Mullah Omar, the Taliban in Afghanistan. opium for financing operations, tation decisions in Baltimore in high unemployment and low car the Afghan government, including has divided into three main fac- Recent claims of clashes in and would provide a strong bar- particular have destroyed black ownership to jobs centres down- chief executive Abdullah Abdul- tions among Mullah Mansour, the Nangahar, Zabul, and Helmand gaining chip for anti-government neighbourhoods, robbed their res- town and on the city’s edge. Today, lah, who on December 7, reiter- former deputy to Mullah Omar; provinces between Mansour’s forces in any peace negotiations. idents of job access, and helped the city has just one light rail line ated that the Taliban leader was Mullah Mohammad Rassoul forces and Rassoul’s have report- An increased combat role by cement inequality there. running from north to south, an indeed injured in a shootout. Noorzai, a battlefield commander edly resulted in the death of a US forces may provide a well “Given these facts,” the com- anaemic network relative to cities Whatever the truth, the Tali- in Zabul province; and Maulavi prominent battlefield commander needed morale boost to the fledg- plaint alleges, “the cancellation like Washington and Philadelphia. ban is becoming more fractured, Abdul Jalil, former deputy foreign loyal to Rassoul, Mullah Mansoor ling Afghan security forces that of the Red Line Project, rather For decades, Baltimore officials which could lead it to become minister of the Taliban. Dadullah. Large numbers of vil- witnessed record casualties this than being a cost-saving measure, have drawn up and scuttled and more violent and unstable-right Once hailed as the answer to lagers have fled from Herat prov- fighting season, and buy time for was simply a naked transfer of redrawn maps for an expanded as the Obama administration is Afghanistan’s divisive ethnic ince as internal fighting between the Afghan Air Force to rebuild resources from the project corri- network. But those plans have trying to adjust its course in the landscape, and the chaotic period commanders loyal to Rassoul and and field its new close-air sup- dor’s primarily African-American repeatedly fallen apart. planned withdrawal of American that proceeded the withdrawal of Mansour continues unabated. port platform, the A-29 Super population to other rural and sub- The Baltimore communities forces from Afghanistan. Soviet forces from Afghanistan, The internal infighting, coupled Turcano, this coming spring. A urban parts of the state, several of that never saw real transit invest- The top US commander in the Taliban are no longer viewed with the central government’s stronger and more active combat which have predominantly Cauca- ment, the complaint points out, Afghanistan, General John as a monolithic entity capable desire to reach a peace settle- role in Afghanistan could con- sian populations.” were often harmed by other kinds Campbell, stated before a Sen- of uniting Afghans under a reli- ment will likely make competi- vince potential Taliban defectors The complaint, led by the of infrastructure, too. When the ate hearing in October that the gious identity. The discovery of tion between the Taliban factions and splinter groups to support the NAACP Legal Defense and Edu- region sought to build new high- United States needs a new plan Mullah Omar’s death in 2013, more violent. Attempts to seize central government. cation Fund, applies the fierce ways extending into the city for Afghanistan, and he stressed the mythologised Robin Hood of large population centres, such as But at least as important is language of fights over housing starting in 1950s and 60s, it was that the political and strategic Afghanistan, has ended the Tali- the temporary fall of Kunduz, or understanding who is fighting and education to a realm where primarily black neighbourhoods dynamics within the country ban’s identity as Afghanistan’s daring attacks on major installa- whom within the Taliban. Only civil rights is much less often that were chosen for demolition. have changed within the last unifying entity. tions like the recent siege on Kan- when those conflicts subside will discussed. “My hope is that with Because fault lines are so com- year, including the rise of ISIS Fractured movements tend dahar airfield, may become more there be some semblance of peace the filing of this complaint, people mon, transportation is a civil and the death of Taliban leader to prolong conflicts. This is evi- frequent, as competing groups in the region. Snow is a veteran of will understand that transporta- rights issue nearly anywhere. But Mullah Omar that halted peace dent with contemporary conflicts look to gain supporters and con- the US Marine Corps and gradu- tion is also a civil rights issue,” it takes some care to draw the talks this summer. A recent US around the globe from Yemen, solidate power before a possible ate of the Fletcher School of Law says Sherrilyn Ifill, president and line between what happens in dis- government report found the Syria, and Libya. Competing peace settlement. and Diplomacy specialising in director-counsel of the LDF. tressed communities, and how we security situation in Afghanistan interests and fights over financ- The White House is slowly Central and Southwest Asia. Transportation determines enable people to move out of them. has deteriorated from June 2015 ing and access to resources cause adapting to these rapid changes whether the unemployed can through November 2015. fractured groups to fight each in the region. With the visit of the THE WASHINGTON POST reach jobs. It affects how long THE WASHINGTON POST

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11

Bazaar achieves phenomenal success

Ali Hmeed Al Mari, one of the Bazaar goers, has spent up to QR129,000 on products form Tadmur. Pictures by Kammutty V P

AR Al Sharq’s In a brief interview with The To mark the Festival’s enjoying what it has to offer.” in Katara Hall, gives exhibitors Ali Wahba, Advertising Man- Shopping Festi- Peninsula, Al Mari said: “I was The Bazaar is organised by Dar the exclusivity to present custom- ager of Al Sharq & The Peninsula, val Bazaar has delighted to know that Tadmur conclusion today Al Sharq in collaboration with ers and Katara Village visitors said: “We are delighted with the achieved phe- was exhibiting at the Shopping Katara Hall who assisted the pub- witness their latest products and feedback that we have been get- nomenal success. Festival Bazaar here at Katara (December 23), lication group with the prepara- services. ting from the public everyday. Entering the Village. I own a business and I Dar Al Sharq has tions needed to make the Shopping The exhibitors include Jumbo We will keep on entertaining our sixthD day, exhibitors expressed was in need of 63 air-conditioning Bazaar a huge success. Electronics, Gautier, Iranian guests and will also keep on cater- immense joy over the overwhelm- units and other necessary prod- decided to award Dar Al Sharq also organised a Carpets Corner, Starlink, VLCC, ing to the exhibitors so that we ing response they have received ucts needed for my own company. number of events to coincide with fashion style, Logic Group and could maintain a positive environ- to date. I was even more happy when I the exhibitors the Bazaar. Visitors and shoppers others. Accessories and apparels ment for them to keep engaging As a testament to the posi- came to know that Tadmur was with appreciation were treated to a variety of tradi- for men, women and children, their customers.” tive reception that the Shopping offering special discounts to its tional folklore presentations, cour- cosmetics and beauty products, Among the Festival Bazaar Bazaar has been receiving, Ali clients exclusively at the Bazaar.” certificates. tesy folk art troupe Layaly Biladna electronic items, carpets, furnish- exhibitors participating was Al Hmeed Al Mari, one of the Bazaar Al Mari went on to say: “My that were met with cheers and ings and other household items Muftah Furniture & Decoration, goer, has spent up to QR129,000 family and I were truly surprised magnitude was set up in Katara merriment from the public. are on display at the stalls of the part of the Al Muftah Group, one on products from Tadmur. that a Shopping Bazaar of this Village, and this is my second day The Shopping Bazaar, located exhibitors. of the leading Home Decor and Furnishing companies in Qatar. Mohamed Adnan, Sales Rep- resentative at Al Muftah Furni- ture & Decoration, said: “We take pride in building a great working relationship with our clients by offering them quality products, and quality services. We have achieved an ISO Certification for our quality management system and we are capable of manufac- turing products that meet Green Building standards that are set by reputable organisations like the Forest Stewardship Coun- cil (ESC) and the leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED).” The company’s in-house designer shed some light on Al Muftah’s involvement with the Shopping Festival Bazaar: “We were excited to be given the opportunity to showcase our lat- est in furniture design and decor. We are showcasing pieces that are set to appeal to our customers, and we have been getting great feedback and inquiries about the latest in our showrooms.” Arabi Company Qatar, is yet another exhibitor at the Bazaar. “Arabi Company Qatar has estab- lished a remarkable performance and has been playing a major role as a reliable supplier of commer- cial, industrial, home equipment fluid handling system, hand tools, electrical machinery, a complete range of cleaning equipment, oil and gas equipment and innovative products for 3D Prototyping and 3D Scanning Equipments,” said Bushman P M, Sales Executive at Arabi Company Qatar. “Our motivation is not only limited to supplying our clients with world class quality products, but we also act as a service pro- vider of choice in the field of Fluid Handling System and Oil and Gas Maintenance Services supported by our dedicated and high quali- fied workforce and after sales service.” Bushman added. To mark the Festival’s conclu- sion today (December 23), Dar Al Sharq has decided to award the exhibitors with appreciation certificates. THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com GULF / MIDDLE EAST Greek House unanimously votes for Palestine state President Abbas attends parliament’s special session

ATHENS: Greece’s parliament day after talks with Abbas that to incite and fund terror he is fol- approved a resolution yesterday Greece would no longer refer on lowing a flawed path that will lead calling on the government to rec- official documents to the Pales- him nowhere.” ognise the state of Palestine, but tinian Authority, but rather to Athens has forged closer ties Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras said Palestine. with Israel in recent years, espe- Athens will judge when the time The Palestinian Authority con- cially in the field of energy, while is right to make the formal move. siders over 130 countries to have retaining its traditionally good At a special session attended recognised Palestine as a state, relations with the Palestinians. by visiting Palestinian President although the number is disputed Tsipras travelled to the region Mahmoud Abbas, all parliamen- and several recognitions by what last month when he met both tary parties voted in favour of are now European Union member Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister the move, speaker Nikos Voutsis states date back to the Soviet era. Benjamin Netanyahu. said. It urges the Greek govern- Nine EU members — the Czech He said Abbas’ visit to Greece ment to “promote appropriate Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, signals the “strengthening” of procedures for the recognition of Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, traditionally historic ties between a Palestinian state and every dip- Cyprus and Sweden — have so far the two. “Greece was committed lomatic effort for the resumption recognised Palestine. But no EU to the installation of a viable, Kuwaiti MP Nabil Al Fadhl (centre) talks with Prime Minister Jabir Al Mubarak Al Sabah (left) and Foreign Minister of discussions for peace” in the heavyweight has yet made the independent and sovereign Pal- Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah shortly before passing away during a parliament session, in Kuwait City, yesterday. region, Voutsis added. move. Israel responded to the estinian state based on borders Abbas said he was proud to be Greek vote by saying the Palestin- set in 1967 and with east Jeru- in the Greek parliament, calling it ians’ “unilateral” efforts to secure salem as its capital, a country Kuwaiti MP dies during parliament meeting “the sanctuary of democracy”, and recognition were meaningless. that will coexist peacefully with thanked the deputies for a vote he “The Palestinians and Abu Israel,” Tsipras said. However he KUWAIT CITY: An elderly and suspended sessions for the rest draped on his parliamentary seat. said would “contribute to the crea- Mazen continue to choose the added that Greece would “judge Kuwaiti lawmaker, Nabil Al of the day and today in his honour. Known for his strong anti- tion of a Palestinian state”. unilateral path to obtain rec- the right time” for recognising Fadhl, died in his seat yester- Witnesses said Fadhl had been tak- Islamist views, Fadhl suffered Deputy speaker Tassos Kou- ognition which has no meaning a state of Palestine, taking into day during a meeting of the Gulf ing part in regular discussions with from several illnesses and had a rakis also called the resolution in practice,” said deputy foreign account its “brotherly relations state’s parliament. his colleagues and made his last kidney transplant last year, but “an important step” towards the minister Tzipi Hotovely, using with the Arab people and ties of Speaker Marzouk Al Ghanem remarks on parliamentary business the cause of his death was not recognition of a Palestinian state. another name for Abbas. cooperation with Israel”. said the independent lawmaker, 66, just minutes before he died. immediately announced. Tsipras announced Mon- “Instead of Abu Mazen ceasing AFP passed away while serving his country A flag of Kuwait was seen AFP

Saudi bookstore pulls Trump books Jewish extremists from shelves throw tear gas into DUBAI: Saudi Arabia-based retail chain Jarir Bookstore has removed books written by US presidential candidate Donald Palestinian home Trump from its shelves, it said yesterday, part of a backlash against his proposal to stop Mus- BEITILLU, RAMALLAH: Two though no one has been charged lims from entering the United tear gas canisters were thrown with the crime. States. into a Palestinian home near Their detentions have sparked Jarir, part of one of the Gulf Ramallah yesterday by suspected anger among far-right Israelis kingdom’s biggest retailers, Jarir Jewish extremists, without hurt- who have protested, including Marketing Co, announced the ing the family there at the time, outside the home of a judge, while move in a Twitter response to Israeli police said. lawyers have alleged torture of another user’s call for a boycott The pre-dawn attack in Beitillu suspects by the Shin Bet domestic of the Republican front-runner’s village on the occupied West Bank security agency. books. came with tensions high over The firebombing killed “Jarir Bookstore sells books the detention of alleged Jewish 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha, by Donald Trump, who is known extremists over the July fire- while both of his parents later for making comments offensive bombing of a Palestinian home died from severe burn wounds. to Muslims and Islam. We ask that killed a toddler along with The couple’s four-year-old son them please to remove them,” his mother and father. was the sole survivor from the wrote Saudi user Mogatah on Syrian government forces inspect an area near the village of Khan Tuman, south from the provincial capital Graffiti written in Hebrew near immediate family. December 19, along with a photo Aleppo, yesterday. the home in Beitillu appeared to A Star of David and the words of the Arabic-language edition of make reference to the suspects’ “revenge” and “long live the Mes- Trump’s 2009 book “Think Like detention, saying “revenge” and siah” were spray-painted on a a Champion.” “hello from the prisoners of Zion”. wall near the family’s small house. “The copies have been removed, Russia’s Syria strikes killed “Unknown men threw two gas Palestinians have often high- we thank you for your comment,” canisters into the small house of lighted the lack of progress in the Jarir replied, three days later. a Palestinian family,” Israeli police Duma case as among the causes The move continues the back- said. They added that the family of a wave of knife, gun and car- lash against the Republican front- 2,132 people in three months was there at the time and was not ramming attacks targeting Israe- runner’s business interests in the hurt. Hussein Al Najjar said he lis that began on October 1. Middle East, where his brand has BEIRUT: The Syrian Observa- its tallies on Russian-caused all of oil-rich Deir Ezzor province and his wife and child were awak- Defence Minister Moshe grown toxic as a result of his anti- tory for Human Rights said yes- casualties by the type of aircraft since 2013, but half of the regional ened by the sound of breaking Yaalon has said Israel was deter- Muslim comments. terday that Russian air strikes flown and the munitions used. IS capital remains in the govern- glass. “We saw gas coming from mined to bring those responsible On December 9, Dubai-based have killed 2,132 people in Syria, militants killed nine Syrian stu- ment’s hands. In recent weeks, under the door,” he said. “I called to trial, adding that he considered retailer Landmark halted sales a third of them civilians, since dents when they shelled a school the US-led coalition and Russia’s my brother and the neighbours. the arson “a Jewish terrorist act”. of Trump merchandise at its they began on September 30. in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor military have targeted IS jihadists We were feeling dizzy and crying. The attack drew renewed Lifestyle stores, which had been Of those killed, 598 were fight- yesterday, state news agency Sana in the province with air strikes. Our faces became red.” attention to Jewish extremism selling Trump-branded lamps, ers from the Islamic State (IS) reported. Meanwhile, the United Nations’ A journalist at the scene hours and accusations Israel had not mirrors and jewellery boxes group and another 824 from Al The Syrian Observatory for Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura later said the odour of tear gas done enough to prevent such throughout the Gulf region. Nusra Front, the Syrian affili- Human Rights said nine girls were is planning to begin Syrian peace remained strong in the house, violence. Young Jewish men from ate of Al Qaeda, and other rebel killed and another 20 wounded, talks in Geneva in about a month’s with a window broken where wildcat settlement outposts in groups. mostly students from the regime- time, the director of the UN office the canisters were apparently the West Bank and known as the UAE seizes ship There were a further 710 civil- held district of Hrabesh. at Geneva Michael Moller told a thrown. “hilltop youth” have been blamed ians killed, of whom 161 were chil- “The toll is likely to worsen as news conference yesterday. Israeli authorities in recent for violence and vandalism target- smuggling drugs dren and 104 women. some of the injured are in seri- “The intention is that he starts weeks have arrested a number of ing Palestinians, Christian holy The Britain-based Observa- ous condition,” the Observatory’s some time towards the end of Jan- suspected Jewish extremists over sites and even Israeli military DUBAI: United Arab Emirates tory has an extensive network of Rami Abdel Rahman said. uary,” Moller said. the July 31 deadly firebombing in property. security authorities have seized informants inside Syria. It bases The IS has controlled nearly AGENCIES the West Bank village of Duma, AFP an Iranian ship that was smug- gling drugs and people, the state Wam news agency said on Tues- day. Wa m said the ship’s cap- tain was trying to smuggle “big amounts of drugs and two Iranian Turkey insists on lifting of Gaza blockade in Israel talks nationals through the Khaled port in the emirate of Sharjah”. ANKARA: Turkish Prime ples’ Party (HDP), is set to meet Davutoglu also accused Rus- Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei sia of bombing civilians in Syria Tunisia extends yesterday talks on restoring Lavrov today, the first high profile instead of focusing its opera- ties with Israel were continuing trip by any Turkish figure since tions on the Islamic State (IS) state of emergency and Ankara was insisting on its the plane crisis. group. demands for compensation and “Why didn’t they (the HDP) go “I am calling on Russia. Why TUNIS: Tunisia extended for for “lifting restrictions” on Gaza, two months ago? Why are they are you bombing innocent civil- another two months yesterday a which is subject to an Israeli going at such a time?” Davutoglu ians by saying ‘we’re fighting state of emergency imposed after blockade. asked his party’s lawmakers. Daesh’,” he said, using another a deadly November bus bombing In a speech to members of his The November 24 shooting name for IS. claimed by the Islamic State (IS) ruling AK Party in parliament, down of a Russian warplane on Demirtas, seen as the only group, the presidency said. Davutoglu said that the talks the Syrian border by Turkish politician in Turkey who matches President Beji Caid Essebsi has were progressing positively but forces has sparked an unprece- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “decided on an extension of the that a final outcome had not been dented crisis in Turkey’s ties with charisma, unsuccessfully chal- state of emergency over all the reached. Russia which accused Ankara of lenged the Turkish strongman in territory” of the country “until Ahmet Davutoglu criti- a planned provocation. a 2014 presidential election. February 21, 2016”, a statement cised a visit to Russia by the Davutoglu raised suspicions Ankara is warily watching if said. main Kurdish opposition party over the timing of the visit. Moscow will tighten ties with It had been due to expire today. leader, at a time when Ankara “Why are they going at such Turkish Prime Minister and leader of the Justice and Development Party Kurdish factions in the wake of It was imposed on November 24 is at loggerheads with Moscow a time to a country with which (AKP) Ahmet Davutoglu with parliament members during an AKP meeting the plane crisis and in particular following a suicide attack in the over the downing of a Russian we are having a crisis because of at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) in Ankara, yesterday. whether it allows Syrian Kurds to capital that killed 12 presidential warplane. their violation of this nation’s air- open an office in Moscow. guards. Selahattin Demirtas, leader of space?” Davutoglu asked. it on as their moral duty to coop- lem with Turkey instead of acting AGENCIES the opposition Democratic Peo- “My friends — they have taken erate with whoever has a prob- together with this nation.” AGENCIES WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 ASIA / AFRICA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Boko Haram keeps a million children out of school: Unicef LAGOS: The Boko Haram insur- tary commanders until the end of April 14, 2014, seizing 276 girls incessant suicide bombings, Boko ple is so enormous,” Shettima now, the structural problems, the gency has kept more than one the month to end the Boko Haram who were preparing for end-of- Haram has severely damaged said. financial problems, this is going to million children out of school, the insurgency, but even if victory is year exams in an abduction that what little infrastructure existed Eradicating Boko Haram will take years to fix.” UN children’s agency reported possible analysts say his govern- shocked the world. in Nigeria’s impoverished north- not solve the education issue in As the Nigerian military yesterday, highlighting fears ment will have to contend with Since starting to wage war east at a time when the commod- the region, said Yan St-Pierre, wins back territory in the that a lack of education will fuel social turmoil stemming from a on the Nigerian government in ity dependant country is facing a terrorism analyst at Modern country’s northeast, some further radicalism in and around generation of children who have 2009, Boko Haram — whose name cash crunch thanks to plunging Security Consulting Group. schools have been able to reopen, Nigeria. not gone to class. means “Western education is for- oil prices. “There was already a prob- according to Unicef, yet many Over 2,000 schools are closed “The longer they stay out of bidden” — has targeted schools, In the northeastern state lem with getting kids to school are overcrowded and lack the across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad school, the greater the risks students and teachers. of Borno, militants destroyed on a regular basis that simply necessary supplies for children and Niger, while hundreds of oth- of being abused, abducted and “It fulfils their initial mandate, $1bn (914m euros) of infrastruc- became worse once Boko Haram to learn. ers have been attacked, looted, or recruited by armed groups,” said which is to topple Nigeria’s secu- ture, including hospitals, bridges, emerged,” said St-Pierre, speak- Other areas are still too unsafe set on fire by Boko Haram jihad- Manuel Fontaine, Unicef regional lar government and the Western roads and homes, reported ing from Berlin. to resume class, with Boko ists in their quest to create an director of West and Central tenants which underpinned that Governor Kashim Shettima in “In so-called liberated areas Haram threatening in Decem- independent Islamic state, said Africa. governance structure,” said Ryan September. it’s been difficult to restore func- ber to mount mass abductions of Unicef. Boko Haram fighters stormed Cummings, security analyst at The amount of “funds required tioning infrastructure,” said St- students, according to Nigerian Nigeria’s President Muham- a school in the remote northeast- Red24, a risk consultancy firm. for the rehabilitation, reconstruc- Pierre, “that’s why we’re talking officials. madu Buhari has given his mili- ern Nigerian town of Chibok on Between bloody raids and tion and resettlement of our peo- about a generational problem AFP

Captain of Hope for survivors fades sunken ferry after China landslide rescued, 70 still missing One body recovered, 76 still missing; police raid firm JAKARTA: The captain of an Indonesian ferry that sank in SHENZHEN: Rescuers strug- ing to the official newspaper of the Overnight, the area was lit up with rough seas was rescued floating gled to claw away a massive Ministry of Land and Resources. floodlights to allow uninterrupted in a life jacket two days after the mound of mud engulfing an indus- Soil was illegally stored in heaps rescue operations. accident, but more than 70 oth- trial district in China yesterday in 100 metres high at an old quarry Premier Li Keqiang has ordered ers remain missing, officials said a desperate bid to find survivors site and turned to mud during rain an investigation into the mudslide. yesterday. among 76 missing people as anger on Sunday morning, according to A central government meeting The national search and rescue mounted over the landslide that the Global Times, affiliated with in Beijing overseen by President Xi agency has so far found 40 survi- occurred despite multiple warn- Communist Party mouthpiece Jinping that ended yesterday said vors, including the captain, and ings. People’s Daily. safety should be the “first prior- four bodies off Sulawesi island, out Hopes for those still missing in Documents on the website of ity” in China’s city development Policemen stand guard while rescue workers work in the industrial park of the 118 on board. the mud were fading last evening, the Guangming New District, and management, Xinhua news hit by a landslide in Shenzhen, in China’s Guangdong province, yesterday. “The captain said before the almost three days after the land- where the landslide occurred, agency said. boat sank, waves five to seven slide, even as heavy machinery show that authorities were aware “Safety awareness should per- before even winning the bid. nation to shake with anger and metres high hit the boat and raked through thousands of tonnes of problems with the storage and meate every aspect of urban However, Yixianglong’s busi- shocked the world!” user Xizidan entered the engine room,” opera- of soil and rubble that buried fac- had urged action as early as this work,” it said. ness description registered with wrote in a post that was taken tions director Ivan Titus said. tories and residential buildings. July. Government records show that the government does not include down by authorities, but found on “That would kill the engine,” The government revised the Authorities raided the offices of a company called Shenzhen Luwei logistics management as one of its the censorship tracking website Titus added number of missing down from 81 the company managing the dump Property Management won the areas of operation. This was a pre- Weiboscope. Asdar said he told passengers to 76 after contacting some of the site, while government records right to manage the dump site requirement to bid for managing The post said people were angry and crew to put on life jackets, unaccounted for, officials said dur- showed the firm was not qualified within the Hengtaiyu industrial the site, according to bid docu- over accidents including the blasts abandon ship and make for the life ing a press conference yesterday. to do the job. park in Shenzhen’s Guangming ments. at Tianjin in August, the sinking rafts which had been launched. A body discovered in the morning Thousands of workers were New District in 2013. Commenters on China’s popular of a ferry on the Yangtze river in About 30 minutes later, the remained the first and only con- using sensors, drones and earth But a company official said Weibo microgblogging voiced fury June that killed more than 400, boat sank. firmed death. excavators at the 380,000-sq the rights were sold to another over the apparent failings. and a stampede in Shanghai last “At first they were huddling The mudslide was caused by metre disaster site, trying to firm, Shenzhen Yixianglong “The lack of safety supervision New Year’s Eve that left over 30 near the life rafts, in five, in ten, the improper storage of waste soil reach possible survivors trapped Investment Development, and passive attitude in taking dead. and in 15, but that only lasted from construction sites, accord- under mud up to 10 metres deep. for 750,000 yuan ($115,766), precautions has caused the whole AGENCIES until midnight,” Titus said. People began to lose their grip on one another and some drowned because they suffered cramps in Ice sculptures the cold water. Asdar said he col- Philippines VP lected the bodies and tried to stop Mali reimposes state them drifting away by tying the life jackets together, but waves top contender in kept breaking the bodies apart. presidential race of emergency AFP MANILA: Philippine Vice Presi- BAMAKO: Mali has reimposed emergency Mali has declared in dent Jejomar Binay has overtaken a nationwide state of emergency a month. Senator Grace Poe as the top con- for the final 10 days of the year to The last one was ordered after tender to win presidential elec- head off any terror threats, after a 20 people, 14 of them foreigners, tions next year in an opinion poll deadly jihadist attack in the capi- were killed in an attack claimed Burundi govt published yesterday. tal last month. by two jihadist groups on the The survey of 1,800 people, A government statement issued Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako rejects AU force conducted by independent poll- overnight said it was imposed on November 20, according to ster Pulse Asia, showed 33 per- because of “the evolution of the an official toll. Two of the attack- NAIROBI: Burundi’s government cent of voters supported Binay, a security situation in Mali and in ers lost their lives in the incident. yesterday rejected a proposed former human rights lawyer and the surrounding area.” “Even in France security meas- African Union peacekeeping mis- the most experienced politician The “state of emergency cov- ures are taken at the end of the sion already dubbed an “invasion among the presidential hopefuls, ers all national territory as of year,” he said. “This is what we’re force” by parliament. compared with 23 percent who on Monday for 10 days,” said the doing. Crowds must be avoided Lawmakers had on Monday People visit ice sculptures illuminated by coloured lights during a trial backed the tough-talking, Davao statement made public after a for end-of-the-year celebrations. rejected the planned AU force operation of the upcoming Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, in city mayor Rodrigo Duterte. cabinet meeting late on Monday. The enemy could take advantage proposed last week amid growing The poll was conducted between It “aims to give authorities of such crowds.” international alarm over violence Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China, yesterday. The festival will officially December 4 and 11. Binay was the means to better prevent and The November 20 attack was in the African nation. Yesterday, begin on January 5, 2016. seen as the most likely winner of fight any plan to attack the secu- claimed the same day by Al Mura- the National Security Council the 2016 presidential race until rity and property of citizens and bitoun, led by one-eyed Algerian (NSC) — including the president, June, when opinion polls showed any attempt to disturb peace,” militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, as ministers and security force chiefs he was overtaken by Poe. it said. a joint operation with Al Qaeda — rejected the plan. “The threat A survey by Social Weather The measure notably allows in the Islamic Maghreb and later of genocide justifying this deploy- Indonesia punishes Station showed Duterte as the security forces to act to pre-empt released an image of two fighters ment is only a plot of government favourite to succeed President any threat and to restrict public it presented as the assailants. critics,” the NSC statement said. Benigno Aquino. gatherings. firms over forest fires REUTERS It’s the second, 10-day state of AFP AFP JAKARTA: Indonesia is punish- license revocation, while 33 oth- ing more than 20 companies in an ers are still in the process, they unprecedented move for starting could have their licenses revoked Diving Santa deadly forest fires that killed 19 too if they are found guilty,” envi- people, a government official said ronment ministry official Kemal Philippines first in Asia yesterday. Amas said. Three companies have been The ministry has been inves- shut down permanently after tigating 276 companies in total to clear dengue vaccine having their licences revoked since the fires broke out in Sep- over their role in the blazes that tember. PARIS: The Philippines became vention of dengue and for public choked vast expanses of south- “We need firmer law enforce- the first Asian country yesterday health,” Olivier Charmeil, head of east Asia with acrid haze and cost ment so that this catastrophe does to approve the sale of the world’s Sanofi’s vaccines division, said in Indonesia $16 billion. not repeat itself, it’s been going on first-ever dengue vaccine. a statement. It is the first time the gov- for 18 years but nobody has learnt Dengvaxia, manufactured by Scientists have long been ernment has revoked company their lesson,” Amas said. French pharmaceutical giant stumped by dengue, which has licences over forest fires, an Amas said the ministry was Sanofi, secured its first regula- four separate strains, forcing annual occurrence caused by also working hard to restore the tory approval in Mexico a fort- researchers to find a drug able slash-and-burn land clearance. forests and farmland destroyed in night ago and is being reviewed to fight all of them at once. The environment ministry also the fires. by around 20 countries. Clinical tests have found froze the operations of 14 compa- Activists welcomed the govern- It is hoped the drug could even- Dengvaxia can immunise two- nies and said they face closure if ment’s new commitment to pun- tually help prevent millions of thirds of people aged nine years they do not meet the government’s ish firms. deaths from dengue, the world’s and older, rising to 93 percent for demands over fire prevention. The Indonesian Forum for fastest-growing mosquito-borne the more severe form of the dis- A South African diver dressed as Santa Claus greets a child during a Several other companies have Environment said it was unheard disease. ease, dengue haemorrhagic fever. show before Christmas at Africa’s largest marine theme park, the South been given a strong warning and of for the government to revoke The World Health Organiza- It was also found to reduce African Marine Biological Research Sea World, based at the Shaka will be put under close supervision. licences, as many companies pre- tion says as many as 400 million the risk of hospitalisation by 80 Marine World in Durban, yesterday. Shaka Marine is home to more than “We have sanctioned 23 com- viously avoided facing trial. people are infected every year, percent. 200 marine species and attracts around 180,000 local and international panies in total, ranging from and two-thirds are in Asia. tourists during the Christmas and holiday festive period. administrative sanctions to AFP “It’s a major step in the pre- AFP WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PAKISTAN

Bomb attacks British troops deployed in Pakistan kill three, injure as Taliban advance two: Officials PESHAWAR: Two separate bomb attacks killed three people Sporadic fighting in Afghanistan’s Sangin district and wounded two others, includ- ing a senior Pakistani army KANDAHAR: Military planes said that insurgents had publicly A statement from the British officer, in a restive tribal region yesterday dropped food and executed at least three security defence ministry did not specify near the Afghan border, officials ammunition to besieged Afghan officials after storming govern- the number deployed, but insisted said yesterday. forces in Sangin after Tali- ment buildings. they would play an “advisory role” The incidents took place last ban insurgents captured large “The Taliban dragged two intel- and not engage in combat. Monday in the Mohmand tribal swathes of the opium-growing ligence officials and a local police US special forces were also area, one of the seven such semi- southern district, as British mil- commander from their homes recently dispatched to Helmand autonomous districts where the itary advisers were deployed to and shot them dead,” Haji Abdul to assist Afghan forces, a senior Afghan National Army soldiers prepare for combat during an ongoing battle military has been battling Al- the region. Qader said. Western official said earlier this with Taliban militants in the Nad Ali district of Helmand yesterday. Qaeda and Taliban-linked mili- The Islamists broke through “Only the governor’s compound week. tants for over a decade. the frontlines of the strategic and the police headquarters are The deployments come a year negotiations in July but the talks at risk of falling to the Taliban. “An improvised explosive device district last Sunday after days under government control. The after the US-led Nato coalition stalled when the Taliban belatedly All but two of Helmand’s 14 (IED) planted along the roadside of fierce clashes, tightening their rest have been overrun by the formally ended its combat mis- confirmed the death of longtime districts are effectively controlled in Baizai area went off as a vehicle grip on the volatile province of Taliban.” sion in Afghanistan, adopting a leader Mullah Omar. or heavily contested by Taliban passed by it killing three people: a Helmand. Qader said he fled to the Hel- training and advisory role to boost A security official in Islama- insurgents, officials said. tribal policeman, a foreman and a Fleeing local residents reported mand provincial capital Lashkar local forces. bad said that Pakistan army chief Insurgents also recently over- tribesman,” senior local adminis- bloody gunfights as the Taliban Gah after a mortar bomb landed Sangin, at the centre of Raheel Sharif would travel to ran Babaji, a suburb of Lashkar tration official Waqar Khan said. advanced on the district centre, on his house, wounding his infant Afghanistan’s lucrative opium Kabul in the coming days, in what Gah, fuelling concern that the No group has so far claimed highlighting a worsening secu- son and daughter. trade that funds the insurgency, appears to be a renewed push to provincial capital could fall. responsibility for the incident, but rity situation across Afghanistan His testimony bore chilling has been the scene of fierce fight- jumpstart talks. President Barack Obama in Khan said authorities were inves- a year after Nato formally ended similarities to the situation in ing for years between the Taliban But, said Kabul-based analyst October announced that thou- tigating whether the deceased its combat operations. Kunduz after the Taliban briefly and Nato forces. Haroon Mir, the escalating war sands of US troops would remain were associated with a local anti- “We are air-dropping food captured the northern city in British troops fought deadly in Helmand suggests “the Taliban in Afghanistan past 2016, back- Taliban militia. supplies, military equipment September -- their most spec- battles in Sangin for four years are not as willing as the Afghan pedalling on previous plans to Another IED planted on a and ammunition to support our tacular victory in 14 years of war. to little effect, before US Marines government to sit on the negotiat- reduce the force and acknowl- roadside in the same district forces in Sangin,” defence minis- Taliban death squads were replaced them in late 2010 and ing table”. edging that Afghan forces are not meanwhile struck a military try spokesman Mohammad Rad- accused of summary executions, finally themselves pulled out last “Or they want to make more ready to stand alone. vehicle wounding a Lieutenant manesh said. rape and plundering Kunduz as year. military gains and win new ter- Underscoring the grim secu- Colonel and a soldier, Khan said. “Sporadic fighting is going Nato-backed Afghan forces strug- The latest unrest in Helmand ritory to eventually join talks in rity situation, a Taliban suicide The army has intensified its on around the district,” he said, gled for two weeks to evict them. comes as President Ashraf Ghani a position of strength,” he said. bomber last Monday killed six offensives in the tribal regions rejecting reports of high military Highlighting the gravity of the has made a diplomatic outreach to In a highly unusual Facebook US soldiers near Kabul, in one of since the Taliban’s massacre casualties and asserting that the situation in Sangin, long seen as a Pakistan -- the Taliban’s historic post Sunday, Helmand’s deputy the deadliest attacks on foreign of 153 people, 134 of them chil- district had not fallen to the Tali- hornet’s nest of insurgent activity, backers -- aimed at restarting governor desperately pleaded troops in Afghanistan this year. dren, in a school in Peshawar last ban. Britain yesterday said its troops peace talks with the insurgents. with Ghani for assistance, warn- December. A resident who fled Sangin had been deployed in Helmand. Pakistan hosted a first round of ing that the entire province was AFP AFP

Pakistani woman health Afghan govt must do better in 2016: UN

UNITED NATIONS: Afghani- people but also donors on whom to tackle corruption, making the have shown “resilience in the face worker ‘gang-raped’ stan’s government will need it is largely dependent.” necessary governance reforms of an intensified insurgency,” and to prove itself worthy of inter- President Ashraf Ghani was and generating hope for the despite recent setbacks in places ISLAMABAD: A woman federal and provincial govern- national support in the coming elected last year on a promise to future which will decrease the like Kunduz. The ANSF should health worker, who took part in ments, the health worker also year, the UN Security Council bring peace to a country ravaged rate of emigration.” focus on improving its logistics a number of anti-polio campaigns, showed a copy of a First Informa- heard last Monday, as the coun- by more than three decades of The Security Council last Mon- and boosting morale, as well as claimed yesterday that four men tion Report (FIR) lodged in the try faces a creeping threat from conflict, and to rein in runaway day adopted a resolution that building up its own air support barged into her house and gang- nearest police station on August the Islamic State group. corruption. In the coming year, renews sanctions against the Tali- capabilities, he added. raped her allegedly for admin- 28. The woman said that a secu- Presenting the council with international donors will be forced ban and its allies, as it has done Afghanistan’s UN ambassa- istering anti-polio drops to the rity official, living in a portion of results of the war-torn nation’s to make “difficult choices” about annually since 1999. dor, Mahmoud Saikal, echoed children in the area. her house as a paying guest, used year of transition, UN special the level and types of assistance With recent peace efforts at an the concerns of the international A mother of five children, she to warn her of dire consequences representative to Afghanistan they will offer to Kabul, Haysom impasse, Haysom called on the community about the emerging claimed that on August 28 she if she did not stop administering Nicholas Haysom looked ahead to said, with resources stretched to Taliban to reciprocate Kabul’s threat from loyalists of IS, which was gang-raped by four men in polio drops to children. 2016, saying: “It is vital that the the limit worldwide amid a series commitments by stepping for- is making inroads in the country, Bablu Kalay area of Nowshehra She said that the man told her national unity government dem- of humanitarian crises. ward to engage with the gov- challenging the Taliban on their district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. that the source of her income is onstrates increasingly its effec- “Afghanistan must show in ernment. Militarily, he said, the own turf. The victim claimed that four “unfair” as the money she gets tiveness, not only to the Afghan particular that it is committed Afghan National Security Forces AFP people entered her house wearing comes from the “Jews”, so she masks and raped her at gunpoint; should leave her job, warning two of the intruders were in police her that some “militants” would uniform while the other two were come and harm her if she does not in plain clothes, Dawn reported. mend her ways. Demanding justice from the IANS US urged to Nepal protesters to continue grant asylum Winter fuel blockade over new constitution to Bangladeshi

KATHMANDU: Ethnic minor- leaves them politically marginal- the issue and submit recommen- bloggers ity protesters in Nepal vowed ised. dations within three months. yesterday to continue their bor- The protesters want lawmakers But the UDMF yesterday dis- WASHINGTON: A coalition of der blockade over a new consti- to amend the country’s internal missed the proposal, calling it human rights groups called on tution, rejecting an “incomplete” borders laid out in the consti- “incomplete” and “unclear”. the United States last Monday to government proposal designed tution which they say will leave “The protests will continue grant temporary visas to secular to end the impasse, and dashing them under-represented in the as they are until... the federal writers from Bangladesh after a hopes of resolving a months-long national parliament. demarcation is corrected,” the series of bloody attacks by Islam- political crisis. In a bid to bring the United UDMF said in a statement. ist militants. More than 50 people have been Democratic Madhesi Front Sarbendra Nath Shukla of Five bloggers and a publisher killed in clashes between police (UDMF) — an alliance of pro- the Tarai Madhesh Democratic were killed by Islamists in Bang- and people protesting against the testing parties — on board, the Party said, “The government’s ladesh this year, including an Himalayan nation’s new charter, government last Monday said proposal is incomplete and does American citizen of Bangladeshi which was introduced in Septem- it had agreed to support a con- not address our demands.” origin. The rights groups, led by ber after a devastating earth- stitutional amendment bill that Landlocked Nepal is heavily the PEN American Center, which quake pushed warring political would increase the community’s dependent on India for fuel and advocates freedom of expression, parties to reach an agreement. presence in government bodies other supplies, but little cargo has said at least four others had been Demonstrators from the Mad- through proportional represen- crossed the border since the pro- attacked. A boy collects dry leaves to be used for cooking fuel and heating dur- hesi ethnic minority, mainly from tation. tests broke out, prompting Kath- In a letter to US Secretary ing winter at a field in Charsadda, near Peshawar, Pakistan, yesterday. Nepal’s southern plains, have been The government also mandu to accuse New Delhi of of State John Kerry, the eight blockading the main Birgunj bor- announced it would revise the imposing an “unofficial blockade”. groups - including Freedom der crossing with India, saying the borders through a “political House, Human Rights Watch constitution and its federal design mechanism”, which would study AFP and Reporters Without Borders - said the writers were in “urgent ‘IS journalist’ arrested danger.” Karin Deutsch Karlekar, PEN’s KABUL: Amid a growing out- “The radio operates through director of free expression pro- cry over the recent emergence in mobile equipment, it changes grams, said dozens of Bangladeshi Kabul of an Islamic State radio location whenever we send out Tajikistan bans trees, decorations writers were living in hiding and station, the Afghan spy agency troops,” Samim added. seeking “protections their own arrested a journalist who alleg- The residents have appealed to government is unwilling or unable edly worked for the station. the government to take immedi- to provide.” This comes after reports ate action against the station in in schools during festive season “Bloggers and writers in Bang- emerged that IS launched a radio order to stop the militant group ladesh have nowhere left to turn, station that broadcasts through from influencing the local youth. DUSHANBE: Tajikistan has istry prohibits “the use of fire- The December-January holiday as they face both death threats Jalalabad and districts in the The government has still not tightened restrictions on celebra- works, festive meals, gift-giving season is contested in Tajikistan, by extremist groups and fear of Nangarhar province in a bid to managed to track down the exact tions of the traditional festive and raising money” for New Year a majority-Muslim but secular arrest on charges of blasphemy promote the group and recruit location from where the group season in schools in the Central celebrations as well as “the instal- republic where the population is by government officials,” she said new fighters. was broadcasting. Asian country, banning Christ- lation of a Christmas tree either divided over the benefits of Soviet in a statement. “We are seriously work- This comes amid a rapidly mas trees and gift-giving. living (felled wood) or artificial” and Russian influences in society. Suzanne Nossel, executive ing with security institutions, deteriorating security situation This year’s restrictions are the in schools and universities. On New Year’s night in 2011- director of PEN America, said because it is a major concern to in Nangarhar following a surge toughest yet implemented by the While other ex-Soviet states 2012, a man dressed in the red the writers were “terrified,” and us. National Directorate of Secu- in Taliban attacks and the emer- former Soviet country, which has have been busy setting up big robes worn by Father Christ- should be allowed to enter the US rity has already arrested one of gence of Islamic State -- displac- been toning down celebrations of festive trees on the main squares mas and his Russian equivalent under a system known as human- the journalists affiliated to ISra- ing hundreds of families. The the New Year holiday for some of major cities, a tree will only “Father Frost” was stabbed to itarian parole, which grants visas dio,” Yasin Samim, spokesman for radio station reportedly started time, notably banning Russia’s appear briefly before New Year death by unknown assailants to individuals at risk who would the ministry of communication broadcasting a week ago. version of Father Christmas from in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe outside the home of relatives in otherwise be inadmissible. and information technology was television screens in 2013. and is expected to be removed Dushanbe. quoted by TOLONews as saying IANS A decree by the education min- early in 2016. AFP REUTERS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 ASIA / INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

Girl moves Kejriwal tells PM to quit; Rajasthan court to annul Modi defends Jaitley child marriage

JAIPUR: An engineering stu- Court issues notice to Delhi CM, five AAP leaders dent yesterday approached a fam- ily court in Ajmer, pleading her NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Min- and District Cricket Association described Jaitley as a man of hon- child marriage held when she was ister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday for 13 long years and who has esty and integrity. only two and a half years old be sought Prime Minister Narendra sought Rs100m in damages from The Rajya Sabha’s working was annulled. Modi’s resignation for ordering the AAP leaders. repeatedly disrupted yesterday — “I was shocked and became the CBI to raid his office, even as The court sought replies from four times before lunch — over depressed when couple of years Modi declared that Finance Min- Kejriwal, Kumar Vishwas, Raghav the DDCA affair as Congress MPs back I came to know that I was ister Arun Jaitley would come out Chadha, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh shouted slogans against the gov- married by my elders to Subash of in flying colours from the DDCA and Deepak Bajpai by February ernment. The Lok Sabha’s pro- Kotputli in Jaipur district when I corruption charges. 5. Jaitley will then file his reply ceedings too were marred. was only two and a half years old. Addressing a special session in two weeks. Kejriwal told the Delhi assem- I thought my dream of becoming of the Delhi assembly, Kejriwal The court also asked Kejriwal bly that the CBI raided his office, an engineer will now be shattered. launched his most scathing attack and other leaders to file original the CBI denies this happened, “I was depressed as there was on Modi while simultaneously documents relating to the alle- because he claimed it was looking Officials inspect the wreckage of a twin-engine turboprop aircraft belonging immense pressure from the caste asking him to sack Jaitley from gations they have made against for a file on the DDCA severely to the paramilitary BSF that crashed near Delhi airport yesterday. panchayat.... I did not have cour- the cabinet for his involvement in Jaitley. critical of Jaitley. If Jaitley was age to refuse the marriage,” the the financial bungling in Delhi’s Jaitley has also filed a criminal indeed innocent, he should prove 19-and-a-half-year-old Kavita cricket board, a charge Jaitley has defamation complaint, saying the this to the Commission of Inquiry said. “I want to concentrate on denied. AAP leaders’ statements would set up by the Delhi government, my career.... want to study fur- The Congress also sought Jait- cause “irreversible damage” to his he said. BSF chartered plane ther and be an engineer,” said the ley’s resignation from the cabinet reputation. “The CBI said the chief min- girl, who is a B Tech student in a for the sake of his “dignity and Addressing BJP MPs earlier in ister was not raided... Only his government engineering college in honour”. the day, Modi said Jaitley would principal secretary’s office was. Ajmer. She moved the court with “I demand Prime Minister come out in “flying colours” from If this is true, why did they enter crashes, killing ten the help of NGO Saarthi Trust. Modi’s resignation for the fraudu- the episode — just as veteran BJP my office?” “After coming to know about lent raid he ordered to save Arun leader L K Advani did when he Kejriwal also accused Modi of NEW DELHI: Nine BSF troop- ernment had ordered an inquiry. our NGO, she gathered some Jaitley,” the AAP leader said to was charged in the hawala case in constantly interfering in the func- ers and a Sashastra Seema Bal Witnesses said the aircraft courage and she approached us thumping of desks by his party the 1990s. Modi said the Congress tioning of the AAP government (SSB) co-pilot were killed when a appeared to be unstable as it and now we along with her have colleagues. was unable to digest its electoral through Lt. Governor Najeeb chartered plane flying to Ranchi crossed the boundary wall of the raised voice against this child “He should feel ashamed,” defeats since the 2014 Lok Sabha Jung. crashed here yesterday morning Indira Gandhi International Air- marriage,” said Kriti Bharti, a Kejriwal thundered, referring to elections and was raking up man- He alleged that despite 50 hours soon after take-off. The pilot and port, which has an area reserved rehabilitation psychologist and Modi and the December 15 raid by ufactured allegations to defame of interrogation spread over six co-pilot died in the incident, and for the military. the NGO’s managing trustee. the Central Bureau of Investiga- his government. days, the CBI had not been able to so did eight others of the Border “It took a kind of U-turn, then tion, which has denied searching BJP MP Kirti Azad, who has build a case of corruption against Security Force, the BSF said. suddenly went down, crashed and IANS Kejriwal’s office and said that it been alleging major corruption Rajendra Kumar. “They are men- BSF Director General D K exploded in a huge ball of fire,” a only targeted his principal sec- in the DDCA for years, did not tally torturing him.” Pathak announced a compensa- young man who saw the horrific retary Rajendra Kumar for cor- attend the parliamentary party Kejriwal poked fun at Modi tion of Rs1.5m for the families of accident told journalists. “We saw ruption. meeting, saying he had prior for wearing a Rs10lakh suit last each deceased. thick black smoke rising up.” The Delhi High Court mean- engagements. There is speculation year, and demanded to know how “An amount of Rs1.5m will be A railway employee close to the while issued notice to Kejriwal the BJP was set to suspend Azad. a “chai wala” (tea seller) could given from the BSF internal fund site said he and his colleagues saw Four arrested and five other Aam Aadmi Party The prime minister’s com- afford such a costly suit. in addition to Rs1m, which is the “a huge fire” after the plane came leaders in a defamation suit filed ments came a day after Bharatiya ex-gratia from the government,” down. “There was a lot of fire all for transporting by Jaitley, who headed the Delhi Janata Party president Amit Shah IANS he told media. around that nothing else could be The passengers were identi- seen.” cow’s meat fied as Deputy Commandant D. A BSF official said that VT- Kumar, Inspectors S N Sharma, BSA (Bombay Singapore Alfa) GHAZIABAD: Four youth were Ravindra Kumar Yadav, Sub- Superking B-200 aircraft took off arrested yesterday for transport- Inspectors Chotte Lal Sharma, from Palam Airport at 9.40 am. ing cow meat in Uttar Pradesh’s Surender Singh, Rabinder The official said a phone call Ghaziabad town. The incident Failure made BJP fall back on Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector from an Emergency Locator occurred near Sikandarpur area. D P Chauhan and Constable R K Transmitter monitoring station The residents of Sikanderpur Rawat. was received at BSF air wing con- noticed four men transporting Ram temple, says UP minister The pilot was Bhagwati Prasad trol room Palam at 9.45 am about the fresh cow flesh in a car near Bhatt, a resident of Dehradun, some mishap with VT-BSA. Bhopura. Those arrested have LUCKNOW: Failure on all will maintain peace at all costs. Rajasthan for building the Ram and the co-pilot was Rajesh Shiv- Twenty fire tenders battled been identified as Sonu, Usman, fronts forced the BJP to fall back “The issue of Ram Mandir- temple, the senior Samajwadi rain, who was attached to the the flames, the Delhi Fire Service Asif and Haidar Ali, police said. on the Ram Mandir issue, Uttar Babri Masjid in Ayodhya is before Party leader maintained that the SSB. Shivrain hailed from Bhi- said. President Pranab Mukherjee “We have suspended the area Pradesh Urban Development the Supreme Court and all stake- Uttar Pradesh government will wani in Haryana. said he was sad to learn about the police post in charge for laxity Minister Mohd Azam Khan said holders should wait for its ver- discharge its duties. Two of the nine BSF person- deaths. in duty. The arrested youth have yesterday. dict,” Khan said. In August, the Supreme Court nel hailed from Haryana. Three “My thoughts and prayers are been sent to judicial custody,” said He claimed that the Bharatiya Any attempt to disturb peace allowed repair of covers and of them were residents of Uttar with the bereaved families.” Ajay Pal, the SSP in-charge. Janata Party (BJP) was try- by raking up the contentious issue provision of other facilities at Pradesh, one from Bihar and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Meanwhile, angry locals took to ing to foment trouble and dis- again will harm the secular fabric the makeshift Ram Lalla tem- remaining two personnel belonged said he was pained by the loss of the streets to protest the killing rupt communal harmony in the of the nation, the minister warned. ple at the disputed site in Uttar to Punjab and Odisha. All of them lives. “My thoughts are with the of a cow by the four men, causing state ahead of the 2017 Uttar Asked for the state government’s Pradesh’s Ayodhya town. were residing in Delhi. Minis- families of the deceased.” a traffic jam on the Ghaziabad- Pradesh assembly polls, add- response to reports that truck- ter of State for Civil Aviation Wazirabad road. ing that the state government loads of stones had arrived from IANS Mahesh Sharma said the gov- IANS IANS

Seagulls Govt takes up students’ deportation issue with US

NEW DELHI: India has strongly “Air India has acted as per the the US Customs and Border service. Further, seats are often taken up the matter of 14 Indian advice of US authorities. We have Protection agency that the two not available on any airlines to students being deported from the strongly taken up the matter with universities were under scrutiny travel back.” US where they had gone to join the US government both in the and the students who arrived in Last Sunday, Air India stopped two universities. US and in Delhi. We are closely San Francisco were not allowed to 19 students headed for these two “We have seen reports regard- following up the matter with the enter the US and were deported institutions from boarding its ing deportation of Indian students aim of resolving it at the earliest.” back to India. flight to San Francisco. from San Francisco,” external The 14 students reportedly “So far, 14 students who trav- “In considering the situation, affairs ministry spokesman Vikas went to take admission in Silicon elled on Air India flights to San as a precautionary measure and Swarup said in a statement yes- Valley University in San Jose, Francisco have been deported,” to avoid inconvenience, students terday. California, and North Western the Air India statement said. booked for travel to take admis- “As per information available Polytechnic College in Fremont, “Students travel on a one-way sion to these universities are with us, the deportations have California. ticket to the US and in the event not being accepted on Air India taken place due to denial of entry Air India, in an earlier state- of deportation, the student incurs flights,” the Air India statement Visitors feed seagulls on a foggy evening at Sangam, the confluence to these students by US immigra- ment, said it received a commu- huge expenditure to buy a ticket said. of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, in Allahabad tion authorities,” he said. nication on December 19 from back to India on first available IANS yesterday. Santa in Jammu Trains cancelled Kandhamal riots report submitted due to dense fog

NEW DELHI: Poor visibility due to Odisha government to dense fog in the national capi- tal affected several trains’ arrival BHUBANESWAR: The Justice people had deposed before the pada Ashram on August 23, 2008. and departure yesterday, a senior A S Naidu Commission of Inquiry, commission as witnesses of which The killing had triggered com- railway official said. set up by the Odisha government 78 are government employees and munal violence in Kandhamal “Two trains were cancelled to probe the 2008 Kandhamal 222 general public,” Patnaik told and adjoining areas in which at while departure of 15 others riots, presented its report to the reporters after presenting the least 38 people were killed, said delayed due to the dense fog in state government yesterday. report. sources. Delhi and other parts of Northern The Kandhamal riots had He said the commission, in the Initially, Justice Sarat Chandra India,” an official of the Northern hogged international headlines for course of its investigation, verified Mohapatra was entrusted with Railways said. the ethno communal riot between documents running into about the inquiry. But after his death Visibility yesterday evening Hindus and Christians in 2008. 4,000 pages. Justice A S Naidu was appointed slumped below 700 metres. How- Secretary of the commission The state government had con- to head the one-man probe panel ever, flight operations were not A K Patnaik handed over the stituted the panel on September in 2012. affected. 1020-page report to state home 8, 2008 after the ethno com- “I have given some suggestions The maximum temperature secretary Asit Tripathy at the munal riots broke out in Kand- to the government to maintain of the day was recorded at 20.4 secretariat here. hamal district and other parts communal harmony in the area,” degree celsius, a notch below the “The commission has compiled of the state following the mur- said Justice Naidu, adding that it season’s average. The Met Office the final report in two volumes der of Vishwa Hindu Parishad appears there was involvement of A man dressed as Santa Claus performs as he takes part in a Christmas forecast a clear day on Wednes- with a total of 1,020 pages. During (VHP) leader Swami Laksh- Maoists in the killing of the VHP procession in Jammu yesterday. Despite Christians forming a little over two day. the investigation, a total of 825 manananda Saraswati and four leader. percent of the population, Christmas is celebrated throughout the country. IANS affidavits were filed while 300 of his associates at his Chaka- IANS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / INDIA

Yoga time Depressed Parliament passes techie goes on stabbing spree, juvenile justice bill shot dead HYDERABAD: A techie who was depressed after failing to clear the civil services exam went Delay let juvenile rapist walk free, say victim’s parents on a stabbing spree yesterday, injuring 24 people before police NEW DELHI: Parliament yes- house juveniles accused of heinous again? Today, ISIS is recruiting shot him. terday passed the juvenile justice crimes. Maneka Gandhi said juve- 14-15 year olds. Are we going to The incident took place in Kar- bill, a day after members cutting nile crime was being encouraged reduce the age from 18 to 16 to imnagar town of Telangana. across party lines agreed that the by the existing law. 14?” he asked. According to police, 25-year- important legislation should be “Juveniles’ involvement in “The culprit who has commit- old Balvinder Singh attacked his taken up immediately. crime is increasing the fastest. ted the horrendous crime, you parents with a sword following an However, members of Left Children walk into police stations cannot punish him. That senti- argument at home. parties walked out of the Rajya and say we have murdered... send ment of punishing him is there. Singh, who works for a soft- Sabha before the bill was passed, us to a juvenile home,” she said. These are matters that merit a A woman performs yoga on the banks of the Kankaria Lake on a sunny ware firm in Bengaluru, then demanding that it should be sent Leader of Opposition in the certain consideration. Refer it to stepped out to attack passers-by, winter morning in Ahmedabad yesterday. to a select committee of the house. Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad a select committee,” he said. leading to panic among people. The Juvenile Justice (Care and said juvenile convicts should not Kurien, however, said there was Some pedestrians, two bikers Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 be kept in jail with “hardened no proposal to send the bill to a and an auto-rickshaw driver were was passed by the Lok Sabha in criminals” and there should be a panel, after which members of the injured. May. Asha Devi and Badrinath, separate place for them. Left parties staged a walkout. The Three labs have cleared Police, who swung into action parents of the 23-year-old para- Parliamentary Affairs Minister bill was passed through voice vote after learning about the incident, medical student who was gang- M Venkaiah Naidu, meanwhile, after that. also came under attack. A consta- raped by five men and a juvenile said the government had listed The mother of the victim, who ble who tried to snatch the sword on a moving bus in Delhi on the bill several times in the mon- met Minister of State for Parlia- 90 Maggi samples: Firm from the man sustained injuries. December 16, 2012, were present soon session as well as the winter mentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas As the situation slipped out in the visitors’ gallery as the session but it could not be taken Naqvi yesterday morning, said NEW DELHI: Three labora- “We will now commence manu- of control, circle inspector Vijay Rajya Sabha took up the bill for up. had the bill been passed earlier, tories mandated by the Bom- facture and will begin selling only Sarathi opened fire to disarm the discussion. “Members from the Nationalist the juvenile convict would not bay High Court have found lead after the newly manufactured man. A critically injured Singh The bill provides for the trial of Congress Party (NCP) and DMK have walked free. content in 90 samples of Maggi products are also cleared by the was taken to a hospital, where he those between 16 and 18 years of also questioned the hurry in pass- “He (juvenile convict) would instant noodles much below the three designated laboratories,” it died. age as adults for heinous offences. ing the bill, suggesting that it may not have been released if this bill permissible limits, a company added. Singh’s parents and others who Also, anyone between the age of 16 be sent to a select committee. had been passed six months ago. statement said yesterday. The company is hopeful about received grievous injuries were and 18 who commits a less serious However, none of the notices to Though it has been delayed, we “We have received the test reintroducing Maggi noodles in under treatment. offence may be tried as an adult if send the bill to a house panel were want this bill to be passed in par- results from all three laborato- the market at the earliest. According to family members, he is apprehended after he attains presented to Deputy Chairman liament at the earliest,” Asha Devi ries mandated by the Bombay It said it had got conducted Singh was a meritorious student the age of 21. P J Kurien. Communist Party said. The juvenile, who was under High Court to test Maggi noodles over 3,500 tests on samples, rep- since school. He stood sixth in Giving out the bill’s details, of India-Marxist leader Sitaram 18 years of age when he was held samples. All 90 samples, cover- resenting over 200 million packs, the engineering, agriculture and Women and Child Development Yechury called it an emotional with five other men for the brutal ing six variants, tested by these in both nationally as well as inter- medical common entrance test in Minister Maneka Gandhi said move. rape and murder, was tried under laboratories are clear, with lead nationally accredited laboratories the district. borstals, a custodial institution “If tomorrow, a 15-year the Juvenile Justice Act. much below the permissible lim- and all reports are clear. After graduating in electronics for young offenders, would be 11-month-old commits a crime, its,” Nestle India said in the state- engineering, he got a job in Ben- set up under the proposed law to will you change the definition IANS ment. IANS galuru and was earning `1.8m a year. Singh had a dream of pass- ing the civil services exam. How- ever, he failed to qualify and as a Garbage dump result went into depression. Bankruptcy Bill is progressive, IANS shouldn’t be delayed: Jaitley Husband nabbed

NEW DELHI: Finance Min- assets lying in business that can’t vency and Bankruptcy Fund and for Mumbai ister Arun Jaitley yesterday function don’t get wasted, while an Insolvency and Bankruptcy introduced in the Lok Sabha the stakeholders like workmen and Board of India to regulate insol- double murder Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill, creditors get first right on these vency professional, agencies and 2015, which proposes a single assets. information utilities. MUMBAI: In a dramatic twist bankruptcy code with deadlines “Just as entry into business The proposed law aims to in the murder of artist Hema for processing insolvency cases, should be easy..rather than assets reduce delays in resolution of Upadhyay and her lawyer Har- saying progressive legislation for being wasted, an easy exit also insolvency cases and improve ish Bhambhani, police early reform should not be delayed by should be made available,” the recoveries of amount lent to yesterday arrested the victim’s referring it to various parliamen- finance minister added. companies. The draft bill has estranged husband Chintan tary committees for scrutiny. Elaborating on the progressive proposed a timeline of 180 days, Upadhyay, an officer said. “I don’t want to see it passed nature of the new bankruptcy extendable by another 90 days, to He was summoned by Kandivali as a Money Bill, without proper code, Jaitley said the order of resolve cases of bankruptcy. Police last Monday, subjected to discussion. But I also can’t afford priority had been changed in The new bankruptcy code will interrogation and finally arrested to have it go from committee to the bill’s “waterfall provision”, help India in the World Bank’s around daybreak. committee as people continue to whereby workmen and secured Ease of Doing Business ranking. Chintan was earlier ques- suffer because of political chess creditors would have first right on India is currently ranked at 136 tioned by police several times in playing,” he told the Lok Sabha. the assets, before the tax authori- on this count in the 189-country connection with the murder in “This is a progressive piece ties. The bankruptcy bill also ranking. which four persons have already A woman holds plastic buckets after washing her clothes outside her of legislation with the aim that provides for creation of an Insol- IANS been arrested from Mumbai and Varanasi. house next to a canal filled with garbage at a slum in Mumbai, yesterday. The victims’ kins, including his brother-in-law Deepak Prasad (Hema’s brother), have pointed fingers at Chintan who had alleg- Jharkhand ` edly threatened Hema with death Assets worth 11bn linked to Bhujbal seized a few years ago. Chintan will be to form produced before a magistrate MUMBAI: The Enforcement initiated under the Prevention of cases filed by the department and tions worth several billion rupees. later today for remand, an offi- committee to Directorate yesterday attached Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Anti-Corruption Bureau. The Bhujbal cousins, Pankaj cial said. Last week, police nabbed suburban properties worth “These properties have no rela- “They are several properties and Samir, were the directors of four other prime accused, Saty- around `11bn linked to sen- tion with me... I am not aware linked to the Bhujbals, plus they Parvesh Constructions which is aprakash alias Sadhu Rajbhar, check pollution ior Nationalist Congress Party of this. I wonder why the ED have made investments abroad. It engaged in redevelopment of old Pradip Rajbhar, Azad Rajbhar and leader and former deputy chief has done this (taken action). I needs to be probed where all the buildings in Mumbai. Vijay Rajbhar, in connection with RANCHI: The Jharkhand gov- minister Chhagan Bhujbal. demand a fair probe,” Bhujbal, funds have been parked,” Somaiya The ACB has lodged two sepa- the double murder. ernment will form a committee to One of the properties is located now a legislator, told media per- said. rate cases against Bhujbals and Police believe that the four check the pollution created in the in the upmarket Bandra and sons in Nagpur. In June, the ED filed two other in the Maharashtra Sadan, Rajbhars helped Vidyadhar Rajb- rivers through waste from steel another in Santacruz, with both Senior Mumbai BJP leader Enforcement Case Investiga- New Delhi scam and the Kalina, har in committing the murders and power plants. being in the name of Pravesh and MP Kirit Somaiya, who has tion Reports against Bhujbal, his Mumbai land scam which are and in disposing off the victims’ Agriculture Minister Randhir Constructions, a company run by made a series of exposes against son Pankaj, nephew Samir and currently under investigation. bodies in a Mumbai suburb’s drain Singh said, “A committee will be the Bhujbal family. the Bhujbal family, said the ED 19 others under the PMLA for last weekend. formed to look into the pollution The ED action yesterday was action pertained to certain old alleged illegal financial transac- IANS IANS created in rivers from factories like steel and power plants.” Ruling BJP legislator Biranchi Narayan raised the issue during question hour. “Is this correct that many plants are situated on Odisha seeks funds from Centre for ` banks of rivers. The waste of the BJP leader files 10bn factories are dumped in the riv- ers without treatment,” Biranchi asked. In a written reply, the setting up five medical colleges libel suit against Gogoi state government admitted that big plants were situated on banks BHUBANESWAR: Odisha colleges are being set up in Odi- Health Minister J P Nadda in GUWAHATI: BJP leader and nal cases pending against me,” of the rivers. The government also Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sha under a centrally-sponsored September 2015 for release of former Assam minister Himanta he said. admitted the waste were being yesterday urged Prime Minis- scheme at a cost of `189cr each. fund had yielded no result. Biswa Sarma yesterday said he “I think I should not be a mute dumped into the rivers particu- ter Narendra Modi to release The central and state govern- Patnaik said the proposed has filed a `10bn civil defamation spectator to all these allegations larly in Damodar river. Coal wah- the central government’s share ments would share the cost in a medical colleges would go a long suit against Chief Minister Tarun and sit idle. I have decided to file sery, steel and power plants are of funds for setting up five new 75:25 ratio. way in addressing the shortage Gogoi for alleging his involvement a lawsuit against the chief minis- situated on the bank of Damodar medical colleges in the state. The central government had of doctors in the state. in scams. At a press conference ter,” said Sarma, once a close aide river. The ash pond of Tenughat “A revised estimate of so far released `55cr only in “Admission in the new medi- here, Sarma said he will also file of Gogoi. Vidyut Nigam Limited (TVNL) `2,450.90cr for the five pro- three installments, Patnaik said. cal colleges for MBBS students a criminal defamation suit against Sarma, who held several port- and Patratu Thermal Power posed medical colleges has been “If the required funds are not has been scheduled to commence Gogoi. folios in the Gogoi cabinet since Plants Station (PTPS) ash ponds submitted to the ministry of released to the state in time, from 2017-18 academic session. “Gogoi has been making base- the Congress came to power in were being flowed into the Damo- health for capital expenditure, I am afraid, construction of My government on its part less and untrue allegations against Assam in 2001, however, revolted dar river due to which the content equipment and manpower. The these five new medical colleges has made adequate budget pro- me for the past few days. He said I against the chief minister and led of total suspended solid was high response of the ministry is will be delayed leading to con- vision for the project despite am involved in the Saradha scam a group of dissident legislators from the set limit. awaited,” Patnaik said in a let- tinued shortage of doctors in the state’s financial crunch,” the and in the Louis Berger bribery who demanded a change in the ter to Modi. state.” chief minister said. scam. Gogoi also recently told party leadership. IANS Five new government medical He said his earlier request to IANS the media that there are crimi- IANS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 EUROPE / AMERICAS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 17

Greece recalls Catalan issue Prague triggers fresh ambassador ATHENS: Greece has recalled its ambassador to the Czech Republic over successive “scorn- ful” remarks by Prague towards row in Spain the Athens government, officials said yesterday. “Our ambassador has been CUP likely to support Artur Mas recalled for consultations,” foreign ministry spokesman Constantinos MADRID: Pro-independence independence, will however, have Koutras told reporters. “There has parties in the Spanish region of to be rubber-stamped by CUP been a series of scornful remarks by Catalonia struck a deal yesterday members in an assembly on Sun- Czech officials, the latest of which to form a government, reviving day. was by the president,” he said. a separatist drive just as Spain With Spain’s political parties Czech President Milos Zeman faces weeks of uncertainty at a facing weeks of negotiations to last week said his country should national-level following an incon- form a government, the Catalan introduce the euro on the first day clusive general election. issue is now set to come into play after indebted Greece’s departure Parties favouring a split again. from the common currency. between Spain and Catalonia won “Sunday’s results do not change He also said he was “very disap- a majority of seats in a Septem- our roadmap, which remains pointed” that talks in the summer ber regional ballot, but divisions valid,” said Raul Romeva, from Leader of Catalan pro-independence coalition “Junts pel Si” (Together for the Yes) Raul Romeva flanked by other to eject Greece from the euro did between the various movements the main coalition of separatists coalition members at a press conference in Barcelona, yesterday. not come to fruition. had undermined their prospect Junts pel Si’ (‘Together Yes’). Czech officials have also made of pushing forward with an inde- Acting Prime Minister Mariano leftist parties from Catalonia tre-right central government in secession parties also penalised disparaging comments about pendence drive. Rajoy of the People’s Party (PP), that support independence, while Madrid. them at a national level, and anti- Greece’s handling of the refugee After initial opposition, Catalan who defended Spanish unity and Podemos favours a referendum on In November Spain’s Constitu- austerity party Podemos (“We crisis in Europe, Koutras said. anti-capitalist party CUP said it sought to block the independence secession, even if it says it would tional Court blocked a resolution Can”) topped polls in the region “We recently submitted a could now back the head of the drive over the past four years, lost recommend voting against a split passed by Catalonia’s regional in a general election on Decem- demarche, there was no change regional government, Artur Mas, majority in the December 20 gen- from Spain. parliament to start an independ- ber 20. If the CUP assembly was (in behaviour), this is the next allowing him to stay on as leader. eral election and could struggle to The separatist movement in ence process, which entailed to reject the deal, fresh elections step,” Koutras said. The deal, which also contem- form a government. Catalonia has faced several set- setting up a republic within 18 would have to be held in the “The Czech Republic is a mem- plates an economic plan and a A coalition of left-wing oppo- backs in recent months, amid months. region by March. ber of the European Union also so-called 18-month roadmap to nents, meanwhile, could include fierce opposition from the cen- Squabbles between the pro- REUTERS thanks to Greece,” he said. The Czech Republic is one of 10 countries that joined the bloc in 2004, following negotiations final- Malala meets Syrian refugee ised under the Greek EU presi- dency the year before. Hit-and-run driver to AFP face murder charge US ‘deserter’ LAS VEGAS: A 24-year-old a nearby hotel and asked a valet woman who repeatedly rammed parking attendant to call the faces court her car into pedestrians on the emergency services, Las Vegas packed Las Vegas Strip, killing Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. WASHINGTON: US army Ser- one person and injuring more “She didn’t appear to be dis- geant Bowe Bergdahl, who was than 30, will be charged with tressed due to her actions,” Lom- held by insurgents in Afghanistan murder, officials said. bardo said, adding that the child for five years before being freed Clark County District Attor- was unharmed. in a prisoner swap, will appear ney Steven Wolfson told report- He said it appears Holloway, in court charged with desertion. ers that additional charges would who is from the West Coast state The 29-year-old soldier will also be filed against Lakeisha of Oregon, was estranged from appear before a military tribunal Holloway, who had her three- her daughter’s father and was in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to year-old daughter in the car at living in her car for the past week. be formally arraigned for court the time of the incident on Sun- A spokeswoman for the Ore- martial on two charges that could day night. gon Department of Transporta- see him face life in prison. “Other charges we are consid- tion said that Holloway’s driving The case triggered public debate ering are a multitude of counts of license was suspended in 2012 for amid allegations that his actions attempted murder,” in addition to failing to comply with insurance saw comrades killed during the child abuse and leaving the scene requirements. “In April 2013, her effort to find him and questions of an accident, Wolfson said. license was also suspended by the the US decision to free Taliban Authorities said that as Hol- court because she did not pay the prisoners in exchange for his loway’s car intentionally and court fines,” Sally Ridenour said. return. But Friday’s public hear- repeatedly smashed into pedes- Authorities believe Holloway ing will be the non-commissioned trians at different spots on the may have been passing through officer’s first appearance before a busy Strip, many witnesses tried Las Vegas on her way to join her judge since he disappeared from to get her to stop, pounding on the daughter’s father in Texas. Lom- Combat Outpost Mest-Malak in, windows and opening the doors of bardo said Holloway had no previ- Afghanistan on June 20, 2009. Malala Yousefzai (second left) greets 17-year-old Syrian refugee Muzoon Almellehan at the City Library in the vehicle. ous criminal record. Newcastle Upon Tyne, Britain. Nearly two years after they met in a camp in Jordan, Nobel laureate Malala After the rampage, she drove to -AFP AFP welcomed Syrian fellow schoolgirl activist Muzoon Almellehan to her friend’s new home in England yesterday. Presidential runoff in Madrid streets to carry dictatorship heroes’ names

MADRID: Madrid city council That law had been resisted by ond quarter of 2016. Streets to be in the Second World War. Haiti pushed back announced yesterday it would previous conservative city admin- renamed include “General Sagar- Many streets have already been rename 30 streets that pay trib- istrations as Spain struggles to dia Ramos Street”, which pays renamed under the 2007 law. But PORT-AU-PRINCE: On the Roudy Stanley Penn said. “We ute to heroes of Francisco Fran- come to terms with the 1936-9 tribute to a nationalist who rose according to historian Antonio heels of alleged electoral irregu- are awaiting the findings of the co’s brutal dictatorship, such as civil war and Franco’s subsequent to prominence during the civil Ortiz, there are still over 170 larities, Haiti has pushed back electoral evaluation committee to a “butcher” general or a military dictatorship — particularly dark war. He is known as the “Butcher roads and squares in Madrid, next week’s presidential runoff, follow its direction.” unit that fought for the Nazis. chapters of its recent history. of Pallars” for the massacre of which carry the names of dicta- election officials said on Monday, Some supporters of candidates The government announced in “As the first measure of the Republicans in Pallars Sobira in torship officials. The city council without immediately announcing other than Moise have called for July it would enforce a nationwide application of the historical mem- the northeastern region of Cata- also wants to destroy symbols of a new date. an independent committee since “historical memory” law passed ory law, the new government will lonia by his troops. Franco that still exist in Madrid, The runoff vote had been they do not trust the work of the under the national Socialist gov- start changing the names of 30 Another is “The Street of such as tombstones and monu- scheduled for December 27, after electoral council indirectly under ernment in 2007 that calls for the streets in 16 districts,” the city the Fallen of the Blue Division”, ments commemorating national- an October 25 first-round vote Martelly’s authority. gradual replacement of symbols hall announced, adding that the named after a unit of Spanish vol- ist martyrs. marred by allegations of voter Moise is a businessman and relating to Franco’s 1939-75 rule. process would begin in the sec- unteers that fought for the Nazis AFP fraud across the Caribbean nation. political novice who until now The runoff was to pit Jovenel worked in agriculture, mainly Moise — backed by outgoing pres- growing bananas. His nickname ident Michel Martelly and the during the campaign was “the ruling party — against Jude Celes- banana man.” tin, the second-place vote-getter Celestin, making his second bid Jackpot brings relief from more than 50 contenders in for the Haitian presidency, was the first round of balloting. disqualified from second round in The October presidential elec- 2010 election following a recount tion was the latest attempt in by the Organization of American from politics in Spain the Americas’ poorest country to States. The first round of voting shed chronic political instability was relatively peaceful, in con- MADRID: Lottery fever gripped Every year millions of Span- and work toward development. trast to violence during August Spain yesterday as thousands iards club together with friends But reporting of the election legislative elections that left two celebrated wins in the El Gordo and family to vie for a possible results — and now, the staging of people dead. lottery draw with prizes total- slice of the over 200-year-old lot- the runoff vote —has been plagued Haiti is still struggling to ling ¤2.24bn ($2.45bn), bringing tery, which pays out ¤400,000 for with delays and beset by protests recover from a devastating 2010 relief from political woes after an every ¤20 spent on a number. alleging official corruption. earthquake that killed more than inconclusive election. This year’s lottery, like others Moise won 32.8 percent of the 250,000 people. Winners from across the coun- a huge collective affair involving Winner Imanes Naamane celebrates as she holds a placard showing the first-round balloting and Celes- Haiti’s 5.8 million voters were try flocked to local lottery outlets offices and communities across first prize winning number, of El Gordo in Roquetas de Mar, southeast tin took 25.3 percent, the federal tasked with choosing two thirds to celebrate their good fortune in the country, provided a distrac- Spain, yesterday. election commission said. of senators, and all the 119 mem- the traditional Christmas lottery tion from worries over Sunday’s Martelly, who is banned by bers in the Chamber of Deputies. draw, the world’s largest. vote which ended almost four the constitution from serving But no single party gained major- This year’s biggest winner of decades of two-party rule and People were glued to TV bn on tickets this year, according two consecutive terms, said that ity. After being mired in political the top prize, known as El Gordo, transformed the political land- screens for hours as schoolchil- to the government agency that tomorrow an electoral evalua- crisis, Haiti has been on an elec- or The Fat One, is in the coastal scape. dren plucked lottery balls from runs the draw, with many people tion committee would be set up toral marathon this year, holding tourist town of Roquetas de Mar, Pools of office workers and a rotating drum, singing out the waiting for hours in queues which to determine the way forward. presidential, legislative and now in the southern region of Almeria, friends often split each number resulting numbers in a chant that snaked around city blocks. “No new date has been officially municipal elections. where a group of residents will with the final prize being shared filled offices and homes. set,” electoral council spokesman AFP now share out a ¤4m prize. out accordingly. Spaniards spent close to ¤2.6 REUTERS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com FEATURES

St Regis Doha TNG marks Qatar wins five National Day with international awards

DOHA: Following its imminent several events success, The St Regis Doha, received five prestigious inter- DOHA: Clad in beautiful Qatari activities organised every year by national awards from industry traditional dresses, holding the the Ministry of Interior of Doha. leaders. The recent awards recog- flag high with pride and perform- The event began with a colour- nised St Regis’ excellence in din- ing in unity and harmony, The ful thematic parade performance ing experience, travel and luxury. Next Generation School (TNG) demonstrated in high spirits by The St Regis Doha was named held an elaborate event of two students from different schools. Luxury Wedding Destination in days to show love and respect to TNG students held the flag of Qatar at the World Luxury Hotel the nation. Students in the four Qatar high up in discipline and Awards 2015. The World Luxury campuses turned up in the tra- showcased models depicting the Hotel Awards are considered to be ditional dresses, Qatari flag muf- rich Qatari culture, customs, among the industry’s top awards flers, hats and flags on December tradition and heritage. A power that celebrate organisations and 17. Recitation of Qatar National packed performance on Dil se was travel and tourism professionals Anthem by the primary students displayed by the students in the that continue to push the bounda- marked the beginning of the day. general song one category pre- ries of industry excellence. Students spoke about the famous senting the culture of Pakistan. The St Regis Doha was named landmarks informing the audi- In general song two category, a Best Hotel Qatar 2015 and was ence about the significance each traditional Arabic dance perform- recognised as one of the leading one of them portrays. A short ance by the students of TNG won The Next Generation School students during the National Day celebrations. international hotels ranking, 17th speech was delivered about the the applause of the crowd. place in the Top 100 Hotel 2015 rulers of Qatar to commemorate A grand evening fiesta was stalls invited a huge capacity of appreciated the school for organ- School Director, Riyaz Ahmed Worldwide Ranking at the Hotel their noble values, principles and organized by the school manage- crowd to participate in the festivi- ising the event offering a perfect Bakali said the educational fiesta of the Year Awards for the year their freedom struggle to become ment at the TNG Ain Khaled ties. Injaz informed parents about edutainment to people. “I admire was an extravagant rendezvous 2015. In addition, Ramsay by Gor- an independent state. A quiz pro- campus to continue the celebra- their course offerings. the state of Qatar for its rapid offering people an event where don Ramsay won the Best Hotel gramme on Qatar history drew tions. The campus was illumi- Guest of honour, Commodore growth, development and safety they can find various sources of Fine Dining Restaurant Middle the excitement in the audience. nated in lights and Qatari flags Masud Akram, Defence Attaché laws. Qatar has progressed to be education and entertainment. A East 2015 award. Next day morning, the primary depicting the spirit of celebration. Pakistan Embassy attended the one of the most prosperous and token of shield was presented to The hotel was named The and preparatory grade students Qatar National day education inauguration. A cultural stage developed nations of the world Commodore Masud Akram by World’s Leading Conference flocked to the Al Wakrah sta- fiesta featuring education insti- performance was displayed by the and I wish it all the best to achieve Riaz Ahmed Bakali. Room at The World Travel dium to participate along with tutes, food, fashion, traditional TNG students. its future goals of development”, Awards Grand Final Gala Cer- other schools in the associated clothes and fun- filled games Commodore Masud Akram said Commodore Akram. TNG THE PENINSULA emony 2015, which was held in El Jadida, Morocco. Building on the fine dining excellence, Al Sultan Brahim restaurant was recognised as the Safari Mall holds lucky draw Best Quality Restaurant in the PEC celebrates National Day Arab World 2016 by The League of Arab States. A committee of specialised experts selected Al DOHA: Pakistan Education Centre formances of songs, cultural shows and Sultan Brahim brand from a (PEC) organised several festivities and dances. There was a congregation in the number of leading Arabic res- programmes to celebrate Qatar National grand assembly of all the four wings of the taurants in the Middle East, for Day last Wednesday. The students, fac- school and the audience were delighted by its excellent quality of service and ulty and staff celebrated the day through the games fixed for the faculty members its distinguished variety of dining commemorative words, Qatar history quiz, like tug of war, pot breaking and pin the options. cultural performances, march past, sports camel tail. The assembly dispersed with the TareqDerbas, General Man- and other traditional activities. Clad in rendition of Qatar National Anthem. Tra- ager of The St Regis Doha said: vibrant costumes, students participated in ditional food items were also prepared by “We are honoured with the lat- the celebrations with impressive perform- the students and shared among themselves. est international accolades that ances. Reflecting the theme of “One Love”, Qatari national flags, maroon and white have been awarded to The St denoting the bond between Qataris and ribbons and decorations were proudly Regis Doha. These awards are expatriates, the children presented a well- displayed by the students throughout the a testament of The St. Regis executed parade to mark the celebrations. school. Doha’sworld-class standards as The students showcased brilliant per- THE PENINSULA we endeavor to deliver excellence in all our services and offerings, The fourth draw for Safari’s Win 18 Toyota Camry Mega promotion at the Safari Mall from our dining venues to our yesterday in the presence of a representative from the Ministry and Safari officials. M event facilities. A Kabeer (coupon No. 2625357), Mohammed Fathy Ameen (5148890) and Sad Abd Al THE PENINSULA Gabar Mohammed Ahmed (2094274) each won a Toyota Camry. VLCC offers new slimming treatment

DOHA: Busy lifestyle, lack introduced at VLCC centres for cellulite is the adipose tis- of physical activity, crash across GCC, which combines sues which become weak and diets, weight fluctuations, the use of highly innovative deformed due to poor blood etc cause the accumulation technologies to achieve cen- circulation causing it to swell of excessive body fats and timetre loss, skin tightening with excess fat storage. Since mented by suitable dietary unwanted inches around and fat reduction specifically cellulite is no ordinary fat, it modifications and activity various parts of the body, around the hips and thighs needs special attention and patterns, enhances blood cir- including the hips and thighs area. will not disappear with rou- culation and lymphatic drain- region. To help you get slim- The hips and thighs area of tine exercises and dieting, and age. The therapy stimulates mer, toned, firmer hips and the body tend to suffer from here come 3D Shape up Anti collagen synthesis result- thighs, VLCC, a leader in ungainly flab, uneven skin Cellulite treatment by VLCC ing in centimetre loss while the Wellness domain offers texture and dimpled skin, to solve the problem of cel- resulting in firm and tight its innovative Slimming most commonly referred to lulite” says Vandana Luthra, skin on the treated area. solution – 3D Shape Up, as orange peel syndrome or Founder– VLCC Group. PEC students during the National Day celebrations. an anti-cellulite treatment cellulite. The prime reason The treatment, compli- THE PENINSULA

Weightless lifestyle 30 Year Sweatshirt tackling ‘fast fashion’ LONDON: A young British entrepre- doesn’t sound so glamorous, but is unique silicon treatment that they’ve ric. Three yarns of loop-wheeled fabric neur has created the 30 Year Sweat- very helpful for functionality, mobil- developed there. They have in Portu- are used. The material is 80 percent shirt — a sustainable, ethical range of ity, and comfort,” said Cridland, “The gal - despite the fact these suppliers organic cotton and 20 percent pre- clothing that he says offers a practical cotton is very durable, quite heavy, 360 of mine are very old school, they have mium polyester, which Cridland says solution to the cycle of consumption and grams per metre. The seamstresses and moved along with the times and they’ve helps increase garments’ mobility. waste caused by so-called ‘fast fashion’. craftsmen, who are from Portugal, and invested in some great equipment.” The designer says the in-built obso- Londoner Tom Cridland, 25, said I decided on Portugal because I’m half Cridland says his eponymous com- lescence of much modern clothing can he has combined old-fashioned crafts- Portuguese, they’re the reason why I pany hopes to provide an affordable, be bad for the environmental and that manship with a unique silicon treat- chose 30 years. I asked them ‘show me ethical alternative to the prevalence his product will help counteract such ment applied to fabric that prevents the oldest sweatshirt you guys have ever of fast fashion in which consumers waste. “The mere fact that we’re guar- shrinking. The result is a sweatshirt made’ and they’ve been in business since pay low prices for poor quality gar- anteeing the sweatshirts for 30 years that he guarantees will last three dec- 1964 as a supplier, and they showed me ments and then have to replace them implies that the sweatshirts are made ades, and because the items are priced a sweatshirt form the late 1970s which regularly because the items have fallen really well and therefore we’re not at an affordable £55 ($83), he insists was still in perfect condition.” apart or shrunk. wasting our natural resources, which that buyers will also save money in the He added: “In terms of technology, His sweatshirts, made by Portu- is the main reason is why the project long-term. what they weren’t able to do in the 70s guese artisans, use a traditional knit- is good for the environment,” he said. “It’s made out of organic cotton and is treat it against things like shrinking ting technique that forms loops on then a little bit of polyester, which and piling, which we’ve done with the the backside of the sweatshirt’s fab- REUTERS

A n artwork from an exhibition by French designer Octave de Gaulle entitled “Civilizing Space” (Civiliser l’Espace) at the Decorative Arts Museum of Bordeaux, southwestern France. De Gaulle dis- plays his artworks and furniture which he states are designed to serve a “weightless” lifestyle from December 11, 2015 to April 10, 2016.

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MORNING BREAK

Prayer Timings Weather

Slight dust with some Fajr 04.54 am Zuhr 11.33 am Maghrib 04.52 pm Minimum: 17o C Maximum: 24o C Shorook 06.16 am Asr 02.30 pm Isha 06.22 pm scattered clouds. HIGH TIDE 03:45 - 14:15LOW TIDE 10:15 - 21:00

Shark jumps on SpaceX Falcon rocket surfer’s board at Australia’s nails safe landing Bondi Beach

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: ing and highly competitive private stage, the Falcon rocket’s main SYDNEY: An Australian surfer A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted space launch industry. stage turned around and fired a had a close encounter with a off from Florida on Monday with SpaceX employees erupted in series of engine burns as the vehi- shark off Sydney’s Bondi Beach a payload of communications sat- jubilation as they watched live cle flew back to Earth, unfurled yesterday when it jumped onto ellites before the reusable main- video footage of the 156-foot-tall its landing legs and settled gently his board, giving him a huge stage booster turned around, white first-stage booster slowly onto a newly revamped landing fright in a near-miss witnessed soared back to Cape Canaveral descending upright through a pad occupying a decommissioned by lifeguards. and landed safely near its launch damp, darkened night sky amid missile site. Dean Norburn said he was surf- pad in a dramatic spaceflight a glowing orange ball of light to SpaceX, which has more than ing with two friends early in the first. make a picture-perfect landing. 60 launch missions pending col- morning when the shark launched The successful mission, capped “Welcome back, baby!” Musk lectively worth about $8bn, itself out of the water onto his by delivery of all 11 satellites to wrote in a celebratory Twitter previously experimented unsuc- board. orbit for launch customer ORB- message he posted. cessfully with attempts to land “We were just past the break COMM Inc, unfolded in just over Rival company Blue Origin, a its rockets on a platform in the and as I was paddling in a little 30 minutes and marked a pivotal space startup founded by Amazon. ocean. bit, I slowed down and went to reversal of fortunes for privately com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, The Hawthorne, California- sit up on my board and... as I did owned Space Exploration Technol- nailed a similar return rocket based company was founded in that, the shark brushed by me ogies, or SpaceX, founded by high- landing test last month. In a 2002 by Musk, who also serves as and landed on my board,” Nor- tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. seemingly back-handed compli- chief executive of Tesla Motors burn said. It was the first flight for his ment to SpaceX, Bezos tweeted Inc , the electric car maker. “It gave me a bit of a shock California-based company since a message of congratulations to Before Monday, SpaceX had as you can understand. And a rocket failure in June that Musk’s company, saying: “Wel- been grounded since June 28, as quick as it came up it destroyed a cargo ship being car- come to the club!” when a Falcon 9 rocket exploded jumped off my board... swam ried on a resupply mission bound But the SpaceX feat, which shortly after launch during a towards one of my friends, for the International Space Sta- the company had characterized space station cargo run for Nasa. swam under his board and tion. before launch as a “secondary test Investigators traced the prob- then swam off. The upgraded, 23-storey-tall objective,” was achieved during an lem to a faulty support beam that “It’s really quite freaky... it was Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from actual commercial mission. held a bottle of helium inside the my first (shark encounter) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Sta- Minutes after blast-off, the rocket’s upper-stage liquid oxy- hopefully it’s going to be the last,” tion at 8:29 p.m. EST/0129 GMT, Falcon 9’s first-stage rocket sepa- gen tank. When the strut broke, he added. with the nine-engine suborbital rated from its upper-stage booster, helium flooded into the tank, Bondi Rescue Lifeguards con- main stage returning 10 min- which continued on into orbit to causing it to over-pressurize and firmed the incident, adding that utes later to a landing site about release ORBCOMM’s satellites then explode. Norburn was not hurt and the 6 miles south of its launch pad. about 800km above the Earth. SpaceX switched to a new shark — which the surfer’s friend The upper-stage booster contin- Monday’s deployment com- supplier for the steel struts and said looked like a bronze whaler ued its ascent to Earth orbit with pleted a $200 million 17-satel- upgraded its testing program, — was about six feet (1.8 metres) its payload. lite network that will provide Musk later told reporters. The long. Musk has said the ability to machine-to-machine messaging Falcon rocket launched on Mon- “Lifeguards spoke to both men return his rockets to Earth so services on the ground — such as day also included a more powerful and cleared the water afterwards. they can be refurbished and between retailers and shipping first-stage engine and a beefed-up A remodelled version of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at the Cape Will be a very memorable surf for reflown would slash his company’s containers. landing system. Canaveral Air Force Station on the launcher’s first mission since a June both guys,” the lifeguards said in operational costs in the burgeon- After separation from its upper REUTERS failure in Cape Canaveral, Florida, late on Monday. a Facebook post. Norburn — who has been surfing for almost three dec- ades —said he paddled back to the beach, about 50-60 metres (164-197 feet) away, as quickly Yanni to Star Wars overtakes Jurassic World for biggest debut as he could in what “felt like eternity”. broadcast “My swimming lessons came LOS ANGELES: The new Star $524.9m. “Our sole focus has been sales, two films by James Cam- in a calendar year for the first back into play and I swam as hard Wars movie has set a global open- creating a film that delivers that eron hold the record — Avatar time ever, surpassing the previ- as I could back to the beach,” he concert from ing weekend record, smashing one-of-a-kind Star Wars experi- ($2.78bn) and Titanic ($2.18bn), ous record of $4.73bn set in 2013. said. past the previous record holder ence, and director J J Abrams, and it is expected that The Force The Force Awakens picks up the “It was a massive sense of relief Jurassic World to rake in $529m, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Awakens might unseat both. intergalactic story of good versus (to be back on land) and you are Pyramids Disney said. Kennedy and the Lucasfilm team “Star Wars is officially the big- evil 30 years on from The Return also trying to digest what just NEW YORK: Yanni, the prolific “With final numbers now in, have outdone themselves,” Disney gest thing to happen in the known of the Jedi, the last episode of the happened.” New Age composer known for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ chairman Alan Horn said at the box office universe now that it has original trilogy. Sydney is the capital of New extravagant live performances, rose above estimates to post an weekend. taken the best debuts records — The trio of heroes who appeared South Wales, where authorities plans a busy 2016 that includes all-time industry-high $248m The highly anticipated seventh domestic and worldwide — from in the first of the blockbusters in recently implemented a range of broadcast of a concert at the domestically plus $281m inter- instalment of the space saga has Jurassic World,” said Jeff Bock, box 1977 — smuggler Han Solo (Har- shark-prevention measures to Pyramids. nationally for an all-time record blazed a record-setting trail since office analyst at Exhibitor Rela- rison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie reduce encounters after a spate The Greek-born, US-based global debut of $529m since open- its domestic debut last Thursday, tions. Fisher), leader of the rebel alli- of attacks this year. keyboardist announced that ing December 16,” the company taking the prize for highest- “The industry is expecting ance, and her twin brother Luke The state, which has a 2,000km “Yanni: The Dream Concert — said in a statement. grossing domestic opening night amazing holds this upcoming Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — are long coastline, has endured 13 Live from the Great Pyramids It said the figure does not with $57m and biggest domestic weekend and through the holi- all back and played by the actors attacks this year, including one of Egypt,” will air on US public include box office receipts from single-day sales on Friday with days, and if that happens, Avatar that Star Wars first made famous. fatal mauling. broadcaster PBS in March. India and Greece, where the $120.5m. and its records may be the next Also debuting at the box office Measures include the testing The concert will be a record- movie opens this week or from Harry Potter and the Deathly thing to fall in the face of the in the top 10 this weekend were of aerial drones to track sharks’ ing of Yanni’s first appearance China, the world’s second biggest Hallows: Part 2, previously held power of the force.” four other films, whose numbers movements and “smart” drum in Egypt from October, in which film market where it opens on both records at $43.5m for an Disney said the galactic success seemed miniscule compared to lines that hook the animals or he brought an orchestra and an January 9. opening night and $91m for a of the movie has already enabled the Star Wars hauling. alert authorities to their pres- accompanying light show to the Jurassic World previously held first day. the company to cross the $5bn ence. Pyramids. the record for global launch with As far as all-time box office mark in global box office receipts REUTERS AFP The showcase of the ancient wonder could offer a publicity boon for Egypt as it struggles to ease overseas tourists’ safety Refugees get a taste of concert concerns. At the same time, a number of Missing snake species Egyptians complained on social media that Yanni’s two shows were too expensive for them. The concert film will be Yanni’s found off Australia 12th for PBS. The first, and most famous, was a concert by Yanni at SYDNEY: Australian scientists monitor populations as well as the Acropolis in his native Greece yesterday hailed the discovery of undertake research into under- recorded in 1993. two sea snake species feared to standing their biology and the He released his last such con- have become extinct years ago off threats they face.” cert in 2012 which was taped in the Western Australia coast. The university said the short- Puerto Rico at the 16th-century The short-nose sea snake and nose sea snake was identified Morro Castle. the leaf-scaled sea snake had not after a wildlife officer sent a photo Yanni on January 29 will also been seen since disappearing from of two of them to D’Anastasi in release a new album, Sensu- their only known habitat on Ash- April 2013. ous Chill, which his label said more Reef in the Timor Sea more “What is even more exciting is would include a track with a than 15 years ago, James Cook that they were courting, suggest- touch of bhangra, the ener- University researchers wrote in ing that they are members of a getic dance music with roots the Biological Conservation jour- breeding population,” D’Anastasi in Punjab. nal. added. Yanni plans a tour across North But they have since been “spot- The scientists said it was a America for the album, starting ted alive and healthy” at Ningaloo “real surprise” when they also on February 2 in Sarasota, Flor- Reef (short-nose sea snake) and discovered a “new and signifi- ida. Shark Bay (leaf-scaled sea snake), cant” population of the leaf-scaled AFP thousands of kilometres south. sea snake in the seagrass beds of “This discovery is really excit- Shark Bay. ing, we get another chance to pro- “The disappearance of sea tect these two endemic Western snakes from Ashmore Reef could Australian sea snake species,” not be attributed to trawling the study’s lead author Blanche and remains unexplained,” said D’Anastasi said in a statement another researcher, Vimoksalehi about the two species, listed by Lukoschek. Refugees listen to a general rehearsal of the Deutsches Kammerochester Berlin chamber orchestra in a shelter Australian authorities as criti- Sea snakes are often vulner- for asylum seekers in Berlin yesterday. The orchestra, that will play the concert on Saturday at the chamber cally endangered. able as by-catch by prawn trawl- music hall of the Berliner Philharmonie, had invited refugees to attend its general rehearsal. “But in order to succeed in ers. protecting them, we will need to AFP Wednesday 23 December 2015 12 Rabia I 1437 Volume 20 Number 6653 Price: QR2

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 QNB buys 99.81pc in Finansbank for $2.94bn QNB Group acquires Turkey’s fifth largest privately owned bank’s stake from National Bank of Greece

DOHA: QNB Group, the largest equity amounted to $3.6bn as per and a leading global bank by 2030. Financial Stability Fund. financial institution in Qatar and International Financial Reporting Finansbank is a highly regarded The closing of the transaction the Mena, reached an agreement Standards. financial institution with an is subject to regulatory approv- with National Bank of Greece to Finansbank has a strong capi- impressive track record of success als and other customary closing acquire the latter’s entire 99.81 tal base with a capital adequacy in Turkey, and we look forward conditions. The transaction is percent stake in Turkey’s Fin- ratio of 15.9 percent, which is to welcoming the personnel and expected to close in the first half ansbank AS for €2.7bn ($2.94bn). among the highest in the Turk- management of Finansbank to of 2016. QNB Group has been a Finansbank is the fifth largest ish banking sector, together with QNB Group. We also look forward trusted financial institution for privately owned universal bank by solid long-term foreign currency to contributing towards Turkey’s over fifty years. Through con- total assets, customer deposits and ratings of Ba2 and BBB- by future economic development and trolled growth, the bank aspires loans in the Turkish market. The Moody’s and Fitch, which are a further enhancing its overall con- to become an Icon in the Mid- bank was incorporated in 1987 testament to Finansbank’s suc- nectivity with international mar- dle East and Africa by 2017. To and acquired by National Bank cessful business, operating model kets as an integral part of QNB achieve this, QNB Group is pur- of Greece, which currently has a and risk management. Group’s global network” suing inorganic growth in large, shareholding of 99.81 percent. QNB intends to fund the pur- QNB Capital and JP Morgan high growth markets, the Group Finansbank has grown organi- chase through its own funds and are acting as joint financial advis- said in a statement. cally into a full service financial will remain strongly capitalised ers, while Clifford Chance is act- Turkey, with its significant institution with an independent after the acquisition in line with ing as lead legal counsel and Yegin market size, population, growth and experienced management, its Group targets. Ciftci Attorney Partnership is track record, strong economic nationwide distribution network Commenting on the announce- acting as local legal counsel for and banking sector prospects The QNB headquarters in Doha. of 647 branches and over 5.3 mil- ment, QNB Group’s Chief Execu- the transaction. and strategic location as a gate- lion customers. As of 30 June tive Officer Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari The transaction has been way between Europe and Asia with the rest of the region have ten-fold from $5.6bn in 2000 to 2015, Finansbank has $29.0bn said: “This transaction is a signifi- approved by the board of direc- represents such a market and is increased in recent years, as trade $52.2bn in 2014. of assets, $19.5bn in loans and cant milestone in QNB’s Vision tors of both banks and the Gen- therefore of strategic importance with the Middle East and North $14.6bn in deposits and total to becoming a MEA icon by 2017 eral Council of the Hellenic for QNB Group. Turkey’s ties Africa region has risen nearly THE PENINSULA

Qatargas reshapes Qatari stocks surge on positive US economy expands 2pc LNG shipping practice mood, index breaks 10,000 mark in third quarter DOHA: For the third time this Qatargas Commercial and Shipping By Satish Kanady first-of-its-kind certificates of 20 percent against dollar year to WASHINGTON: The US econ- year, Qatargas Operating Com- Group, we have achieved another deposits for customers, individu- date and interest rates are higher omy expanded at a revised 2 per- pany Limited (Qatargas) has milestone in our commitment to DOHA: Qatari stocks closed als and business, in riyal and dollar, now, but I think the discounted cent annualised rate in the third safely and successfully delivered being the world’s premier LNG higher yesterday recovering from with different maturity dates. price paid should offset the diffi- quarter, buoyed by consumer a Q-Flex cargo of Liquefied Natu- Company. The multi-port delivery the past two week’s steep losses. On the QNB deal, Afa Boran, cult short term prospects,” he said. spending as businesses struggled ral Gas (LNG) between multiple initiative demonstrates Qatargas’ The benchmark index surged 2.71 Head of Asset Management at Another boost for the market to sell to overseas customers bat- ports for a single customer. unique capabilities to meet and percent to break the 10,000 mark Amwal and Credit Suisse’s former was QE’s formal announcement tered by sluggish growth. This innovative method of exceed its customers’ needs and is before finishing at 10,174.80. Yes- top rated Turkish equity analyst regarding the launch of ‘margin The gain in gross domestic delivery sets a new benchmark once again leading the industry in terday’s bounces followed a 1.02 said: “Based on the announced trading’ of 20 most liquid stocks product followed a 3.9 percent against the established industry providing new and innovative LNG percent slide in main index in the price, QNB seem to have gotten a listed on the QE. To add on, oil advance in the second quarter, practice of loading a single cargo supply chain solutions.” past week and 4.43 percent decline very good deal buying Finansbank market recovered slightly yester- Commerce Department figures for delivery to a single location. This latest LNG supply chain in the previous week. at 0.82 PBV vs QNB’s own PBV of day after the global benchmark showed yesterday in Washington. In March, the Q-Flex ves- innovation illustrates Qatargas’ Stocks kicked off the session 2.0x. Closest comparable is CBQ’s Brent touched a fresh 11-year low. The median forecast of 76 econo- sel Al Safliya delivered a single continued efforts to promote higher, when the market opened acquisition few years ago of Alter- Large buy orders from local mists surveyed by Bloomberg cargo split between the United increased efficiency and the opti- after an extended weekend-holi- natif Bank at 2.0x PBV. Naturally retail investors boosted total trade called for a 1.9 percent increase Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. mization of business practices. days that left shares wider than valuations are lower now after volume to over 11 million shares compared with the previously In August, the Q-Flex vessel Al Qatargas’ optimal utilisation of usual moves. The surge was driven emerging markets sell off but from from the previous session’s five reported 2.1 percent pace. Aamriya delivered a single cargo the world’s largest chartered LNG by sentiments, traders said. a long term strategy acquisition million shares. Total value jumped Even with the slight reduction split between the Chinese termi- Fleet comprising of 13 Q-Max, 19 The banking sector, which saw point of view, this is a very good to QR346m from QR205m. in growth, household purchases nals of Fujian and Tianjin. Q-Flex and 11 Conventional ves- a number of key market move- time to buy”. Powerhouse stock Industries propelled demand last quarter as In December, the Q-Flex vessel sels, along with a strong global ments in the past two days, rose This, along with other acquisi- Qatar (IQ) was up 3.07 percent. employment improved and fuel Duhail delivered the third single reputation for safe and reliable 2.28 percent. QNB announced the tions in Egypt and Africa will pro- Vodafone soared 9.93 percent to prices remained low. Nonetheless, cargo split between the Chinese operations, uniquely positions acquisition of 99.81 percent stake vide QNB good growth prospects lift the Telecom sector to 5.37 consumers alone won’t be able terminals of Zhejiang and Tianjin. Qatargas to support its global in Finansbank in Turkey. Masraf particularly after Qatar’s invest- percent. Realty stocks Ezdan and to shoulder the burden of help- Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, customers in an ever changing Al Rayan and QIB jumped 5.13 per- ment projects and borrowing needs Barwa rose 4.34 and 3.13 percent, ing the world’s largest economy Qatargas CEO, said: “Through the market. cent and 2 percent, respectively. are reduced. “Key macro chal- respectively. overcome slower global growth, so hard work and dedication of the THE PENINSULA QIB had announced that it issued lenges are Turkish lira devalued THE PENINSULA areas such as business investment and government outlays will also need to strengthen. “Consumption is a big piece of it, and it’s chugging along,” said Tim Quinlan, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Mourjan Marinas fast becoming Charlotte, North Carolina, who correctly projected the growth pace. At the same time, “it’s hard home-port for marine operators to be really enthusiastic about the outlook for trade and business investment” amid weak growth DOHA: Mourjan Marinas, Mourjan Marinas, Lusail City’s overseas, he said. Doha’s premier yachting desti- event venue, offering an idyllic Economists’ projections for nation located in Lusail City, is setting for birthdays and anni- GDP, the value of all goods and fast becoming the chosen home- versary celebrations. Guests can services produced, ranged from port for marine operators to choose from personalised services 1.5 percent to 2.1 percent. The lat- undertake their activities, with with an array of food and beverage est estimate is the third for the three commercial operators now selections, balloons, decorations quarter and the reading won’t be on board; Almargan Tours, Blue and flowers to match any occasion. updated again until annual revi- Marine and Doha Yachting. Wayne Shepherd, General sions are issued in July of 2016. Almargan Tours is a yacht Manager of Mourjan Marinas, The economy grew at an aver- chartering company in Qatar said: “We are proud to be the age pace of 2.3 percent in the first which provides luxury boats and home-port for a growing portfolio half of the year after expanding yachts for cruising. The company of commercial marine operators 2.4 percent in all of 2014. offers a selection of yachts in Doha in Qatar. We are always looking The slight reduction in third- with three boats ranging in size for ways to add new dimensions quarter growth reflected a from 33 feet to 55 feet for hourly to our diverse offering at Mour- smaller increase in invento- and daily charter, further enhanc- jan Marinas and to attract and Various yachts at Mourjan Marinas in Lusail City. ries than previously estimated. ing the Marina’s offering for visi- increase access to the wider com- Consumer spending was little tors, said a statement yesterday. munity.” changed from the prior report as Blue Marine offers a full line- Built within Lusail City, a tors will find easy access to nearby worldwide. It was named “Leading the International Clean Marina a reduction in outlays on finan- up of water sports activities for meticulously planned urban premier hotels. Marina Developer in the GCC” in Accreditation in 2014. The marina cial services was offset by a bigger sport fishing and cruising. The development, Mourjan Marinas Mourjan Marinas – Lusail City The World of Yachts Recognition was also awarded in December gain among non-profit agencies company offers a great selection is ideally located along the coast, is owned and operated by the Awards for Excellence 2015. 2013 as the “Most Interesting serving households. of yachts in Doha with six boats just north of Doha’s central busi- award-winning Mourjan Marinas, Mourjan Marinas -Lusail City Marine Development” by the Boat Weaker overseas growth and a ranging in size from 24 feet to 56 ness district. The marina is also which offers innovative develop- was recognised as a regional- Owner Middle East. strong dollar have weighed on net feet for hourly, daily and weekly within easy reach of the Al Khor ment and management solutions first for its eco-friendly manage- exports also. charter. Doha Yachting enriches expressway, and guests and visi- for marina lifestyle destinations ment practices upon receiving THE PENINSULA BLOOMBERG WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS ConocoPhillips Western Union Qatar-UAE Exchange launches exits Russia

online remittance service NEW YORK: US oil and natural to aid global gas producer ConocoPhillips has DOHA: Qatar-UAE Exchange including Secured Socket Layer sold its 50 percent stake in a joint has launched an online remit- (SSL) encryption methods ensure venture with Russian state oil tance service in Qatar. With this complete online protection, a pro- company Rosneft, a ConocoPhil- service, customers can also avoid tocol used by all responsible web- lips spokesman said. education plans standing in long queues or visiting sites on the Internet that prevents The exit from Russia comes branches for transactions. any unauthorised person from about five years after ConocoPhil- Residents of Qatar can instantly accessing the customer’s account lips sold its biggest sole asset in transfer money from Qatar to details. Information provided by Russia, a stake in Lukoil, for Focus on initiatives in Mena region anywhere in the world from the the customers is stored in a secure $9.5bn. comfort of their personal space — database on private servers which ConocoPhillips was left with DOHA: The Western Union formative years. Consequently, the be it from home, office or while on are used only for remittance pur- the Polar Lights JV in Russia Company and the Western Union future of millions of young children the move by just a click on their poses. after it sold a 30 percent interest Foundation yesterday announced is being compromised, and this will laptop, PC or mobile, said Edison Qatar-UAE Exchange has in another joint venture to part- to have renewed their commit- result in immeasurable harm to Fernandez (pictured), Country always strived towards customer ner Lukoil in 2012. ment to global education in Sep- their societies,” said Farah, citing a Head, Qatar-UAE Exchange. convenience. The transaction ConocoPhillips spokesman Kris tember, and the company says the recent Unesco report on education There is a maximum limit of processes are quick and hassle Sava said the company sold its next phase of their world-wide in the region. QR100,000 per transaction or per free. The online remittance serv- stake to Trisonnery Asset Ltd. programme will place a spotlight “After a successful three-year month that can be transferred. online remittance service will be ice is a product of Qatar-UAE Rosneft also sold its stake in on the education sector in the Mid- run of the initiative, the recently Customers can conveniently pay better than the exchange rate Exchange, the Qatar arm of the the Polar Lights joint venture last dle East and North Africa region renewed global goals for ‘Educa- through a debit card issued by provided at the branches. There UAE Exchange, the leading remit- week, in a deal that valued the (Mena) and around the world. tion for Better’ encompass various any banks in Qatar. Customers are no additional charges or fees tance, foreign exchange and pay- business at about $150m-$200m, Both the organisations help activities, to be achieved over the can also check the transaction in Qatar for online service usage. ment solutions brand, which has the Financial Times reported cit- create economic opportunity and next five years. The next phase of progress and details of the last The standard remitting charges its presence in 31 countries with ing a person with knowledge of financial inclusion through their this initiative will aim to provide five transactions. per transaction is charged from over 140 correspondent banking the matter. The joint venture had ‘Education for Better’ initiative education and job skills training An automated email and SMS the customer while sending money relationships. With the assistance been bought by a company owned — a combination of services, cam- that foster economic opportuni- confirmation will reach the cus- online from Qatar to the ben- of Xpress Money, customers can by the Khotin family in Russia, paigns, cause marketing, employee ties for women and youth, and tomers mobile after the trans- eficiary residing anywhere in the send cash to over 100,000 agent the FT reported, citing a person engagement and philanthropic strengthen families and commu- action is credited or beneficiary world. locations across the globe. familiar with the deal. investments. nities,” he said. has collected the amount. The Fernandez said that the cut- The initiative advocates that “At Western Union we know exchange rate offered through ting-edge security technologies THE PENINSULA REUTERS education can reduce poverty — that education is the surest path which in turn can lead to more to a better future, and it is our stable, prosperous communities cause of choice, in giving back and a stronger business climate — to the communities we serve. In and help build a future workforce. this region, at this moment, the Jean Claude Farah, Executive importance of education cannot be Tata Steel in talks to sell UK unit to Greybull Vice-President, and President emphasised enough,” Farah said. of the Middle East, Africa, Asia He added that the company’s Pacific, Eastern Europe and CIS, role in the cause will involve sev- MUMBAI/LONDON: Britain’s troubled One source said the deal was probably worth says that the Western Union eral initiatives including sponsor- steel sector received a boost yesterday with less than £500m, and that the buyer was not community’s efforts in the region ships, partnerships, donations, news that Tata Steel is in talks to sell its likely to take on any debt. “Greybull Capital con- stems from recent and prevailing advocacy, and co-participation struggling British-based unit to investment firms that it has signed a letter of intent with conditions. with Western Union consumers, firm Greybull Capital, according to statements Tata Steel... Whilst this is an important mile- “The combination of neglect, employees and agents around the from the two firms. stone, much work remains to be done to reach conflict, poverty, hostility, dis- world. Britain’s largest steelmaker has been try- a successful outcome,” the investment firm said. crimination and mass migration Farah also drew attention to ing to sell its long products unit, which makes In October, Tata Steel said it could axe about is seeing alarming drops in the corporate responsibility in the steel for use in construction, since last year. Its 1,200 jobs at its long products unit, which is provision, quality and regularity of region’s education sector: “In times plans became more urgency as a global steel based in Scunthorpe, northeast England and education. As a result, one in every of conflict, education takes a back crisis intensified and prices hit decade lows. employs some 4,700 people across Europe. four children and adolescents in seat and often falls into second- “This is an extremely critical time for the The news came as a huge blow to Britain’s the Mena region is either out of ary priority, but as responsible cor- whole industry, and we have been working embattled steel sector. Including the Tata school, or at risk of dropping out. porate citizens, we have a role in hard to explore all options that could provide cuts, the sector lost some 4,000 jobs in Octo- Other children face multiple trau- returning it to its rightful place.” a future for the Long Products Europe busi- ber alone, equivalent to about a fifth of its mas of losing their homes and loved ness,” said Karl Koehler, Chief Executive of workforce. ones, or becoming refugees in their THE PENINSULA Tata Steel’s European operations. REUTERS The Tata Steel plant in Scunthorpe. Apple hits out at British plans to extend online surveillance

LONDON: Apple has warned that bill in the latest clash between attempt to force non-UK compa- a British plan to give intelligence Western governments seeking to nies to take action that violated the agencies extra online surveillance monitor the threat from militants laws of their own countries “would powers could weaken the security and online companies working to immobilise substantial portions of of personal data for millions of peo- maintain security. the tech sector and spark interna- ple and paralyse the tech sector. Apple said the draft laws could tional conflicts”. Britain unveiled proposals for weaken data encryption, sanction The British government, which new online powers last month interference with its products, failed with a previous attempt to that it said were needed to keep force non-UK companies to break increase online surveillance dubbed the country safe from criminals, the laws of their home countries, the “snoopers’ charter”, has said fraudsters and militants, including and spark similar legislation in the proposals will not ban encryp- the right to find out which websites other countries that could paralyse tion or do anything to undermine people visit. firms under the weight of dozens of the security of people’s data. But Critics, however, say the Inves- contradictory laws. Apple said proposals in the new bill tigatory Powers Bill gives British Lending support to Apple’s view, would weaken encryption, such as spies authority beyond those avail- Microsoft also said an interna- the explicit obligation on service able in other Western countries, tional approach would keep peo- providers to help intercept data and that it constitutes an assault ple more secure than competing and hack suspects’ devices. on personal freedom. “We believe measures from different countries. The company, which uses end- it is wrong to weaken security for “The legislation must avoid to-end encryption on its FaceTime hundreds of millions of law-abiding conflicts with the laws of other and iMessage services, said the best customers so that it will also be nations and contribute to a system way to protect against increasingly weaker for the very few who pose where like-minded governments sophisticated hacking schemes and a threat,” the iPhone maker said. work together, not in competition, cyber attacks was by putting into Apple submitted its response to to keep people more secure,” a place increasingly stronger — not a British parliamentary commit- spokeswoman said. weaker — encryption. tee that is scrutinising the new Apple said in its submission an REUTERS QAC sells 10,000 units in 2015

DOHA: Qatar Automobiles Com- pany, authorised distributor of Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubi- shi Fuso in Qatar, has achieved a milestone of exceeding 10,000 units sold in 2015. On this occasion, QAC cel- ebrated the 10,000th unit with the lucky customer who won a valuable service package for her new 2016 Outlander. During the ceremony, Ihab El Feky, General Manager of QAC, said, “After the excellent sales growth award from Mitsubishi Motors and after-sales award of excellence from Mitsubishi Fuso, we are closing the year with record breaking sales.” Officials with the customer of 10,000th unit. “This achievement reflects the hard work and commitment put and services,” he added. appeals to a large mass of con- in by the entire team throughout This impressive sales figure sumers in the Qatari market. the year and the continued trust proves that Mitsubishi contin- of our customers in our products ues to satisfy its enthusiasts and THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 Qatar major trading partner of Brazil Moody’s, Qatar and Brazil witness 55.11pc growth in bilateral trade between Q1 and Q3 of this year S&P cut

DOHA: The GCC countries, Gulf’s vibrant and dynamic busi- of the year the overall recorded imports for including Qatar, continue to dis- ness landscape. underscore the Gulf. This was followed by fer- Toshiba’s play its strong trade ties with To date, Saudi Arabia takes the immense tilisers with an 18 percent share Brazil and Qatar has emerged the top rank over other Arab trust and con- of the total amount at $458.13m as the second largest trading countries for having the highest fidence placed and plastic at 5.70 percent with rating partner after Saudi Arabia.It share in at 43.71 percent with $1. by Brazilian $145.04m worth of imports accounted for 26.30 percent (or 11bn worth of imports, followed Arab coun- between January and September TOKYO: Crisis-hit Toshiba’s $666.54m) of the combined value by Qatar. tries. In addi- of 2015. These three were ranked woes deepened yesterday when of $2.54bn GCC-Brazilian imports The UAE comes third at 14.63 tion, it also as the top commodities in demand Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s recorded between Q1 and Q3 of percent with $372.08m, while highlights the within the region. (S&P) cut its credit rating to 2015. Kuwait has 11.51 percent at Arab regions’ The efficient operations and junk, casting doubt on a turna- According to the recent reviews $292.93m. The UAE showcased eagerness to transactions that come as a round plan unveiled in response of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of marked growth compared to address the result of open communication to an embarrassing profit-pad- Commerce (ABCC), mineral fuel the previous year, recording an demand for channels streamline business ding scandal. and oil accountged for top imports increase of 10.37 percent, while products from operations, create more oppor- On Monday, Toshiba rolled amounting to a total of $1.75bn Qatar experienced a 55.11 percent Brazil and tunity for investors in Brazil and out a wide-ranging restructur- during the same period. The posi- growth. Arab region have always enjoyed offer high-quality commodities.” the Arab region to explore more ing which included thousands of tive trend showcases the steady Dr Michael Alaby, (pictured) strong bilateral relations, and Brazil has imported mostly prospects in the horizon. job cuts, as it warned it would trade relations between the two Secretary General and CEO, the impressive numbers recorded mineral fuel and oil which book a record $4.5bn annual loss. regions as well as Brazil and the ABCC, said: “Brazil and the within the first three quarters recorded a 68.83 percent share of THE PENINSULA Investors dumped its Tokyo-listed shares, which have plummeted by nearly one quarter in the last two days of trading. Moody’s said its two notch-downgrade to Ba2 was in response to Toshiba’s overhaul Task FZCO to After $1 trillion Asia deal spree, Asia-Pacific M&A and its weak prospects - and The annual volume of Asia-Pacific mergers and warned of more possible cuts. acquisitions topped $1 trillion for the first time in 2015, bring Xiaomi preliminary Thomson Reuters data showed. “The announcement indicated ANNUAL VALUE OF DEALS that earnings and cash flow China’s M&A set to hit new heights generation will be significantly phones to Mena 1.00 trillion dollars 0.75 below our previous expectations,”

HONG KONG: China Inc’s out- deal making,” said Joseph Gal- prime example is state-backed 0.50 said Moody’s analyst Masako

DOHA: Xiaomi’s smart phones bound acquisitions spree in 2015 lagher, head of M&A for Asia Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd. It plans 0.25 Kuwahara. She added that “our are set to make a debut in the helped push Asia-Pacific’s annual Pacific at Credit Suisse. “Chinese to invest 300bn yuan ($47bn) over 0 expectation of improvement in 1985 ’90 ’95 ’00 ’05 ’10 2015 Middle East and North Africa deal value past $1 trillion for the outbound activity is set to pick up the next five years in a bid to YTD earnings, if any, for each business (Mena) next month. first time, with 2016 set for a big- with a focus on the semi-conduc- become the world’s third-biggest VALUE OF DEALS BY INDUSTRY segment will be very gradual even Task FZCO will launch a range ger splurge still as Chinese firms tor, power and financial sectors,” player in chipmaking, muscling its 2014 2015 after the restructuring”. 200 billion dollars of Xiaomi’s smart phones initially buy even more assets abroad to Gallagher added. A strong year way into a trio made up of Intel S&P, meanwhile, announced a in Saudi Arabia and the UAE at sidestep slowing domestic growth. for deal-making bodes well for Corp, Samsung Electronics Co Industrials one-notch cut to BB+, saying in a the start of 2016, with a subse- Asia-Pacific M&A totalled $1.2 global investment banks in the Ltd and Qualcomm Inc. High technology release that Toshiba’s “operating 150 Real estate quent roll-out across the rest of trillion so far this year, up 46 region. This year, Goldman Sachs Among the deals Chinese com- Energy and power performance and financial stand- Telecommunications the GCC and North Africa after- percent from last year, prelimi- was the top adviser with a 16.7 panies are currently working on Financials ing may deteriorate further” in wards. nary data from Thomson Reuters percent market share, followed by are energy and waste treatment 100 the current fiscal year. A com- Xiaomi has become one of the showed, as China rediscovered an Morgan Stanley and HSBC Hold- investment firm Beijing Enter- Materials pany-hired panel earlier this year world’s leading smart phone com- appetite for outbound deals after ings, surging from 28th rank in prise Holdings Ltd’s pursuit of found executives at one of Japan’s Healthcare panies since it launched five years 2014’s 20 percent drop. With pri- 2014 after working on a slew of German waste management com- 50 Retail best-known companies had sys- Media and Entertainment Consumer Staples ago. Latest figures from IDC vate companies like Fosun Inter- deals from billionaire Hong Kong pany EEW in a deal potentially Consumer products and services tematically pressured underlings research, which tracks the sales national Ltd in the vanguard, tycoon Li Ka-shing. worth about $1.8bn. to inflate profits to hide poor 0 of smart phones worldwide, show Chinese firms spent a record China, Hong Kong and Aus- Media reports have also said Government and agencies results. that Xiaomi is now among the top $102bn so far in 2015, the data tralia were the three most active that state-owned China National Source: Thomson Reuters The case forced Toshiba’s J. Wang, 22/12/2015 five global smart phone brands. shows. M&A markets in Asia Pacific, the Chemicals Corp is weighing a pos- incumbent president and seven “We are very excited to bring As well as economic growth data showed. China’s large state- sible bid for European agrochemi- other top executives to resign. Xiaomi’s top-quality smart- slowing to its weakest pace in owned enterprises (SOE) played cals maker Syngenta AG, which 3 percent. “The weakening yuan The company has admitted it had phones to the Middle East and years, bankers and analysts say a less active role in 2015’s M&A has a market value of $35.1bn. coupled with a slowdown in the inflated profits by about $1.2 bil- North Africa in January 2016, as a need to acquire cutting-edge compared to their mid-2000s ChemChina, as the company is domestic market is a strong lion since the 2008 global financial we believe that they will be a very technology to improve manufac- heyday as President Xi Jinping’s widely known, declined to com- driver for China outbound M&A, crisis. attractive option for consumers in turing, environmental issues and wide-ranging anti-graft inves- ment. China’s weakening cur- factors that had driven Japan Toshiba’s business was dented the region,” said Givemore Gurira, a weakening yuan will all help tigations turned several official rency, forecast to slip a further outbound M&A for the last five by the global downturn, while the Chief Operating Officer, TASK send Chinese firms like chipmak- cautious about making big deci- 5-7 percent next year, would also years,” said Mayooran Elalingam, 2011 Fukushima disaster killed FZCO, the authorised distribu- ers and agrochemicals suppliers sions, bankers said. But Beijing encourage more money to leave head of Deutsche Bank’s Asia- off demand for atomic power at tor of Xiaomi in the Mena region. searching for deals overseas next ardently backs deals in niche China, analysts say. This follows Pacific M&A in Hong Kong. home in a big blow to the firm’s year. “China is on the move, we areas like semi-conductors and a surprise decision by Beijing in key nuclear division. THE PENINSULA are preparing for a busy year for agrochemicals, bankers said. A August to devalue its currency REUTERS AFP

Turkish central bank Morocco’s Bank of Spain hikes growth leaves rates unchanged trade deficit forecasts despite uncertainty ANKARA: Turkey’s cen- central bank to change its interest drops 19.7pc tral bank yesterday decided to rates,” said Ozgur Altug, econo- MADRID: The Bank of Spain budget policies in particular affect gross domestic product in the leave its main interest rates mist at BGC partners in Istanbul. RABAT: Morocco’s trade defi- hiked its growth forecasts for confidence,” the Bank of Spain coming quarters,” the Bank of unchanged, surprising markets He said in a note to clients that cit fell 19.7 percent to Dh140.02bn the Spanish economy this year said in a monthly report. Spain’s Spain said. Prime Minister Mar- which had awaited a hike in the after the Fed’s rate hike “there is dirhams ($14.22bn) in the first 11 and next yesterday, though it economy has recovered from a iano Rajoy’s PP had pinned its wake of the Federal Reserve’s no room for easing... (and) in fact, months of 2015 compared with warned in the wake of an incon- deep recession to become one of hopes of securing another term historic raise last week. a tighter monetary policy might a year earlier, thanks to lower clusive general election of poten- the fastest-growing in the euro in office on the economic rebound, The bank left its main one- be required” in Turkey. energy costs and higher exports, tially damaging uncertainty over zone this year, as high unemploy- but it has also been hit hard by week repurchase rate unchanged The Turkish lira has lost over the foreign exchange regulator reforms and budget policies. ment starts falling off, feeding a corruption scandals and many at 7.5 percent while for overnight 25 percent in value against the US said yesterday. Energy imports fell The vote on December 20 deliv- pick-up in household spending. Spaniards are still worse off than lending the marginal funding rate dollar since the start of the year by 29 percent from a year earlier ered a highly fragmented result, On a quarterly basis, the pace of they were before the downturn. was left at 10.75 percent and the with markets unnerved by politi- to Dh61.69bn, data showed. Wheat making it hard for any party to growth slowed slightly in the July The PP imposed deep spending borrowing rate at 7.25 percent. cal uncertainty, the situation in imports also fell 32 percent as the form a government and heralding to September period, reaching 0.8 cuts at the height of the reces- Market consensus had been for neighbouring Syria and the mili- local harvest hit a record high this weeks of tough negotiations as the percent. The Bank of Spain said sion and pushed through a labour a hike in the headline repo rate of tary’s ongoing battle with Kurdish year. Total imports fell 6 percent centre-right People’s Party (PP) on Tuesday it expected the econ- reform that makes it easier for at least 25-50 basis points. militants. and total exports rose 7.1 percent seeks allies to stay in power. The omy to expand by 0.8 percent once companies to fire staff - poli- The Turkish lira immediately It has rallied slightly over the from a year earlier to Dh195.29bn, Bank of Spain said that poten- again in the fourth quarter. cies that were praised by some lost around one percent in value last three months, gaining around led by a 18.5 percent rise in auto tial headwinds for the economy It also raised its annual growth economists and European Union against the dollar, with markets 3.5 percent against the dollar. But exports and 20.6 percent hike in included doubts over policy in forecast for 2015 to 3.2 percent partners but which have been surprised that the rates had not the central bank remains con- phosphate sales. Tourism receipts Spain, as well as a potentially from 3.1 percent, and for 2016 unpopular with voters. Rajoy’s been lifted in the wake of the Fed’s cerned about persistently high dropped 0.9 percent to Dh54.66bn, harsher-than-expected slowdown to 2.8 percent from 2.7 percent. party fell far short of a majority decision on December 16 to lift inflation, which came in at 8.1 while remittances from the 4.5 in emerging markets. “Internally, Official preliminary data is due on in parliament, and left-wing oppo- rates for the first time in nearly a percent in November from the million Moroccans living abroad the main source of uncertainty January 29. “The slight slowdown nents have already signaled they decade. “The decision was rather same period the year earlier. rose 3.6 percent to Dh56.68bn. is associated with the evolution observed in the second half of the will not support a government led unexpected, as almost everybody of economic policies, given how year... does not alter the central by the party. in the market was expecting the AFP REUTERS much the reform agenda and scenario of sustained growth in REUTERS

Hyundai launches sub-compact SUV CRETA

DOHA: National Car Company, road this dynamic SUV makes a within the highly competitive National Car Company said, the sole distributor for Hyundai strong visual statement thanks sub-compact SUV segment.” At “The introduction of the All- vehicles in Qatar has announced to Hyundai Motor’s acclaimed the front the CRETA’s elegant New CRETA will open up the sub the introduction of the Creta, the ‘Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 Design phi- and distinctive character is illus- compact SUV segment giving the new sub-compact SUV, in Qatar. losophy’. trated by the triple slat chrome customers a solid and practical This addition to the Hyundai’s Jin (James) Kim, Vice-Presi- front grille, smoothly creased choice to crossover. We expect line-up marks the brand’s debut dent and Head of Operations for hood, Projector head lamps with that the All New CRETA will to in this fast-growing segment and Hyundai Motor Company Africa LED Positioning lights, Static get wide acceptance from the cus- is set to appeal to buyers looking and Middle East, said: “This is a bending lights, stylish skid plate tomers in view of the sporty driv- for an affordable SUV in a stylish, SUV that has been designed for and dual tone front bumper. The ing experience and great value high quality package. a new generation of customers vehicle’s dynamic look is accentu- offered as every Hyundai.” Offered at an affordable price who are looking for vehicles which ated from the side by the rising In line with Hyundai Motor matching that of a mid-segment demonstrate forward thinking belt line and sloping roofline while Company’s Modern Premium sedan, the CRETA combines a design and world-class quality split type tail lamps with chrome brand direction, the interior of classy ‘Modern Premium’ interior at an affordable price. CRETA edges, and a sporty bumper com- the Creta delivers class-leading and exterior with a robust body is a true expression of the future plete the modern look at the rear. levels of comfort and convenience. Newly luanched sub-compact SUV CRETA. structure and impressive per- of our brand and is perfectly Sheikh Ahmad bin Nasser formance and handling. On the equipped to perform strongly Al Thani, President Director- THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS Fed and Greece could Disney’s Star Wars coup surprise the 2016 bears By Mark Gilbert

NE of the pitfalls of market-watching, whether for was pushing out Lucas professional strategists or journalistic scribblers, is a tendency to accentuate the negative. (I’m ignoring sell- By Leonid Bershidsky and In 1990, according to Box Office Mojo, the Drawn from an old radio series, The Lone Oside equity analysts, whose pre-ordained bullishness is March Champion average movie grossed $12.2m in the US. In Ranger was neither sequel nor prequel and, largely indifferent to the economic backdrop.) Gloom, doom and 2015, before the arrival of The Force Awak- from a business point of view should never misfortune are more interesting than cheerful optimism. And I’m HE record-breaking performance ens, the average take was $15.4m — just 26 have been made. as guilty as the next financial soothsayer. of The Force Awakens, the new percent more, even though ticket prices had Sequels, prequels and remakes have But it’s often a good idea to try to take an opposing view, no Star Wars sequel, demonstrates roughly doubled in the 25 intervening years. been consistently shown to perform bet- matter how compelling the evidence for pessimism is (here’s an marketing’s victory over creativ- However, the average top-10 hit (again, ter than original movies. Using Box Office excellent roundup of worries from Dave Collum, who combines ity in the movie industry. Holly- before the latest Star Wars installment) Mojo data from 2011 for his recent master’s a passion for markets with his day job as professor of organic Twood, however, isn’t to blame: Because of grossed $326.9m this year and $154.5m in thesis, Catolica-Lisbon School of Business chemistry at Cornell University). So here are my two outside bets the way we watch movies, the industry is 1990, an increase of 110 percent. and Economics student David Polido deter- on what could go right on the biggest financial issues that we’re increasingly dependent on a few enormous Making average movies is a business with mined that the average ratio of revenue to carrying into 2016: financial bets — and sequels are the safest. declining returns. It makes sense: All tra- budget stood at 2.24 for sequels, compared At the start of this century, the so-called Goldilocks economy The Force Awakens grossed $238m in the ditional content industries have been bat- with 1.56 for non-sequels. Though revenues — with both growth and inflation not too hot, not too cold — was US alone on its opening weekend, making tered by the technological revolution and often decline as the number of movies in a lauded as a thing of wonder and a joy to behold. The boom-bust it the fastest movie in history to make its Hollywood is no exception. Netflix made franchise increases, recent hits have proven cycle would become the province of historians; central banks, led first $100m, $150m and $200m. Our family $6.4bn in revenue last year, 62 percent of that that’s not a universal law: Series such by former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, hailed at went, of course, and so probably did yours. the total US theater gross. People would as the Harry Potter films and the movies the time as “maestro,” had achieved nirvana. Since Star Wars is a Disney franchise rather watch most movies at home or even based on J R R Tolkien’s books have not The credit crisis put paid to that golden scenario, also known now, acquired for $4bn, and the result was on their mobile devices: If there are no spec- suffered from dwindling returns, perhaps at the time as the “new economy.” Instead, by 2009 the meltdown designed to recoup a big part of the invest- tacular visual effects, a trip to a movie house because their creators kept them coming had ushered in what bond-investing behemoth Pacific Investment ment. has become redundant. at relatively short intervals: That’s known Management Co. called “the new normal” as the replacement As with its acquisition of the Marvel The production of top-10 hits is, on the to be useful. environment. comic book universe, Disney’s goal was to contrary, an increasingly lucrative business. Disney, having paid dearly for the Star Fast forward to today. Economists ranging from Nouriel Rou- awaken as little outrage as possible among The gross ticket sales of blockbusters have Wars franchise, is determined to make no bini to former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers are Star Wars fans, while at the same time driv- actually overtaken ticket price inflation. marketing mistakes with it. Even George concerned that it’s too soon to tighten monetary policy in the US, ing merchandise sales with new characters That makes sense, too: Movies such as the Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars uni- while billionaire investor Sam Zell is warning about a potential such as the cute BB-8 robot. It’s a marketing latest Star Wars offering are best seen on verse who had totally different ideas for the recession in the coming year. And yet the Fed has signalled its feat for business school students to study: a big screen, with 3D glasses. On a small sequels, says “the fans are going to love” The confidence in the economic outlook by raising interest rates. There’s a bigger story behind this calculated, screen, much of the power of today’s box Force Awakens. A lot of effort must have Although US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew’s job description if somewhat uninspired, success. In 1990- office hits is often lost. gone into the focus groups. obliges him to be a cheerleader for the world’s biggest economy, 2000, there were by my count an average of It costs a lot to produce one of these tech- As for those of us who would like a little the data on growth, car sales and housing back up his optimistic 1.9 of sequels, prequels and remakes among nological juggernauts. The Force Awakens more art and daring in our movies, and comments made just after the Fed raised rates. the industry’s top ten box office hits. In the had a $200m budget. Blowing that kind of perhaps a little less naked business cal- Frankly, the US economy is doing quite well. We have a lot of following decade, that figure increased to 4.5 money on a dud can be painful, something culation, we have only ourselves and the international headwinds, and notwithstanding that, we’re stay- out of 10, and in 2011-2015, to 7.4 out of 10. Disney knows all too well. Its 2013 movie, technology that we find so life-changingly ing in a very good place. US drivers bought vehicles at an annual This trend has been bemoaned by writers The Lone Ranger, starred Johnny Depp and convenient to blame. Our altered viewing rate of more than 18 million in each of the months of September, for years. Even those of us who do not write cost $215m to make. It grossed only $89.3m habits have pushed Hollywood to make big- October and November, a streak that’s unprecedented. The bench- for the movies cannot help but feel slighted in the US and $260m worldwide, resulting ger, and thus necessarily safer, bets. mark S&P Case-Shiller home-price index, meantime, climbed 5.5 by the sequel boom: The industry doesn’t in heavy losses (a movie generally needs percent in September from a year earlier, extending a trend that’s appear to believe in original stories anymore. to gross twice its budget to turn a profit). BLOOMBERG seen prices gain of between 4 percent and 6 percent for more than a year. And the growth outlook forecasts by economists for the next six quarters shows the US economy expanding by more than its average for this decade in every three-month period. So maybe the Fed was right to have raised rates earlier this month. It gave investors and traders sufficient warning that it planned to move, and the ensuing changes in stock and bond prices have been unexciting. And all the hand-wringing about how hard it would be to actually tighten monetary conditions given the liquidity flowing through the system turned out to be unwarranted. So here’s hoping 2015 turned out to be the year Janet Yellen pulled off a Goldilocks impersonation — leaving the three bears deep in the woods in 2016. There were times this year when the euro looked like an endan- gered species. The refugee crisis has exposed damaging splits between Europe’s leaders, while the bloc’s voters seem more dis- illusioned with the long-term project to build a United States of Europe. But it was the bankruptcy of Greece that posed a clear and present danger to the common currency: If Grexit became a reality, who could say whether other countries (Portugal? Spain?) would also depart, fracturing the project beyond repair? After dancing on the edge of the abyss, however, the Greek government seems to be serious about digging itself out of its hole. It passed a budget earlier this month, recapitalised its banks, is making headway with plans to sell state-owned assets and deal with the country’s bad debts, and is basically keeping to the terms of its most recent bailout agreement. Lifting bank capital controls at some point in the first half of next year would be a significant step on the path back to a normally functioning economy. Government ministers say their own test of success will be whether the nation can return to the capital markets. Its last attempt to do that didn’t start out so well; the 3 billion euros of 4.75 percent bonds it sold in April 2014 at a price of a bit more than 99 cents on the euro had lost about 40 percent of their value a year later. Since then, though, the price has rallied. While the original investors are still nursing modest losses, anyone who took the plunge in the first three-quarters of this year has made money: Provided Greece can stay the course the second half of the year could indeed see Greece finding appetite from investors for fresh debt sales. At that point, we can probably stop worrying that Greece poses an existential crisis for the euro.

BLOOMBERG Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate How Apple’s Trojan will eat the credit card trade

By Vivek Wadhwa Blockchain is the core technol- model of its smartphones. Accord- and commercial purchases at for merchants who, with the new taken with it. Let’s just take it as ogy behind Bitcoin, and functions ing to data from payments-indus- merchants and cash obtained system, are now being forced to a given that Apple Pay achieves pple Pay was launched as a transparent ledger of trans- try tracker Pymnts.com, as of from credit and debit cards was swallow liabilities for fraud that significant market penetration. last year, with lots of actions, concurrently hosted on October 2015, only 15 percent of $20.567tr in 2013. previously lay with the banks and What then? Another upstart pay- fanfare and support by numerous computers around the all iPhone 6/6s users had tried Financially, too, Apple also has credit cards. And though chip- ments company, Square, gives us Athe credit card indus- world — allowing the creation Apple Pay. That is an increase many levers that it can push. It and-pin transactions in Europe a flavour of what is possible when try. Partnering with the banks of digital currencies and virtual from 9 percent in November 2014, could offer credits on purchases of require both the chip in the card technology companies control the that issue credit cards overcame banks. but is hardly enough to set the an iPhone and at the iTunes store, and a passcode, in the United payments infrastructure. Square the resistance that early entrants Think about it: today you world on fire. More significantly, as well as exclusive discounts. The States, terminals only require is now offering loans to its mer- in mobile payments had faced. It have a choice between Ameri- only 5.1 percent of all Apple Pay rebates for credit card fees could the chip. So the new format may chants without the merchant’s also solved critical technology can Express, MasterCard, and eligible transactions (meaning, in be used to buy music on iTunes, reduce some card fraud, but is not even requesting it. and infrastructure problems and Visa, and they charge merchants which the store has an Apple Pay movies on Apple TV, or iPhone all that much more secure than Apple could easily do some- offered the credit-card industry roughly 2 percent of every trans- terminal and the shopper has an accessories. True, there are pres- the old. thing like this, either for con- a new avenue for growth. Apple action. If you were given another iPhone 6/6s) are running through ently very few outlets that accept Compare this triple negative sumers or for merchants. With Pay isn’t a household name yet, payment option, let’s call it Apple- the service. Because iPhone 6/6s Apple Pay; but once it gains with an Apple Pay experience. data and coverage come insights but it is growing steadily and Coin, which provided you with a models remain a small proportion momentum, practically every Being lightning fast, it may slice and smarter ways to do business. is likely to become one. Most rebate of this fee, and the trans- of all iPhones in use, Apple Pay is retailer will find it necessary to 30 seconds off a chip-and-pin All of this will hurt the credit recently, Apple announced a deal action was easier and more secure capturing only a tiny volume of install an Apple Pay terminal or credit card transaction. The fin- card industry, but will be a boon with China’s UnionPay, the state- than with a credit card, which transactions. an add-on to their iPhones that gerprint it uses as the second fac- for consumers. Technology is run sole issuer of bank cards, to would you pick? I doubt many But Apple has time on its will act as one. tor of authentication (aside from enabling entrenched interests, allow it to operate nationwide in people would show loyalty to the side. And you can bet that Apple The credit card companies have the chip in the iPhone) not only the middlemen, to be sidelined. the People’s Republic. credit card industry. After all, understands that the prize in not done themselves a favour in is more secure than the four- This will mean lower fees, better Apple Pay is, however, a Tro- it extracts more than $100bn in play for global mobile payments forcing merchants to install a digit passcode; it also requires service, and faster transactions — jan horse. Once Apple has estab- fees — a tax that we end up paying is a larger market than that for new chip-and-pin technology. less work and cannot be stolen and not having to deal with those lished its platform, it won’t need for — and gouges us the moment phones, music, and computers The merchants are already com- easily or leaked wholesale, due to annoying credit-card offers in the the banks and credit cards any we miss a payment. Apple would combined. In classic Apple fash- plaining that reading the com- biometrics’ cryptographic stor- mail. Best of all, we won’t need more. It will be able to take dominate this industry. ion, it is positioning itself to be a puter chips on credit cards takes age. And Apple does not store to carry paper money and credit advantage of another new tech- To be clear, Apple’s payment disruptive broker. According to a long time, annoying shoppers the entire credit-card number cards any more. nology, the blockchain, to offer application has not taken off industry newsletter The Nilson and costing money in lost trans- on the phone, so if the phone is an alternative payment option. yet and works only on the latest Report, the total of consumer actions. This is bitter medicine stolen, that information is not WASHINGTON POST WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 MARKET www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

QE Indices Summary QE Index 10,174.80 2.71 % WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Total Return Index 15,815.26 2.71 % QE Al Rayan Islamic Index 3,790.63 3.40 % RATE QE All Share Index 2,715.79 2.58 % INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial 2,738.94 2.28 % GOLD Services Buying Selling QE All Share Industrials 3,035.96 2.51 % All Ordinaries 5167.677 9.831 0.19 5963.5 4936.3 QR126.5822 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 QE All Share Transportation 2,427.56 0.69 % Cac 40 Index/D 4554.85 -10.32 -0.23 5283.71 4076.16 QE All Share Real Estate 2,316.04 3.70 % SILVER UK ...... QR 5.3819 QR 5.4577 QE All Share Insurance 4,153.46 2.10 % Dj Indu Average 17251.62 123.07 0.72 18351.4 15370.3 QR 1.6783 Euro ...... QR 3.9614 QR 4.0168 QE All Share Telecoms 941.95 5.37 % CA$ ...... QR 2.5915 QR 2.6427 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 5,950.65 2.58 % Hang Seng Inde/D 21830.02 38.34 0.18 28588.52 20368.12 Services Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.6551 QR 3.7067 QE Market Summary Comparison Iseq Overall/D 6691.7 -21.03 -0.31 6921.44 5072.7 Yen ...... QR 0.0298 QR 0.0304 Aus$ ...... QR 2.6122 QR 2.6640 Today Previous day Karachi 100 In/D 32641.09 -17.88 -0.05 36471.59 28648.23 CRUDE OIL 22-12-2015 21-12-2015 Ind Re ...... QR 0.0544 QR 0.0555 Index 10,174.80 9,906.00 Nikkei 225 Index 18886.7 -29.32 -0.16 20952.71 16592.57 Pak Re ...... QR 0.0344 QR 0.0351 Change 268.80 6.92 BRENT Peso ...... QR 0.0763 QR 0.0778 S&P 500 Index/D 0 0 0 2134.72 1867.01 % 2.71 0.07 $ 36.45 SL Re ...... QR 0.0251 QR 0.0256 YTD% 17.18 19.37 Straits Times/D 2895.81 27.07 0.94 3549.85 2808.31 Taka ...... QR 0.0461 QR 0.0471 Volume 11,210,627 5,079,458 DUBAI Nep Re ...... QR 0.0340 QR 0.0347 Value (QAR) 346,227,953.52 205,143,485.69 Straits Times/D 3324.09 0.44 0.01 3387.84 2953.01 $ 31.69 SA Rand ...... QR 0.2388 QR 0.2435 Trades 5,183 3,241 Straits Times/D 3274.06 -8.82 -0.27 3291.83 2953.01 Up 40 | Down 01 | Unchanged 01

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 22-12-2015

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume COMPANY CLOSE NET VOLUME Volume NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED NAME CHG TRADED A B G Infra-Xc/D 163.2 5.4 2720 Century Enka-B/D 183.5 0.2 16047 Gangotri Tex-B/D 1.33 -0.07 1404 Jindal Drill-B/D 136.7 5.5 9892 Neuland Lab-B/D 812.75 29.5 16795 Bp/D 341.55 6.35 8629250 A C C-A/D 1347.95 -3.2 13677 Century Text-A/D 581.75 5.8 128007 Garden P -B/D 31 2.55 245648 Jktyre&Ind-A/D 112.3 0.9 442678 O N G C-A/D 230.7 0.4 370291 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3666 8.5 342846 Aarti Drugs-B/D 557.05 -4.8 2679 Chambal Fert-B/D 59.25 -0.1 20351 Godfrey Phil-B/D 1259.6 22.3 73133 Kabra Extr-B/D 98.5 -1.85 3103 Oil Country-B/D 33.1 0.75 147429 Bt Group/D 460.55 5.5 4711362 Aban Offs-A/D 214.2 1.35 362837 Chola Invest-B/D 647 1.9 2586 Goodricke-B/D 198.5 -3.9 65771 Kajaria Cer-A/D 969 18.2 1584 Orchid Pharm-B/D 61.7 9.25 1595846 Centrica/D 209.1 -1.1 2536568 Ador Welding-B/D 345.7 -8.8 2075 Chowgule St-T/D 20.95 0.95 19750 Goodyear I -B/D 573.75 -0.25 3439 Kakatiya Cem-B/D 152 -1.1 6953 Orient Hotel-T/D 25.5 -0.8 19183 Gkn/D 293.8 -1.8 714648 Aegis Logis-B/D 101.25 -1.75 46661 Cimmco-B/D 81.3 0.2 2442 Hcl Infosys-B/D 61.1 -0.7 680002 Kalyani Stel-T/D 171.4 2.1 69528 Oudh Sugar-B/D 35.9 -0.55 50175 Hsbc Holdings/D 529.5 2.4 3470664 Alembic-B/D 46.5 3.25 658612 Cipla-A/D 644.2 1.1 57685 Him.Fut.Comm-T/D 17.5 -0.4 1919810 Kanoria Chem-B/D 80.3 -1.15 61251 Patspin India-/D 10.89 0.51 65198 Imperial Tobac/D 3482 7 424938 Alkyl Amines-B/D 366.5 -1 1841 City Union Bk-/D 92 0 15963 Himat Seide-B/D 220.6 1 165602 Kg Denim-B/D 60.1 3.95 85603 Punjab Chem.-B/D 178.5 -1.4 8208 Kingfisher/D 327.7 1.6 750031 Alok Indus-A/D 6.5 -0.05 1295640 Colgate-A/D 989.15 -9.05 15326 Hind Motors-T/D 7.43 0.01 40765 Kilburnengg-Xd/D 84.55 0.35 21280 Radico Khait-B/D 113.75 -1.45 67045 Land Secs Grou/D 1169 8 292463 Apollo Tyre-A/D 151.8 0.05 255065 Container Cor-/D 1305.65 6.85 5862 Hind Org Chem-/D 15.7 0.7 85630 Kinetic Eng-B/D 103.2 -3.7 13974 Rallis India-A/D 174.85 0.1 20200 Legal & Genera/D 262.1 -1.1 3039047 Asahi I Glass-/D 162 -4.55 5547 Dai-Tichi Kar-/D 489 4.4 2258 Hind Unilever-/D 855 2.9 73105 Kopran-B/D 79.2 0.7 606338 Reliance Indus/D 424.5 70.7 973526 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 71.5 0.55 17882636 Ashok Leyland-/D 88.4 -0.9 501095 Dcm Shram Ind-/D 92 -0.95 22127 Hind.Petrol-A/D 830.65 -1 59499 Lakshmi Elec-B/D 431.1 -1.7 1615 Ruchi Soya-B/D 27.85 -0.1 31339 Marks & Sp./D 441.2 -6.4 2150116 Bajaj Hold-A/D 1690 -25.15 1432 Dhampur Sugar-/D 63.85 0.65 52359 Hindalco-A/D 79.5 -1.7 1395201 Laxmi Prcisn-B/D 59.1 -1.25 49313 Saur.Cem-B/D 71.85 -2.2 108663 Next/D 7215 -5 188402 Ballarpur In-B/D 17.5 -0.4 421427 Dr. Reddy-A/D 3001.6 -7.45 25846 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 1226 -4.95 93129 Lloyd Metal-B/D 6.9 0.13 7959 Tanfac Indust-/D 39 0.55 1811 Pearson/D 755 6 450456 Banaras Bead-B/D 48 -1.25 1242 E I H-B/D 121 0.35 12673 I F C I-A/D 26.65 -0.5 602255 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 6.96 0.02 67287 Thirumalai-B/D 218.1 -1.8 27313 Prudential/D 1496 13.5 1232932 Bata India-A/D 496.9 12.8 31847 E.I.D Parry-A/D 198.05 4.45 227469 Idbi-A/D 89 -1.95 863947 Lumax Ind-B/D 460.4 -5.4 1475 Til Ltd.-T/D 508.9 -8.6 7034 Rank Group/D 284 0.5 18594 Bayer Crop-A/D 3286.75 -87.6 14401 Eicher Motor-A/D 16150 119.55 1452 Ifb Agro-B/D 451.1 -5.5 1340 Lupin-A/D 1785.75 -16 38413 Timexgroup-T/D 34.35 -1.35 32998 Rentokil Initi/D 157 1.6 316629 Beml Ltd-A/D 1262.35 13.3 42252 Electrosteel-B/D 21.15 0 270953 India Cement-A/D 85.25 -2.75 171214 Lyka Labs-T/D 126.4 -0.7 169844 Tinplate-B/D 74 -2.25 130395 Rolls Royce Pl/D 565 -4.5 1369926 Bh Electronic-/D 1270.1 14.95 28562 Emco-B/D 31.25 -0.65 29658 India Glycol-B/D 103 -3.8 24317 Mafatlal Ind-B/D 303 14.6 23941 Ucal Fuel-B/D 134.3 -0.6 56831 Rsa Insrance G/D 424.3 -4 729968 Bhansali Eng-T/D 27.6 0.55 1220507 Escorts Fin-B/D 4 -0.03 36594 Indian Card-B/D 222 3.3 1840 Mah.Seamless-B/D 177.2 0.8 13329 Ucal Fuel-B/D 134.3 -0.6 56831 Sainsbury(J)/D 256.6 -3 1870290 Bharat Bijle-B/D 851.25 -4 29858 Escorts-A/D 159.7 -1.55 84616 Indian Hotel-A/D 111.5 -1.75 68789 Mangalam Cem-B/D 205.6 -0.9 2530 Ultramarine-B/D 118.3 1.2 16126 Schroders/D 2902 4 52421 Bharatgears-B/D 93.05 -1.7 8411 Essar Oil-T/D 240 -3.35 568761 Indo-Tcount-T/D 1054.85 -35.1 7819 Maral Overs-B/D 34.85 0.65 18428 Unitech P -A/D 6.75 0 4646025 Severn Trent/D 2125 -11 97179 Bhartiya Int-B/D 525.25 -5.25 10919 Eveready Indu-/D 295.9 -0.45 20638 Indusind-A/D 934.6 -13.25 57733 Mastek-B/D 187.6 1.8 28205 Univcable-T/D 76 -1.75 9319 Smith&Nephew/D 1152 9 548384 Bhel-A/D 166.15 -1 282314 F D C-B/D 232.3 -0.65 7612 J.B.Chemical-B/D 274.2 -1.4 29468 Max India L-A/D 500 2.9 8755 Uppergsugar-T/D 71.4 1.8 1194 Smiths Group/D 933 10 295905 Bhuwalka Stl-X/D 7.13 -0.37 6700 Federal Bank-A/D 56.15 -0.15 311540 Jagson Phar-B/D 52.7 1.45 128379 Mrpl-A/D 67.15 0.2 91651 Standrd Chart /D 557 8 1870078 Bom.Burmah-B/D 470.95 8.95 10423 Ferro Alloys-B/D 5.2 -0.03 134005 Jamnaauto-B/D 128.3 0.4 295334 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 34.35 -2.5 8963 LONDON Tate & Lyle/D 590 2 184493 Bombay Dyeing-/D 65.2 1.6 332139 Finolex-A/D 291.45 0.9 2865 Jbf Indu-B/D 241.4 17.4 413890 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 34.35 -2.5 8963 Tesco/D 143.2 -2.1 5063113 Camph.& All-B/D 590.25 44.25 39736 Forbes-B/D 1484 -16.25 1262 Jct Elect P -B/D 0.45 0.01 48650 Nahar Spg.-B/D 117 -2.5 23912 3I Group/D 469.3 3.3 285048 Unilever/D 2795.5 0 747967 Canfin Homes-B/D 1070.7 20.85 6138 Gail-A/D 338.55 1.85 87373 Jct Ltd-B/D 9.66 -1.05 6638138 Nation Alum -A/D 41.25 -2.9 446028 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 3229 -7 256604 United Util Gr/D 921.5 -1 650851 Caprihans-Xc/D 92.7 3.7 39984 Galada Power-B/D 17 -0.25 3745 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 13.45 0.6 1002941 Navneet Edu-B/D 85.75 0.5 8973 Barclays/D 220.3 3.9 8224068 Vodafone Group/D 210.8 0.9 14096557 Castrol India-/D 440.7 4.35 158784 Gammon India-T/D 18.3 1.65 604767 Jik Indust-T/D 0.98 0.03 4801 Nepc India-T/D 1.85 0.05 65465 Bg Group/D 916.9 17.1 3757547 Whitbread/D 4369 -25 87285 WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BREAK TIME EASY SUDOKU CROSSWORD 1234567 891011121314 MANSPLAIN POSTS

15 16 IMATALOSS UBOAT LUS I TANI A PORKY 17 18 ASAP MET STERE 19 20 21 22 ELENA GALE YAP CNN BORON I L L 23 24 25 26 RHODE B I NET MOO 27 28 29 30 HANS AGNES SNOW

31 32 33 34 IVS PLUGS EWOKS NEO RENTS NET 35 36 37 EIN ORSO ODESA 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 TARTS RAN TOGO DANAE SALTSPRAY 46 47 48 49 ULTRA HI TANERVE 50 51 52 53 OLSEN ONEPLAYER Yesterday’s answer 54 55 56 57 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 58 59 60 61 63 Champion 24 Its logo was the U.K.’s first 64 Made smooth and glossy registered trademark Easy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1 to 62 63 65 Fought agin 25 Denmark sold it to the U.S. 9 in each empty cell so every row, every column in 1917 and every 3x3 box contains all the digits 1 to 9. 64 65 DOWN 1 What an ace is rarely seen on 28 Enters with keys 2 Relatives of recitatives 29 Tangled mass ACROSS 35 Itself, in a Latin legal phrase 3 “Dateline” group 32 Ball or strike lead-in 1 Bluegill or crappie 37 Knot holder 4 “The Young Man From 34 Garner, for short 8 Iceberg neighbor 38 Handsome surgeon’s nickname Atlanta” Pulitzer winner, 36 Plastic that’s often green 15 Rice variety used in rice on “Grey’s Anatomy” 1995 38 Blooper reel highlights HYPER SUDOKU pudding 42 Was piggish, say 5 They can roll over, briefly 39 Born Blonde brand 16 The Amu Darya no longer feeds it 46 Québec’s ___ Jésus 6 Editorial qualification 40 Foreordain 17 Mob law? 47 What many people do on 7 Brazilian supply 41 Business review company vacation 18 Follower of un favor 8 Leave an online game in a with a 2012 I.P.O. 19 They can be right-leaning 49 Plastic finish? huff 43 Korean compact 20 Cause of dejection 50 Slush pile item, for short 9 Subject of a statue outside 44 Bubble over 22 One of Jesus’ brothers, in 52 “Excellent mornings Boston’s TD Garden 45 On a wish list guaranteed” product baseball 10 “Thank you, ___” 48 Twain’s Tom Canty, e.g. 53 Expansion group? 23 All-clear indication? 11 U.S.-built route that’s mostly 51 The Godfather of Gangsta 24 Hires competition 54 Try to swipe outside the U.S. Rap 26 Head of technology? 56 Core of a tablet, briefly 12 “Do we have the green 53 Commercial pictures? 27 Veiled statement? 57 Dinosaur in many Nintendo light?” 55 Half-a-second sound games 28 Tea Party goals 13 One whose work is picking 57 Talks, talks, talks 58 Brand name whose middle up? 30 Game-ending exclamation 59 Duncan’s dissent letter is capitalized for no 14 “C’mon … gimme a 31 English teacher’s stack 61 It auctions off used fed. apparent reason challenge!” 33 Product of a twisted sense of property 60 Presidents Cup runner humor 21 Meanies of fantasy 62 Mustang, e.g.

Yesterday’s answer

How to play Hyper Sudoku: A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like a normal Sudoku. BABY BLUES BABY

NOVO How to play Kakuro: SCREEN 1 Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 11:20am, 2:30, 5:40, 8:50 & 11:55pm SHOWING AT The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any KAKURO SCREEN 2 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 10:00am, 3:40 & 9:20pm VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells 3D 12:50, 6:30pm & 12:10am TEL: 444933989 / 444517001 like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, SCREEN 3 Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 10:20, 1:30, 4:40, 7:50 & 11:00pm some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some SCREEN 4 The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, cells will contain two numbers. 8:00, 10:00pm However, in a crossword the numbers reference Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 11:50pm clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! SCREEN 5 Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 11:00am, 2:10, 5:20, 8:30 & 11:40pm They denote the total of the digits in the row or SCREEN 6 Bridge of Spies (2D/Drama) 1:00, 6:30 & 11:55pm column referenced by the number. Creed (2D/Drama) 10:15am, 3:45 & 9:15pm Within each SCREEN 7 Morning Star (2D) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:50pm collection of cells SCREEN 8 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:40, 3:20, 6:00, - called a run - any 8:45 & 11:30pm of the numbers 1 SCREEN 9 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D IMAX/Action) 10:40am, 1:30, 4:20, 7:10, to 9 may be used 10:00pm & 12:50am but, like sudoku, SCREEN 10 Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 10:30am, 1:15, 4:00, 6:45, each number may 9:30pm & 12:15am only be used once. MALL Yesterday’s SCREEN 1 Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 2:00pm answer The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 4:45pm Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate When Marine Was There (2D/Animation) 6:15pm Loafer (2D/Telugu) 8:15pm Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 10:45pm SCREEN 2 The Doraemon Movie (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:15pm ALL IN THE MIND SCREEN 3 Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 2:30 & 8:00pm Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 5:15 & 10:45pm Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. LANDMARK SCREEN 1 Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 2:00pm When Marine Was There (2D/Animation) 4:15pm The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 6:15pm Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 8:00pm Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 10:45pm SCREEN 2 The Doraemon Movie (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 4:00, 6:15, 8:45 & 11:00pm SCREEN 3 Loafer (2D/Telugu) 2:30pm Hoy en la Historia Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 5:00pm Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) December 23, 1918 7:30pm Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 10:30pm Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of West Germany from 1974-82 who ROYAL PLAZA steered the country into the major SCREEN 1 Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 2:00pm league of Western powers, was The Doraemon Movie (2D/Animation) 4:30pm born. He died last month, aged 96 The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 6:15pm Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 8:00pm 1690:       Dilwale (2D/Hindi) 11:00pm            SCREEN 2 When Marine Was There (2D/Animation) 2:15pm          Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 4:00pm    Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 1950: Pope Pius XII announced that 6:45, 9:15 & 11:30pm the tomb of Saint Peter had been AVOCADO, AZURE, BEIGE, BLACK, BLUE, BRONZE, found under the Vatican ASIAN TOWN BROWN, CAMEL, CARAMEL, CERISE, CRIMSON, CYAN, 1990:      GOLD, GREEN, INDIGO, KHAKI, LAVENDER, LILAC,       Dilwale (Hindi) 4:00, 5:30 & 7:00pm MAGENTA, MAROON, NAVY, OLIVE, ORANGE, PEACH, 2000: A U.S. motorist in Oregon was Dilwale (Hindi) 8:30 &10:00pm PINK, PURPLE, RED, RUSSET, RUST, SAGE, SCARLET, Pathemari (2D/Malayalam) 6:30 & 11:15pm rescued after 16 days trapped in his SEPIA, SILVER, TAN, TEAL, TURQUOISE, VIOLET, WHITE, Salt Mango Tree (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm car which was buried by deep snow YELLOW. Bajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 4:00, 7:00 & 10:00pm       '"#$%&' ( WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27

Stafford throws Nets down Bulls to end three TD passes as Lions rip eight-game losing streak Saints in NFL

NEW YORK: Detriot quarter- Gasol says ‘a sense of urgency’ is needed at Bulls back Matthew Stafford completed 22 of 25 passes for 254 yards and CHICAGO: Chicago Bulls for- NBA Results high 19 assists and Marcin Gortat three first-half touchdowns to ward Pau Gasol called out his Washington 113 Sacramento 99 scored a season-best 27 points in lift the Lions to a 35-27 victory team-mates for a lack of urgency Boston 113 Minnesota 99 a 113-99 victory over Sacramento. over the New Orleans Saints on on Monday after a 105-102 loss Orlando 107 NY Knicks 99 At New York, Orlando centre Monday. to the Brooklyn Nets in which Nikola Vucevic matched his sea- The Lions (5-9) held the Saints Atlanta 106 Portland 97 Joakim Noah was injured. son high with 26 points and the without points on five cracks Brooklyn 105 Chicago 102 The Nets, a woeful 8-20 on the Magic beat the Knicks 107-99, inside the 5-yard line at the end of Houston 102 Charlotte 95 season, snapped an eight-game snapping New York’s four-game the first half and built a 28-3 lead San Antonio 106 Indiana 92 road losing streak while the Bulls win streak. early in the second, though they Utah 110 Phoenix 89 lost their third in a row and fell Boston snapped a three-game allowed the Saints (5-9) to score Oklahoma City 100 LA Clippers 99 to 15-11. losing streak, beating visiting Min- 17 consecutive points to close to Spanish star Gasol said the “We came out right from the nesota 113-99, but fans cheered for 28-20. Bulls struggled at times to match start with a lot of fight and a Timberwolves big man Kevin Gar- Detroit then iced the game with Brooklyn’s intensity. lot of purpose,” said Nets coach nett, who helped the Celtics win a 76-yard drive that ended with a “We were missing a lot of parts Lionel Hollins. “We took the fight the NBA crown in 2008. Garnett, 1-yard scoring run by Joique Bell of the game,” Gasol said. to them. We were very focused who will be 40 in May, was touched with 5:24 left. “A sense of urgency. We cruise for the whole game and that was as fans chanted “We want K-G” Drew Brees’ 1-yard pass to for most of the game. Then when good to see.” but he did not play. tight end Benjamin Watson made we have our back against the wall, Brook Lopez had 21 points and San Antonio improved to 16-0 it 35-27 with 1:55 remaining, but we turn it up and try to give our- 12 rebounds to spark Brooklyn at home with a 106-92 victory Detroit’s Calvin Johnson recov- selves a chance. while Jimmy Butler had 24 points over Indiana, Kawhi Leonard ered the onside kick. Abdullah “But sometimes it’s just too late. and Gasol contributed 20 points, scoring 24 points and keeping ripped off a 36-yard run to the It’s something we need to address nine rebounds and two blocked Pacer star Paul George to 1-of- New Orleans 9 and the Lions and need to correct and improve shots. 14 shooting from the field as the killed most of the clock, but kicker upon. We just need change.” Elsewhere, Atlanta reserve Spurs dominated the fourth quar- Matt Prater missed a 35-yard But be careful what you wish guard Dennis Schroder had 18 ter to pull away. chip shot with nine seconds left. for as the change could be a points to lead Hawks in double Russell Westbrook scored 33 Detroit led 21-3 at halftime and replacement for star centre Noah. figures as the hosts ripped Port- points and Kevin Durant added then scored on the first series of Noah had four points, eight land 106-97 and improved to 18-12 24 to lead Oklahoma City over the the second half on running back rebounds and eight assists when with a fourth consecutive win. host Los Angeles Clippers 100-99. Ameer Abdullah’s 15-yard run he left the game with a left shoul- But Schroder lost a tooth in Westbrook’s three-pointer put around left end to cap a six-play, der sprain in the last minute of the tussle. While falling to the the Thunder ahead 96-95 but 78-yard drive. the third quarter and did not floor, Schroder hit his face on an Blake Griffin answered with a The Saints responded with return. opponent’s knee and lost a tooth. dunk that put the Clippers back 17 points over the next 9:57 on He will be re-examined. He picked it up off the court and in front, only to have Westbrook Blake Griffin (32) of the Los Angeles Clippers shoots a jumper over a 27-yard touchdown pass from With the game deadlocked at tucked it into his sock. hit a jumper for a 98-97 Okla- Serge Ibaka (9) of the Oklahoma City Thunder during a 100-99 loss to Brees to Brandin Cooks, a 22-yard 60-60, the Nets went on a 21-9 In Washington, Wizards guard homa City edge. the Thunder at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, yesterday. field goal by Kai Forbath, and an run and never trailed again. John Wall passed out a career- AFP 11-yard Brees strike to Marques Colston, cutting the deficit to 28-20 with 10:06 left. Colston’s score was set up by Abdullah’s fumble, which line- Retiring Kobe says Olympic finish would be ‘beautiful’ backer Hau’oli Kikaha forced and recovered at the Detroit 38. WASHINGTON: Kobe Bryant for years, Bryant is fit but the “It would be a beautiful thing Bryant said when asked where he matchup, his Lakers hosting the But the Lions put the game says he’s not pushing to play on Lakers are in a rebuilding mode to finish my career playing inter- fell among NBA icons. rival Los Angeles Clippers on away on Bell’s 1-yard run with the US Olympic team in Rio, but and at 4-23 have the second-worst nationally. But that being said we “It’s a moot point and for me December 25. He is the all-time 5:24 left, making it 35-20. Abdul- the retiring Los Angeles Lakers record in the NBA. will see how it goes.” it’s pretty much of a shallow argu- leader in scoring for games on the lah made the big play on the drive, guard said on Monday it would Missing the play-offs could LeBron James, Carmelo ment. It’s how do I impact the holiday. converting a third-and-1 with a make a “beautiful” ending to his leave Bryant rested and in form Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron generation of players coming in Bryant has been nagged by 21-yard run on a quick pitch 20-year career. to become the first man in Olym- Williams would also have the by what I have done. I think it has injuries in recent seasons and is around right end to the New The 37-year-old American pic history to win three basketball chance for an unprecedented impacted the generation coiming struggling with a sore right shoul- Orleans 24. guard, a five-time NBA cham- gold medals, should he earn a spot men’s Olympic hat-trick at Rio, in a big way and they will pass der. He is averaging 16.7 points, Stafford shredded the Saints’ pion and gold medal winner at on the two-time defending cham- but for Bryant it would be a that along to the next generation 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists a porous secondary in the first half, the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London pion American squad. golden farewell. to come.” game this season for the Lak- completing 12 of 13 passes for 142 Olympics, announced last month “It’s not something I’m abso- “I try to look at my legacy as Bryant, a 17-time NBA All- ers, with career averages of 25.2 yards and three touchdowns as this would be his final NBA cam- lutely pressing for but being part much as how do I impact the Star, was speaking ahead of points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists Detroit raced to a 21-3 halftime paign after a historic career. of the Olympic experience is a future, not where do I rank his record-setting 16th career and 1.5 steals a game. lead. After battling nagging injuries beautiful thing,” Bryant said. among the best players all time,” appearance in a Christmas NBA AFP Each of Stafford’s scoring passes was a short toss - one and five yards to wide receiver Golden Tate and four yards to fullback Michael Burton. NHL Results NY Islanders 5 Anaheim 2 Philadelphia 4 St Louis 3 Raiders’ Woodson Battered Brazil vows 2016 Rio Pittsburgh 5 Columbus 2 Washington 2 Carolina 1 Nashville 5 Montreal 1 to retire at the Dallas 6 Minnesota 3 Toronto 7 Colorado 4 end of season Olympics will be ‘spectacular’ Edmonton 3 Winnipeg 1 RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil may But beyond the security, what NEW YORK: Raiders safety not know who its president will be many in Rio, dubbed “the mar- Predators rout Charles Woodson will bring the in eight months’ time, and Olym- vellous city” but over the past curtain down on his spectacular pic athletes won’t have TVs in few years converted into a giant Canadiens, 18-year career in the NFL at the their rooms because of the coun- construction site, want to know end of the season, the 39-year-old try’s recession, but Rio de Janeiro is, will it be a better place to live said on Monday. is still promising a ‘spectacular’ after the Olympics? Islanders win Woodson, one of the best 2016 Games. Lamartine Pereira da Costa, defenders ever to play the game, With its budget in tatters an Olympic Games expert at NEW YORK: The Nashville won the Super Bowl with the because of the economic crisis Rio’s State University, believes Predators made the best of Green Bay Packers in the 2010/11 and the nation shamed by not the answer is yes, based on the the opportunities they created season and was named to the Pro cleaning pathogenic sewage from urban improvements seen in Bar- against Montreal, with the top Bowl eight times. Guanabara Bay -- the Rio venue celona after it hosted the 1992 defence pairing of Shea Weber The 2009 NFL Defensive Player for Olympic regattas -- criticism Games. and Roman Josi scoring the of the Year spent the first eight has been rife. “Things here work so badly game’s first two goals and goalie years of his career with the Raid- Organisers have preferred to that they can’t get any worse,” Pekka Rinne making the lead ers before moving to Green Bay. stress that the work to host the he said. stick in a 5-1 win in the National He returned to the Raiders in 2013. August 5-21 Olympic Games and “For example, the percentage of Hockey League. “Was it a tough decision? Kind 10,000 athletes from 206 coun- the population using public trans- Elsewhere, the New York of, but a couple of weeks ago it hit tries has been without delays, port will go from 38 percent to Islanders scored three first-period me that this would be it,” Wood- and improvements to Rio’s public The President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Nuzman (cen- 66 percent after the Games -- it’s goals and went on to end a three- son told reporters. transport network will be a last- the great achievement of Rio de game losing streak by beating the “It was important for me to let tre) and other officials pose with a sculpture of the logo of the Rio 2016 ing legacy. Janeiro.” Anaheim Ducks 5-2 at Barclays Raider Nation know now.” Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in this August 6, 2014 file picture. “Rio today is 80 percent ready, But the People’s Committee for Center. Woodson entered the NFL as a in April it will be 100 percent, and the Cup and the Olympics, a citi- Cal Clutterbuck, Travis cornerback before converting to during the Games it will be 120 corruption scandal sinking the legacy.” After the Paris attacks zens’ group critical of the Games, Hamonic and Brock Nelson scored safety in the later stages of his percent,” boasted the communi- state oil company Petrobras, the in which Islamist gunmen killed predicted that Rio will end up in the first for the Islanders, who career. cations director for the Rio-2016 Rio 2016 committee has pledged 130 people, Brazil is to oversee the more “segregated” afterward. produced a total of three goals in He was awarded the Heisman organizing committee, Mario to spend only “the money we biggest integrated security opera- It pointed to the forced reloca- their previous three games. Trophy as the top college player Andrada said. have,” Andrada said. tion in its history: 85,000 police, tion of more than 4,000 families Meanwhile, Capitals goaltender while at Michigan in 1997. “The Olympics are going to be That means slashing five to 20 soldiers and agents, in coordina- to make room for the Olympic Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves Woodson is tied for the most spectacular,” he pledged. percent from the $5bn budget, for tion with 80 countries. works, as well as skyrocketing as Washington continued their career defensive touchdowns with Unsaid is the organisers’ example by not installing televi- “We are constantly working as real estate prices benefiting only strong run by defeating the 13 and is sixth on the all-time hope that the political chaos in sions in athletes’ rooms, getting if a threat were imminent,” the a handful of wealthy business- Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 at PNC interceptions list with 65. South America’s biggest coun- by with fewer computer print- head of the Brazilian intelligence men, insufficient and inefficient Arena. Michael Latta and Jason Raiders general manager try, wrought by the threat of ers, and offering Brazilian meat- service, Wilson Trezza said . transport, and a violent and racist Chimera scored for the Capitals Reggie McKenzie paid tribute impeachment for deeply unpopu- beans-and-rice dishes to invited The Rio-2016 committee also police force. (25-6-2), who won their sixth to Woodson by calling him the lar President Dilma Rousseff over VIPs instead of fancy meals. assured that “Rio will be the saf- “This will be an Olympiad of straight game. The Philadelphia “Greatest of All Time”. allegedly fiddled public accounts, “The country is going through est city in the world during the exclusion,” predicted Orlando Flyers will enjoy their holiday “Charles Woodson is one of will be settled by then. an enormous crisis. We can’t be Games.” Santos Junior, a university pro- break after completing a furious those players that comes along Or that at least anti-govern- sending out a different message, But there have been some fessor coordinating the group’s rally to beat the St Louis Blues and reminds you why you love the ment discontent won’t spill out (or) leaving debts to be paid by unsettling security issues of late, efforts. 4-3 at Wells Fargo Center. game,” said McKenzie. into the streets as it did in 2013, the government or, worse, by soci- such as the breaking up of a ring “We are losing opportunities to The Flyers (15-12-7) trailed 3-0 “It has been an honour to have a year before Brazil hosted the ety,” Andrada said. producing falsified birth certifi- promote social integration. Unfor- midway through the second period worked alongside Charles for so football World Cup. However, Rio 2016 will cut back cates that allowed dozens of Syr- tunately the city will be neither before ripping off four unanswered many years and have the confi- Faced with its worst recession “nothing from the tracks, noth- ians to obtain Brazilian passports fairer nor more democratic” after goals to improve to 8-2-2 in their dence to call him what he truly in decades, double-digit inflation, ing from the sports, nothing from between 2012 and 2014. Several August 2016, he said. past 12 games. is: the G.O.A.T” swelling unemployment, and a the ceremony, nothing from the of the Syrians are still fugitives. AFP AFP WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

2016 PSL SQUADS Pakistan Super League (PSL) squads at the end of the draft yesterday. Some Batting star McCullum to quit teams have only 19 players because they ran out of cash. Islamabad United: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Andre Russell, 3 Misbah-ul-Haq, 4 Samuel Badree, 5 Mohammad Irfan, 6 Brad Haddin, 7 Sharjeel Khan, 8 Mohammad Sami, 9 Khalid Latif, 10 Babar Azam, 11 Imran Khalid, 12 Kamran Ghulam, 13 Umar Amin, 14 Sam Billings, 15 Rumman Raees, international game in February 16 Amad Butt, 17 Ashar Zaidi, 18 Saeed Ajmal, 19 Hussain Talat, 20 Umar Siddiq Karachi Kings: 1 Shoaib Malik, 2 Shakib Al Hasan, 3 Sohail Tanvir, 4 Imad Wasim, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Lendl Simmons, 7 Mohammad Amir, 8 Bilawal Bhatti, 9 James Vince, 10 Iftikhar NZ captain will not play World T20, Christchurch Test will be his last outing Ahmed, 11 Nauman Anwar, 12 Mushfiqur Rahim, 13 Usama Mir, 14 Sohail Khan, 15 Mir Hamza, 16 Safiullah Bangash, 17 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 18 Shahzaib Hasan, 19 Fawad Alam WELLINGTON: Blockbusting shape for what’s going to be a very Peshawar Zalmi: 1 Shahid Afridi, 2 Wahab Riaz, 3 Darren Sammy, 4 Kamran Akmal, 5 New Zealand batsman Brendon challenging summer.” Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Chris Jordan, 7 Tamim Iqbal, 8 Junaid Khan, 9 Jim Allenby, 10 Aamer McCullum announced yesterday He added that giving testimony Yamin, 11 Dawid Malan, 12 Imran Khan jr, 13 Shahid Yousuf, 14 Abdur Rehman, 15 Musadiq he will bow out of international in the Chris Cairns match-fixing Ahmed, 16 Hasan Ali, 17 Mohammad Asghar, 18 Brad Hodge, 19 Israrullah, 20 Taj Wali cricket after the Test series perjury trial in London last month Quetta Gladiators: 1 Kevin Pietersen, 2 Sarfraz Ahmed, 3 Ahmed Shehzad, 4 Anwar Ali, 5 against Australia in February, had no impact on his decision to Jason Holder, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Zulfiqar Babar, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Elton Chigumbura, 10 Bilal Asif, saying “all good things must come quit internationals. 11 Asad Shafiq, 12 Mohammad Nawaz, 13 Saad Nasim, 14 Mohammad Nabi, 15 Akbar-ur- to an end”. Former team-mate Cairns, Rehman, 16 Bismillah Khan, 17 Kumar Sangakkara, 18 Aizaz Cheema, 19 Rameez Raja Jnr The New Zealand captain’s who was cleared, has demanded Lahore Qalandars: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Dwayne Bravo, 3 Umar Akmal, 4 Mohammad Rizwan, 5 101st and last Test will be the sec- McCullum explain why he chose Yasir Shah, 6 Shoaib Maqsood, 7 Mustafizur Rahman, 8 Kevon Cooper, 9 Cameron Delport, 10 ond Test against Australia which to appear as a prosecution wit- Zafar Gohar, 11 Hammad Azam, 12 Zia-ul-Haq, 13 Zohaib Khan, 14 Azhar Ali, 15 Naved Yasin, starts in his home town, Christch- ness. 16 Adnan Rasool, 17 Abdul Razzaq, 18 Mukhtar Ahmed, 19 Ehsan Adil, 20 Imran Butt urch, on February 20. Kane Williamson, whose “I’ve loved my opportunity to unbeaten century steered New play for and captain the Black Zealand to victory over Sri Lanka Caps,” the 34-year-old said. in the second Test in Hamilton McCullum said there was on Monday, was immediately con- World T20 winning captain “something romantic” about fin- firmed by New Zealand officials as ishing in front of his home crowd captain for the World Twenty20. and he made the announcement McCullum has forged the Younis snubbed in PSL draft now because his name would be best record of any New Zealand missing when the New Zealand captain since taking over the KARACHI: Pakistan’s Test stalwart team is named soon for the World leadership from Ross Taylor in Younis Khan (pictured), who led the Twenty20 in India from March 8 December 2012. national team to its only World T20 title to April 3. Under his stewardship the in 2009, remained unsold as the two-day “Ideally, I would have preferred Black Caps have won 11 and drafting of Pakistan Super League (PSL) to wait until after the Test in drawn 11 of 31 Tests. players came to an end in Lahore yester- Christchurch to make this news His record as an one-day cap- day. public,” he said. tain is a New Zealand best at The 38-year-old Younis, who was kept “However, the schedule for 59.43 percent, which included in the top platinum category carrying a naming the ICC World T20 leading his side the World Cup price tag of between $80 to $145,000, was squads means I couldn’t have final this year. overlooked in the draft held in Lahore even managed this without causing a McCullum made his interna- as he scored a big hundred in the domestic lot of confusion and speculation, tional debut against Australia first-class tournament here on Monday. something I was keen to avoid.” in 2002 and played his first Test Test captain Misbah, who was also kept The big-hitter, with a Test best against South Africa two years in the platinum category, was bought by Islamabad United franchise 302 and co-holder of the world later. and appointed captain as well for the PSL to be held in Dubai and record of 100 Test sixes with Aus- In his 99 Tests, he has scored Sharjah from February 4. tralian Adam Gilchrist, said now 11 centuries and is one of only 24 In the other interesting picks on the first day of Players’ Draft at was not the time for him to dwell players and the only New Zea- the national cricket academy, Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi on his achievements. lander to make a triple century. was sold to Peshawar Zalmi franchise while Karachi Kings bagged “There’s a time and place for His 6,172 Test run total is sec- all-rounder Shoaib Malik. reflection and that’s at the end of ond best for a New Zealander Islamabad United bought Australian Shane Watson as their icon your career,” he said. behind Stephen Fleming. player. Quetta Gladiators chose discarded England batsman Kevin “For now, I’ll be giving all my In addition to sharing the Pietersen while Lahore Qalandars were left with the choice of Chris attention to helping the team record for the most Test sixes A file photo taken on January 5, 2015 shows New Zealand’s cricket Gayle as their icon player. focus on what’s coming up over he holds the record for the most captain Brendon McCullum batting during the second Test cricket match The selected players have been divided into five different categories the next few weeks -- and mak- Twenty20 sixes with 91. against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. – Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging. ing sure we’re in the best possible AFP AGENCIES

FACTBOX: BRENDON MCCULLUM Boland replaces Moeen spins England to warm-up win Factbox on New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who yesterday announced his decision to retire from all forms of Coulter-Nile in international cricket in February: PIETERMARITZBURG, % South Africa: Moeen Ali took six Brendon Barrie McCullum was born on September 27, 1981 in Dunedin, Australia squad wickets as England cruised to a Otago and hails from a cricketing family. His father, Stuart, played first-class comfortable innings and 91 run cricket for Otago while his brother, Nathan, has represented New Zealand. SYDNEY: Uncapped pace bowler win over South Africa A yester- %He made his New Zealand debut as a 20-year-old batsman in an one-day Scott Boland has been called up day to successfully conclude their international against Australia at Sydney. to the Australia squad for the preparations for the Boxing Day %His test debut came two years later against South Africa in Hamilton and second Test against West Indies Test. the 34-year-old has gone on to play 98 more tests for New Zealand on the trot. after Nathan Coulter-Nile dislo- Ali’s spin skittled out the oppo- %McCullum has scored 6,273 test runs with 11 hundreds, including the only cated his shoulder in a domestic nents for 187 runs on the last day triple century by a New Zealand batsman, and 31 half-centuries at an average Twenty20 match, Cricket Aus- of the last warm-up game as the of 38.48. His highest test score of 302 came against India last year. tralia said yesterday. home side offered scant resist- Boland joins Josh Hazlewood, %He has also taken 194 catches, mostly wearing the gloves, and 11 ance after resuming on 35-2, 243 Peter Siddle and James Pattinson stumpings. He has not kept wickets in Tests since 2010 and dismissed runs behind the tourists who had as the pace options for the Boxing Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed caught and bowled last year for his only proven rampant with the bat on Day match, which begins on Sat- international wicket. the second day at the City Oval urday at the Melbourne Cricket % on Monday. A hard-hitting batsman who is almost unstoppable when on song, Ground (MCG). England declared on 414 for six McCullum has scored 5,909 runs in 254 one-day internationals with five tons Coulter-Nile dislocated his in reply to the home side’s first and 31 fifties. He has a highest score of 166 in the 50-over format with 258 right shoulder when he fell awk- innings tally of 136. catches and 15 stumpings. wardly while fielding for the Perth Ali finished with figures of six %The right-handed batsman is probably the most destructive in the shortest Scorchers in the Big Bash League wickets for 77. format and is the only player with two international hundreds in Twenty20 on Monday, dashing his hopes Seamer Steven Finn took two cricket. He also has the second-highest score in Twenty20 cricket across the of making his Test debut at the quick wickets to add to the four world, an unbeaten 158 in the Indian Premier League. MCG. he took in the first innings and %He has a strike-rate of over 136 in the 20-over game and has also scored “Although the extent of the should be enough to earn him a 13 half-centuries. injury and rehabilitation period place in the England side for the %McCullum was named captain of New Zealand in all formats at the start of will not be fully known until first test against South Africa, 2013, taking over from Ross Taylor. we receive the results of scans- which starts in Durban on Sat- later today, we can confirm that %He led New Zealand unbeaten through seven test series until the recent urday. Nathan will not be available for reverse in Australia, and to a first 50-overs World Cup final last year where they England began on Tuesday with the Boxing Day Test,” team physio England’s Nick Compton attempts to duck a short ball during a cricket were again beaten by their trans-Tasman Sea rivals. a wicket with their first ball as David Beakley said in a news tour match against the South Africa A side in Pietermaritzburg, South %McCullum’s inspirational leadership was reflective of his own aggressive Mark Footitt, also fighting for a Africa, yesterday. release. test place, had night watchman approach at the crease and he was widely credited with New Zealand’s Boland has taken 72 wickets in Marchant de Lange caught at successful World Cup campaign, where they stormed to the final on the back 27 first class matches and took short leg by James Taylor. and Rossouw not long after in a to Ali with wicketkeeper Dane of an attacking brand of cricket that won them fans around the world. 7-31 in the second innings to bowl After Test players Quinton de similar fashion for 32. Vilas, dropped by South Africa %New Zealand have also remained unbeaten in 13 tests at home under Victoria to victory over Western Kock and Rilee Rossouw put on Finn then took two wickets in after the recent test defeat in McCullum. Australia in a Sheffield Shield 67 runs for the fourth wicket, Ali a single over as South Africa A India, unbeaten on 30. %He will retire after the two home Tests against Australia in February with match in Perth last month. made a breakthrough by trapping slumped to 110 for seven. the second match, which starts at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Feb. 20, De Kock leg before wicket for 53 The last three wickets fell REUTERS being his last. REUTERS Bravo puts brave face on second Test against Australia MELBOURNE: The much- While the West Indies were pil- up for it. We’re but at the end of weekend against a low-key Victo- look at the positives,” he said. maligned West Indies have the loried for their listless approach really pumped the day they’re rian XI in Geelong ahead of the Bravo praised the knocks of resilience and ability to be a to the Test, Bravo said his side up ... we’re much still humans,” Test match. Jermaine Blackwood (69) and match for Australia in this week’s will be much better prepared for better prepared Bravo said. They managed 303 for eight Brathwaite (78) in Geelong, while second Test in Melbourne, star the Melbourne Cricket Ground and we’re looking “They’re going without Bravo and were only he pointed to the fact Australia batsman Darren Bravo (pictured) showpiece encounter and other forward to it,” he to present bad able to reduce the inexperienced were 121 for three on day one of said yesterday. batsmen were capable of stepping said. balls, it’s just a locals to 169 for three before rain the first Test as another source Bravo was one of the Carib- up. Bravo said his matter of putting washed out play on Sunday’s final of optimism. bean tourists’ few shining lights “When you’re not scoring runs team-mates had them away. I day. “We were in the driver’s seat,” to come out of the shattering it’s always difficult to pick your- trouble adapting don’t think you Much was also made of dis- he said. “We need to maintain innings and 212 run hammering self up,” Bravo told reporters yes- to the Austral- should be bogged tracted Jerome Taylor missing a the momentum ... we need to stay inside three days by Australia in terday. ian conditions in down that much. catch at fine leg because he had focused.” the first Test in Hobart. “But I believe the guys have Hobart, but said Don’t be intimi- his back to play and was staring The West Indies have won just He top scored with 108 in the that sort of resilience in them,” the team was dated by the Aus- into a vacant grandstand. four of their last 21 Tests and are West Indies’ first innings, while added the star batsman. ready to back itself in the second tralian bowlers.” “It’s just a mishap. I don’t want ranked above only Bangladesh opener Kraigg Brathwaite con- “We’ve scored international match of the three-Test series Despite his fighting words, to dwell on that too much,” Bravo and Zimbabwe. They last won a tributed 94 after Australia skip- hundreds already, we’ve proven we against the Aussies. the West Indies have continued said of the Taylor incident in the Test in Australia in 1997. per Steve Smith enforced the are definitely capable of playing “Conditions are very foreign to to struggle on tour and failed to game. follow-on. at this level. The guys are really us ... yes they’re a very good team impress in a two-day match last “It’s very important that we AFP WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 29

Athletics: Vinci’s win over Serena, Murray’s IAAF under fire again over Davis Cup heroics are top headlines Russian doping LONDON: The International Here’s a look at some of the biggest shocks in the world of sports in the year 2015 Association of Athletics Federa- tions (IAAF) was again forced PARIS: Here’s a look back on 10 to defend its actions over Rus- of the biggest shocks of 2015: sian doping after a leaked email Vinci stuns Serena in New showed how officials planned a York damage-limitation strategy before Serena Williams looked almost the 2013 Moscow world champi- certain to become the first player onships. since Steffi Graf in 1988, and just The email suggesting a “spe- sixth player overall, to complete cial dossier” on Russian drugs a calendar Grand Slam after cheats was from IAAF deputy reaching the semi-finals of the US general secretary Nick Davies to Open. With Flavia Pennetta then Papa Massata Diack, the son of dumping out second seed Simona former president Lamine Diack, Halep in the first semi, the odds who then worked for the sport’s on the American landing an governing body as a marketing historic title shortened further. consultant. Riding a 26-match win streak Both Diacks are under investi- at Flushing Meadows, the world gation over corruption offences, number one was overwhelmingly while Russian athletes are cur- expected to sweep aside unseeded rently banned from the sport fol- Roberta Vinci, the veteran Italian lowing revelations of widespread, more renowned for her doubles state-sponsored doping. success, and set up a showdown The report also criticised the with eventual champion Pen- governing body for its “laissez- netta, against whom Williams faire” attitude to the problem. owned a 7-0 career edge. Instead Though the extent of Russian her bid was crushed in stunning doping is now out in the open, the fashion as the 32-year-old Vinci IAAF were seemingly fighting to rallied from a set down to claim keep a lid on it two years ago. a sensational 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 tri- Extracts from the “very secret” umph, beating Williams for the email published by French news- first time to set up the first all- paper Le Monde said: “I need Italian women’s Grand Slam final Roberta Vinci of Italy celebrates after winning a point against Serena Williams of the US during their 2015 US Open singles semi-finals match in this to be able to sit down with the in the Open Era. September 2015 file photo. Vinci beat Serena on way to reaching the US Open final. anti-doping department and Wawrinka downs Djokovic at understand exactly what Rus- Roland Garros her brain. However, none of that Fury halts Klitschko’s heavy- boxing champion turned MMA in November’s final in Ghent. sian ‘skeletons’ we have still in Novak Djokovic completed one of could prevent Payne, reportedly weight dominance fighter, had entered the Novem- When Leon Smith was appointed the cupboard regarding doping. the most remarkable seasons in just the fourth female entrant in British boxer Tyson Fury regis- ber showdown unbeaten herself captain in 2010, Team GB were “I think that the time to have tennis history in 2015 with vic- Cup history, from winning the tered one of the sport’s biggest but as a huge underdog. How- facing relegation to the competi- unveiled the various athletes was tory at the World Tour Finals, world’s richest two-mile handicap upsets by outpointing long-stand- ever, her combination of straight tion’s lowest tier but a 5-0 win a long time ago and that now we but the all-conquering Serb was race, as she held off Max Dyna- ing heavyweight world champion lefts and oblique kicks laid the over Turkey marked the start of need to be smart. denied a career Grand Slam mite (12-1) by half-a-length with Wladimir Klitschko to end the foundations for the knockout a slow, but steady climb towards “We can prepare a special dos- at the French Open as he was Criterion (18-1) close behind. “I Ukrainian’s nine-year reign in blow, following it up with sev- the pinnacle of team tennis. sier on IAAF testing which will beaten in the final by Switzer- thought a girl would win the Mel- Dusseldorf. Manchester-born eral blows to the head before the Having reached the quarter- show that one of the reasons why land’s Stan Wawrinka. With clay- bourne Cup but I didn’t think Fury, 27, handed Klitschko his referee intervened, to record one finals on their return to the these Russian athletes come up court Masters 1000 titles from it would be one of mine,” said first loss since 2004 after winning of the sport’s most monumental World Group in the 2014 season, positive is that they get tested a Monte Carlo and Rome under his Payne’s proud father. a unanimous points decision 115- shocks. the British team saw off record lot.” belt and Rafael Nadal’s Roland Japan spring mighty upset 112, 115-112, 116-111 as the self- Dreadful Dutch miss out on 32-time champions the US, which The email, which was sent in Garros reign ended by Djokovic over South Africa styled ‘Gypsy King’ landed the Euro 2016 included James Ward’s epic five- July 2013, a month before the in the quarter-finals, the world Japan caused the biggest shock WBA, IBF and WBO world title Semi-finalists at the 2014 World set win over John Isner, France Moscow world championships, number one outlasted Madrid in World Cup history as they belts. Fury, whose biggest previ- Cup, the Netherlands were and Australia on home soil to also suggested that CSM, the champion Andy Murray in five stunned two-time former cham- ous win was against fellow Briton expected to routinely qualify for reach this year’s final. Team GB sports marketing firm chaired by gruelling sets to move within pions South Africa 34-32 in their Dereck Chisora, was undeterred the expanded 24-team European then came full circle as world IAAF president Sebastian Coe sight of the one Grand Slam that opening pool match in Brighton. by the step up in class and backed Championship finals and perhaps number two Murray clinched the (then a vice-president) could be still eluded him. All appeared The Brave Blossoms had won up his pre-fight promises by even contend for the title. Placed winning point in the fourth rub- used as part of an “unofficial PR to be going to plan as Djokovic just one of their 24 previous confounding his decorated rival alongside the likes of Czech ber against David Goffin with a campaign” to fend off negative grabbed the opening set 6-4, but matches in the competition but as well as the doubters with a Republic, Turkey and Iceland, sensational lob to seal a 6-3, 7-5, stories in the British media. a sublime show of stroke-mak- the Asian champions, under the skilful, measured performance. their Group A draw was not 6-3 win and Britain’s 10th Davis It also said the IAAF could ben- ing from the Swiss left Djoko- stewardship of Eddie Jones, sig- Fury’s uncle and trainer, Peter, overly complicated but an open- Cup crown. efit from Coe’s political influence vic, renowned for his incredible nalled their intent early with said his nephew’s victory was the ing defeat in Prague signalled the Bradford give Chelsea FA in Britain to minimise the damage powers of recovery, without any captain Michael Leitch cross- greatest since Muhammad Ali start of a disastrous campaign. Cup blues any revelations might cause. answers as Wawrinka wrapped ing to put the underdogs 10-7 “shook up the world” by beating A pair of losses to Iceland were Two years on from their stunning Davies, who now works as Coe’s up a famous 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 vic- up. However, the experienced Sonny Liston in 1964. Not to be damaging but not terminal, run to the final of the League chief of staff, issued a statement tory to secure his second career Springboks, whose starting XV outdone, Fury himself likened his but just three days later a 3-0 Cup, Bradford City again sent on Monday denying any wrong- major after the 2014 Australian featured a combined 851 caps, “masterclass” performance to a defeat in Turkey left Holland’s shock waves through English doing. Open. went in with the half-time lead “mongoose in a cobra’s nest, tak- fate out of their hands. Danny football with a remarkable 4-2 “As Director of IAAF Commu- Payne makes Melbourne Cup and appeared to have ended the ing all the eggs home” in his first Blind’s men needed three points FA Cup fourth-round victory nications it was one of my respon- history plucky Japanese challenge when press conference as world heavy- at home to the already-qualified over a Chelsea side that would sibilities to manage and promote Michelle Payne became the Adriaan Strauss ploughed over weight king. Czechs coupled with a Turkey go on to seal a fifth league title the reputation of the IAAF,” he first woman to win Australia’s to make it 29-22. But full-back Rousey reign ended by ex- loss against Iceland from the just a few months later. Jose said. “My email to Papa Massata 154-year-old Melbourne Cup Ayumu Goromaru converted his boxer Holm final round of matches to rescue Mourinho’s side appeared to be Diack was brain storming around after riding 100-1 outsider Prince own try to level the scores with Holly Holm pulled off one of the a desperate situation, but the cruising at Stamford Bridge after media handling strategies to deal of Penzance to an historic victory 10 minutes to play. The Spring- biggest upsets in the Ultimate Dutch succumbed 3-2, a comi- first-half goals from Gary Cahill with the serious challenges we in November. Those long odds boks responded with Handre Fighting Championship when she cal Robin van Persie own-goal and Ramires put them 2-0 up, were facing around the image were nothing compared to the Polland slotting over a penalty knocked out previously unbeaten typifying their dire qualifying but Jon Stead pulled one back of the event. No plan was imple- obstacles 30-year-old Payne, the to seemingly put them back on Ronda Rousey in their bantam- campaign as the 1988 winners just before the break to give the mented following that email and youngest of 10 siblings, overcame top for good. There was one final weight title fight in Melbourne. missed out on the European Bantams renewed hope. Mour- there is no possibility any media on the road to eventual success. dramatic twist though as Japan, Rousey, unbeaten in 12 previous championship for the first time inho had said it would be a “dis- strategy could ever interfere with She lost her mother, Mary, in a opting for a scrum rather than fights, touched down in Australia in 32 years. grace” if Chelsea lost to third-tier the conduct of the anti-doping car accident when she was just kicking a penalty as time expired, having won her last three bouts Team GB end long wait for opposition, but despite the intro- process. six months old with her career shifted play across the width of in just a combined 64 seconds, Davis Cup title duction of Cesc Fabregas, Wil- “I did not discuss these ideas then sidetracked by a litany of the field before finding replace- but Holm’s second-round head Great Britain ended years of lian and Eden Hazard the Blues with CSM and there has never injuries -- including a head-first ment wing Karne Hesketh who kick sent Rousey crashing to Davis Cup irrelevance as Andy crashed to a humiliating defeat been any agreement between the fall from a horse when she was touched down in the corner to the canvas, ending her reign as Murray spearheaded the country as Bradford netted three times IAAF and CSM for any PR cam- just 18 which left her with a seal an incredible victory. the golden girl of mixed mar- to a first title in 79 years follow- in the final 15 minutes through paigns. CSM has never worked for fractured skull and bruising on tial arts. Holm, the 34-year-old ing a 3-1 victory over Belgium one-time Chelsea player Filipe the IAAF in any capacity since Morais, Andy Halliday and Mark Sebastian Coe joined the com- Yeates. Former Liverpool striker pany,” Davies said. Robbie Fowler called the result Last week Le Monde published the “biggest shock” in FA Cup allegations that Lamine Diack history. had sought money from Rus- Leicester City’s remarkable sia to be used to fund a political rags-to-riches revival campaign in his native Senegal. Leicester City appeared des- Davies denied any knowledge of tined for an immediate return such dealings, which Diack has to the English second tier as also denied, or any other criminal they entered New Year’s Day wrongdoing within the organiza- marooned at the foot of the Pre- tion. Diack is being investigated mier League table, with just 13 on charges that he asked for pay- points from 19 matches. It was ment from Russian athletes to by no means an immediate fix cover up positive dope tests. either as the Foxes collected “I had no knowledge in 2013 just a further six points from 10 that IAAF officials might be games before Nigel Pearson’s side involved in alleged criminal con- embarked on their great escape, duct in relation to doping cases, winning seven of their final nine nor am I aware of any doping outings to complete a scarcely case that was not brought that believable recovery. With Pear- should have been brought, or of son then unceremoniously any doping ban that was not pub- sacked after a breakdown in his lished when it should have been relationship with club owners, published under the IAAF rules,” Leicester were again expected Davies said. “When information to be embroiled in another rel- concerning alleged corruption egation scrap, but the surprise was brought to my attention in appointment of experienced Ital- early 2014, I was one of a number ian coach Claudio Ranieri has of IAAF staff members who instead transformed the modest referred the matter to the IAAF Midlands outfit into improb- Ethics Commission and who have Britain’s Andy Murray celebrates with team-mates after beating Belgium’s David Goffin to win the Davis Cup final at Flanders Expo in Ghent in this able league leaders heading into assisted in the resulting investiga- November 2015 file photo. RIGHT: British boxer Tyson Fury celebrates after winning the fight over long-standing heavyweight world champion Wladimir Christmas. tion by the Commission.” Klitschko in this photo taken last month. AFP REUTERS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 30 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT FIFA’s Figueredo to be I have been kicked in the extradited to Uruguay

MONTEVIDEO: Switzerland will extradite FIFA ex-vice president Eugenio Figueredo (pictured) to his native Uruguay tomorrow after teeth, says angry Platini his arrest in connection with the corruption scandal rocking world football, his lawyer said yesterday. Attorney Karen Pintos said Figueredo -- who was also sought by The former French football star slams FIFA’s Ethics Committee the United States -- will arrive around 1200 GMT tomorrow. PARIS: Michel Platini said in The prosecutor in the case, Juan Gomez, told an interview yesterday that he is local daily El Pais that Figueredo would be held determined to fight for the FIFA at a jail and not await trial under house arrest. presidency and to clear his name Pintos has said she wanted house arrest for her after being banned for eight years. client, who is 83. Here is the text of his inter- Figueredo, the former president of South view: American confederation CONMEBOL, was one Question: How do you feel of seven top football officials arrested in a raid after the ban? on a Zurich luxury hotel in May which kicked Platini: “I am thinking about off an unprecedented crisis at FIFA. it, I am struggling to understand. He has been indicted in the United States on Why? How did we get to this? I charges of soliciting multi-million-dollar bribes from sports market- did some work, I asked to be paid, ing firms. I sent an invoice, I was paid, I paid But authorities in Uruguay launched their own investigation and taxes on that. That was in 2011. subsequently charged him with abusing his office. It was a debt that was settled, Figueredo had agreed to be sent to Uruguay but fought extradition full stop. Then in 2015, the Swiss to the United States. justice wanted more information. The Swiss justice ministry approved his extradition to both countries, Then it took off at FIFA and a lot and said in November it would be up to the United States to decide of people at FIFA are happy that whether to let Uruguay have priority. this issue happened, this story. The news about Figueredo came as FIFA president Sepp Blatter And here I am suspended from all This photo taken on March 22, 2012, shows UEFA President Michel Platini before the XXXVI Ordinary UEFA and UEFA president Michel Platini were banned from all footballing football-related activity for eight Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. FIFA President Joseph Blatter and Platini were banned from football for eight years activities after the association’s ethics tribunal said they had abused years. What was the FIFA ethics by the ethics committee of football’s world governing body on Monday. their positions over a suspect $2m payment. commission doing between 2011 when I was paid and 2015? Was it asleep? All of a sudden, suddenly tion has been sullied. I have been what happened on Monday was yes, I should have told the FIFA it woke up... oh yes, it woke up in kicked in the teeth. I have been a defeat? Executive Committee ‘by the way, Wenger calms title talk as a FIFA election year when I am put in the same bag as Blatter. Platini: “No defeat. It is more FIFA owes me money and it is a candidate. Its amazing.” Q: Your two names are a victory when you consider that going to pay me’. And they would Arsenal beat Man City Q: You are in the middle of linked in the ethics commission the prosecutor dealing with the have replied: ‘Yes, and so what?’ a fight? decision case at FIFA had demanded a life And today I am condemned for LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (pictured) said it was Platini: “I am fighting against Platini: “The people on the eth- ban. A life ban! And why not? Go not saying that. It is shameful. too soon to talk about his team winning the Premier League title after this injustice. Nothing else. What ics committee are more focused ahead while we are at it! What Everyone looks after their own they beat one of their principal title race rivals, Manchester City, 2-1 I don’t understand is that it is the on a timetable question -- to a joke. business. It was not for me to tell on Monday night. same company that paid me, with stop me from standing in the Q: What action will you the executive committee, but for Goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud before halftime allowed a bill in 2011, that in 2015 is drag- FIFA presidential election -- and take? those who paid me.” Arsenal to move to within two points of surprise leaders Leicester City ging me before its ethics commis- scandal-mongering than in eth- Platini: “Later I will go to the Q: Isn’t the timetable too and four clear of City ahead of the busy holiday fixture list. sion. And it is stopping me today ics. They are not ethical, they are civil courts in Switzerland to tight now for you to stand in With champions Chelsea seemingly out of the picture after a calami- from doing my work at UEFA, pathetic. demand damages. But first there the FIFA election? tous start, Manchester United wobbling and Liverpool also off the pace, taking part in the draw for Euro Q: The corruption charge is the Court of Arbitration for Platini: “What is troubling is talk of a first Premier League title since 2003-04 is rife in north London. 2016 in Paris and preparing for was dropped Sport. It is the real match start- that I have no certainty about the Wenger, however, is not getting ahead of himself. this tournament. Platini: “I’m so happy! There ing. Before the dice were rolling timetable ahead. As long as I have “It’s too early to say we can win the league, but it strengthens our Q: What are the next steps? is no corruption in this affair. I in front of the ethics commission. not had the reasons for the sus- belief,” he told reporters. Platini: “I am fighting against am proceeding on the basis of How could someone who defends pension I cannot appeal before the “You realise you earn your right to win these games and for us it is this injustice from court to court. the principle that the truth will FIFA go against the interests of CAS. Without certainty on the important that we realise that we have to be ready to fight like that There you go. But in the mean- come out and my innocence will this body? These FIFA judges are timetable, I don’t know how the in every single game. time, my name has been dragged be acknowledged.” so-called independents, but it is match will play out. I said about “But it is a significant game because when you look at Manchester through the mud in the press. Q: You did not like to lose as FIFA who pays them, for example. the FIFA scandals and Blatter in City and the quality they have on the pitch, we know at the end they Whatever happens my reputa- a footballer. Did you feel that What do they hold against me? Oh May that ‘enough is enough’. Now will be there fighting for the championship.” I say go step-by-step. I will fight He revealed that Mesut Ozil, to clear my name.” who set up both Arsenal’s goals, Q: Is clearing your name had barely trained all week more important than standing because of illness. for FIFA? “He had a chest infection for Platini: “I still have my honour. the week and was in bed basi- My conscience is clear. There are cally,” Wenger added. “So for a lot of people who say bad things a guy that could not prepare about me, that’s all. But I also get or work well he has done well a lot of support from a lot of fed- physically.” erations who tell me to fight, not He also praised the German to give up. The question is what playmaker’s growing influence is the timetable for getting out as he returns to the kind of of this trap? And if I win I will form he displayed when he first have to submit my candidacy by signed for the Gunners from January 26 before Domenico Scala Real Madrid in 2013. (the head of the FIFA electoral He has been provided more commission). Another obstacle... I assists (15) than any other will fight. But then I will take my player in England so far this responsibilities according to what season. happens. I know what I want but “He is much more mature, there are others to take into con- much more keen to take respon- sideration. All these stories do a sibility, I personally believe he lot of damage, particularly to the has developed his physical credibility of institutions. And I attributes, his physical commit- Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter, suspended FIFA president, addresses to media during his press conference to respond have always said that institutions ment. You see his desire to win,” to the FIFA ethics committee’s verdict, at former FIFA’s headquarters Hotel Sonnenberg in Zurich, Switzerland, are more important than people.” Wenger said. on Monday. AFP REUTERS Del Bosque Walcott wows as Arsenal likely to quit

MADRID: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque confirmed that his retirement is “close” and that steal march on Man City next year’s European Champion- ship is likely to be his last major LONDON: Theo Walcott scored to celebrate for the home side, who Reprising their tactics from tournament. a brilliant opening goal as Arse- have now gone five games without January’s 2-0 breakthrough win However, speaking at the nal established themselves as the defeat against City, including the at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal launch of his book ‘Winning and number one challengers to Pre- impressive Ozil taking his tally of sat back, and De Bruyne drew a Losing’ at the headquarters of mier League leaders Leicester assists for the season to 15. save from Cech after cutting in the Spanish Football Federation City by overcoming Manchester But it was a bleak evening for from the right flank and letting (RFEF) outside Madrid, Del City 2-1 on Monday night. City manager Manuel Pellegrini, fly with his left foot. Bosque said he would have dis- Walcott curled home a beauty who once again saw centre-backs De Bruyne accidentally kicked cussions before making a final in the 33rd minute before Mesut Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas the corner flag as he went to take decision. Ozil teed up Olivier Giroud to Otamendi struggle in the absence the resulting corner and he had “My retirement is close. If eve- score his 12th goal in 14 games of injured captain Vincent Kom- egg on his face again moments rything goes according to plan it in first-half stoppage time, with pany. later when he shot narrowly wide will be the end,” Del Bosque said Yaya Toure’s classy reply for City “I am uncomfortable because after Aguero’s pass had put him of Euro 2016, when Spain will coming too late. we played better than Arsenal,” clean through. seek a third consecutive European Victory took Arsene Wenger’s Pellegrini told the BBC. It was a huge opportunity and Championship. side to within two points of “When we had possession we barely a minute later Arsenal “But the motive of this book is Leicester, leaving City four points had chances, before the beautiful were ahead. Ozil’s pass found Wal- not to say goodbye, because there further back in third place after a goal from Theo Walcott. We took cott, stationed on the left, and he are still six months to go until third defeat in five league games more risks and created chances, moved inside onto his right foot the Euros and a lot will happen and fifth of the campaign in total. but you cannot make mistakes in before whipping a glorious, crisp in that time. “There is exceptional life in this these important games. We will shot inside England team-mate “I am a man of the Federa- team,” said Wenger, whose side continue to fight for the title.” Joe Hart’s left-hand post from 20 tion and I have to speak to them visit Southampton on Boxing Day. Mindful of the danger of allow- yards. before taking a final decision.” “Every win strengthens your ing Ozil room to roam between Arsenal’s tails were up and In his new book, Del Bosque belief and even more in a big the lines, City lined up in a right on half-time they twisted indicates that he intends to game like that. We have some- compact 4-4-1-1 formation with the knife, Ozil -- him again -- Manchester City’s French defender Bacary Sagna (left) vies with Arsenal’s retire after the finals in France thing really special there.” Fabian Delph and Kevin De Bru- releasing Giroud to run through French striker Olivier Giroud during their English Premier League (EPL) next June and July, having been Though Alexis Sanchez missed yne on either flank and David and drill a low shot between match at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 21, 2015. Arseanal in charge of La Roja since 2008. out again for Arsenal due to a Silva supporting the fit-again Hart’s legs. won the match 2-1. hamstring injury, there was much Sergio Aguero. REUTERS REUTERS WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2015 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 31 Qatar Masters: Xavi delighted at ‘first move’ Al Sadd football captain and Barcelona star feels Qatar could produce quality chess players in the future

DOHA: With a proven reputa- over to witness the Qatar Masters revived some of his childhood tion of making slick moves on a event at Aspire Zone. memories of chess. football pitch, former Barcelona Xavi set the things in motion on “I played a little bit of chess midfielder and Al Sadd captain the top table involving unbeaten during my childhood days, but Xavi Hernandez feels Qatar could Anish Giri of Netherlands and thereafter football took over and be a breeding ground for young Radoslaw Wojtaszek of Poland, never had a chance to indulge in chess players in the future. which kicked off proceedings of the game in the later years of my “I am happy to make the first the third round of the nine-round life,” Xavi said. move on the chess table,” the $130,000 tournament. “I am happy to know that reign- 35-year-old, who now plays for The Spaniard said visiting the ing champion Magnus Carlsen Qatar’s Al Sadd, said after invited venue of the Qatar Masters Chess and a number of former world champions are here in Qatar for the championship. It is good for the future of sports in Qatar and for chess in general,” Xavi said The experienced player rep- resented Spain in 133 matches and turned out for Barcelona for an astounding 505 matches from 1998 to 2015. Xavi after kick starting the proceedings of the third round went around the tables and was flooded with pho- tographs requests from a number of Grandmaster’s and Interna- tional Master’s. The affable Spaniard obliged all requests. The 10-day championship, which ends on December 29, Xavi Hernandez makes the first move in the third round match between Anish Giri (right) of Netherlands and features the top-three ranked Wojtaszek Radoslaw (left) of Poland during the Qatar Masters Chess tournament. Mohamed Al Medaihk including five former world cham- (standing right), Qatar Chess Association (QCA) General Secretary looks on. Barcelona midfielder and Al Sadd captain, Xavi Hernandez (right) and pions and several Grandmaster’s. reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen (second right) of Norway Besides Carlsen, Vladimir pose for a picture with Mohamed Al Medaihk (second left), Qatar Kramnik of Russia and Giri are of China is also back to defend his Chao Li and Wei Yi of China; Sha- Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov Chess Association General Secretary during the Qatar Masters Chess the top three players of the 148 crown and joining him are Sergey khriya Mamedyarov and Teimour of Ukraine and David Howell of Championship in Doha yesterday. players taking part. Karjakin, Evgeny Tomashevsky, Radjabov of Azerbaijan; Wojtaszek England. Reigning champion Yu Yangyi Dmitry Jakovenko all of Russia, of Poland; Anton Korobov, Vassily THE PENINSULA

Action from Qatar-Serbia friendly Injuries to key players have derailed West Ham: Collins

LONDON: West Ham United’s attack has suffered due to injuries to their strikers but the club are confident they will end their win- less streak soon, defender James Collins has said. The Hammers have gone off the boil having failed to win their last seven league games which has seen them slide down the table to eighth place after 17 games. With Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses, Diafra Sahko and Andy Carroll all on the Action from the friendly match between Qatar under-23 and Serbia under-23 in Spain yesterday. The Qatar team is preparing for the AFC Under-23 championship which will be held in sidelines, West Ham have clearly Doha from January 12 to 30. Qatar will spend a week in Spain before heading to Turkey for the second phase of their training programme. The AFC under-23 championship will serve as a missed the cutting edge in attack, qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. having found the back of the net only three times during their win- less run. “We’re defending well -- but a bit too desperate at times! Last- ditch tackles and chucking your- Lack of unity pushes coach Van Gaal to the brink self in front of things, it looks good, but we don’t really want LONDON: Just days after Jose mouth and Norwich, which sessions with performance analyst vice-chairman Ed Woodward are to be defending that hard,” Col- Mourinho’s abrupt departure knocked United out of the Pre- Max Reckers. beginning to consider whether lins told the club’s website (www. from Chelsea, Louis van Gaal mier League’s top four and left Tellingly, Spanish winger Juan they should ditch the former Bar- whufc.com). (pictured) is teetering on the them nine points behind leaders Mata struggled to find an upbeat celona and Bayern Munich coach “We’d rather be a bit more brink of becoming the next high- Leicester City, were even more note when he talked on Monday halfway through his three-year solid and a bit more organised. profile victim of the Premier damaging. of the complicated and tough situ- contract. Shocked by the level of We certainly need to be scoring League sack race. Until now, van Gaal has haugh- ation United find themselves in. vitriol directed at van Gaal and more goals. I don’t want to make The pressure is mounting on tily dismissed any criticism from “We all feel frustrated, same the apathetic manner of United’s excuses, but our flair players, the embattled Manchester United fans and the media, but United’s as last week, and we need to win recent performances, a further our goalscorers, we are missing manager, who was hunkered down tame capitulation against Nor- a game as quickly as possible flop over Christmas could sig- them. at United’s Carrington training wich left them without a win because it will change our mood nal the end. And unfortunately “It’s one of them things. You get base on Monday amid specula- in their last six matches in all and give us confidence,” Mata for van Gaal, circumstances have injuries. Before, we were flying. tion he will be axed if his side lose competitions and even the aloof wrote in his weekly blog. conspired to make two of the most Dimi was flying. Lanzini was fly- either of their next two matches Dutchman couldn’t hide signs “We are in a complicated situ- desirable managers in the world ing. (Diafra) Sakho’s out as well. at Stoke City on Saturday or at of strain as he talked in hushed ation and in order to get out of available at the exact moment he So it has derailed us a bit. home against Chelsea next Mon- tones about his predicament. it we have to stick together and is at his lowest ebb. “We’ve got a massive squad, full day. Being lambasted by a host of believe in ourselves. Mourinho has made it known of international players that have The 64-year-old cut a forlorn United greats and jeered by dis- “Our next chance to do it will he would be happy to take over at come in and performed. So it’s not figure in the aftermath of Sat- gruntled supporters, a section of be on Boxing Day at Stoke and United if a vacancy arises because doom and gloom by any stretch of urday’s shock 2-1 defeat against whom chanted for Mourinho to weary of his acerbic tongue and that’s not an easy game. he has no intention of taking a the imagination. Norwich City and his downbeat replace van Gaal at the weekend, intense management style. “No matter how tough the situ- post-Chelsea sabbatical. “But we are picking points up, mood was instructive given the has worn him down. Similarly, van Gaal is reported ation can be, I’m not even think- As well as the Mourinho option, we’re still confident and we’ve reports of dressing room unrest And while publicly United’s to have lost the backing of several ing about giving up. Pep Guardiola will be available in got a busy Christmas period with and boardroom doubts that have players have insisted van Gaal senior United stars because of his “I believe that’s the only way to the close-season as he is leaving games we feel we can win.” emerged since. retains their support, as with autocratic manner. get out of this bad streak.” Bayern Munich -- making it a Meanwhile, doubters keep Elimination from the Cham- Mourinho’s sacking last week, Their principle complaint Losing the dressing room would safe bet there will be little festive writing off surprise Premier pions League group stage fore- the truth is somewhat different. is said to be the Dutchman’s be damaging enough to van Gaal’s cheer when van Gaal sits down for League leaders Leicester City’s shadowed a chilling December Mourinho was done in by muti- approach, both his overly cautious future on its own, but to make his Christmas dinner on Friday. title chances but it has proved as for van Gaal and subsequent nous Chelsea players who effec- tactics and a perceived obsession matters worse, United’s owners, a source of encouragement for the losses against strugglers Bourne- tively downed tools after growing with critical post-match analysis the Glazer family, and executive AFP players, the club’s on-loan winger Nathan Dyer has said. The Foxes were rock bottom for most of last season but pulled Garde sets Villa 10-match win target off a great escape to stay up after winning seven of their last nine matches to finish 14th. LONDON: Premier League bot- to start winning some of their this is a year when you can win or Claudio Ranieri’s men now tom side Aston Villa need to win remaining 21 league games. lose against any team.” head into Christmas as top of the 10 matches to save themselves “I think we need at least 10 vic- Villa host West Ham on Satur- pack, two points ahead of second- from relegation, manager Remi tories. With 36 points you can be day, which means Garde’s players placed Arsenal after 17 games. Garde said yesterday. safe,” he said. will be training on the Christmas Five of the last six teams who The Frenchman has yet to “Sometimes you go down, Day holiday. have topped the league at Christ- guide his side to a single Premier sometimes with more points you “They will train in the morning mas have gone on to lift the tro- League victory since taking over can go down. and (then) stay with families,” he phy come May. from the sacked Tim Sherwood “Step by step we need to con- added. “We are underdogs at the six games ago. Villa have not won centrate on the first win, then “They are adults, I’m okay for moment and people are waiting since a 1-0 success over Bourne- the second. We need to start very them to spend some Christmas for us to fail. They are waiting for mouth on the opening day of the quickly that is for sure. time with family, you can find us to drop off and that keeps help- Arsenal’s French defender Laurent Koscielny (left) vies with Manchester season. They are 10 points from “We have seen the Norwich and strength. Then the day after they ing us to push and battle for every City’s Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony during the English Premier League safety having picked up just seven Bournemouth victories against can say, ‘I had some lovely time point in every match,” Dyer told match at the Emirates Stadium in London on Monday. points from 17 matches. teams you never would have now I want to win’.” British media. And Garde said they have expected. You never know, maybe AFP AGENCIES Wednesday 23 December 2015 12 Rabia I1437 Volume 20 Number 6653 Sport Price: QR2 I have been Barca legend kicked in the Xavi delighted teeth: Platini at ‘first move’

Sport | 30 Sport | 31

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Second-half brilliance sees Lekhwiya hammer Al Gharafa 4-0 DOHA: Qatar Stars League win for the defending champions, (QSL) defending champions especially considering how hard Lekhwiya underlined their inten- Al Gharafa made them work for tions with their sixth successive this win. win by hammering Al Gharafa In other match, hosts Al Wak- 4-0 yesterday. rah rubbed salt into Al Arabi Lekhwiya, coached by Djamel wounds by beating the Doha Belmadi, produced a stirring sec- giants 1-0 in their Qatar Stars ond-half performance to outclass League (QSL) clash. Al Gharafa and extend their win- A first-half goal by Abdul Rahi- ning run. man Hussain (10th minute) was All goals were scored in the enough for hosts Al Wakrah to second half within a 25-minute beat Al Arabi aiming to remain interval, with Youssef Msakni in the top four of QSL. helping himself to a brace. By virtue of the loss yesterday, It wasn’t easy going for the Al Arabi have lost two successive defending champions at Hamad games. Last week Al Sailiya beat bin Khalifa Stadium in this Al Arabi. ‘Match of the Week’ clash. Earlier, a strike by Abderraz- The first half was a scrappy zaq Hamedallah was enough for affair with neither team able to El Jaish to beat Al Ahli in a round dominate proceedings. 14 clash at Al Ahli Stadium. The teams went into the break Hamedallah fired home the with a total of six attempts of goal Lekhwiya’s Youssef Msakni and Yasin Chikhaoui (right) of Al Gharafa vie for the ball possession during their Qatar Stars League (QSL) match at Al Ahli match-winning in the 4th minute between them. Stadium yesterday. RIGHT: El Jaish’s Abderrazzaq (left) in action against Al Ahli’s Abdul Ghafoor Abdullah during their QSL match at Al Ahli Stadium of the clash that has allowed El But things changed dramati- yesterday. Pics: Abdul Basit Jaish to leapfrog over Al Sadd cally in the second half. It began into second place on the Qatar Stars League (QSL) points table. on a sedate note. But in the 55th Mohamed who complemented the Ten minutes later the South Karim Boudiaf opened up Al El Jaish are now behind Al QSL RESULTS minute, Lekhwiya mounted a move with an effective finish that Korean midfielder produced a Gharafa with a through pass. Rayyan (39 points) after 14 Results of Qatar Stars League matches counter attack through their saw his team grab the lead. great shot and saw the ball fly into Msakni got to the end of it and, matches. Al Ahli, placed 11th, played yesterday. twinkle-toed foreign import In the 67th minute, reliable the top corner of the goal. though his first attempt was saved have a tally of just 14 points. Vladimir Weiss. Nam Tae-Hee danced his way Al Gharafa ‘keeper Abdulla by Abdulla, the Tunisian was able QSL action will resume on Jan- El Jaish bt Al Ahli 1-0 The Slovakian winger ran inside the box and then crossed could only stand and watch the to find the back of the net with uary 2, 2016 after ten-day winter Lekhwiya bt Al Gharafa 4-0 through the centre with the ball to Msakni who headed it in for ball go in. Three minutes later, his second. break. Al Wakrah bt Al Arabi 1-0 and delivered a slick pass to Ismail his first goal of the match. in the 80th minute, Lekhwiya’s It will be a confidence-boosting THE PENINSULA PSG to mount fresh assault after Blatter must leave FIFA apartment by February Doha break, says skipper Silva ZURICH: FIFA has told its Meanwhile, Blatter is ready to banned leader Sepp Blatter he take “all legal steps” to clear his will have to leave his presiden- name after he was banned from Parisians to start winter tour in ‘perfect place’ Qatar from December 27 tial apartment by February 26, football for eight years by a FIFA 2016 when a successor is elected, court over ethics violations, his PARIS: French giants Paris St a source close to the world body lawyers said yesterday. Germain (PSG) will mount a said yesterday. “President Blatter is eager to fresh assault on Ligue 1 title race The apartment in an old Zurich present his arguments to the and the Champions League after house that has been divided is one appeal committee,” his Zurich- their winter break in Doha, cap- of the perks Blatter, 79, will lose based lawyer Lorenz Erni and tain Thiago Silva said yesterday. after his eight year suspension Virginia-based counsel Richard PSG are runaway leaders in pronounced on Monday by FIFA’s Cullen said in a joint statement. Ligue 1 with 52 points after 19 ethics court. After FIFA announced his sus- matches. Second-placed Monaco He automatically loses his pension on Monday, Blatter held a are in second spot at 32 points. FIFA mobile phone and his pro- defiant press conference in which However, with Champions fessional email address, said the he said he would first challenge League clash against Chelsea in source, speaking on condition of the suspension at a FIFA appeals February, Silva said his team will anonymity. committee before going to the make the most of their winter But the disgraced FIFA leader, Court of Arbitration for Sport break in the Qatari capital later found guilty of a conflict of inter- (CAS), if necessary. this week when they also play a est over a two million Swiss franc “President Blatter is prepared friendly against Inter Milan on ($2m) payment to FIFA vice to take all legal steps to prevail on December 30. The tour will start president Michel Platini does not the remaining charges and clear on December 27. lose all privileges, the source said. his name,” his lawyers said. “I think it is very important for “He is still protected by his Blatter has not hidden his the club to go on this tour. We labour contract” under Swiss law, desire to secure reinstatement in know the owners are from Qatar, said the source. So Blatter will time for a FIFA congress on Feb- so it is very important for them get his salary – for which he has ruary 26, when his replacement and for the club,” Silva said in an refused to reveal the amount – will be elected. interview yesterday. his FIFA car and apartment until But despite his impending “But it is a good thing to go the contract ends on February 26. appeals, Blatter’s chances of ever over there, as the locals love Paris A FIFA congress is to be held on returning to FIFA may have suf- Saint-Germain and the players. that day to elect a new president fered a fatal blow with Monday’s Last year for instance, it really and agree reforms to the scandal- verdict. helped us to go on the tour as we tainted body. AFP came back and were even better, finishing the season in the best way possible,” the Brazilian added. Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva (left) vies for the ball possession with Caen’s French forward Bans important first step: Bryant “I hope that this year, it will Andy Delort during their French L1 match in Caen, northwestern France, in this December 19, 2015 file photo. again be beneficial and maybe LOS ANGELES: NBA legend Kobe Bryant make us stronger for the Cham- ago,” the former French interna- endless plane journeys that you (pictured) called the eight-year bans issued pions League. When we are all tional said. “We will also have need in order to get this sort of to FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA over there, we work really well fantastic working conditions, weather. With such short tours, President Michel Platini an “important first together, we stay in an amazing with amazing weather, as Qatar the time difference can be a prob- step” in cleaning up global football. hotel that gives us the best con- is the perfect place for this. The lem, especially when you come The 37-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard, ditions to rest and recharge the tour will be short, but I am hop- back. But this won’t be the case a five-time NBA champion and twice an batteries. It’s an advantage for the ing to see some intensive work, for us,” the coach said. Blanc said Olympic gold medal winner, is in his 20th and rest of the season,” Silva said. and the players will be very busy the PSG-Inter Milan friendly final NBA campaign, announcing his retire- Club caoch Laurent Blanc ech- with the sponsorship activation will be a ‘treat’ for football fans ment last month. The American spent several oed Silva’s sentiments. and the media presence. Blanc, in Doha. years as a youth in Italy playing football and “I want the team to bond even who replaced Carlo Ancelloti as “It will be our last game of 2015. supporting AC Milan. He follows the sport and was clear in his con- more, although they know each coach at PSG two years ago, said Two really good teams, with really demnation of Blatter and Platini, barred for abusing their positions other quite well already,” Blanc facilities in Doha are ‘amazing. good players. The football fans in over a suspect $2m payment. said when asked about aims at “They are amazing. Everything, Qatar will be able to see a great “It’s always a touchy thing. You are dealing with a big business,” Bry- the forthcoming winter break in from sports to medical facilities, game of football,” he said. ant said. “I think this is an important first step to cleaning up the sport. Doha. will be at our disposal,” Blanc said. “To me, this game will be more “With life being as brutal as it is, we come to sport as an escape. “It actually is part of our “Another big advantage is the like a training session,” Blanc When something like this happens, it damages the emotional Shangri- strength. We only made small climate. It is the best possible said. “It will be a way of round- La you get from sport.” Bryant had confidence that those making efforts changes to the squad, but we weather to work with the squad ing off three days of intense work to revamp FIFA in the wake of the corruption will succeed. want the new players to adapt and there is not such a big time in style,” he said. “I’m sure they are on top of it and I’m sure they will get the sport Laurent Blanc even more. We want to continue difference between Qatar and back where we all want it to be,” Bryant said. the progress we began four years Paris. “We will avoid the usual THE PENINSULA AFP