ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Wednesday 3 July 2013 24 Shaaban 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5749 Price: QR2 Qatari bourse Jockey Dettori index adds to ride for 38.06 points Sheikh Joaan Business | 19 Sport | 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Emir meets Central African Republic delegation Saudi extends No driving amnesty for illegal expats RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yes- terday extended by four more months an amnesty enabling licence for illegal foreign workers to regu- larise their status or return home without prosecution. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has labourers ordered “extending the time limit” of the Amnesty due to expire today until November, the interior min- Move to ease traffic congestion istry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency. DOHA: Labourers have been however, been spared as putting English-language daily Arab News barred from joining driving restrictions on them would lead said the amnesty would now expire schools as they will not be issued to a severe shortage of drivers for on November 3. According to the driving licences for light and Qatari families. labour ministry more than 1.5 mil- heavy vehicles anymore. Driving schools said they lion illegal foreign workers have The ban, however, does not wouldn’t be affected by the ban as The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a ministerial delegation from the Central African come forward so far. apply to those workers who are not many labourers were anyway Republic (CAR) at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The delegation conveyed to the Emir greetings from the CAR Full report on page 7 on personal sponsorship such as seeking registration with them. President Michel Djotodia on assuming power. domestic helpers. “Most of the labourers who Labourers are also not barred come to us for registration are on from joining driving schools to personal sponsorship. They are obtain licences for motorcycles. not from companies or ministries,” The move to bar labourers from said an official of a driving school. obtaining light and heavy vehicle Mohamed Zain Ibrahim, the man- driver’s licences is part of the gov- ager of Gulf Driving School, told Gold prices higher in Qatar ernment’s campaign to ease traffic this newspaper yesterday that and chaos on Doha roads. they were, though, waiting to hear DOHA: Gold prices improved international rates, should have rates, one gramme of 21-carat are made locally carry making A circular issued by the from the traffic authorities what marginally yesterday from been QR146.0012 a gramme. gold should have been priced at charges of up to QR7 per gramme, Department of Traffic to driving categories of workers are to be last week’s lows to $1,247 Jewellers were, though, quoting QR128.48, but jewellery stores market sources say. schools recently asks them not included among labourers. (QR4,540.95) an ounce (31.10g). QR149 on average for pure gold here were offering it for QR137. According to them, some jewel- to register labourers from July 1 “Sometime, a labourer is a But jewellery stores here were which was only marginally higher The 18-carat gold rate was lery stores charge more for gold to learn to drive light and heavy graduate, and whether semi- quoting gold rates much higher than the international rate. QR118 per gramme as against its per gramme but offer discounts vehicles and seek licences. skilled workers like electricians than the international prices. Bullion traders were, on the global price of QR109.50. on making charges, thus compen- The rule applies to labourers and technicians are to be treated The price they were quoting on contrary, following the global Jewellers argue that their rates sating customers in some way. across all sectors, including pri- as labourers,” said Ibrahim. “This average was QR145 per gramme prices as the standard 116.64 are a bit high as they need a mar- Nasir Aslam, from Al Badiya vate companies that employ the is not clear. For us, what is impor- for 22-carat gold as against the gramme bar of 24 carats was gin but critics say they should Jewellery in gold souq in Doha, largest number of unskilled for- tant is that workers on personal global price of QR134.33. being yesterday sold for QR17,150 follow the international market says that some jewellers tend to eign workforce, government as sponsorship have been spared,” Jewellery-makers use 22, 21 on average (the rate being QR147 prices as they already levy ‘mak- raise gold rates in tandem raising well as semi-government entities. said Ibrahim. and 18-carat gold, and not pure per gramme). ing charges’ on jewellery. suspicions of forming a cartel. Domestic workers have, Continued on page 3 gold of 24 carats which, as per Similarly, according to global Even ordinary gold chains that Continued on page 5 Army plans to push Mursi aside, suspend constitution CAIRO: Egypt’s army has plans Cairo suburbs and hundreds were programme ready to implement to push Mohammed Mursi aside wounded in the provinces. Mursi — though it could be fine-tuned in and suspend the constitution defied a demand by the armed consultation with willing political after an all but impossible ulti- forces chief on Monday that he parties. matum it has given the Islamist agree to share power with his Under the roadmap, the mili- president expires in less than opponents within 48 hours or have tary would install an interim 24 hours, military sources said the generals take charge. Calling council, composed mainly of civil- yesterday. the army statement misleading ians from different political groups Condemning a coup against and divisive, he said he would stick and experienced technocrats, to their first freely elected leader, to his own plan. run the country until an amended tens of thousands of Mursi’s But time has all but run out for constitution was drafted within Muslim Brotherhood supporters Mursi, as liberal leaders are refus- months. That would be followed took to the streets, clashing with ing to talk to him. Opponents have by a new presidential election, opponents in several towns. But been dancing in the streets since but parliamentary polls would be they appeared to be dwarfed by the intervention by General Abdel delayed until conditions for select- anti-government protesters who Fattah Al Sisi. ing candidates were in force, the turned out in their hundreds of Military sources said that, sources said. They would not say thousands across the nation. assuming the politicians failed how the military intended to deal Troops were on alert after to end a year of deadlock under with Mursi if he refused to go qui- warnings of a potential civil war. Mursi before today’s 5pm deadline, etly. REUTERS Seven people died in fighting in the generals had their own draft See also page 10 UK’s Channel 4 to air UAE jails 61 Islamists azan during Ramadan in coup plot trial LONDON: A mainstream British TV channel ABU DHABI: Sixty-one convicted coup plotters said yesterday it would broadcast the Muslim call received jail terms of up to 10 years in the UAE to prayer throughout the month of Ramadan. yesterday after a trial that targeted Islamists and From July 9, Channel 4 will cut into its schedule drew criticism from human rights groups. to show the three-minute call to prayer, or azan, live. Among those sentenced were academics, lawyers The channel’s decision comes as Britain is experienc- and members of prominent UAE families, including ing community tensions in the wake of the brutal a cousin of the ruler of one of the seven emirates murder of a British soldier. Two Muslim converts in the oil-rich federation, a longtime foe of Islamist have been charged with the murder. groups seeking a role in politics and state affairs. The number of attacks on Muslims rose sharply Eight men were sentenced in absentia by the after the killing in May and several mosques have Federal Supreme Court to 15 years in prison, in a been targeted. judgement rights groups said showed growing intol- As well as on television, Channel 4 viewers will erance in the US-allied country. be able to watch the call to prayer on the station’s The government said the sentences could not be website, where it will play automatically at prayer appealed. times throughout the day. AFP Full report on page 7 WEDNESDAY 3 JULY 2013 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Emir reconstitutes Emir receives greetings Ban on driving licences Qatar Investment Continued from page 1 The Ministry of Interior under which the traffic department falls, has long Authority been mulling ways to control increasing traffic congestions particularly on Doha roads. A committee was set up with members from the interior minis- DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh try (traffic department), Advisory Council, the Ministry of Municipality and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Ashghal (the Public Works Authority), to study the problem of rising chaos issued yesterday Emiri decisions on Doha roads and suggest solutions. No. 74 and 75 of 2013, restruc- Among the various aspects studied by the committee was the policy of turing the Board of Directors issuing driving licences to expatriates. of Qatar Investment Authority The panel called for a review of the policy and it is understood that the under the chairmanship of the latest ban is a result of its recommendations. Emir and appointing Ahmed Already, foreign workers who are here on temporary project visas are not Mohamed Ahmed Al Sayyed issued driving licences anymore.