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Need to look beyond Suarez Navarroro ultra-easy policy for clinches Qatarr growth: G20 Total Open titlele

SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 • 19 Jumada I 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6720 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar 1,000MW solar Emir attends closing ceremony of Sword Racing Festival power firm to be set up soon

Mohannadi said that the option of having a coal-fired plant is a big no. Economic viability of Nuclear power is also not the option the project proven, because it’s too late, and the size of the country is also a constraint. Wind says QEWC managing has very little viability. So the only director. viable renewable source of energy is solar, he added. “I believe by 2019 prices of oil and gas will recover enough to By Mohammad Shoeb make solar the most viable option. The Peninsula Therefore, solar is going to be the backbone of the source of energy in future.” The QEWC and its foreign invest- DOHA: A solar power company with ment arm, Nebras Power, is currently a capacity of 1,000 megawatt will involved in about a dozen local and be formed soon. The joint venture international projects of various between Qatar Electricity and Water sizes in different countries, includ- Company (QEWC) and Qatar Petro- ing the US, Turkey, Croatia, Tunisia, leum (QP) will have an initial capital Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. of about QR1.82bn ($500m). For example the Asfin El Bistan The company has cleared legal Project in Turkey aims at estab- hurdles and has been approved by lishing a number of stations for authorities, said a senior official of electricity generation by coal with QEWC, Qatar’s main producer of a capacity of 4,500MW in addition utilities services. to coal mine exploration in Kahra- Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani patronised the closing ceremony of H H the Emir’s Sword Racing Festival at the Equestrian “The project has been decided manmaras in Ankara. based on the fact that producing Similarly, Nebras is also involved Club in Al Rayyan yesterday. The race was attended by H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Interior solar power is cheaper than buy- in yet another big foreign venture Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. The Emir handed over the Golden Sword to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa ing gas from international market,” ‘Fadhili project for Power, Water and Al Thani, the owner of Ghazwan and the winner of the main-half and handed H H the Emir’s award to Khalifa bin Sheail bin Khalifa Al Fahad Hamad Al Mohanadi, Man- Steam generation’ in neighbouring Kuwari, owner of The Blue Eye — winner in the seventh game. → See also page 29 aging Director of QEWC, told The Saudi Arabia with generation capac- Peninsula on the sidelines of the ity of 1,600MW of electricity, about company’s AGM recently. 768.8 tonnes of water per hour, and “We have carried out a detailed 3.19 million pounds of steam per study that proved the economic via- hour. bility of the project. The proposed Asked about the financing of Licences of 9 engineering consultancies revoked project has been approved and now its projects, he said the company we are in the process of establishing explored the option of issuing bonds, the company very soon.” but found that offers by commercial Once the company is established banks are more attractive than issu- The Peninsula grade consultancies. There are still judicial powers. They launch inspec- engineers at construction sites, non- by a partnership between QEWC ing bonds. “For smaller projects of some consultancies with engineers tion drives and detect violations at registration of engineers with the (60pc) and QP (40pc), international less than $500m, QEWC will source not registered with authorities. construction sites and offices of con- committee and flouting of rules on firms will be invited to compete for funds from local banks while for big- DOHA: Tightening its grip on A committee at the Ministry sultancy firms. specialisation of engineers. Engineers the 40 percent stake in a way fol- ger ones such as Umme Al Houl, it engineering consultancies, the gov- of Municipality and Environment A total of 325 engineering con- with specialisation need to supervise lowed by QEWC for its past projects. will go to the international market,” ernment has cancelled the licences of licenses engineers and engineering sultancies, including international some work on construction sites, said Replying to a question on said Al Mohannadi. at least nine errant firms and detected consultancies. firms, operate in the country. Accord- Al Sadd, himself an engineer. using alternative forms of energy 87 violations this year. Many members of the Com- ing to committee head Khalid Al Sadd, to produce electricity in Qatar, Al → Continued on page 4 The punished firms include A mittee have recently been given violations this year include absent → Continued on page 7

Djibouti President After five years, guns fall silent in Syria arrives today

AFP five months of intense air strikes against rebels DOHA: Djibouti President Ismail in support of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, Omar Guelleh arrives in Doha said it had halted bombing in all areas covered today on an official visit, reports by the truce. QNA. Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin DAMASCUS: Fighting subsided across much of Moscow has vowed to keep striking IS, Hamad Al Thani will meet Guelleh Syria yesterday as the first major ceasefire of the Al Nusra and other “terrorist groups”, but said tomorrow to discuss cooperation devastating, five-year war appeared to broadly it would ground all its warplanes in the Syria between the two countries. hold despite sporadic breaches in parts of the campaign on the first day of the truce to avoid battle-scarred country. potential “mistakes”. EU foreign policy chief The truce, brokered by Washington and Mos- Federica Mogherini said the lull in fighting was cow, is seen as a crucial step towards ending a “the first chance to put an end to violence on the US curbs on conflict that has claimed 270,000 lives and dis- ground and should not be missed”. placed more than half the population. “If it holds, it will create the conditions for It faces formidable challenges including the full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian data collection exclusion of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group access throughout Syria,” she added. and Al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Al Nusra Front, Among the limited ceasefire breaches, state from Europe which control large parts of the country. media said “terrorist groups” fired a number of “Honestly, I was surprised that the calm shells on Damascus but caused no casualties. lasted through the night,” said Ammar Al Rai, a Rebels also accused the government of inter- BRUSSELS: US has set out lim- 22-year-old medical student in Damascus. mittent “truce violations” in parts of the country. its to its use of data collected in “I think this is the first time we’ve woken up In Aleppo, Syria’s second city, two people bulk about European citizens after without the sound of shelling.” were killed and four wounded when shells hit an information-sharing pact was UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said peace talks the majority-Kurdish neighbourhood of Sheikh agreed this month, according to would resume on March 7 if the ceasefire pre- Maqsud, according to the Syrian Observatory for documents. A clear explanation of vails and more aid is delivered — a key sticking Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor. what information could be used point in negotiations. Syrian state media said one person was for— preventing its “indiscrimi- A special international task force, co-chaired killed by sniper fire in the same district. nate” and “arbitrary” use—was a by Moscow and Washington, was due to meet Aleppo city is now almost completely encir- key condition of the new Privacy behind closed doors in Geneva yesterday to mon- cled by pro-regime troops after a massive Shield framework that enables itor the truce. De Mistura said it was important Russian-backed offensive that has caused tens firms to easily transfer personal Syrians visit the national museum after a ceasefire went into effect in the capital Damascus, that any incidents are “quickly brought under of thousands to flee in recent weeks. data to the US . control” and a military response should be the yesterday. “last resort”. Russia, which has waged nearly → See also page 7 →See also page 18 02 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 HOME Swedish Minister reviews education ties with Qatar

of Technology (KTH), Chalmers Uni- Helene Knutsson versity, and presidents of several national agencies for higher educa- and her high-level tion and research. delegation hold Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr Mohammed Abdul meetings with Wahed Ali Al Hammadi hosted a Minister and top dinner in her honour at Museum of Islamic Art where they exchanged officials. views on how to develop relations in the field of higher education and research. On Thursday morning, Knuts- The Peninsula son and her delegation visited Qatar Swedish Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson speaking at one of the meetings. University and had a meeting with President Dr Hassan Rashid Al Der- ham. Many topics were discussed but DOHA: Swedish Minister for Higher one key message from Knutsson was with QU, Lund University’s “Centre her country, said Swedish Ambassa- and entrepreneurship courses will Commonwealth University (VCU) was Education and Research Helene Hell- to encourage Qatari students to study for Middle Eastern Studies’ and the dor Ewa Polano. be offered by Lund University in invited to the inauguration of the ‘The mark Knutsson left on Friday after at Swedish universities and that all London School of Economics on a A meeting with Qatar Founda- mid- March. House of Sweden’ exhibition. a three-day visit to Qatar. She and Master Education courses are in Eng- joint research programme in Qatar tion followed and another with QNRF Knutsson and her delegation A brainstorming discussion din- delegation discussed cooperation lish in Sweden, which is not yet well on ‘Nation and the State in the Mid- Executive Director Dr Abdul Sattar Al made a study visit to Education City ner was also hosted at Katara with with Qatar in higher education and known among Qatari students. dle East’. During a second meeting Taie and his programme managers and met the deputy dean of Texas guests such as the WISH CEO Egbert research. Joint research cooperation in road with Dr Hammadi, an existing draft for QNRF’s priority research areas. A&M University; and Director Dr Schillings, who highlighted how the Knutsson was accompanied by safety and traffic medicine and an of an MoU between both governments Joint research on diabetes and Mehran Kamrawa and Dean Dr Gerd Karolinska Institute and Lund Uni- a delegation of 21 high-level rep- ‘Interdisciplinary Centre of Material was discussed. It will be finalised and cardiovascular diseases, ICT, envi- Nonneman at Georgetown University versity could participate in the WISH resentatives from Swedish top Sciences’ were also discussed. signed later this year, which could be ronmental technology, tailor-made School of Foreign Service. in November and officials from Doha universities such as Karolinska Insti- Lund University announced that during Dr Hammadi’s visit to Sweden, courses for Qatar on a national The delegation also visited HBKU Institute, and Dr Sultan Barakat, tute, Lund University, Royal Institute an MoU will be signed on April 13-14 as he was invited by Knutsson to visit innovation system and innovation Student Centre where Virginia Research Director, Brookings. Entries invited for ‘Best Renewable Energy Initiative Competition’ Mogadishu attacks slammed

The Peninsula celebration on April 21. The competi- Qatar Pulsing’ in line with Qatar financial viability. Entries must comply QNA and manifestations, whatever its tion is open to citizens and expatriates National Vision 2030. with the terms and conditions men- motives and justifications. from all sectors and aims to support Entries are accepted/uploaded tioned on the website. For details, call The ministry’s statement also the development of renewable energy on Kahramaa website (http://www. +974 44846878. stressed Qatar’s solidarity with DOHA: Qatar General Electricity and innovative technologies and business km.com.qa/Tarsheed/Pages/Renew- Tarsheed, which was launched as a DOHA: Qatar condemned the Somalia in the latter’s efforts Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has models that promote energy efficiency ableEnergy.aspx) until April 1. campaign in 2012 under the patronage attacks on a public park and a to eradicate this phenomenon, invited entries for its ‘Best Renewa- and help cut carbon emissions for All entries must comply with of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad hotel last evening in the Somali which is contrary to all moral and ble Energy Initiative Competition’ as Qatar’s sustainable future. Qatar’s moral values and national Al Thani, has been marching towards capital of Mogadishu, that killed humanitarian values. part of its National Programme for It also aims to promote environ- identity. achieving good result. and wounded several people. The ministry extended con- Conservation and Energy Efficiency mental awareness and inculcate a Entries must be submitted by fill- Its main target is to reduce per In a statement, the Foreign dolences to the government of — Tarsheed. culture of efficient usage of the nat- ing the form available through the capita water consumption by 35 per- Ministry stressed Qatar’s firm Somalia and families of the victims Winners will be announced and ural resources to have better life and link highlighting the salient descrip- cent and electricity consumption by position which rejects violence and wished the injured a speedy honoured at Tarsheed fourth annual achieve the theme of Tarsheed ‘Keep tion of the initiative explored and its 20 percent until 2017. and terrorism in all its forms recovery. HOME SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 03 QU symposium focuses on GCC education

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Award for Educational Research launched.

The Peninsula

DOHA: Qatar University (QU) Col- lege of Education held a symposium yesterday to promote best education practices in the GCC and facilitate H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani with Teach For Qatar and QNB officials at the event. coordination among educators in Dr Hassan Rashid Al Derham (left), President, Qatar University, and the region. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Founder and Chairman, Al Faisal The symposium ‘Education in Without Borders Foundation, during the launch of the award. Gulf Cooperation Council Coun- QNB joins Teach For Qatar as partner tries: Educational Creativity and Aspirations’ also aimed to facilitate spoke on ‘Coming through the desert: between the GCC educational sys- coordination among educators to Educational contradictions’. tems, create opportunities for advance professional development, The symposium featured the exchanging successful experiences The Peninsula employees opportunity to join the and a leading financial institution in educational research and develop launch of Sheikh Faisal bin Qas- and building excellent professional Teach For Qatar Fellowship. the Middle East and North African new curricula strategies. sim Al Thani Award for Educational partnerships. Over the past few years, A two-year teaching and leader- region, we have an obligation to give It brought together over 30 Research. It also included sessions the GCC countries have made tre- ship development programme places back to the community, and we are speakers, including academics, and workshops on topics, including mendous efforts to advance general DOHA: H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad novice teachers in Independent delighted to join Teach For Qatar in researchers, experts and practi- ‘K-12 Reform in the GCC Countries: and higher education. This is part of Al Thani, Founder and Chairperson, schools full-time for an opportunity its efforts to improve the local educa- tioners from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Challenges and Policy Recommen- their continuous mission towards Teach For Qatar, and Ali Ahmed Al to inspire the next generation of lead- tion sector in line with Qatar National Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. dations’; ‘ExxonMobil Teachers achieving human development and Kuwari, CEO, Qatar National Bank ers from inside the classroom. Vision 2030.” They discussed educational ini- Academy (QUEMTA): A Successful the growth of society. The devel- (QNB), have formalised a partnership Mohammed Fakhroo, CEO, Teach Teach For Qatar is a local non- tiatives in the GCC and addressed Partnership’; ‘Implication of E-Robot opment and reform initiatives were between both organisations. for Qatar, said, “We are delighted to governmental organisation (NGO) challenges facing the education Solution in Kuwait’s Robotics Tech- applied through various methods QNB joins Teach For Qatar as its welcome QNB as our newest partner working as part of the solution to sector in the region. Participants nology Learning and Innovation’; and procedures, some of which were newest supporting partner as both and we appreciate their support for help solve challenges Qatar’s students included Dr Hassan Rashid Al Der- ‘Scaffolding, a teaching practice successful, while others failed or did sides share a commitment to advance our mission. face by reinvesting talented leaders ham, President, QU; Sheikh Faisal to support students’ acquisition of not achieve the targeted aspirations. education by contributing to the “We look forward to welcom- into the Independent school system bin Qassim Al Thani, Founder and second language’; ‘Momentum for This is not unusual at a time where development of the local Independ- ing their team members into our through a two-year leadership devel- Chairman, Al Faisal Without Bor- Education 2030: Educational Qual- the GCC countries aspire to develop ent school system. next cohort through our second- opment and teaching programme. ders Foundation; Dr Mazen Hasna, ity and Improved Learning Outcomes their educational systems in a way Under the agreement, QNB’s ment programme, which is a unique Teach For Qatar hand-picks grad- Vice-President and CAO, QU; Dr Hissa in the GCC States’; ‘Assessing under- that meets the needs of their societies. CEO will hold a seat on the Teach opportunity for QNB employees to uates and young professionals who Sadiq, Dean of the college; ministry standing of the solar system concepts The integration of general and higher For Qatar Board of Directors. QNB enhance leadership skills while wish to give back to the country — officials, college faculty, students for eighth grade students by integrat- education depends on a combination will also endorse Teach For Qatar’s contributing to the learning and nationals or residents — by providing and staff. ing I-cube technology’; and many of our plans, an effective and opti- mission and vision with funding and development of our nation’s future them the opportunity to inspire stu- Keynote speaker and Assist- more. mal investment in human potential, networking opportunities. It will also leaders.” dents through full-time employment ant Professor Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi Dr Al Derham said, “The forum and the alignment of the educational support the Teach For Qatar second- Al Kuwari said, “As the country’s in one of its partner independent from the UAE University Department is an advance step towards promot- systems outcomes with the needs of ment programme by offering its first Qatari-owned commercial bank, schools. of Curriculum and Learning Methods ing efforts to establish coordination students and the wider community.” 04 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 HOME DFI CEO: New golden age for Arabic cinema

marks a new golden age of Arab cin- Director Ben Attia and the Silver Bear ema,” said Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO, for Best Actor. The increasing DFI. Past grant recipient Mahdi Fleifel’s number of Doha Film Al Remaihi was speaking to the latest short A Man Returned won the local media ahead of the 88th Acad- Silver Bear Jury Prize in the Short Film Institute-backed emy Awards in which two of the five competition and received direct nom- films gaining global nominees for Best Foreign Language ination to the 2016 European Film recognition has Film award were supported by DFI — Awards. Theeb and Mustang. Janitou by Mohamed El Amine placed Qatar on the In addition, DFI grant recipient Hattou was shortlisted for the Rob- map as a major hub in Basil Khalil has won nomination in ert Bosch pitch and 2016 Ajyal crowd the Live Action Short Film Category pleaser Very Big Shot had two mar- the creative industry. for his film Ave Maria competing ket screenings for global sales agents against 144 films from across the and distributors. globe. “It’s a matter of pride to go to By Raynald C Rivera This is the second consecutive these big festivals, flip the industry The Peninsula year DFI-backed films have made it books and see Qatar’s name in many to the Oscars. Last year Timbuktu of these produced films as a co-pro- directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, a duction country. Qumra master, was nominated in the “This was not the case a few years DOHA: The increasing number of Best Foreign Language Film category. back. This is happening because of Doha Film Institute (DFI)-backed films Timbuktu competed this year at the support DFI is giving,” Al Remaihi gaining global recognition has placed British Academy of Film and Tele- said, adding global recognition for Qatar on the map as a major hub in vision Arts (BAFTA) and won seven these films serves as inspiration for the creative industry and marks a Caesars last year. emerging filmmakers to develop ‘new golden age for Arabic cinema’. Theeb got nominated in BAFTA world-class cinema. “DFI’s journey started not very for ‘Best Film Not in the English Lan- Fatma Al Remaihi, CEO, DFI, addressing a media roundtable at DFI building at Katara. Pic: Baher / The Peninsula “We will continue to foster a long ago but we are seeing the results guage’ and its director Abu Nowar culture of appreciation for artistic now with many DFI-supported films and producer Robert Lloyd won cinema that challenges the stereo- and Arab filmmakers taking to the ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Festivals, among others, and received which is being shown in over 40 Hedi had their world premieres in the types of mainstream films, identify international scene. Writer, Director or Producer’, mak- nine nominations at the 2016 French screens in Europe and Canada. festival’s sections of Forum, Pano- new talents, support their projects “Powerful stories from the Arab ing it the first Arab film to win this Caesars. At the recent 2016 Berlin Interna- rama, Generation KPlus and the main and deliver them strong platforms world backed by the DFI are receiving achievement. Three DFI-supported films made tional Film Festival, six DFI backed competition. for reaching out to the international global acclaim, a testament to DFI’s Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergu- it to the 2016 Rotterdam International titles screened in the official festival Hedi, the first Arab contender community through our year-round founding principle to nurture the next ven won top honours at Palm Springs, Film Festival — Mountain; The Last sections. City of Jade; The Black Frost; in 20 years in the official competi- educational, financing and training generation of regional talent and it Cannes, Chicago and Stockholm Film Land; and The Garbage Helicopter The Wounded Angel; Blue Bicycle; and tion, won Best First Feature Award for initiatives,” she added. QU pharmacy students complete training in Scotland

The Peninsula rotations as we are not only grow- They also spent time at RGU ing the future pharmacy leaders of School of Pharmacy and Life Sci- Qatar but also advancing our commu- ences and attended classes on UK nity service efforts to prepare skilled legislations and patient counselling DOHA: Students at Qatar Univer- professionals and experts to take their and participated in interprofessional sity (QU) College of Pharmacy have place in the community and provide its education session with students from completed training at Rowlands com- members with optimum healthcare in various academic disciplines. munity pharmacy, collaborating with line with the goals of Qatar National They prepared and presented case faculty and students of Robert Gordon Vision 2030.” studies to pharmacy faculty and the University (RGU). The students were introduced to professional development coordina- Fourth-year students Shorouq services provided by pharmacies, tor from Rowlands Pharmacy. Haikal and Alya Babiker returned from including smoking cessation, blood Both students received an invita- their rotation in Scotland as part of a pressure monitoring, and diabetes tion from Lord Provost to visit and tour Structured Practical Experiences in care and prevention. Aberdeen Town House — the histori- Pharmacy (SPEP) programme. They also worked at a pharmacy cal city hall building. Discussions with They spent one month and met branch in a rural area for exposure to Lord Provost included experiences in Lord Provost, Governor of the City a wider variety of patients and phar- Aberdeen, Rotation at Rowlands Phar- Council, Civic Head and Her Majes- maceutical services, toured one of macy and life in Qatar. ty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen. the National Health Services (NHS) They said, “It has been an enrich- Dr Ayman El Kadi, Dean of the health villages and met an in-house ing experience to have a month college, said, “We anticipate sending dietician and medical staff who intro- rotation in Aberdeen, Scotland. Hav- more students to participate in these duced them to NHS services. ing the opportunity to experience

FROM LEFT: Sandra Hutchinson, Alya Babiker, Lord Provost, Shorouq Haikal, and Prof Lesley Diack during a meeting.

how pharmacies run in Scotland and back a new breadth of knowledge and and Scotland, giving us more tools interact with patients and counsel be able to compare the differences in to be better pharmacists. It was an them has been invaluable. We take pharmacy practice between Qatar experience of a lifetime.” Official: QEWC will not face difficulties in raising funds

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He said QEWC, being a utility produc- ing company, will not face difficulties in raising funds on the backdrop of deteriorating credit quality in the region. “Since the utility service providers face the lowest risks, and QEWC has inked long- term supply agreements (including with Kah- ramaa), so everywhere in the Gulf, regardless of the ratings of the coun- try, commercial banks find it very attractive,” he said. Commenting on the company’s revenue and profit forecast for 2016, he said: “We are a little conservative about fore- casts and put the lowest figures for our assump- tion, but normally we beat that number by 15-20 percent.” HOME SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 05 HBKU organises first Community Leaders Forum

Saleh Al Sada, received more than 100 senior government officials and The new initiative private sector representatives from aims to develop various industries, at HBKU’s Student Centre in Education City. strong links with the The forum was developed to private and public showcase HBKU’s development and sectors in the country. engage leaders in the public and the private sectors in a discussion about the role higher education can play Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada (second right) with other officials at the forum. in building and enhancing national By Fazeena Saleem capacity. The Peninsula Highlighting the role of quality great expectations, to HKBU’s con- programmes and conducting research collaboration and building bridges Managing Director, Maersk Oil Qatar, higher education in supporting Qatar’s tinuing role in contributing to Qatar’s in response to current and future between national institutions. With together with heads and senior repre- needs, Dr Al Sada said, “I urge attend- ambitious developmental plans,” he needs of Qatar in the sectors of this in mind, we would like to high- sentatives of many major companies ees to fully support HBKU’s efforts to added. energy, environment, science, and light the importance of institutional and organisations, including Qapco, DOHA: In a new initiative to develop unleash its potential so that it can The forum also highlighted that medicine,” said Dr Ahmad Hasnah, cooperation between the university ExxonMobile, Qatar Airways, Gulf strong links with the private and pub- achieve the objectives for which it all industries, however financed President, HBKU. and the public and private sectors, Drilling International, ConocoPhil- lic sectors in the country, Hamad Bin has been created,” he added. or organised, need sufficient well- He stressed the need to develop with the hopes of building positive lips Qatar, Lusail Real Estate, Dolphin Khalifa University (HBKU) of Qatar “One cannot help but notice trained, qualified leaders and staff to strong and effective relationships for relations and capitalising on available Energy, and Qatar Tourism Authority. Foundation (QF), held its inaugu- HBKU’s immense contribution to the achieve the goals, especially because the benefit of internships, employment national resources to realise Qatar’s Faisal Al Suwaidi, President, ral Community Leaders Forum on four pillars of Qatar National Vision all sectors are growing at an extraor- and research collaborations. ambitions,” said Dr Hasnah. Research and Development, QF, and Thursday. 2030 by developing our nation’s most dinary level. “The university is commit- Present were Sheikh Faisal bin representatives of educational part- The forum, which included a key- valuable and important resource — “The year 2015 witnessed ted to building a knowledge-based Qassim Al Thani, Chairman and CEO, ners of HBKU, including the deans of note address by Minister of Energy Qatar’s youth. unprecedented growth of the uni- economy and we believe that the Al Faisal Holding Company, Sheikh HEC Paris in Qatar and Northwestern and Industry H E Dr Mohamed bin “We surely look forward, with versity, offering many postgraduate development of the nation requires Faisal bin Fahad Al Thani, Acting University in Qatar, were also present. Qatar Biobank receives Singapore team

The Peninsula efficient approaches to data collection and processing of samples housed at the biobank. They also studied how the biobank collects and measures biometric data and delivers results to DOHA: Qatar Biobank, a member of Qatar participants. The biobank supports QF’s mission Foundation (QF), welcomed a senior delegation to enhance national innovation and technology from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine through medical research regarding prevalent (LKCMedicine) of the Nanyang Technological health issues in Qatar. University and the school’s primary clinical Through its collection of samples and infor- partner, National Healthcare Group based in mation on the health and lifestyles of a large Singapore. percentage of the population, the biobank is Qatar Biobank officials with senior delegates from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine of the Nanyang Technological Delegates attained insights into the world- making vital medical research possible for sci- University in Singapore. class information technology (IT) systems and entists in Qatar, the region and the world. 06 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 HOME

ROTA and QC pledge $2m for Yemen Nigerian President arrives

Delegates at the conference on Yemen humanitarian crisis which concluded in Doha on Wednesday. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari arrived on an official with 13 regional and international about half a million students forced with QC, which reflects its commit- visit to Qatar yesterday. Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr humanitarian organisations. The out of education due to conflicts. ment to support education in Yemen Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada and Qatari Ambassador to Nigeria Both organisations three-day ‘The humanitarian crisis “We are proud to support our and Al Mannai for chairing the work- Abdulaziz bin Mubarak Al Muhannadi received the President at will support in Yemen: Challenges and prospects partners. I would like to thank QC for shop and sharing ROTA’s expertise Hamad International Airport. of humanitarian response’ concluded its efforts and congratulate it on the in overcoming challenges facing the development of the on Wednesday. success of the conference,” he said. education sector in Yemen. education sector in ROTA’s participation is aligned The conference brought together “This professionalism is one of the war-torn country. with QF’s mission of using education over 150 experts in humanitarian the reasons behind the success of our as a tool to unlock human potential. assistance in the fields of educa- partnership with ROTA,” Al Kuwari Essa Al Mannai, Executive Direc- tion, health, water, environment and added. Cloudy weather tor, ROTA, chaired the educational economic empowerment to provide Participants are scheduled to The Peninsula workshop on the first day of the con- humanitarian relief to the people of meet on March 7 to establish an office ference to shed light on the state of Yemen. to coordinate and organise relief work the education sector under the cri- Participants discussed the need in Yemen. It will feature the launch of sis in Yemen. for a collaboration framework to an integrated plan by GCC countries DOHA: Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), He said, “Our participation is in bring local, regional and interna- to support Yemen in various fields. a member of Qatar Foundation for line with our mission to provide edu- tional organisations together to The Yemeni crisis is one of the Education, Science and Community cation to people struck by poverty, implement an action plan, starting worst humanitarian crises in the Development (QF) in partnership with war and conflict. We were focus- with re-enrolling students in schools world. About 80 percent of the Yem- Qatar Charity (QC), pledged $2m in ing on the development of education and improving education conditions eni population, estimated at about aid to support Yemen’s education opportunities in Yemen long before in Yemen. 26 million, have been affected by sector. the crisis. However, today, it seems Yousef bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, the conflict, with 60 percent living ROTA participated in Yemen more urgent to join global efforts CEO, QC, said: “We would like to below the poverty line compared to humanitarian crisis conference and share our expertise to provide thank ROTA for support, includ- 35 percent before the outbreak of the organised by QC, in collaboration effective and immediate solutions for ing the $2m pledge in collaboration conflict. MSS unveils in-house magazine in tribute to late leader

The Peninsula

DOHA: Marzooq Al Shamlan & Sons (MSS), a name synonymous with the watch business in Qatar, launched its quarterly in-house news magazine dedicated to its visionary leader late Mohammed Al Shamlan on Thursday. Delegates from Switzerland, fam- ily members, friends and MSS staff attended the launch at the corporate head office. Deputy Managing Director Tariq Marzooq S A Al Shamlan welcomed the delegates and thanked them for their time and presence for paying tributes to his brother under whose leadership MSS has grown to be one of the foremost watch retailer in the country. Sara Mohammed Al Sham- lan, daughter of late Mohammed Al FROM LEFT: Alfred Neuenschwander, Senior Sales Director, Century Watches; Sara Mohammed Al Shamlan, Shamlan, urged all MSS staff to carry daughter of late Mohammed Al Shamlan; Maja Koenig, CEO, Sarcar Watches, Tariq Marzooq S A Al Shamlan, forward the legacy of her father and Deputy Managing Director, MSS, and K V Ravi, General Manager, MSS, at the launch of the MSS Newsletter. achieve his vision. She also thanked It was a partly cloudy day yesterday with the Met Office forecasting all for being part of the legacy. similar weather conditions for today. In its routine forecast, it said Maja Koenig, CEO, Sarcar and memories of the legend late members, friends and MSS staff for our customers the tradition of time. there are chances of scattered rains in parts of the country and Watches, and Alfred Neuenschwan- Mohammed Al Shamlan. their presence and stressed that MSS The MSS magazine is available at temperatures will vary between 17 degrees C (nightly) and 26 der, Senior Sales Director, Century MSS General Manager K V Ravi will follow the footsteps of the legend all Crono, Crono fashion and Watch degrees C (daytime). Pic: Salim / The Peninsula Watches, shared their experiences thanked all the delegates, family late Mohammed Al Shamlan to offer Corner stores.

20th Logic Hypermarket opens Ta’allum Group hosts annual awards for staff

Ta’allum Group, an umbrella organisation of Al Jazeera Academy, Al Maha Academy for Boys and Al Maha Academy for Girls and a subsidiary of Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad & Sons Group (GSSG), celebrated Ali Mohamed Al Athba, Chairman, Logic Group (Logic) and Khalid Muhamed Hassan Al Shal, Chairman, its annual awards at Westin Doha Hotel. Some 160 academic and administration staff were given PAZ International, inaugurated the 20th Logic Hypermarket in Umm Al Dome Street, Muaither, on certificates of appreciation and cash rewards for outstanding IGCSE results; outstanding AS exam Thursday. TVH Useph, Managing Director and other senior officials from Logic and VIPs from various results; E-Learning; Best Employee; Best Academy; and Special Recognition, among others. Ahmed business groups were present. Pic: Salim / The Peninsula Al Mannai, CEO, Ta’allum Group, and Dr Mohammad Saefan, Director of Education, addressed the gathering. A dinner was also hosted. HOME / MIDDLE EAST SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 07

Residents near destroyed buildings in the rebel-held city of Douma, near the Syrian capital Damascus, yesterday. RIGHT: A street in the capital after a ceasefire went into effect yesterday. Savouring a morning without bombs in Syria

usual routine has been thrown off without the his siblings. He beams as he swings back and But now we don’t hear the sounds of artillery area, which is a front line between us and the Children enjoy outings as usual sounds of artillery, rocket attacks, or forth in the small playground near his home in or planes at all.” regime,” he says. “The situation was good and helicopter-borne barrel bombs. the Sukari neighbourhood of bomb-battered Tired of nearly five years of war, many relaxing for us there, as there were no attacks ceasefire takes hold “We’re totally lost today, our daily schedule Aleppo city. residents had been deeply sceptical that a or infiltration attempts by the regime forces.” has completely changed!” jokes Hasaan Abu “My father used to take us himself to go ceasefire could hold across the country, where Commanders in Ahrar Al Sham, a hardline Nuh, an activist from the town of Talbisseh in play in the park on Fridays only, when he could more than 270,000 people have been killed Islamist group, say even they were abiding by Homs province. be sure there would be no shelling or clashes in the past five years. the ceasefire. AFP “Normally, the helicopter takes off at nearby,” he says. “We were waiting until the clock struck “There were some clashes between us and 8am and the party starts — there were some “But this morning, he allowed us to go by midnight so we could see what would happen,” regime forces after midnight, but they didn’t violations today, but it’s nothing,” Abu Nuh ourselves to the park near our home.” says Faez Sandeh, who lives in the Al Kalasseh last more than half an hour,” says Abu Abdo tells AFP. Osama Diri, who lives in the nearby district with his wife and child. Al Assir, an Ahrar leader in Aleppo. ALEPPO: For many people across battle- The guns fell silent at midnight on Al Maghayir district, says he was surprised “Thank God, the situation is good so far. “Now, we will be committed to the truce as torn Syria, yesterday morning was unusual: Friday across large parts of Syria, after the how busy Aleppo’s streets were when he woke There’s been no shelling, no warplanes, and long as the regime also commits to it.” for the first time in years, they could take a government and nearly 100 rebel groups up yesterday. more people are walking in the streets.” His comments are particularly quiet neighbourhood stroll as their children agreed to a cessation of hostilities brokered “Normally, we wake up and there’s very Abu Sharif, one rebel stationed near encouraging, as Ahrar Al Sham is one of the played in the park. by the United States and Russia. little movement in the morning until noon Aleppo city, says the battle lines were so calm groups whose alliance with Al Qaeda’s local Less than a day into a landmark ceasefire For 11-year-old Ahmad, that meant because of the planes,” he says. he was able to return home. affiliate — excluded from the deal — had deal in parts of the country, residents say their something special: he could go to the park with “Most of the residents would be at home. “I returned from my post in the Al Breij sparked worries the truce would not hold. Qatar donors sponsor 150 Syrian refugee families in Turkish city

Sanaullah Ataullah The Peninsula

DOHA: A group of donors from Qatar has sponsored 150 Syrian ref- ugee families in the Turkish city of Al Raihaniya during their visit to the town. The sponsors will provide enough financial support to cover all basic needs of the beneficiary families including their daily expenditures, house rent and medical bills. The trip entitled Sufra Al Rahma (Ambassadors of Mercy) was con- ducted by Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Serv- ices (RAF) under its programme to aid Syrian refugees. Officials at the event. So far, 2,400 most-deserving Syr- ian families having taken shelter in suffering,” said Ahmad bin Yousuf delegation have distributed toys and Jordon, Lebanon and Turkey have Fakhro, Head of Sufra Al Rama Unit other gifts to the children of refu- benefitted from the largesse of the of RAF. gee families to bring smile back on Qatari donors. “Qatari families will provide their faces. The aforementioned 150 Syr- financial support to meet the basic RAF received QR21.5m from the ian refugee families were selected needs of Syrian refugee families donors in Qatar to sponsor 2,377 in collaboration with a local Turk- including house rent, medical bills Syrian refugee families that have ish humanitarian organization, and and other expenditures of the fam- taken shelter in Jordon, Lebanon and priority was given to the families that ilies that do not have any source of Turkey within its “Taadud” family are left without breadwinners and income after losing their breadwin- sponsor programme being carried having patients, especially those who ners,” said Fakhro. out by the foundation in second con- need urgent surgeries. “The visiting Qatari delegation secutive year. “The field visit made by the has boosted our morale, they made Some 55 percent of total dona- donors from Qatar to the Syrian us feel that we are not alone here, tion went towards paying house refugee families in Turkey aimed and there are some people for our rents and the remaining 45 percent to show them that their broth- help,” said a member of a beneficiary was spent on covering medical bills, ers in Qatar are with them in their family. The members of the visiting daily expenditures and school fees.

Huge fines await erring consultancy firms and engineers

Continued from page 1 crackdowns will continue on construction sites and the offices of the consultancies. Huge fines await consultancy firms and engineers Committee members taking part in crackdowns need found flouting rules and regulations and the committee’s to ensure that rules and regulations are followed on con- instructions. This January some 800 engineers, mainly struction sites. All construction and contracting companies from the consultancies, applied for registration with the must ensure that their engineers are registered with the committee, said Al Sadd. committee. Raids are also conducted on the offices of the He said there were many complaints against the nine consultancies to ensure their engineers are registered consultancies whose licences have been cancelled. The with the committee. action was taken after the complaints were found to be Al Sadd said there are consultancies many of whose genuine. The action was taken as per provisions of Law No engineers are still not licensed by the committee. The 2 of 2014, which replaced Law No. 19 of 2005, said Al Sadd. panel registers the engineers, provides licensing to con- He said the committee’s inspection campaigns or sultancy firms and grades them. 08 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 MIDDLE EAST Seats split as first Iran vote results pour in

reforms on which he has so far been blocked. Rowhani and Early declarations published by Rafsanjani show the semi-official ISNA news agency, quoting electoral officials, suggested leads in Assembly that no one faction would win a results. majority in parliament, but results from only one-fifth of 290 seats had been announced. Turnout in the election was solid at 60 percent, but slightly less than the AFP 64 percent of 2012. Out of 56 constituencies, 19 went to the main list of conservatives, nine to the pro-Rowhani list, and 14 to TEHRAN: Early results from Iran’s independent candidates. parliamentary election showed seats Of the independents six had ties split among rival factions yesterday to conservatives, five to reformists with no definitive indication if moder- and three were undeclared. None of ate President Hassan Rowhani’s allies the remaining 14 seats had a clear would make significant gains against winner, meaning a second round, not conservative rivals. to take place until April or May, would Coming just a month after be needed. sanctions were lifted under Iran’s Tehran, where the battle between Iranian President Hassan Rowhani (right) with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran yesterday. nuclear deal with world powers, the Rowhani’s allies and conservatives outcome of Friday’s vote is being seen was fiercest, has 30 seats at stake, as a de-facto referendum on Rowhani’s none of which has yet been declared. A administration. clearer outcome for the president was Khamenei. on the assembly for Tehran. especially important because should victors could suggest a partial shift The president is hoping an coming from the second election that Rowhani and his close ally Aya- Thirteen of those on the Row- Khamenei, who is 76, die during its from Iran’s sharply factional politics alliance with reformists, called The took place on Friday, for the Assembly tollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a hani-Rafsanjani list for the assembly eight-year term, its 88 members towards middle ground. List of Hope, can curtail conservative of Experts, a powerful committee of former two-term president, held the were in the top 16, with around one would pick his successor. Polling stations were kept open dominance of parliament and create clerics that monitors the work of first two places among the 28 clerics third of votes counted. In the parliamentary election late Friday to allow millions of late- space to pass social and political Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali seeking one of the 16 places reserved The assembly election is the high number of independent comers to participate.

Erdogan to start Africa trip with IS attacks Kurdish-held town Death toll in Somalia Ivory Coast visit Reuters bombing rises to 14 Fury over 3-month AFP BEIRUT/DIYARBAKIR: Islamic curfew in city AFP into the outer wall of the Jazeera Pal- State militants launched an assault ace Hotel, killing 17 people. ANKARA: Turkish President Recep on a Kurdish-controlled town on AFP Abdirahman Ahmed, a witness Tayyip Erdogan will visit four west Syria’s border with Turkey yester- who was inside the hotel at the time, African countries next week, day, prompting air strikes by the MOGADISHU: The death toll rose told AFP several people were slightly including Nigeria, his office said US-led coalition to try to drive DIYARBAKIR: Turkish police yes- to 14 yesterday from massive bomb wounded, including three security yesterday in a new sign of Anka- them back. terday fired water cannon and tear blasts outside a Mogadishu hotel and guards, “but the gunmen who tried ra’s desire to be a major influence The hardline Sunni fight- gas to disperse thousands of pro- a park that was claimed by Somalia’s to storm the hotel were killed out- in the region. ers attacked Tel Abyad, which is testers who demonstrated against Al Shabaab Islamists, government side, they could not manage to enter. Erdogan will began his visit in controlled by the Syrian Kurdish a three-month military crackdown and medical sources said. “The blast was so huge and win- Ivory Coast today, before travelling YPG militia, and the nearby town backed by a curfew in the mainly Eighteen people were wounded dows broken everywhere but the on to Ghana and then to economic of Suluk in the early hours of yes- Kurdish southeastern city of Diya- in Friday’s bombings, two of whom gunfire was outside,” he said. powerhouse Nigeria. He will wrap terday, YPG spokesman Redur Xelil rbakir. succumbed to their injuries yester- “Everyone was safe inside, but up the trip in Guinea on Thursday, and Turkish security sources told The Turkish authorities have day, Dr Mohamed Moalim of the terrified.” it said. Reuters. Coalition war planes car- kept the curfew in place in the Medina hospital in the Somali cap- The attack is the second in a year The visit was aimed at deepen- ried out 10 air strikes to try to repel central Sur district of Diyarbakir A protester kicks a tear gas ital told AFP. to target the SYL hotel, following a ing Turkey’s “strategic partnership” the assault, the Syrian Observa- since December 2 in a bid to root canister fired by police in Police on Friday said at least 12 suicide bombing there in January with Africa and developing tory for Human Rights reported. out Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Diyarbakir yesterday. civilians had been killed. 2015 that left five people dead. relations with members of the Eco- It said at least 45 Islamic State militants. Two loud explosions went off Security sources said the blast in nomic Community of West African militants and 20 Kurdish militia But activists say civilians have near the popular SYL hotel and the neighbouring Peace Garden was States (ECOWAS), the presidential fighters had been killed. The attack been killed and the clashes have the city’s Kosuyolu Park to demand neighbouring Peace Garden followed also the result of explosives packed statement said. was launched hours after a “cessa- caused major damage to its his- an end to the curfew and specifi- by more than an hour of automatic into a vehicle, but gave no further It will be the first time a Turk- tion of hostilities” came into effect toric mosques and other buildings. cally a 24-hour break to rescue gunfire from 7:45pm (1645 GMT), an details. ish president has visited Ivory under a US-Russian plan, although Thousands of people gathered in those still trapped in Sur. AFP correspondent said. The park is popular with Mogad- Coast and Guinea, it added. the temporary truce does not apply The hotel and park are close ishu residents, especially on Fridays, Erdogan, who in January last to Islamic State and Al Qaeda affil- to the top-security Villa Somalia thanks to its children’s playground year visited Ethiopia, Djibouti and iate the Nusra Front, meaning the gave no casualty toll. of Akcakale on the Turkish side, had complex that houses the presiden- and cafe terraces. Somalia, is spearheading a drive to Syrian government, Moscow and The YPG captured Tel Abyad from continued for several hours. Intermit- tial palace and the prime minister’s The Shabaab movement claimed expand Turkish presence in Africa. the coalition reserve the right to Islamic State last year in an offensive tent gunfire could still be heard. office. responsibility for the attack in a brief Turkey has more than tripled strike them. The truce appeared backed by US-led air strikes. The town The security sources and a wit- Security Minister Abdirasak statement on its Instagram account. the number of embassies it has in largely to be holding across much lies north of Raqqa and had been a ness in Akcakale said war planes Omar Mohamed said the assailants Forced out of Mogadishu in mid- Africa since 2009 while flag car- of Syria. key supply line for the jihadi capital. thought to be from the US-led coali- drove a truck packed with 200 kilo- 2011, the Shabaab are on a mission to rier Turkish Airlines has dozens of Xelil said the YPG and Syrian The Turkish security sources tion against Islamic State struck the grammes (440 pounds) of explosives disprove suggestions they are close destinations on the continent. Kurdish internal security forces said the attack was launched on two jihadist positions and that the Turk- to the SYL Hotel. to defeat and have claimed sev- Bilateral trade between Tur- were able to “crush this attack and fronts and that the sound of gunfire ish army had increased patrols on its “The security forces managed to eral spectacular attacks in recent key and all of Africa was worth encircle the attackers”, although he and explosions, audible from the town side of the border. stop the truck at a checkpoint (that months. $23.4bn in 2014 while bilateral the driver) tried to forcefully pass On February 2, the Islamists trade with sub-Saharan countries and this effort minimised the casu- said they had carried out a bombing has increased tenfold since 2000, alties it could have inflicted if it was that ripped a hole in a passenger jet according to the foreign ministry. to reach the target,” he told a news shortly after take-off from Mogad- Turkey is also moving to conference yesterday. ishu airport, killing the suspected increase its presence outside its “It exploded there and a number bomber. traditional sphere of influence in of people died”. He said it was the The Shabaab is fighting to over- the lands of the Ottoman Empire biggest blast to hit the city in recent throw the internationally-backed and Erdogan this year also visited years, more powerful than an attack government in Mogadishu, which is Chile, Ecuador and Peru. last July when a suicide bomber protected by 22,000 African Union UAE soldier rammed a truck full of explosives troops. martyred

DUBAI: The United Arab Emir- Bomb kills 5 Libya troops ates said yesterday that one of its soldiers has died in Yemen, where AFP close to the recognised government a Saudi-led coalition is helping said five members of the security government forces against Iran- forces were killed. backed rebels. BENGHAZI: A car bomb killed five Islamic State claimed the attack Soldier Mohammed Al Dhah- members of security forces loyal to in a statement posted on Islam- nani died “in an accident when his Libya’s recognised government in ist websites, saying that more than military vehicle overturned while the eastern city of Benghazi, offi- 25 were killed and that it targeted performing his national duty” dur- cials said, in an attack claimed by forces of General Khalifa Haftar, the ing coalition operations, the armed the Islamic State group. recognised government’s chief of forces said in a statement carried Military spokesman Colo- staff. Haftar’s forces on Tuesday by state news agency WAM. nel Abdullah Al Shahaafi told AFP recaptured a jihadist stronghold in On Sunday, the UAE that the blast in the Hawari district the Mediterranean city. announced the death of another of the city killed four pro-govern- LANA also reported on Friday soldier, Obeid Al Bedwawi, in a ment forces. the death of a sixth member of the People demonstrate in Diyarbakir against curfews in areas of eastern Turkey, yesterday. similar accident in Saudi Arabia. But LANA news agency which is security forces. ASIA / PHILIPPINES SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 09 N Korea boasts of new anti-tank weapon

possible and for it to be deployed to frontline units and coastal defence Kim Jong-un had units. watched tests of With a siege mentality bordering on paranoia, North Korea maintains a the portable, laser- huge military. It has some 1.2m active guided rocket and troops out of a population of around 25m -- double the size of the armed declared it had the forces in South Korea, which has “longest firing range twice as many people. in the world”, and But most of North Korea’s weap- ons are outdated and the military is was “as accurate as a seriously hamstrung by the impover- sniper’s rifle”. ished state’s chronic fuel shortages. The shortages are likely to worsen when the country is slapped with tough new sanctions the United Nations is now weighing over a Agencies nuclear test and long-range rocket launch Pyongyang conducted ear- lier this year. The UN Security Council sanc- SEOUL: North Korea yesterday tions include a ban on the supply of boasted of a newly developed anti- aviation fuel to North Korea. tank weapon that its leader said was The South Korea’s Prime Minister so powerful it could turn the most Hwang Kyo-ahn said that the coun- heavily armoured enemy tanks into try’s new naval base on the southern “boiled pumpkin”. resort island of Jeju would enable the Pyongyang’s state media said Navy to strongly respond to possible leader Kim Jong-Un had watched tests high-seas standoffs with North Korea. of the portable, laser-guided rocket The naval base, built for both mil- and declared it had the “longest fir- itary and commercial purposes, was ing range in the world”, and was “as officially launched, wrapping up the accurate as a sniper’s rifle”. landmark naval project that costs “He noted with great satisfaction US$806m. that even the special armoured tanks “Our Navy situated here will be and cars of the enemies which boast able to respond more strongly against their high manoeuvrability and strik- North Korea’s marine threats,” Hwang North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the test-firing of a newly developed anti-tank guided weapon at an undisclosed location, yesterday. ing power are no more than a boiled said during a launching ceremony, pumpkin before the anti-tank guided citing the North’s persistent provo- complete after years of concerns over “will protect our sea by being located and two of the largest class of cruise some 3,000 warships, submarines weapon,” said a news agency. cations. The new naval base, billed possible increased regional tension, in the middle of the waters of the ships simultaneously. Set up along and other naval forces to defend the Kim called for the weapon to by the Navy as Jeju’s civilian-military Yonhap news agency reported. Korean Peninsula”. The port is capa- the southern coast of Jeju, the foot Northeast Asian country’s gateway to go into mass production as soon as sea port, took the country 23 years to Hwang said the Jeju naval base ble of docking 20 combat vessels of South Korea, the base will host the Pacific Ocean. Asean nations concerned over South China Sea tensions One dead in Hong Kong Reuters concerned over recent and ongo- The United States urged China’s foreign ministers to discuss the South on the issue as the Aseanchair in 2016. ing developments,” the 10-members President Xi Jinping to prevent the China Sea and other issues, Cambo- “The South China Sea issue is Association of Southeast Asian Coun- militarisation of the region. dian Minister Hor Namhong said. a headache that Laos would really plane crash tries (ASEAN) said in a statement after Vietnam, which accused China China’s maritime claims are rather not have to deal with,” said VIENTIANE: Southeast Asian nations a regular meeting of the group’s for- of violating its sovereignty with the Asean’s most contentious issue, as its one Western diplomat in Vientiane. expressed serious concern yesterday eign ministers in Laos. missile deployment, echoed the US members struggle to balance mutual Thongloun Sisoulith, Laos Dep- HONG KONG: A man died after about growing international tension Land reclamation and escalating call yesterday. support with their growing eco- uty Prime Minister and Minister of a small aircraft he was flying over disputed waters in the South activity has increased tensions and “We call for non-militarisation in nomic relations with Beijing. China Foreign Affairs, played down the plunged into the sea in Hong Kong China Sea. could undermine peace, security and the South China Sea,” Deputy Prime is the biggest trade partner for many challenge. “We are a close friend of yesterday, a rare occurrence in the China claims most of the sea but stability in the region, Aseansaid in Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Aseannations. Vietnam and China, we try to solve southern Chinese city. Southeast Asian countries Malaysia, the statement. Binh Minh told reporters after meet- Neighbours Vietnam and China the problems in a friendly way,” he The crash was reported shortly the Philippines, Brunei and Viet- The United States has criticized ing his Aseancolleagues. compete for influence over land- told Reuters on Saturday. “We are in after 2pm local time (0600 GMT) nam have rival claims. Friction has China’s building of artificial islands “We have serious concerns about locked Laos, which has no maritime the middle, but it’s not a problem.” and emergency responders were increased over China’s recent deploy- and facilities in the sea and has sailed that,” he said, when asked about Chi- claims but finds itself in the difficult Barack Obama is set to become seen lifting a body out of the water. ment of missiles and fighter jets to the warships close to disputed terri- na’s increasing military activity in the position of dealing with neighbours at the first US president to visit the coun- “Fire services found an uncon- disputed Paracel island chain. tory to assert the right to freedom of region. The group agreed to seek a odds over the South China Sea. Laos is try in September to attend an annual scious man in the vicinity, and he “Ministers remained seriously navigation. meeting between China and ASEAN’s tasked with finding common ground summit hosted by the Aseanchair. died at 3:55pm,” a government spokesman said. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the man who died was the pilot, and the plane Seventh International Pyromusical competition was a single engine Zlin Z42. Three dead in ferry He said the plane fell into the sea near Hong Kong’s rural Tai Po region, located in the city’s outly- ing New Territories. “There was a accident off Manila pilot and no passengers when this incident occurred,” the spokesman said, citing information provided by the Hong Kong Aviation Club. AFP town police chief. He attributed the Police said a person fishing sinking to “sudden high and strong nearby was among those who waves” and possible “overloading”, reported the incident, while a saying the boat’s maximum number police spokeswoman told AFP that MANILA: Three people have been of passengers is less than 50. some of the wreckage had been killed after a small ferry sank in the A police report said part of the located. Footage from Cable Tel- Philipines, police said yesterday, the boat was destroyed by the waves. evision news showed helicopters latest in a series of maritime acci- Authorities are considering crimi- and police boats assisting in the dents in the archipelago. nal charges against the ferry owners. search and rescue operation. The Lady Aime ferry was travel- Poorly-maintained, loosely-reg- “The plane had fallen into the ling to Alabat Island from the coastal ulated ferries form the backbone of water vertically and there was no town of Gumaca, 117km from Manila, maritime travel in the Philippines, explosion, there was a bit of oil in when it sank just 200 metres from a sprawling archipelago of 100 mil- the water,” an eyewitness identi- shore at 4.40pm on Friday, said Chief lion people. fied as Mr. Kwok told Cable News. Inspector Juan Byron Leogo. Frequent accidents involving Footage also showed firemen Fishermen on the seashore overloaded ferries in recent dec- fishing the body out of the water. Spectators watch fireworks display by the team from the Netherlands during the seventh Philippine were able to rescue 60 passengers ades have claimed thousands of In October of 2013, a student pilot International Pyromusical Competition in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, yesterday. and four of the crew, but three pas- lives, including the world’s worst and an instructor survived a hel- sengers were killed, said Leogo, the peacetime maritime disaster in 1987. icopter crash in the city’s Airfield. Myanmar anti-drug group seeks Car bomb injures seven in Thailand’s rebellious south safety after ambush AFP middle of the day in the capital of insurgents, who are seeking greater coup, has been reaching out to some Pattani province, one of three Mus- autonomy from Buddhist-majority representatives from the shadowy AFP group known for flogging drug lim-majority states wracked by Thailand, which annexed the region insurgent network in an effort to start users, said it was assailed by a mob rebellion in the kingdom’s south- a century ago. full-scale peace talks. wielding explosives and stones on BANGKOK: A car bomb detonated ern tail. Yesterday’s bomb injured at least Similar negotiations spearheaded Thursday after it set out to destroy outside an urban police station in “The bomb was put in a Honda six police officers and one civil- by the former ousted government fal- MYANMAR: Christian anti-drug vig- poppy plants against the wishes of Thailand’s restive south yesterday, Jazz, which was stolen from a nearby ian and sent plumes of black smoke tered amid criticisms that they did ilantes in Myanmar said yesterday local farmers in the hilly and far- injuring at least seven people and village this morning,” provincial streaming into the sky. not include representatives from all they had halted a mission to raze flung Kachin state. offering a reminder of the region’s police commander Major General The wounded have been hospi- of the militant factions. poppy fields while at least 30 of their Myanmar is the world’s sec- simmering violence as the ruling Thanongsak Wangsupa said. talised for burns and other critical Details on the internal workings members were recovering from inju- ond largest opium producer after junta eyes full peace talks with the More than 6,000 people have injuries from the explosion, emer- of the insurgent network are scant, as ries sustained during violent clashes Afghanistan, despite the govern- insurgents. died in 10 years of near-daily vio- gency workers said. the groups rarely make public state- with unknown attackers this week. ment’s repeated vows to eliminate The explosive, hidden inside lence between state security forces Thailand’s military, which seized ments or claim responsibility for their Pat Jasan, a hardline Christian the drug trade. a passenger car, was set off in the and the loose network of Muslim control of the entire country in a 2014 attacks. 10 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 OPINION

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR HUSSAIN AHMAD [email protected]

EDITORIAL Syrian ceasefire Word bans at Harvard ell begun is half done. A much-awaited ceasefire agreed between Russia and the One can understand this objection word. What I don’t understand is least, there’s enough here to suggest US has come into force in Syria, and initial without agreeing that it’s time to why the same logic does not apply that anyone who thinks “master” reports give us hope. There were sporadic throw the word overboard. It seems to the word “owner.” was more associated with slav- breaches of the truce in parts of the battle- to me to be eminently sensible to Seriously. ery than “owner” should adduce Wscarred country, but generally the guns fell silent for the first time purge from our everyday vocabu- As a matter of law, the enslaved some evidence for the proposition. in a five-year war that has claimed more than 270,000 lives and lary actual terms of derogation of were owned. Ownership was the Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think displaced millions. Considering the complexity of the war and various groups, a point that every- very definition of slavery. And as any Harvard has made some horrible one except my beloved Washington student of the history will attest, the mistake, or that colleges that fol- the profusion of parties fighting on the ground, the truce can be professional football team seems to term “owner” was used at least as low suit will somehow have turned sabotaged without much difficulty, but it can achieve a limited, accept. The same is true for sym- often as the term “master” to refer their backs on a noble tradition that if not complete, success if the signatories to the ceasefire show bols of oppression, which is why to the individual in whom prop- must be preserved if the academy sincerity and determination not to buckle under the challenges. By Stephen Carter most of us cheered when the Con- erty rights were vested. is to remain a citadel of knowledge. The fact that 97 fighting groups, as well as the Syrian government federate flags came down. Perhaps more often. But I worry about our growing ten- and Russian air force, have signed up to the ceasefire is indeed It’s something else again to start I tested this hypothesis with dency to meet protest by leaping The term house master is tossing words overboard because Google’s Ngram Viewer, which for the nearest cosmetic change, promising. and will remain a part of of their potential connotations. allows searches for text strings in rather than asking more funda- A Russian official said it has grounded its warplanes in Syria the college’s long and proud “Master” is an enormously use- the millions of books the company mental questions whose answers and established hotlines to exchange information with the US history,” wrote Michael D ful word, whose history, as Smith has digitized. I limited the search to might prove more costly. These military in order to help monitor the ceasefire. A monitoring Smith, Harvard Universi- concedes, has nothing to do with the years 1800 to 1865, the end of the quick and easy acts of verbal sub- group said fighting has stopped across most of western Syria, “ty’s dean of arts and sciences, in slavery. Under maritime law, ves- Civil War. Of course we couldn’t get stitution allow us to pat ourselves although in a stray incident a car bomb exploded on the edge of explaining on Wednesday why the sels have masters. Chess masters any useful information by directly on the back without actually mak- a government-held central town of Salamiyeh, killing two and proud term was being abolished. aspire to become grandmasters. comparing “master” and “owner,” ing progress. Harvard’s houses will henceforth be And if bond traders collectively because we would pick up many As for me, I’ll continue to appre- wounding several others. The United Nations, the United States led by “faculty deans,” a deliciously are no longer quite the “masters other uses of both words. But we ciate the repeated wordplay over and Russia have made a positive assessment of the first hours of absurd coinage that I suppose will of the universe” they once were, can directly compare “slave mas- the word “master” in “All’s Well the cessation of hostilities. soon be coming to dormitories at the phrase isn’t about to go away. ter” and “slave owner.” That Ends Well,” and I will expect The truce is for two weeks other old colleges. To be fair, Har- This is not to say that I am At almost every point, “slave my students to master the law of initially and can be extended if the vard announced late last year that unsympathetic to students who owner” is a more common usage evidence and contracts. And I’m Though the circumstances are favourable. Even it was searching for alternatives feel wounded. Slavery is the orig- than “slave master.” Around 1800, sure I will get used to pronounc- to “master.” Evidently the alumni inal sin in which the United States the gap between the two was small. ing “faculty dean.” But I won’t be two weeks will come as a boon in a US-Russia- fought a rearguard action hoping to was birthed, and the nation is a By 1835, “slave owner” was used cheering for making a mangle of sponsored war that has continued non-stop for have the term retained. I imagine very long way from overcom- more than seven times as often as the language in the cause of cheap five years and the lull in fighting can be that the alumni at Yale University, ing either its lingering effects or “slave master.” In 1865, the ratio and easy racial justice -- not until truce has got used to dispatch humanitarian aid to where I teach, are fighting the same the mythology that undergirded was 3-to-1. Only during a very somebody explains me how dis- off to a good tens of thousands of people in besieged action as they await the universi- it. Human beings were chattel. brief period around 1806 and carding the term “house master” start, both areas. The UN security council passed ty’s decision. Those who were enslaved were 1807 did “slave master” occur more will save a single black life. a joint Russian-American resolution The term “master” has been most certainly owned by people frequently. countries under fire because it is said to have called their masters. So I under- This isn’t proof of the hypoth- Stephen Carter is a Bloomberg View urging all sides to honour the ceasefire connotations of the era of slavery. stand the argument against the esis, but it is evidence. At the very columnist and a law professor at Yale. need to focus and allow humanitarian convoys free on finding a and unfettered access. solution to If implemented properly, this truce the conflict. can become a crucial step towards ending the conflict and can be repeated Why Apple’s fight with FBI is so hard to referee again. It faces challenges from the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda’s Syria By Faye Flam to Syed Rizwan Farook, who, along would hit upon to the right one in Cornell’s Wicker. People would affiliate Al Nusra Front, which have been excluded from the with his wife, shot 14 people in San 15 minutes or less, depending on refuse to do it or would choose ceasefire and which control large parts of the country. But what Bernardino last December. Unlock- luck. Code makers stay ahead of strings of a single digit, thus defeat- is important is for the parties involved to honour the ceasefire he fight between Apple ing it may not sound like a hard code breakers by making strings ing the purpose. So instead, iPhones and desist from actions that will torpedo it. and the US government problem for the technical wizards of characters so long that it would include a security option to erase US, Russia and the rest of the international community comes down to a tech- at Apple, but computer scientists take an eternity to try even a frac- data after 10 incorrect attempts nical enigma wrapped and cryptography experts say it tion of the possibilities. to guess a password. To disable it should focus on finding a solution to the conflict. Despite the in layers of emotional may indeed be impossible, which The fact that codes can be made will mean writing new operating truce, Washington and Moscow disagree on the terms of a final Tdebate. On the surface, people is what the company claimed in a to withstand brute force attacks, at system software. This is what the solution. Washington, like its Arab allies, believes that a solution seem to be drawn to opposing letter to customers issued Feb. 16. least for the next few million years, experts are calling a back door. lies only in the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad, while sides depending on feelings: fear Apple set up the security system so allows people to send credit card “A back door is an intentional Moscow’s troops are fighting in Syria to protect Assad. Vladimir of terrorism, or suspicion of gov- even its creators can’t break into a information over the Internet with weakness in the system that allows Putin’s stance is against Syrians and their revolution. Assad must ernment, distrust of corporations. customer’s phone without creating reasonable safety, said Indrajit Ray, a group that’s in the know to get in,” But the crux of the disagree- new software to make it possible. a computer scientist from Colorado said Wicker. Apple doesn’t already step aside to pave the way for the installation of an opposition- ment comes down to a technical The hard part is bypassing a State University. In a simple exam- have a back door into iPhones, led government. question, not a gut feeling: whether feature that deletes sensitive data ple, he said, imagine the formula A and so, the company claims, one it’s possible for Apple to disable its if someone types in an incorrect + B = C. A is your secret number. B would have to be created. “They’re own security system to break into password more than 10 times. That’s is a number only known to a col- being asked to create a tool that a deceased terrorist’s iPhone with- important because it’s surprisingly league you want to receive your could potentially break into any out jeopardizing the security of all easy to guess a six-digit password. secret message. Your colleague iPhone,” Wicker said. Ray, the com- iPhones. Since Apple software is If not for such a limit, the FBI, or sees C and subtracts to discover puter scientist from Colorado State, Quote of the day proprietary, the answer to the tech- hackers for that matter, could use A, but a hacker, picking up just C, compared it to a situation in which nical question remains shrouded what’s been called a brute force would have to guess every possi- there’s a secure storage facility with in uncertainty. Still, decisions need approach to try every combina- ble value of B to get to your secret. no master key. Imagine that the The African Union will to be made, and good policy can tion of six numerals until they hit If C is 1,000, that might not be so FBI wanted to get into one of the send 100 human rights be formulated in uncertain situa- on the right one. There are a total hard, but if it’s 20 billion or tril- lockers, he said, but only the owner tions, just as health authorities had of 1,000,000 such combinations, lion, it gets unwieldy. knows how the locks work. Can the monitors and 100 military to respond to the Zika outbreak and on average it should take about In the real world, encryption owner create a crowbar that can monitors to Burundi as the though little was known about its half a million guesses before the systems are more complicated but only open one locker but is use- tiny nation faces its worst potential health consequences. system is cracked. the idea is the same - some opera- less for all the others? In the Apple case, decisions will That’s a lot of tapping for a per- tion shuffles your secret numbers It’s hard for anyone outside political crisis since a civil affect the way we balance the fight son who steals a phone, but not for and only those holding a key can Apple to know whether it’s pos- war ended a decade ago. against terrorism with concerns a fast computer, said Cornell Uni- unshuffle them. To keep the key safe sible to make such a specialized over the erosion of privacy in a versity computer scientist Steven from brute force, it has to be big. single-locker crowbar, said Ray, world increasingly dependent on Wicker. Most computer science grad Apple can’t rely on large numbers since the company’s software codes Jacob Zuma smart phones to track and guide students could create such a sys- to keep passcodes safe, because it are secret. And yet, people on both South Africa’s President people’s lives. tem to enter perhaps 1,000 possible would mean using more than 40 sides of the debate tend to be sure, The phone in question belonged passwords per second, he said. That digits. “It’s a human factor”, said either that it is or is not possible.

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers, not of the newspaper. All correspondence regarding Opinion page should be mailed to the Editor-in-Chief.

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Decline of pollinators Dilapidated school threatens crop output

-- which also include a vast range seed, nut and oil crops, which supply of other insects, bats, birds and other major proportions of micronutrients, Scientists remain animals -- had also been detected vitamins, and minerals in the human unsure exactly elsewhere in the world. diet,” the IPBES said. which factors are The problem facing policy-mak- Pollination is the transfer of pol- ers is that scientists remain unsure len between the male and female the biggest drivers. exactly which factors are the big- parts of flowers to enable reproduc- Concerns rise over gest drivers. tion. The assessment is the work of The world’s first assessment of nearly 80 scientists from around the the challenge of its kind said possible causes include world and was released at an IPBES feeding the world’s habitat loss, pesticides, pollution, meeting in Kuala Lumpur. invasive species, pathogens, climate It is the first report by the four- people in coming change and the spread of vast farms year-old group, which is considered decades. dedicated to a single product, which the biodiversity equivalent of the UN- suppresses biodiversity. organised Intergovernmental Panel The IPBES was established under on Climate Change (IPCC). UN auspices in 2012 to assess the In Europe, nine percent of bee AFP state of global biodiversity. and butterfly species are threat- It said healthy populations of ened with extinction and populations the creatures are critical to ensur- are declining for 37 percent of bee Schoolchildren sit on the window edge of a dilapidated building of their primary school at Igabi ing stable fruit and vegetable output, species and 31 percent of butterfly local government area near Kaduna in Nigeria. Muhammadu Buhari’s grand vision of reform is KUALA LUMPUR: Many species of as concerns rise over the challenge species for which sufficient data is fading, with power centralised in his increasingly remote presidency and the bureaucracy in disarray. bees, butterflies and other creatures of feeding the world’s people in com- available, the IPBES said. that are vital to agricultural pollina- ing decades. In some places in Europe more tion are threatened with extinction, Among its findings, it said ani- than 40 percent of bee species may posing risks to major world crops and mal pollination is directly responsible be threatened. global biodiversity, a UN body said. for between five and eight percent of A “data gap” has frustrated efforts “Many wild bees and butterflies global agricultural production by vol- to assess the situation in Latin Amer- World Bank grants $30m to African have been declining in abundance, ume, amounting to between $235bn ica, Asia, and Africa, but the same occurrence and diversity at local and $577bn worth of annual output. drivers are suspected to be at work and regional scales in Northwest But more than three-quarters in those regions. Data is more solid Europe and North America,” said an of the “leading types of global food for non-insect pollinators such as countries to fight epidemics assessment by the Intergovernmental crops” also rely to some extent on bats and birds, however, with the Science-Policy Platform on Biodiver- animal pollination for yield and qual- IPBES saying 16 percent of such spe- sity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). ity. “Pollinator-dependent species cies worldwide are threatened with QNA The meeting also sought to har- living conditions, high HIV preva- It said declines in pollinators encompass many fruit, vegetable, extinction. monize interventions funded by the lence, poverty, circular movement of Global Fund grant, the World Bank mineworkers across provincial and Group regional project, and existing national borders, and a poor cross- JOHANNESBURG: The World Bank country initiatives. border health referral system. Group’s efforts to help Southern Afri- In this vein, participants rec- The World Bank Group supports Australian icebreaker refloated can countries combat the devastating ommended that the mandate of the African countries affected by TB epi- tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in the RCM for the Global Fund project be demics through the Southern Africa mining sector got a boost earlier this expanded to become the platform for TB in the Mining Sector Initiative. month with a landmark $30m grant coordinating all programs linked to The initiative is a multi- from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, addressing TB in the mining sector in stakeholder effort involving Tuberculosis and Malaria. Southern Africa, and not just inter- representatives from 10 The grant will support poten- ventions funded by the Global Fund. countries, Ministries of Health, Min- tially transformative TB interventions TB is one of the world’s most eral Resources, and, Labor; mining in 10 Southern Africa countries, deadly diseases, killing three peo- companies; current and ex-mine- ie Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, ple every minute. Each year, 9m workers’ associations; labor unions; Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, people develop TB, and 1.5 million development agencies; civil society, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and die from the disease. TB is particu- and research institutions. Zimbabwe, world bank press release larly a problem in the Southern Africa The World Bank Group is working said. mining sector, a key driver for eco- to shape investments in the min- The launch of the Global Fund nomic growth in the region. ing sector. In addition to the Global grant was part of a two–day regional In South Africa alone, TB rates Fund grant, the Bank Group is invest- meeting of the Southern African TB within the gold mining workforce ing $120m in a regional project to in the Mining Sector Initiative held in are estimated at 2,500-3,000 cases scale up TB prevention and treat- Johannesburg, South Africa. per 100,000 individuals. ment in the mining sector in Malawi, Representatives from countries This incidence is 10 times the Mozambique, Zambia and Lesotho. attended, as well as representatives World Health Organization (WHO) Additionally, a $2.77 million grant from the private sector, civil soci- threshold of 250 per 100,000 for a from the UK Department for Inter- ety, DFID, the Stop TB Partnership, health emergency. Factors that con- national Development, and $4 million Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis (background) being refloated after a blizzard snapped its WHO, Global Fund, the Interna- tribute to the high incidence of TB provided by the World Bank Group mooring and pushed it onto rocks in Antarctica, yesterday. tional Organization for Migration, among mineworkers include pro- Development Grant Facility, are help- and implementing partners. longed exposure to silica dust, poor ing to pilot catalytic activities. Australia sends relief ship to Fiji China to speed up approvals for some new medicines

Reuters a statement from Fiji’s National Dis- Clements said her organisation now Australia’s military vessel, HMAS aster Management Office, although estimates that more than 62,000 Canberra, left on Friday and was Reuters it would prioritise the approval that figure is expected to rise. Fijians are homeless and living in expected to arrive in Fijian waters of drugs with clear clinical value, Many communities remain with- evacuation shelters. early next week. including those that use advanced SYDNEY: Australia is sending a relief out water and it could be weeks “People are very resilient here It was carrying three helicopters technology or innovative methods. ship to Fiji to assist in the recovery before electricity is restored, the and have got a solution to every prob- and 60 tonnes of supplies, including SHANGHAI: China’s drug regulator It added that certain categories effort after Cyclone Winston, the statement said. lem, but there are just so many people water purification equipment and said it would accelerate approvals of drugs would get priority, includ- worst ever recorded in the southern The scale of damage and loss is who don’t have any options,” Clem- medical supplies. of new medicines, long a headache ing those for children and the elderly, hemisphere, tore through the island becoming apparent to authorities and ents said. The ship’s departure came as for pharmaceutical firms who com- rare diseases, AIDS, malignant nation last Saturday, as the sheer aid organisations as communications “As hard as we are working and Australia’s foreign ministry said on plain it takes too long to get drugs tumors and viral hepatitis. scale of the disaster becomes clearer. are being gradually restored through- as hard as the government is work- Twitter that the first helicopter load of to market. China’s drug market, the world’s The death toll from the category out the archipelago. ing the scale of this is going to outrun Australian aid had reached the hard- The China Food and Drug second largest, is a magnet for glo- five storm remains at 42, according to UNICEF spokeswoman Alice us all unless we get help,” she said. hit remote island of Koro yesterday. Administration (CFDA) said that bal pharmaceutical makers. African Union to send monitors Niger’s Issoufou to face run-off vote on March 20 to Burundi: Jacob Zuma AFP the February 21 vote -- a tantalising 167,000 votes short of the “knock- out” victory he had sought -- with his Reuters The violence has rattled a region nearest challenger Amadou picking with a history of ethnic conflict. NIAMEY: Niger’s President Maha- up 17.4 percent. Burundi’s civil war, that ended in madou Issoufou (pictured) took a His ruling coalition won a 2005. Western powers have urged solid lead on Friday in the uranium- resounding majority in the National NAIROBI: The African Union will Africans to act. “We believe strongly rich nation’s presidential election but Assembly, taking more than 90 of send 100 human rights monitors and that the solution to Burundi’s polit- will face an unprecedented run-off the 171 seats, including 75 for his own 100 military monitors to Burundi, ical problems can be attained only against jailed opposition leader Hama PNDS party. South Africa’s president said yester- through inclusive and peaceful dia- Amadou on March 20. Issoufou defended the results as day, after a trip to the tiny nation that logue,” Zuma said in the statement. The narrow win for Issoufou, who “impressive and unprecedented” and is facing its worst crisis since a civil The decision to send moni- is known as the “Zaki” or “Lion” in said that a wave of pink -- the col- war ended a decade ago. tors suggests a compromise had Hausa, came after he had vowed to our of his party -- had “covered every Jacob Zuma, delivering a state- been reached with Burundi’s Pres- secure an outright victory in the first region of the country”. ment by a delegation of African ident Pierre Nkurunziza, who round. “The people have made their behind bars after being arrested in Turnout was at 66.8 percent, CENI leaders that he led, did not say when triggered the crisis in April when he “I was set on winning the first decision calmly and in complete November over his alleged role in a said, with about 7.5m people eligible the monitors would arrive or start announced a bid for a third term. He round, but God has decided other- transparency,” added Issoufou, who baby-trafficking scandal. Two other to vote. A total of 15 candidates ran for work in the country, where more went on to win a disputed election wise,” Issoufou said. “God’s choice is campaigned on pledges to boost the prominent politicians, former pre- president in the country. Issoufou’s than 400 people have been killed in July, in the face of street protests always best.” economy and keep the country safe mier Seini Oumarou and ex-president main contender Amadou, dubbed “the since April. Zuma left Bujumbura and violent clashes. Details about the The CENI election commission from jihadist attacks. Mahamane Ousmane, won 12.11 per- Phoenix”, has been in prison since after the remarks. mission were not immediately clear. said Issoufou won 48.4 percent of Amadou had campaigned from cent and 6.25 percent respectively. November 14 last year. 12 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 PAKISTAN 34 militants killed in aerial onslaught

issued a statement saying its “ground forces surrounded a group of fleeing The attacks come terrorists in the Mangroti area near days after Pakistan’s the Afghanistan border in the Sha- wal region of the North Waziristan powerful military district and 19 militants were killed chief General Raheel during the intense exchange of fire”. Sharif ordered his “Four security forces personnel including an officer also embraced troops to begin martyrdom,” the statement added. the last phase of a A senior security official in Peshawar confirmed the strikes bloody operation and clashes. targeting militants. “The air strikes have increased in the last few days and we have hit targets today also. We have hit the hideouts many times during the last Afghan security personnel gather near the scene of a suicide bombing near the gate of the Ministry of Defence in Kabul, yesterday. AFP few days,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. Also yesterday, a Pakistani sol- dier was killed and two others PESHAWAR: The Pakistani mil- wounded when their vehicle hit an itary’s latest ground and aerial improvised explosive device planted 25 dead in Afghan suicide attacks onslaught in the troubled northwest on a roadside in North Waziristan’s killed at least 34 Islamist militants Datta Khail. yesterday while five of its troops also The Pakistani army launched AFP “I saw wounded civilians and No group has yet claimed respon- at ending the Taliban’s long and died during clashes, security offi- Operation Zar-e-Azb under US army soldiers. They were begging sibility for that attack, which a bloody insurgency in Afghanistan. cials said. pressure in 2014 in a bid to wipe out for help but security forces did not spokesman for the provincial gov- Delegates from Afghanistan, The attacks come days after militant bases in the North Waziris- allow common people to help them,” ernor and a police official both China, the US and Pakistan met in Pakistan’s powerful military chief tan tribal area and bring an end KABUL: Twenty-five people were witness Sardar Mohammad told AFP. said targeted a tribal leader fiercely Kabul last week for a fourth round General Raheel Sharif ordered his to the near decade-long Islamist killed in two attacks in Afghanistan “The causalities, mostly, were opposed to the insurgents, Haji Khan of talks aimed at forming a path back troops to begin the last phase of a insurgency that has cost Pakistan yesterday, including one in the capital, civilians,” said another man, Saleh Jan. to the nascent peace process. bloody operation targeting militants thousands of lives. with the blasts potentially jeopard- Mohammad. “It was the time when all The Taliban do not generally The four countries have called for in the country’s restive northwest The conflict zone is remote and ising attempts by Kabul to persuade the people were going home.” claim attacks with high numbers of a direct dialogue between the Taliban along the Afghan border. off-limits to journalists, making it the Taliban to join peace talks set for Ambulances converged at the civilian casualties, saying they only and Kabul by next week, but analysts Pakistani air force jets pounded difficult to verify the army’s claims, next month. site of the explosion as police and the target Afghan soldiers -- “stooges” of have termed the deadline “completely militants’ hideouts in the north- including the number and identity Witnesses and officials described army set up a security cordon. foreign powers -- and NATO troops, unrealistic”, especially as the insur- western tribal belt, killing at least of those killed. how the suicide bomber detonated Analysts have previously considered “invaders”, as well as gents have said they have not been 15 Taliban insurgents including six Pakistan’s Islamist insurgency near the Defence Ministry in the cen- observed the Taliban stepping up symbols of the central government. contacted by the quartet. Uzbeks. began after the US-led invasion of tre of Kabul just as offices closed for attacks in the heart of the capital to But civilians are paying a heavy Kabul has repeatedly called for The strikes were carried out in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001 the day, in an attack later claimed by gain leverage ahead of attempted price in the violence tearing the all Taliban groups to sit at the nego- the Maizer area of the Datta Khail which led to a spillover of militants the Taliban. peace negotiations with the West- country apart. The number killed tiating table though President Ashraf region in North Waziristan, which is across the border and a surge in “Twelve people, including two ern-backed government in Kabul, or wounded in 2015 was the high- Ghani has said his government will considered a stronghold for Tehreek- recruitment for Pakistani extremist Afghan soldiers were killed and eight against whom they have been fight- est recorded since 2009. According not make peace with those who kill i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. groups. Pakistan’s relative success in others injured,” a ministry statement ing a bloody insurgency for more than to a UN report published earlier this civilians. “As many as four hideouts were fighting militancy stands in marked said, while a previous toll given by 14 years. month, there were more than 11,000 A first round of direct talks was destroyed in the strikes this morning. contrast to Afghanistan, which is Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Yesterday, a suicide bomber civilian casualties in 2015, including held last summer in Pakistan, but a Among the 15 killed militants were facing record numbers of civilian Rahimi stated nine were dead and on a motorbike struck at a market 3,545 deaths. second edition had been indefinitely six Uzbeks,” a security official in the casualties following the withdrawal 13 wounded. in Asadabad, the capital of restive The blasts come amid fresh postponed by the announcement of area said. of NATO combat troops at the end The bomber was on foot, minis- Kunar province, killing 13 people and efforts by Afghanistan, China, Paki- the death of Mullah Omar, the Tali- Later in the evening, the military of 2014. try spokesman Dawlat Waziri added. wounding at least 39. stan and the US to restart talks aimed ban’s founder. UN urges Pakistan to resolve status of 2.5 million Afghan refugees

Reuters refugee population, according to estimated one million Afghans who told Reuters during a Friday visit refugees) for over 35 years,” Imran “can do something positive” and the United Nations refugee agency are still unregistered also face dif- to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Zeb, Pakistan’s chief commissioner not fall into crime or recruitment (Unhcr), most of whom are Afghans ficulties with the authorities, aid home to a large Afghan population for Afghan refugees, told Reuters by “elements that are not desirable,” who have fled more than three dec- workers say. Many Afghans living in Pakistan after a ceremony inaugurating one he said. With security in Afghan- PAKISTAN: A senior UN official has ades of war. The issue is now before Paki- have been living in the country for of three schools in the area to have istan deteriorating over the past urged Pakistan to resolve the sta- In December, registration cards stan’s cabinet. Unhcr Assistant decades and contribute significantly been refurbished with aid money. year, many of the Afghans living in tus of more than 2.5 million Afghan providing temporary legal stay to High Commissioner George Okoth- to the country’s labour force. Pakistan is committed to help- the Kalabat area have no interest in refugees living in Pakistan whose more than 1.5 million Afghan ref- Obbo said his agency was engaged Since 2009, international donors ing refugees voluntarily get back to going home anytime soon. registration cards have expired or ugees expired, and were granted in “continuing discussions” with the have poured more than $30m into Afghanistan, Zeb said, but: “There is “We have no option... We don’t who remain unregistered. a six-month extension by the Pakistani government to resolve the improving basic services in Khyber definitely some host fatigue.” have land. Where should we go?” While Europe has grappled with government. population’s uncertain situation. Pakhtunkhwa communities that The government is trying to asked Jawlai, a mother of five chil- the exodus of people from Syria, But Afghans say they are has- “We await with a lot of inter- have hosted the their neighbours improve education and oppor- dren who fled to Pakistan in the Iraq and Afghanistan, Pakistan sled by police for carrying the est the decision of the government for decades. tunities for the 70 percent of the 1980s and, like many Afghans, uses hosts the world’s largest long-term expired cards, and members of the on those questions,” Okoth-Obbo “People have hosted (the Afghan refugees who are under 25 so they only one name.

President’s Fan of Lionel Messi Enrolment in seminaries motorcade sees a sharp decline drivers held Internews 112 students per madressah. Only three per cent of the seminaries were LAHORE: Two drivers in the run by the government while 97pc motorcade of President Mamnoon were in the private sector. Hussain were taken into custody ISLAMABAD: Enrolment in religious Of the total 1.711 million sem- yesterday after they were found seminaries in the country has started inary students, 1.091 million were driving their vehicles allegedly in declining significantly despite a male (64pc). The seminaries have a suspicious way. Police shifted surge in the number of madressahs. 60,198 teachers - 76pc male and them to an unspecified place for The ‘Education Statistics 2014-15’ 24pc female. The chairman of Paki- interrogation. report, which was launched by the stan Madressah Education Board, Dr Police claimed that the drivers Federal Ministry of Education and Amir Tahseen, said, “One and the had violated the speed proto- Professional Training on Thursday, major reason is there is no career col required for the movement of also revealed a decline of 18pc in the counselling for the students in semi- VVIPs during President’s visit to total enrollment at the postgraduate naries. Secondly, there are very slim Lahore. level in universities against the cor- chances of jobs for the students.” They said an inquiry had been responding year (2013-14). He, however, differed with the initiated to establish whether the The report stated that currently number of seminaries in the country two men had any other motive. there were 15,217 madressahs across as quoted by the report. He claimed Lahore’s police officer said that the country against 13,405 in the that at present over 20,000 semi- DIG Operations DrHaider Ashraf year 2013-14. However, the number naries associated with five religious would conduct the inquiry during of the seminary students signifi- boards were functioning in the coun- which the drivers would be asked cantly decreased during the period try. According to the report, the total why they had cut down the speed - from 1.836 million to 1.711 million. enrolment in the universities at the of their vehicles during the VVIP A comparison of the two reports postgraduate level was 1.299 mil- Five-year-old Afghan boy Murtaza Ahmadi, a young fan of Lionel Messi, plays football, wearing an movement. He said action would showed that in 2013-14, there were, lion. Out of this, 86pc students were be taken once the inquiry was Argentinian national soccer team jersey signed by Messi, in Kabul. on an average, 137 students per sem- enrolled in the public sector and 14pc completed. inary while in 2014-15 it declined to in the private sector universities. INDIA SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 13 JNU row: One more student in police probe

president of radical Left All India One of the attackers Students’ Association (AISA), said Ashutosh has gone to the police sta- entered the corridor tion to join the probe, adding he, and of the court room other accused Rama Naga and Anant Prakash Narayan told police a few where the hearing days ago their intention to join the was scheduled to be enquiry, gave their contact number and told police to call them when- held, but Delhi Police ever needed. did not take any Along with JNU Students Union action: JNU student president Kanhaiya Kumar and students Umar Khalid and Anirban leader Bhattacharya, Ashutosh, Naga and Narayan have been facing sedition charges for allegedly raising “anti- national” slogans. IANS Khalid and Bhattacharya were yesterday sent to further two days police custody, sources said. The proceedings were not held in Patiala NEW DELHI: Another JNU student, House Courts complex here due to facing sedition charges for allegedly security concerns but in a south raising “anti-India” slogans on the Delhi police station, where a mag- Kashmiri children play near a barbed wire barricade set up during restriction in the Maisuma area of Srinagar, yesterday. A shutdown was called by campus, joined the police investi- istrate was called for conducting the gation in the case which is being remand proceedings, said sources. the hardline All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a separatist group led by Syed Ali Geelani, to protest against the crackdown on students of Jawaharlal given to the Special Cell that probes Meanwhile, Kanhaiya Kumar, in Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi and the arrest of university professor SAR Geelani. terror cases while arrested JNUSU a video aired by channel CNN-IBN, president Kanhaiya Kumar said his said the mob that beat him up at the attackers in court seemed “highly Patiala House Court seemed to be Court-appointed panel investigating beating me right from the front gate arrest him and the attacker fled from official from the South district said the motivated” while police didn’t inter- “highly politically motivated” and the court violence. Kanhaiya Kumar till the court room. One of the attack- the spot. I was disrobed during the man claimed to be Kanhaiya Kumar’s vene. “well prepared for the attack”. said the lawyers’ mob was prepared ers managed to enter the corridor of attack and also lost my footwear,” he lawyer. Meanwhile, a court extended Kanhaiya Kumar and a few jour- since as soon as they saw him at the the court with me. He was also present added. Outgoing Delhi Police Commis- police custody, by two days, of the nalists were assaulted at the Patiala entrance of the complex, he heard in the room adjoining the court room, Asked by the panel how police sioner B S Bassi yesterday said he has two other arrested Jawaharlal Nehru House Courts complex on February them calling other people to tell them where proceedings were scheduled to failed to provide security and allowed asked the case be transferred to the University students. 15 and 17. Kanhaiya had arrived. be held,” said Kanhaiya Kumar. the attacker inside, Deputy Commis- Special Cell, since it needed “focused Ashutosh Kumar joined the The Delhi Police did not take any The lawyers started attacking me “I informed the Delhi Police sioner of Police, New Delhi, Jatin investigation” and local police “would police investigation yesterday morn- action while the attackers escaped, while raising slogans, he added. present in the court that he is the per- Narwal said that he immediately not be able to put the focus which the ing after the investigating agency on he said in the video which CNN- He also told the panel that the son who attacked me. The attacker rushed to the spot but could not rec- case demands as they have to deal Friday night asked him to do. IBN said is footage of Kanhaiya mob also attacked the police officials was not even dressed in lawyer’s uni- ognize the attacker since he came with with numerous routine law and order Sucheta De, the national Kumar testifying before a Supreme who escorted him. “The lawyers kept form. Delhi Police didn’t even try to the South district personnel, while an affairs”.

BJP youth wing activists protest IS suspect Congress, JD-U and detained Left to bring privilege in Bengal motion against Irani

IANS IANS Hitting out at Irani, he said the BJP government was keen on quell- ing dissent. KOLKATA: The National Investi- “The strong words from Rohith’s gation Agency (NIA) has detained NEW DELHI: Seeking to put the mother, who has lost her son in par- a youth, suspected of having links Narendra Modi government on the ticular to the HRD minister’s campus with the Islamic State (IS) terror defensive, the Congress and JD-U politics is a stamp of how recklessly group, from West Bengal’s Burd- said yesterday that they will bring a and ruthlessly their party is hell bent wan district, an official said privilege motion against HRD min- on clamping down the voices of dis- yesterday. ister Smriti Irani for “misleading sent,” he said. “The youth is a student of a pri- parliament” over the suicide of Dalit Radhika Vemula had on Friday vate engineering college. We have student Rohith Vemula in Hydera- accused Irani of lying in parliament detained him for interrogation. We bad university. about cricumstances surrounding suspect he may have links with the Leaders of Left parties also death of her son. IS,” the official added. said that they will move a privilege Wasnik said Radhika Vemula The 19-year-old, hailing from motion against the minister. had said that she wanted to meet Dhaniakhali in Hooghly district, At a press conference yester- Irani and ask her about the basis was picked up by NIA sleuths from day, the Congress said that the on which her son had been termed his rented accommodation under Union HRD Minister’s claims have “anti-national”. Kanksha police station area in been contested by Rohith’s mother He said some friends of Rohith Burdwan three days back. Radhika Vemula. Vemula had also contradicted state- The national anti-terror “The Congress will move a ments given by the minister. BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), shout slogans against Congress party for agency had earlier in January privilege motion against the HRD According to sources, Congress allegedly supporting what they call ‘the anti-national forces’ during a protest in New Delhi, yesterday. busted a terror module arresting minister for misleading the parlia- leaders said breach of privilege several people from cities across ment,” Congress general secretary notices would be given in both Lok the country “who were in the proc- Mukul Wasnik told reporters here. Sabha and Rajya Sabha. ess of organising themselves to He was accompanied by party Janata Dal-United leader K C commit terrorist acts”. leaders Kumari Selja and Manish Tyagi said he will give a notice for The youth’s name cropped up Tewari. privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha Light Metro projects in Kerala during their interrogation, said the “The minister has not only been along with nominated member K T official. economical with the truth but has S Tulsi on Monday. “He has not been formally also wilfully misled the parliament Communist Party of India leader arrested yet. We are still ascer- on the unfortunate suicide of a young D Raja also said that Left parties will on track; work to start soon taining his role in this module,” Dalit student Rohith Vemula,” Was- also give notice for privilege motion added the officer. nik said. against Irani.

IANS government was examining the in four years’ time,” said Sreedharan. detailed project report, which was He said Japan International approved by the Kerala cabinet, and Cooperation Agency (JICA) had is expected to give an in principle agreed to provide financing — Rs4733 Students stopped from meeting Bengal governor THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Metro approval to it in three months’ time. crore with an interest rate of 0.3 per Man’ E Sreedharan yesterday denied The state government has cent and a 10-year moratorium on reports that there is a difference of engaged the Delhi Metro Rail Corpo- repayment with another 30 years IANS India Students Federation (AISF), All The protest was against the opinion between him and the Ker- ration (DMRC) as interim consultants for actual repayment. “The rest of India Students’ Block (AISB) and Pro- alleged “attack by Trinamool Con- ala government over the proposed to identify and take up the prelimi- the funds will come from the state gressive Students Union (PSU) - were gress workers on students who Rs6728 crore light metro projects to nary and preparatory works, he said. and the centre,” said the ‘Metro Man’. stopped by police at Metro Channel, were on hunger strike” in the var- be implemented in Kozhikode and “As things stand today, they Sreedharan enjoys an iconic sta- KOLKATA: At least 100 student around 2 kms from Raj Bhavan. sity on Friday. “Trinamool Congress Thiruvananthapuram. (DMRC) are the only ones who are tus in the country in implementation activists led by SFI were yesterday A scuffle ensued between the goons brought from outside the cam- “There exists no difference of capable of taking up this project of rail transport projects, credited prevented by police from meeting police and student leaders resulting pus backed by some of the staff of opinion at all. Since they are govern- and whether they should be given with being the leader in realising with West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi in the arrest of 65 agitators, claimed the university aligned with the Tri- ment officials, they will have a lot of the final contract rests with the despatch and efficiency the hugely to urge him to intervene and restore SFI leader Vikas Jha. “Even though namool, attacked and beat up the questions to ask and it’s our duty to government.” challenging Konkan Railway as well normalcy at Burdwan University we brought the issue of irregulari- students (who were on hunger strike) clarify it,” Sreedharan told reporters. Sreedharan said the work for the as the Delhi Metro Rail project. which has been on the boil after ties in results and examinations to and injured several of them on Fri- There have been media reports project could start as soon as the in He is also overseeing the Kochi police baton-charged a group of stu- the attention of the state government, day night,” said Jha. that things are not fine between principle approval was received. Metro project which is expected to dent agitators. they failed to take any steps to nor- Trinamool leader Sitaram Sreedharan and the state finance “The first phase of the 21.82km in begin commercial operations on During a protest march on Sat- malise the situation. We want the Mukherjee however denied the alle- department over the proposed light the capital city will be ready in three November 1 this year. If that happens, urday in Kolkata, activists affiliated entire matter to come to the gover- gations, asserting “none of the party’s metro project. years’ time and the entire 13.33km the project will become the fastest to four Left-wing organisations - the nor’s attention so that he can restore workers laid a hand on any of the Sreedharan said the central Kozhikode project will be completed completed project in the country. Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All normalcy in the campus,” he said. students”. 14 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 INDIA

Hardik ends Kerala has become a truly ‘digital state’: Pranab fast, has

IANS progress in becoming digitally ena- delivery to the people. All districts of the state have been to 5,000 professionals, besides cre- lunch with bled, right from the launching of a Mukherjee also praised the efforts covered under the e-District project,” ating indirect employment for over pilot Akshaya e-literacy project in of the IT@school project aimed at pro- said Mukherjee. 20,000 people in the region. BJP MP Malappuram district in 2002 to now viding basic computer knowledge to The president said the growth of “This IT Park has the distinc- KOZHIKODE: President Pranab when the state revenue department every high school student. The state internet and smart-phone penetra- tion of being the first in its class to be Mukherjee yesterday lauded Kerala’s alone is issuing about 30,000 digital established its first State Data Centre tion had rapidly transformed Kerala developed in the country by a labour IANS achievements in promoting informa- certificates to the citizens daily. in 2005 to deliver governmental serv- into a knowledge-powered economy. cooperative society, the Uralungal tion technology and declared the state The Akshaya project, which has ices through e-governance and set up He said the state has a mobile Labour Contract Co-operative Soci- to be the first “digital state” of India. since expanded all across the state, the second centre in 2011, he said. tele-density of 95 percent and an ety (ULCCS),” he noted. “With broadband connectivity was the first district-wide e-literacy “It is heartening to note that Ker- internet access covering over 60 per- The society, formed in 1925 by AHMEDABAD: Patel agitation in every Gram Panchayat, Kerala project in India. ala has now over 600 e-governance cent of the population. social reformer Guru Vagbhadan- spearhead Hardik Patel yester- has emerged as a truly digital state,” There are currently about 2500 applications covering almost all The president also inaugurated anda, has helped in improving the day broke his indefinite fast in a Mukherjee said at a function at the Akshaya centres across the length departments, delivering e-services to the first IT Park in the Malabar region living standards of the economically- Gujarat jail by having lunch with Cyber Park. and breadth of the state, which also its citizens. They are also being made which is spread over of 0.5 million weaker sections by providing them BJP MP Vitthal Radadiya. The president noted Kerala’s provide internet access and e-service available on the mobile platform now. square feet and will provide a base job opportunities, Mukherjee said. Radadiya, the BJP’s Member of Parliament from Porbander, is trying to broker peace between the Gujarat government and the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Gearing up for polls in Punjab (PAAS). Hardik Patel is facing sedition Freedom 251 charges and is in judicial custody in a Surat jail for six months. On February 18, he began an indefinite fast to press for his demand for reservation to his makers refund community in government jobs and educational institutions. Radadiya, a Patel community leader in his own right, said: “He has begun taking food by having order money the tiffin that comes for him when I met him today.” Radadiya, who has been in talks with the Gujarat gov- clear any misgivings,” Chadha said ernment over the vexed Patel issue in a statement. The company plans and evolved a 35-point agenda, The company has to give 25 lakh handsets in the first said: “I met the chief minister yes- been facing an FIR phase before June 30. terday (Friday) after a meeting with and defamation Ringing Bells has been facing an Hardik earlier. I have discussed the FIR and defamation suit amid seri- 35 points with Hardik.” suit amid serious ous questions being raised over the “Again today, I and Hardik questions being world’s cheapest smartphone. discussed the 35 topics and agreed The Noida-based startup claims on 27 issues, including withdrawal raised over the to have tied up with the payment of cases against agitating Patels, world’s cheapest gateway provider PayUbiz so that it setting up professional educational receives payment only on the sub- institutions where Patel students smartphone. mission of proof of delivery (POD) can get admissions without dona- to the payment gateway. “Our hum- tions, some issues with regard ble beginning to provide a high-tech to farmers and creating jobs,” gadget that will benefit all in the hin- Radadiya said, adding some of IANS terlands and bridge the huge gap that the issues were addressed in the clearly exists between the metros recently presented state budget. and semi-urban/rural areas is in He said, “The issue of reser- keeping with the government’s ini- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is surrounded by the media vations or OBC status is a matter NEW DELHI: Ringing Bells, tiatives,” Chadha said. personnel during his visit to a locality, infamous for alleged drug addicts’ widows in Amritsar, yesterday. of discussion but I am confident the makers of the controversial However, Noida-based data cen- Kejriwal is on a five-day visit to Punjab which is scheduled to go to polls to elect state government in that the entire situation would be “Freedom 251” smartphone, has tre and BPO Cyfuture, said on Friday 2017. sorted out in the coming two to reportedly claimed to have paid back they were set to file an FIR against three days.” the money it generated from the first Ringing Bells and deliberating on fil- 30,000 pre-booking orders on the ing a defamation suit too. first day of the sale this month. According to Anuj Bairathi, Mohit Goel, managing director Cyfuture founder and CEO, they of the Noida-based company, has met Vishwajeet Srivastava, Gautam ‘Cybercrime shot up significantly in 2015’ claimed that the money of all 30,000 Budh Nagar Superintendent of Police customers has been refunded and (crime branch), who looked into the the company will now accept cash matter and assured them of a suita- IANS steganography which is concealing cybercriminals found and exploited Android ecosystem being prime on delivery only. ble course of action. the file, message, image, or video a weak link in victims’ security target, putting a large percent of Ringing Bells had received “After deciding to file an FIR for within another file, message, image, programs due to disconnected or out- smartphones at risk globally. 30,000 orders on the first day and fraud and non-payment of dues, we or video, and modifications in land- dated point solutions that could not According to Patrick Sweeney, the rest of the customers will be are now thinking to file a defamation BENGALURU: Multinational com- ing page entrapment techniques, were catch these anomalies in their ecosys- vice president of product manage- selected on first-come-first-serve suit against Ringing Bells as their puter technology company Dell also used effectively to compromise tem,” said Curtis Hutcheson, general ment and marketing, Dell Security, basis as the company received a allegation of non-performance has yesterday warned that cybercrime the security, it added. manager, Dell Security. although the release of Android 6.0 mammoth over seven crore reg- tarnished our image,” Bairathi said. increased significantly around the “Cybercrime has increased signif- Dell SonicWALL noted a rise in Marshmallow operating system in istrations. Ringing Bells president Ringing Bells launched “Free- world in 2015 despite organisations icantly around the globe in 2015 and the use of exploit kits. October 2015 included a slew of Ashok Chadha had announced that dom 251” smartphone that, it said, deploying end-to-end security solu- there have been repeated incidents of While the year’s most active kits new security features, “we can the Rs251 (less than $4) “Freedom has been developed “with immense tions perfectly. breaches against organisations who were Angler, Nuclear, Magnitude expect cybercriminals to continue 251” smartphone customers will support” from the government. Cybercriminals employed a believed that they had carried out and Rig, the overwhelming number finding ways to circumvent these be required to make payment only As the makers of the smartphone number of new tactics to better con- their end-to-end security deployment of exploit kit options gave attackers a defences”. when the smartphone is delivered went gaga over being part of Prime ceal exploit kits from security systems perfectly,” said Amit Singh, country steady stream of opportunities to tar- “Android users should exercise to them. “The company has decided Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in including the use of anti-foren- manager, Dell SonicWALL. get the latest zero-day vulnerabilities, caution by only installing applica- that we will, henceforth, offer ‘cash India” and “Digital India” initiatives, sic mechanisms and URL pattern The company emphasised on the including those appearing in Adobe tions from trusted app stores like on delivery’ mode of payments for a top government official clarified on changes, the company said in its criticality of maintaining 360 degrees Flash, Adobe Reader and Microsoft Google Play, keeping their eye on those who have placed an order for Thursday that the government has “Security Annual Threat Report”. of vigilance. Silverlight, the report said. the permissions being requested by the ‘Freedom 251’ smartphone. This nothing to do with the “Freedom 251” Modifications in landing “Many of the breaches in It also noted that malware attacks apps, and avoid rooting their phones,” will ensure further transparency and smartphone. page entrapment techniques; 2015 were successful because nearly doubled to 8.19 billion with he added.

Mid-day meal in Punjab Where ‘kitty parties’ help women empower themselves

IANS initiated by an NGO in collaboration villagers in need — not just to women with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages — at a certain rate of interest. “We Pvt Ltd, which has a major plant in have six to seven groups and each has the town of Nashik. The women col- 10-12 women. Once a request for loan CHANDRAPUR : These too are “kitty lectives today are like mini banks comes up, we sit and decide whether parties” but with a difference. In rural — encouraging women to save and or not the money is to be lent to a per- parts of water-starved Nashik dis- lending out cash to those in need. son,” explained Sunita Prakash, 27. trict of Maharashatra, village women Members of the NGO say they In case more than one person use them as a tool for their empow- worked for over six months to per- seeks a loan, “the money is lent keep- erment. suade the once coy village women ing the priority and the importance of Buoyed by ideas of collective to come together for their own good. the work in mind. We give preference power, women in many villages in The tireless efforts paid off. to the one who needs it the most”, this region are redefining the concept Over time, there has been a mini added 28-year-old Meera Tadpe. of “kitty parties”, which in cities are revolution in many villages. Vijaya Sabale, 40, explained the mostly identified with women who “Now, if we face a problem, it is concept of village “kitty parties”. have money and want fun. our responsibility to find a solution. “We arrange everything on our In village after village in Nashik, No one can help you all the time. We own. We bring food and tea and the “kitty parties” are held, ironi- have started to think on our own and lemon juice from our homes. At times cally, at Hindu temples, which some help ourselves and others solve their we buy sweets too, taking out some of these ladies were barred from problems,” Sindhutai Sadfule, 45, said money from our collective account.” entering until some years back. with the confidence of a woman who Sabale is grateful to the village Women in Khaprale, Chandrapur has finally found her voice. women because they financially and Jamgaon villages of Nashik dis- These women, members of Self helped her in her son’s marriage. “I trict say they have decided to take on Help Groups (SHG), deposit Rs100 a had borrowed Rs10,000 from the Schoolchildren eating a free mid-day meal at a government school in Amritsar. social evils and problems and fight month in a common bank account, group and it helped us a lot in meeting it out on their own but collectively. meticulously maintaining the details the wedding expenditure,” she said. The changes were in part in a register. Money is lent out to “I returned the loan in 10 months.” UK / IRELAND SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 15 Ruling coalition thrown out in Ireland: Exit polls

Exit polls suggested the only viable option may be a problematic alliance of old rivals Fianna Fail and Kenny’s Fine Gael — although even their combined support was set to fall below 50 percent of the vote for the first time. If neither side is able to form a government, however, fresh elections would have to be called.

Reuters FROM LEFT: Sinn Fein members Aengus O Snodaigh, Mary Lou McDonald, and Dessie Ellis celebrate Sinn Fein’s success in the Dublin City count centre in Dublin, Ireland, yesterday. DUBLIN: Ireland’s main opposing parties will have to start thinking first time. If neither side is able to form 10 and seeking the support of others Fianna Fail’s general secretary about forming an unprecedented a government, however, fresh elec- in the first instance and there’ll be a told radio station Newstalk it was “not alliance, analysts said, after exit tions would have to be called. large group of TDs elected outside of beyond the bounds of possibility” that polls yesterday suggested voters had The centre-right Fine Gael cap- Fine Gael and Sinn Fein,” Martin told final results could see it come out on rejected the ruling coalition, many tured 25 to 26 percent of the vote, the national broadcaster RTE. top. Under Ireland’s proportional rep- opting instead for protest groups and exit polls said. That is far below the “We’re committed to ensuring resentation system, exact results are independents. 36 percent it won five years ago and the country gets a good government, difficult to call. Enda Kenny’s government looks to the 30 percent opinion poll rating it but it’s going to take time.” But ana- Fine Gael strategist Mark Mortell be the latest victim of European vot- enjoyed at the start of campaigning. lysts said a coalition of Fine Gael and said that Kenny would “hold off mak- ers’ growing antipathy to mainstream Current coalition partner Labour Fianna Fail - heirs to opposing sides ing phone calls” until early next week politics. Although under his premier- was in line to win just 7 to 8 percent in a civil war almost a century ago - but that there was a very high risk of Officials sort ballot papers during a general election count at the Count ship Ireland has bounced back from of the ballot, which spending minis- was the only option. a second election this year. The first a bailout to become the continent’s ter Brendan Howlin said meant they “Either we could have another of 157 seats was declared at 1530 GMT centre in Castlebar, Ireland. fastest-growing economy, voters said were out of the equation for the next election now and do away with with the final winners potentially not the fruits of the recovery had not been government. Fianna Fail was set to the count, or we’ll let them muddle decided until early next week. have swapped power since the state’s in Portugal and Spain, where anger shared. rise to 23 percent. around for a month or so and maybe Framed as a debate over how to foundation, and Labour, the junior at austerity, perceptions of rising ine- “There’s total disillusionment with One Fine Gael junior minis- they can think the unthinkable,” said distribute the profits of accelerating partner in many governments, were quality and mistrust of established party politics. The independents and the ter, Michael Ring, said he would “of Michael Marsh, a professor of politics economic growth, Kenny’s campaign shunned in favour of independent political elites left parliaments frag- smaller parties seem to be almost like course” be open to a prospective deal at Trinity College Dublin. to “keep the recovery going” rang hol- candidates, smaller parties and the mented and parties struggling to form the last hope for the country,” said John with Fianna Fail after another exit While the parties have few policy low with many voters yet to feel any rising Sinn Fein. governments. McKeever, a voter in Dublin. “It’s not a poll late on Friday showed a similar differences, one minister described impact after years of austerity. At the start of the last parlia- Uncertainty over the election out- recovery for a good 30-40 percent of result. He was the first senior member the prospect as a “nightmare” dur- The exit polls suggested a major ment in 2011, the three parties held come pushed the gap between Irish the country. It’s a rich man’s recovery.” of either party to say so after weeks ing the campaign. transformation had occurred in the 80 percent of the seats. “We’re seeing and French bond yields to its widest Exit polls suggested the only of rejecting the notion. Others fear it would allow left- party system as a result, just weeks a collapse of the two-and-half party in eight months this week, although viable option may be a problematic Fianna Fail leader Micheal Mar- wing Sinn Fein, the former political before the centenary of the 1916 Easter system,” said Paul Murphy, a member Ireland can still borrow near record alliance of old rivals Fianna Fail and tin hinted that he would first try to arm of the Irish Republican Army, Rising, the most dramatic chapter of of one of the likely beneficiaries, the lows. Robust growth of around 7 per- Kenny’s Fine Gael — although even form a government with other groups, which polled at 15-16 percent, to Ireland’s struggle for independence left-wing Anti Austerity Alliance and cent last year is seen as insulating its their combined support was set to fall however. “We’ll be putting a mandate establish itself as the main opposi- from Britain. People Before Profit group. financial assets against a potential below 50 percent of the vote for the before the Dail (parliament) on March tion party. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, which The results echo recent elections stalemate.

Farage to visit Netherlands Britain becomes more middle class

in April IANS shrunk to 45.8 percent. Social grad- In the early 1990s, this group was ing divides up households based on overtaken by junior managers and AFP the job of the highest income earner. professionals. Skilled manual work- The grades range from A, people ers have since also fallen behind LONDON: Britain has become more in upper managerial and profes- intermediate roles of professionals. THE HAGUE: Leading British middle class than working class sional roles, to E, which includes Social grades provide a useful eurosceptic Nigel Farage will visit in year 2000, according to social state pensioners, casual workers proxy for how most developed econ- the Netherlands in April to help grading data. The proportion of and the unemployed receiving state omies have changed over the past whip up support for a key Dutch households working in non-manual benefits. couple of generations with traditional referendum aimed at opposing an professions was 50.6 percent at the Individual grades are usually blue collar jobs being supplanted by EU cooperation deal with Ukraine. turn of the millennium. It has since grouped into brackets that combine those in the service sector. Even though the April 6 vote is increased further, reaching 54.2 per- several tiers, with lower-paid social Nevertheless, social grades do non-binding on the Dutch govern- cent last year, The Guardian reported. grade bracket roughly described to be remain an incredibly strong pre- ment, it will be closely watched as The figures compiled by Ipsos middle class, while non-manual pro- dictor of a person’s lifestyle. The top European Union officials have Mori from the National Readership fessions are broadly working class. higher a person’s social grade the warned a “no” vote could trigger a Survey showed that in 1968, two- Most of the change since 1968 has more likely he/she is to earn more crisis within the bloc. thirds of households were in the taken place in the middle brackets. and spend more. This makes the “I wanna come and help,” says manual or lower-paid social grade Skilled manual workers used to be grades a useful tool for marketers Farage, leader of the UK Inde- bracket. But by 2015, the propor- the grade encompassing highest pro- who want to pitch a product to a pendence Party (UKIP), in a video tion of non-manual professions had portion of the British households. certain demographic. Leader of the British opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, gives a posted late Friday on the site of one speech during a rally against a proposed renewal of Britain’s Trident of the Dutch groups campaigning nuclear weapon system, in Trafalgar Square, central London, yesterday. against the EU deal. He says he hopes the Dutch vote could lend impetus to Britain’s own landmark Auction of Diamond and Ruby brooch Thousands join anti-nuclear referendum on whether to leave the EU, scheduled for June 23. “I’ve got everything crossed, weapons march in London because if you win your referen- dum, my goodness me, that’ll help in Britain too,” says the British pol- AFP they’re ever used,” Corbyn said. Pro- itician who will speak at an April testers converged on London from 4 event in Amsterdam. around Britain and CND claimed that The Dutch vote comes after a 60,000 people joined the march. citizens’ campaign spearheaded by LONDON: Tens of thousands of Corbyn said he was proud to three strongly eurosceptic groups people protested in London yester- attend “the largest anti-nuclear garnered the 300,000 votes needed day against the proposed renewal weapons rally in a generation”, add- to trigger a non-binding referendum. of Britain’s Trident nuclear weap- ing that it was a “an expression of While the referendum is on a ons system, in what supporters said many people’s opinions and views”. fairly narrow topic of a trade deal was the biggest such demonstration A decision is expected to be taken with Kiev, the groups are seeking in a generation. later this year on replacing the ageing to harness broader scepticism and Opposition Labour leader Jeremy submarines which carry the Trident anger against the EU fuelled in part Corbyn, who has been a member missiles, at an estimated cost of £31bn by the recent influx of migrants. of the Campaign for Nuclear Dis- ($43bn). Prime Minister David Cam- Last month European Com- armament (CND) since he was 16, eron’s Conservative government is in mission chief Jean-Claude Juncker addressed the crowd in Trafalgar favour, saying the system is vital to urged Dutch voters not to oppose the Square alongside Scotland’s First safeguard Britain’s security. EU cooperation deal with Ukraine, Minister Nicola Sturgeon. “Disarming now would be a saying such a move “could open the A gallery assistant poses with a Diamond and Ruby brooch, circa 1880, at Sotheby’s auctioneers in “If a nuclear war took place reckless gamble with our national doors to a continental crisis”. there would be mass destruction on security that would play into the “Let’s not change the refer- London, to preview the forthcoming auction of a collection of Elvis memorabilia and personal items both sides of the conflict. Everyone hands of our enemies,” junior endum into a vote about Europe,” that belonged to Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire. The brooch is expected to sell for £25,000- should think about the humanitarian defence minister Philip Dunne said Juncker urged Dutch voters in an £35,000 at the auction on March 2. effects on people across this globe if ahead of the march. interview in January. 16 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 EUROPE Farmers heckle Hollande as mega fair opens

longer enough.” After months of protests across The beef and milk the country that saw farmers block- sectors have seen ing roads with their tractors or dumping manure outside govern- prices collapse ment offices, security was tight because of declining outside the venue, but no incidents were reported. sales to China and Inside, flag-waving represent- especially the Russian atives of farmers’ unions were the embargo on most first to greet the president, who spoke with them for some 20 min- Western food imports utes before going on to admire the in retaliation for fair’s mascot, a Bazadais cow from southwestern France named Cerise. sanctions over the Hollande acknowledged that Ukraine crisis. the crisis facing farmers is “excep- tionally hard, exceptionally long, exceptionally generalised.” He added: “To come and exhibit AFP in the context of so much difficulty and pain is a lovely act of patriotism. It is not compliments that farmers Farmers protest as President Francois Hollande (third from right) and Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll (right) visit French livestock farmers want but lasting policies.” on the opening day of the International Agricultural Show in Paris, yesterday. PARIS: President Francois Hollande Laurent Pinatel, spokesman of was heckled yesterday as France’s the national small farmers group no future,” Pinatel said, noting that hard as world prices nosedive. disease ravaging cows and an outbreak question for the fair to become a polit- annual agricultural fair kicked off Confederation Paysanne, told 5,000 farmers are leaving the sec- In addition, wholesalers, which of bird flu leading to several countries ical beauty contest once again.” against the backdrop of the “worst reporters at the expo venue earlier: tor each year. have been engaged in a price war for banning imports of foie gras. Le Foll—who is also the spokes- crisis ever” facing the country’s “Agriculture is experiencing its worst The beef and milk sectors have several years, are demanding ever The Salon de l’Agriculture is a must man for Hollande’s government—said farmers. crisis ever.” seen prices collapse because of declin- deeper cuts from suppliers, who are on the calendar of any ambitious pol- he planned to “be respectful, available Livestock farmers booed and And the head of the main farm- ing sales to China and especially the in turn squeezing farmers. itician, and with an election just 15 and receptive” to the farmers’ concerns whistled as Hollande and Agricul- ers union FNSEA, Xavier Beulin, said Russian embargo on most Western Meanwhile, a mild winter has upset months away, the glad-handing—and in the country. ture Minister Stephane Le Foll made he would “remind (Hollande) of the food imports in retaliation for sanc- the apple cart for many growers, who the “stroking of cows’ behinds” made Nearly 700,000 visitors—a third their way through the vast hall in depth of the crisis”. tions over the Ukraine crisis. are bringing produce to the market virtually compulsory by the earthy of them children under 12 —are southern Paris, walking past a large “There is a lot of worry on the Grain and vegetable farmers too in before they can find buyers. president Jacques Chirac—will be the expected to descend on the vast Porte banner reading: “I am the best in farms, a lot of people are quit- the country are also feeling the pinch, Pathogens heaped further woe on order of the day. de Versailles exhibition centre for the my profession but my passion is no ting (because) they feel there is especially wheat producers are hit livestock farmers, with bluetongue But FNSEA warned: “It’s out of the nine-day fair. Greek farmers Thousands march in Moscow to honour Nemtsov Protesters in open roads amid Poland rally disappointment AFP 20,000 joined the march. Moscow will all end in a civil war, like a hun- hair, was killed. US ambassador John police, which are often accused of dred years ago.” Tefft was among those who came to pay for democracy downplaying the popularity of oppo- In Putin’s hometown of Saint their respects, laying a wreath with a AFP sition events, said 7,500 showed up. Petersburg, 4,000 people turned out ribbon saying “From the American peo- MOSCOW: Thousands of Russians Many protesters said the situa- to honour Nemtsov. “Putin is Russia’s ple.” Smaller commemorative events icon Walesa marched through central Moscow tion in Russia had got worse since nightmare”, one placard read, while took place across Russia. ATHENS: Greece’s main road yesterday in memory of opposition the opposition politician’s murder. some chanted “Putin get out.” Nemtsov’s daughter Zhanna was arteries gradually opened yes- politician Boris Nemtsov who was “Aggression and xenophobia have Russia’s annexation of Crimea, due to launch a foundation in her AFP terday, after farmers decided to gunned down near the Kremlin a year gone through the roof,” Anastasia Osi- fighting in eastern Ukraine and Mos- father’s name in London along with abandon the roadblocks where ago in the highest-profile assassina- pova told reporters. cow’s confrontation with the West ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an they had been protesting against tion of Vladimir Putin’s rule. “Over the past year things have have left the country deeply polar- opposition leader who spent a decade WARSAW: Around 15,000 people tax and pension overhaul for over On a bright sunny afternoon become so much worse, both when it ised. Most of the population—who in prison. Britain’s Europe Minister hit the streets in the Polish capi- a month. opposition supporters thronged the comes to the economy and freedom of critics say have been under the spell David Lidington urged the Russian tal Warsaw yesterday for a “We, “We are disappointed by streets amid heightened police secu- speech,” said the 20-year-old, clutch- of pro-Kremlin propaganda—support government “to ensure that those the People” march, the latest in a the results of the meetings with rity as a helicopter hovered overhead. ing an EU flag. Putin despite mounting economic responsible for this appalling crime series of pro-democracy protests the prime minister but we leave Some marchers carried Russian Yevgeny Mishchenko, 41, sounded troubles, while a minority says Rus- are brought to justice.” against the right-wing government with our heads held high,” Nikos flags, some black ribbons, placards, a similar note. sia is hurtling towards catastrophe. Lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov, one of for its alleged violation of demo- Volkos, the head of a roadblock on flowers and Nemtsov’s portraits. Oth- “The authorities, this regime People also brought flowers and the few independent voices in Russian cratic standards. the Egnatia Highway in northern ers chanted: “Russia will be free” and killed Nemtsov,” he said. “The eco- candles to the bridge near the Krem- parliament, said he suggested that Protesters also rallied in Greece told Athens News Agency “Russia without Putin.” nomic situation is worsening. Support lin walls where Nemtsov, a jovial deputies observe a moment of silence support of Solidarity hero Lech adding though that the farmers According to estimates, some for the authorities is crumbling. This 55-year-old with a mop of black curly in Nemtsov’s memory but most of his Walesa, amid fresh allegations “will remain alert.” colleagues refused. he acted as a communist spy trig- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Nemtsov, a former deputy prime gered by newly-found 1970s secret Tsipras on Monday announced a minister in the government of Boris police files that he insists were string of measures to support the Yeltsin, was gunned down shortly fabricated. agricultural sector in a bid to win before midnight on February 27, 2015, Opposition politicians, includ- the farmers over. But he ruled out while walking across a bridge a short ing the leaders of two liberal yielding to their main demand of distance from the Kremlin with his parties that staunchly oppose the axing a pension reforms bill and Ukrainian model girlfriend. conservative Law and Justice (PiS) tax changes requested by Greece’s Putin, whose rule has seen the government, joined the protests for creditors in exchange for a third steady suppression of independ- the first time. international bailout. ent media and opposition parties, “We’ve come to make it clear “The country’s recovery must promised an all-out effort to catch that freedom and democracy take your position into account, the killers. are the most important values but you must take into account the “Who dared?” a furious Putin guarded by the constitution,” said budgetary requirements,” Tsipras asked his aides after Nemtsov was hit Mateusz Kijowski, founder of the told the farmers’ representatives. in the back by four fatal shots, the top Committee for the Defence of His spokeswoman Olga Gero- opposition Novaya Gazeta reported Democracy (KOD) which organ- vassili said Tsipras proposed this week. Within weeks five men—all ised the demonstration. staggering planned raises in pen- Chechens from Russia’s restive North The protest was organised sion contributions until 2021 Caucasus—were arrested and charged under the slogan “We, the people,” as well as measures to protect with murder. citing the preamble of the US con- those on the lowest incomes, and The five detainees—includ- stitution. Walesa used the phrase commercial and administrative ing Zaur Dadayev, a member of a when he addressed US Congress support for the agricultural sector. Chechen interior ministry battalion in 1989, the year communism col- He also announced the launch accused of being the gunman—are lapsed in Poland. of a campaign to “limit abuses by now awaiting trial for what investi- Moves by the PiS government A man places flowers at the spot where Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, on the middlemen and cartels” in food gators say was a carefully planned to take greater control of the Con- distribution. first anniversary of Nemtsov’s assassination, yesterday. contract killing. stitutional Court, media and other institutions have triggered harsh criticism both at home and across Europe. The European Union recently Radio flash came from galaxy 6 billion light-years away: Study launched an unprecedented probe to see if the Polish government is violating the bloc’s rules on AFP radio bursts (FRBs) are radio wave discovered in 2007, though more than other telescopes to follow up, and The team said their breakthrough democracy and whether it mer- flashes which last a fraction of a 10,000 are believed to happen every within hours CSIRO’s Compact Array also shed light on another question of its punitive measures. second and emit as much energy day. Some have speculated they may detected an “afterglow” of the flash. the “missing matter”. The Universe Led by former premier Jaro- in a millisecond as the Sun in about be alien signals. Then to Hawaii, where Japan’s is thought to be made up of about slaw Kaczynski, the eurosceptic PARIS: For nine years, astronomers 10,000 years. Scientists still don’t “Nope! Sorry,” study lead author Subaru optical telescope looked at 70 percent dark energy, 25 percent PiS has been in power since an have been trying to pinpoint the ori- know what causes them. Evan Keane of the Square Kilometre where the afterglow—which lasted undetectable dark matter, and only October election, and has regu- gins of mysterious radio flashes which “Our discovery opens the way Array Organisation said of this theory. for about six days—came from. about five percent ordinary matter— larly butted heads with the media erupt briefly and violently in the far- to working out what makes these A likelier source of FRB observed “This involved zooming in by the stuff of which planets, stars and and the opposition. away Universe. bursts,” said Simon Johnston of Aus- on April 18, 2015, was collision of two 1,000 times over what we can do with humans are made. “The PiS wants to control eve- A team said they had, for the first tralia’s national science agency, ultra-dense neutron stars, he said. just one telescope,” Keane said. In the latest study, the team could rything, the state, the economy time, traced one such flash to a galaxy CSIRO, which took part in the project. The burst was detected by CSIRO’s It is about 70,000 light-years wide determine the FRB’s travel distance and the people,” Jan Rogalski, a about six billion light-years from Earth. Only 17 FRBs have been detected Parke’s radio telescope in eastern and has a mass equivalent to about and how long it would have taken in 48-year-old Warsaw resident told Invisible to the human eye, fast since the phenomenon was first Australia. An alert was triggered for 100 billion Sun-sized stars. a vacuum. reporters. EUROPE SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 17 Balkan cap floods Greek migrant camp

worst migration crisis since World War II shows no sign of abating. The problem began By yesterday, some 5,500 peo- after Macedonia ple were stranded at Idomeni, local began refusing police said, with another 800 gath- ered at another provisional camp entry to Afghans some 20 kilometres away. and imposed stricter Since Thursday night, only 150 people have crossed into Macedonia, document controls officials said, putting the total number on Syrians and Iraqis, of refugees and migrants currently on Greek soil at around 25,000. slowing the passage Tensions were running high of migrants and along the border with some 400 refugees to a trickle. people protesting by the Idomeni crossing early yesterday, demand- ing that the Macedonian authorities let them in. Friday’s announcement Migrants and refugees, mainly Afghans, rest at the Victoria square in Athens, yesterday. Thousands of refugees have been stranded in Greece. by four Balkan states came a week AFP after Austria said it would only allow 80 people claim asylum per day, and also pledged to limit the daily Barcelona waits for refugees who aren’t coming number of people crossing the coun- ATHENS: More than 5,000 people try to 3,200. were trapped at the Idomeni camp The move has sparked a bitter AFP hammer out a unified response to the accept just 2,749. newly arrived refugees. on Greece’s northern border with spat between Athens and Vienna, biggest migration crisis in the bloc’s “But since then, just 18 have The Catalan branch of the Red Macedonia yesterday after four Bal- with Greece fearful it would trigger history, the city detailed its own “Bar- arrived (in the whole of Spain), a Cross, meanwhile, is recruiting social kan countries announced a daily cap a domino effect, leaving thousands celona Refuge City” plan. ridiculous figure,” said Pascale Cois- workers, interpreters and employ- on migrant arrivals. stranded on its territory. BARCELONA: Half a year after Bar- When Colau announced the initi- sard, spokeswoman in Catalonia ment consultants and has set up The buildup began in earnest last Austria has repeatedly accused celona launched a municipal plan ative in August, hundreds of residents region for the country’s Commission three reception centres with up to week after Macedonia began refus- Greece of failing to police its borders to welcome refugees fleeing wars of the Mediterranean, seaside city for Refugee Aid. 200 places for emergency situations. ing entry to Afghans and imposed properly and allowing an exces- in places like Syria and Iraq, Spain’s flooded the city hall with e-mails The agency has for months pre- “We are ready,” said Oscar Bar- stricter document controls on Syri- sively-high number of migrants to second largest city is still waiting for volunteering to help. pared to receive a chunk of the over bero, head of social services for the ans and Iraqis, slowing the passage continue their journey northwards them to arrive. The plan was quickly followed by one million people who arrived in local branch of the Red Cross. of migrants and refugees to a trickle. to western Europe. “This fills us with rage,” Barcelona other cities across the country includ- Europe fleeing from Syria, Iraq, “But we are working blindly, And the situation looked set to “Europe can’t be indifferent to Mayor Ada Colau, a former activist ing Madrid, the Mediterranean port of Afghanistan or Eritrea. It boosted without knowing when they will worsen significantly after Slove- those of our partners who don’t born out of the anti-austerity Indig- Valencia and Cadiz in the southwest. the number of places able to welcome arrive, how they will arrive or how nia and Croatia, both EU members, respect their obligations,” Greek nados protest movement, said. Faced with this outpouring of refugees in Catalonia—the capital of many will arrive.” and Serbia and Macedonia said they President Prokopis Pavlopoulos said “The city is ready at the techni- solidarity, Spain’s conservative gov- which is Barcelona—to 41 from ten The main problem is that Spain’s would restrict the number of daily on Saturday, referring to the border cal level, all our services are ready ernment agreed to increase to 17,680 and will shortly open 50 more. central government “is not providing arrivals to 580. restrictions. Last week, the EU told and residents are waiting with open the number of refugees which the The agency has also reinforced any information,” said Ignasi Calbo, The tighter controls have left Austria that limiting asylum claims arms. But they don’t arrive.” country would accept as part of a its medical and psychological serv- coordinator of the “Barcelona Refuge thousands—including many chil- was “plainly incompatible” with While EU interior ministers gath- broader EU response to the migrant ices and it is training municipalities City” plan, for which €10.5m ($11.6 dren—stranded in Greece, as the bloc’s European and international laws. ered in Brussels this week to try to crisis. It had initially agreed to in the region how best to deal with million) has been set aside. Crisis ends in Kosovo parliament Denmark as minister resigns violence worrying: EU AFP Thaci, who served as premier AFP between 2008 and 2014, won sup- port from 71 deputies in the 120-seat parliament in the third and final COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s BRUSSELS: Scenes of violence at round of voting, which took place environment minister resigned Kosovo’s parliament during which after opposition MPs released tear yesterday, ending a crisis of con- opposition MPs released tear gas to gas in the legislature in an attempt fidence that had threatened to prevent the election of a new presi- to scupper his election. topple Prime Minister Lars Lokke dent were “extremely worrying”, the Some opposition members were Rasmussen’s minority centre-right European Union (EU) said yesterday. forcibly removed and banned from government. The protests took place on Fri- the vote and others refused to take “Today I have announced to day as the parliament gathered to part, while about 1,000 of their the prime minister that I resign elect a new head of state in an elec- supporters protested on the streets from the post as environment and tion marred by violence both inside outside against Thaci becoming head food minister,” Eva Kjer Hansen the chamber and on the streets of of state. said in a statement, saying she did Pristina. Police fired tear gas at rioters not want to “stand in the way” of Kosovo’s opposition MPs are who lobbed Molotov cocktails dur- the government. furious over a government deal ing the protest, which was fuelled by The Conservative People’s with Serbia to create an associ- anger at Thaci and his colleagues for Party, which has just six seats in ation giving greater powers to alleged corruption, around 40 per- Newly elected President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci (right), receives flowers from Flora Brovina (left), a parliament but whose support is Kosovo’s Serb minority—a move cent unemployment and a disputed crucial to Rasmussen’s minor- lawmaker of his ruling party, at the Parliament in Pristina. they fear will increase the influ- government deal with Serbia. ity government, on Wednesday ence of Belgrade. The former political leader of the threatened to withdraw its back- Despite the unrest the MPs pro-independence Kosovo Libera- ing if the premier did not sack Kjer Thaci elected Kosovo’s new president elected foreign minister and former tion Army, which fought Serbia in the Hansen. premier Hashim Thaci as president. late 1990s, Thaci has been accused of The party said it had lost confi- “The scenes we have witnessed involvement in organised crime and dence in the minister in a row over yesterday in the assembly on such organ trafficking during and after agricultural reforms. AFP Thaci. “We conclude that Mr Hashim their supporters rallied on the street an occasion are extremely worry- the war—charges he strongly denies. But Rasmussen said he was not Thaci was elected president of the against Thaci being elected. ing,” said a statement issued from Improved relations are a key require- prepared to sack her, leaving the Republic of Kosovo for a term of five Riot police fired tear gas at pro- the office of the EU’s foreign policy ment for both sides to join the EU, and government’s fate uncertain. years,” the commission said. testers who throw Molotov cocktails. chief Federica Mogherini, noting Thaci has taken a leading role in the The Conservatives accuse PRISTINA: Kosovo MPs elected foreign The voting began after opposition Thaci thanked “all those in the the “tense and divisive atmosphere” dialogue with Serbia, which does not Kjer Hansen of giving them wrong minister and former premier Hashim MPs, who were determined to force political sphere” after he was elected. inside the legislature. recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty. information about a proposed Thaci as president after a tense day of an early election, released tear gas in “I pledge to build a new Kosovo, a “Acts of violence in any form and Kosovo, whose 1.8 million people package of agricultural regula- voting marred by protests inside par- the legislature—despite heavy secu- European Kosovo and to deepen our by anyone are unacceptable. Inflam- are mostly Muslim and ethnic Alba- tions, which they said could have liament and on the streets. rity as they entered. relationship with US,” he said. matory rhetoric only deepens the nian, declared independence from serious consequences for the The election commission said 81 Some opposition members were Thaci failed to secure required divide and makes a dialogue more Serbia eight years ago but Belgrade environment. Hansen’s critics spe- MPs from the 120-seat parliament then forcibly removed and banned support of two-thirds MPs in first two difficult. We expect political leaders refuses to recognise its sovereignty. cifically accuse her of giving into took part in the third round of the from the vote and others refused rounds of voting, but the third round of Kosovo to act responsibly and to Thaci is due to be sworn in on the farm lobby on norms governing election, with 71 of them voting for to take part, while about 1,000 of required only a simple majority. collectively calm down the tensions.” April 7. the use of fertilisers, leaving water supplies exposed to increased pol- lution from agricultural runoff. In a statement released yes- terday, Rasmussen said he had Germany’s twilight Nazi trials about more than justice accepted Kjer Hansen’s resigna- tion “with great regret” and that he would appoint her successor “after AFP importance of the legal proceedings, 11 accused of complicity in 170,000 Sonder, who is testifying against Han- actions, Germany’s latest war crime the weekend”. experts say, for they serve a role in killings. Many argue that given the ning, agreed that the sentence “plays cases have heard survivors recount Political analysts saw the educating a new generation about the immensity of the suffering wrought, no role”. in more general terms the suffering resignation as a victory for Con- horrors of the Holocaust. no judicial sentence, especially this A former Nazi SS medic at the they endured under the Nazi regime. servative leader Soren Pape BERLIN: Germany is putting on trial “It’s not about sending these old late, could ever be commensurate to Auschwitz death camp, 95-year- This matters because in recent Poulsen. several former members of the Nazi folk to prison,” an editorial in Sued- the crimes. old Hubert Zafke, also faces trial on years Germany has started to go “Poulsen has won this arm SS this year—but seven decades after deutsche Zeitung stated, echoing “Today it’s the witness accounts charges of aiding in 3,681 murders. after not just old Nazis known to have wrestling against Lokke,” TV2 the war, they are in their 90s and other newspapers about the case of that really matters,” said Dan- While witness testimony in personally committed atrocities but News political commentator unlikely to end up behind bars. former SS guard Reinhold Hanning, iel Bonnard, a historian at Marburg most criminal trials relates specif- anyone who once served as a cog in Anders Langballe said. Yet that doesn’t diminish the 94, who went on trial on February University. Auschwitz survivor Justin ically to the defendants and their the industrial-scale killing machine. 18 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 AMERICAS Vote turnout a boon for Hillary in South Carolina

by midday, said Chris Whitmire, a spokesman for the South Caro- Hillary led the lina State Election Commission in Vermont senator Columbia. While Sanders hoped to close by 20 percentage the gap to show his campaign mes- points in polls and sage about an economy rigged to benefit the wealthy is resonating the final margin will leading into Super Tuesday, Clinton set expectations is seeking to solidify her status as the for Tuesday, when inevitable Democratic nominee with a decisive win in South Carolina. 11 states will “She’s got the advantage of the hold primaries or folks who probably will vote,” said Richard Harpootlian, a Sanders sup- caucuses. porter and former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman. “It depends on whether Bernie Democratic presidential candidate and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton greets patrons at a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, yesterday. Sanders can generate new partici- Bloomberg pation by younger voters.” She held a campaign rally in Alabama before returning to South Carolina. Polls in South Carolina opened at 7 am local time. In 2008, when to the Associated Press. Party Chair- A majority of the Democratic vote Democratic strategist in Columbia and In other campaign appearances, Clinton lost the South Carolina Dem- man Jaime Harrison will go with the in South Carolina likely will be cast by former executive director of the state she also emphasised her connec- SOUTH CAROLINA: Election offi- ocratic primary to then-Senator primary winner, the party said. African-Americans, who also comprise Democratic Party. tions to Obama and to the record of cials in South Carolina reported Barack Obama, about 23 percent of Of the 2,383 delegates needed to a large segment of the party’s elec- Kenneth Riley, the longtime her husband when he was in office. generally light turnout for yes- registered voters turned out, accord- win the nomination, Clinton has just torate in Georgia, Alabama and other president of the 1,200-member Under former President Bill Clinton, terday’s Democratic presidential ing to election commission figures. over 500, including more than 450 southern Super Tuesday states. International Longshoremen’s Asso- the median income of black families primary, which should favour Hillary State Democrats vote a week superdelegates. Sanders has 71 del- The Bloomberg Politics poll of ciation Local 1422 in Charleston, which rose 33 percent, she said. Clinton in her pursuit of a dominat- after Republicans held their pri- egates, including 20 superdelegates, likely Palmetto State Democratic vot- endorsed Clinton, counts himself in “You take the hard work, you take ing win over Bernie Sanders in the mary, won by real estate mogul according to a tally compiled by the ers released on February 18, which had that category. While he calls himself the persistence, you take the results fourth round of nominating contests. Donald Trump. Associated Press. Clinton ahead of Sanders by 22 per- a liberal and likes Sanders’s positions, from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Clinton led the Vermont senator Fifty-nine delegates will be Yesterday’s Democratic contest in centage points, showed that she had a he thinks Clinton has the best chance that’s a pretty good platform to run for by 20 percentage points or more in decided by the results of yesterday’s South Carolina follows Clinton’s tri- 3-to-1 advantage among black voters. to win and get results, he said. president on, don’t you think?” Clin- polls leading up to the vote, and the primary, according to state Demo- umph a week earlier in Nevada, the In 2008, 56 percent of voters in the “If we can’t accomplish what we ton said during a rally on Wednesday final margin will set expectations for cratic Party. Thirty- five delegates first early nominating-contest state South Carolina Democratic primary say we’re going to do, my people don’t in Sumter. Tuesday, when 11 states will hold pri- are awarded proportionally based on with significant minority participation. were non-white, mostly African-Amer- get anything,” Riley said. Clinton’s team is confident that she maries or caucuses, the biggest prize the results in each of the state’s seven Sanders had hoped to show the breadth ican, according to the State Election Clinton asked the longshoremen will win South Carolina and spent the of the 2016 presidential campaign. congressional districts, and 18 other of his appeal in a state where the popu- Commission. to get out the vote “to make sure that week trying to run up the vote margin, There may be a few areas where delegates are decided proportion- lation more closely reflects the US than Many black voters who may have we build on the progress that President with Bill Clinton traversing the west- voters are showing up in larger num- ally by the statewide outcome. There Iowa, where he essentially tied Clinton, been inclined to support Clinton in Obama has made for our country,” an ern part of the state ahead of primary bers, but anecdotal reports indicated also are six superdelegates, with four and New Hampshire, which he won by 2008 but opted for Obama are behind appeal to black voters who back Obama day and their daughter, Chelsea, vis- low turnout throughout the state already endorsing Clinton, according more than 22 percentage points. her this year, said Amanda Loveday, a and want to see his work continued. iting colleges. New data pact: US sets out limits on spying Guatemala convicts

Reuters agreed to create a specific new indiscriminate data collection to infor- leaving thousands of companies in role within the State Department to mation being transmitted through a legal limbo. deal with complaints and enquir- transatlantic cables. That addresses a Both EU and US businesses had two ex-soldiers for ies forwarded by EU data protection key European concern that informa- lobbied hard to avoid transatlantic BRUSSELS: The United States has set agencies. There will also be an alter- tion gathered outside the United States data flows being restricted after Safe out limits to its use of data collected native dispute resolution mechanism was afforded fewer protections. “The Harbour was struck down by a top in bulk about European citizens after to resolve grievances and a joint exception for bulk collection will not EU court. slavery and murder a new information-sharing pact was annual review of the accord. swallow the general rule,” Litt writes. Cross-border transfers are used in agreed this month. In a letter to the US Department Privacy became a sore topic many industries for sharing employee A clear explanation of what infor- of Commerce, Robert Litt, General between the EU and the United information or when consumer data AFP on slavery charges and another 210 mation could be used for— preventing Counsel of the Office of the Director States after revelations from former is shared to complete credit card, years for the forced disappearance its “indiscriminate” and “arbitrary” of National Intelligence, says data col- US intelligence contractor Edward travel or e-commerce transactions. of seven people. use—was a key condition of the new lected in bulk can only be used for six Snowden in 2013 about mass US gov- They are also key to web compa- During the trial, which has been Privacy Shield framework that ena- specific purposes, including counter- ernment surveillance practices. nies that collect personal information GUATEMALA CITY: A Guatemalan described by activists as “historic”, bles firms to easily transfer personal terrorism or cybersecurity. That ultimately led to a top EU about their users and serve them court has sentenced two former sol- indigenous women with their faces data to the United States. Crucially, US authorities would court invalidating Safe Harbour, targeted ads, such as Facebook and diers to 120 and 240 years of prison covered told the court of what they Under the deal, Washington apply the same safeguards against the previous framework, last year, Google. for subjecting at least 15 indigenous had suffered as physical exploita- women to slavery and other crimes tion slaves. during the country’s civil war. As the decision was read out, The accused are guilty of “crimes more than 500 activists who against humanity, murder and forced had attended the trial broke into NY museum Raising voice for the missing ones disappearance,” Judge Yassmin applause, singing and shouting slo- Barrios ruled at a hearing at a Gua- gans against the soldiers. settles lawsuit temala City court. “It is very important to high- Following a trial which lasted light the role of the victims because nearly a month, the judge handed a not only do they have to go before a AFP 120-year sentence to retired colo- court, but must confront stigma, rid- nel Esteelmer Reyes, 59, for crimes icule and abuse,” 1992 Nobel Peace against humanity in relation to Prize winner and indigenous leader NEW YORK: New York’s famed enslavement between 1982 and 1983 Rigoberta Menchu told reporters. Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the murder of a woman and her Ada Valenzuela, president of one of the biggest museums in two daughters. the National Union of Guatemalan the world, announced that it had He was handed 30 years for the Women, said the decision brought settled a lawsuit challenging its slavery charge and 90 years for the an end to a “historic trial which admissions policy of charging up murder. has vindicated the lives of women to $25. The Met will next month At the time, Reyes headed a mil- who have waited for more than 30 change “recommended” to “sug- itary outpost at Sepur Zarco in the years for the legal process to arrive gested” on signs requesting a $25 northeastern Guatemala. at the truth.” entrance fee for adults, $17 for sen- During the trial, prosecu- Reyes’ lawyer said the defend- iors and $12 for students. tors accused Reyes of “authorising ants would appeal the ruling. The agreement, which needs and consenting to soldiers under Guatemala’s 36-year civil war to be approved in court, brings to his command exercising physical left more than 200,000 people an end a three-year lawsuit that exploitation and inhuman, cruel and dead or missing, according to the first disputed the museum’s right Relatives hold pictures of some of the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa College Raul Isidro Burgos, degrading treatment against Maya- United Nations, which place most to charge visitors and then quib- as they take part in a demonstration to mark the 17-month anniversary of the disappearance of the Q’eqchi’ women.” of the responsibility for wartime bled its semantics. The suit argued students, outside the Supreme Court building in Mexico City, Mexico, yesterday. Co-accused Heriberto Valdez, atrocities and excesses on the gov- that visitors thought they had to 74, was handed 30 years of prison ernment forces. pay $25, when in fact they could pay whatever they wanted. The changes are being made to coincide with the March 18 opening of The Met Breuer, the museum’s third location on Dognapping on the rise in pet-loving Brazil Madison Avenue. All three sites, including the main location, will adhere to the same “pay what you Reuters became the poster-pup for the rise were mostly in it for quick cash, sell- Pedroso declined to comment Brazilians have more than 52 mil- wish” policy. Admission at any one of dognappings. His owner, screen- ing the pooch at informal sidewalk on his ordeal, saying he and Bosco lion dogs. About one in every four location gives visitors access to all writer Fernando Pedrosa, unleashed fairs or to black market puppy mills. wanted time to recover. But his post- families owns at least one dog in three venues in the same day. a storm of comment on social media “These days, more of our cases ings have encouraged other owners to Brazil, compared with roughly one in “All of our work is aimed at SAO PAULO: While Brazil’s economy is under the tag #cadeobosco, which involve ransom,” Rocha said in his post stolen pets. every three families in the US, accord- giving message of welcome to in the doghouse, one underground busi- translates as “where is Bosco”. office, adding he has seen a sharp Police say there are no official ing to trade group Pet Brasil. the public and emphasising that ness is bucking the trend— dognapping. Raul Rocha, one of a team of six increase in stolen dogs in the past figures on animal theft but detec- Owners are being warned by we are accessible to the widest Bosco, a black and white Bos- investigators at DetetivePet in Sao year. “Criminals are using the own- tives and local media say thieves are industry groups and veterinarians audience,” said museum director ton Terrier stolen in November in Paulo that helped broker Bosco’s er’s attachment to the dog to ensure increasingly preying on the booming not to leave their dogs leashed outside Thomas Campbell. Sao Paulo’s Jardins neighborhood, return, said that in the past, thieves payment.” pet business. of shops and to walk them in groups.

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ONLINE CHART BUST Rocky actor Tony Oscars gala today Burton dies at 78 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com LOS ANGELES: Tony Burton, who drew on his career as a prizefighter to play boxing trainer Tony “Duke” MOST READ Evers in all six “Rocky” films, died on Thursday aged 78. Crisis-hit French farmers heckle Sylvester Stallone, who stars 1 Hollande as he opens farm expo in the franchise, led the tributes after relatives announced Burton’s G20 to say world needs to look death in a southern California hos- 2 beyond ultra-easy policy for growth pital from suspected pneumonia following a long illness. Syrian rebel group says 3 fighters killed in Burton, who had been living in 3 government ground attack Saturday California for 30 years, played the trainer of Apollo Creed, the antag- onist of the first two “Rocky” films, before switching to Rocky’s corner TWEET OF THE DAY in the subsequent movies. “Tony Burton who played the character of Duke brilliantly in all six Rocky movies... Rest in peace,” Stallone said on the Instagram photo-sharing site, posting a still from “Rocky IV” of the pair with Apollo Creed actor Carl Weathers. “Sad news. RIP Tony Burton. His intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies success- ful,” Weathers tweeted. Burton’s younger sister Loretta “Peaches” Kelley told MLive, a news portal based in his native Michigan, that Burton had been in and out of the hospital over a year. His ill health prevented him An Oscar statue is pictured during the Oscars Foreign Language Film Award Directors Reception from appearing in Rocky spin-off in advance of the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The Oscars will be “Creed,” for which Stallone earned an Oscar nomination, but the char- presented today. acter was briefly present. French film awards honour diversity in Fatima, Mustang

AFP forced into arranged marriages. Cesars, and delivered his accept- The best picture accolade went ance speech entirely in French. to Fatima, a movie about an immi- “It is a little like French cuisine, to grant Moroccan woman struggling make a great dish you need excel- PARIS: France’s top film awards to raise her two teenagers in France lent ingredients. To make a great ceremony, the Cesars, celebrated and working as a cleaning lady to film you need a brilliant screenplay, diversity on Friday with honours for give them the best life possible. a great director and exceptional films about the struggles of life as an However, with her rudimentary actors,” said Douglas. “I have nearly immigrant and forced marriage. French while her daughters have always had the chance to count on The creme de la creme of French trouble speaking Arabic, communi- these good ingredients.” showbiz gathered in Paris Friday for cation is strained, especially with her The broad sweep of actors and the 41st Cesars just two days ahead rebellious younger daughter. film themes on offer comes in stark of its Hollywood equivalent, the The leading role was played by contrast to those up for the Oscars, Oscars, which have been panned as Algerian Soria Zeroual, a real-life which have been rocked by contro- “too white”. cleaning lady who found herself versy after no minority actors were Mustang, which is up for a for- nominated for best actress along- nominated for a second year running. eign film Oscar today, scooped three side French cinema greats Isabelle Several leading black Holly- awards including for best first fea- Huppert and Catherine Deneuve. wood stars such as Spike Lee and ture film. The film by Franco-Turkish Michael Douglas became the latest Will Smith have vowed to boycott director Deniz Gamze Erguven, tells Hollywood star to be honoured with the “lily white” awards, while the the story of five sisters in rural Turkey a lifetime achievement award by the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has swept social media. In France, three women film- makers were nominated for a Cesar — none of them won — while not a single woman got the nod in that cat- egory at the Oscars. The best actress gong went to 10-time Cesar nomi- nee Catherine Frot, 59, for her role in Marguerite which tells the tale of a diva who wants to be an opera singer and seems oblivious to the fact that she cannot sing. Vincent Lindon, 56, scooped the best actor prize for his role in Le Loi Du Marche (The Measure Of A Man) in which he plays an unemployed factory worker faced with humil- iating job interviews and useless internships. Lindon already won best actor for the film during the 2015 Cannes film festival, and won the Cesar acco- lade after five previous nominations. Oscar-winning “Birdman” by Mex- ican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu scooped a Cesar for best for- eign film on Friday. A showbiz satire about the dark side of fame starring Michael Keaton, Birdman won four Academy Awards last year including the coveted best picture prize. The film Le Petit Prince (The Lit- tle Prince), which has scored huge success abroad and is the first fea- ture film adaptation of the novel by Actor Michael Douglas being awarded with an Honorary Cesar Award Antoine de Saint-Exupery, won the during the 41st Cesar Awards ceremony in Paris. Cesar award for best animated film. www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

PAGE | 23 QE 9,847.36 -70.16 PTS PAGE | 24 Berkshire DOW 16,639.97 -57.32 PTS Osborne warns Hathaway profit FTSE100 6,096.01 +83.20 PTS of deeper rises 32% BRENT $35.10 -$0.19 spending cuts

SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 • 19 Jumada I 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Nebras to buy ENGIE’s stake in Indonesia’s Paiton

The Peninsula enjoys a long term power purchase Khalid Mohammed Jolo, CEO of agreement with PLN. Together with Nebras, said: “Nebras looks forward Deal to acquire 35.5% Paiton, Nebras has also acquired a to the opportunities this transaction stake held by global stake in the O&M company that oper- provides and working closely with the DOHA: Qatar’s Nebras Power yes- ates Paiton. Closing of the transaction consortium partners which includes, terday announced the signing of a energy giant ENGIE is expected within the second half of among others, Mitsui and TEPCO.” binding agreement to acquire the 35.5 in Indonesia’s largest 2016 subject to customary approvals Faisal Alsiddiqi, Business Devel- percent stake held by global energy and regulatory consents. opment Director of Nebras said, “This giant ENGIE in Indonesia’s largest independent power Fahad Hamad Al Mohannadi, opportunity provides Nebras access independent power producer PT Pai- producer. Chairman of the Board of Nebras said: to a sizable 2 GW state-of-the-art ton Energy. “The acquisition of ENGIE’s Paiton power plant with a long term PPA and The acquisition of ENGIE’s stake stake is a value enhancing and for- a strong operational track record”. in Paiton provides Nebras with access ward-looking initiative for Nebras. Nebras, the Qatari joint stock to the highly attractive Indonesian in both conventional and renewable We have been clear about our inten- company, was established in 2014 by power market and is in line with power generation assets across South tion to focus on growth initiatives and Qatar Electricity and Water Company Nebras’ stated objective to estab- East Asia, Europe and Mena regions. building our international presence (60 percent), Qatar Petroleum Inter- lish itself as a leading international Paiton is Indonesia’s largest IPP making targeted acquisitions in South national Ltd (20 percent) and Qatar power company and increasing its with over 2,000MW of operating East Asia, Europe, and Mena region, Holding (20 percent). imprints in the world’s energy sec- base. It represents 4 percent of Indo- as well as forming major energy serv- The paid up capital of Nebras Officials at the signing ceremony. tor via actively growing its portfolio nesia’s total installed capacity. Paiton ices partnerships.” Power is QR3.65bn. 22 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 BUSINESS Qatar’s Internet Qatar reviews investment ties with UAE subscriptions The Peninsula DOHA: The Qatari delegation headed by Minister of Economy and Com- merce, H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim growing faster Al Thani, reviewed Qatar’s experi- ence in promoting investment and economic climate in the state as well as the projects and opportuni- in 2012. ties offered in those areas. Customers in Qatar are using The Ministry’s delegation taking Total number Internet through their mobile phone part in the second Qatar-UAE Eco- of Internet connections and through fibre-to- nomic Forum held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, subscriptions has the-home (FTTH) connections. on February 24 and 25 made presen- Growth in the Internet subscriptions tations which highlighted initiatives, doubled between is driven by rise in population and legislation and experiences conducted 2011 to 2014. steps taken by Ooredoo to expand by Qatar to develop business and fibre network. Ooredoo has invested investment environment and encour- over $1bn in the past few years in age the private sector to play its role creating fibre network and fixed and in achieving economic diversification. By Sachin Kumar mobile connectivity across Qatar The Qatari delegation also discussed The Peninsula which has enabled the company to with the UAE side means of joint coop- launch latest products and services eration between the two countries in Minister of Economy and Commerce H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani and other officials at the forum. in the country. the areas of consumer protection, com- Ooredoo’s fibre network is avail- batting commercial fraud, protecting DOHA: Internet penetration in Qatar able across Qatar, with more than competition and prevent monopoly. business and the issuance of busi- the Qatari experience including ini- importance of investment opportu- has risen significantly in Qatar in 2,60,000 homes and businesses cur- Talks also dealt with establishing ness licenses. The UAE side praised tiatives and projects, stressing the nities available in Qatar. the past few years. Total number rently benefiting from super-fast of Internet subscriptions (fixed and Internet and next generation serv- wireless) has doubled between 2011 ices. Since its launch in 2011, the fibre to 2014. network has transformed the broad- The growth in Internet subscrip- band Internet market and the digital QIB wins VISA’s Best New Product in Qatar award tion was around 102 percent during entertainment industry in Qatar. the four years as subscriptions grew Users are now benefitting from high from 1.4 million in 2011 to 2.9 mil- speed Internet speed which has ena- lion in 2014. bled quick download of heavy files. The Peninsula innovativeness, benefits, and added either the customer or their supple- range of leading outlets around the According to the Ministry of With a 300 Mbps speed, cus- value to customers. mentary card member. Qmiles can world. Visa Luxury Hotel Collection Information and Communications tomers can download a two-hour, Launched last year in May, the be then used for redemptions includ- offers discounts at over 900 luxury Technology (ictQatar) data, the standard-definition movie (1.5 giga- QIB-Qatar Airways Signature credit ing complimentary flights, upgrades hotels worldwide. “The award is tes- growth in Internet subscriptions bytes) in less than 40 seconds and a DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), card is designed with premium cus- and excess baggage on Qatar Airways’ tament to QIB’s efforts to provide the has been steady during the past few two-hour, high-definition movie (5 Qatar’s leading Islamic Bank, has tomers in mind. It offers a host of elite flights, together with purchases made best products to its customers,” said D years. Internet subscription grew GB) in 2.2 minutes. been awarded the “Best New Product benefits, including global concierge at Qatar Duty Free located at Hamad Anand, General Manager of the Per- around 36 percent to 2.9 million in Going forward, internet sub- in Qatar” for 2015 from VISA Interna- services, global airport lounge access, International Airport or the Oryx Gal- sonal Banking Group. 2014 compared to 2.1 million in 2013. scriptions in Qatar are set to rise tional for its QIB-Qatar Airways Visa discounts, automatic purchase protec- leria boutique in Doha. Qmiles can “This super-premium product The growth in subscription was because of expected rise in the Signature Co-Branded credit card. tion, warranty extensions, exclusive also be redeemed for complimentary offers cardholders opportunities to about 28 percent in previous year. population and further expan- The award was conferred after offers on luxurious hotels, full multi- flights with OneWorld airline partners. earn miles that could be redeemed Total subscriptions jumped from 1.6 sion of fibre network by Ooredoo. considering the unanimous and trip Travel Insurance and much more. All card holders enjoy a host of for a host of exciting services with million in 2012 to 2.1 million in 2013. According to the experts high speed encouraging response from the Holders of the QIB-Qatar Airways special discounts on hotel rates, car Qatar Airways and its OneWorld air- In 2012, the growth was around 16 internet will encourage users to get customers compared to product Signature credit card earn one Qmile rentals, exclusive restaurants, jewel- line partners around the world,” said percent. Total subscriptions grew connected to internet to avail latest offerings of all Qatari banks and for every QR6 spent on purchases lery stores, theme parks, educational Ihab Ayoub, Visa GM for the Middle from 1.4 million 2011 to 1.6 million services. taking into account the products’ made at a point of sale or online by centres, holiday packages and a wide East and North Africa region.

Fitch affirms Turkey Bilateral talks with QFC Samsung wins US ‘BBB-’ rating with stable outlook appeal in Apple patent case Reuters

AFP ISTANBUL: Fitch Ratings affirmed Turkey’s sovereign rating at BBB-, the lowest investment grade rating, with a stable outlook, noting that fiscal discipline remained SAN FRANCISCO: A US appeals court on Friday handed in place in 2015 despite two parliamentary elections. Samsung a win over Apple in a long-running patent However, Fitch said the “geopolitical scene” had wors- fight, overriding a jury verdict ordering it to pay $119.6m ened, pointing to Turkey’s involvement in the Syrian to the iPhone maker. conflict, the breakdown of the Kurdish peace proc- The court ruled that two Apple patents at issue were ess, several bomb attacks and tensions over shooting not valid, according to a copy of the decision posted down a Russian jet. “Elections in November resulting in online. “We are delighted with the resounding victory another term for the AKP have eased domestic politi- from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, cal uncertainty, although the prospect of constitutional which found that two of Apple’s patents should never reform in order to strengthen the powers of the presi- have been issued,” Samsung said in a statement. dency means some uncertainties linger,” it said. “Today’s decision is a win for consumer choice and The implementation of pre-election spending com- puts competition back where it belongs — in the mar- mitments was expected to worsen the fiscal position in QFC CEO Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida and Chief Strategic and Business Development Officer Sheikh Salman ketplace, not in the courtroom.” 2016, with the central government deficit seen widen- Al Thani with trade delegation yesterday. Al Makki Kawan, Ambassador of Morocco in Qatar, and Antonio Apple originally filed the suit against Samsung in ing to 2 percent of GDP, it said. Turkey’s lira weakened Tanger, Ambassador of Portugal in Qatar, met with Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida and Sheikh Salman Al early 2012, accusing the South Korean consumer elec- nearly 2.5 percent to 3.0 against the dollar on Friday Thani to discuss ways to develop and promote bilateral ties between QFC and the two countries. tronics giant of infringing on an array of patents related ahead of the ratings review. to smartphones. Samsung denied it had done anything wrong and filed a countersuit saying that Apple had infringed on some of its patents. The number of patents involved was whittled down during the lengthy litigation process. QNB honours top e-learning performers Three Apple patents and two Samsung patents were at issue in the appeal ruled on Friday. Apple had sought some $2.2bn at trial, only to have The Peninsula programmes to help them meet their role-spe- a jury award the California-based company $119.6m. cific needs and help drive their careers further The panel of appeals court judges ruled that Sam- by imparting technical efficiency, advanced sung did not infringe on one of the Apple patents and skills and the ability to deal with every job that the remaining two, which involved auto-cor- DOHA: QNB recently held a ceremony to rec- requirement. rect and slide-to-unlock features, were not valid, ognise top e-learning performers during the QNB is keen to encourage more staff mem- nullifying the jury award, according to a copy of the year 2015. bers to sign up for such courses, which help decision. The ceremony, which was held to hon- fulfill their personal and professional ambitions The appeals court endorsed the jury’s decision our the achievements of 9 top QNB e-learning of furthering their skills and demonstrating the ordering Apple to pay Samsung $158,500 for infring- performers and saw the attendance of rep- high levels of performance the QNB Group is ing one of the South Korean company’s patents. resentatives from both QNB and malomatia, known for. The event opened with speeches Samsung in December paid smartphone rival Apple QNB’s e-learning partner, included the pres- by QNB’s senior management representatives, just over $548 million in a different years-long patent entation of certificates to the QNB employees, in which they praised the efforts of both the battle in federal court in California. That case has been followed by malomatia’s handing of a com- top performers and the QNB and malomatia appealed to the US Supreme Court. memorative gift to QNB to celebrate the strong e-learning teams, praising the cooperation with Arch-rivals Samsung and Apple decided in 2014 to partnership between the two organisations. malomatia, as well as the development of the drop all patent disputes outside the United States, mark- QNB’s distinguished e-learning programme e-learning services, and concluding by encour- ing a partial ceasefire in a seemingly relentless legal war is offered in cooperation with malomatia, the aging QNB staff to pursue e-learning to further between the world’s two largest smartphone makers. leading IT service provider in Qatar, committed their career development and skills. The companies have battled in close to a dozen to playing an integral role in the development of Nada al-Ansari, Executive Manager — QNB countries, with each accusing the other of infringing an advanced IT environment to help drive the Centers of Excellence, Sara Al Muhannadi, on various patents related to their flagship smartphone country’s growth as one of the region’s lead- Hemyan Al-Kuwari were among others who and tablet products. ing economies. addressed the event. But neither has managed to deliver a knock-out Through the e-learning portal, QNB’s QNB regularly holds Group Induction Pro- blow with a number of rulings going different ways, Learning and Development Center provides grams for its new Qatari employees for a faster and the announcement they agreed to drop all litigation the Bank’s employees with a comprehensive adaptation and integration within the Group’s outside the United States suggested a line was finally Top e-learning performers at the ceremony. range of bespoke training and development international network. being drawn. BUSINESS SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 23 UK might lose global position after Brexit: QNB

single market, its largest export des- immigration into the UK. Almost result in a downgrade of the UK’s rat- ease policy, this could result tination, accounting for 45 percent of half of total immigrants into the UK ing, leading to higher borrowing costs in even higher inflation. Even Brexit could hurt total exports. Brexit could also result come from EU countries. Brexit would for the government. Businesses are if they decide to pursue eas- exports as the UK in losing access to other markets reduce this flow of migrants, limiting likely to delay investment spending ier policy, the options might beyond the EU. The UK will need to the expansion of the UK labour force, and hiring decisions until there is be limited. With interest is likely to lose its negotiate new agreements with the 60 which would weaken the growth of more clarity on the outlook. UK house rates near zero, the poten- free access to the EU trading partners that currently have the economy. prices will be negatively impacted tial for monetary policy to be agreements with the EU. Again, Brexit is likely to result in by lower investments. Lower house eased further is constrained, single market. In is commentary “Economic a prolonged period of uncertainty, prices and the uncertain outlook even in the new world of consequences of Brexit’, QNB Group which would be damaging for the could drive consumers to save more negative interest rates . In yesterday noted Brexit could under- economy. One source of uncertainty and spend less. Furthermore, for- addition, with public debt mine the UK’s financial services is the lack of clarity about the UK’s eign investors would divest out of the at near 90 percent of GDP The Peninsula sector, which accounts for around 10 relationship with the EU during the UK, leading to capital outflows and and a government intent percent of total exports. separation negotiation period, which a depreciation of the pound. Indeed, on fiscal consolidation, the UK-authorised banks are likely to would take two years. A second sterling fell 3.2 percent in the 5 days capacity to ease fiscal pol- lose their EU “passport”, which allows source of uncertainty is the political after the referendum was announced. icy is limited. DOHA: A British exit from the EU, them to do business in any EU state ramifications of Brexit. The Prime Currency depreciation could then lead “The economic argu- “Brexit”, will lead to a renegotiation once they have set up shop in the UK. Minister will likely resign in the after- to high inflation. ments against Brexit are of the agreements on trade and free As a result, banks might move out of math, having campaigned for the UK The combination of slower growth substantial. The long-term economic the UK’s sovereignty. Brexit or not, movement of labour, which could be London to Frankfurt or Paris. The UK to remain in the EU. Scotland could and higher inflation created by Brexit impact of leaving the EU would most in the short-term, the referendum is damaging for the UK economy for a might therefore lose its position as a hold another referendum to leave the would cause a dilemma for UK pol- likely be negative for the UK. Instead, likely to cause considerable uncer- number of reasons. global leader for financial services. UK and stay within the EU. icymakers. If they decide to tighten the stronger arguments for Brexit are tainty. Consequently, UK growth is It could hurt exports as the UK is The QNB research note said exit- This uncertainty could prove dev- policy, they risk sending the economy more political in nature, revolving likely to slow during the first half of likely to lose its free access to the EU ing the EU would result in lower astating for the UK economy. It could into a recession. But if they decide to around the principle of maintaining this year.”

Mannai Corp Silatech supports youth economic empowerment in Yemen posts QR533m

The Peninsula net profit

The Peninsula DOHA: Silatech, the regional social organisation that works to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for young Arabs has DOHA: Mannai Corporation announced the completion of the reported a net profit of QR533m phase 2 of the Youth Economic on a group turnover of QR5.9 for Empowerment Project (YEEP), a pro- the full-year 2015. gramme led by the United Nations Alekh Grewal, Group Chief Development Programme (UNDP) Executive Officer and Director and the Government of Yemen with said “Qatar’s strong commitment the support of Silatech. to infrastructure development has The YEEP II project aimed at enabled us to report exceptional providing young Yemenis with results in our local businesses. employment in public works pro- Though, Group’s net profit is grams, leading to job and skills marginally ahead of last year, training, career guidance, entre- the reality is that core profit have preneurship assistance and job grown by 21 percent, taking into placement. Today 11,900 youth account that we did not have the individuals have directly benefited same level of ‘one off’ recoveries from YEEP’s intervention during from Damas restructuring activi- 2015, indirectly touching the lives ties which concluded in 2014”. of 83,300 family members with The Board recommended a improved livelihoods opportunities. dividend of 50 percent (QR 5.0 Participants at the Youth Economic Empowerment Project. Mohammed Al Naimi, Silatech per share) to the shareholders for CEO said:” We are delighted to approval at the company’s 9th have worked on shaping and deliv- independent evaluation found to be perspectives for unemployed youth project with contributions from economic and social development. Annual General Assembly. ering this initiative. It enabled us “highly relevant and timely in meet- to support the realisation of their full Silatech UNDP and SPARK as well Since being founded in 2008 by HH The Corporation’s annual gen- to expand the impact of its exist- ing the needs of a growing body of potential. The Tamheed test, the Youth as the Japanese, Korean and Dutch Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Silatech eral assembly will be held at the Al ing Yemen-based programming, vulnerable youth in Yemen.” Silatech Innovation and Creativity Award (Afkar governments. has supported and financed over Silia Ballroom, Grand Hyatt Hotel as well as test out a range of inno- has provided YEEP II with a substan- Award) and Career Guidance centers Silatech is a regional social ini- 120,000 youth-owned businesses, Doha at 4pm on Wednesday 23rd vative solutions which will serve to tial financial contribution, as well as have enabled the provision of much tiative that works to create jobs and connected over 200,000 young indi- March, 2016. increase job creation opportunities technical assistance in the areas of needed services. The current crisis has expand economic opportunities vidual to jobs. Silatech currently has for Yemeni youth.” enterprise development, access to placed an additional demand for con- for young Arabs. The organisation programs in 16 Arab countries, includ- YEEP II was built upon the suc- finance, career guidance and coun- tinuous assistance to youth and prevent promotes large-scale job creation, ing Algeria, Egypt, Comoros, Iraq, cess of an innovative year-long pilot seling, and job matching. radicalisation,” said Mikiko Tanaka, entrepreneurship, access to capital Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Morocco, Commercial Bank programme, supported by technical “The UNDP-Silatech partnership UNDP Yemen Country Director. and markets, and the participation Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Soma- assistance from Silatech, which an introduced a range of new tools and The Project is a multi-funded and engagement of young people in lia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. to sponsor entrepreneurship Berkshire Hathaway World needs to look beyond annual forum profit rises 32% in Q4 ultra-easy policy for growth: G20 The Peninsula DOHA: Commercial Bank yester- day announced its participation Reuters as platinum sponsor of the third Reuters edition of ‘Entrepreneurship in Economic Development Forum’ hosted by Qatar University in NEW YORK: Warren Buffett’s (pic- cooperation with Interactive Busi- tured) Berkshire Hathaway Inc SHANGHAI: The world’s top econ- ness Network. yesterday said fourth-quarter profit omies declared yesterday that they Held under the patronage of rose 32 percent, helped by improved need to look beyond ultra-low inter- the Prime Minister and Interior results in its insurance operations est rates and printing money to shake Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin and higher gains from investments the global economy out of its torpor, Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the and derivatives. while renewing their focus on struc- forum is an annual event being Net income rose to $5.48bn, tural reform to spark activity. held for the third time from March or $3,333 per Class A share, from A communique from the Group 7 to 8 in Doha. $4.16bn, or $2,529 per share, a year of 20 (G20) finance ministers and The forum acts as a regional earlier. Quarterly operating profit central bankers flagged a series platform to promote the concept rose 18 percent to $4.67bn, or $2,843 of risks to world growth, including of entrepreneurship among Qatar’s per share, from $3.96bn, or $2,412 it from a failing textile company volatile capital flows, a sharp fall in youth, as entrepreneurship is gen- per share. Analysts on average had into a conglomerate with roughly commodity prices and the potential erally recognised as a vital element forecast operating profit of $2,814 90 businesses in such areas as “shock” of a British exit from the EU. for economic development and an per share, according to Thomson insurance, railroads, energy, food, “The global recovery continues, engine for private sector growth Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue rose 7 per- apparel and real estate. The Omaha, but it remains uneven and falls short German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (centre) with two and diversification. cent to $51.82bn. Nebraska-based company also has of our ambition for strong, sustain- The Forum comes at a time participants at the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors Book value per share, which well over $100bn of equity invest- able and balanced growth,” said the when the role of the private sec- meeting in Shanghai yesterday. measures assets minus liabilities and ments, including American Express communique, issued at the end of a tor in Gulf economies is growing which Buffett considers a good yard- Co, Coca-Cola Co, IBM Corp, Kraft two-day meeting in Shanghai. “Mon- in relevance and significance, and stick for Berkshire’s intrinsic worth, Heinz and Wells Fargo & Co. etary policies will continue to support been included in earlier versions of Union,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack with it the need to encourage and rose 6.4 percent from a year earlier Berkshire ended the year with economic activity and ensure price the text, according a senior official Lew said after the meeting. The G20 promote the spirit and practice of to $155,501. $71.73bn in cash. It spent some of it stability ... but monetary policy alone who had seen various drafts, but was ministers agreed to use “all policy entrepreneurship in the region For all of 2015, profit rose 21 last month when it acquired indus- cannot lead to balanced growth.” added after British officials pressed tools – monetary, fiscal and struc- whether in business life, or on the percent to $24.08bn, or $14,656 per trial parts maker Precision Castparts Faltering growth and market for it. Britons will vote in June 23 ref- tural – individually and collectively” wider social and cultural sphere; share. It would have edged lower but Corp, Buffett’s largest acquisition. turbulence have exacerbated policy erendum on whether to remain in the to reach the group’s economic goals. particularly among the youth. for a gain from the merger that cre- Buffett also launched vigorous frictions between major economies European Union. Christine Lagarde, managing Abdulla Saleh Al Raisi, CEO of ated Kraft Heinz Co, Berkshire said. defences of a private equity firm and in recent months, and the statement “Our view is that it’s in the director of the IMF, said she sensed the Bank, said: “Commercial Bank Operating profit rose 5 percent to a mobile home unit that critics say also noted concerns over escalating national security and economic secu- renewed urgency among the group’s is pleased to sponsor this forum $17.36bn, or $10,564 per share. employ controversial business prac- geopolitical tensions and Europe’s rity of the United Kingdom, of Europe members for collective action, warn- as an initiative that fosters Qatar’s Buffett, 85, has run Berkshire for tices antithetical to Buffett’s own at refugee crisis. and of the United States for the United ing that without it there was a risk national development in support of nearly 51 years. He has transformed Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The reference to “Brexit” had not Kingdom to stay in the European that the recovery could derail. the Qatar National Vision 2030.” 24 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 BUSINESS Bailout to cut Bombardier’s CSeries jet stake

board, said the sources who spoke Canada is leaning toward match- on condition of anonymity because ing Quebec’s $1bn CSeries injection of Federal government the talks are confidential. Currently, funds through a deal that could give the is considering a deal Bombardier controls 50.5 percent of federal and provincial governments the CSeries and Quebec 49.5 percent. joint majority control of the 100-150 that would give Federal officials familiar with the seat jet program. The first of the jets, Canada, the Quebec situation stress it is too early to say the smaller version, is entering serv- government and whether a separate CSeries board ice in 2016 after years of delays and would be part of a bailout of Bom- cost overruns. Bombardier each a bardier. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau New jet programs typically take one-third stake has said his Liberal Party government years to sell and deliver enough planes would announce a decision before the to break even and recover sunk devel- in the CSeries. federal budget on March 22. opment costs. Such a deal would allow Mon- The federal government is not treal-based Bombardier to alter the expected to invest directly in Bom- way it accounts for the CSeries busi- bardier itself, as opposed to the CSeries Reuters ness, which is costing at least $5.4bn program, and there is no expected to develop and launch and which the change to the company’s dual class company doesn’t expect to generate structure that favors the founding Bom- returns for another four years or more. bardier-Beaudoin family, both sources MONTREAL/WASHINGTON: A pro- The proposed structure would have said. Within the government, there are posed Canadian government bailout of a positive effect on the parent compa- some concerns about the parent com- Bombardier Inc’s new CSeries jet man- ny’s cash flow and earnings per share pany’s shareholding structure, which A Bombardier CSeries100 aircraft is seen prior to a conference in Montreal. ufacturing programme would reduce for the next three to four years, said gives the family a roughly 54 percent the company’s stake in the money- one of the sources. voting stake, said a person familiar reason for its current problems. in a minority. “If we had a new player CSeries board should assuage federal losing aircraft, taking it off the plane The company has forecast 2016 with Ottawa’s approach. The found- The investment model, proposed joining us, we could imagine having concerns over the company’s govern- maker’s books and boosting results in revenue of $16.5bn to $17.5bn. Those ing family has pushed back against by Quebec and supported by Bom- seven board seats,” Daoust said. “The ance. The governments would act as the short-term, two sources familiar figures bake in anticipated revenue any changes to the company’s gov- bardier, would give the federal and new partner and us would control the shareholders and not participate in with the matter said. from about 10 CSeries jet deliveries ernance, he said. provincial governments a combined company. This is certainly a scenario the day-to-day operations of the plane The federal government is consid- this year, according to one analyst. A key member of the family, four seats — provided Canada matches that is being explored now, because we program, one of the sources said. The ering a deal that would give Canada, The loss of revenue because of decon- Bombardier’s previous Chief Execu- the province’s $1bn investment — on couldn’t imagine investing two-thirds deal would also allow Bombardier to the Quebec government and Bom- solidation would be more than offset tive Pierre Beaudoin, launched three the seven person CSeries board. of the funds and having a minority on buy back the governments’ shares in bardier each a one-third stake in the by a reduction in CSeries costs and its different plane programs at about the Bombardier itself would only be the decision-making front.” the CSeries at a later date, as is already CSeries, which would be carved out as cash burn rate in the parent compa- same time and the resulting drain- able to nominate three of the seats, Quebec has argued that the gov- the case with the agreement between a separate joint venture with its own ny’s accounts. ing of the company’s cash is a major putting the company’s representatives ernments’ majority position on the Bombardier and Quebec. Osborne warns of deeper spending cuts

Reuters with an appeal by the International of the year as more information comes fell short of the OBR’s forecast and left Monetary Fund to finance ministers in, we make sure that... Britain lives Osborne with more work to do as he attending a Group of 20 nations meet- within its means.” works towards his goal of a budget sur- ing in Shanghai this week. The IMF Finance spokesman for Britain’s plus by the end of the decade. LONDON: British Finance Minister urged countries to boost global demand main opposition Labour party John “We’ll set it out, if we need to, how George Osborne warned that he might through fiscal means. McDonnell said Osborne’s comments we’ll reduce spending, but the first place cut public spending more deeply than Osborne, who is considered a represented “total humiliation”. I look to is further efficiencies in gov- he previously planned after the coun- front-runner to replace Prime Min- “Far from paying our way, Osborne’s ernment,” Osborne said. try’s economic growth fell short of the ister David Cameron as the leader of short-term economics means Britain Britain has withstood the recent pace foreseen in his plans to wipe out Britain’s Conservative Party, has staked is deeper and deeper in hock to the ructions in the global economy so far. the country’s budget deficit. his reputation on turning the country’s rest of the world,” he said. But a sharp fall in consumer confidence Osborne, due to make an annual still large budget deficit into a surplus Britain’s economy expanded by 2.2 this month could be a bad omen given budget statement on March 16, said by the end of the decade. percent in 2015, according to official the country’s reliance on household official growth figures announced on “(We) may need to undertake fur- data, weaker than growth of 2.4 percent spending to drive growth. Thursday showed Britain’s economy ther reductions in spending because which was penciled into the forecasts Some economists argue that was smaller than he had hoped for. this country can only afford what it can of the Office for Budget Responsibility Osborne should use record low lev- He also said in an interview with afford and we will address that in the which underpin Osborne’s budget plans. els of government borrowing costs BBC television that “storm clouds” had budget,” Osborne told the BBC during a The latest figures for nominal gross to fund investment and stimulate the British Finance Minister George Osborne and Alibaba Group CEO Daniel gathered over the global economy and visit to Shanghai for the G20 meeting. domestic product — a key metric for economy as the global outlook dark- could hurt Britain further. “I think everyone accepts that things government debt when expressed as a ens, rather than cut public spending Zhang walk at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on Friday. Osborne’s comments stood at odds have got more difficult since the start percentage of economic output — also further.

$90bn Honeywell bid too low: United Venezuela in advanced talks for Global regulators Technologies $5bn loan: Central bank chief may propose rules NEW YORK: United Technologies chief executive Gregory Hayes said Reuters that Honeywell’s recent $90bn offer for the industrial group “grossly for fintech: FSB undervalues” the company. Hayes reiterated his rejection CARACAS: Venezuela is in advanced of the last week’s bid after Honey- talks for a $5bn loan from interna- well revealed the details publicly tional banks and investment funds, Reuters year partly reflect weaker growth for the first time on Friday, includ- the head of the central bank said on prospects. Banking shares have come ing the price it had proposed. Friday, potentially providing an influx under pressure, reflecting concerns Honeywell offered the equiv- of cash for the Opec member coun- that lenders have to do more to adjust alent of $108 a share in cash and try, which faces heavy debt payments LONDON: Global regulators may their long-term business models to a stock for United Technologies in this year. propose rules to prevent “fintech” lower growth, lower nominal inter- a proposal to bring together two The operation would provide $3bn innovations from destabilising the est rate environment, Carney said. major players in the aerospace and in liquidity for the government and broader financial system, the G20’s Carney said the FSB will report industrial technology industry with $2bn to finance a gold mining joint Financial Stability Board said yes- in September on whether there has a combined $97bn in annual sales. venture with Canada’s Gold Reserve terday. FSB Chairman Mark Carney been a reduction in market liquid- Honeywell said a tie-up could Inc, Nelson Merentes, the central bank said in a letter to central bankers and ity and, if so, its extent, drivers and result in $3.5bn in annual cost sav- president, said in an interview. finance ministers from the Group of likely persistence. ings, lower margins and stronger Venezuela and Gold Reserve signed 20 economies meeting in Shanghai Banks and central bankers have earnings growth. a memorandum of understanding to that assessing the systemic implica- locked horns over why liquidity in sec- Hayes originally nixed the deal jointly develop the Las Brisas and Las tions of fintech innovations would ondary bond markets has thinned, on Monday, saying it would not pass Cristinas gold mines, ending an arbi- Venezuela’s Central Bank President Nelson Merentes gestures while he form part of the task force’s core pol- with bankers blaming tougher regula- muster with antitrust regulators tration dispute. “We hope within a speaks during an interview at the headquarters of the Bank in Caracas. icy work this year. tion introduced by the FSB and others because the two compete in many month to constitute the company, and It marks the first time that regu- since the 2007-09 financial crisis. areas. He reiterated that position in parallel we are seeking the loan,” concerned that Venezuela or state oil cash on hand as of the end of Sep- lators at the global level have begun Central bankers say much of the on Friday, saying the company Merentes said. “I can’t say for sure if company PDVSA could default this tember. In its third-quarter results it scrutinising fintech, a sector that heavier liquidity in markets before the believes regulators would likely it will be in a month, in two months. year, pushing the country’s bond yields warned of “substantial doubt about includes blockchain, the distrib- crisis was “illusory” with insufficient block the merger. Or if they did But it will definitely be this year. We to the highest level of any emerging the company’s ability to continue as uted ledger technology underpinning evidence so far to show that some not, he said, “the regulatory delay, are moving quickly.” market nation. Venezuela’s interna- a going concern.” bitcoin that proponents say could rad- of the new rules need rolling back. required divestitures, and customer Gold Reserve was not immedi- tional reserves fell to a 17-year low of Banks have been leery of funding ically change payments systems. Linked to the liquidity issue is concerns and concessions would ately available for comment. $13.5bn on Friday after the govern- the advanced projects of major play- So far regulators have been tread- a worry that asset managers could ultimately destroy shareholder value Merentes said the loan would be ment paid in full its $1.5bn Global 2016 ers in the sector, and precious metal ing carefully as countries such as not cope with heavy redemptions, or far beyond any synergies.” repaid with gold produced from the bond, according to central bank data. exploration companies have largely Britain are wary of crimping a sec- investors pulling money out of bond But he also argued that the offer mines, which would serve as the guar- Merentes vowed Venezuela would fallen out of favor with investors, stung tor that is still tiny compared with funds en masse. was too low. antee for the loan. A spokeswoman for meet all debt commitments, adding by the extended slide in bullion prices. banking, but could create many new “We have prioritised work to ana- “Honeywell’s proposal grossly Gold Reserve declined to comment, that authorities were willing to use Merentes confirmed that the cen- jobs in future. “The regulatory frame- lyse structural vulnerabilities in asset undervalues UTC and overstates saying that the company planned to instruments such as oil or gold war- tral bank has been carrying out gold work must ensure that it is able to management activities and to identify potential synergies. Effectively issue a statement in the “near future.” rants in efforts to refinance. “These are swaps, financial operations in which manage any systemic risks that may risks that may merit policy responses Honeywell’s proposal is a lever- Merentes said banks from Ger- commodities that can be sold in the central banks receive cash from finan- arise from technological change with- in four areas,” Carney said. aged buyout of UTC using UTC’s many, Canada and China had come future or in the present,” he said. “We cial institutions in exchange for lending out stifling innovation,” Carney said. The FSB, which sets global stand- own strong balance sheet.” to Caracas to participate in a govern- are going to continue doing modern gold during a specific period of time. The FSB will discuss its findings ards implemented by G20 member United Technologies shares had ment-sponsored mining sector event. financial architecture to seek liquidity.” “It’s normal, all central banks do in March and consider its next steps, countries, will issue policy recom- risen for two days amid speculation It was not immediately clear whether Obtaining the financing may be this,” he said, adding that the opera- he added. Carney, who is also Gover- mendations in September after looking a deal was still possible, and after these banks would be involved in pro- difficult given that Gold Reserve is tions have time frames of three to four nor of the Bank of England, said the at leverage in funds, and their oper- its announcement Friday they fell viding the loan. a tiny exploration company with no years with multiple banks, which he more difficult economic and finan- ational risks and securities lending to $97.00, down 1.1 percent. Investors have grown more assets in production. It had $2.2m in did not identify. cial conditions since the start of this activities. BUSINESS SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 25

Budget to chart Petrobras agrees to $10bn financing deal Indian rupee’s next course

“It would be interesting to see — what kind of fiscal deficit targets are Market participants projected and expenditure limits the are hopeful that the government sets out in the budget,” Banerjee added. central government In addition, investors will may increase look out for any positive budget- expenditure, ary announcements and news on expected banking sector reforms. announce tax Market participants are hope- concessions and pave ful that the central government may increase expenditure, announce tax the way to reduce concessions and pave the way to the NPAs (non- reduce the NPAs (non-performing assets) levels of the banking sector. performing assets) Other currency analysts pre- levels of the banking dicted that the outcome of the two-day G20 finance ministers’ meet sector. in Shanghai, China will have some bearing on the rupee’s movements. “Any positive outcome or uplift- ing statement will trigger a relief IANS rally in the equity markets which A worker paints a tank of Petrobras oil company in Brasilia. Brazil’s state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, said that might even spill over to the cur- rency markets,” a currency analyst it had agreed on the terms of a deal to obtain $10bn in financing from China Development Bank. said from New Delhi. MUMBAI: Budget proposals cou- Even the interest of foreign pled with global cues are expected to investors in the country’s equity and chart the course of the Indian rupee bond markets will set the tone for the during the upcoming week, experts Indian rupee. said yesterday. On a weekly basis, the rupee Citigroup Inc Currency analysts singled out weakened by 15 paise to 68.62 (Feb- China’s new economy leads the Union Budget as the single most ruary 26) against a US dollar from its faces fraud important factor for the rupee in the previous close of 68.47 (February 18). upcoming week. The weakness in the rupee’s suit claiming The Union Budget 2016-17 will value indicates a massive outflow to export slump in Asia be tabled in parliament tomorrow. of foreign funds from the equity and This will be the key driver for not debt markets. $1.1bn in losses only currency markets but equities The National Securities Deposi- as well. tory Limited (NSDL) figures showed Bloomberg “I’m afraid headwinds may continue isn’t expected to improve much in the “The rupee is expected to main- that the FPIs (Foreign Portfolio this year. Slower growth in China is short run, owing to several factors. Bloomberg tain a downward trajectory over the Investors) sold Rs6,763.11 crore or the biggest risk as the main market “Korean exporters are coming short-term. The Union Budget can $986.13m in the equity and debt for all those industries is China.” under pressure from softer global either arrest the downward trend markets from February 22-26. SEOUL: The South Korean city of The export malaise isn’t unique to demand and rising competition in NEW YORK: Citigroup Inc was or accelerate it,” Anindya Banerjee, Data with stock exchanges dis- Ulsan, perched on the peninsula’s South Korea. Across Asia, shipments China, and this was likely exacer- sued for fraud by a Mexican oil associate vice president for currency closed that the FPIs divested stocks southeastern tip, has long been a are tumbling — in some cases at dou- bated this month by the lunar new services firm’s investors and credi- derivatives with Kotak Securities, said. worth Rs3,841.63 crore during the proxy for the health of the nation’s ble-digit rates. In January, Japanese year holiday period,” Emily Dabbs, a tors over claims they were harmed “The important things that will week under review. export-driven economy. overseas sales fell 12.9 percent from Sydney-based economist at Moody’s by a loan scheme that led the bank determine the rupee’s next move- According to Hemal Doshi, Home to the world’s biggest a year earlier and China’s dropped Analytics, said in. “Low global com- to cut 2013 profit by $235m and fire ments will be the quality of numbers chief currency strategist, Geofin auto-manufacturing plant, a major 11.2 percent. modity prices have also kept a lid on at least a dozen people. that the budget comes out with.” Comtrade: “USD/INR spot is facing shipyard and a large oil refinery, While some of this can be attrib- the import bill, with softer domestic The bank’s actions caused Banerjee cited the fiscal def- resistance near 68.80/85 levels. A Ulsan has been a key engine of one uted to falling prices for commodities demand likely adding to the decline investors including Rabobank icit targets and the level of capital close above 68.85 will lead to a rally of Asia’s postwar growth stories. and energy, much of the decline is this month.” Groep as well as creditors of the expenditure’s fund allocation as key towards 69.20/30.” “Till that time, Now, the city is being held up pinned on China’s economy, which Creeping trade barriers also are Mexican firm, Oceanografia SA, themes which will be closely moni- we can expect spot to move lower as an example of something much last year grew at the slowest pace in posing obstacles. Simon Evenett, a to lose at least $1.1bn, accord- tored by traders. towards 68.45 and then 68.30.” less favourable — how a deepen- a quarter century. professor focusing on international ing to a complaint on Friday in ing export slump is crimping South As about 68 percent of South trade at the University of St. Gallen, Miami federal court. Rabobank Korea’s $1.2 trillion economy. With Korea’s shipments to China are of estimates 476 trade distortions were and other investors also filed a China as its biggest trading partner, intermediary goods, a downturn introduced by governments last year. separate negligence suit in state Korea’s export crunch is sending a in the Chinese economy squeezes Still, even as exports have court in Delaware against audi- Total case hearing tomorrow warning shot to the world about the demand for Korean exports. slumped in Korea, Asia’s fourth- tor KPMG LLP. risks of slower growth in its neigh- Because China is exporting less of largest economy posted 2.6 percent Citigroup said in February bour’s economy. the goods it makes, the world’s big- growth in 2015. The government and 2014 that its Mexican subsidiary, Shipments from Ulsan in 2015 gest trading nation is also buying less the Bank of Korea both forecast that Banamax, made bogus loans to sank to $75.6bn, the lowest level since of the materials needed for its sup- the country’s economy will expand Oceanografia secured by promises 2010. The city’s chamber of com- ply chain. at least 3 percent this year. that state-run Petroleos Mexica- merce responded by freezing some Part of the problem is structural: There are a few bright spots in nos, or Pemex, would repay the of their employees’ salaries for a sec- China wants to shift its growth model Asia: Singapore’s economy grew more bank for work the oil-services ond year to “share the pain” being from one centered on manufacturing than estimated last quarter as a gain firm performed. The Oceanografia felt at its member companies across to more of a focus on services and in services outweighed weaker man- investors claim Citigroup con- sectors including shipbuilding, auto consumption. ufacturing and exports. Fast-growing spired with the company to accept manufacturing and petrochemicals. Korea isn’t affected only by Vietnam continues to avoid the falsified work estimates even as Take Korean cars: Shipments fell China’s slower growth. Other big regional trend. the oil services firm became 21.5 percent in January from a year customers like the US and Europe And some economists say things increasingly dependent on the earlier, an even sharper decline than are importing less, too. “Developed may bounce back soon. Prospects bank’s cash advances. the month’s 18.8 percent drop in total markets such as the EU and the US that China’s economy will recover “Intentional misconduct on the exports. are gradually grinding higher in coupled with rising wages and loose part of Wall Street banks — includ- A general view of the site at the Total petrochemicals plant in “With the big three sectors of terms of growth but they are not as monetary and fiscal policy in Asia ing Citigroup specifically — is far Carling, eastern France, where an explosion killed two people, Ulsan all in a slump, subcontractors responsive to imports due to chang- likely will stoke domestic demand from unfamiliar,” according to the injuring five and left others buried under rubble on July 15, to some of the big companies closed ing consumption patterns in goods,” around the region. Expectations are complaint. “Yet again, greed and 2009. Total petrochemicals and the former plant director will their businesses,” said Choi Jin Hyeok, said Trinh Nguyen, an economist at growing that central banks in China, dishonesty have victimised blame- go on trial tomorrow in Sarreguemines court. research team leader at the Ulsan Natixis Asia Ltd. India, Thailand and elsewhere may less businesses and investors.” Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The outlook for exports in Korea lower interest rates this year. Citigroup has said in regula- tory filings that it’s cooperating with an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Com- mission and a Justice Department request for information about the Sotheby’s sees ‘significant loss’ as sales drop fraud that the bank discovered in 2014 involving Oceanografia. Mexican authorities seized Oce- Bloomberg quarters ahead. On Thursday, the to cool off amid roiling financial mar- Sotheby’s shares have lost 48 for as much as $85m on January 11 anografia in February 2014, later company said two top art execu- kets. Smith, a former top executive at percent in the past 12 months, com- to boost sales. The company’s co- opening a criminal investigation tives will leave the firm. Barrington Madison Square Garden Co., has made pared with a 7.7 percent decline in the founders, Amy Cappellazzo and Allan and granting it protection from Research cut its rating on the shares several top-level hires while cutting Standard & Poor’s 500 Index of US Schwartzman, joined Sotheby’s sen- creditors. NEW YORK: Sotheby’s, the auction- to market perform from outperform, jobs through buyouts. equities. The stock fell 6.8 percent to ior management as co-chairmen of a The complaint includes claims eer that’s undergoing a management citing a slowing art market, senior tal- Full-year net auction sales close at $22.74 in New York. new fine art division that comprises that the bank violated the Rack- shakeup under pressure from activ- ent departures and concern about the declined 3 percent to $5.02bn in 2015. The shakeup of top-level staff has departments including Impressionist, eteer Influenced and Corrupt ist hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, company’s long-term financial goals. Sales so far this quarter are at levels intensified since November, when modern and contemporary art. Organization Act and engaged in forecast a significant first-quarter “There appears to be a mass exo- “that fall somewhere between 2012 Smith offered the buyouts to employ- The heads of these departments fraud while breaching its fiduciary loss amid a decline in auction sales. dus at the senior management level and 2013,” Smith said during the call. ees. On Thursday, the company said now report to Cappellazzo and duty. It seeks compensatory and First-quarter sales are down 33 with the departures of some key tal- The company last quarter booked Alex Rotter, the global co-head of the Schwartzman. Cappellazzo previ- punitive damages. percent so far this year, at $438m, ent, which we believe could result in an after-tax charge of $23.6m related contemporary art department who ously spent 13 years in high-ranking Oceanografia’s cash advance the company said on Friday on a a loss of important relationships and to employee buyouts as well as a has been with Sotheby’s since 2000, jobs at Christie’s. requests were subject to a two- conference call, after reporting a business,” Barrington analyst Kristine $65.7m non-cash expense related will leave at the end of this month. Smith, talking about the changes step approval process by Citigroup fourth-quarter net loss of $11.2 mil- Koerber said in a report on Friday. At to the repatriation of foreign earn- Also, David Norman, vice chair- he made, said the departures of top to verify that documents submitted lion. The shares fell the most in two the same time, Sotheby’s is faced with ings. Price guarantees that Sotheby’s man of Sotheby’s Americas and specialists weren’t unexpected. by the oil services firm accurately weeks. “The market is a little tighter more “price sensitive” bidders and a provided to the estate of its former co-chairman of Impressionist and “The dislocations as a result of reflected the terms of its contracts on consignments as people are in a lackluster market for high-end art, Chairman A. Alfred Taubman to sell modern art worldwide, is leaving that are largely what I have expected,” with Pemex, according to the com- wait-and-see mode,” Chief Executive she wrote. its collection also weighed on fourth- after 31 years. Smith said on Friday. “They are invar- plaint. With respect to at least 166 Tad Smith said. Loeb has pushed the company quarter earnings. The auction house The latest departures follow iably a bit noisy. We didn’t want them cash requests, Citigroup didn’t sat- Smith, who took the helm in since 2013 to become more profita- guaranteed his heirs $515m to win Sotheby’s acquisition of the 2-year- of course, but they are what we isfy either step, according to the March 2015, predicted “difficult” ble, well before the art market started the trove. old private firm Art Agency Partners predicted.” complaint. 26 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 BUSINESS US oil explorers idle rigs as world looks for shale cuts

Bloomberg that US output has declined. have been hearing, but this talk con- “We’ve attracted a lot of length strategist in Seattle at US Bank Wealth Meanwhile, oil capped the biggest tinues to be rewarded by the market.” into the market,” said Gene McGillian, Management, which oversees $128bn Explorers parked weekly gain since August amid signs Crude is still down about 11 per- a senior analyst and broker at Tradi- of assets. “We’re heading in the right more drilling rigs in of strengthening US fuel demand and cent this year on concern a worldwide tion Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. direction and production should be NEW YORK: Explorers parked more speculation that some producers will surplus will be prolonged because “I don’t see prices moving above $35 down substantially more a couple drilling rigs in US oilfields as the rest US oilfields as the complete an accord to freeze output. of rising US stockpiles, which have as long as we have more than 500 months out.” of the world looks to shale producers rest of the world Crude rose 11 percent for the week swelled to the highest level in more million barrels of crude in storage ExxonMobil Corp may lose its to arrest the worst crude downturn in after data on February 24 showed US than eight decades. Iran has pledged here, US production remains above top-notch credit rating from Moody’s 30 years with more cutbacks. looks to shale petrol demand rose as supplies fell. to increase shipments by as much as 9 million barrels a day, no producers Investors Service as the oil-market Rigs targeting oil in the US fell by producers to arrest Producers are deciding where to meet 1 million barrels a day after sanctions are cutting back and Iran is intent on collapse imperils cash flow needed another 13 to 400, after more than 100 the worst crude in March for discussions on the output were lifted last month, and officials reaching pre-sanctions levels.” to cover payments to shareholders were idled since the start of the year, freeze provisionally agreed between there dismissed the prospect of join- Petrol demand climbed as US and investment in new discoveries. Baker Hughes Inc said on its web- downturn in 30 years Saudi Arabia and Russia last week, ing the output freeze. pump prices lingered near a seven- Oil services provider Halliburton site on Friday. The report marks the with more cutbacks. Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio West Texas Intermediate for April year low. Consumption advanced Co announced it would cut another 10th straight week of declines in the Del Pino said on the TeleSur televi- delivery slipped 29 cents to settle at 1.8 percent to 9.06 million barrels 5,000 staff, or 8 percent of its remain- number of working rigs. Natural gas sion network. Prices dropped in late $32.78 a barrel on the New York Mer- a day through February 19, aver- ing global workforce, to survive the rigs gained by 1 to 102, bringing the idling rigs since October 2014 as the trading on Friday as the dollar rose, cantile Exchange. Prices touched aged over four weeks, according to downturn. total down by 12 to 502. world’s largest crude suppliers battle curbing investor appetite for com- $34.69 earlier, the highest level since Energy Information Administration The supply cap agreed with Texas took the brunt of the week’s for market share. Despite the cut- modities priced in the U.S. currency. January 28. data. Consumption was up 5.2 per- Saudi Arabia will need to be in place cuts. The Eagle Ford Shale in South backs, US production has remained “There are a lot of nervous shorts Brent for April settlement slipped cent from the same period last year. for a minimum of 12 months to sup- Texas idled 8 rigs, bringing the total stubbornly high as new techniques out there and they are reacting to 19 cents to $35.10 a barrel on the Crude production fell by 33,000 port prices, Russian Energy Minister working in the region to 41. One that increase efficiency keep the oil these comments about an Opec meet- London-based ICE Futures Europe barrels a day to 9.1 million last week, Alexander Novak said on Thursday. rig was idled in the Permian Basin. flowing. ing with Russia,” said John Kilduff, a exchange. Prices rose 6.3 percent for the lowest since October, accord- Iran, seeking to boost exports after Rigcounts in the D-J Niobrara and Production fell by 33,000 barrels partner at Again Capital LLC, a New the week. The European benchmark ing to EIA data. “We’re in the midst sanctions were lifted, said the deal Williston Basin were both unchanged. a day to 9.14 million, the lowest since York- based hedge fund that focuses crude closed at a $2.32 premium to of a downturn in production,” said is “ridiculous,” while Iraq said a pact America’s oil drillers have been October. It was the fifth straight week on energy. “It’s a repetition of what we WTI, the most since December 10. Rob Haworth, a senior investment hinges on unified support.

Japan’s inflation rate falls Investors mull Baltic Exchange in options in a negative-rate talks over sale world

Reuters has been received, but when con- Bloomberg sidering any approach the board will first carefully consider the views and interests of all its stake- NEW YORK: With volatile glo- LONDON/SINGAPORE: The Bal- holders,” Baltic Exchange chairman bal financial markets, and more tic Exchange confirmed that it had Guy Campbell said in the statement. central banks turning to nega- received a number of “exploratory Clearing houses and exchanges tive interest rates, it can be hard approaches” after the Singapore are all looking for a way to become to think of a reliable place for your Exchange Ltd revealed it was seek- more profitable at a time of growing money these days. ing to buy the business which has regulatory scrutiny and weak com- Economic weakness around been the hub of the global shipping modities markets. the globe has weighed on US market for centuries. Analysts said a deal would be a growth, but Federal Reserve offi- Reuters exclusively reported on good fit for SGX, which has struggled cials have repeatedly said that Thursday that the Baltic Exchange had to attract large IPOs and boost daily pushing interest rates below zero held talks with SGX and other poten- stock turnover but has a fast-grow- here is still premature. Chair Janet tial buyers, months after sources had ing derivatives business. Yellen said the central bank is re- said the London Metals Exchange “In our view, the rationale for examining negative rates as a (LME) made an approach to buy it. owning the information and key policy tool if the economy stalls. “The Baltic Exchange confirms index provider in the shipping mar- In Japan, the eurozone, Swit- that it has received a number of ket makes sense especially given zerland, and other countries that exploratory approaches and that it Singapore’s position as a trading have adopted sub-zero interest is now in confidential discussions hub, SGX’s dominance of the iron rates, banks are charged for park- with selected third parties regarding ore contract and efforts to develop ing their cash reserves at central its future strategy and ownership,” LNG trading,” Morgan Stanley ana- banks. The idea is to force them it said in a statement. “There can lysts said in a report. to lend more of it out to consum- be no certainty that an offer will “We see the potential for SGX to ers, with the hope to spur spending be made or the terms on which any develop more products if it were to and stimulate growth. The worry offer might be made.” own Baltic Exchange,” they said. is banks would pass the associated SGX said in a statement on Friday Other potential bidders for the costs onto borrowers. that it had submitted a non-binding Baltic include CME Group , ICE and So how can investors protect bid for the acquisition of the Baltic, Platts, sources told Reuters earlier. their money in this environment? which sources had previously esti- All three declined to comment. It was Here are some thoughts from a few mated could be worth some £84m unclear whether any talks had been investment strategists. Gold Bul- ($117m). Talks were in a preliminary initiated by the Baltic or its suitors. lion’s zero yield shines relative to stage, SGX said. There had also been contact other money-losing assets. Gold is A possible purchase by SGX between the Baltic and the London up 15 percent this year at $1,219 an would shore up the Southeast Stock Exchange, which has a major- ounce amid concerns that central Asian exchange operator’s deriva- ity stake in clearing house LCH. bankers are losing their grip on the tives business. The Baltic, founded in Clearnet, sources said this week. global economy. 1744, is owned by around 380 share- This is unlikely to progress given “Gold obviously doesn’t pay a holders, many from the shipping the possible merger between Deut- dividend but at the same time, it industry. It produces daily bench- sche Boerse and the LSE announced doesn’t devalue either with regard mark rates and indices that are used this week, however. People buy vegetables and fruits from a street vendor in Tokyo. Japan’s inflation rate fell to zero in to itself,” said Axel Merk, presi- across the world to trade and settle The LSE declined to comment. January, government data showed, in another blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-year attempt dent and chief investment officer freight contracts. The Baltic had previously rebuffed to put an end to years-long battle with falling prices. of Merk Investments LLC, whose “At this stage, no formal offer approaches from the LME. fund owns physical gold. While the price of the precious metal can rise and fall in international markets, said Merk, a central bank can’t debase it and its purchasing power Tin defies commodity slump on back of Indonesian export cuts isn’t reduced through inflation. Despite the naysayers, cash is still king. A Bank of America Mer- rill Lynch fund-manager survey Reuters - dropped 5.2 percent year-on-year output is forecast to fall 3 percent this from earlier this month showed in December, according to the Semi- year after a decline of 8 percent in that global investors are sitting conductor Industry Association. 2015, resulting in a global deficit of on the highest levels of cash since It has been a sharp turnaround 10,000-15,000 tonnes, he added. November 2001. Money-market LONDON/MELBOURNE: Tin is defy- for tin. Prices were languishing at However tin prices are likely to be funds have been a parking spot ing the downdraft sweeping commodity six-and-a-half year lows in January pressured in the coming weeks and for most of that cash, but things markets, with prices for the metal used before Indonesian exports fell by 63 months, partly from the rising pro- could get tricky if rates move into to solder electronics surging this year percent after authorities tightened duction in Myanmar. Chinese imports negative territory in the US. thanks to reduced production in major export rules and launched new audits from the nation jumped 240 percent The Japanese would also know exporter Indonesia. of smelters, helping to trigger the rally. in January, although analysts said it more about storing cash under the Prices of many commodities, They hit a peak of $16,200 a tonne was uncertain that such high levels mattress. After the country’s 2011 ranging from base metals to oil, have on Tuesday, their strongest level since could be sustained. earthquake, tsunami and nuclear been hammered by oversupply and October, following news that major “We saw the run-up in prices disaster, the national police agency concerns about weakening demand Indonesian tin smelter PT Refined on that tin smelter shutting down, recovered thousands of safes con- in top raw materials consumer China. Bangka Tin (RBT) would be scrapped. but then we got the data showing taining approximately $30m in But tin has bucked the trend, Smelters process ore into refined metal. huge imports from Myanmar, which cold, hard cash. buoyed by the Indonesian cuts, which LME tin inventories have fallen seemed to compensate for any loss out When cash outgrows mat- have countered slowing demand in to 3,850 tonnes, their lowest since of Indonesia,” said Robin Bhar, head tresses, real estate is another the electronics sector and helped push November 2008, indicating shortages of metals research at Societe Gene- alternative, according to Jeff down exchange stockpiles of the metal are below 4,000 tonnes ... has attracted Caroline Bain, senior commodity on the market. Industry group ITRI rale in London. Sica, who helps oversee $1.5bn as to their lowest levels since 2008. funds again,” said a tin trader at a glo- economic at consultancy Capital Eco- said flooding in a major tin-producing The LME stocks picture is also founder and president of Circle It has been the best performer on bal trading house in Europe. “I won’t nomics, predicted prices would reach region on Indonesia was expected to not the whole story on inventories, Squared Alternative Investments the London Metal Exchange (LME) this be surprised to see the price rallying $17,000 by the end of 2016, helped by further reduce exports from the coun- warned Capital Economics’ Bain. in Morristown, New Jersey. year, rising about 10 percent to around to $18,000.” Many industry experts say a pick-up in demand from the elec- try in February. A plea by Chinese tin producers to US commercial-property prices $16,000 a tonne, against a largely flat the rally could run out of steam in the tronics sector - which accounts for “Recently we’ve been surveying the government to stockpile tin also have surged since the recession, index of six industrial metals and a coming weeks or months, however, around half of global consumption the individual tin producing compa- implied excess stocks there, she with values in cities such as San drop in the Thomson Reuters/Core partly due to surging tin output from of tin, used as solder to fuse together nies on their output and pretty much added. “We do expect tin prices to Francisco and New York exceed- Commodity CRB Index of 10 percent. Myanmar - though they expect prices circuitry components. everybody is reporting lower pro- pick up by the end of this year, but ing the 2007 peak, according to an “The fact that (Indonesia) has to resume their uptrend towards the Global semiconductor sales - a duction,” said Peter Kettle, markets people are right to be cautious about index by Moody’s Investors Service reduced their yearly exports, stocks end of the year. barometer for electronics demand manager at ITRI. Global refined tin how tight the tin market really is.” and Real Capital Analytics Inc. BUSINESS VIEWS SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 27

The jungle of $2trn Mexico’s once mighty Pemex ETF market is oil firm faces bleak future getting even denser

By Annie Massa and beginning of the day, but ETFs that Matthew Leising held them did, effectively unteth- Bloomberg ering the funds from the value of their holdings. A total of 12 investment man- he $2 trillion market for US agers including Hartford Funds, exchange- traded funds is Pioneer Investments, Gabelli Tgrowing more opaque even Funds and Victory Capital have as regulators warn the asset agreed to sponsor similar ETFs class is already too complicated with the NextShares brand. for some investors. Eaton Vance “We’re not trying to develop Corp began offering a new type product for the sake of develop- of ETF on Friday — called Eaton ing product,” said Stephen Clarke, Vance Stock NextShares — that president of NextShares. “We’re only reveals its underlying assets trying to deliver better results to monthly, rather than the daily dis- investors in active strategies.” closure that’s common in the rest Elisabeth Kashner, director of of the industry. Soon, that lag will ETF research at FactSet Research get longer, as other fund issuers Systems Inc., called the new asset plan ETFs that discuss holdings class “a solution in search of a only every quarter. problem.” She added: “If you’re in Separately, investors can now ETF investor, the payoff is unclear.” trade ETFs privately, outside the New ways to trade ETFs are view of regulators, on Tradeweb sprouting up, too. Tradeweb Markets. The ETF market has is sidestepping the “E” in ETF exploded in size, jumping 2 ½ by letting clients buy or sell times in value since the end of US exchange-traded funds in 2009. Even before these Eaton private electronic auctions. Over- Vance and Tradeweb innova- the- counter trading of ETFs is tions, US officials were already common in Europe, where mar- worried the business lacks suffi- kets are more fragmented than in cient transparency. Cracks in the the US, and Tradeweb has offered system were revealed on August this service there since 2012. 24, when many equities didn’t Whereas ETFs began as a A view of the structures used to process oil at state-owned petroleum company Pemex refinery in Tula, Hidalgo State, Mexico. open for trading, yet the ETFs that way for retail investors to gain hold them did, causing confusion exposure to asset classes that are among investors about their value. typically meant for more sophis- by Laurent Thomet company’s board for its approval on Friday. Kara Stein, a US Securities ticated traders institutional AFP While the areas facing the ax have not been and Exchange Commissioner, ear- investors now want more access made public, the company’s goal is to ensure lier this month expressed concern to the funds, said Adam Gould, that production is not harmed. that the ETF market has already Tradeweb’s head of US equity exico’s state-run firm The board could propose changes to the become too difficult for retail derivatives who oversees its US Pemex is bracing for mas- cuts and the final decision will be made pub- investors to understand. ETF platform. Similar to block sive budget cuts as it battles lic tomorrow, when the company releases its “I fear that the risk presented trades, the electronic auction to avoid a bleak future mired 2015 financial results. President Enrique Pena by some of these new products lets a user put up to five dealers in in tumbling oil prices, falling The figures will give an idea of the grav- Nieto has implemented may not be fully understood competition for a larger-sized deal Mproduction and rampant fuel thefts. ity of the former monopoly’s problems. In by those who have invested in than they could get on the New President Enrique Pena Nieto has imple- the third quarter of 2015, it reported losses an energy reform that them,” Stein said at a conference York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. mented an energy reform that ended the of $10.2bn, nearly three times worse than ended the company’s in Washington, speaking gen- “That results in better pric- company’s seven-decade monopoly of the the same period in 2014. erally about new ETFs. “Indeed, ing” for investors, Gould said. Yet energy industry but also sought to inject new Pemex had done its budget based on seven-decade monopoly even plain-vanilla, equity index because the auctions bring two life into Pemex through partnerships with prices of $50 per barrel, but they have since of the energy industry ETFs may present risks that are individual investors together for private firms. fallen by half, forcing the company to reduce not always anticipated or fully a private trade, they aren’t consid- But the company’s coffers have been spending. Production, meanwhile, has fallen but also sought to inject understood, as evidenced by the ered alternative trading systems emptied by the collapse of global oil prices, steadily from a peak of 3.4 million barrels new life into Pemex events of August 24.” by the SEC, so they face no gov- its inability to raise production and the wide- per day in 2004 to 2.2 million barrels per through partnerships The Eaton Vance fund works ernment oversight. spread theft of pipeline fuel by drug cartels. day late last year. like an actively managed mutual Tradeweb is majority-owned “Pemex is obviously in a critical situation Pemex has also discovered thousands with private firms. fund: Owners of the ETF share a by Thomson Reuters Corp. with financially,” David Shields, director of the of illegal taps in its pipelines in recent years claim to the stocks the portfolio minority stakes held by banks industry magazine Energia a Debate, said. that cost the company $2bn per year. manager buys. And those holdings such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., “To survive and not cause problems in The energy reform, which was enacted remain secret for weeks or months Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and national finances, Pemex must make cuts in 2014, opened the sector to foreign inves- at a time. But unlike a mutual fund, Citigroup Inc. Bloomberg LP, the in its staff and all of its tors for the first time since 1938. While it has it can be traded throughout the day, parent company of Bloomberg spending,” Shields said, brought competition, the government also not just once daily. News, competes with Tradeweb adding that the company hopes that it will allow Pemex to enter part- “It’s almost like these were in offering ETF-trading services should also suspend sev- nerships that can help the company reduce which employs 145,000 people, will reduce products designed for institutions, to its subscribers. eral exploration projects. costs. Gonzalez Anaya attended an energy its workforce. When asked by the Televisa but they’re easily available to retail The average trade size on To turn things industry conference in Houston, Texas, this network after his appointment if he would investors,” said Kevin McPartland, Tradeweb’s platform is 90,000 around, Pena Nieto week where he met with the heads of several cut jobs, Gonzalez Anaya said: “I come with head of research for market struc- shares, with 55 percent of trades named a new Pemex global companies and “saw a great interest an open mind to do what is necessary.” ture and technology at Greenwich in fixed-income ETFs and 45 per- Pemex had done its chief executive this in the private sector to invest in Mexico and The firm already cut 11.5 percent from its Associates. “It’s certainly some- cent in equities, Gould said. The month, Jose Antonio team up with Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex),” budget last year and slashed 11,000 jobs by thing to pay attention to.” speed of the electronic auctions budget based on Gonzalez Anaya, the the company said in a statement. not filling posts vacated by retirees. August 24 showed the danger and creating a more-efficient way prices of $50 per former head of the social He insisted at the conference that Pemex Alejandro Villagomez, an energy expert, of having inadequate informa- to conduct and manage the trades security agency who is has long-term vilability thanks to a large said the company is saddled by huge debt tion about what’s going on with after the fact are advantages here, barrel, but they have credited with cutting inventory and low production costs. and a massive staff pension. “It has to take the underlying holdings of an he said. “A key question is, ‘How since fallen by half, that institution’s deficit. “We face great challenges and, at the care of the labor problem,” Villagomez said. ETF. Hundreds of stocks didn’t quickly do they need to get done?”’ The government also same time, great opportunities have “The way things are now, it puts it in danger immediately start trading at the Gould said. forcing the company ordered $5.5bn in sav- emerged,” Gonzalez Anaya wrote this week because it’s an issue of no financial viabil- to reduce spending. ings, which Gonzalez in the financial daily El Financiero. ity if it doesn’t make any changes,” he said. Anaya will present to the But all eyes are on whether Pemex, “Changes will give the company oxygen.” Another economic slump, another communications test for Fed

By Jonathan Spicer economists concluded in the high-profile be trimmed “in the next few meetings” of the The charts published in December sug- Reuters paper. “We believe that the current situa- Federal Open Market Committee set off mar- gested the Fed would hike rates four more tion does not justify (it).” ket turmoil known as the “taper tantrum” times in 2016. he Federal Reserve, facing the deli- The recommendations come as the US that delayed the move. Current Fed Chair But since then, a global market selloff cate task of explaining how it will forge economic recovery faces another threat from Janet Yellen has mostly retreated from this and fears of recession have forced Yellen and Tahead with rate hikes in a stormy world overseas. They cut to the heart of a problem so-called “forward guidance,” though even some other Fed officials to downplay those economy, should avoid slipping back into the that has dogged the central bank in its some- she had to ditch telegraphed rate hikes in expectations even while they continue to pre- trap of tying its actions to calendar dates, top times clumsy efforts to be more transparent: June and again in September last year before dict “gradual” rate hikes. Traders have grown US economists warned in a paper on Friday. how to convince investors, politicians and finally moving in December. In October, when deeply skeptical of any more tightening this The research paper, presented to a individuals that it can boost the recovery even leading Fed governors openly opposed each year and some have even predicted a pol- roomful of Fed policymakers in New York, though its hands are tied by near-zero rates. other’s views, the effectiveness of Fed com- icy reversal. criticised their over-reliance on time frames A frustratingly slow rebound from reces- munications fell to a two-year low, according Whatever the Fed decides, returning in recent years when explaining what would sion delayed rate hikes in recent months and to a New York Fed poll of primary dealers. to calendar-based forward guidance only trigger a policy tightening. Now that interest years, which prompted some to question the “Data dependency” is the Fed’s new com- “mutes the effect of macroeconomic news rates are up a notch, the economists argued Fed’s credibility. Perceived opacity has even munications mantra. on interest rates and unnecessarily places A frustratingly the Fed should stress that further moves are spawned the so-called Audit the Fed bill in Yet remnants of time-based forward restrictions on future Fed action,” the paper slow rebound from based on very hard-to-predict economic data, Congress that would curb the central bank’s guidance are still found in Fed statements, found. The authors were JPMorgan’s Michael and policymakers should be more unassum- cherished independence - legislation that speeches and, most explicitly, in charts pub- Feroli, Morgan Stanley’s David Greenlaw, recession delayed ing in speeches and published forecasts. President Barack Obama opposes but that lished every three months showing individual Deutsche Bank’s Peter Hooper, Frederic rate hikes in recent With the US central bank headed into a most leading presidential candidates on the policymakers’ expected path of rate hikes Mishkin of Columbia University and Amir key March 15-16 meeting in which one option campaign trail say they support. over the next few years. Sufi of the University of Chicago Booth School months and years, is to pause policy for an extended period, the Beginning in the depths of the late-2008 “What’s worrying me is that ... it looks like of Business, which hosted the conference which prompted conclusion that it would be “imprudent” to financial crisis the Fed made conditional a commitment, it looks like a freight train,” attended by Fed governors Lael Brainard, Jer- offer specific time lines may hold sway. promises about when rates might rise, includ- St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on ome Powell and others from the central bank. some to question “Time-based forward guidance should ing specific time frames. In one of the biggest Wednesday of the so-called “dots” charts. He The paper analyzed Fed communication the Fed’s credibility. only be used in extremely unusual circum- blunders, then Chairman Ben Bernanke’s 2013 wants to revamp them to highlight uncer- since 1995, when it began publishing its tar- stances,” five Wall Street and university suggestion that a bond-buying program could tainty in the forecasts. get interest rate. 28 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 BUSINESS BACK TO BUSINESS

Japan’s century-old Sharp bets sight future on foreign takeover US shale drillers AFP finally buckling as

N 1916, Sharp got its start Opec pumps on making belt buckles and sharpened pencils — hence the name. But a century later, By Alex Nussbaum only question is at what veloc- the Japanese firm, which bal- Bloomberg ity we’re going down that path.” looned into a global consumer The surprising resilience Ielectronics giant, found itself in dire of US producers has been a straits, saddled with huge debts and key contributor to the 70 per- mounting losses. S oil drillers are finally cent slide in crude prices over A restructuring plan failed to stop beginning to buckle. the past two years, with opera- the bleeding and on Thursday Sharp For more than a year, tors cutting costs and squeezing agreed to be taken over by Taiwanese American oil pro- more petroleum out of fewer multinational Hon Hai Precision, the Uducers found a way to keep wells to stave off the reckoning. world’s biggest electronics supplier pumping despite a worldwide Saudi Arabia has ruled out a better known as Foxconn. slide in crude prices. Like car- cut in its own output, according The offer would be the first toon character Wile E Coyote, US to Al Nuaimi, leaving US shale to foreign takeover of a Japanese elec- drillers dashed off the cliff and carry the burden of balancing tronics giant, marking a blow to the somehow kept running in mid- the market. While sales of new once-mighty sector populated by air, maintaining volumes even shares and income from hedging other global brands including Sony as revenue plummeted. contracts that temporarily locked and Panasonic. The companies’ latest pro- in higher prices helped keep the The deal stumbled on Friday jections, released in earnings shale industry afloat in 2015, the as Foxconn’s parent company said reports in recent days, suggest piper is calling, Scott Sheffield, it would delay signing the pact to gravity is finally taking hold. Chief Executive Officer at Pio- review new information it had Apache Corp expects oil and neer Natural Resources Co, told received about Sharp, but analysts in Japan. But over the last decade Sharp so (a merger) was tough to natural gas production to fall as the conference. widely viewed a tie-up as all but Sharp bet almost everything on LCD, accept,” Makabe said. But the firm much as 11 percent in 2016, the The industry is in “hunker done. For years, Sharp — whose name churning out giant screens from cut- was not in a position to buy out its company said on Thursday, a down, hunker down,” mode, he once graced the jerseys of Manches- ting-edge factories and boasting the local LCD competitors, he added. day after Continental Resources said. Output from the Eagle Ford ter United players—had remained most advanced technology in the Sharp’s decision to sell to a Tai- Inc projected a 10 percent cut shale region in Texas is likely to fall true to its humble pencil-and-belt- world. “The problem is they invested wanese firm made clear it was and Whiting Petroleum Corp, to 1 million barrels a day, Sheffield buckle roots. too heavily in LCD screens,” professor turning its back on a common move a 15 percent reduction. Devon said. That’s a 9 percent decline from But after the 1923 Tokyo earth- Akio Makabe of Shinshu University by Japanese firms to merge in a bid to Energy Corp forecast a 10 per- the 1.1 million a day produced in quake, which left more than 100,000 said. fend off overseas competition. cent decline earlier in the 2015, according to Railroad Com- dead, company founder Tokuji Hay- “For a while that was fine, but “This sort of consolidation proba- month. EOG Resources Inc is mission of Texas data. akawa expanded his little firm by with the financial crisis of 2008-9 bly wouldn’t be workable,” said Kunio predicting a 5 percent cut. Pioneer is one of the few out- making radio equipment and other everything changed. The market Saijo, a senior technology journal- With crude prices near a liers, forecasting its volumes will items that could be used in a similar became more competitive in terms ist at the leading Nikkei business 12-year low, drillers are deciding grow by 10 percent this year. Oth- emergency. Hayakawa, who died in of price and Sharp wasn’t the best daily, before the Hon Hai deal was it’s best to keep their barrels in ers are pulling back and slashing 1980, lost his wife and two children placed to deal with that,” he said. announced. Makabe at Shinshu Uni- the ground, heeding the advice capital spending budgets in an in the quake. Sharp’s key technological blessing versity said the offer from Hon Hai’s this week of Saudi Arabia’s Ali attempt to hoard cash and ensure After WWII, Sharp became the today has also proven to be a curse: colourful billionaire founder Terry bin Ibrahim Al Nuaimi. In com- they can meet debt payments. first Japanese firm to sell televisions. It produces LCD screens favoured Gou was “financially superior”, and ments at the IHS CERAWeek Anadarko Petroleum Corp. This tradition of innovation contin- by industry giants Apple and Sam- noted that both firms count iPhone Sharp’s decision to energy conference in Houston, expects its production to fall as ued throughout the 1970s, with the sung, but lacks the huge research and Apple as a major client. Al Nuaimi told US producers much as 4 percent. All that’s mass production of liquid crystal dis- development funds necessary to keep The Japan-based solution “would sell to a Taiwanese their only choices were to “lower still not enough to dispel an oil play (LCD) screens for calculators ahead of the competition. also have meant the involvement firm made clear it costs, borrow cash or liquidate” glut expected to last well into — which in the 1990s was adapted In 2012, a state-backed fund cre- of (Sharp’s creditor) banks, which to survive the downturn. 2017, said Guggenheim’s Chan- for computer screens and later for ated Japan Display, which aimed to wouldn’t have been ideal”, he added. was turning its back “This is the fork in the road,” dra. Other US producers have smartphones and tablets. merge Sharp’s small- and medium- But even a foreign buy-out does on a common move Subash Chandra, a Guggenheim said they plan to hold volumes Sharp is a global leader in those sized LCD screen business with those not guarantee Sharp’s future. Securities analyst in New York, steady and many “are hoping small and medium sized screens, of rivals Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba. LCD technology is facing a stiff by Japanese firms said. “We know which direction the weaker hands in the indus- which are a key asset for Hon Hai. The new company was seen as challenge from rival technologies to merge in a bid to we’re going — we’re going down try can absorb all the declines,” The companies have worked together a way for Japanese firms to mount a including organic light-emitting — in terms of volumes. The he said. for years on large-sized screen tech- strong challenge to overseas rivals. diodes (OLEDs). Sharp and Hon Hai fend off overseas nology, including for televisions, and But Sharp refused to take part. plan to invest billions of dollars in competition. jointly operate an LCD panel plant “LCD was absolutely central to OLED technology.

When Silicon Valley sneezes, the rest of the world Fred Destin, a partner at Accel Capital catches cold. It’s a matter of time before Europe Partners, London ‘on how faces the same issues that we’re seeing on the West privately held tech companies have been stung by lower Comment Coast. valuations’.

TOP TWEETS BLOGS AND VIEWS Market Talk Oxford Econ Policy @ Wealth Adviser OxrepJournal The oil price won’t NAME IN THE MARKET: FALLING STOCKS, RISING VOLATILITY really affect low-car- bon innovation & Merger and acquisition deployment. activity in the registered- investment-adviser industry Bank of America @ hit a record number of deals BofA_News in 2015, as the number “When we have of very large deals also women in the board- room, we have jumped. better decision-mak- ing” @BaronessGoudie #WomenLead DealB%k Moody’s InvestorsSvc @ MoodysInvSvc

Hong Kong’s revised As Chinese companies look bank resolution regime to get more currency out of will have mixed effect on creditors China by buying American companies, the United Morgan Stanley @ States’ Committee on Foreign MorganStanley Investment’s review of Low #oil prices likely to persist well into 2017— those deals is coming under perhaps beyond, amid scrutiny. delayed rebalancing www.thepeninsulaqatar.com PAGE | 32 PAGE | 35 New FIFA chief India down Infantino pledges Pakistan by 5 new era wickets

SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 • 19 Jumada I 1437 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani witnesses the proceedings on the closing day of H H the Emir’s Sword Meet at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club in Al Rayyan yesterday. H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior Minister and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud were also present. Gazwan corners Emir’s Sword glory

Mullen guided Civaldi de Mon- EMIR’S SWORD RESULTS Mullen rides Julian THREE-DAY RACING GALA tegut to second spot while Jean CONCLUDES IN AL RAYYAN Baptiste Hamel Djelamer grabbed AL RAYYAN BREEDERS CUP SPON- Smart-trained horse the third spot. Bentley picked up QR SORED BY KIA to win in top contest 142,500 for his owner while Mullen 1 Moaddie (QA) 2:01.76 gala concluded yesterday. Gazwan, took home QR 55,000. Hamel got 2 Footprintinthesand (QA) as five-star Bentley owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin richer by QR 27,500. 3 Mutawassal (GA) shines on eventful Khalifa Al Thani, clocked a time of 2 Opera Baron, trained by Ghazali day at QREC minutes 36.45 seconds to ensure top and ridden by JP Guillambert, grabbed 4 Al Hareth (QA) prize of QR 570,000. top spot in the Al Biddah Mile which 5 Absher (GA) It was double joy for veteran was sponsored by NBK. QATAR INTERNATIONAL CUP (GR1 Smart who trained Gazwan and Opera Baron clocked a time of PA) SPONSORED BY AL FAISAL Assy, the two top entries in the Emir’s 1:33.50 to finish ahead of Flying HOLDING By Rizwan Rehmat Sword line-up. Empress, ridden by Adrie De Vries, 1 Aba’ath (QA) - 01:39.10 The Peninsula Al Mourtajez, trained by Thomas and French Encore, who had Darren 2 Thakif (FR) Fourcy, is owned by Al Shaqab Racing. Williams in the saddle. Mullen, 39, also picked up another Earlier, Bentley started his day of 3 Gidwa (GB) hefty paycheck as he guided Izzt- victories with Go Dan Go - trained by 4 Rasi (GB) DOHA: Experienced British jockey hatright to the top spot in the Katara Ghazali - who won the Emir’s Shalfa 5 Tharwah (FR) Richard Mullen yesterday guided Sprint Cup. (class 1) race. Go Dan Go clocked a KATARA SPRINT CUP (CLASS 1) Gazwan to an epic Emir’s Sword glory, Izzthatright clocked a time of time of 1:59.97 to finish ahead of SPONSORED BY AT THE RACES the richest horse race in the country. 1:07.82 to clinch the 1200 turf race Magnolia Beach who was ridden by 1 lzzthatright (IRE) 01:07.82 Exhibiting huge reserves of gas in ahead of Roi De Vitesse, who was rid- Adrie De Vries. Munro-ridden Jumaira his tank, Gazwan galloped away to den by Adrie De Vries. Tower finished third. 2 Roi De Vitesse (IRE) glory in the last 100m metres of the Golden Steps, ridden by racing In the Qatar International Cup, 3 Golden Steps (FR) 2400m race, flying past Assy and Al legend Frankie Dettori, finished in Julien Auge guided Aba’ath to top spot 4 Sandbetweenourtoes (IRE) Mourtajez as fans warmly applauded third place as Mullen picked up the while Wayne Smith-ridden Thakif fin- Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani presenting the Golden 5 My Sharona (GB) the Group 1 PA winner at the Qatar top prize of QR 142,500. De Vries won ished second. Marco Monteriso guided Sword to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani, the owner of Gazwan, H H THE EMIR’S SHALFA (CLASS 1) Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC). QR 55,000 while Dettori got richer by Gidwa to the third spot. SPONSORED BY AL QAMRA Watched by Emir H H Sheikh QR 27,500. yesterday at QREC. Jockey Yanis Aouabed guided 1 Go Dan Go (IRE) 01:59.97 Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani from the Earlier in Emir’s Sword, Group Moaddie to the top spot in Al Rayyan VIP enclosure, Gazwan left it late for 1, popular British jockey Bentley Breeders Cup, a race sponsored by 2 Magnolia Beach (IRE) his final charge as the Julian Smart- completed a five-star day for Qatari race. Billabong, ridden by Christian Suerland got richer by QR 110,000. KIA. Moaddie clocked a time of 2:01.76 3 Jumaira Tower (IRE) trained entry Harry Bentley-ridden trainer Jassim Mohammed Ghazali. Demuro, finished second while Fort Bentley yesterday also powered to win the 2000m turf race. 4 Glossy Posse (GB) Assy could only finish in second spot. Bentley rode The Blue Eye with Moville, who had Marvin Suerland in to a win with another Ghazali-trained Footprintinthesand, ridden by 5 Beach Samba (IRE) Ridden by Julien Auge, Al Mour- purpose and style to win the second the saddle, completed the top three. entry Spaghetti, clinching the Emir’s Darren Williams, finished ahead of AL BIDDAH MILE (GR 2) tajez grabbed the third spot in the richest horse race in the country. The Bentley picked up QR 570,000 for Silver Sword. Spaghetti clocked a Mutawassal, who had Jean Baptiste SPONSORED BY NBK Total-sponsored race at a packed Blue Eye clocked a time of 2:25.85 to his top place finish while Demuro took time of 2:09.02 in the 1850m race Hamel in the saddle. Aouabed picked QREC where the three-day racing clinch the issue in the 2400m turf home QR 220,000. sponsored by Al Hazm. up the top prize of QR 85,500. 1 Opera Baron (GB) 01:33.50 2 Flying Empress (GB) 3 French Encore (GB) 4 Tony Curtis (GB) 5 Perkunas (IRE) H H THE EMIR’S SILVER SWORD SPONSORED BY AL HAZM 1 Spaghetti (FR) 2:09.02 2 Civaldi de Montegut (FR) 3 Djelamer (FR) 4 Carab (FR) 5 Majdan (FR) H H THE EMIR’S TROPHY (GR 1) PRE- SENTED BY LONGINES 1 The Blue Eye (GB) 02:25.85 2 Billabong (MOR) 3 Fort Moville (FR) 4 Agent Murphy (GB) 5 Hall of Fame (IRE) H H THE EMIR’S SWORD (GR1 PA) SPONSORED BY TOTAL 1 Gazwan (GB) 02:36.45 2 Assy (GA) 3 Al Mourtajez (FR) British jockey Richard Mullen astride Gazwan to celebrate his triumph during the concluding day of the H H The Emir’s Sword Meet yesterday at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian 4 Raddad (GB) Club. RIGHT: British Jockey Harry Bentley rides The Blue Eye to win in the 2400m turf race yesterday. Bentley won a total of five races yesterday. 5 Arkan (OM) 30 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 SPORT

Wawrinka Suarez Navarro comes from behind wins Dubai title after marathon to clinch Qatar Total Open title tiebreak

QATAR TOTAL OPEN AFP Spaniard recovers WINNERS from a set down to DUBAI:Stan Wawrinka won his 2016 Carla Suarez Navarro outlast big-hitting ninth straight final with a 6-4, 7-6 2015 Lucie Safarova (15/13) defeat of Marcos Baghdatis teenager Ostapenko 2014 Simona Halep to earn the Dubai Tennis Champi- to win the biggest 2013 Victoria Azarenka onship trophy yesterday. 2012 Victoria Azarenka The French Open champion title of her career from Switzerland claimed the 13th 2011 Vera Zvonareva title of his career and second of the 2008 Maria Sharapova season after Chennai, improving to AFP 2007 Justine Henin 13-2 in 2016. 2006 Nadia Petrova The match lasted for almost 2005 Maria Sharapova two hours, with Wawrinka saving DOHA: Spain’s Carla Suarez Nav- 2004 Anastasia Myskina five set points and winning when arro came from a set behind against a Baghdatis return went wide on a Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko 2003 Anastasia Myskina fourth match point. yesterday to win the Qatar Open, 1-6, 2002 Monica Seles The 30-year-old came to the 6-4, 6-4. 2001 Martina Hingis emirate as second seed having It was only her second ever WTA not played the tournament in eight singles title and means she will climb But the Spaniard rallied and made years and without a match win five places to become the world a decisive break of serve in the sev- until getting through the first round. number six, her highest ever, when enth game of the second set. She held “I’m really happy to get the the latest rankings are released on on to level the match. trophy, this was my best match of Monday. The hard-fought victory, After breaking her opponent the week, I’m happy with my level Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani applauds during the Qatar Total Open final at the Khalifa Tennis over one hour and 51 minutes, was again early in the third set, she today,” said Wawrinka, who lost a also sweet revenge for the Spaniard managed to hold off a determined Complex in Doha yesterday. Qatar Olympic Committee President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker. after she was knocked out of Wim- Ostapenko to claim victory. Thani and Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi are also seen. “I had to fight until the end -- it bledon in the first round last year by The Latvian was undone by her was a quite crazy tiebreaker.” Ostapenko. number of unforced errors, 45 to the Wawrinka, the world number The 27-year-old described her Spaniard’s 25. Carla four, lost his last final in June, 2013 victory as “magical”. As her title was confirmed, a jubi- Jelena Ostapenko Suarez at the grasscourt event at ‘s-Her- “It means a lot, this tourna- lant Suarez Navarro jumped into the of Latvia in action Navarro togenbosch in the Netherlands. ment was really tough,” said Suarez crowd to hug her trainer and team. against Carla celebrates “I’ve had a great run at finals. Navarro. She receives a winner’s cheque of of Suarez Navarro her victory. When I get to them I really want to “The best players in the world $518,500. of Spain during win. You are carrying a lot of con- were here, you have to play every Her only previous WTA singles their final match fidence from during the week,” he day, it’s not easy.” success was at the Portugal Open in said. Two of her targets for the year 2014. “I’ve always wanted to come were to get into the top 10 and win For Ostapenko, there was the back to Dubai, I was last here a long a tournament, both of which she has consolation that her performance time ago. I lifted my level during achieved in Doha. in Doha may mark a breakthrough the week and improved every day.” “It’s a amazing, a dream come week. Wawrinka had to fight through true,” she added. On her way to the final, she the growing tension in what “I was in the top 10 (before), but knocked out the world number eight became one of the tightest finishes the number six, it’s a special number.” Petra Kvitova and number 21, Svet- in the event’s 24-year-history. Her victory seemed unlikely dur- lana Kuznetsova. Baghdatis now stands 0-5 in ing a first set when she was brushed Ostapenko’s appearance in the finals since winning his last title aside by the 18-year-old in just 26 final has assured she will break into at Sydney in 2010. minutes. the top 50 for the first time. The Cypriot has now lost all six times he has faced Wawrinka. Meanwhile, Australia’s Ber- nard Tomic qualified for his fifth ATP Tour final by defeating Alex- andr Dolgopolov 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the Mexico Open on Friday. The fifth seeded Tomic posted his first win over Dolgopolov since the 2012 Australian Open. “I am very happy to be in the final now,” Tomic said. “He is very tough. You just have to stay with him in the match. “His level of play was too good in the first set. So I knew I had to stay with him and take advantage of my opportunities.” Tomic, who had to overcome a slow start as he lost his serve three times in the first set, is 3-1 in career finals. This is his first final since he won in Bogota last year. His opponent will be Austria’s Dominic Thiem, who ousted Sam Querrey 6-2, 6-2 in the other semi-final. The women’s final will be a Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro (third right) of Spain celebrates her Qatar Total Open win during the presentation ceremony at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in Doha yesterday. Qatar showdown between Slovakia’s Olympic Committee President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (third left) and Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi were present during the Dominika Cibulkova and Sloane presentation ceremony. Jelena Ostapenko (second left) of Latvia finished as runner-up in the WTA tournament. Stephens of the United States. Al Rayyan hammer Al Sadd in opening clash of final series

The Peninsula while Anthony managed 13 points. Anthony also had 3 assists for Al Sadd coached by Zoran Kreckovic. DOHA: Al Rayyan opened the Qatar Abdi Khalid Suliman scored 7 Basketball league (QBL) series with points while Fouda Moustafa man- a 78-48 hammering of Al Sadd at Al aged a tally of 6 in Al Sadd’s losing Gharafa Indoor Hall. cause. Ngombo Tanguy Alban and Earlier in the day, Drago- Davon James Dominic scored 21 slav Milovanovic-coached El Jaish points each as Al Rayyan decimated crushed Al Gharafa 83-66 to claim their opponents with ease. the third spot in QBL in the 2015- Alban had 3 assists while 16 season. Dominic managed 5 assists to Doudou Elhajd (18), Mohmmed complete Al Rayyan’s dominant Mohd Yousuf (15), Ali Ali Turki (14), performance. Abilmona Fadi Hani (11) and Mack- Hill Lawrence scored 16 points lin Vernon Leon (10) were the five and managed 4 assists as Al Rayyan El Jaish players to reach the double retaine lead in all four quarters of the figures. one-sided game. For Al Gharafa, coached by Abdulla Malek Salem scored 6 Koussay Hatem, Galloway Kevin points for Al Rayyan coached by Dwayne was the long ranger to Koufos Stergios. attack El Jaish with 25 points. For Al Sadd, Kone Mohamed The second game of the final Deba and Raffa Anthony emerged as between Al Rayyan and Al Sadd will Action from the Qatar Basketball League match between Al Rayyan and Al Sadd at Al Gharafa Indoor the two only two players with dou- be played on March 1 with the game Stadium in Doha yesterday. ble figures. Deba scored 20 points starting at 7:00pm. SPORT SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 31 El Jaish win puts Al Rayyan celebrations on hold, Al Gharafa and Umm Salal in 4-4 draw

Qatar Sports Club strengthen survival hopes with a vital 3-0 victory over Mesaimeer in Round 20 of QSL

The Peninsula

DOHA: El Jaish defeated Al Wakrah 1-0 to put Al Rayyan cele- brations on hold while Qatar Sports Club strengthened their survival hopes with a vital 3-0 victory over Mesaimeer in the Round 20 of the Qatar Stars League.. In the another match, Umm Salal and Al Gharafa shared points in an eight-goal thriller. At Lekhwiya Stadium, Abderra- zak Hamdallah’s penalty gave El Jaish victory over Al Wakrah and made Al Rayyan wait at least one more week to confirm the QSL title. The Moroccan scored the game’s Action from the Qatar Stars League (QSL) match between Qatar Sports Club and Mesaimeer yesterday. only goal in the 72nd minute after Qatar SC won 3-0. RIGHT: An aerial battle for ball possession during the El Jaish and Al Wakrah match. Wagner Ribeiro was brought down by Ali Rehema. It was a silly challenge with six games to play. Al Rayyan Sebastiao Lazaroni’s men are now side which has registered just one Abdurahman Waleed stroked the were involved in the build-up and from the Iraqi defender, who should need just one more point to confirm just one point behind 12th placed Al victory all season. ball past Abdulaziz Ali after being Masoud Shojaei smashed the ball high have stayed on his feet and ushered the title, while El Jaish need to win all Kharaitiyat after making it three wins QSC struggled to find any fluency set up by El Hamdaoui. And the front into the net from inside the area to the Brazilian to the byline. their remaining games and overturn on the bounce at Suhaim Bin Hamad in the first half but improved mark- two combined again to double Salal’s make it 3-2 in the 54th minute. Hamdallah stepped up to calmly a mammoth goal difference. Stadium. Korea Republic interna- edly after the break. advantage just before the break. Fifteen minutes later and place the spot kick in the corner and Meanwhile, Qatar Sports Club tional Han Kook-Young was the star They took the lead in the 67th This time it was El Hamdaoui on Gharafa equalised with a penalty increase his league tally to 15 goals. (QSC) strengthened their survival man for QSC. He scored two and made minute when Han’s shot deflected in the scoresheet after he followed up from Nemeth. The Hungarian striker The victory means El Jaish move on hopes with a vital 3-0 victory over another as the Kings produced a dom- off Abdurahman Samir. QSC goal- Waleed’s parried shot to slot home. stroked the ball into the corner to set to 39 points – 18 behind Al Rayyan Mesaimeer. inant second half display against a keeper Mohammed Mubarak made Gharafa got a goal back just before up a grandstand finish. a stunning double save to deny Wajdi half-time. Weiss played in Thamer Weiss then grabbed his first goal Bouazzi and Rashed Bastaki, before Jamal and the Sudanese midfielder for Al Gharafa to complete a remark- the home side doubled their advan- smacked the ball home from a tight able comeback. The former Lekhwiya tage with ten minutes left. angle. man struck a superb free-kick into the Han produced a defence-splitting Umm Salal restored their two- top right corner past a flailing Baba pass and Ali Boujalouf scored with a goal lead in the 50th minute. Malick. neat finish. Han then made the points Left-back Rami Fayez hit a pin- Weiss’s set piece looked to have safe just a few minutes later when he point cross, Waleed chested the ball reignited Al Gharafa’s top four hopes toe-poked the ball over the line fol- down and El Hamdaoui prodded the but El Hamdaoui was on hand to com- lowing a swift break. ball home. plete his treble and rescue a point for At Al Gharafa Stadium, Umm Salal But yet again Al Gharafa hit back Umm Salal, who will still be hopeful and Al Gharafa shared eight goals in quickly. Weiss and Krisztian Nemeth of claiming a Qatar Cup place. an end-to-end encounter at Seham Bin Hamad Stadium. The Orange Fortress twice threw away a two-goal lead as they chased a win which would have moved them Qatar 2022 congratulate Infantino up to fourth. Mounir El Hamdaoui hit a hat- DOHA: The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has congratulated trick for Bulent Uygun’s men but the Gianni Infantino on his appointment as FIFA President. it wasn’t enough to claim all three “We wish President Infantino well in his new role and look forward points. to working closely with him as we continue our preparations for the As it was, Salal will have been 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.” happy with a draw after Vladimir “We would also like to commend the other four Presidential Weiss put Gharafa 4-3 ahead with a candidates who contributed a great deal to an election campaign run stunning free-kick in the 77th minute. during a crucial time for football. We wish all of them the greatest Umm Salal took the lead success and luck in their future careers.” A tense moment from the Al Gharafa and Umm Salal match. inside a quarter of an hour when Gajser tops Qatar field in season opener of MXGP

The Peninsula Bobryshev claimed the third spot in MXGP Standings race 2 (9.952 seconds behind Gajser), 1 Tim Gajser, 50 points a drop from his second-place finish Evgeny Bobryshev in action at the LOSAIL, Qatar: Honda rider Tim earlier in the evening. 2 Romain Febvre, 42 MXGP at Losail International Circuit Gajser last night won both races in the Italian racing legend Antonio 3 Evgeny Bobryshev, 42 yesterday. season’s opening round of the MXGP Cairoli finished fourth fastest, some 4 Jeremy Van Horebeek, 34 World Championship. 10.628 seconds behind Gajser’s time. 5 Antonio Cairoli, 33 The 19-year-old couldn’t have Belgium’s Jeremy Van Horebreek 6 Shaun Simpson, 30 hoped to make a better start to his (Yamaha, 11.960 off the pace set by 7 Tommy Searle, 25 MXGP debut on a cool night at Losail Gajser) completed the top five in race 8 Kevin Strijbos, 25 International Circuit. 2. Earlier in race 1, last year’s MX2 Gajser clocked a time of 34:07.633 world champion Gajser topped the 9 Glenn Coldenhoff, 25 to take race 2. field, finishing his 18 laps in a time 10 Maximilian Nagl, 24 Defending world champion of 33:56.516. 11 Ben Townley, 20 Frenchman Romain Febvre finished Bobryshev (07.507 seconds 12 Valentin Guillod, 16 in second spot (8.230 seconds behind behind) was second while defend- 13 Jose Butron, 14 Gajser), improving on his third-place ing world champion Febvre (19.644 14 Tanel Leok, 13 finish in race 1. seconds behind) ended race 1 in third 15 Milko Potisek, 13 Russian Honda rider Evgeny spot. 16 Gautier Paulin, 11 17 Alessandro Lupino, 8 18 Christophe Charlier, 8 19 Kei Yamamoto, 5 20 Clement Desalle, 3 21 Alex Snow, 1

Van Horebeek was 23.148 seconds behind Gajser while British rider and Losail International Circuit where the Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer Belgium’s Brent Van doninck Febvre’s Yamaha team-mate Shaun Dutchman impressed with his dare- (Suzuki) finished fourth (45.698 sec- (35.284 seconds adrift Herlings) and Honda rider Tim Simpson (27.015 seconds behind) com- devil riding on his KTM bike. onds behind) and Aleksandr Tonkov Seewer (36.687 seconds behind) com- Gajser in action in pleted the top five in race 1. Herlings clocked 34:36.485 to nail (Yamaha) was fifth, some 45.698 sec- pleted the top five riders in race 2. the season’s opening Cairoli finished sixth fastest on race 1 in which French rider Dylan onds adrift of Herlings. Herlings leads the MX2 World round of the MXGP hi KTM (29.383 seconds behind) in Ferrandis powered to the second spot In race 2, Herlings (34:39.257) Championshps with 50 points fol- World Championship. race 1. on his Kawasaki (34:38.612). finished ahead of Ferrandis (17.253 lowed by Ferrandis (44) and Jonass Earlier in the evening, Jefferey The third spot was grabbed by seconds behind Herlings) and third- (40). Seewar is fourth on the points Herlings picked up two wins in as Pauls Jonass (KTM) who finished placed Jonass (33.722 seconds behind table with a tally of 34 while Van don- many outings at the dirt track at 36.086 seconds behind Herlings. the winner). inck is fifth (31). 32 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 SPORT M ajor challenges ahead for new FIFA boss

AFP powerful players including key corpo- powers compared to the authority Infantino has promised to bring in in world football, saying he had won endorsed the sheikh, but some African rate partners must still be convinced held by Blatter. “independent and respected voices” to “an election but not a war.” nations were believed to have voted that FIFA can mend its ways. Infantino There will be a 12-year term limit FIFA but has not given details. Sheikh Salman, a royal from Bah- for Infantino, especially in the second will also have to prioritise the inter- for top officials and salaries will be Experts said that corporate part- rain, had been the pre-poll favourite, round. The new FIFA boss has insisted ZURICH: FIFA’s new President Gianni ests of developing football nations in disclosed. The all-powerful exec- ners - who demanded an end to the and his defeat was a blow to the ambi- that he was not a European candidate, Infantino faced the mountainous task Asia and Africa, two continents that utive committee will be renamed a sleaze that came to characterise the tions of Asia and especially the Arab but “a football candidate” and touted of reforming and uniting world foot- publicly backed election runner-up FIFA council and football’s multi-bil- Blatter era - will be watching to see world, where there had been anticipa- his relationships across the globe. ball, with a pile of crises from the Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa lion dollar business activities will be if Infantino’s desire to make changes tion of a powerful new voice in sport. A campaign pledge to more than scandal-ridden Sepp Blatter era need- on hopes that a non-European would run separately from football politics. goes beyond rhetoric. Jeff Thinnes, a “The new FIFA needs to become double the amount of FIFA funds given ing urgent action. lead FIFA after Swiss national Blatter’s But there was no decision to cre- US consultant to global corporations more inclusive and reflect the diver- back to national associations to over Infantino, an executive at Euro- 18-year presidency. ate an outside watchdog that has been on ethics and governance, told that sity of world football,” the sheikh said $1.2 billion in total every four years pean football confederation UEFA, Infantino said governance reforms widely demanded as the only way to the FIFA vote is “only a start.” after the vote, pledging to work with could help bolster support among promised an end to the dark days at passed just hours before his election solve FIFA’s corruption crisis. “Given the culture of FIFA, a very Infantino. cash-strapped federations. FIFA following his convincing elec- win were “ground-breaking” and Top World Cup sponsors like corrupt culture down through the India, a supporter of Sheikh Sal- Blatter, suspended from football tion win. that implementing them would be a credit-card giant Visa said after the national associations, it is going to be man, said it hoped to receive “due for six years over ethics violations, But the 45-year-old Swiss-Ital- priority. vote that “independent oversight of a long slog before what is on paper importance” under FIFA’s new boss. congratulated Infantino on his win, ian national was immediately met They include changes to FIFA’s the reforms” was still the best strat- becomes what is in practice,” he said. The executive committee of Afri- but left his successor with an unprec- with multiple challenges, as football management, limiting Infantino’s egy to ensure real change. Infantino downplayed divisions ca’s football confederation had also edented mess to fix.

Asia can help Infantino’s new FIFA era, says Sheikh Salman

AFP Infantino ZURICH: Defeated candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa told new FIFA president Gianni Infantino that Asia can light the way for the global body “to reinstate football’s credibility”. Sheikh Salman, the head of promises the Asian Football Confederation Infantino has (AFC), lost out to UEFA secre- ‘qualities to tary-general Infantino in Friday’s vote to succeed the banned Sepp continue my Blatter. The Bahraini royal said he work’, says was looking forward to working new era with the charismatic 45-year-old, Blatter multi-lingual lawyer. “The AFC looks forward to working with the new-look FIFA AFP and Gianni Infantino in order to reform the world football govern- ing body and to reinstate football’s ZURICH: Sepp Blatter (pictured) credibility globally,” said Sheikh on Friday congratulated Gianni Salman in a statement. Infantino on being elected his suc- “Asia is the world’s most pop- cessor as FIFA president following ulous continent where football a campaign focused on the need continues to develop at an impres- to condemn his scandal-plagued sive pace. Through its own reform 18-year era to the past. Infantino on his win. Infantino got 115 Blatter and UEFA president Michel the salary of the new president to process... the AFC will play an “I congratulate Gianni sin- Backed by prominent votes in the election’s second round Platini have been banned from foot- improve financial transparency were active role in the reform process.” cerely and from the bottom of my while Asian Football Confedera- ball for six years, US prosecutors also included. Despite his disappointment of heart for his election,” Blatter said figures in the world, tion president Sheikh Salman, from have charged 39 people over more But sponsors gave a cool reaction losing out on the FIFA presidency, in a statement sent to AFP in an new FIFA chief aims Bahrain, got 88. They were just three than $200 million in football busi- to the measures. the sheikh called for unity as the email from his spokesman. votes apart in the first round. ness bribes and Swiss authorities are “We urge FIFA’s new leadership sport’s ruling body looks to leave Blatter was suspended by to restore image Five candidates started the day investigating FIFA’s management and to prioritize their implementation,” its scandal-hit recent past behind. FIFA in October after Swiss pros- in contention. the awarding of hosting rights for the major backer Visa said of the reforms. “In these unprecedented times ecutors announced he was the Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jor- 2018 and 2022 World Cups. “As we have said before, we world football needs unity. With target of an investigation into dan and former FIFA official Jerome Infantino, who only entered the believe it is in the best interests the FIFA reform package having criminal mismanagement and Champagne saw their support fizzle contest after Platini was ruled out, of FIFA, the fans, sponsors and been voted through there is now misuse of funds. AFP after the first round, while South Afri- will also face immediate financial everyone involved, that there is long- real momentum for world foot- The 79-year-old Swiss can tycoon Tokyo Sexwale withdrew problems. term independent oversight of the ball to reinstate its credibility,” he national, however, warned that before polling opened. Acting secretary-general Markus reforms.” added. his successor will now face even Infantino said he would have no Kattner said “general uncertainty” Atlanta-based FIFA backers “The new FIFA needs to higher expectations after the mul- ZURICH: Gianni Infantino on Friday trouble uniting world football after caused by the crisis meant FIFA was Coca-Cola said in a statement that become more inclusive and reflect tilingual lawyer, who cut his teeth won FIFA’s presidential election and an election which exposed divides $550 million (500 million euros) deeds, not words, regarding account- the diversity of world football. I at UEFA where he was secretary- vowed to lead the scandal-tainted between Europe, Infantino’s power behind in its $5 billion budget target ability will be the critical factor in trust Gianni Infantino will provide general, set out radical proposals body into a new era as he faced base, and voters in Asia and Africa. for 2015-2018. judging future support of Infanti- the leadership to achieve this, as for change. immediate calls to ensure genuine “Today it was an election but not The shortfall could complicate no’s FIFA. well as the rest of the reforms that “With the adoption of the reform. a war,” the new FIFA supremo told Infantino’s ability to deliver on a cam- “Under Mr Infantino’s leadership, are now urgently needed.” reform programme, expectations The 45-year-old UEFA general reporters. “In an election you win or paign pledge of more than doubling FIFA must regenerate itself,” it said. on him will be even higher. But I secretary scored a convincing victory lose and then life goes on.” the amount given back to national FIFA still has doubters and con- am convinced that my successor in the battle to replace the disgraced Sheikh Salman said he was look- associations to over $1.2 billion in siderable judicial troubles ahead, will put them in place,” said Blatter, Sepp Blatter, whose 18-year reign ing forward to working with his total every four years. particularly from the US investigation currently serving a six-year ban ended with FIFA mired in unprece- campaign rival, and called for “unity” Hours before he was elected, FIFA with trials that could start this year. from the game. dented crisis. while stressing that FIFA needed to be members approved a reform pack- Blatter, 79, the big absentee at the “With his experience, his Infantino defeated Asian rival more “inclusive and reflect the diver- age that aims to limit the powers of congress, suffered a spectacular fall capacities, his sense of strategy Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Kha- sity of world football”. the new president and to end the cor- over the last nine months. and diplomacy, he has all the qual- lifa in the second round of the vote of Infantino’s election was hailed by ruption that prevailed under Blatter. Infantino also faced questions ities to continue my work and drive 207 members. world figures such as Russia’s Pres- The president will become more over his UEFA ties to Platini, but FIFA towards stability.” “FIFA has gone through sad times, ident Vladimir Putin and federation like a corporate chairman of the offered thanks for the French foot- Blatter wished Infantino “a lot moments of crisis, but those times are chiefs. board, providing strategic guidance ball legend’s years of support. of luck and success”. over,” he said, asserting that a “new Putin, whose country will host the but with less management authority. He also pledged to work “tire- Even though Blatter was absent era” had begun for world’s football’s 2018 World Cup, said Infantino comes FIFA’s executive committee, lessly” to drag the organisation out from Friday’s Congress, he still governing body, dogged by a vast set into the post with “high authority”. which had become an epicentre of of one of the darkest period’s in its proved a hard man to keep out of of corruption scandals. The multilingual lawyer takes graft allegations, has been rebranded 112-year history. the headlines, be it in Europe or Blatter, who many hold responsi- over leadership of the world’s top as a FIFA council. It will operate like a “You will be proud of FIFA,” he Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al thousands of miles away in the ble for the culture of patronage and sport with its reputation at an all- corporate board of directors. said. “You will be proud of what FIFA Caribbean. graft that plagued FIFA, congratulated time low. Measures such as declaring will do for football.” Khalifa Asia puts brave face after Salman’s defeat

AFP and later said in a statement that the been splashing out on top players for it would vote for Jordan’s Prince Ali AFC “looks forward to working with the Chinese Super League. bin Al Hussein. the new-look FIFA”. China’s Xinhua news agency said “Today was the best day FIFA has HONG KONG: Asian football leaders Sheikh Salman’s defeat is a blow Infantino had pledged that FIFA’s new had in many years,” Football Federa- put a brave face on AFC boss Sheikh to the ambitions of Asia and espe- secretary-general wouldn’t be from tion Australia chairman Steven Lowy Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s cially the Arab world, where there Europe, in a possible sign of hope for said in a statement. FIFA presidential defeat yesterday had been anticipation of a powerful Asia. “The mood for change was in and pledged to work with the world new voice in sport. And sports.163.com called Infan- the air and the congress voted over- body’s new head Gianni Infantino. Sheikh Salman enjoyed strong tino a “lucky star” for China after he whelmingly to move forward with a Asian Football Confederation backing among the Asian voters, promised to expand the World Cup new structure and new leadership to (AFC) head Sheikh Salman, gunning including the 10-member East Asian from 32 to 40 teams, which would implement it.” to become FIFA’s first Asian leader, Football Federation which confirmed give the national team a better chance The election result made head- had been the pre-poll favourite but he its support just before the election. of qualifying. Infantino’s election lines around the region, with Hong New FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) is congratulated by candidate lost out in the second round of voting. The East Asian bloc includes pow- was warmly welcomed by Aus- Kong’s Apple Daily splashing “End of Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa after winning the FIFA presidential He warmly embraced Swiss-Ital- erhouse China, which aspires to host tralia, an AFC member since 2006, the Blatter dynasty”, referring to sus- election during the extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich on Friday. ian Infantino after the election result and even win a World Cup and has despite its earlier announcement that pended former leader Sepp Blatter. SPORT SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 33

Sweden stands by QU clinch University League title Aregawi despite tax controversy for the third consecutive year Reuters STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s Ethio- pian-born 1,500 metres runner Abeba Aregawi can run for Swe- Hazem Samy Selim den at the upcoming World Indoor and Abdulla Al Majed Championships in Portland despite a storm over her Swedish citizen- score two goals ship and tax affairs, officials said apiece for winners in yesterday. 4-0 win over Qatar Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that Aregawi, who is due Aeronautical College to defend her title in Oregon next (QAC) in the final month, had told Sweden’s migra- tion board that she was resident in the country to gain citizenship but during a recent tax investiga- tion into her affairs she said she The Peninsula had never lived there. Sweden’s Athletics Association general secretary Stefan Olsson said the controversy would not DOHA: Qatar University (QU) were affect Aregawi’s participation in crowned champions of the 2015-16 Portland but she would be asked University League this weekend after to explain the situation. defeating Qatar Aeronautical College “She has done the right thing, (QAC) 4-0 in the final match. the migration board have made The University League, a joint col- their judgement and the tax laboration between Qatar Football authority have made theirs. At the Association (QFA) and Qatar Foun- moment there is nothing to sug- dation for Education, Science and gest that it will affect her sporting Community Development (QF), was efforts,” Olsson said in a telephone launched in 2013. interview. This was the second time that QU “As long as the authorities and QAC had met at the finals. have said that everything is okay, Hazem Samy Selim and Abdulla we have no reason to do anything Al Majed were the star players of the Qatar University (QU) team players and officials, winners of the 2015-16 University League, celebrate on the podium during theictory v ceremony. else. On the other hand, we work a match, which took place at QF’s Rec- The University League is a joint collaboration between Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and lot with confidence and trust and reation Center. Community Development (QF), and was launched in 2013. we want to be able to trust what Scoring two goals each, they people say in different contexts.” helped their team to lift the trophy Olsson said the association for the third consecutive time. The first place team received Relations Manager in Qatar Aero- He added: “The University League nine colleges and universities from would contact Aregawi to hear Additionally, the third place play- a cash prize of QR40,000, while nautical College, and Mohammed Al is an example of QFA’s commitment to across Qatar to competefor the cham- her side of the story. Expressen off took place earlier in the evening. second and third place teams Soud the Recreation Services Super- nurturing a football culture amongst pionship title. reported that Aregawi, who also Texas A&M University at Qatar received QR30,000 and QR20,000 visor, QF. the youth, and encouraging them to This year’s tournament featured won the world outdoor 1,500 (TAMUQ) beat Carnegie Mellon Uni- respectively. Hilal Al Mohannadi, Chairman of adopt healthy lifestyles.” two groups. Group A includedGeor- title in 2013, had told Swedish tax versity in Qatar (CMUQ) with a final The award ceremony was School and University League Com- Commenting on the collabora- getown University School of Foreign authorities that she was not liable score of 8-0. attended by Hilal Al Mohannadi, mittee in QFA, said: “Congratulations tion, Abdulla Al Naimi, Community Service in Qatar (GUQ), Qatar for tax as she had never lived in An award ceremony was held to Chairman of School and University to Qatar University football team Services & Lifestyle Director, QF, said: Aeronautical College (QAC), North- the country.This was at odds with honour the first, second, and third League Committee in QFA; Dr. Hassan for winning the title of the Univer- “We are delighted to work alongside western University in Qatar (NU-Q), a citizenship application made by place teams, along with the QFA Rashid Al Derham, President of QU; sity League for the third consecutive the Qatar Football Association to and Qatar University (QU). Group B the 25-year-old which entitled her referees. Dr. Khalid Al Khanji, Vice President time. The rest of the teams that par- host the annual University League. included the University of Calgary to start competing for Sweden in Three special prizes worth for Student Affairs of QU; Abdulla Al ticipated this year all showed great Through this endeavor, we are helping in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon Univer- 2012, according to the tax author- QR5,000 each were also presented, Naimi, Community Services & Life- sportsmanship and played their best. toraise awareness of the importance sity in Qatar (CMUQ), College of the ity. Describing her explanation as including Best Goalkeeper (Ahmad style Director, QF; Khalid Al Jumaily, We look forward to collaborating with of healthy and active living to mem- North AtlanticQatar (CNA-Q), Weill “somewhat strange”, tax author- Abdullah Al Buainain), Top Scorer Community Engagement Manager in Qatar Foundation next year to organ- bers of the community, particularly Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), ity documents showed Aregawi (Tarek Iya Saad), and Best Player Supreme Committee for Delivery & ize the fourth edition of this exciting the youth.” and Texas A&M University at Qatar blamed language issues for the (Abdullah Al Majed). Legacy; Mohamed Al Nuaimi, Public tournament.” The third edition brought together (TAMUQ). inconsistencies, Expressen said, Aspire Academy’s second sports science conference ends in Doha

The Peninsula

DOHA: More than 300 local and inter- national participants took part in the final day of Aspire Academy’s second sports science conference, “Monitoring Athlete Training Loads – the Hows and Whys”, which finished on Thursday. Speakers at the conference included Dr Carl Foster, Professor of Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (USA); Dr Stephen Seiler, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Agder (Norway); Dr Martin Buchheit, Head of Perform- ance at Paris Saint Germain Football Club; Dr Marco Cardinale, Head of Sports Physiology at Aspire Academy and other leading figures from around the world. The three-day conference featured a range of informative and valuable discussions on the most suitable meth- Participants at the Aspire Academy’s second sports science conference, “Monitoring Athlete Training Loads – the Hows and Whys”, during one of the session at Aspire Dome yesterday. odologies and theories for effectively managing and monitoring training loads to protect athletes from inju- ries resulting from intensive training for Injury Risk Monitoring of Team hand it to the organisers for bringing Hopefully the participants can take A number of participants expressed how other experts are integrating differ- regimes. The event also included a Sport Athletes via Data Reduction together some of the best speakers in away from the conference informa- their delight at being able to take part ent approaches”. number of debates on best practice Techniques by Dr. Sean Williams the field. The topic of the conference tion and methods that can be applied in the conference given the opportu- Filip Aurelian Leontin Hendrea from and theory in monitoring athlete train- from the University of Bath, based on is very timely and appropriate – on the ground in their work with ath- nity it presents to discuss best practice Al Jaish Sports Club in Qatar said: “The ing loads. data on training loads collected from approaches to monitoring training load letes. I also expect the conference will methods in relation to monitoring ath- conference is amazing and I think we Sessions on the final day of the 173 professional Rugby Union players in our field have been hit-and-miss to help identify new and worthwhile areas lete training loads. Several commented can all benefit from being here. The conference focused on key topics during the 2013/14 English Premier- date. It’s also a hugely important issue, of study and raise important research on the world-leading expertise rep- speakers are great and they have given including monitoring, modelling and ship season. The paper concluded that since working with top level athletes questions.” resented at the event and how the us a really good sense of how to com- controlling training loads in teams the process enables practitioners to and managing their training load is a Melvin Kantebeen from the Sports conference programme really helped bine established and more leading-edge sports and included a session on theo- monitor the most parsimonious set of major responsibility.” Medical Centre Amsterdam in the Neth- facilitate the exchange of knowledge techniques and methodologies. I’m look- retical basis and practical applications training load variables for injury risk Prof. Stephen Seiler, Dean of the erlands said: “It’s good to know how the and expertise. ing forward to applying a number of the by professor Aaron Coutts; and another monitoring, whilst still retaining dis- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences rest of the world is monitoring training Robert Hunt from the Duntroon approaches I have heard here with my on the training—injury prevention par- tinct aspects of ‘load’ within the data. at the University of Agder in Norway load and how everyone is dealing with Health Centre in Australia said: “It’s a Club.” The three-day conference reflects adox by Dr. Tim Gabbett. Commenting on the conference’s said: “What is really special about this this topic, since we are all facing the fantastic event that brings together world Aspire Academy’s focus of keeping in The last day also included dis- significance, Dr. William Sands, Asso- conference is that it allows us to really same problems. This conference gives leaders in the field of monitoring train- line with the latest trends in sports sci- cussion of various research papers. ciate Member of Sheffield Hallam focus on one issue that is relevant and us the opportunity to discuss the differ- ing. All the information we have heard ence and athletic development, which Amongst these was one on the Sys- University Centre for Sport and Exer- applicable to many different sports, ent challenges we all face and to learn here helps puts the pieces of the jigsaw contributes towards its efforts of becom- tematic Process for Selecting the Most cise Science in England said: “This is and a topic that is central to training how other experts in the field are tack- together in terms of increasing perform- ing recognised global resource in athlete Appropriate Training Load Measures a wonderful conference and I have to and to improving athletic performance. ling them.” ance. I have been very interested to hear development by 2020. 34 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 SPORT

Capitals edge Wild as Felton leads Mavericks over Lightning blank Devils

Agencies NHL RESULTS Denver Nuggets in thriller Tampa Bay 4 New Jersey 0 Washington 3 Minnesota 2 NEW YORK: Defenceman Dmitri Boston 4 Carolina 1 Orlov scored the go-ahead goal Anaheim 2 Edmonton 1 with 5:04 left in the game, and Alex Buffalo 3 San Jose 1 Backup guard shines Ovechkin scored his 40th of the season as the Washington Capitals in the final moments tallied twice in the third period to to play key role in rally past the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on 4-1 on Friday night at PNC Arena. Friday night. Centre Patrice Bergeron and Beles- 122-116 win in close Orlov slid the puck through his key scored 2:12 apart in the first contest own legs to evade a defender in the period. Beleskey responded to Caro- left circle and then back-handed a lina’s goal, restoring the two-goal shot that evaded goalie Darcy Kuem- cushion with a third-period score. per for his ninth goal as the Capitals Center Brad Marchand added an Agencies avoided suffering back-to-back reg- empty-neter with 13 seconds to play. ulation losses for the first time this Ducks 2, Oilers 1 season. Centre Rickard Rakell scored Lightning 4, Devils 0 1:24 into overtime to give the Ana- Centre Steven Stamkos and left heim Ducks a 2-1 victory over the NEW YORK: Mavericks backup winger Ondrej Palat each scored a Edmonton Oilers on Friday night in guard Raymond Felton took charge goal and had an assist to lead the front of a sellout crowd of 17,174 at of a game filled with wild scoring surging Tampa Bay Lighting to a 4-0 the Honda Center. swings to save Dallas from a near- win over the New Jersey Devils at the Sabres 3, Sharks 1 disastrous loss, leading it to a 122-116 Chandler Parsons (right) of the Prudential Center on Friday night. Defenseman Zach Bogosian’s tie- overtime victory against the Denver Dallas Mavericks takes a shot Right winger Ryan Callahan breaking goal at 12:36 of the third Nuggets on Friday night at American against Danilo Gallinari of the recorded two assists, while left period enabled the lowly Buffalo Airlines Center. Denver Nuggets during the winger Alex Killorn and defenseman Sabres to skate out of SAP Center Felton scored 10 of his 16 points second half of their NBA game Matt Carle added goals for Tampa with a 3-1 win, thus ending the on the final possession of the fourth at American Airlines Center on Bay, which has won five straight and San Jose Sharks’ nine-game points quarter and overtime. Dallas trailed Friday in Dallas, Texas. improved to 35-22-4. streak. by 23 points in the second quarter, Bruins 4, Hurricanes 1 The Sharks squandered a chance took the lead in the third only to fall Left winger Matt Beleskey scored to reach .500 at home for the first behind by 14 points with more than two goals and the Boston Bru- time this season and pull within four eight minutes to go in the fourth quar- ins added to their road success by points of idle Los Angeles for the lead ter and they trailed by nine points defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Pacific Division. with less than two minutes left in “You’re on the road, hostile envi- forward Danilo Gallinari, who left regulation. ronment--you need to have poise, you in the third quarter with a sprained NBA ROUND UP Felton tied it 108-108 with 10.5 need to slow down, execute the play,” ankle after landing on a teammates’ seconds left in regulation when drove Malone said. ankle. a wide-open lane for a layup as Den- “What happens sometimes in The Nuggets’ demise really ver’s defense keyed on Mavericks those situations (is that) I think it’s started the moment they grabbed forward Dirk Nowitzki, and nobody really important that you trust each send down boos. They were cheering the 23-point lead. A late flurry saved bothered to stick with Felton. other, and I think a lot of our guys at the end, however, after watching the second quarter from being one of Still, Denver had plenty of time think they need to make the play. the Mavericks pull off the fifth-largest the most abysmal 12 minutes of Dal- to get a good look coming out of the And their heart’s in the right place, home comeback in franchise history. las’ season, and it very much saved timeout, but forward Will Barton, but that’s when we need to trust each “To the fans that didn’t boo, the this game. who led Denver with 22 points despite other on both ends of the floor.” fans that remained confident in us, Dallas missed 12 of its first 13 poor shooting, went one-on-one Felton, who Dallas coach Rick we appreciate that,” said Mavs guard shots to start the quarter and fell against Felton, took the possession Carlisle inserted into the starting Wesley Matthews, who had 17 points, behind 55-32 with 3:15 to go. deep into the clock and then front- lineup to open the second half for a while knocking down four 3-point- The Mavericks, who were 7 of 21 rimmed a long jumper. The isolation small-ball look, then scored eight of ers on seven attempts. Dallas forward from the floor in the second quarter sequence infuriated Nuggets coach Dallas’ 13 points and grabbed a key Chandler Parsons paced Dallas with and 0 of 10 from 3-point range in the Mike Malone and sent the game into defensive rebound as the veteran 27 points, forward Dirk Nowitzki first half, closed the second quarter overtime. Mavericks (31-28) pulled a game it had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four on a 12-1 run to essentially cut the simply could not lose to the lottery- assists. Forward David Lee, in just his Nuggets’ biggest lead in half to go into NBA RESULTS bound Nuggets as the race at the second game with Dallas, recorded halftime trailing by a far more man- bottom of the Western Conference 14 points and 14 rebounds. The Nug- ageable margin of 56-44. Charlotte 96 Indiana 95 playoff chase tightens. gets (23-36) will look back at this one Denver got a balanced scoring Washington 103 Philadelphia 94 It was just Dallas’ third win its last and wonder how they let it slip away. attack, but failed to get the defen- NY Knicks 108 Orlando 95 nine games, and the win came two But like so many young teams in the sive stops it needed to protect its large Toronto 99 Cleveland 97 nights after a second-half stomping league, it is often much more diffi- leads throughout the game. Forward by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, cult to hold a double-digit lead than Kenneth Faried had 20 points and 12 Atlanta 103 Chicago 88 Washington Capitals’ players celebrate after a goal against the the Mavericks’ sluggish start that saw it is to build it. rebounds, guard DJ Augustin finished Dallas 122 Denver 116 them trail 55-32 with 3:15 to go had And they had to do play a large with 20 points and guard Gary Har- Minnesota Wild during the second period of their NHL game at LA Clippers 117 Sacramento 107 the sellout crowd in Dallas starting to chunk of the second half without ris had 17. Verizon Center on Friday in Washington, DC.

Oosthuizen leads by three Fowler grabs one-shot lead at Honda Classic

shots in Perth AFP SCORES AFP -8 Rickie Fowler (US) 66 66 -7 Jimmy Walker (US) 67 66 MIAMI: World number five Rickie -6 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 65 69 Fowler fired another bogey-free 66 PERTH: South Africa’s Louis Oost- on Friday to take a one-shot lead -5 Adam Scott (Australia) 70 65 huizen took a grip on the Perth after two rounds of the US PGA Tour’s -4 Blayne Barber (US) 70 66 International to hold a three-shot Honda Classic. Hudson Swafford (US) 71 65 lead into the final round at Lake Fowler’s second straight four- -3 Scott Brown (US) 70 67 Karrinyup yesterday. under effort on the Champion course John Senden (Australia) 71 66 The world No.21 was seven- at PGA National in Palm Beach -2 Michael Thompson (US) 65 73 under through 15 holes in the Gardens, Florida, gave him an eight- Luke List (US) 73 65 European and Asian Tour co-sanc- under total of 132. William McGirt (US) 66 72 tioned tournament and stretched American golfer Jason Bohn suf- Justin Thomas (US) 69 69 his lead out to five shots. fered a mild heart attack during David Lingmerth (Sweden) 67 71 However back-to-back bogeys Friday’s round after complaining of -1 Brett Stegmaier (US) 72 67 brought him back to the field on chest pains on the course. Andrew Loupe (US) 71 68 15-under 201 ahead of today’s final The 42-year-old was transported Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 72 67 round. by ambulance to a Palm Beach Gar- Dawie Van der Walt “I think anyone will expect to dens hospital for tests and was to (South Africa) 71 68 win, but there’s a lot of golf to be remain overnight in stable condition. Rickie Fowler of the United States in Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69 70 played,” Oosthuizen said. Fowler was one stroke in front of action during the second round of the Patton Kizzire (US) 75 64 “You still need to hit the shots. fellow American Jimmy Walker, who 2016 Honda Classic held on the PGA 0 Davis Love III (US) 71 69 Around this golf course especially, capped his 66 with a birdie at 17 and National Course at the PGA National Graeme McDowell (Britain) 71 69 someone can go out and be three an eagle at the par-five 18th. Resort and Spa on Friday in Palm Morgan Hoffmann (US) 75 65 or four?under in the first five holes “I’ve been swinging well,” said Beach Gardens, Florida. Kang Sung-Hoon (Korea) 71 69 and it changes everything. Fowler, whose strong early-sea- Ken Duke (US) 75 65 The South African, who son form included a victory in Abu Greg Owen (Britain) 69 71 won the 2010 British Open at St. Dhabi and a playoff loss to Hideki Russell Knox (Britain) 70 70 Andrews, is chasing his 13th career Matsuyama in Phoenix. Ian Poulter (Britain) 71 69 win. “It’s nice to hit fairways, hit He was runner-up at the 2012 greens, especially at a place like this Augusta Masters losing at the sec- where it’s very demanding tee to with a bogey-free 65 that included par-three fifth and saw him miss the withdrew complaining of a painful Harrington of Ireland rebounded from ond play-off hole to American green,” added Fowler. an eagle and three birdies and put cut with a four-over total of 144. wisdom tooth. After missing out in his opening 73 with a gritty two- Bubba Watson and also lost in a “I felt like I didn’t hit it as good as him in fourth on 135. It was another disappointing fin- a playoff in 2014, he missed the cut under-par 68 that had him heading play-off at last year’s British Open. yesterday, but I hit some really good “I felt like I played quite well. ish in a tournament where Northern last year. into the weekend on one-over 141. Oosthuizen’s nearest rivals drives through the middle, through Obviously the course is not getting Ireland’s McIlroy has experienced In fact, Fowler was the only one Harrington nabbed seven birdies in Perth are American overnight the end of the round, and made a few any easier as the week goes on,”said wildly fluctuating fortunes. of four top-10 players to make the cut. to offset three bogeys and a dou- leader Peter Uihlein and French- more putts, which was nice,” he said. Garcia. McIlroy’s 2012 victory at PGA Along with world number three McIl- ble bogey. Fowler became the first man Romain Wattel, both on First-round co-leader Sergio Gar- The Jack Nicklaus-designed National propelled him to number roy, ninth-ranked Patrick Reed and player to go bogey-free over the first 12-under 204. cia, playing alongside Fowler, signed course got the better of Rory McIl- one in the world for the first time. 10th-ranked Branden Grace will also two rounds of the tournament since Wattel kept in title contention for a 69 for 134, and Australian Adam roy, whose second straight two-over Defending his title the follow- miss the weekend. Playing alongside it moved to the Champion course in with a round of seven-under 65. Scott powered up the leaderboard 72 included a triple-bogey six at the ing year, he was struggling when he McIlroy, defending champion Padraig 2007. SPORT SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016 35 India down Pakistan by 5 wickets

CRICKET: ASIA CUP SCOREBOARD Afridi’s side bowled TWENTY20 PAKISTAN out for just 83 in Mohd Hafeez c Dhoni b Nehra 4 much-hyped match Sharjeel Khan c Rahane b Bumrah 7 tournament after they skittled Paki- Khurram Manzoor (run out) 10 as Kohli helps Dhoni’s stan for 83 inside 18 overs in the Shoaib Malik c Dhoni b Pandya 4 men reach the target much-hyped match between the Umar Akmal lbw Yuvraj 3 in only 15.3 overs arch rivals. India captain Mahendra Singh Sarfraz Ahmed b Jadeja 25 Dhoni opted to bowl first on a green- Shahid Afridi (run out) 2 tinged pitch at the Shere Bangla Wahab Riaz lbw Jadeja 4 National Stadium in Mirpur and Mohd Sami c Raina b Pandya 8 Reuters his bowlers responded brilliantly, extracting good movement out of Mohd Amir b Pandya 1 the wicket. Mohd Irfan (not out) 0 Medium paceman Hardik Pan- Extras (LB-4, W-11) 15 DHAKA: Virat Kohli scored a con- dya was the most successful among Total (all out in 17.3 overs) 83 fident 49 to prop up India in a tricky the Indian bowlers, picking up three Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-22, 3-32, 4-35, 5-35, chase as they defeated neighbours wickets for eight runs, while Paki-

6-42, 7-52, 8-70, 9-83, 10-83. Pakistan by five wickets in a low- stan did not help their own cause with scoring Asia Cup match yesterday. Khurram Manzoor and captain Shahid Bowling: Nehra 3-0-20-1 (w3); Bumrah 3-2- India, who will host the World Afridi running themselves out. 8-1; Pandya 3.3-0-8-3; Yuvraj 2-0-11-1; Jadeja Twenty20 next month, will be boosted Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed’s 3-0-11-2 (w3); Ashwin 3-0-21-0 (w5). by the performance of their bowl- 25 was Pakistan’s highest individual INDIA ers ahead of the March 8 April 3 score while Manzoor, making his T20 R Sharma lbw Amir 0 A Rahane lbw Amir 0 V Kohli lbw Sami 49 S Raina c Wahab b Amir 1 Y Singh (not out) 14 H Pandya c Hafeez b Sami 0 M S Dhoni (not out) 7 Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi walks off the field after being dismissed during the match against Extras (B-1, LB-3, W-8, NB-2) 14 India at the Asia Cup T20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. Total (for 5 wkts in 15.3 overs) 85 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-2, 3-8, 4-76, 5-76. debut, was the only other batsman to over as India were reduced to 8-3 with given lbw against paceman Moham- Bowling: Amir 4-0-18-3 (w6); Sami 4-0-16- reach double figures with 10. Kohli and Yuvraj Singh at the crease. mad Sami though he seemed to have 2; Irfan 4-0-16-0 (nb1 w1); Riaz 3.3-0-31-0 India’s chase also began on a sorry Yuvraj struggled against the Paki- got an edge on the ball. (nb1, w1). note with left-arm paceman Moham- stan pace attack initially but managed Pandya fell two balls later for a India’s Virat Kohli mad Amir dismissing both openers to stay at the crease with Kohli as the duck, edging Sami to Mohammad plays a shot during Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane leg duo added 68 for the fourth wicket Hafeez at first slip where the fielder from their target but southpaw Yuvraj the match against before in the first over before they had to take India in sight of their target. managed to hold on after juggling the (14 not out) and Dhoni took them Pakistan. opened their scoring. Kohli looked assured and on ball a few times. home with 27 balls to spare in the Suresh Raina fell in Amir’s next course for his 13th T20 fifty but was India were still eight runs away match. Griezmann inflicts Zidane’s first Real Madrid defeat Ulloa’s goal helps Leicester

AFP produced a brilliant save to tip Griez- mann’s drive from 25 yards over. edge Norwich, Chelsea win Navas also had to be aware MADRID: Zinedine Zidane suffered moments later to prevent Koke’s his first defeat since taking charge of drive sneaking in at his near post. Real Madrid as Antoine Griezmann’s Real were dealt a blow at the AFP solitary goal kept Atletico Madrid’s break as Benzema had to be replaced faint La Liga title hopes alive with a by 18-year-old Borja Mayoral -- who 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. starred as Los Blancos reached the Griezmann finished off a lovely quarter-finals of the youth Cham- LONDON: Substitute Leonardo Ulloa team move eight minutes into the pions League in midweek with a scored an 89th-minute winner as second half as Atletico became the 3-1 win over Manchester City -- at Leicester City breathed fresh life into first visiting team ever to win at the half-time. their improbable Premier League title Bernabeu three seasons in a row. However, the hosts had a great challenge by edging Norwich City 1-0 Diego Simeone’s men move to chance to break the deadlock just yesterday. within five points of leaders Barce- three minutes after the restart when Two weeks on from a last-gasp lona while Real’s chances of landing Ronaldo dragged his shot wide 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, Leicester were just a second title in eight years now with just Oblak to beat from Luka on course to drop points again until look completely gone as they now Modric’s through ball. Ulloa tapped in at the death to send trail Atletico by four points in third. That miss proved costly five min- Claudio Ranieri’s side five points clear Barca can restore their eight- utes later as Atletico produced the at the summit. point lead at the top when they face move of the match to snatch all three The Argentine’s goal, only his Sevilla on yesterday. points. third of the season, puts the pressure An error-strewn first half was Griezmann played in Filipe Luis on Leicester’s closest rivals Totten- played at a pace that suggested both in acres of space on the left and the ham Hotspur and Arsenal, who host sides had already given up on their Brazilian full-back showed great Swansea City and visit Manchester title hopes. The first shot on target awareness to return the ball back United respectively today. didn’t arrive until the half-hour mark into the path of the French interna- Norwich’s approach at the King when Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick tional to fire low past Navas for his Power Stadium gave Leicester an was beaten out by Jan Oblak. 20th goal of the season. indication of the puzzles likely to The rebound eventually found its The goal brought waves of dis- await them over the final 11 matches way to Karim Benzema just inside content from the Real fans with of a dizzying campaign. Chelsea players celebrate after their second goal during their Premier League match against Southampton the area, but the Frenchman pulled calls for president Florentino Perez Alex Neil’s visitors lined up with at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, yesterday. BELOW: Leicester City’s Leonardo Ulloa celebrates after his shot past Oblak’s far post. to resign. a back three and sat back, forcing scoring the winning goal against Norwich City in Leicester, yesterday. Atletico were quite content to Atletico had the chance to kill Leicester, who had previously aver- frustrate the hosts with 10 men the game off 24 minutes from time aged just 44 percent of possession in behind the ball for long spells, when they cut through Real’s brittle their home league games, to take the goalkeeper John Ruddy saving from but the visitors ended the half the defence once more, but Navas rushed initiative. Marc Albrighton went close Jamie Vardy and Albrighton. Nathan stronger and were unfortunate not from his goal to block Saul Niguez’s for Leicester with a free-kick from Redmond went close to snatching vic- to be in front when Keylor Navas attempted chip. wide on the left, but the best chance tory for Norwich when he flashed a of the first half fell to Norwich’s Cam- shot wide, but the hosts had the last eron Jerome, who headed inches wide word when Ulloa ghosted in at the from Robbie Brady’s corner. back post to apply the finishing touch Encouraged by Riyad Mahrez, to Albrighton’s right-wing cross. Leicester took hold of the game in Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink’s Chel- the second period, with visiting sea extended their unbeaten run to 11 league games in a 2-1 comeback victory at in-form Southampton, who PREMIER LEAGUE had won five and drawn one of their RESULTS previous six league matches. Southampton took a 42nd-minute Leicester 1 (Ulloa 89) Norwich 0 lead when Shane Long intercepted Southampton 1 (Long 42) Chelsea 2 Baba Rahman’s header and ran into (Fabregas 75, Ivanovic 89) the box before coolly dinking a shot Stoke 2 (Arnautovic 51-pen, 56) Aston past Thibaut Courtois. Villa 1 (Bacuna 79) Home goalkeeper Fraser Forster Pedro Rodriguez to an early thigh the right and firing home left-footed, Watford 0 Bournemouth 0 established a new Southampton top- injury -- one place to 11th. The result as Slaven Bilic’s men supplanted Man- West Ham 1 (Antonio 30) Sunder- flight record of 708 minutes without prevented Southampton from keeping chester United in the Europa League land 0 conceding a goal, but he was finally pace with West Ham United, who had berth. Marko Arnautovic scored beaten in the 75th minute when he moved into fifth place earlier in the twice as Stoke City won 2-1 at home to Playing today allowed Cesc Fabregas’s cross to beat day by beating second-bottom Sun- bottom club Aston Villa, who replied Atletico Madrid’s French midfielder Antoine Griezmann (right) Manchester United vs Arsenal (1405 him. Branislav Ivanovic headed in an derland 1-0. through Leandro Bacuna, while Wat- celebrates with Koke after scoring the opening goal against Real GMT), Tottenham vs Swansea (1405 89th-minute winner from Willian’s Michail Antonio settled the game ford and Bournemouth drew 0-0 at Madrid during their La Liga match in Madrid, yesterday. GMT) corner, lifting Chelsea -- who lost in the 30th by scuttling infield from Vicarage Road. 36 SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016

United Development Company awarded for its contribution

The Peninsula Development Company, Al Othman said, “We were honoured to be com- mended by His Highness, the Emir, DOHA: Following the success- and also pleased to watch young ful conclusion of H H The Emir’s Qatari horse riders exhibit strength, Sword International Show Jump- resilience and chivalry at this tour- ing Championships 2016 at Qatar nament’s finale.” Equestrian Federation’s (QEF) main “Traditional sports continue to arena yesterday, United Develop- draw large crowds, which is a tes- ment Company (UDC), was awarded timony to the fact that it inspires by Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin younger generations to carry on the Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani for its legacy of training and horse riding.” continued support and partnership. “United Development Com- As a leading Qatari public share pany takes pride in investing and holding company, United Devel- supporting major sporting events opment Company, for the fourth in the country, particularly eques- consecutive year, extended a gold trian sports, based on the firm belief sponsorship to the prestigious event that this serves to preserve our in recognition of its corporate social Arabic roots and Qatari identity,” responsibility initiatives and com- the United Development Compa- mitment to serving the development ny’s President and CEO said at the of sports and culture in the State occasion. of Qatar for the good of the Qatari Placing Qatar firmly on the community. worldwide equestrian map, H H The In the context of honouring the Emir’s Sword International Show Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani presenting the Emir’s Sword to Portuguese rider Luciana Diniz at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian winning riders and rewarding their Jumping Championship continues Club (QREC) premises yesterday. QEF President Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al Attiyah looks on. season-long efforts and achieve- to offer the spectacle of show jump- ments, His Highness, The Emir, also ing at its very best and as such, is delivered awards to the corporate always a pleasure to witness the sponsors of this lavish Arabian race, resilience and chivalry exhibited whose unwavering support makes by young Qatari horse riders. up the backbone of this successful United Development Company Perfect run for Fit For Fun 13 and much-awaited event. has been a long-term sponsor of United Development Compa- this event, the company pledges ny’s President and Chief Executive to continue their support towards Officer, Ibrahim Jassim Al Othman home-grown tournaments such as received the award on behalf of the H H The Emir’s Sword International as Diniz wins Emir’s Sword Company. Show Jumping Championship, and Commenting on the exciting so to be recognized and awarded finale and the recognition of United for it, is of a great privilege.

happy with the top placement. I would have been happy if I had been placed The Portuguese rider is well (smiles). over the moon ahead “It turns out the luck came my way. of next week’s CHI Al And we won in the jump-off. God was with me and it is fantastic,” Diniz said. Shaqab as Qatar’s Faleh The Portuguese rider said she was Suwead finishes second feeling confident going into next week’s CHI Al Shaqab. astride Come Soon “Yes, for sure,” she said when if she could do well next week. “I love being here. I love Al Shaqab. I think we are in a very good position for next By Rizwan Rehmat week,” Diniz said. The Peninsula Sheikh Khalid, who picked up QR 76,690 for his fourth-placed fin- ish, praised Diniz for her admirable riding. DOHA: Experienced rider Luciana Diniz “Of course, Luciana is one of the yesterday produced a perfectly-timed best riders in the world. She had best routine with Fit For Fun 13 to win the horse in the world, if not the best Emir’s Sword competition. then the second best in the world. She Diniz scaled the heights in Doha deserves this win,” Sheikh Kha- once again, this time at the Main Arena lid said. of the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) The ace Qatari rider said he was where she guided Fit For Fun 13 to an pleased with three days of riding and impressive win. the net results. Fit For Fun 13, who produced a flaw- “As you see, it was tough for the less routine in the jump-off of the 160cm horses to run three rounds. I didn’t plan class, won in a time of 33.22 seconds fol- to run him (Anyway II). I had a better lowing two successful rounds earlier in horse than him but he had health issues. the competition. I took a risk with Anyway II,” Sheikh Qatar’s Faleh Suwead Al Ajami, who Khalid said. was astride Come Soon, finished in sec- “He did great job together. We fin- H H Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al Thani and QEF President Hamad bin Abdulrahman ond spot in a time of 36.39 seconds. Al ished in fourth place. We were looking Al Attiyah pose for a photograph with the podium winners of Competition 8. Khaled Almobty topped the competition while Khalid Hamad Al Attiya and Rashid Towaim Al Ajami was one of three riders to produce for the first place but we are still happy Khaled Almobty clears an obstacle Marri were placed second and third respectively. a flawless routine. with the fourth spot,” he said. during Competition 8. Frenchman Frederic David, astride “My best horse (Vienna Olympic) Ecuador Van’t Roosaker, sealed the third wasn’t ready so I went with this one. place in a time of 36.80 seconds. Thank God, we had a good result. A Qatar’s Rio-bound rider Sheikh Ali Qatari rider finished second today. The bin Khalid Al Thani joined his second- show is successful for us. choice ride Anyway II to grab the fourth “We will forget this one. We will now The Emir’s Sword Meet Results: spot. look to the future events,” Sheikh Kha- Anyway II, who won the feature lid said competition on Friday, yesterday clocked In competition 7, Saudi Arabia’s CSI5* - Comp. 7, Table (A) Against the clock , Art. 238.2.1, a time of 33.25 seconds but slipped Ramzy Hamad Al Duhami raced to a win 155 CM Date: 27/02/2016 down the pecking order by tripping one with his reliable ride Garlic VH Kapel- 1 GARLIC VH KAPELHOF, Ramzy Hamad Al Duhami, 67.79 seconds, QR 115,075.00 obstacle. hof in the 155cm class. 2 NARAZO DE NYZE Z, Derin Demirsoy, 68.62, QR 92,060.00 Liberty Son 2, ridden by Germany’s Garlic VH Kapelhof clocked a time 3 CORTANI, Omer Karaevli, 69.81, QR 69,045.00 Philipp Weishaupt, finished fifth in a of 67.79 seconds (against the clock) as 4 LITTLE PEZI, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, 70.95, QR 46,030.00 time of 33.76 seconds. Al Duhami picked up the top prize of Diniz, who picked up the top prize of QR 115,075. 5 CLINTON, Edwina Tops-Alexander, 73.61, QR 32,221.00 QR 253,077, received the Emir’s Sword Turkish rider Derin Demirsoy guided from Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Narazo De Nyze Z to second spot when CSI2* - Comp. 8, Table (A) Against the clock with jump off, Hamad Al Thani, at the Qatar Racing his ride finished the competition in a Art. 238.2.2, 145 CM and Equestrian Club (QREC) premises. time of 68.62 seconds. 1 DONA EVITA, Khaled Almobty, 31.19 seconds, QR 30,525.00 “It was a special moment for me to Demirsoy, a regular visitor to Qatar, 2 VIKING D, Khalid Hamad Al Attiya, 34.69, QR 24,420.00 receive the Sword from the Emir. It was picked up the top prize of QR 92,060 in 3 KANNADA, Rashid Towaim Al Marri, 34.97, QR 18,315.00 very, very special. I really loved it. It was the five-star class. 4 S I E C LONNIE, Hamad Nasser Al Qadi, 35.66, QR 12,210.00 a feeling I will never forget in my life,” Turkish riding star Omer Karaevli 5 DESPERADITO, Saeed Nasser Al Qadi, 36.16, QR 8,547.00 Diniz said. completed the top three when he guided “Yes, I am very happy, I had a great Cortani to third spot in a time of 69.81 feeling today with Fit For Fun 13 and seconds. Karaevli won QR 69,045 for CSI5* Compe 9 Table (A) Two Rounds with jump, now we are both satisfied and happy,” his efforts. Art. 273.3.4.1, 2.2 - 160 CM Diniz said. Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly 1 FIT FOR FUN 13, Luciana Diniz, 33.32 seconds, QR 253,077 “It is always a pleasure to be here. (Little Pezi) was fourth, a position that 2 COME SOON, Faleh Suwead Al Ajami, 36.39, QR 153,380 “No,” Diniz said when asked if she earned the visiting rider QR 46,030. 3 EQUADOR VAN’T ROOSAKKER, Frédéric David, 36.80, QR 115,035 Luciana Diniz with the Emir’s Sword. The Portuguese rider won the was expecting a win at the start of the Popular Australian rider Edwina 4 VIENNA OLYMPIC, Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, 33.25, QR 76,690 day. Tops-Alexander grabbed the fifth place premier event of the H H The Emir’s Sword Show Jumping Competition 5 LIBERTY SON 2, Philipp Weishaupt, 33.76, QR 46,014 “Because I was looking for points with Clinton, earning herself a neat sum while Qatar’s Faleh Suwead Al Ajami (right) and Frédéric David (left) and hoping for double clears and I was of QR 32,221. won the second and third places respectively.