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OPINION Getting family Why was Gulf security pact visas tough for adopted quietly?

HE 33rd TGCC some expats Supreme Council sum- mit which Procedures found challenging concluded in Manama BY FAZEENA SALEEM Khalid Al Sayed an expatriate is living in a sublet on Tuesday EDITOR-IN-CHIEF accommodation. adopted DOHA: A number of expatri- Talking about interviews for an amended version of the ates have been complaining that family visa, an expatriate said he security agreement signed they are facing difficulties in appeared for one and was asked by interior ministers in their getting residency visas for their basic questions like about his 31st meeting on November wives and children despite the job and salary. “I was asked to 13. According to social fact that they fulfil the neces- check for the visa status online media networks, the agree- sary requirements. after three days. When I did my ment includes six chapters Some say they are left wonder- visa request was rejected,” said and 45 articles to maintain ing why their family visa requests Mohamed Hazim, who works as security and stability in the were turned down without any a senior supervisor in a bank. Gulf countries, and empha- reasons being assigned although He has been here for four sises the importance of close they appeared for interviews and years and gets more than QR cooperation. submitted relevant documents. 10,000 as monthly salary. “I don’t The security agreement was Then, there are others who say know what more I can do to get in deep freeze for many years they have given up hope to get a a visa. I finally gave up trying for because of Kuwait’s reserva- family visa after making repeated it,” he said. The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at the graduation ceremony of the 35th batch of Qatar University tion about what it considered attempts. A special panel comprising offi- female students, at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday. violation of its Constitution Some of these people say that cials from different government regarding territorial sov- one of the problems is that a fam- bodies including the Ministry of ereignty and fundamental ily visa applicant is sometimes Labour scans every family visa freedoms. However, the aboli- asked to produce rent contract application and interviews the 848 QU students receive degrees tion of the national assembly to show he has a place to keep his applicant before taking a decision. in Kuwait and the one-vote family, but this contract is hard The committee last year raised system adopted for parliament to produce. the minimum monthly salary slab DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, and the Doctor of Pharmacy election has created a situa- First, because the document to QR10,000 for expatriates want- Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Governor of Qatar Central Bank, programme. tion which is conducive for needs to be ratified by the munici- ing to sponsor their wives and yesterday presented certificates were among the many dignitar- As the largest college in Qatar approval of the pact. pality of the area concerned. The children. to 117 top ranking female stu- ies who attended the graduation University, the College of Arts and The Middle East is cur- municipality would not attest a “I submitted the application dents of Qatar University in a ceremony. Sciences had the highest number rently passing through a dif- rent agreement (between a ten- even with attested copies of my graduation ceremony held at Addressing the convocation, of graduates at 353. The College of ficult phase after two years ant and landlord) if it is not reg- wife’s educational certificates. All the Qatar National Convention Prof Al Misnad said: “You join a Business and Economics had 176 of Arab Spring revolutions, istered with it. my certificates and marriage certif- Centre (QNCC). list of highly accomplished alumni graduates, College of Engineering and many Arab countries are To get a tenancy agreement icate were attested by the Foreign The first women’s graduation and are part of Qatar University’s 106, College of Education 78, facing not only political insta- registered with a municipality, the Consular office here. My applica- ceremony of Qatar University history of quality and excellence. College of Shariah and Islamic bility, but also intellectual landlord must pay one percent of tion was rejected,” said Michel attended by the Emir saw a total We look to you as our ambassa- Studies 64, College of Law 17, and dissent. The Gulf states are annual rent as fee. So, not many Thomas, an auditor who has been of 848 students receiving their dors who will strengthen our links College of Pharmacy 14. not immune to these devel- landlords prefer to register rent here for more than six years. certificates -- 808 bachelor’s with the community and inspire The ten diploma-level graduates opments. Therefore, it is not agreements. “My wife and daughter were degrees, 10 diplomas, 21 master’s the generation of young women were all women from the College surprising that some Kuwaiti Secondly, since most people here on a visit visa, unfortu- degrees and nine doctoral degrees. who will follow in your footsteps. of Education. The master’s level intellectuals, through social prefer to stay in sub-let homes nately, they had to leave last They graduates received their We wish you all the very best graduates included seven MBAs, media, have expressed con- due to rents being very high, get- week,” he said. certificates from Prof Sheikha for a future filled with learning seven M.Ed graduates in Education cern about some clauses of the ting a rent contract attested by Some of the applicants have Abdulla Al Misnad, President, experiences that will heighten the Leadership, four M.Eng graduates in security pact, which has been the municipality is impracticable. been asked at the interview to Qatar University, and deans of knowledge and skills you gained Computing, and three M.Ed gradu- leaked to electronic media, and In many a case, the authorities produce rent contracts of their their respective colleges. at Qatar University.” ates in Special Education. The nine some said signing the agree- also insist on an applicant produc- homes duly certified by the H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh This year’s convocation saw the doctoral level graduates were all ment would be ‘dangerous’. ing an electricity and water bill in municipality. Al Sada, Minister of Energy first batch of students graduat- women from the College of Pharmacy. It is shameful that citizens his name, which is not possible if Continued on page 6 and Industry, and H E Sheikh ing from the honours programme Continued on page 4 in the Gulf are not aware of the security pact or its contents. Continued on page 6 Eight Indians among 60 UAE security forces arrest prisoners pardoned Mursi calls for national unity cell planning attacks DOHA: At least eight Indians were among a CAIRO: Egyptian President Keen to be seen as tough but opposition spokesman, said. number of prisoners granted the Emiri par- Mohammed Mursi admitted yes- fair, Mursi said it was time for The charter states that the DUBAI: Security forces in the United Arab don on Qatar’s National Day on December 18. terday that Egypt’s economy faces all political forces to put aside principles of Shariah are the main Emirates have arrested a cell of UAE and Saudi Diplomatic circles say a total of 60 prisoners of serious problems after he enacted their differences and start work- source of legislation and that Islamic Arabian citizens which was planning to carry out various nationalities were pardoned this year. a new, bitterly contested constitu- ing together to bring economic authorities will be consulted on militant attacks in both countries and other states, The pardoned Indians were convicted for vari- tion that is supposed to help end stability. “I will make all efforts, Shariah — a source of concern to the official news agency WAM said yesterday. ous crimes and were serving varying jail terms. political unrest and allow him to together with you, to push forward the Christian minority and others. Those arrested had acquired materials and They were from different regions of India. While focus on the financial crisis. the economy which faces huge In his speech, Mursi said he equipment for use in what WAM called terrorist five of them were Muslims, two were Hindus and Mursi, catapulted into power challenges and has great opportu- would introduce incentives to operations. “The security authorities in the UAE, one Christian. by his Islamist allies this year, nities to grow,” Mursi said in his make Egypt an attractive place in coordination with the related security parties in The crimes for which the Indians were convicted believes that adopting the con- first address to the nation since the for business once again, and he Saudi Arabia, announced the arrest of an organised included adultery, bribery (two convicts), causing stitution quickly and holding adoption of the constitution. would consider making changes cell from the deviant group that was planning to accidental death, entering into other’s property elections to a permanent new The text won about 64 percent in the cabinet as part of his plan. carry out actions against national security of both without permission, fraud and issuing cheques parliament soon will help to end in a two-stage referendum, paving He also appeared keen to seem countries and some brotherly states,” WAM said. without sufficient bank balance. the long period of turmoil that the way for a new parliamentary tolerant of those who voted “no” The phrase “the deviant group” is often used by According to information available, there were a has wrecked the economy. vote in about two months. in this month’s referendum. “This authorities in Saudi Arabia to describe Al Qaeda total of 47 Indians in Qatar’s central prison before The presidency announced yes- The main opposition group, is their right,” he said. “Those members. Emirati political analyst Abdulkhaleq the pardon. The number is since reduced to 39. terday that Mursi had formally which has until now boycotted all who said ‘no’ and those who said Abdullah told Reuters that he believed it was the The Indian embassy, like the embassies of other approved the constitution, which rounds of national unity talks led ‘yes’, I thank you both because we first time the UAE had announced a suspected countries, keeps forwarding pardon requests to was drafted by his Islamist allies, by Mursi’s office, said it had not do not want to return to the era attack plot of regional significance. It “looks like the Qatari government for its consideration. Emiri the previous evening, shortly after changed its position. “The ongo- of one opinion or fake majorities.” it is a big one, mainly because it includes Emirati pardons are granted only to convicts and not to results showed that Egyptians ing talks are farcical and theat- REUTERS citizens and is not confined to the UAE but also has undertrials. THE PENINSULA had backed it in a referendum. rical,” Hussein Abdel Ghani, an See also page 10 a regional dimension”. REUTERS THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Cold snap to continue today Five-day Qatar Motor Show from January 29 Never-before seen models on display

DOHA: Never-before seen models from renowned car brands and spectacular shows are set to make 2013 Qatar Motor Show the best edition of the most anticipated event which would put Qatar on the map of the global automotive industry. The five-day auto expo, which will run from January 29, 2013 until February 2 at the Doha Exhibition Center, will again be organized jointly by the Qatar could expect drifting shows, a car Tourism Authority (QTA), obstacle course, gymnastic per- q.media Events, and GL events. formances, sporting relays, and “Each edition of the Qatar a classic car show in addition to Motor Show has put the coun- some surprises. try squarely on the global auto- “We have a line-up that will motive industry map,” said QTA definitely cause a stir, includ- Chairman Issa bin Mohamed Al ing the unveiling of never-seen Mohannadi (pictured). before models from renowned “Last year’s event proved to be car brands, visits and talks from even more popular than the first high-caliber celebrities, an area show in 2011, and I am more than dedicated to one specialized and optimistic that the 2013 event will innovative car brand, and one break all our previous records. We of the most exciting hyper cars Battered trees on the Corniche Road yesterday, after strong northwesterly winds lashed the country causing a sudden fall in temperatures. The cold have an exciting line-up this year to come to life - with an Arab spell is expected to continue today, with a chance of light rain, according to the Meteorology Department. KAMMUTTY V P of international car brands and label,” said Yousif Al Khater, Chief events taking place concurrently Executive Officer of q.Media. with the motor show, and I am The 2012 Qatar Motor Show confident that crowds will be fully saw a whopping 120,000 peo- Pearl-Qatar residents receive ownership documents entertained and intrigued by what ple walk through the doors, an we are offering this time around,” incredible 25 percent increase said Al Mohannadi. from the year before. Visitors DOHA: The Pearl-Qatar has process. The Pearl-Qatar has The UDC, on its part, has also obtain residency permit/renewal The 2013 Qatar Motor Show came from across the region and announced that the real estate created a Central Authority entered into a contract with a of permit from the Ministry of will showcase brands from across beyond, providing a tourism boost registration department at the Directorate (CAD) for a better private agency to make the reg- Interior, should they meet the the globe, from family sedans, to to the country for the duration of Ministry of Justice has started coordination between the prop- istration process smooth. The mandatory guidelines set by SUVs, luxury vehicles, and to the event. issuing the ownership docu- erty owners and various gov- Pearl-Qatar has signed a sepa- Qatari Government. The UDC sports cars. “We described last year’s edi- ment of The Pearl-Qatar prop- ernment agencies, to make the rate protocol with the ministry expressed its gratitude to the “As what has become tra- tion as nothing but ‘pure enter- erty holders. The Ministry has registration process smooth. The of Justice to help out the property Ministry of Justice, Supreme dition, the event will happen tainment.’ For 2013, I’d like to started issuing the document Directorate appealed the owners holders for a hassle-free registra- Council for Economic Affairs and both inside and just outside the think we will be offering ‘pure from December 24, 2012. to complete the registration proc- tion process. Investment and all the concerned Doha Exhibition Center, with entertainment plus.’ Just a heads The UDC, master developer of ess and collect their documents The Pearl-Qatar has a policy government agencies for their events related to the motor show up to the public – prepare to The Pearl-Qatar, has arranged from the registration department, to assist the property owner, his support and cooperation. occurring concurrently,” said be truly entertained,” added Al best facilities for the registration Al Sharq reported. spouse and dependent children t THE PENINSULA Al Mohannadi, adding visitors Khater. THE PENINSULA

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The Director General of Public Security and Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Drugs and Alcohols Affairs (PCDAA) at the Interior Ministry, Staff Maj Gen Saad bin Jassim Al Khulaifi and Chairman of the Aspire Zone Foundation Hilal Jaham Al Kuwari after signing the agreement. Ministry, Aspire Zone to campaign against drugs

DOHA: The Ministry of Muhannadi, Secretary of the The PCDAA always attempts Interior signed a Memorandum PCDAA Maj Ibrahim Mohammed to enhance and develop coop- of Understating with Aspire Al Sumaih and a number of offic- eration, coordination and part- Zone Foundation for enhanc- ers from the Ministry of Interior nership with officials and local ing cooperation in raising pub- attended the signing ceremony. agencies in the country for uni- lic awareness about the risks of In a statement issued to the fying the efforts against drugs’ drugs. media after the ceremony, Staff commented the Chairman of the Director General of Public Maj Gen Saad bin Jassim Al PCDAA. Security and the Chairman of the Khulaifi said that the MoU aims On his part, the Aspire Zone Permanent Committee for Drugs to promote cooperation in the chairman Hilal Al Kuwari and Alcohols Affairs (PCDAA) field of preventive culture and stressed on the importance of Staff Maj Gen. Saad bin Jassim sports activities and address the this MoU and described it as a Al Khulaifi and Hilal Jaham Al menace of drugs. roadmap between the Ministry Kuwari chairman of the Aspire “The MoU consists of many of Interior and Aspire Zone. We Zone Foundation signed the articles such as strengthening extend our support to the PCDAA agreement. joint cooperation in the field of under the Ministry of Interior, Director of Medical Services developing and executing pre- which plays a major role in the Department and member of ventive training and media cam- protection of the human capital PCDAA Brigadier Muhammed paigns, supporting the activities of the country, as a part of our Sultan Al Khulaifi, Director and projects of preventive edu- belief in protecting the people of of Drugs Enforcement cation that has relation with the our society from drugs and its Administration Brigadier Ibrahim sports activities and exchanging social, psychological and health Eisa Al Buainain, Director technical information and knowl- consequences, added the Aspire of Legal Affairs Department edge expertise in the field of sports Zone chairman. Brigadier Hamad Ahmed Al education,” said Al Khulaifi. THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Cabinet hails GCC summit declaration Deputy PM presides over meeting

DOHA: The Cabinet welcomed Advisory Council. the Sakhir Declaration issued Second: Approved a draft at the conclusion of the 33rd Memorandum of Understanding Summit of the Gulf Cooperation (MoU) for legal cooperation Council (GCC), hosted by of between the Ministry of Justice Bahrain, which includes a and the Ministry of Justice of number of principles and guide- Sudan. lines that constitute a strong Third: Approved a proposal impetus in the GCC joint action by the General Authority for and boost the GCC process Civil Aviation to hold talks in towards the best interest and air transport between Qatar and welfare of the GCC states and the Republic of Barbados and peoples. Bermuda. Qatar University students and dignitaries during the graduation ceremony at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday. Deputy Premier and Minister Fourth: Took necessary of State for Cabinet Affairs steps to ratify a joint archae- H E Ahmed bin Abdullah Al ology fieldwork cooperation Mahmoud presided over the agreement between Qatar and Male students to receive degrees today Cabinet’s ordinary meeting held Sudan. in its headquarters at the Emiri Fifth: The Cabinet reviewed a Diwan. letter by the Minister of Business Continued from page 1 when I say how grateful we are do our best. We sincerely thank of the Administrative Control The cabinet considered the and Trade on the results of the Speaking to the audience, for your guidance and support you.” and Transparency Authority, items in the agenda as follows: 90th session of the Economic and Mai Hamad Fetais, an electri- through our joys and challenges. Today, 240 male students of as the guest of honour and Dr First: Approved a draft law Social Council, which was held in cal engineering major, said, We are indeed fortunate to have Qatar University will graduate Hassan Al Sayed, College of amending some provisions of Cairo in September 2012 and took “To the university leaders, our been given the environment and in a convocation ceremony at Law professor, as the keynote the Advocacy Law No. 23 of the appropriate decision. professors, and especially our resources at Qatar University QNCC with H E Abdullah bin speaker. 2006 and to submit it to the QNA parents, I speak for everyone to encourage and motivate us to Hamad Al Attiyah, Chairman THE PENINSULA

QNB accepts China UnionPay cards on ATMs

DOHA: QNB continues expanding its acceptance of China UnionPay cards (CUP). Thus far it has been rolled out to ten Point of Sales (POS) and all QNB ATM’s across Qatar, with more POS’ to follow in the coming months. Earlier this year, QNB signed an agreement with CUP, aimed at allowing holders of the CUP card visiting the country, to easily use their cards in QNB’s largest POS network in Qatar consisting of more than 6,000 POS terminals and 3000 Merchants, with leading participating merchants. The POS implementation went live back in June, 2012 making QNB the first bank in Qatar to launch the POS acquiring for QNB is the first bank in Qatar to launch the service. CUP Cardholders. Now with the new ATM imple- mentation, (CUP) cardholders largest ATM network in Qatar are accepted in over 1.5m ATMs and can take additional benefit and with over 270 ATMs conveniently 4.5 million POS terminals, in more make all their cash transac- located across Doha and other than 130 countries and regions with tions including third party Bill major cities within Qatar. its card base of 3.2 billion globally, Inquiries and Payment Services, Today UnionPay is one of the fast- making it one of the largest cards Qtel and Vodaphone, Top ups, est growing payments technology payment schemes in the world. Vouchers etc, through QNB’s companies in the world. Its cards THE PENINSULA

More than 500,000 Qtel customers enjoyed free minutes promotion

DOHA: Hundreds of thousands of Qtel custom- ers enjoyed the special promotions offered for Qatar National Day in December, as part of the campaign “We Are All Qatar.” From 17-19 December, thousands of Qtel customers received 1878 free units for local minutes and SMS to celebrate the unification and founding of the country on 18 December 1878. Mustafa Jameel Al Qatami, Director Branding & Corporate Communication in Qtel said: “Qatar’s National Day is a day of pride for us. Qtel cele- brates this occasion and offers the chance to its customers through special offers to take part in those celebrations through different ways of communication.” Al Qatami added: “Qtel has also conducted a contest on Qatar’s tradition and culture through social media, with many competing to win.” More than 500,000 Hala and Shahry customers ben- efited from this incredible offer sending more than three million SMS messages and using an incredible 30 million minutes’ worth of local calls. In fact, records from Qtel show that 19 December 2012 was the busiest day of the year on Qtel’s nation- wide network. For social media fans too, the Qatar National Day cel- ebrations carried extra excitement, thanks to a special online quiz about Qatar’s culture and heritage. Every day from 16-20 December, Qtel rewarded three contestants each from Facebook and Twitter with the latest tech gadgets. Second and third place prizes included the Samsung Galaxy S3 and BlackBerry Bold 9790, while the winner received an iPad 3 tablet. On National Day, the grand prize was an Apple MacBook Pro laptop. Winners were presented with their prizes at a special celebration at the Qtel Headquarters this week. The contest helped to affirm Qtel’s leadership in using social media to connect with customers, especially youth. QNA THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05

City Center DFI to launch year-round to operate till film programme series 4am Saturday DOHA: Tomorrow, City Center Doha will extend its operating hours until 4am Emirati film ‘Sea Shadows’ to kick off the series at MIA the following day as part of their first ever ‘Starlight DOHA: Some of the best films Shopping’ event. produced in the Gulf region From 4pm on Friday, the will be screened throughout the shopping center will welcome year with the launch of Doha all guests with a lot of exciting Film Institute’s (DFI) ‘Hekayat activities for the entire family Khaleejia’ (Khaleeji Stories), a such as arts and crafts work- year-round film appreciation shops, sand art workshop and programme for the community. clay molding at the Kids’ Fun The series is aimed at promot- Area on the second level, which ing film appreciation and help- would also feature face paint- ing encourage film production in ers and henna tattoo artists, Qatar and throughout the Gulf everything for free. region. Also in programme start- Psychologist Mirvat Salamah of the Qatar Foundation For Child and Woman Taking place at the Museum of ing 4pm till 4am are musi- Protection giving a lecture. Islamic Art every three months, cal parades of artists from ‘Hekayat Khaleejiya’ will present Brazil featuring jugglers and films that are accompanied by a musicians in their colourful 25pc of teens suffering Q&A session with the filmmak- costumes; magic shows; pup- ers, giving audiences the chance pet shows and walkabouts to gain insight into their work and by renowned mascots, LED creative process. A still from the ‘Sea Shadow’. Robots, golden living statues, from depression Nawaf Al Janahi’s ‘Sea Shadow’ Cinderella, Charlie Chaplin will launch the series on January actor and a film director. week, the biggest cinema market and stilt walkers. DOHA: Many teenagers suffer from depression, which pushes them 17 and 18 and the screening will His first feature length film, in the Arab world. All shops will remain open away from their families and the society. It leads them to skipping be followed by an extended Q&A ‘The Circle’, has screened since Fatma Al Remaihi, Head of till 2am while food and bev- school and even staying away from home, and can push them into session with director Nawaf April 2009 at many film festi- Outreach Programmes said: “We erage shops will operate till bad company and, ultimately, a life of addiction and crime, said an Al Janahi and screenwriter vals around the globe, and was are pleased to have started a won- 4am. expert from the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) while Mohammed Hassan Ahmed. described by film critics as “a derful new series that will shed City Center Doha Managers giving a lecture at the West Bay Health Center on behavioural dis- Set in a small seaside neigh- major turning point in Emirati the light on great Khaleeji films. Olaf Kindt and Anastasia orders among students. bourhood in the United Arab and Gulf cinema”. Al Janahi’s sec- It is our duty to bring the best Marapidou said the Starlight The health centre had organized two lectures on different aspects Emirates, ‘Sea Shadow’ fol- ond feature film ‘Sea Shadow’ had films to Qatar’s community and Shopping Event would be the of the issue, including sexual harassment that students may be facing. lows teenagers Mansour and its world premiere at Abu Dhabi showcase works made by GCC last event for this year for all About 20 social workers and nurses from schools attended the lectures. Kaltham as they struggle with Film Festival (2011), and was filmmakers for local and interna- City Center customers. Dr Ibrahim Abdul Al, a paediatrician from PHCC, said that the the restraints of tradition in their then released in cinemas across tional audiences. We all know how “We want to celebrate this most common signs of behavioural disorders among teens were lack of journey towards adulthood. Bound the Arabian Gulf on November a film can easily disappear after a event with all our guests and attention, hyperactivity and depression. Studies have shown that about by family conventions and deep- 17, 2011. year of screening at festivals, and want to show also our appre- 25 percent of teens suffer from depression. rooted values, the pair must find Competing with Hollywood it’s our job at DFI to provide addi- ciation for 2012 to our loyal Early diagnosis by the family at home or by social workers and the courage to forge their own blockbusters, the film reached tional platforms for these regional customers” they said. nurses at school can definitely help in curing the child and prevent any paths. the second position among the top films to be screened and enjoyed.” THE PENINSULA further negative repercussions that might affect his future, said Abdul Nawaf Al Janahi is an Emirati five movies in UAE during its first THE PENINSULA Al, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among families and specialists in this regard. Psychologist Mirvat Salamah of the Qatar Foundation For Child and Woman Protection said child care was the main theme of a workshop jointly organised by the Foundation, health centres and schools. She Indian embassy to hold Open House tomorrow added that the three bodies were also following up cases of behavioural disorders that might severely affect the academic performance and social interactions of a child. DOHA: Indian Embassy will related to the community in information on issues or cases This will be followed by interac- She said direct observation of students was one of the easiest ways of hold its next Open House for Qatar. proposed to be discussed with tion with officers of the embassy spotting behavioural disorders. Students exposed to any type of sexual all Indian nationals tomorrow The Open House will be held the Embassy should be given in from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm. harassment might develop serious psychological problems, she added. to discuss any urgent issues from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Precise writing from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Ministerial Hockey fans set for a treat committee to monitor health Tickets for India-Pakistan match sold out; Al Kass TV likely to telecast today’s final facilities at BY ARMSTRONG VAS and Oman are the other four countries taking part in the six- labour camps DOHA: All the tickets for nation tournament. today’s Asian Champions The tickets costing QR10 each DOHA: An inter-ministerial Trophy final hockey match were being snapped up by eager committee has been set up that between India and Pakistan fans at retail outlets including is tasked with licensing and have been sold out, according to Virgin Megastore, Safari Mall and monitoring healthcare facilities the organisers of the event. at Al Rayyan Stadium. at labour camps and construc- The two Asian powerhouses The round robin match tion sites. The committee has of hockey will clash today at Al between the two finalists too was members from the Ministry of Rayyan Stadium at 7.30pm in a sell-out. Labor and the Supreme Council what promises to be another On Monday, a large number of Health (SCH). thrilling encounter. of hockey fans who had come to Besides, licensing healthcare “Hockey fans in Qatar have watch the match between the facilities at labour camps and endorsed the first-ever Asians arch-rivals had to return disap- construction sites, the commit- Champions Trophy to be held pointed as tickets were sold out tee will oversee the appoint- in the country by buying tickets two days before the crunch match. ment of medical staff at these so quickly that the final’s tick- The Al Rayyan Stadium hockey facilities. ets were sold out three days in stadium, which was built during The committee will make sure advance of the game. Hockey the 2006 Asian Games, has a that routine and surprise raids enthusiasts have been caught up capacity of 2,000 spectators. are conducted on the above facili- in the excitement and tension Meanwhile, QSports are try- ties from time to time to check of the tournament with specta- ing their best to convince Al Kass their compliance with rules. tors enjoying the thrilling on- TV channel to telecast the final The raids will be conducted field action,” said Adil Ahmed of match. jointly by labour inspectors Qsports leagues. “We are trying our best to get and inspectors designated for Defending champions India, today’s final match broadcast live. the purpose by the SCH, Qatar which won the last edition of A lot of fans have been inquir- News Agency (QNA) reported the tournament held in China ing about the live telecast status yesterday. by defeating Pakistan, won the of the tournament. We received Article 104 of the labour law round-robin league match against around 7500 email messages (No 14 of 2004) and ministerial their neigbours 2-1. Two weeks demanding live coverage of the decision number 16 of 2005 stipu- earlier, the two teams had clashed India-Pakistani match. Now that lates that all labour camps and in Australia during the bronze India and Pakistan are playing in construction sites have medical medal match where in the Green the final the intensity of the mes- facilities for workers. Shirts triumphed over India 3-2, sages on social media and phone According to the article, a com- to win the medal for the first time calls from the two countries have pany with between five and 25 in eight years. increased two fold,” said Ahmed. workers must have first-aid box Qatar Hockey Federation is Ahmed said that the live broad- with basic medicines and medi- hosting the tournament for the cast is to uphold Qatar’s status A hockey fan requesting for a ticket for the final match of the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey. India will face cal equipment, and a full-time first time which is contested by as a major sporting hub of the Pakistan in the final at the Al Rayyan Stadium today. SALIM MATRAMKOT nurse with the above facilities if six countries. region. the number of workers is between The tournament is managed by “In any case, if we are not on the web. We will get confir- morning” added Ahmed. Not a either by the local or interna- 25 and 100. a Qatar-based company – Qsports able to get the live telecast. We mation on the 4G connectivity single match of the eight-day tional TV channels. Companies with 500 workers Leagues. Malaysia, China, Japan will try to stream the final live in Al Rayyan Sports Club this tournament was broadcast live THE PENINSULA and more must have a clinic with a doctor and nurse. The Labour Inspection Department at the Ministry of Justice yesterday organised an introductory seminar on Corporate Labour Law within the Security pact may tarnish the image of Gulf states framework of its awareness role and as part of a series of semi- nar organized by the department Continued from page 1 for this blessed day to be rati- security pact was rejected by But at the same time, there are laws which are made for them twice a month. They are supposed to know fied by the leaders. And after it Kuwait earlier due to some objec- positive and negative interven- and it is deplorable to see Gulf Khalid Al Ghanim, Director because it concerns them, and it is ratified it will be accessible tionable clauses, since it clashes tions being made by international citizens being marginalized and of Inspection Department of would upset them that the clauses to you on the Net, God willing.” with the constitution of Kuwait.” human rights bodies and civil not consulted on issues related the Ministry of Labour said, in of the pact haven’t been discussed We hope the security pact will It is also against freedom of organizations. to democracy and fundamental a statement that these seminars and their opinions not sought. be made public as soon as pos- speech, human rights and dig- In some GCC countries, sec- freedom at a time when we are were important to get acquainted People were expecting to be sible so that citizens know about nity of people, said Al Sadun in tions of the society have differ- seeing Arab people standing up with the laws, activities and consulted through their repre- it, even though we did not partici- his comments. ences of opinion with governments for freedom. developments carried out by the sentative bodies like the Advisory pate in its preparation, as would The Article Two of the pact and others have a problem with Most GCC countries have no department. Council or parliaments before the happen in other countries. posted on a website last month Islamists. real elected parliament, and had He pointed out that the semi- pact was finalised. But media people and oth- said the GCC states will take nec- But they should be solved to the draft been not published by nars gather representatives of Speaking at a joint press con- ers are asking why the secu- essary actions to stop its citizens pave the way for a democratic, Kuwaitis on websites after dis- companies and reply to their ference with Bahraini Foreign rity pact was struck inside and expatriates from interfering civil society. cussions by the former parlia- inquiries and types of violations Minister Sheikh Khalid bin the closed door. What are the in the internal affairs of neigh- The Gulf states are stable and ment, the GCC citizens would as 20 companies take part in each Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Secretary amended articles? Will a copy bouring countries. people have always given prior- not have been aware of this secu- seminar. General of the GCC, Abdul Latif of the pact be posted on the This article raised a ques- ity to peace and stability. But the rity pact. Al Ghanim also spoke about Zayani, answered questions raised internet in a few months? tion whether media reports participation of people in deci- The security pact may tarnish work development at the Labour by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai The most important point that would be interpreted as an act of sion-making is very necessary the image of Gulf states. We have Inspection Department dur- about the secret nature of the comes to my mind as a journal- interference. to build a powerful and mature to learn from English philosopher ing which he reviewed the work pact, saying: “we didn’t hide ist is what impact the pact would The GCC cannot remain iso- society. Karl Popper, who said: “We must nature at the department related anything from you, and will have on freedom of speech in the lated from international and Authorities always maintain plan for freedom, and not only to receiving complaints, work not hide anything”. He added Gulf region. regional developments. It is true that laws are made to serve the for security, if for no other rea- contracts and salaries to ensure that “why we did not previ- The Chairman of the Kuwait that some GCC states are facing interests of individuals. For son than that only freedom can their occurrence through the rel- ously publish the Convention Parliament Ahmad Al Sadun foreign interference, like from the same reason, citizens have make security secure.” evant company. was because we were waiting tweeted last month that “the Iran, which is not acceptable. the right and duty to know the THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA

Subletting homes illegal Georgetown SFS-Q students sharpen debating skills Continued from page 1 some have the minimum “It’s not easy to get salary required but not DOHA: The Georgetown University a rent contract certi- the designation, while School of Foreign Service in Qatar fied by the municipality. some have the designa- (SFS-Q) recently hosted a lively We have to submit the tion but not the required debate on a contentious topic: “This design of the house and salary,” he added. class believes that the United States the approved plan, which Some companies have is justified in using drones to kill is impossible for us to get. been issuing certificates American enemies.” The house owner will not to employees citing Karine Walther, Assistant give this and I’m just a higher salaries so that Professor, SFS-Q, who organized the subtenant,” said Sayed they are eligible to apply event, said the debaters put in great Basha, an engineer who for family visa. effort into the debate, the topic for has been here for over The Ministry of which had been given to the teams at four years. Labour checks salary the beginning of the year. “To avoid all these sheets to keep track on “A great deal of preparation went hassles I decided to get such irregularities and is into the debates heard here, as they a visit visa for my wife, said to have even black- have diligently learned both sides of so she can stay here for listed some erring com- a very complex topic,” said Walther. six months,” he said and panies. Salary sheets of Arguing for the motion were stu- explained that even a a company show actually dents from Professor Howe’s Ethics visit is not purely hassle salary payments. and Conflicts Class. From Walther’s free, as once the person Contacted for com- Diplomatic History II class, three stu- exits the country, they ment on the family visa dents opposed the motion. have to wait for another issue, an interior minis- After careful deliberation, the panel three months to apply for try spokesman said sub- of judges comprising Gred Nonneman, another visa. letting homes is illegal. Dean, SFS-Q, Todd Kent, Assistant Participants at the debate. “My salary is only a lit- He criticised private Dean, Texas A&M University at tle less than the required companies and said Qatar, Dr Jeremy Koons, professor seconds before is very impressive, while 29 percent supported it. A poll student David Daniel said: “It was slab and my application legally they are required at SFS-Q, and Dr Mehran Kamrava, and shows the level of preparation following the debate saw little change, certainly a contentious debate, due to got rejected. The mini- to provide accommoda- director of CIRS, ruled that Team both sides went through in looking with 75 percent voting against and 25 the complexity of the topic. However, mum required salary tion to their employers, Howe, arguing for the motion, best at both sides of the argument. The percent in favour - which clearly made I think we put forward our argument was raised last year, but whether they have single presented their case. entire debate was of a very high Team Walther the audience’s favourite. quite well. Speaking on behalf of all the our salaries don’t get or family status as per “We had to leave the room for standard in terms of the potency of “We learned a lot about the subject students who took part, this is why we increased regularly, so their job contracts. quite some time in order to reach points being made,” said Nonneman. prior to this and even though it’s a come to SFS-Q, because we all aspire it’s very difficult,” said “So why blame the our decision, and this should give The audience was also given the somewhat intimidating set-up, I feel to be foreign diplomats of the future, Abdul Faiz, who works interior ministry. The an indication of the complexity of opportunity to evaluate the issue we did our best to argue a very diffi- and events like this are a great way as marketing officer for problem lies with the the subject. The fact that neither and the debate played out in front of cult position on what is a challenging for us to practice skills that are cen- a reputed company. employers,” he said. team knew which side of the argu- them. Pre-debate audience polling saw topic,” said Nikhil Lakhanpal, one tral to this ambition.” “It’s unfortunate that THE PENINSULA ment they were going to argue until 71 percent voting against the motion of the students. SFS-Q debater and THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07

Bahraini court Syria to discuss Brahimi commutes death terms of proposals with Russia two protesters DUBAI: A Bahraini appeals court yesterday overturned Defected military police chief in Turkey death and prison sentences issued earlier to protesters for DAMASCUSS/BEIRUT: conflict that began with peaceful On Saturday, Lavrov said their role in a pro-democracy Syrian President Bashar Al protests but which has descended Syria’s civil war had reached a uprising, a defence lawyer said. Assad sent a senior diplomat into civil war. stalemate, saying international Bahrain has been convulsed to Moscow yesterday to discuss Past peace efforts have floun- efforts to get Assad to quit by unrest since February 2011 proposals to end the conflict dered, with world powers divided would fail. Bogdanov had earlier following demonstrations led by convulsing his country made over what has become an increas- acknowledged that Syrian rebels majority Shias demanding demo- by international envoy Lakhdar ingly sectarian struggle between were gaining ground and might cratic change in the Sunni-led Brahimi, Syrian and Lebanese mostly Sunni Muslim rebels and win. Given the scale of the blood- monarchy. sources said. Assad’s security forces, drawn shed and destruction, Assad’s The ruling Al Khalifa fam- Brahimi, who met Assad primarily from his Shia-rooted opponents insist the Syrian presi- ily brought in Gulf Arab troops, on Monday and is planning to Alawite minority. dent must go. mainly from Saudi Arabia, and hold a series of meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Moaz Alkhatib, head of the imposed two months of mar- Syrian officials and dissidents Makdad flew to Moscow to dis- internationally-recognised Syrian tial law to end the uprising. in Damascus this week, is try- cuss the details of the talks with National Coalition opposition, has Thousands were arrested and ing to broker a peaceful transfer Brahimi, said a Syrian security criticised any notion of a transi- military trials were instituted of power, but has disclosed little source, who would not say if a deal tional government in which Assad during the martial law period. about how this might be done. was in the works. would stay on as a figurehead The High Criminal Court of More than 44,000 Syrians have However, a Lebanese official president stripped of real powers. Appeals commuted the death been killed in a revolt against four close to Damascus said Makdad Comments on Alkhatib’s sentence issued last year for decades of Assad family rule, a had been sent to seek Russian Facebook page on Monday sug- two men convicted of killing two advice on a possible agreement. gested that the opposition believed policemen to life in prison, law- Over 1,000 Syrians He said Syrian officials were this was one of Brahimi’s ideas. yer Mohammed Al Jishi said. upbeat after talks with Brahimi, “The government and its presi- Mannequins are set up to confuse snipers loyal to Syria’s President Bashar The court commuted the life sen- the UN-Arab League envoy, who dent cannot stay in power, with or tences for two others involved in Al Assad in the old city of Aleppo, yesterday. flee to Turkey after met Foreign Minister Walid without their powers,” Alkhatib the same case to 15 years in jail, bakery attack Moualem on Tuesday a day after wrote, saying his Coalition had he said. his session with Assad, but who told Brahimi it rejected any such state-run Anatolia news agency monitor the conflict, said a rebel The court also cut to 15 years in ANKARA: More than 1,000 has not outlined his ideas in pub- solution. reported. General Abdel Aziz commander was among several prison the life sentences issued in Syrians crossed into Turkey lic. “There is a new mood now and While Brahimi was working Jassem Al Shallal, commander of people killed in yesterday’s fight- October 2011 for 13 men for kill- in the last 24 hours after the something good is happening,” to bridge the vast gaps between the Syrian military police, crossed ing, which it said was among the ing a Pakistan citizen during the Syrian regime attacked a the official said, asking not to be Assad and his foes, fighting raged into Turkey yesterday via the heaviest for months. protests, Jishi said. One man was ba ker y in the tow n of Ha lfeya , named. He gave no details. across the country and a senior Cilvegozu border crossing in the The military used artillery and set free. a Turkish foreign ministry Russia, which has given Assad Syrian military officer defected town of Reyhanli, Anatolia said. air strikes to try to hold back “I don’t view these sentences official said yesterday. diplomatic and military aid to to the rebels. Syrian army shell- Turkish government officials were rebels assaulting Wadi Deif and as being reduced,” said Jishi, who “1,100 Syrians mostly women help him weather the 21-month- ing killed about 20 people, at not immediately available to con- the town of Morek in Hama prov- defended seven people in the mur- and children fled to Turkey in old uprising, has said it is not least eight of them children, in firm the report. ince further south. In one air raid, der of the Pakistani national’s the last 24 hours through a protecting him, but has fiercely the northern province of Raqqa, Anatolia said there was no several rockets fell near a field case. border crossing in the town of criticised any foreign backing a video posted by opposition cam- information on where the defec- hospital in the town of Saraqeb, “I think that if the court had Reyhanli,” the official said on for rebels and, with China, has paigners showed. The video, pub- tor and his family were taken to. in Idlib province, wounding sev- applied the recommendations of condition of anonymity. blocked UN Security Council lished by the Syrian Observatory Shallal announced his defection eral people, the Observatory said. the independent human rights The latest influx triggered action on Syria. for Human Rights, showed rows from Assad’s regime, accusing the As violence has intensified in commission the other 13 would by the bakery attack in Syria of blood-stained bodies laid out army of having turned into “mur- recent weeks, daily death tolls have been acquitted.” has brought the total number ASSAD CANNOT STAY on blankets. The sound of crying derous gangs,” in a video posted have climbed. The Observatory Widespread and excessive of Syrians in Turkey to 148,000, A Russian Foreign Ministry relatives could be heard in the online and circulated by opposi- reported at least 190 had been force, including confessions under he added. At least 60 people are source said Makdad and an aide background. The shelling hit the tion activists. A Syrian security killed across the country on torture, was detailed in a com- reported to have been killed in would meet Foreign Minister province’s Al Qahtania village, but source confirmed the defection, Tuesday alone. Syrian Interior mission led by Cherif Bassiouni, a a regime air strike on a bak- Sergei Lavrov and Mikhail it was unclear when the attack but said Shalal was near retire- Minister Mohammed Ibrahim Al respected United Nations human ery in the rebel-held town of Bogdanov, the Kremlin’s special had occurred. ment and had only defected to Shaar left Lebanon for Damascus rights lawyer, which published its Halfaya, in the central province envoy for Middle East affairs, on A Syrian military police chief “play hero”. The British-based after being treated in Beirut for findings and recommended meas- of Hama on Sunday. AFP Thursday, but did not disclose the who defected from the regime of Observatory, which uses a net- wounds sustained in a rebel bomb ures to stop them. nature of the talks. President Assad is in Turkey, the work of contacts in Syria to attack this month. REUTERS/AFP REUTERS THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 08 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

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CHAIRMAN: SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KHALID AL SAYED A laudable attempt E-MAIL: [email protected] ACTING MANAGING EDITOR: HUSSAIN AHMAD E-MAIL: [email protected] The latest peace bid by Syrian peace EDITORIAL: TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 envoy Brahimi gives some hope. FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR. E-MAIL: [email protected] AST efforts for peace in Syria have floundered. By this yard- yesterday, accusing the army of having turned into “murderous gangs,” ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 stick, the latest bid by UN Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in a video posted online. “I, General Abdel Aziz Jassem al-Shallal, CLASSIFIED: E-MAIL: Pto broker an agreement between the Bashar Al Assad regime commander of Syrian military police, announce that I am defecting 44557857 [email protected] and the opposition are likely to raise doubts about the possibility of from the regime army, to join the people’s revolution,” the military- SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY its success. But the current dire situation in Syria demands that all clad officer said. options be explored because there are chances that both sides could The regime too has said that it would never surrender before the TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 decide to go for a negotiated solution as fighting drags on indefinitely. rebels and Russian officials recently said that Assad would continue E-MAIL: [email protected] The details of Brahimi’s current peace formula are not known, but in power despite the ongoing battle on the streets. At the same time, SUBSCRIPTION RATES he has been able to talk to Assad and get his attention. Reports yes- the international community has chosen the role of a spectator. The ANNUAL terday said Assad has sent a diplomat to Moscow to discuss Brahimi’s world powers divided over what has become an increasingly sectar- QR 675 peace proposals, which testifies to some acceptance of the formula by ian struggle between mostly Sunni rebels and Assad’s security forces, 6 MONTHS QR 340 the Assad regime. Brahimi, who met with Assad on Monday, is plan- drawn primarily from his Shi’ite-rooted Alawite minority. ning to hold a series of meetings with both officials and dissidents In such a stalemate, a negotiated settlement is worth considering in Damascus this week, though the media has been unable to get and there is a need for both sides to make compromises to make a anything about the plans he is working on. deal possible. The struggle for freedom in Syria has been a roller-coaster ride. More than 44,000 Syrians have died in the revolt against four dec- The rebels have been able to make significant gains in the past sev- ades of Assad rule, a conflict that began with peaceful protests but eral weeks, but they seem to be far away from achieving the final goal which has descended into civil war. Syria is the only Arab country PUBLICATION of ousting Assad. This is despite the several high-profile defections where the uprising has continued for so long and the consequences from the regime. so disastrous. So all eyes are on Brahimi and if this peace attempt The country’s military police chief announced his defection fails, Syrians will have to prepare for the worst.

A strong economy is the source of Japan’s national The other side strength. Without a strong economy, Japan will not Quote of achieve fiscal reconstruction and have a future. Too many secrets the day Shinzo Abe HE federal government keeps petabytes (that’s a million giga- Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister bytes each) of information secret every year — some of it highly Tsensitive, some of it hardly. A 1972 diplomatic telegram that discusses the exchange of gifts between the United States and China — musk oxen from the Nixon administration in return for two Chinese pandas — was labelled confidential, and it wasn’t declassified until 1997. Americans have a right to know what the government is doing on their behalf or in their name, except in exceptional circumstances. A functioning democracy requires the people to hold their government to account. Accountability, in turn, requires knowledge about govern- ment activities. It also requires access to information about what the government has done in the past, and how that worked or didn’t. A complex and cautious system can even harm national security, keeping information from people within and outside government who could help make sense of it. But America’s classification system “keeps too many secrets, and keeps them too long.” That’s the conclusion of the Public Interest Declassification Board, a presidential task force, in a new report. Most of that classification, it notes, “occurs by rote.” How big is the problem? Former national security officials have said that half or even most of the country’s classified documents need not be. Records that are 25 years old are supposed to be reviewed and declas- sified. There are enough 25-year-old records in storage to produce a backlog of 400 million pages. But with the proliferation of electronic communication over the past couple of decades, government classifiers are now cordoning off much more. The backlog, the board reckons, is set to grow exponentially. Unfortunately, the board reports, those doing the classifying have little interest in shaking things up. They face few incentives to release information and many incentives to be overly cautious. No one is ever punished for classifying too many records, and no one wants to get in trouble for releasing sensitive material. At the very least, government employees should not be scared of retribution. The board recommends offering “safe harbour” to those who, in good faith, decide to classify material at a lower level or not at all. Classification training should emphasize the importance of releasing information whenever possible. Records that still must be classified should be assessed for their value to the public and prioritised for eventual declassification review. THE WASHINGTON POST Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Germany’s austerity plans will beggar Europe BY COSTAS LAPAVITSAS austerity emanating from Berlin. practice, austerity is transform- German eurozone has been the crushing peripheral wages. Yet, The financial markets, mean- ing the periphery into a vast reluctance to confront the deeper the cure cannot be effective since AS the eurozone crisis while, have been placid since East Germany: a zone of weak cause of the crisis, namely the German wages have not been ris- ended? Many politicians September when Mario Draghi, growth, low wages, poverty and divergence in competitiveness ing strongly. Hin Europe, including chairman of the European no economic dynamism. There between – mostly – Germany The solution would be for France’s president François Central Bank, announced that will not even be some of the fiscal and the rest. Germany to rebalance its econ- Hollande, seem to think so. Well, he would buy the debt of coun- transfers, amounting to perhaps German gains in competitive- omy by strengthening domes- not so fast. Far from ending, the tries in difficulties provided they €60bn annually, that have sup- ness have not been due to greater tic demand. Instead, Berlin’s Berlin’s crisis is yet to reach its most dif- accepted bailout conditions. The ported East Germany. efficiency, but are a result of the reliance on exports has grown: ficult phase. spreads on Italian and Spanish Equally wide of the mark have fact that Germany has system- in 2012 the contribution of its mantra about It is easy to see why politicians debt have tumbled by 250 basis been those who stress the impor- atically undershot the eurozone domestic economy to growth will claim the crisis is over. Greece points. The official launch of the tance of an overarching state in inflation target, while other be zero. The eurozone is becom- spending cuts has just been promised another European Stability Mechanism charge of fiscal policy, or of a countries have either hit, or ing a vehicle for German mer- €50bn, provided it accepts still has also helped, since the ESM banking union to lessen the risks overshot it thanks to the wage cantilism, whereby the German in the eurozone more austerity, deregulation is fortified with €500bn. The of banking collapse in the euro- restraint imposed on its work- people are first beggared in order and privatisation. Elsewhere in calculation of bond markets is zone. Germany will not accept ers, harsher than elsewhere. subsequently to beggar others. the periphery, Ireland is in its transparent: for the moment it either a fiscal union or a banking Over the years a great gap has This situation is manifestly is bringing sixth year of recession, Portugal is not profitable to borrow money union that would use its taxpay- emerged between Germany and untenable. It brings unem- is heading for major economic to speculate against the debt of ers’ money to subsidise others the rest, especially the periph- ployment, destroys productive unemployment contraction, and Spain is going weaker European countries. in the eurozone. These debates ery, whose competitiveness has capacity and spreads hopeless- from bad to worse – but their But austerity and calmer have merely distracted attention collapsed. ness across Europe. In Greece and spreading governments are imposing aus- financial markets do not from Germany’s determination The benefit to Germany has conditions went beyond absurd terity, and people appear to be amount to ending the crisis. to impose rigid fiscal discipline been sustained current account long ago. As the eurozone moves hopelessness putting up with it. Even core Rather, they point to the emer- on “delinquents” and to moni- surpluses, the true aim of wage deeper into recession in 2013, countries, including Italy and gence of a German eurozone. tor only the biggest banks in restraint. By the same token, social and economic tensions will across Europe. France, have accepted the need Commentators who have pro- the eurozone, leaving smaller the periphery has accumulated ratchet up across the continent. for balanced budgets. Across tested that crisis leadership in German banks out of the net. deficits and debts. Austerity is The most difficult phase of the the eurozone, there is no effec- the eurozone has been weak But the most telling piece of now forcing a brutal correc- crisis is still ahead of us. tive opposition to the mantra of have been wide of the mark. In evidence of the emergence of a tion of these imbalances – by THE GUARDIAN THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 United States rediscovers diplomacy

one could see a second Obama term mak- Over the past ing significant progress by building on this focus on alliances and diplomacy two decades, the as the centerpiece of its foreign policy. This is a way to leverage constrained assets and to reduce risk by deepening role of the State friendships and cooperation rather than through enhancing our ability to intimi- Department has date or impose our will. Areas of special opportunity should include: tightening ties with our diminished. In part, European allies, possibly through seri- ously consider a US-EU Free Trade this is because the Agreement and a similar initiative with our friends in Japan (in both cases, the key will be agricultural subsidies reform, White House has a growing possibility given the fiscal con- dition of all the participants — something assumed a more that will create real goodwill and fur- ther possibilities for cooperation with central role in emerging powers like Brazil), deepening ties with India, potentially the emerg- ing power with whom the United States making policy. might have the closest and most impor- tant ties, strengthening NAFTA given BY DAVID ROTHKOPF the economic vitality and shared inter- ests associated with the North American he foreign-policy Christmas resource boom, and seeking institutional gift of the year may have been reforms in vital multilateral mechanisms given by the president of the such as the NPT, WTO, UN Security United States and Secretary Council (supporting Brazilian permanent of State Hillary Clinton to the membership in addition to that of India, Tnew nominee for Clinton’s job, Sen. John Japan, and Germany could strengthen Kerry, D-Mass. The gift is not, however, ties at a very low cost to the US). Finding Secretary Clinton’s seventh-floor office ways to work even more effectively with at State Department headquarters in vital partners in the Middle East like Foggy Bottom. It is instead related to Turkey and the moderate Arab states, what could actually someday be seen deepening ties with potential allies in as the administration’s most important Africa, and supporting our ties with key international affairs legacy and Clinton’s powers in Asia through moving ahead greatest contribution as secretary of with Trans-Pacific Partnership and simi- state: the restoration of diplomacy to its lar regional trade agreements would all proper place in US international policy. US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting with members of his cabinet at the White House augment this effort. Over the past two decades, the role of in Washington in November. Finally, realising progress on the presi- the State Department has diminished. dent’s grandest of all initiatives, the one In part, this is because the White House laid out in his Prague speech about mov- has assumed a more central role in mak- was a sign of weakness. Next, America’s or the effort to negotiate a stop to Iran’s whom we have shared threat assess- ing toward the ultimate elimination of ing policy. In part, this is because in a domestic economic problems, our wounds nuclear programme — are clearly works ment and established habits of coopera- nuclear weapons, would be a dramatic one-superpower world, we stopped think- from Iraq and Afghanistan, and our in progress. But with troops being pulled tion. This represents a deep investment triumph of diplomacy, as would brokering ing we needed to ask permission or gain consequent reluctance to get involved out of Iraq and Afghanistan and no public in an asset none of our peers and none of a much-needed deal that would bring into support to take action internationally. In in major military operations overseas appetite for future comparable interven- our competitors have. It’s a huge plus for secure existence an independent, viable part, this is because of the elevation of and the rise of other powers has made tions, it is clear that the during the next the United States and one that we can Palestine that recognises Israel as its the defence and intelligence communities it increasingly important to be able to four years, America’s foreign policy will never take for granted and must work neighbour. in the so-called War on Terror. And in assemble coalitions to get anything done. turn more centrally on the effectiveness on constantly.” Not all of these goals will be achieved. part, it is because the role of ambassadors It was Clinton who played the vital of the diplomacy Kerry leads than per- He went on to say, “As a strategic mat- But the reality is that all of them are and embassies has been marginalised due role of seizing the moment and effectively haps any comparable period since the end ter, understanding the importance of our possibilities and that they are being dis- to new communications technologies and putting diplomacy in action. Whether it of the Cold War. alliances, the renewal of our alliances has cussed. That is a tribute to some of the the ability (and inclination) of world lead- was fashioning a next-generation coali- The centrality of diplomacy also cre- been a top priority. People will give their subtler and more positive changes made ers to go around lower-level functionaries tion around the intervention in Libya, ates the possibility of a great legacy issue own grades to this. But I think it’s fair to in US policy over the past four years. It at State and right to their bosses. working to bring pressure on Iran with for Obama’s foreign policy. That issue say that both in Europe and in Asia, our is also a recognition that such agree- But a number of factors have pro- unprecedented sanctions, helping herd was touched upon at a recent forum alliances are in quite good shape after a ments are actually in the interests of all duced what might be seen as a surprising the cats of the international community Foreign Policy conducted with the State tremendous amount of effort.” involved. We are, after all, at a moment reversal. Why surprising? Because the into some action in Syria, the vital bilat- Department called “Transformational It is hard but important to remember in which all the world’s major pow- changes have come during an adminis- eral and multilateral groundwork that Trends.” During the event, US National how damaged America’s alliances were ers face great challenges at home and tration in which the White House has made the “pivot” to Asia a reality, or Security Adviser Tom Donilon was fea- in the wake of the invasion of Iraq. But none, including the United States, can actively controlled policy formation (so the renewed efforts to work effectively tured in a keynote conversation. Donilon this administration came in and made afford costly or unilateral ventures else- give the president and his advisers credit through the UN or other multilateral is one of the key architects with Clinton restoring those alliances a top priority. where in the world. It is a time ripe for for recognising the need for the renais- mechanisms, active diplomacy only grew of this other, more important, pivot — the The strategic rebalancing to Asia deep- progress in diplomacy. And we have an sance of diplomacy), while the techno- more important over the past four years. one away from a unilateralist, force-based ened existing ties from Korea to Japan to administration with a proven commit- logical trends mentioned above have only Some of these efforts were clearly more foreign policy to one in which diplomacy, Southeast Asia to India. Developing new ment to exploring avenues for diplomatic continued to reduce the role played by effective than others. Some efforts — like alliances, and coalition-building is more levels of cooperation with regional pow- progress that also recognises that neither most ambassadors. those to advance climate negotiations or central. ers like Turkey and the moderate Arab America’s strength nor our security can First, the president came into office the reset with Russia or efforts to stop In his candid, wide-ranging com- states, whether in dealing with Syria or be assessed in the number of our divi- with an openness to engagement that set the slaughter of Syrian innocents — were ments, Donilon focused on what he saw Libya or other regional issues, has been sions or carrier battle groups, but rather the stage. Say what you will about Obama: frustratingly ineffective. Some — like the as America’s unique national advantage. another important dimension of this in the number of countries that view us He has at least resisted the unconstruc- embrace of emerging powers, raising the “We have,” he said, “the ability to work overall initiative. as a friend. tive view that speaking to our enemies profile of groups like the Arctic Council, anywhere in the world with allies with Much work remains to be done. Indeed, WP-BLOOMBERG We have until June 2013 to end Iranian nuclear crisis Finally, if and when the agency The West has a unique opportunity gives Iran a clean bill of health — something it cannot do now, while to end its 10-year stand-off with Iran remains uncooperative — all sanctions could be lifted. Iran may be worried that if it comes clean, Iran. We must not squander it. it would simply face further pun- ishment. There is a solution: in BY SHASHANK JOSHI term, and factional competition return for total transparency, will intensify. Since negotiations Iran should be offered an amnesty nternational crises are sup- can’t be held before January, that for past transgressions. After all, posed to last days. Perhaps, leaves a short period – no more many countries — South Korea, like the Cuban missile crisis, than five months – in which to Taiwan, Sweden, South Africa Ithey can stretch to weeks or, hammer out an agreement. — have conducted illicit nuclear like the prelude to war in 1914, Everyone understands what the research, and been forgiven. even months. But the Iranian compromise should look like. The The problem, as so often in nuclear crisis, which began with west would offer limited sanctions negotiations, is that each side is the revelation of secret nuclear relief and, despite UN security convinced it can outlast the other. sites in 2002, has now lasted a council resolutions demanding We assume that Iran, creak- full decade. Although some might the contrary, would allow Iran ing under the weight of unprec- consider 10 years without war to to enrich uranium. Iran, in turn, edentedly tough sanctions, will be a success, it would be foolish to would cap its enrichment to 5%, eventually agree to far greater assume we can endure another 10. thus excluding the production of concessions than those outlined It is now more important than uranium enriched to the more above. This may be a mistake. ever that we take advantage of dangerous 20% (nine-tenths of First, long-term sanctions can Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flashes the peace sign during the high-level meeting of the General fortuitous diplomatic circum- the way to weapons-grade). Iran have catastrophic humanitarian stances and seek a deal with Iran, would also have to agree to con- and diplomatic effects, as they did Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September. one which both addresses our vert its stockpile to fuel (which in Iraq in the 1990s. In those west- basic security concerns and allows is harder to use for bombs), limit ern countries spearheading sanc- that sanctions drive Iranians on we should show flexibility. The In that case, we are no worse off Iran to come away with dignity. its ability to produce more in the tions, there is disturbingly little to the streets. But such protests, Obama administration has than we are now. But it would be The window for nuclear diplo- future, and – most important of debate over the consequences. by making the regime more vul- already indicated it is willing negligent not to try. Considering macy between Iran and the west all – agree to intrusive inspec- Second, the longer the crisis nerable, can increase the appeal to engage in direct talks with that every internationally recog- has been open since Barack tions by the International Atomic lasts, the greater the risk that of a nuclear deterrent and Iran, but a president is never as nised nuclear weapons state took Obama’s re-election. But it will Energy Agency. Israel, fearful of Iran making empower hardliners. Moreover, politically strong as at the begin- less than 10 years to produce their start inching shut as we approach The latter is a crucial point. If unseen advances in the develop- as we found during the 2009 ning of a second and final term. bombs, the duration of this cri- the Iranian presidential elections Iran did seek to dash for a bomb, ment of a nuclear bomb, launches green revolution, it can be politi- Moreover, the increasingly prob- sis is remarkable and troubling. in June. The same election-sea- its main problem would not be get- air strikes. That would result in cally awkward to negotiate with able collapse of the Assad regime Just waiting Iran out is not a son policy paralysis that grips ting material, but getting caught. Iran expelling inspectors, recon- a regime visibly cracking down in Syria will deprive Iran of one good strategy. Sanctions may have Washington every four years We must ensure it stays that way. stituting its nuclear programme on its citizens. That undermines of its only true allies. When that played a role in forcing Iran back also afflicts Tehran. Iran’s politi- We should, counterintuitively, out of sight, and redoubling its the core purpose of sanctions: happens, Tehran’s stance can be to nuclear talks over the past cal system has been especially prefer a bigger, more transparent efforts – just as Iraq did after it to negotiate from a position of expected to harden further. year, but they can no longer do fragmented during president Iranian nuclear programme to a was bombed by Israel in 1981. strength. Iran might simply refuse to all the heavy lifting. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s second smaller, more opaque one. Finally, it may seem desirable There are other reasons why make the necessary concessions. THE GUARDIAN THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST Mursi signs constitution into law President to address Parliament on Saturday; to reshuffle cabinet to tackle economy

CAIRO: Egyptian President be consulted on sharia - a source many Egyptians are fed up with Mohammed Mursi signed into of concern to the Christian street protests that have pre- law a new constitution shaped minority and others. vented a return to normality and by his Islamist allies, a bitterly The referendum result marked distracted the government from contested document which he yet another electoral victory for tackling the economy. insists will help end political the Islamists since veteran auto- While stressing the importance turmoil and allow him to focus crat Hosni Mubarak was toppled of political stability to heal the on fixing the economy. in 2011, following parliamentary economy, Mursi’s government has President Mursi will on elections last year and the presi- tried to play down the economic Saturday address the upper house dential vote that brought Mursi problems and appealed for unity of parliament which now holds to power this year. despite the hardship. full legislative powers following Mursi’s government, which has “The government calls the adoption of a new constitu- accused opponents of damaging on the people not to worry tion, the council’s speaker said. the economy by prolonging politi- about the country’s economy,” Under the new charter, legisla- cal upheaval, now faces the tough Parliamentary Affairs Minister tive powers temporarily held by task of building a broad consensus Mohamed Mahsoub told the upper Mursi have now been transferred as it prepares to impose austerity house in a speech. “We are not to the Islamist-dominated upper measures. facing an economic problem but a house of parliament, until a new The atmosphere of crisis deep- political one and it is affecting the lower house is elected in a vote ened this week after the Standard economic situation. We therefore expected in about two months. & Poor’s agency downgraded urge all groups, opponents and In a national address hailing Egypt’s long-term credit rating brothers, to achieve wide recon- a new constitution backed by and warned of a possible further ciliation and consensus.” his Islamist allies, Mursi said he cut. The government has imposed Sharpening people’s concerns, will reshuffle his government to currency restrictions to reduce the authorities imposed currency tackle Egypt’s pressing economic capital flight. The pound traded controls on Tuesday to prevent problems, He was consulting with as low as 6.1775 against the dollar capital flight. Leaving or entering Prime Minister Hisham Qandil on yesterday, close to its all-time low Egypt with more than $10,000 in the ministerial changes. of 6.26 hit on October 14, 2004, cash is now banned. “I will deploy all my efforts on concerns that the government Adding to the government’s long to boost the Egyptian economy, Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi signing a decree to put into effect the new constitution, in Cairo, yesterday. might devalue or tighten restric- list of worries, Communications which faces enormous challenges tions on currency movements. Minister Hany Mahmoud has but has also big opportunities for gone through “disquieting” weeks almost eight years. The new con- previous evening, shortly after Mursi, catapulted into power resigned citing his “inability to growth, and I will make all the of unrest, but said he was ready stitution, which the liberal oppo- results showed that Egyptians by his Islamist allies this year, adapt to the government’s work- changes necessary for this task,” for political dialogue sition says betrays Egypt’s 2011 had backed it in a referendum. believes adopting the constitu- ing culture”. The opposition has he said. In his first public remarks Anxiety about a deepening revolution by dangerously mixing The text won about 64 percent tion quickly and holding the vote condemned the new basic law as since a constitutional referen- political and economic crisis has religion and politics, has polarised of the vote, paving the way for for a permanent new parliament too Islamist, saying it could allow dum held on December 15 and gripped Egypt in past weeks, with the Arab world’s most populous a new parliamentary election in will help to end the long period of clerics to intervene in the law- 22, Morsi struck a tone that was many people rushing to buy dol- nation and prompted occasionally about two months. turmoil and uncertainty that has making process and leave minor- at turns conciliatory and defiant lars and withdraw their savings violent protest on the streets. The charter states that the wrecked the economy. ity groups without proper legal towards an opposition that has from banks. The Egyptian pound The presidency said yester- principles of Shariah, Islamic law, Mursi’s government argues the protection. It said this month’s angrily rejected the charter. tumbled yesterday to its weakest day that Mursi had formally are the main source of legislation constitution offers enough pro- vote was marred by major viola- Mursi acknowledged Egypt had level against the US currency in approved the constitution the and that Islamic authorities will tection to all groups, and that tions. REUTERS/AFP

Sunnis block trade routes in protest against Maliki Iran bans flights during ANBAR, IRAQ: Tens of thou- down the regime,” chanted thou- held in the city of Samarra in the squads, just as US troops with- should not be run by such a men- sands of Sunni Muslims blocked sands of protesters in the Sunni predominantly Sunni province of drew in December 2011. tality,” he said, to cries of “God is Azan: Report Iraq’s main trade route to neigh- stronghold of Anbar, echoing the Salahuddin, next to Anbar. Iraq’s fragile power-sharing greatest”. bouring Syria and Jordan in a slogan used in popular revolts The move against Esawi’s government has since lurched Maliki has sought to play his DUBAI: Iran’s parliament fourth day of demonstrations that ended in the toppling of the guards came hours after from crisis to crisis and the con- rivals off against one another to has banned on airplanes from yesterday against Shia Prime leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd flict in Syria risks reigniting sec- strengthen his alliances in Iraq’s flying in the country dur- Minister Nouri Al Maliki. and Yemen. who has mediated among Sunni, tarian tensions that brought the complex political landscape before ing the Azan call to Islamic The massive show of force Waving the old flag of Iraq that Shi’ite and Kurdish factions, left country to the brink of all-out provincial elections next year and prayer, the semi-official marks an escalation in protests was changed after Sunni dicta- for Germany for treatment for a civil war in 2005-2007. a parliamentary vote in 2014. Mehr news agency reported that erupted last week after tor Saddam Hussein was over- stroke that could end his steady- Addressing the protesters, Shia cleric Muqtada Al Sadr, yesterday. troops detained the bodyguards thrown by the US-led invasion of ing influence over Iraqi politics. Esawi said the detention of his another rival of Maliki, offered his “According to the new direc- of Sunni Finance Minister Rafaie 2003, protesters sat in the road, The arrest was reminiscent guards was politically motivated support to the protests in a state- tive, airplanes are banned from Esawi, threatening to plunge Iraq choking off the main trade route of Maliki’s move to arrest Sunni and that Maliki was deliberately ment, rejecting what he described flying during Azan, especially deeper into political turmoil. between Iraq, Jordan and Syria. Vice President Tareq Al Hashemi, provoking strife. as Maliki’s sectarian policies. during the call to morning “The people want to bring Another smaller protest was who he accused of running death “It is enough! The country AFP prayers,” Mehr quoted the spokesman for parliament’s cultural committee Ali Taheri as saying. The head of the Aviation Organisation, Hamid Reza Four dead as heavy rains lash Baghdad Pahlevani, said aircraft will be allowed to take off 30 minutes after the call to the morning prayer so that passengers have the time “to carry out their religious duties”, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (Isna) reported. Iran has practiced Sharia law since its 1979 Islamic revolution. Hardliners have pressed for stricter enforce- ment of religious measures since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won office in 2005 promising a return to the revolution’s values. Taheri also said serious atten- tion will be given to observing the strict Islamic dress code for women working at airports or airline companies. Women in Iran are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose cloth- ing to disguise their figures Cars are seen along a flooded street after overnight rain in Baghdad, yesterday. The worst rains to hit and protect their modesty. Baghdad in 30 years left four people dead and many residents struggling to cope with heavy flooding Violators can be flogged, fined as the government declared a national holiday. or imprisoned. REUTERS Iran rejects accusations by Gulf states

TEHRAN: Iran yesterday Emirates- in a joint statement, using oppressive methods are islands are an “inseparable part rejected as “baseless” allega- said they “reject and denounce” not a correct way of respond- of Iran”. The Gulf-Arab states tions by Gulf Arab states that Iran’s “continued interference” ing to popular demands,” also expressed concern that any Tehran is interfering in their in their internal affairs. Mehmanparast said, referring accident at Iran’s nuclear plant internal affairs, the official The GCC statement added to the events in the Sunni-ruled located at the Gulf port city of Irna news agency reported. that Tehran must “imme- but Shia-majority Bahrain. Bushehr would spread radiation “Shifting the regional states’ diately and completely stop The GCC had in its Tuesday throughout the region. responsibility in regards to their these actions and policies that statement also condemned In reply, Mehmanparast said domestic problems is to escape increase regional tension and Iran’s “continued occupation of the power plant has been built realities on the ground,” foreign threaten security and stability”. the three Gulf islands” of Abu to “high-level international ministry spokesman Ramin Relations between the Shia- Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser standards.” Mehmanparast was quoted as dominated Iran and most Tunb claimed by both Iran and Iran is at odds with the saying. Sunni-ruled GCC states have the United Arab Emirates since United States and its allies, His comments came a day been strained since Gulf troops 1970s. which accuse the Islamic state after the six Gulf Cooperation rolled into Bahrain last year to Mehmanparast said the of seeking to develop nuclear Council states - Saudi Arabia, help put down Shia-led protests. UAE’s sovereignty over the weapons. Tehran says its atomic Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, “Attributing these prob- islands was a “baseless claim” work is solely geared for peace- Oman, and the United Arab lems to outside (countries) or and stressed that the three ful purposes. AFP THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11

Boxing Day hunt Deadly winter Russian House storm snarls travel in the US

CHICAGO: A massive winter okays ban on storm system that whipped up tornadoes, ice and snow from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and killed at least three people on Christmas was mov- US adoptions ing slowly eastward yesterday. Hundreds of flights were can- celled and people were warned to Putin hints he will sign the bill stay home rather than brave the strong winds, freezing tempera- MOSCOW: A bill ban- this month signed off on the tures and treacherous roads. ning Americans from adopt- Magnitsky Act, which imposes The National Weather service ing Russian children went to visa bans and asset freezes on warned of “dangerous travel con- President Vladimir Putin for Russians accused of human rights ditions due to snow and ice cov- his signature yesterday after violations, including those linked ered roads” and said the weight winning final approval from to the death in custody of an anti- of ice and snow could knock down parliament in retaliation for graft lawyer in 2009. power lines and trees. It forecast a US law that targets Russian The ban on American adop- up to 18 inches of snow (46 centi- human rights abusers. tions takes Russia’s response metres) from New York state up Putin has strongly hinted he a step further, playing on deep to Maine and warned of freezing will sign the bill, which would sensitivity among Russians - and rain and tornadoes all the way also outlaw some US-funded non- the government in particular - down to the Carolinas. governmental groups and impose about adoptions by foreigners, Areas in the Rocky Mountains visa bans and asset freezes on which skyrocketed after the 1991 could also expect about 30cm of Americans accused of violating Soviet collapse. snow yesterday. Nearly 700 US the rights of Russians. flights had been cancelled by yes- The Federation Council, MORAL ARGUMENTS terday morning after more than Russia’s Upper House of The bill is named after Dima 500 were cancelled on Tuesday, Parliament, voted unanimously Yakovlev, a Russian-born toddler according to FlightAware. to approve the bill, which has who died of a heat stroke when The major hub of Dallas-Fort clouded US-Russia relations and his adoptive American father for- Worth had halted all flights until 11 outraged Russian liberals who say got him in a car. He is one of 19 am (1600 GMT) due to the strong lawmakers are playing a political Russian-born children Moscow winds, snow and ice. Scores of game with the lives of children. says have died “at the hands of US homes and businesses were dam- US-Russia ties are already citizens” in a decade, in cases that Members of the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt depart from Chiddingstone Castle for the annual aged Tuesday after 34 tornadoes strained over issues ranging from have been prominently featured in Boxing Day hunt in Chiddingstone, south-east England, yesterday. A ban imposed seven years ago states that were reported in Texas, Louisiana, Syria to the Kremlin’s treatment of Russian state media. foxes can be killed by a bird of prey or shot but not hunted by dogs. Hunts continue nowadays with pursuers Alabama and Mississippi. AFP opponents and restrictions imposed In a poll conducted on December accompanying dogs in chasing down a pre-laid scented trail. on civil society groups since Putin, 23 by the Moscow-based Public in power since 2000, began a new Opinion Foundation, 75 percent six-year term in May. of respondents said Russia should The bill has also drawn unu- ban or place additional restric- sual criticism from senior govern- tions on foreign adoptions. Obama breaks off vacation to deal with fiscal cliff ment officials including Foreign “It is immoral to send our Minister Sergei Lavrov and Olga children abroad to any country,” WASHINGTON: With US Reid has planned,” Don Stewart, With the deadline rapidly least two dozen Republicans. Most Golodets, a deputy prime minister Valery Shtyrov, a Federation President Barack Obama deputy chief of staff to Republican approaching, Obama pared back Republicans in Congress have who warned the Kremlin that it Council deputy, said in a one- heading back to Washington, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, his hopes for a year-end grand signed a no-new-taxes pledge, may violate an international con- sided debate peppered with hawk- US lawmakers were under said, referring to Senate Majority bargain that addresses taxes as however, and it remained unclear vention on children’s rights. ish rhetoric before the 143-0 vote. increased pressure yesterday to Leader Harry Reid. “The White well as substantial spending cuts just how many would violate that Lavrov said last week that Children’s rights advocates hammer out an 11th-hour deal House hasn’t reached out to us, nor as part of a 10-year deficit-cutting oath in order to strike a deal. the ban would be “wrong”, and say the law, due to take effect on that prevents taxes from rising have Senate Dems. They seem to bill, saying Congress should at Staunch conservatives last that Russia should stand by a January 1 if signed by Putin, will for all Americans. be working on this on their own,” least work out a stop-gap measure week revolted against Boehner’s long-awaited bilateral accord deprive children of a way out of The president cut short his Stewart said. to protect middle-class taxpayers. surprise bid to ram through that improves its ability to keep Russia’s overcrowded orphanage Christmas vacation in Hawaii After Democrats and Obama successfully campaigned an alternative proposal which tabs on children adopted by system. “This is the most vile and was set to fly back to the Republicans traded blame last for re-election on his support aimed to prevent a 2013 tax Americans, which entered into law passed since Putin came to US capital, five days after calling week over the failure to reach a for an extension of the Bush- hike on anyone making under force on November 1. power,” opposition activist Boris on Congress to end their bitter deal before the holidays, House era tax breaks to 98 percent of $1m per year. But Lavrov appears to have Nemtsov said, saying he was cer- deadlock over how to avoid the Republicans led by Speaker Americans—those in households Democrats have insisted that backed down. Foreign Ministry tain the president would sign it. so-called “fiscal cliff.” John Boehner punted to the earning up to $250,000 a year. In any deal that passes Congress officials said that the bill would Police said they had arrested But members of the US House Democratically-led Senate, asking talks with Boehner on a larger must have support from both not violate the 1989 Convention seven people protesting against and Senate — not to mention Obama and Reid to write up leg- compromise, the president had parties. Boehner “should bring on the Rights of the Child, and the law yesterday outside the the White House — have shown islation that can pass both houses. offered to raise that threshold to a bipartisan bill to the floor and Russia would take steps to halt Federation Council. Nevertheless, no outward signs of narrowing Senators and representatives $400,000. let the House work its will,” the bilateral agreement. lawmaker Gennady Makin said their differences over how to are expected back in Washington But with Republicans in Chris Van Hollen, the ranking Putin has described the bill the Magnitsky Act demanded a avoid looming tax hikes for all today, giving them less than a week the majority in the House of Democrat on the House Budget as an emotional but appropriate tough response. “He who comes to Americans and deep, mandated to work out a deal that avoids the Representatives, even if all 192 Committee, told Bloomberg TV response to US legislation he said Russia with a sword dies by that spending cuts that kick in from fiscal cliff, which economists say Democrats in the chamber voted on Friday. “This House will say was poisoning relations. sword,” he said. January 1 if Congress does not act. could send the US economy tum- for an Obama-backed plan, it yes to a bipartisan bill.” US President Barack Obama REUTERS “I don’t yet know what Senator bling back into recession. would still need support from at AFP

Merkel party riding high in opinion polls Monti urges

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s outcome of next September’s election would be Italians to conservatives have climbed to their highest a grand coalition of conservatives and the SPD, opinion poll level in nearly seven years but will the right-left alliance that led Germany from ‘rise up’ and not be able to continue their centre-right coali- 2005 to 2009. A conservative-Greens coalition is tion with the slumping Free Democrats (FDP), also a possibility. a survey said yesterday. German voters are in general pleased with the renew politics The Forsa poll published nine months before an way Merkel’s centre-right government has led ROME: Outgoing Italian election found Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the country through the euro zone debt crisis, Prime Minister Mario Monti their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social the country’s most pressing issue. urged compatriots to “rise Union (CSU) rising three points to 41 percent, the The economy is in relatively good shape thanks up” and commit to renewing highest since March 2006. But her FDP coalition to strong export industries and the government national politics, in a further allies fell one point to four percent in the weekly expects the economy to continue expanding in sign he would remain on the poll for RTL TV and Stern magazine and would 2013. Unemployment has held steady near two- political stage. fall below the five percent threshold needed for decade lows of 6.9 percent. “Together we have saved Italy seats in parliament. Merkel is seeking a third Germany’s economy powered through the first from catastrophe,” Monti said term in September’s election. two years of the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis, in comments which referred to The centre-left opposition Social Democrats posting 4.2 percent growth in 2010 and 3 percent the country’s improved financial (SPD) and their Greens allies were down one last year before slowing to about 0.8 percent in position, the result of economic point to a combined 40 percent. The SPD were 2012, while some peers were grinding to a halt. reforms and support from the steady at 27 percent while the Greens fell one Merkel’s CDU put on a show of unity at their European Central Bank. point to 13 percent. The Left party were steady annual party congress three weeks ago, re-elect- “Now we must renew politics. at eight percent. Neither Merkel’s centre-right ing her as the party leader by a record margin of There is no point in complaining, coalition nor the centre-left would win a majority 97.9 percent. It was her best score since taking we must commit ourselves. ‘Rise if those were the election results. over the CDU leadership 12 years ago. up’ in politics,” the technocratic Political analysts believe the most likely REUTERS Italian premier wrote. Monti announced on Friday that he would step down after 13 months at the head of an un- elected team of technocrats that was appointed to steer Italy out ‘Thunderbirds’ creator Gerry Anderson dies of a financial crisis that could have had dire consequences for LONDON: Gerry Anderson, the British direc- having suffered with mixed dementia for the past the entire 17-nation eurozone. tor and creator of the cult sci-fi animation few years.” Anderson began his career studying The tweeted comments late on series “Thunderbirds”, died yesterday aged 83, fibrous plastering, the technique used to make Tuesday were a further signal that his son said. mouldings, but he suffered from dermatitis and Monti, a former European com- Anderson had been suffering from Alzheimer’s had to switch to work as a photographer. missioner dubbed “The Professor,” Disease since 2010 and his health had deteriorated He also briefly earned a living as an air traffic would remain in the fray as Italy in the past six months, Jamie Anderson said on controller before setting up a film company with prepares to elect a new parliament. his personal website. The animator also created friends. His first commission was a children’s pup- As an Italian senator for life, “Joe 90” and “Stingray” but he was best known for pet series called “The Adventures of Twizzle”. the former premier cannot himself “Thunderbirds”, which used a form of marionette The low-key start allowed Anderson to per- run for office, but is in a position puppetry dubbed “Supermarionation” fect the technique of Supermarionation. It first to be renamed prime minister if a The series, first shown in 1965, followed the involved recording the soundtrack for the voices. party or coalition that he supports adventures of International Rescue, a secretive Then when the puppets were being filmed the wins the vote on February 24-25. organisation whose mission was to help those in electric signal from the taped dialogue was trans- Monti said on Friday: “If one peril using spacecraft and a range of high-tech vehi- mitted to sensors in the puppets’ heads. or more political forces adhere cles operating from a Pacific Island. “I’m very sad That meant that the marionettes’ lips moved in to my agenda and put forward to announce the death of my father, ‘Thunderbirds’ total synchronicity with the soundtrack, which after the idea of proposing me for the creator, Gerry Anderson,” his son said. being perfected in “Fireball XL5” and “Stingray” post of premier, I would weigh “He died peacefully in his sleep at midday today was ready for the launch of “Thunderbirds”. AFP the option.” AFP THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES

World’s longest Abe lands back in Japan’s premiership bullet train service launched in China New leader vows tougher diplomacy in the face of China and North Korea BEIJING: China launched service yesterday on the world’s TOKYO: Shinzo Abe, who His return makes him the coun- on a defeated nation by the United longest high-speed rail route, returned to Japan’s premier- try’s seventh leader in less than States in 1947. the latest milestone in the ship yesterday, is a rhetorical seven years. He has also promised to instil country’s rapid and — some- hawk with strident views about Abe first came to power as the patriotism among schoolchildren. times troubled — super fast rail Japan’s place in the world but a hand-picked successor to the pop- And during his first tenure, he network. likely pragmatist in office — at ular Junichiro Koizumi, whom he sparked controversy by saying The opening of the new least for now. had served as an eager and ear- he wanted to review the country’s 2,298-kilometre line between The conservative ideologue was nest deputy. previous admissions over wartime Beijing and Guangzhou means the nation’s youngest-ever prime His tough talk on North Korea, sex slavery. passengers will be whisked from minister when he stepped into the which has admitted it abducted At the time he argued there the capital to the southern com- role in 2006 at the age of 52. He Japanese civilians in the 1970s was no evidence Japan’s army mercial hub in just eight hours, left office abruptly, citing bowel and 1980s to train its spies, also directly coerced thousands of compared with the 22 hours pre- problems, after an election loss appealed to voters. “comfort women” into brothels viously required. the following year. But the third-generation politi- across Asia, prompting a call from China Central Television Now 58, the Liberal Democratic cian, groomed from birth for the US lawmakers for a fresh apology broadcast the 9am departure of Party leader heads to the prime job by his elite conservative fam- from Tokyo. the first train live from Beijing minister’s residence with prom- ily, stepped down on the grounds Abe quickly backpedalled on West Railway Station. It also ises of tougher diplomacy in the of illness following an election the issue. carried live reports inside the face of an increasingly assertive defeat and after a series of scan- Despite his rightwing rheto- train showing passengers toting China and an always unpredict- dals involving his ministers. ric, Abe proved more pragmatic cameras to apparently snap com- able North Korea. His grandfather, Nobusuke than many had expected in his memorative photos. Abe has also voiced willingness Kishi, was a World War II cabi- first term. He worked to improve Another train departed to amend laws to force monetary net member and briefly jailed as a ties with China, Tokyo’s biggest Guangzhou for the capital at easing moves by the Bank of war criminal. Kishi later became trading partner, and with former 10am, Xinhua news reported. Japan. These would see it print a post-war prime minister, fight- colony South Korea. Trains will travel at an average more money, buy more bonds and ing leftists to build a new alliance Politics professor Mikitaka speed of 300 kilometres per hour meet an inflation target to stimu- with Washington. Masuyama has said the electorate over the line, which includes 35 late the feeble economy. His father was Shintaro Abe, would also keep his more extreme stops in cities such as Zhengzhou, But many analysts believe Abe a foreign minister who never inclinations in check. Wuhan and Changsha. will not take political risks or achieved his ambition of becoming “It’s not that voters gave credi- State media have reported that implement controversial policies prime minister. Shinzo Abe took bility to Mr Abe’s hawkish agenda. December 26 was chosen to start before an upper house election his father’s parliamentary seat in He knows that he has to moder- passenger service on the Beijing- next summer which could further 1993 following his death. ate his confrontational posture Guangzhou line to commemo- solidify his power base. Since his return to the LDP’s on China if he wants to achieve rate the birth in 1893 of revered Shinzo Abe (centre) is applauded by parliament members after he was His landslide election victory helm Abe has aggressively pushed results in economic recovery and Chinese leader Mao Zedong. elected as Japan’s prime minister by the lower house of parliament in this month came partly by default for his nation to take a strong keep public support,” he said. The Beijing-Guangzhou route as voters punished the disappoint- stance on the world stage, and Abe now appears to be practis- Tokyo yesterday. was made possible with the ing rule of the Democratic Party said there is no room for com- ing strategic ambiguity -- particu- completion of a line between of Japan. Electors also remember promise on islands disputed with larly on whether he will visit the visiting the shrine during his softened by his wife Akie Abe, Zhengzhou and Beijing. High- his lacklustre first tenure. China. Yasukuni war shrine seen in Asia first premiership, but did not say the daughter of a prominent speed sections linking Zhengzhou- When he stepped down in 2007 One of his most passionate as a symbol of Japan’s wartime whether he would go this time businessman who is known for Wuhan and Wuhan-Guangzhou he became the first in a series of causes has been the revision of aggression. around. her love of Korean culture. were already in service. premiers to last around a year. the pacifist constitution imposed Abe has said he regrets not His hawkish image may be AFP AFP

Thousands flee S Korea stages live fire drill Myanmar probes plane crash-landing Malaysia floods, near sea border with North HEHO: Myanmar was yester- 11-year-old passenger had died were already spewing from the dam wall broken day investigating the cause of but it appeared to be a case of plane before it crash-landed. SEOUL: South Korean Marines Marines strengthened guard an air accident that left two mistaken identity. “We followed the plane as it KUALA LUMPUR: Floods staged a live fire exercise yes- around a giant display featuring people dead and 11 injured when The airline said the injured flew on fire,” said 27-year-old vil- triggered by torrential monsoon terday near the disputed Yellow thousands of glittering bulbs on a a passenger jet packed with for- included two Americans who lager Phoe La Pyae. rains in Malaysia forced almost Sea border with North Korea tree-shaped steel tower in Gimpo eign tourists crash-landed and were flown to Bangkok for treat- “When we saw the plane, the 14,000 people to flee their homes amid high tensions over a dis- west of Seoul. caught fire. ment. Two Britons, one Korean wing was broken already,” he said. and seek shelter at relief cen- play of front-line Christmas The lights, put up on Saturday, The incident raised fresh ques- man and the two pilots were also “It was so lucky. If the emergency tres, the official Bernama news lights. will remain switched on until tions about the safety standards hurt. exit had not been opened, no one agency said yesterday. The exercise involving self-pro- early January. of Myanmar’s fast-growing but “We are still working to find would have survived”. Heavy rain coinciding with pelled howitzers and a multiple They can be seen several kilo- overstretched aviation and tourist out the cause,” Civil Aviation “We helped to send some seri- high tide flooded hundreds of rocket launch system was held on metres away in the impoverished industries as foreign visitors flock Department deputy director gen- ously injured people to hospital. homes in three northeastern two islands — Baengnyeong and North. to the country which is emerging eral Win Swe Tun, who is heading Their skin was burnt because states — Terengganu, Pahang and Yeonpyeong, the Joint Chiefs of The North has condemned the from decades of junta rule. the investigation into the crash, of fire. Foreigners seemed really Kelantan — with some 13,746 peo- Staff said. display as “psychological warfare” The ageing Fokker 100 jet said at Heho airport. scared about what happened”. ple moved to evacuation centres, Hundreds of island residents by its capitalist neighbour, aimed came down in thick fog Tuesday He said the plane appeared A Swiss survivor, Leandre it said amid forecasts of more evacuated into safe zones during at spreading Christianity in the in a field short of the runway at to have hit a power cable while Guillod, told the BBC from a downpours. the two-hour drill, but there was communist state. Heho airport -- the gateway to approaching the runway. hospital in Yangon that the plane Bernama said the flood situ- no response from the North, it “This is not just a mere religious the popular tourist destination “Seventy of the 71 people on was flying through cloud shortly ation was deteriorating as the said. service but part of anti-DPRK of Inle Lake -- breaking its tail board survived and one died -- it’s before it crashed. number of evacuees continued A similar drill on Yeonpyeong (North Korea) psychological war- and catching fire, according to very rare,” he added. “Suddenly we just hit the to rise and some major roads in 2010 provoked a North Korean fare aimed to rattle the nerves of officials. Air Bagan, which described the ground and then it was all red and in Pahang were closed as rivers artillery barrage which killed four the DPRK and slander it,” Minju One Burmese tour guide on accident as an “emergency land- orange,” the 28-year-old said, add- burst their banks. people and sparked international Joson, the North’s government board was killed along with a ing”, said it had retrieved the ing that a stewardess had opened Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, alarm. newspaper, said yesterday motorcyclist on the ground. plane’s black box data recorder. the emergency exit. the meteorological department’s The exercise came after the AFP The government earlier said an One eyewitness said flames AFP weather forecast director, warned that there could be more rain in Terengganu, Pahang and southern Laos-Vietnam diplomacy Johor state in the next few days. “We expect intermittent rain to heavy showers in (some parts of) New storm threatens southern the states,” he said, adding that the northeast monsoon season Philippines with intense rains would last until March and the affected states could experience MANILA: Weather forecast- Servando said Quinta was not at least three more “heavy rain” ers warned residents in areas expected to be as powerful as episodes. placed under storm warning Pablo. Part of the $108m Paya Peda signals of possible flash floods “The difference between Pablo irrigation dam wall under con- and landslides due to heavy to and Quinta is Pablo was already struction in Terengganu had to intense rain brought by tropical a typhoon when it entered the be broken to release pressure, cyclone “Quinta” (Wukong). Philippine area of responsibil- according to Bernama. Quinta — the 17th tropical ity while Quinta intensified into The move caused flash floods in cyclone to enter the country this a tropical depression inside the some parts of the oil-rich state. year — was forecast to make land- Philippine area of responsibility,” Bernama also reported that a fall over Dinagat Island at 10 last he said. 36-year-old woman had drowned night. He explained that Pablo’s long in Terengganu after she slipped Storm warning signal number duration over the sea allowed it and fell into a rain-swollen 2 was raised over 11 areas on to gather strength. river on Tuesday while fishing Tuesday afternoon as Quinta As of 4 pm yesterday, the cen- in a waterlogged area. No other moved closer to Eastern Visayas. tre of Quinta was spotted at 90 deaths from the floods have been Placed under signal no 2 were kilometres southeast of Guiuan, reported so far. Laos’s President Choummaly Sayasone (centre) and the Vietnamese Communist Party’s General Secretary, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Eastern Samar with maximum Nguyen Phu Trong (right), walk to their meeting at the party’s head office in Hanoi yesterday. Choummaly Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern winds of 75 kilometres per hour 5.8 magnitude quake Sayasone is in Hanoi on a three-day visit to Vietnam. Cebu, Camotes Island, Bohol, (kph) near the centre and gusti- Biliran, Dinagat province, Siargao ness of up to 90 kph. shakes Indonesia Island and Surigao del Norte. It was forecast to move west JAKARTA: An earthquake Signal no 1 was hoisted over at 24 kph. measuring 5.8 on the Richter Bangladesh slaughters 150,000 birds over avian flu Northern Samar, Masbate, Ticao Servando said Quinta has scale jolted Seluma (southwest), Island, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, started to bring strong winds Bengkulu, Indonesia’s News DHAKA: Bangladesh’s live- chickens at the farm. We have The last major outbreak was in Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros prov- and intense rains over Eastern Agency (Antara) reported. stock authorities are slaughter- already killed and destroyed March 2010 when at least 117,000 inces, Siquijor, the rest of Cebu, Visayas last night. According to the Meteorology ing around 150,000 chickens at a 120,000 chickens and we will kill chickens and 200,000 eggs were Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, The storm is expected to bring Climatology and Geophysics giant poultry farm near Dhaka the rest today,” livestock depart- destroyed at a farm in northern Misamis Oriental, Camiguin and 10 to 20 millimetres per hour of Agency, the epicentre of the after the worst outbreak of ment director Mosaddeq Hossain Bangladesh. Surigao del Sur. rain (heavy to intense) within its earthquake was 431km south- avian flu in five years, officials said, adding it was the worst bird The latest outbreak is the 23rd Nathaniel Servando, admin- 350km radius. west of Seluma, Bengkulu, 477km said yesterday. flu outbreak in five years. to be recorded this year. Even istrator of the Philippine After making landfall over southwest of Bengkulu city, The deadly H5N1 strain of flu Bangladesh was hit by bird flu before the new mass slaughter, a Atmospheric, Geophysical Dinagat Island, Quinta was fore- Bengkulu, and 654km southwest was detected at Bay Agro farm at in February 2007, when over one total of 107,252 chickens had been and Astronomical Services cast to cross Southern Leyte, of Jakarta (Southern Latitude Gazipur, 40 kilometres (25 miles) million birds were slaughtered destroyed in 22 farms, said Ataur Administration, said Quinta Northern Cebu, Northern Negros, — 7.86 degrees and Western north of Dhaka, on Monday after on thousands of farms. Since Rahman, a livestock control room was not expected to directly hit and Northern Palawan. Longitude — 101.16 degrees). dozens of chickens died, prompt- then the flu has entrenched in official. Compostela Valley and Davao Quinta will leave the Philippine Experts believed the earthquake ing the company to send samples the country, seriously ravaging The country has also reported Oriental, two areas severely area of responsibility today or would not trigger a tsunami. to a laboratory for tests. one of the world’s largest poultry six confirmed human cases of bird affected by typhoon “Pablo” early tomorrow. AGENCIES “There are about 150,000 industries. flu since 2008. AFP this month. THE PHILIPPINE STAR THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 PAKISTAN / AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 Three Afghans killed in attack on US base Taliban claim responsibility for attack as they wage a bloody insurgency against foreign, Afghan forces

KHOST, AFGHANISTAN: report of coalition casualties particularly active in the province. A suicide car bombing at a US right now,” said Major Martin Khost city has been the scene military base near a flashpoint O’Donnell, a spokesman for Nato’s of several bloody attacks this year. city in eastern Afghanistan International Security Assistance In May, a suicide bomber killed killed at least three Afghans Force (ISAF). 13 at a lunch gathering of police and wounded seven yesterday, The Taliban claimed responsi- and civilians; in June a bomber on officials said. bility for the attack. They have a motorbike rammed an Afghan- The blast, powerful enough to waged a bloody insurgency against Nato patrol, killing 21; and in rattle windows four kilometres foreign and Afghan forces since October another suicide attack away, took place at the entrance being ousted from power in a 2001 on a patrol killed 20. to Forward Operating Base invasion led by the United States. In August 2010, 24 Taliban Chapman in Khost. “The attack was carried out militants, some wearing US uni- It came two days after an by a mujahid named Omar forms, were killed when they tried Afghan policewoman shot dead from Khost who knew the area to storm Camp Chapman and a US Nato adviser inside Kabul very well,” Taliban spokesman another nearby US base, Camp police headquarters, the latest Zabihullah Mujahed said. Salerno, which was also the target “insider” attack by a member of He said the attacker “deto- of a suicide truck bombing in June Afghanistan’s security forces on nated a car bomb while American this year. their foreign allies. invading forces were searching Nato is handing over security Khost province shares a porous visitors going to the base”. duties to Afghan forces as it pre- border with Pakistan’s tribal belt, Abdul Qayoum Baqizai, the pares to withdraw the bulk of its which lies outside government Khost provincial police chief, 100,000 troops by 2014, but there control and where US officials say said in a live TV interview that are fears the country will descend the Taliban and Al Qaeda have the blast happened at the eastern into civil war when foreign sol- carved out rear bases for opera- gates of the base. diers leave. tions in Afghanistan. “One police officer who tried to Efforts to train local forces Afghan interior ministry search the vehicle and two civil- have been hit this year by doz- spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said ians nearby were killed,” he said. ens of insider attacks by Afghan yesterday’s attack was a suicide Khost province borders soldiers and police on their Nato car bombing. Pakistan, which is widely believed colleagues, known as “green-on- Camp Chapman lies on the to be a key source of fighters, blue” in military jargon. edge of Khost city, which has been funds and supplies for the Taliban. The scale of the insider assaults hit by at least three major suicide The Haqqani network, a is unprecedented in modern war- attacks this year. militant group close to Al fare, and has seriously under- “Three Afghan nationals are Qaeda and blamed for some mined trust between Nato forces Afghan policemen carry the body of a civilian into a hospital morgue following a suicide attack in Khost province killed and seven Afghan nation- of the most daring insur- and their Afghan allies. yesterday. als are wounded. We have no gent attacks in Afghanistan, is AFP

1m unverified voters in Ministries at Power producers’ dues against odds over use four Punjab districts Pakistani govt set to increase of funds ISLAMABAD: Four districts Bahawalnagar (64,542), Dera ISLAMABAD: The finance of Punjab province account for Ghazi Khan (63,156), Rajanpur and the commerce ministries of around a million ‘unverified (55,500), Jhang (54,684), Jhelum LAHORE: As the government on Dec 3 to IPPs for electricity implement court directives and Pakistan are at loggerhead over voters’, enrolled in the elec- (51,993) and Narowal (49,994). of Pakistan is unable to fully supplied after July 13 - the cut- the outstanding amount increased utilisation of funds for strategic toral rolls with their permanent The members of the Senate reimburse the current bills of off date between the amount of to Rs56bn and may cross Rs60bn interventions, viz-a-viz promo- addresses. Lahore leads the dis- Special Committee on Election the IPPs (independent power arrears and current billing as per by the end of Dec, said the execu- tion of domestic commerce and tricts with 0.384m such entries. Issues headed by Jahangir Badar producers), the outstanding orders of the Supreme Court. tive, who requested anonymity. accelerating exports, it was According to data, the three had expressed serious concerns amount is projected to rise to A few months back, these IPPs The NTDC is only paying about learnt yesterday. other districts are Faisalabad over what they called bogus Rs60bn ($618.55m) at the end had moved Supreme Court after 59 percent of the current billing While the commerce ministry (0.256m), Rawalpindi (0.192m) entries in the electoral rolls. of this month from $577.31m on the government defaulted on its to the IPPs. sought an amount of Rs26.14bn and Rahimyar Khan (0.156m). The ECP and the National December 3. sovereign guarantee in July. “The IPPs billed Rs90.538bn for promotion of trade initiatives, The Election Commission of Database and Registration A senior executive of one of On court’s orders, both the to the NTDC for the power sup- the finance ministry suggested an Pakistan (ECP) had recently Authority (Nadra), however, had the power producers alleged that government and the IPPs agreed plied from July 1 to Nov 30 but amount of Rs10bn for the next revealed that 4.8m voters could defended the ‘unverified vot- the government is making illegal after reconciliation that the out- the NTDC made payment of only three years on trade promotion not be contacted during the door- ers’ and said that although they deductions from their capacity standing amount stood at Rs45bn. Rs53.424bn, which is 59 percent initiatives, to be announced as to-door verification exercise car- could not be contacted during payments in violation of power On the directives of apex court, of the billed amount.” part of the strategic trade policy ried out to update the voters’ lists. the verification drive they were purchase agreements. the government promised to pay “The remaining amount of framework (STPF) 2012-15. Of the ‘unverified entries, 2m genuine voters and could not be The group includes Nishat Rs24bn in three instalments from Rs37.114bn is still outstanding,” The commerce ministry had were in Punjab, 0.662m in Sindh, disenfranchised. Power, Halmore Power, Sapphire August to October. he said, adding that payment originally demanded Rs60bn, 0.583m in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, When contacted, a senior offi- Power, Liberty Power, Orient The remaining Rs21bn were to of Rs19bn of arrears was also but the amount was reduced to 0.167m in Federally Administered cial of Nadra said the authority had Power, Atlas Power, Saif Power be paid in nine monthly instal- pending. Rs26.14bn on the intervention Tribal Areas (Fata) and 0.163m in complete record of all such indi- and Nishat Chunian Power with ments, starting from Nov 20. The IPPs claim that their effi- of the finance minister and the Balochistan. The other cities with viduals, including their family tree, a combined capacity of 1,600MW. According to IPPs manage- ciency was highest among all deputy chairman of Planning a high concentration of unverified addresses and details of the peo- All of them have been set up ment, the SC further directed thermal power plants. Commission. For the first year, voters include Sargodha (0.141m), ple who attested their applications under the power policy of 2002. the National Transmission and “Ours are the most efficient the commerce ministry sought Gujranwala (0.131m), Multan before issuance of computerised The IPPs refute government Despatch Company (NTDC) on plants in the country and accord- funding of Rs5bn, but the finance (0.122m), Sialkot (0.112m), Okara national identity cards to them. claim of having paid 90 percent Aug 15 to make up-to-date pay- ing to economic order we should ministry wanted it to be restricted (0.110m), Sheikhupura (0.107m) These individuals, he said, included of their dues. ment of the current billing of the be given priority in payments for to Rs2bn for the year 2012-13. and Kasur (0.101m). members of the parliament, judges, “The IPPs are not even get- petitioners in accordance with the purchase of fuel to operate at our The commerce ministry identi- The districts with less than government and semi-government ting their full current bills. How power purchase agreement. optimal capacity,” he claimed. fied 26 sectors for cash interven- 100,000 (but still a significant employees and personnel of armed can the government pay us 90 The court ordered that the He alleged that the government tions during the years 2012-13, number of) unverified vot- forces. He said such individu- percent of the outstanding dues NTDC should not default in mak- had already wasted Rs18bn dur- 2013-14, and 2014-15 which have ers are Muzaffargarh (96,130), als could not be contacted either when it is defaulting on our cur- ing payments of the current bills ing the current calendar year by now been reduced to 14 owing to Gujrat (94,639), Vehari (87,361), because of rain and flood or the law rent bills?” asked an executive of so that the outstanding balance giving priority to inefficient plants resource constraints. Sahiwal (86,384), Bahawalpur and order situation. another IPP. may not pile up again. in the provision of fuel. The announcement of the (81,630), Khanewal (79,256), INTERNEWS The government owed Rs37bn But the NTDC failed to INTERNEWS policy has already been delayed because of differences on alloca- tion of funds since August 2012. Cleaning time An official source said that a final decision on finance-related France to take in issues would be taken up in the Food basket cost surges by cabinet meeting. Afghans facing Prime Minister Raja Pervez 130pc in 6 years in Karachi Ashraf has already approved security threats trade policy for submission to the cabinet for a formal approval. PARIS: Paris will take in a KARACHI: The annual aver- On an average, the food The commerce ministry in its “few dozen” Afghans who have age cost of the food basket per expenditure in Punjab and Sindh proposals suggested to mark-up worked alongside French troops capita per month in Pakistan is lower, while it is highest in rate support of two percent be in the war-ravaged country for has increased to Rs1,805 ($18.60) Balochistan against the national provided on prevailing LTFF for 11 years and whose security is at in 2011-12, showing a consistent average, according to the report. future import/purchase of machin- risk at home, the defence minis- increase of 130 percent from Cost of food basket for the year ery. An amount of Rs500m was try said yesterday. Rs785 in 2005-06, suggests the 2011-12 indicates a cumulative proposed for this scheme to be The ministry did not give exact Planning Commission’s annual increase of four percent; however, implemented in the year 2012-13. numbers but said the bulk com- report on the change in cost of it is fluctuating from Rs1,750 to The total amount to be spent prised people who had worked as the food basket. the maximum of Rs1,910 with an under this account in three years translators on the ground. Decrease in item-wise food average of Rs1,805 over the year. was projected at Rs3bn. For the On December 15, France consumption during this period The comparison of annual aver- creation of Exim Bank, an amount flew its last combat troops has been wheat and rice by three age cost of food basket across of Rs5bn was proposed. out of Afghanistan, two years percent, pulses by 32 percent, provinces showed a marginal to It was proposed that mark-up before allied nations in the sugar by seven percent, meat by sharp difference in between. It is rate support of 1.5 percent be pro- 100,000-strong Nato mission led 17 percent and vegetables by eight high in the federal area, Sindh and vided on export finance scheme by the United States are due to percent, it said. Balochistan, while low in Punjab (EFS) to selected sector export- recall their fighting forces. The share of food in total and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as ers at a cost of Rs1.250bn in the At the height of its involve- expenditure has been declining compared to the national average. next three years. ment, France had 4,000 soldiers for years till 2005-06; however, it The report suggests that For the year 2012-13, an in Afghanistan as the fifth larg- is showing an increase from 2005- increasing food prices results in amount of Rs200m was proposed. est military contingent in the 06 onwards. high food cost having impact on The sectors for EFS support are: International Security Assistance According to the report, the nutrition status of the household fish and fish preparations, fruits, Force (ISAF), behind the United food expenditure since 2005 has members. The malnutrition con- vegetables, spices, meat and meat States, Britain, Germany and raised across all income groups tinues to discount human capaci- preparations, carpets and rugs, Italy. The French newspaper with an average of six percent, ties and efficiencies, therefore, sports goods, footwear, leather Le Monde reported 170 Afghans whereas disparity across the it has an impact on individuals products, surgical goods, cutlery, would be “allowed to enter French group is almost 20 percent, with earning and learning capacities, onyx products, pharmaceuticals, territory from January to start a An Afghan worker sweeps inside a fruit factory which was damaged by a the highest of 59 percent for low- leading to further decline in the electric fans, transport equip- new life.” suicide car bomb attack in Kabul. est income to 39 percent for high income and, thus, food. ment, electrical machinery, etc. AFP income quintile. INTERNEWS INTERNEWS THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA Govt orders probe into gang rape Row over constable’s death

NEW DELHI: The govern- the whole incident, identify lapses ment yesterday ordered a com- on the part of police or any other mission of enquiry to probe the authority and fix responsibility for December 16 brutal gang-rape such lapses and negligence,” he of a woman in a Delhi bus as said. “The steps are being taken controversy spiralled over the with the serious intent to find a death of a policeman in the vio- lasting solution to the problem (of lent street protests that erupted rape) that plagues all metros and in the city. other towns of India... That it’s The condition of the 23-year- happening in Delhi is a matter of old rape victim remained critical shame,” he said. even 10 days later, and doctors On the controversy sur- said she was still on ventilator. rounding the death of consta- On Tuesday she gave a state- ble Subhash Chand Tomar, ment to a magistrate — for a Chidambaram said the matter second time following complaints was under investigation. of alleged police interference There have been claims and the first time it was recorded counter claims over the circum- December 21. stances leading to the death of The home ministry also Tomar. Two witnesses and a sen- ordered a probe into the circum- ior doctor maintained that the stances in which the first state- 47-year-old collapsed on his own ment was recorded following a and was not attacked by a mob — Demonstrators burn an effigy representing rapists during a protest calling for better safety for women following the rape of a student in New Delhi yesterday. complaint by Delhi Chief Minister as claimed by police. Sheila Dikshit. Delhi Police chief Police quoted the post-mortem Superintendent T S Sidhu told “He wasn’t assaulted or tram- “The cardiac arrest was pre- Kumar, who has come under Neeraj Kumar denied charges as saying that Tomar suffered the media. “He had already suf- pled,” he said. “He fell on his own cipitated by injuries to his body flak for the police crackdown on that police had tried to influence multiple injuries on his body. fered a cardiac arrest and had while chasing the crowd. In fact parts,” Additional Commissioner of anti-rape protesters which had the magistrate. Delhi Police say Tomar died almost no pulse.” many protesters came to help him.” Police K C Dwivedi told reporters. sparked widespread anger. Speaking after a cabinet after being badly beaten up near Two witnesses appeared on Pauline, who was present when Delhi Police has shifted the probe The minister said it would be meeting, Finance Minister P India Gate during massive street television to say Tomar collapsed Tomar collapsed and went to his into Tomar’s death to the Crime “inappropriate” to axe Kumar “at Chidambaram said the commis- protests Sunday demanding jus- while running. Yogendra, a young aid, said “there were no visible Branch. Police arrested eight peo- this stage”. sion of enquiry would be headed tice for the gang-rape victim and man who claimed he saw the injuries” on the constable. ple on Sunday night for the alleged “I think the commissioner has by retired Delhi High Court judge tougher anti-rape laws. policeman fall, said Tomar col- Police waved the post-mortem attack on Tomar but they were ... apologized for any lapses that Usha Mehra. She would submit “He was brought here in a lapsed while chasing the protest- report that said Tomar had suf- granted bail the next day. may have hurt any innocent per- her report in three months. total collapsed stage,” Ram ers on a street leading to India fered multiple injuries on the Chidambaram ruled out remov- son,” the minister said. “The inquiry will reconstruct Manohar Lohia Hospital Medical Gate. neck and chest. ing Delhi Police chief Neeraj IANS

Manmohan lauds Amid chill, UP red tape delays blankets for the poor Japan PM, hopes LUCKNOW: Even as thou- winter without any ‘warm cush- dipped below 4 degrees Celsius has been instructed that gov- shelter homes that were to come for stronger ties sands of homeless and poor face ion’, the Samajwadi Party gov- in many districts, both the bon- ernment-run handloom centres up, only 17 have come up. a bitter winter and 37 have died ernment released Rs150.65m - at fires and the free blankets are still should be preferred over private These makeshift homes have no NEW DELHI: Congratulating due to cold in Uttar Pradesh, an Rs500,000 for the blankets and missing. players. bedding or warm clothes or blan- new Japanese Prime Minister official scheme to provide them Rs156,000 for bonfires for every Urban Development Minister The government has also fixed kets and the homeless are forced Shinzo Abe on his party’s vic- blankets has run into a bureau- tehsil. Mohd Azam Khan, flooded with the weight and size of blankets to spend the chilly nights on the tory in the recent polls, Prime cratic wall. A government order was issued complaints of lack of facilities and earmarked a maximum of ground. Minister Manmohan Singh Officials admit that while the to district magistrates to com- for the poor to fight the inclem- Rs500 per blanket. At least 37 people have died of yesterday lauded him as a key government had timely cleared plete tendering and purchase ent weather, was forced to issue Instructions were also issued cold and inclement weather in the architect of the India-Japan the Rs150.56m for purchase of formalities by mid-December so a written warning to officials to to identify the homeless, poor, last one week as icy winds swept strategic partnership. blankets, the process of even ten- as to ensure that blankets were expedite the processes. physically challenged and old by the state. Manmohan Singh hoped for dering has not yet started in the distributed to the poor and home- Districts where blanket pur- December 10 and prepare a list Many districts like further strengthening of ties entire state. less before winter set in. chase has not started include for distribution of the blankets by Muzaffarnagar have registered a between the two countries. Informed sources say the ten- Officials were further asked to Moradabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, December 15. temperature of less than 3 degree The prime minister “under- dering began only this week and distribute the blankets in special Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Shelter homes for the poor and Celsius. The weatherman predicts lined the importance of the that too just in 17 districts. camps in all districts. Bareily and Varanasi. the homeless are still a far cry. harsher winters in January. strategic and global partnership To help the poor who face the While the mercury has now To avoid any corruption, it In the state capital, of the 23 IANS between India and Japan”, said official sources. In his congratulatory note to the Japanese prime minister, Warming up for Kumbh Mela Singh noted that Abe has been “a key architect of this partnership.” Plans to turn Agartala Alluding to the rapid growth in the bilateral economic engage- ment through trade, investment and flagship projects, Singh into a green city said the “bilateral relationship between the two countries is of AGARTALA: Plans are afoot set up in Agartala and two more immense importance to ensure to turn Tripura’s capital into would come up in other parts of peace, stability and prosperity in a green city by fitting, within Tripura,” Kar said. the region and the world”. two years, thousands of vehicles PNG is also supplied to 225 Singh “expressed confidence running on petrol or diesel with commercial establishments and that Japan’s economy will fur- CNG kits and providing city industrial units in Agartala and ther prosper and Japan will play households with piped natural its outskirts besides hospitals, an important role in the world gas connections, a senior official educational institutions and affairs under his leadership,” said said yesterday. crematoria. the sources. The prime minister “While issuing vehicle permits, “Gradually all the households in emphasised on working with Abe priority is given to those running the Agartala city would be given “for further strengthening India’s on CNG (compressed natural PNG connections,” Kar added. relations with Japan.” gas). This is not only cheaper However, he admitted that “due Abe is known to be a strong but also very environment- to lack of experienced contractors proponent of stronger India- friendly. Our target is to make and equipment, the progress in Japan relations and had backed the capital Agartala a green city,” expanding the PNG connections the India-Japan nuclear deal, Tripura Industrial Development has been slow”. when he was prime minister over Corporation (TIDC) Chairman “The Supreme Court and vari- five years ago. Singh is expected Pabitra Kar said. ous high courts forced the authori- to travel to Japan for the annual Agartala, a city of about 400,000 ties to introduce CNG-run vehicles summit early next year. people, has little over 200,000 of to make state capitals pollution Sadhus warm themselves by a fire on the banks of the “Sangam,” the confluence of the three rivers Ganges, IANS various types of vehicles and the free. But Tripura has taken this Yamuna and mythical Saraswati in Allahabad yesterday, ahead of the Maha Kumbh Mela. authorities would “convert within initiative on its own,” Kar said. the next two years over 100,000 To develop necessary infra- vehicles into CNG ones”. structure for this green initiative, Kar said about 4,500 auto-rick- Tripura Natural Gas Company shaws and over 1,000 of various Ltd is all set to execute a Rs570m Ajit Singh inaugurates Air India’s Delhi-Agra flight other types of vehicles have already business plan within the next five been fitted with CNG technology. years, a TNGCL official said. Tripura Natural Gas Company “Agartala is the only city among AGRA: Union Civil Aviation for Agra and not responding to Tiwari said: “Agra unfortunately absence of senior district officials Ltd (TNGCL), a joint venture of 415 cities and small towns in the Minister Ajit Singh yesterday his repeated demands to acquire is being made a football between at the function “intriguing.” the GAIL (India) Limited and the eight northeastern states where inaugurated Air India’s flight to land for the new terminal building state and centre. Obviously, the Jain said: “It’s clear some forces Tripura and Assam governments, CNG and PNG are being used in Agra from New Delhi, arriving at near the existing Kheria airport. state government does not seem do not want the promotion of has been supplying piped natural a big way,” the official added. the Kheria airport here from the The inaugural function was vir- interested in promoting tourism in Agra airport, as it could affect gas (PNG) to around 10,000 house- TNGCL supplies, sells and national capital by the first flight. tually boycotted by the Samajwadi Agra. We do not need an interna- business in Delhi. The Samajwadi holds in Tripura. distributes natural gas as PNG Speaking at a function at Party leaders in Agra. Even dis- tional airport. We just need a ter- Party is playing politics.” “Within the next four months, and CNG through a underground Kheria airport, Ajit Singh blamed trict officials, including District minal at the Kheria airport. That A schedule released said that PNG connections would be given pipeline network in Agartala and the Samajwadi Party govern- Magistrate Ajay Chauhan, failed will solve many of our problems.” flights to Agra would be initially to additional 10,000 households. its outskirts. ment in Lucknow for delaying to turn up. Agra Development Foundation available three days a week. Three CNG stations have been IANS the international airport project Tourism industry leader Rajiv president K.C. Jain found the IANS THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15

Residences of No breakthrough Andhra official, YSR’s personal likely at meeting assistant raided HYDERABAD: The Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Andhra Pradesh yesterday on Telangana raided residences of state Public Service Commission (APPSC) member Ripunjay Reddy and Suryanarayana Reddy alias Three parties yet to name representatives Sureedu for allegedly owning assets disproportionate to their HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding not achieve any breakthrough. sources of income. the high expectations that a sec- Since the divergent views in Sureedu was the personal tion of Congress leaders have, the the major parties are known and assistant of late chief minister Y all-party meeting convened by with no hopes of unanimity, the S Rajasekhara Reddy alias YSR the central government over the meeting may end in a failure like who died in a helicopter crash in Telangana issue on December the two previous ones held in 2010 2009. 28 is not likely to achieve any and 2011. ACB officials conducted simul- breakthrough in finding a solu- Congress leaders from taneous raids on the residences tion to the contentious issue. Telangana, including some MPs, of Sureedu, Ripunjay Reddy and With just two days to go for had asked Shinde to invite only their relatives in Hyderabad and the much-awaited meet, three one representative from each Kadapa. major parties in Andhra Pradesh party. ACB Deputy Superintendent are yet to name their representa- The Congress is finding itself Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, gestures while greeting his supporters after taking his oath as chief of Police Narasimha Reddy tives, indicating their dilemma in in a tight spot over the issue minister during a swearing-in ceremony in Ahmedabad yesterday. told reporters that they had taking a clear stand on the issue. as there is pressure both from identified several proper- The ruling Congress, the main within and outside to take a ties owned by Ripunjay Reddy. opposition Telugu Desam Party clear stand. Modi takes charge of Gujarat again They include five houses, four (TDP) and the YSR Congress, The TDP and the YSR Congress apartments and five plots in and which is emerging as a key force, are in fact waiting for the ruling around Hyderabad, Tirupati, remain divided along regional party to declare its stand. AHMEDABAD: Cheered Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Punjab, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Kadapa and other places. lines. The Congress is reluctant. “We by hundreds of thousands, Saurabh Patel, Ganpat Vasava and Thackeray, MNS leader Raj The officials, who seized doc- With Home Minister Sushil will take a stand after hearing Narendra Modi yesterday took Babubhai Bokhiria. Thackeray and Indian National uments and froze their bank Kumar Shinde inviting two repre- other parties,” said state Congress oath as Gujarat’s chief minister The ministers of state are Lok Dal’s Om Prakash Chautala. accounts, are also probing alle- sentatives from each party, all the chief Botsa Satyanarayana. for the fourth time, after lead- Purushottam Solanki, Parbatbhai In the December elections, the gations that Ripunjay Reddy also three are under pressure to send A section of Congress leaders ing the BJP to a sweeping win Patel, Vasuben Trivedi, Pradipsinh BJP won 115 of the 182 seats. This owns assets in Sureedu’s name. delegates from both Telangana are pessimistic about the outcome in assembly elections. Jadeja, Liladhar Vaghela, was two short of its 2007 tally of Eight teams of ACB conducted and Seemandhra (Rayalaseema of the all-party meeting. Governor Kamla Beniwal Rajnikant Patel, Govindbhai Patel, 117. The Congress was bruised, the raids at Sureedu’s residence at and Andhra regions). They believe the central gov- administered the oath of office Nanubhai Vanani and Jayantibhai bagging 61 seats. Gayatri Nagar in Jubilee Hills and While their leaders from ernment is not inclined to carve and secrecy to the 62-year-old Kavadia. The Gujarat Parivartan at Ripunjay Reddy’s residence in Telangana want statehood, their out Telangana state as this could Bharatiya Janata Party leader, After the brief ceremony, the Party of former chief minister Yusufguda, Hyderabad and other counterparts from Seemandhra trigger demands for smaller states who has ruled Gujarat since 2001, chief minister went around the and Modi-foe Keshubhai Patel locations. Sureedu had immense are opposed to Andhra Pradesh’s in other parts of the country. at the Sardar Patel Stadium here. stadium in an open vehicle, wav- was virtually wiped out. It won clout with politicians and officials division. The Congress leadership is An estimated 250,000 people ing to the cheering crowds and only two seats, including one of due to his proximity to YSR. Five other parties invited to keen to drag the issue till the 2014 packing the ground roared in joy flashing a ‘V’ sign. Patel. Sureedu initially turned a wit- the meet which have taken a Lok Sabha election. Some of its as a visibly confident Modi took Among those present on Before leaving for the venue, ness against Rajasekhara Reddy’s clear stand on the issue have leaders from Telangana, however, the oath in Gujarati. the occasion were BJP leaders Modi tweeted: “Leaving for swear- son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in announced their representatives. have warned that the party may Seven cabinet ministers and nine Nitin Gadkari, L K Advani and ing in ceremony. Glad to see love an illegal assets case but later The Telangana Rashtra have to pay a heavy price in the ministers of state also took oath. The Sushma Swaraj, Chief Ministers of so many people and the pres- refused to record his statement Samithi (TRS), the Bharatiya region. cabinet ministers are Nitin Patel, J Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu ence of distinguished leaders.” before a magistrate. Janata Party (BJP) and the With the TRS and pro-Tel- Anandiben Patel, Ramanlal Vora, and Parkash Singh Badal of IANS IANS Communist Party of India angana groups threatening to (CPI) want a Telangana state. crush parties which don’t sup- The Communist Party of India- port the Telangana demand, Marxist (CPM) and the Majlis- both the Congress and TDP e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) face desertions in the region, are opposed to the state’s made up of 10 districts includ- Five NCC cadets from Delhi drown in Kerala bifurcation. ing Hyderabad. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi The upcoming meeting appears Azad, in-charge of party affairs to be aimed at pacifying a section KOCHI: Five NCC cadets from The five were identified as camp that began on Sunday. the end all of them drowned.” in the state, has dampened the of its MPs from Telangana who Delhi drowned in the Periyar Hemanta Kumar, 15, Gulvez Village official Radhakrishnan Local legislator Jose Thettayil spirits of Telangana leaders set Dec 9 as the deadline for an river in Kerala yesterday when Ahamed, Dilshad Alam, Tabish said the spot where they drowned of the Janata Dal-Secular said the by stating that since Shinde announcement on taking forward one of them reportedly fell into Baqri and Mohammed Zeeshan, had always been considered a five cadets had told officials of the recently took over as the home the Telangana movement. the waters and the others tried all 18. Officials said their bodies dangerous place and one could go NCC that they were going to the minister, he convened the meet- The Srikrishna committee to save him, officials said. would be flown to New Delhi in a there only with a pass. Periyar river to take photographs. ing to know the views of the par- report, submitted in December The tragedy took place special military aircraft from here “What we are told is that one Ernakulam District Collector ties afresh. 2010, is also gathering dust. The in Malayatoor village in yesterday night or today. student who was washing his Shaik Pareeth said the families of Political observers say if elicit- panel had mooted six possible Ernakulam district, about All five were part of a large group face fell into the river and the the five had been informed about ing the opinion of the parties is solutions to the issue. 250km from the state capital of NCC cadets who were in Kerala other four jumped into the river the deaths. the purpose of the meeting, it will IANS Thiruvananthapuram. to take part in a national trekking to save their friend,” he said. “In IANS

Indian workers lead world in India hopes for political consensus, stability in Nepal resolution-making, NEW DELHI: Amid the per- visit to India, and underlined and unique with no parallel. “It Khurshid also called on Yadav. that his support “had played a sisting political drift in Nepal, India’s enduring commitment to is in India’s interest that Nepal “There was a discussion on the cur- crucial role in strengthening finds survey India yesterday said it would the development and stability of progresses as a stable, secular, rent situation in Nepal,” sources India-Nepal relations”. welcome “whatever consensus” the neighbouring country. He also democratic republic,” Mukherjee said. Khurshid apprised the Nepalese CHENNAI: Eighty-three per- emerges among key political expressed hope that India would told Yadav. “The minister emphasised that president on “efforts being made cent of the Indian workforce players in the Himalayan coun- welcome consensual political set- “It has always been India’s endeav- it is in India’s interest that Nepal to supply additional electricity to make New Year resolutions that try and underlined its commit- tlement that will help spur peace our to support peace, stability and progresses as a stable, secular and Nepal during the lean season”. have to do with work, a survey ment to supply electricity to the and prosperity in that country, prosperity in Nepal, in accordance democratic republic and indicated The minister said that short- by global human resource serv- power-starved country. said official sources. with their wishes. As a close friend that India would welcome whatever term measures to augment grid ices company Randstad India Prime Minister Manmohan In his talks with Yadav, and neighbour, India will continue to consensus emerges among Nepali connectivity of 40-55 MW had found. Singh held wide-ranging talks President Pranab Mukherjee do its best to assist Nepal in its socio- political actors,” the sources added. been completed and added that “A little over eight out of 10 with Nepalese President Ram underscored that India’s rela- economic development,” he added. Khurshid lauded Yadav as “a India was working to increase this. Indian employees surveyed said Baran Yadav, who is on a six-day tions with Nepal was deep rooted External Affairs Minister Salman great friend of India” and stressed IANS they make a New Year resolution and a similar proportion of 83 percent employees said they make a New Year resolution regarding Tsunami remembrance their career. New Year resolutions seem Yeddyurappa to decide to be a predominantly Indian practice with world averages of only 51 percent and 44 percent respectively for making resolu- fate of BJP ministry tions, especially those specific to one’s career,” finds Randstad BANGALORE: Former places in the state to protest Workmonitor Survey 2012 — Karnataka chief minister B S the “BJP government’s failure Wave 4, released by Randstad Yeddyurappa said yesterday his to release money for pro-poor India. new party will decide January welfare measures” launched by Curiously, whether switching 4 on whether his supporters Yeddyurappa when he was chief employers during the year is one in the ruling BJP should bring minister between 2008-2011. resolution that workers make down the Jagadish Shettar Yeddyurappa was forced to quit was not disclosed, even though government. July last year over mining bribery India continues to lead with the “The Shettar government has charges. highest worker mobility index stopped all pro-poor programmes The former chief minister of 151. launched by me and hence should claims that around 50 of BJP’s 118 “This is in line with the findings quit immediately or should be members, including several min- that have emerged in the previ- dismissed,” he said addressing a isters, in the 225-member assem- ous eleven quarterly surveys con- rally of his Karnataka Janata Part bly support him and would join ducted since 2010. (KJP) here. the KJP “at appropriate time”. The mobility index is least in “Leaders of the KJP will meet He has also been claiming that Luxembourg, Germany and The January 4 to decide whether the Shettar government has been Netherlands indicating least Shettar government should stay reduced to minority as 14 BJP employee churn. While the find- or not,” said Yeddyurappa, the assembly members had shared ing per se is not new, its consist- Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) the dais with him Dec 9 for the ent trend over eleven surveys first chief minister in Karnataka formal launch of the KJP. confirms that the war for talent Women pour milk into the Bay of Bengal as a gesture of respect to the victims of the 2004 tsunami during who quit the party and assembly However, none of them has quit continues to be a major challenge the eighth anniversary of the disaster, at Marina beach in Chennai, yesterday. Hundreds of memorial events Nov 30 to lead the KJP. the party nor has the BJP taken for organizations in India,” the were held across Asia yesterday in memory of the disaster on December 26, 2004, killing 226,000 people in The KJP, of which he became any action against him, though it survey said. 13 countries. president on December 9, held has been threatening to do so. IANS rallies in Bangalore and several IANS

Thursday 27 December 2012 14 Safar 1434 Volume 17 Number 5561 Price: QR2

KLJ Organic joins QIMC for $100m project

Business | 18

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780

Vodafone Rayyan Bank Industries NakilatQatar Islamic Barwa Gulf HoldingComm. Bank Int. Islamic Qatar Bank of Qatar Bank

80,897 8.32 1,058,451 24.60 107,032 155.00335,489 15.31 9,040 75.20 335,204 27.00 13,099 22.57 123,029 70.80 26,439 51.50

Gulf petrochem GOIC launches industrial market portal industry set to expand: GPCA Regional capacity grew by 10pc in 2011

DOHA: The Gulf petrochemi- especially because a cooling cals industry is bracing to sus- Chinese economy will lead to tain competitiveness keeping in reduced demand for Gulf exports. mind the new market realities. Randy Woelfel, CEO NOVA Gulf producers are exploring Chemicals, said shale gas dis- opportunities to expand capac- coveries in North America are ity, diversify production and adding significant volumes to realise the region’s full poten- global energy supplies, which is tial, the Gulf Petrochemicals & another area of concern for Gulf Chemicals Association (GPCA) producers. said here yesterday. While the shale gas boom Latest GPCA data show that in North America promises to petrochemicals capacity is con- provide fresh impetus to pet- tinuing to expand in the GCC. rochemicals producers there, Regional capacity grew by 10 per- options are getting limited before cent in 2011, reaching 121 million Gulf producers, as the Eurozone tonnes per annum. Between 2007 offers limited growth opportuni- and 2011 regional petrochemicals ties amidst the current financial capacity expanded at 13 percent crisis. Qasim Abdul Ghani Al Maimani (second right), Undersecretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Saudi Arabia, presses a button to launch Gulf compounded annual growth rate. According to GPCA, Abu Dhabi Organisation for Industrial Consulting’s (GOIC) Industrial Market Intelligence Portal (IMI) Plus portal. The portal will provide industrial, economic and social At the same time, wage inflation continues to set the pace for pet- data of member-countries for the access of decision-makers, industrialists, investors and businessmen in both public and private sectors of all member and rising raw materials costs, rochemicals development in the countries. Abdul Aziz bin Hamad Al Aqeel, Secretary-General of GOIC, (right), and other GOIC officials were present at the launch. (SALIM MATRAMKOT) incurred as the global economy UAE, with sales of $2.7bn in 2011, edges out of recession, are having reflecting 21 percent revenue a knock-on effect on the bottom growth in comparison to 2010. line of the GCC petrochemicals Total output last year was 6m sector, the Association noted. tons, or five percent of the Gulf’s Toyota ups sales forecast to 9.7m vehicles “The regional industry must total production of 120m tonnes. continue to work together, more Abu Dhabi also adopted an ambi- closely than ever, to sustain com- tious inorganic growth strategy TOKYO: Japan’s Toyota group It topped the global carmakers’ March, up from 760 billion yen, revenue stemming from a bitter petitiveness in the face of the designed to strengthen its indus- forecast yesterday a 22 percent table in the first half of 2012, but said sales would be 21.3 tril- row between Tokyo and Beijing new market realities. We are try’s position in the plastics sec- jump in worldwide sales this accelerating past US-based GM lion yen, trimming an earlier over a disputed island chain. optimistic about the future and tor, both in terms of the products year to 9.7 million units, driven and the German auto giant. target of 22 trillion yen. A strong Tokyo nationalised the East aim to achieve growth focusing portfolio and access to advanced by surging demand which may Japan’s biggest automaker said yen and turmoil in key European China Sea islands also claimed by on technology, innovation and technology. help it regain the top spot in the it expects to sell about 9.91 million markets weighed, while a territo- Beijing in mid-September, spark- long-term partnerships,” said Dr The success of the 7th Annual global auto market. vehicles in 2013, up two percent on- rial dispute with China hurt sales. ing a diplomatic row that was Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary GPCA Forum held in Dubai in Those figures could put Toyota year. It was on track to produce The upward boost in earnings marked by huge demonstrations General of the GPCA. November 2012, highlighted the ahead of General Motors and 9.94 million vehicles in 2013, nearly expectations was largely due to across China and a consumer boy- Gulf countries currently hold Gulf petrochemicals industry’s Volkswagen as the world’s biggest unchanged from this year, the com- cost-cutting, including a decrease cott of Japanese exports. around 20 percent of the world’s remarkable growth over the years. automaker, a title it held between pany added. Toyota said domestic in labour and research and devel- Toyota previously said it was proven natural gas reserves. The Forum also provided a 2008 and 2010 but lost last year after sales would jump 35 percent this opment expenses, Toyota said. expecting to sell 200,000 fewer Despite the cost competitiveness platform to showcase the contri- a slump in sales and production. year to 2.4 million vehicles, with its The automaker also said it vehicles in China in the second of Gulf-based petrochemicals bution petrochemicals and chemi- Japan’s quake-tsunami dis- overseas annual sales forecast to rise had been aided by robust Asian half of its fiscal year and take a 30 producers built on such strate- cals to the diversification of local aster, floods in Thailand and a by 18 percent to 7.3 million units. sales and a pick-up in the North billion yen hit to its bottom line gic assets, experts at the forum industry and career development strong yen took a heavy toll on The automaker said last month American market. from slumping demand in the urged the industry to prepare for the indigenous workforce. the auto giant, whose brands it was on track to earn 780bn However, Japan’s automakers world’s biggest vehicle market. themselves for new challenges, THE PENINSULA include Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. yen ($9.1bn) in the fiscal year to have seen a drop in their China AFP

Iraqi Kurdistan oil exports Egyptian pound falls on devaluation talk slashed in payment row CAIRO: The Egyptian pound on yesterday signed into law a are rushing to buy dollars after signs the central bank was selling hit a near eight-year low yes- new constitution shaped by his the (S&P)downgrade,” said dollars on Wednesday to keep the ARBIL: Oil exports from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region via terday as concerns the govern- Islamist allies. He says the bit- a dealer at a Cairo-based bank. currency from weakening further. the federal government have been slashed in the latest chapter of a ment might devalue or bring in terly contested document which “We’ll have to wait to see how the Trading was exceptionally heavy, long-running payments row, a spokesman said yesterday. capital controls drove many to he says will help end the turmoil market will operate with the US boosted by orders left over from Kurdistan government spokesman Safin Dizai said that foreign shift their assets into dollars, and fix the economy. dollar, because as you know there Tuesday, which was a bank holiday companies working in the region stopped their exports over 350bn traders said. Market players said the politi- is a rush at the moment.” in Europe. Iraqi dinars (about $291.6m) he said they were owed by the federal Renewed political strife over cal turmoil along with dwindling The planning minister said in The bank has spent more than government. the past month has cast doubt on foreign exchange reserves had remarks published on Wednesday $20bn of its foreign reserves to “We sent a letter to the government and we asked the government the government’s ability to push narrowed the country’s options the government would not imple- support the pound since the popu- to pay, but they are refusing to pay,” Dizai said. through spending cuts and tax for dealing with a spreading cur- ment planned tax increases for lar uprising that toppled Hosni Exports of less than 5,000 barrels per day (b/d) are nonetheless still hikes, seen as a prerequisite for rency crisis. two weeks until it completed talks Mubarak in early 2011. Reserves ongoing, he said — significantly down from over 100,000b/d in past a $4.8bn International Monetary “The fact is that the central with different sections of society fell by $448m in November and months. “The companies will resume exporting oil when the govern- Fund loan that Egypt needs in bank has only so much in terms to persuade them of the need for stand at $15bn, equal to only ment pays,” Dizai said. order to tackle a financial crisis. of resources available in order to austerity measures. about three months of imports. Kurdistan halted oil exports to the federal government on April Credit agency Standard & combat the economic situation, To allow it to seek more popular Bankers say the recent political 1 over $1.5bn it said was owed to foreign oil companies in the region Poor’s cut the country’s long- where Egypt has a long-term cur- support for the loan, the govern- turmoil is certain to be reflected that Baghdad allegedly withheld, but announced in early August that term rating on Monday and said rent account deficit (which it also ment has also asked the IMF to in December’s reserves figures, they would be restarted. another downgrade was possible needs to finance),” said an Egypt- delay by a month a meeting it had which are due to be released in The region reached a deal with Baghdad in mid-September under if politics undermined efforts to based analyst. scheduled to approve the funds. the first week of January. which it would export 140,000b/d for the rest of that month and prop up the economy and public The pound was bid as low as The government’s near-term “Definitely there is pressure 200,000b/d for the remainder of the year, and would meanwhile receive finances. 6.1775 to the dollar yesterday options for the pound include allow- on the pound,” said a dealer at a an “advance” of one trillion Iraqi dinars (about $833m). Faisal Abdullah, Reflecting those concerns a day compared to 6.169 on Tuesday. ing it to devalue, putting controls on second bank. “If foreign reserves spokesman for Hussein Al Shahristani, Iraq’s deputy prime minister after the government made it ille- This was its weakest in almost capital flows to protect it, or seeking are much lower at the end of the for energy affairs, said that the federal government had paid Kurdistan gal for travellers to carry more eight years and took it closer to loans from abroad to top up central month the central bank will have 650bn dinars (about $541.6m), and was awaiting records on payments than $10,000 out of the country, the all-time low of 6.26 it hit on bank reserves — or a combination of to lower the pound.” to companies in the region to pay the remaining 350bn dinars. President Mohammed Mursi October 14, 2004. “All customers the three. Dealers said there were REUTERS AFP THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS Qatar bans import, KLJ Organic trade of steel below grade 500 DOHA: Qatar has banned the import and trade of con- joins QIMC for struction steels below grade 500 to increase the quality of the building materials in the country. The Laboratory and $100m project Standardisation Affairs Department at the Ministry of Environment, explained the Indian firm’s largest investment in Doha quality of construction steels to meet the Qatari Building Code BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB QCS2010. The Ministry has made DOHA: Enticed by Qatar’s mandatory a laboratory test inexpensive energy resources, report to import the construc- KLJ Organic Limited has tion steels and announced to become the first Indian com- accept only those issued by the pany to make the largest ISO 17025 certified laboratories investment in Qatar’s industrial with three month validity as sector to build a chemical com- well signature and seal of the plex in Mesaieed Industrial City laboratory. (MIC). Test report issued by the labo- The $100m project is a joint Al Ansari, CEO of QIMC, said: ratory of the manufacturing com- venture between Qatar Industrial “KLJQ is a private company pany should be attested by the Manufacturing Company (QIMC) which does not come under its international accredited labora- and KLJ Organic of India. (Muntajat) preview. So we are tory, said a release issued by the The India-based chemical giant, going to market the products on Ministry. currently with 15 percent of the our own.” The importers are also required world’s total traded Chlorinated QIMC, in line with Qatar to sing a letter of undertaking to Paraffin Wax (CPW), caustic National Vision 2030 is com- take the responsibly of the con- soda, hydrochloric acid and other mitted to play a significant signments of construction steels chemicals, is set to capture about role in diversifying the Qatari imported in the country. one fourth of the global market economy. Traders work the floor at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. with the commissioning of the AI Ansari also said: “QIMC’s Qatar Petroleum ambitious project. strategy is to introduce new tech- “To my knowledge, this is the nologies and expand the local eyes stake in largest investment by an Indian markets through encouraging Oil jumps in thin trade, US company in Qatar’s industrial sec- foreign firms to invest in Qatar Indian LNG firm tor”, said Hemant Jain (pictured), on joint venture basis.” Vice- Chairman of KLJ Organic- KLJ Organic Qatar W.L.L is DOHA: Qatar Petroleum (QP) Qatar WLL. a 60:40 joint venture between crude near 10-week high has expressed its interest to buy He added that the decision of QIMC and KLJ Organic India a 5.2 percent stake in Petronet investing in Qatar was largely respectively. NEW YORK: Oil prices Monday, the last trading day before barrel was a “big level that a lot LNG, one of the fastest growing influenced by its strategic loca- Asked to comment about the jumped by the most in weeks Christmas. US crude led yester- of people were watching”, said Bill companies in the Indian energy tion coupled with inexpensive domestic consumption of output, on Wednesday, with US crude day’s gains, up $2.17 from Monday’s Baruch, senior market strategist sector, from Asian Development power resources. “Due to its Hemant said: “The hydrochlo- reaching its highest in more close to $90.77 a barrel, but trading at iitrader.com LLC in Chicago. Bank (ADB), Indian media strategic location, Qatar enjoys ric acid and its by-products will than two months as technical activity remained subdued. About Prices have now broken above reported. easy accessing and operating be sold domestically, while the buying and signs of speedier 150,000 lots had changed hands, the 100-day moving average for This will possibly be the first advantages. We have done a very Caustic Soda and many other efforts to avert a US fiscal crisis roughly a third of the daily norm. the first time since October, a instance of a liquefied natural detailed market survey, and from chemicals will primarily find their fuelled an abrupt year-end rally. Oil prices dropped more than 1 move that could set up a test of gas supplier picking up stake in here we are aiming to cater to the use in domestic as well as in the After trading about $1 a barrel percent on Friday after US fiscal the 200-day mark at $92.20 a bar- an importing firm, according to entire Middle East, European and Middle East market.” higher earlier in the day, despite talks dissolved when Republican rel - if the first break holds. Indian news agency Press trust African market.” He further added: “Since big a UK holiday that continues to lawmakers withheld support for “The market is taking advantage of India (PTI). Although Qatar has recently companies such as SABIC and sap liquidity, oil prices jumped by a proposal to avert a raft of tax of thin holiday trading, boosting The ADB had been keen to sell launched a single corporate mar- Qatar Vinyl Company (QVC) do another $1 in the early US hours. hikes and spending cuts, but many out of its trading range. It’s thin its 5.2 percent stake in Petronet keting company “Muntajat” hold- not supply Caustic Soda flakes (in Traders attributed the rapid gain investors doubt that lawmakers volumes and technical trading,” since last year. ing exclusive rights to purchase, solid form), there is a big market to buying at a key technical sup- would risk tipping the fragile US said Addison Armstrong, director Petronet, which is registered market, distribute and sell Qatar’s for the product. We will be the port level and possible algorithmic economy into recession again. of market research at Tradition as a private company even chemical and petrochemical prod- only player in Chloride Paraffin short-covering. President Barack Obama will Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. though India’s public sector oil ucts to the global market but the and many other chemicals in the Brent crude held most of those cut short his Christmas holiday to Financial markets showed firms hold 50 per cent stake and KLJQ, being a private company region. This will also support a gains by mid-morning, up $1.76 return to Washington early today little reaction to U.S. data that that country’s Oil Secretary as will not come under the ambit of lot of downstream industries. or 1.6 percent at $110.56 a barrel to resume talks. In the meantime, revealed a slightly stronger-than- its chairman, has approached Muntajat, and market its prod- People can put up plastic process- by 10.30am EST (1530 GMT), on traders turned to the charts for expected rise in single-family QP’s 100 per cent subsidiary ucts independently. ing units, drum plants, packag- track for its biggest one-day rise inspiration. home prices, with most eyes still Qatar Petroleum International Asked, if KLJQ would avail ing plants including many other since mid-November. Volume was Friday’s intraday low for WTI on Washington. US stock markets offering ADB’s stake, the report the services of Muntajat to mar- opportunities.” about one-sixth the average. crude was a major 50 percent declined by 0.3 percent. added. ket its products, Abdul Rahman THE PENINSULA Markets were mostly flat on retracement mark, and $88 a REUTERS THE PENINSULA

QATARI MARKET Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P Qatar Govt 5.15% 4/9/2014 USD 105.50 0.82% Aa2 AA Ratan Tata hands over reins of empire Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 105.63 1.69% Aa2 AA Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 125.88 2.13% Aa2 AA MUMBAI: Indian industrialist day at the helm in the unassuming commercial vehicle and small-car the group will be “in the hands of Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 119.63 2.23% Aa2 AA Ratan Tata retires on his 75th manner in which he took over from maker into a global player. somebody who understands the Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 115.13 2.61% Aa2 AA birthday this week, handing his uncle JRD Tata in 1991. Tata Consultancy Services business environment better” Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 182.00 3.46% Aa2 AA over the reins of his sprawling The same year saw India unleash (TCS), went public in 1994 under than he did. Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 140.00 3.97% Aa2 AA business empire after decades radical free-market reforms that Ratan Tata’s leadership, when The pair, both from India’s Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 130.63 3.97% Aa2 AA at the top of the country’s tur- transformed the country’s econ- investors were unsure about the tight-knit Zoroastrian commu- bulent corporate world. omy, and Tata took full advan- future of technology stocks. It is nity of Parsis, do have a family Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 105.13 1.46% Aa2 AA Ratan Tata has been credited tage. “Ratan Tata came with zilch currently growing faster than connection: Mistry’s sister is Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 117.13 2.50% Aa2 AA with transforming the Tata group expectations and in an environ- rivals Infosys and Wipro. married to Tata’s younger half- Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 106.00 1.76% A1 A- into a streamlined conglomer- ment where the group was headed Tata is exiting with the group’s brother Noel, who was initially Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.50 2.27% A1 A- ate of more than 100 companies by people who thought they could total combined sales at $100bn tipped to be the group successor. QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.63 2.13% NR NR and earning a global reputation perhaps ‘manage’ him,” said finan- in 2011-12, nearly 60 percent of Mistry, who has not spo- QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 103.25 1.96% Aa3 A+ for eye-catching purchases of cial consultant R Balakrishnan. which come from business outside ken to the media since being QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 104.88 2.14% Aa3 A+ Western firms. “The transition today is amaz- India, mainly the United States appointed, is the son of Pallonji With a portfolio ranging from ing,” Balakrishnan said. and Britain. “His reign has been Mistry, whose construction firm Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.00 2.49% A2 A- salt and software to tea and tel- Tata companies include India’s outstanding,” said fellow industri- Shapoorji Pallonji is the biggest Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 105.13 1.97% A2 A ecoms, Tata is India’s largest largest IT firm, the biggest vehicle alist Rahul Bajaj. shareholder of Tata Sons. Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 130.88 2.64% A2 A group, and new boss Cyrus Mistry maker and a ritzy hotel chain. But Tata could not escape some Educated at London’s Imperial Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 113.13 2.92% A2 A faces a challenge as the first chief In one of the group’s most controversy: he was one of the College and the London Business Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 113.75 3.65% A2 A appointed from outside the imme- successful moves, Tata Motors business leaders questioned in School, the new chief takes charge Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 108.00 0.90% Aa3 A diate Tata family in its 144-year turned around fortunes of loss- 2011 by a parliamentary watchdog when some of Tata’s senior man- Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 110.13 2.96% Aa3 A history. making British luxury brands probing a multi-billion-dollar tel- agement are also heading into Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 112.88 3.39% Aa3 A “I have devoted my life, as best I Jaguar and Land Rover just a ecom licensing scam that rocked retirement. could, to the welfare of the group,” year after buying them out from the government. India’s federal “The challenge for Mistry will SOVEREIGNS Tata said ahead of his retirement Ford Motors for $2.3bn in 2008. police agency later cleared the be to find the next growth sec- Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P on Friday. Jaguar Land Rover now con- Tata group of any wrongdoing. tor for the group,” said Sonam Abu Dhabi Govt 5.5% 4/8/2014 USD 106.50 0.39% Aa2 AA The highly-respected, media-shy tributes nearly 80 percent of Tata Mistry, the current vice-chair- Udasi, head of research with IDBI Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 128.75 1.87% Aa2 AA mogul, who spent 50 years with the Motors’ earnings and the deal man, was announced as heir more Capital. company, is likely to mark his last has vaulted the Tata firm from a than a year ago, and Tata has said AFP Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 110.88 2.60% NR NR Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 107.50 3.04% NR NR Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 126.50 3.78% NR NR Jordan price hike ‘important step’: IMF Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 116.63 4.27% NR NR Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 105.50 1.29% Aa2 AA AMMAN: The IMF said yesterday Jordan’s decision to raise fuel Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 114.38 3.55% NR BBB prices by up to 53 percent last month was “an important step,” Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 108.25 4.17% NR BBB • Bullion - Mumbai despite violent protests in which three were killed and more than 70 injured. Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 99.75 5.79% B2 B Gold (10 gm) Standard Rs. 30625 “Despite this challenging environment, the authorities have been Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 102.50 4.11% NR BBB- Silver (1 kg) Rs. 58150 implementing sound macroeconomic policies aimed at reducing fiscal *Periodic Distribution Amount • Indian Rupees QR1 = 14.95 and external imbalances in a socially acceptable way. The removal of IMPORTANT NOTE: • Sensex Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which general subsidies on all fuel products ... was an important step,” it said is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services BSE 19417.46 in a statement. Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary NSE 5905.60 “It reduced costs and risks to the budget from fluctuations in oil data and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising • LIC (International) launches New Gold Investment Plan ‘GOLD PLUS’ – prices. Introducing targeted transfers at the same time mitigated the out of the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not take into account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds which provides an opportunity to invest in GOLD ETF & GOLD SPOT, PAN impact of fuel price increases for a large part of the population.” can and does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant Card/Demat Account not required. Jordan insists the price hike was “unavoidable” given the country’s liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not • Short-term investment plan from LIC International upto 6.4 percent return $5bn (¤3.9bn) budget deficit, and that the measures would save $42m a reliable indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and by year end. p.a. (in dollar) consult your financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. The country relies on imports for 95 percent of its energy needs • Housing loan from HDFC LTD and has been struggling to find affordable alternatives to Egyptian gas • Mutual Fund: Buy & Sell: SBI MF, HDFC MF, UTI MF, Birla Sun Life MF, supplies, which have been repeatedly hit by sabotage. Tata MF, Reliance MF etc. Amman has said Cairo resumed this month full gas supply of 250 Contact: Investec, Tel: 44325060/44365060 email: [email protected] million cubic metres (8.8 billion cubic feet) a day. AFP THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Qatari bourse Hong Kong airport sets record index loses 53.77 points Egypt market slips to nine-day low

DOHA: Qatar Exchange index problems are already baked into continued its losing streak yes- stock prices so unless politi- terday dropping 53.77 points or cal tensions become a lot worse, 0.64 percent to 8,327.38 points many investors may stay bullish from the previous closing of about the medium term. 8,390.32. Major technical support for the The volume of shares traded index is believed to lie on the 200- up to 3,302,694 from 2,326,116 on day average, now at 5,126 points. Tuesday, and the value of shares In Saudi Arabia, the meas- increased to QR131,139,341.20 ure recovered intraday losses to from QR103,898,959.65 on close near flat after late-session Tuesday. buying in petrochemical stocks Among the top losers were helped steady the market. The Industries Qatar whose share index halted a three-session los- dropped 0.06 percent to QR155.00, ing streak, edging up 0.03 percent Commercial Bank of Qatar lost to close at 6,867 points. 0.14 percent to QR70.90, Qatar Saudi Basic Industries Corp Islamic Bank fell 1.70 percent to (Sabic) and Saudi Kayan Q75.20 and Vodafone Qatar down Petrochemical rose 0.3 and 0.4 1.88 percent to QR8.33. percent respectively. The banking and financial sec- National Industrialisation tor lost 14.90 points while the (Tasnee) gained 0.7 percent, add- insurance sector dropped 12.70 ing to Tuesday’s 4.9 percent gain points. The industrial sector down after the firm proposed a cash 6.31 points and the services sector dividend of 2.0 riyals per share. A Cathay Pacific Airways jetliner takes off from Hong Kong International Airport, in Hong Kong, yesterday. A total of 1,081 flight movements were fell 2.98 points. “Petrochemicals have steady handled at the Hong Kong International Airport on December 22, setting a new daily record according to the Civil Aviation Department. Meanwhile, Egypt’s bourse demand and earnings should slipped to a nine-day low yester- be higher than Q3 - there is a day, extending losses as political positive sentiment overall on tensions encouraged investors to petchems and telecoms,” said book gains from the rally of the Mohammad Omran, a Riyadh- UAE bad loan provisions drop first time since crisis past two weeks. Gulf markets based independent financial ana- were mixed. lyst and a member of think tank Cairo’s benchmark index Saudi Economic Association. DUBAI: Outstanding provi- since 2008 that provisions had conglomerate, Dubai Group, is that the ratio of problem loans slipped 0.3 percent to 5,301 points, “If we get this positive boost, sions for bad loans set aside dropped. In October 2011 they still struggling to restructure to gross loans in the UAE bank- down for a third session from last the index could break the 7,000 by banks in the United Arab stood at Dh51.9bn and at the $10bn of debt, and it is not clear ing sector would be between 10 week’s one-month high. Mid-caps level.” Emirates fell in October for the end of 2008 they amounted to whether banks may have to take and 12 percent for 2012 and drop weighed, with Orascom Telecom Shares in Riyad Bank declined first time since the global finan- Dh19.7bn, according to the cen- further provisions against that marginally in 2013. losing 1.1 percent and Citadel 0.4 percent. The bank’s board pro- cial crisis began building in tral bank. debt. Banks in the UAE have built Capital falling 1.4 percent. posed a cash dividend of 0.65 riy- 2008, central bank data showed General provisions earmarked Early this month, credit rat- up strong capital buffers against There was fresh evidence of als per share for the second half yesterday. for other purposes by the 23 ing agency Moody’s Investors losses; they had core capital worth how the controversy over Egypt’s of 2012. The small drop does not indi- UAE-based banks and 28 units Service downgraded ratings of 17.2 percent of risk-weighted new constitution is hurting eco- Elsewhere in the Gulf, small cate an end to the corporate debt of foreign banks also fell slightly three Dubai banks including assets in September, a much nomic policy, as the Al Mal news- caps helped lift Dubai’s market problems that have weighed on in October to Dh17.4bn from the emirate’s biggest, Emirates higher level than banks in many paper quoted Planning Minister as retail investors bet on stronger UAE banks’ earnings over the Dh17.6bn in September; they NBD. Western countries, central bank Ashraf Al Araby as saying the fourth-quarter earnings. past several years. But it does totalled Dh15.4bn in October It cited large amounts of prob- data showed. government would not implement Dubai’s Deyaar Properties suggest the banks are over the 2011. lem loans and said the banks had However, the aftermath of the a series of planned tax increases jumped 5.6 percent and Shuaa worst of those problems, helped Banks in the UAE were hit low levels of balance sheet cover- debt crisis has slowed growth in for at least two weeks, until it Capital surged 15.0 percent, the by solid economic growth and a first by the global financial cri- age for loan losses and would need their lending, which rose just 2.8 completed a dialogue with differ- maximum allowed daily gain. fledgling recovery of Dubai’s real sis, then by the Dubai corporate additional provisioning. percent from a year earlier to 1.10 ent parts of society. “Retail investors are getting estate market. debt disaster of 2009-2010, when But a recovery in Dubai’s trillion dirhams in October. Nevertheless, the index closed in, speculating on Q4 results... Provisions set aside for spe- the emirate’s real estate market real estate market has greatly Total deposits, boosted by the well off the day’s low because in Generally the market is quiet - cific non-performing loans edged crashed and conglomerate Dubai improved the bond market’s con- real estate recovery and Dubai’s a pattern seen often in the last most people are away” for year- down to Dh65.3bn ($17.8bn) at the World asked to restructure $25bn fidence in the financial strength of ability to attract foreign funds as several weeks, buying by non-res- end holidays, said Yousry Kassem, end of October from Dh65.4bn in of debt. UAE banks and many of their big a safe haven in an unstable region, ident Arab and foreign investors assistant vice-president of sales September, the data showed. The debt problems have not customers, and their bond yields jumped 9.4 percent to Dh1.16 offset selling by locals. trading at EFG Hermes. The official WAM news yet been fully worked through. have plunged this year. trillion. Much of Egypt’s economic AGENCIES agency said it was the first time For example another investment Moody’s predicted last month REUTERS Iraq mobile firm UK moves up in economic league table aims to raise LONDON: Britain moved up to sixth in the 2013, the Bank of England and the Treasury $1.23bn in IPO global economic league table in 2012, over- believe that there will be a small fall in output taking Brazil despite a year of flatlining in the final three months of the year, leaving BAGHDAD:Iraq’s second-big- activity. GDP virtually unchanged between 2011 and gest mobile operator Asiacell A survey from the Centre for Economic and 2012. aims to raise $1.23bn in an ini- Business Research (CEBR) found that the value The five biggest economies in the world in tial public offering next month, of the UK’s national output surpassed that of 2012 were the same as in 2011, with the US fol- it said, after pressure from Latin America’s biggest economy following a fall lowed by China, Japan, Germany and France. Baghdad’s media regulator to in the value of its currency, the real. The CEBR said that the three top spots would be listed on the bourse. The CEBR said it would take until 2014 for remain unchanged for the next decade, although The firm, in which Qatar Brazil to once again supplant the UK in its World China’s economy would by then by 83% as big as Telecom holds a majority stake, Economic League Table (WELT), and that by America’s and catching up fast. and Iraq’s two other mobile phone 2017 Britain would also have fallen behind a fast- By 2022, the report said India would be the companies — Kuwait’s Zain and rising India. fourth biggest economy in the world, with Russia Korek, in which France Telecom Douglas McWilliams, CEBR chief executive, up to seventh and bigger than every country in and Kuwait’s Agility Logistics said: “The Indians have lost to us at cricket Western Europe apart from Germany. Britain have stakes — were fined for this winter but they are on track to beat us at will be the eighth largest economy followed by failing to issue IPOs on the Iraq economics. By 2017 we predict that the Indian France. Stock Exchange, Zain said in July. economy will be the largest economy in the Emerging market economy will shoot up the The company said in a state- Commonwealth, overtaking the UK economy. table, according to the WELT. Indonesia, cur- ment on its website on Tuesday “We are beating some other countries, though. rently, the world’s 16th largest economy is fore- that the share offer is expected We are poised to overtake France either in 2013 cast to rise six places to enter the world’s top 10 to be among “the biggest ... in the or 2014 as the economic effects of President in 2022. Other Asian economies also move up Middle East region in the past Hollande’s 75 percent tax policy and the diffi- the ranking. Thailand goes up six places from year.” culties of the euro drag France down. number 30 in 2012 to 24 in 2022; Taiwan from Asiacell will offer 67.503bn “We have been neck and neck with Brazil 27th to 20th and Korea from 15th to 12th. shares, representing 25 percent for some time. Last year they overtook us; this McWilliams said the study revealed “the dra- of the total share capital, at a year we have overtaken them again. From 2014 matic changes now taking place in the world’s price of at least 22 Iraqi dinars onwards, however, their more dynamic economy economic geography with slow growing European per share when the offer opens is likely to pull them decisively beyond us.” economies falling back and Asian economies, even on January 3. Although the first official estimate of UK though their growth is slowing, catching up.” AFP growth will not be published until late January THE GUARDIAN

Air Arabia takes delivery of sixth A320 this year

DOHA: Air Arabia, the first and largest 2007. The delivery of the 44 new aircraft will we look forward to the delivery of six new low cost carrier in the Middle East and be completed by 2016, and will more than aircraft in 2013.” North Africa, announced yesterday that double the size of Air Arabia’s fleet. The world’s best selling commercial jet- it has taken delivery of its sixth A320 air- “The delivery of our sixth aircraft in liner ever, the A320 Family includes the A318, craft in 2012. The carrier took delivery 2012 is a great way to end the year,” said A319, A320 and A321 and is recognised as the of its latest A320 at the Airbus facility in Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Office at benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. All Toulouse, France, and the new aircraft Air Arabia. “Our modern and reliable air- Air Arabia aircraft cabin interiors are fitted has gone straight into service across Air craft enable us to combine superb value for with a world-class comfort seats providing Arabia’s network of 82 destinations. money fares with operational excellence. As offering passengers extra leg room to sit back Air Arabia has now received 14 of the 44 we continue to unlock opportunities for the and relax during their flight. A320 aircraft it has ordered from Airbus in low-cost model in the wider Arab region, THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS

In ICE-NYSE deal, one CEO The capital gains tax, steps back, the other rises BY JOHN MCCRANK AND JONATHAN SPICER

uncan Niederauer, the chief executive of New York Stock a tragedy in two acts Exchange operator NYSE Euronext, once boldly pro- BY MICHAEL KINSLEY claimed that his company could not be acquired. Charitable contributions, anyone? Home But the real distortion comes in a tax sys- D Last year, even when Niederauer was prepared to mortgages? tem that might take 15 percent and might sell his company to Deutsche Boerse, he insisted that he be chief ritics of the capital gains tax are So, given that all taxes are disincentives, take 35 percent, depending on the situation. executive of the combined company. The deal ended up being absolutely correct when they say what kinds of taxes do we want? The answer Tax-cut obsessives can always show you that, quashed by German regulators. that a tax on capital hurts our is that most of the time, if we believe in say, a tax cut for people named “Trump” had But with the agreement by IntercontinentalExchange to buy economy by reducing the incen- free-market capitalism, we want taxes that led to a 73 percent increase in the number NYSE Euronext for $8.2bn, Niederauer has accepted he will have tive to save and invest. They say affect behaviour as little as possible. Or, to of people named Trump. But that’s because to at the very least play second fiddle. Cthe same thing about the tax on investment put it another way, we want a tax system lots of people decided to change their names, He will become president at the combined company, while still interest, and they’re right about that, too. that replicates the incentives of a world not because being named Trump magically running the New York Stock Exchange, and report to ICE CEO Unfortunately, this is true of every with no taxes. turns you into a productivity machine. Jeff Sprecher. method of taxing capital, just as any tax on Sometimes we do want to affect behav- Please notice that the argument so far “In a sense he must be very frustrated because some of the big labour reduces everybody’s incentive to get iour. That is the explanation for “sin taxes” has said nothing about fairness. It has all things he was trying to do did not work out,” said Andre Cappon, up in the morning and go to work. When such as the heavy taxes on cigarettes. But been about efficiency. So throw fairness into president of CBM Group, a New York-based consultant for global you tax something, you discourage whatever attempting to affect the general economy’s the equation: The capital-gains tax is paid exchanges. it is you’re taxing. That is the tragic nature behaviour by playing games with tax rates by people who trade stocks and bonds, or To an extent, the world may have left Niederauer behind. His of taxation. is a fool’s errand, like an individual trying buy and sell real estate or whole companies. expertise was in stock trading, a business that now has razor-thin But you have to tax something if you want to beat the stock market. The ordinary income tax is paid by people margins and is increasingly left to computers. to spend on something else. You wouldn’t Or at least, this is what you ought to who work for a living. Sprecher, on the other hand, has ascended as derivatives have know this from listening to liberals in the believe if you believe in free markets. So Yes, yes, people with capital gains work become a key part of financial markets and the financial crisis current debate, protecting every penny of what kinds of taxes affect behaviour the too. They may even work hard. And they made listed derivatives relatively more important. current entitlements. You wouldn’t know least? My favourite economist, Henry take risks. But it’s still a heckuva lot easier Born in Indiana near the Kentucky border, and raised in it from conservatives as they defend past George (1839-1897), wanted a tax on the to watch your stock go up than it is to work Madison, Wisconsin, he has a down-to-earth aura that belies his tax cuts and argue for more. Nor would ownership of land, because — unlike almost on the assembly line, and a tax differential ambitious type-A personality, say people who know him. you know it from listening to conservatives any other good in our economy — you can’t really adds insult to injury. Sprecher has not met with constant success, but when some- and liberals as they defend the loopholes make more of it, and you can’t make less of Capital gains are favoured by the tax sys- thing goes wrong, he moves on. and special rules that litter the tax code. it. If you own some, you’re at the mercy of tem in various ways, most of which aren’t “He’s not afraid to fail,” said one person who knows Sprecher Even if you borrow instead of taxing today, the tax collector, and have nowhere to hide. even under discussion. The biggest is that well. you’ll have to tax tomorrow to pay for that A good tax — one that has minimal effect you don’t pay any taxes at all until an invest- Among his misses: a failed bid to buy the Chicago Board of borrowing. on behaviour — has two qualities. First, it is ment is traded or cashed in. If your stock Trade in 2007, not to mention a failed joint bid for the NYSE Recently, after an untold number of edito- as low as possible. Second, it is as consistent portfolio doubles in value, you still owe no with Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. rials endorsing austerity and calling for tax as possible. taxes unless you sold any of it. And when He made his move for the CBOT at the annual meeting of the reform that closes loopholes and lowers tax Sure, a tax of 15 percent — the current, you die, all those profits on unsold assets Futures Industry Association, in Boca Raton, Florida, where CME rates, the New York Times ran an editorial scandalously low ceiling on the tax on both disappear for tax purposes. The meter goes Group officials had expected to deliver a progress report on their saying, in effect: “Of course, we don’t mean capital gains and interest — would be less back to zero for your heirs. Capital gains planned acquisition of their smaller rival. messing with the deduction for state and distortive than a tax of 35 percent, which are also exempt from Social Security and Sprecher slipped the formal offer under the hotel doors of local taxes. That’s different.” Sadly, everyone was the theoretical top rate under President Medicare taxes. CBOT Chairman Charles Carey and CBOT CEO Bernard Dan, has a favourite deduction that’s “different”: Bill Clinton. WP-BLOOMBERG at about 6:30 in the morning of the conference’s first day. CME Group later raised its bid for CBOT and clinched the deal in mid-2007 - but Sprecher would still finish the year with two key acquisitions, the New York Board of Trade commodity market and Canada’s biggest grains exchange. This summer both Sprecher and Niederauer bid for the London Metals Exchange and lost. Within four months they were talking U.S. to sell drones to South Korea to each other about a much larger deal. There was some bad blood between Sprecher and Niederauer The Obama administration Single Rolls-Royce AE 3007H last year, when Sprecher’s ICE was part of the group that made Turbofan engine with 8,600 formally proposed a pounds of thrust an unsolicited bid for NYSE Euronext. controversial sale of NYSE Euronext was instead focused on a different deal: selling UHF satcom itself to Deutsche Boerse. Sprecher admitted in an interview with advanced drones to help antenna Reuters that he tried to wreck the Deutsche deal by “calling out South Korea bear more of Ku-Band every wart and pimple” on the transaction. its defense from any attack wideband The two men stopped talking for about six weeks. by the heavily armed North satcom But after ICE posted good fourth-quarter results in February, antenna Niederauer extended an olive branch with a surprising three-word email to Sprecher: “Hey, great quarter.” Graphite composite wing “He and I had a preexisting friendship and I wondered if it was NORTHROP going to survive my trouble making,” Sprecher said. Then the GRUNMAN’S email arrived. RQ-4A Synthetic EQ/IR “He was very magnanimous and so I knew that he saw through aperture radar sensor what I was doing and we were still very cordial.” Niederauer took over as NYSE Euronext CEO at the end of 1.45 m 2007, just after his predecessor, John Thain, had completed the landmark deal to buy Franco-Belgian Euronext. 35.4 m After a 22-year career at Goldman Sachs, mostly in equity trad- ing, and just nine months as head of NYSE’s trading operations, he took control just before the 2008 financial crisis triggered a seismic shift in the exchange world, one that seemed ill-suited RQ-4A RQ-4B to his background. Gross take off weight 12,110 kg 14,628 kg Equity investors, burned by scandals and volatility, were trad- 4.63 m ing less and less; meanwhile new regulations would drive more Payload 907.2 kg 1,360 kg derivatives onto exchanges like ICE and CME. Range 22,236 km 22,780 km The answer, Niederauer thought, lay in Deutsche Boerse. But Max. altitude 19.8 km 18.3 km when regulators nixed the deal in February this year, he quickly Loiter velocity 343 kts TAS 343 kts TAS* 13.53 m laid out a new strategic plan for shareholders: clearing and tech- On station endurance 24 hrs 24 hrs nology - two areas in which ICE already excelled. Max. endurance 35 hrs 36 hrs Source: Northrop Grunman *True air speed By June, Niederauer was saying it was “make-or-break time” for NYSE’s nascent US futures operation, which was clearly fail- C. Inton, 26/12/2012 ing to thrive in the shadow of established rivals. REUTERS Oil marketers ask: Who will buy my crude? BY JOHN KEMP and establishing Bakken as the share of valuable light prod- crudes like Qua Iboe and Forties refiners will have more choice. so great if your price is pegged preferred source of supply. At the ucts and far less residuum than as well as Alaskan North Slope. The range of qualities on offer to WCS. arketing production moment, Bakken crude is selling other markers, without the need The company is marketing is also widening. Before the shale All crude producers are now is more associated well below benchmarks like Brent for expensive conversion and Bakken as a blending stock to revolution, most refiners expected acutely aware of the importance with technology and and WTI because of transporta- upgrading. enable heavy, sour oil refiners the slate to become heavier and of marketing their oil to maxim- Mentertainment than tion bottlenecks. When distilled, one barrel of to meet specifications for low- sourer average in future, as ise its value in the marketplace. grubby industrial raw materials Continental has been busy Bakken will yield about 43 per- sulphur products. It can enable the marginal source of supply US shale oil was a “big issue” like oil. But marketing is set to adding transportation capacity cent of products in the gasoline higher refinery run rates with became Canadian oil sands and and OPEC should make its oil become more important as the oil by both pipeline and rail to carry range, and more than 10 percent fewer problems with dangerous Venezuela’s ultra-heavy oils. Shale more attractive to customers in market moves into surplus and its Bakken crude away from the suitable for making jet fuel, as vapours and hard to handle distil- means they now also have a choice response to the supply of shale struggles with an increasingly oversupplied midcontinent mar- well as 43 percent in the distil- lation residues. Continental wants of ultra-light and sweet crudes as from the United States, UAE Oil diverse range of crudes. ket to coastal refineries who late zone, leaving almost no heavy Bakken to become a “favourite well, not just crude from oil wells Minister Mohammed bin Dhaen Crude marketers need to con- would be prepared to pay more residuum. feedstock of lube and petrochemi- but also condensates from gas al-Hamli said at the recent cartel vince refiners their oil is worth for it. According to Continental, the cal manufacturers.” fields. meeting in Vienna . paying a premium for and to But the company is also keen distillation products from Bakken There is nothing new about This cornucopia of crude is Value is not simply about sul- undertake expensive investments to convince refiners its crude is were worth almost $131 per bar- crude producers claiming that complicated, however, by pipeline phur content and distillation cuts. to be able to process it. superior to competing conven- rel compared with $127 for WTI their oil is better or more com- constraints and other transporta- Other aspects include location, Outlining its strategy to inves- tional grades and more valuable and just $120 for Forties, based petitively priced than their rivals. tion bottlenecks. Not all crudes transportation options and reli- tors in October, Continental than oils from rival shale plays on crude and products prices on But two trends will ensure that are available to all the refiners ability and security of supplies. Resources, one of the leading pro- such as Eagle Ford. Continental’s September 21. marketing efforts are set to who might be prepared to pay Most refineries will want to ducers in North Dakota’s Bakken, full presentation is available on Bakken’s quality is also far become more intense over the for them. adopt a portfolio approach to buy- devoted a third of its presenta- its website and is worth reading more consistent than output next five years. It has led to an unusually wide ing crudes in order to maximise tion to the importance of improv- in full. from Eagle Ford, the other big The oil market is entering a dispersion in prices for different the value of outputs while mini- ing the marketing of its output According to the company, shale play. Bakken has a consist- phase of (potential) oversup- crude grades. In the second week mising the cost of acquisition and to secure more recognition of its Bakken is lighter and sweeter ent quality of 42 degrees API, ply. If all the potential new of December, when Forties was avoid becoming overly dependent quality and achieve higher prices. than North American bench- where Eagle Ford crude/conden- sources of crude supply, includ- trading around $110 per barrel, on any single supplier. Continental promised a mar- marks such as Louisiana Light sate ranges widely from as little ing shale oil in North America, and Nigeria’s Qua Iboe was fetch- Refiners must also be per- keting strategy that would Sweet , Alaska North Slope and as 28 degrees to as much as 63, oil sands in Canada, deepwater ing $113, West Texas Intermediate suaded to commit to mak- improve Bakken’s value relative Kern County . It is also ligthter and must be blended to achieve off the coasts of Latin America blend at Midland in Texas was ing long-lasting and expensive to other benchmarks by expand- and less-sulphurous than inter- even quality. and West Africa, and conven- selling for just $75 and Alberta’s changes to the configuration of ing access to coastal markets, national rivals like Nigeria’s Qua With better marketing, tional oil from Iraq and Iran, Western Canada Select (WCS) their plant to handle particular increasing market recognition of Iboe and North Sea Forties . Continental aims to supplant let alone the Arctic are devel- was fetching less than $45. Great crude combinations. the superior quality of Bakken oil, Bakken produces a far higher higher-priced foreign sweet oped in the next five years, then if you have Qua Iboe to sell, not REUTERS THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 MARKET www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21

QE Indices Summary WORLD STOCK INDICES GOLD & SILVER EXCHANGE QE Index 8,327.38 53.77 QE Total Return Index 11,269.96 72.77 RATE QE All Share Index 2,004.67 11.80 INDEX Day’s Close Pt Chg % Chg Year High Year Low QE All Share Banks & Financial Services 1,949.74 14.90 GOLD Buying Selling QE All Share Industrials 2,608.04 6.31 All Ordinaries 4645.608 10.389 0.22 4669 4033.4 QR194.5016 US$ ...... QR 3.6305 QR 3.6500 QE All Share Transportation 1,339.4 13.39 Cac 40 Index/D 3652.61 -8.79 -0.24 3674.57 2922.26 QE All Share Real Estate 1,585.55 19.02 SILVER UK ...... QR 5.8430 QR 5.9256 QE All Share Insurance 1,900.34 12.70 Dj Indu Average 13139.08 -51.76 -0.39 13661.87 12035.16 QR 3.5115 Euro ...... QR 4.7867 QR 4.8543 QE All Share Telecoms 1,055.89 3.05 CA$ ...... QR 3.6325 QR 3.7041 QE All Share Consumer Goods & 4,653.45 2.98 Egypt Cma Gn Idx 1026.29 32.57 3.28 999.95 312.38 Services Swiss Fr ...... QR 3.9623 QR 4.0175 Hang Seng Inde/D 22541.18 34.89 0.16 22683.72 18056.4 Yen ...... QR 0.0423 QR 0.0431 QE Market Summary Comparison Aus$ ...... QR 3.7407 QR 3.8143 Iseq Overall/D 3373.66 -14.73 -0.43 3407.74 2882.71 CRUDE OIL Today Previous day Ind Re ...... QR 0.0658 QR 0.0671 26-12-2012 25-12-2012 Karachi 100 In/D 16927.34 35.4 0.21 16967.82 10771.13 Index 8,327.38 8,381.15 BRENT Pak Re ...... QR 0.0371 QR 0.0378 Change 53.77 9.17 Nikkei 225 Index 10230.36 150.24 1.49 10255.15 8238.96 Peso ...... QR 0.0877 QR 0.0895 % 0.64 0.11 $ 110.56 SL Re ...... QR 0.0284 QR 0.0290 YTD% 5.14 4.53 S&P 500 Index/D 1426.66 -3.49 -0.24 1474.51 1248.64 DUBAI Taka ...... QR 0.0447 QR 0.0461 Volume 3,302,694 2,326,116 Straits Times/D 3180.81 12.24 0.39 3180.5 2657.77 Nep Re ...... QR 0.0414 QR 0.0422 Value (QAR) 131,139,341.20 103,898,959.65 $ 108.62 Trades 1,990 1,504 SA Rand ...... QR 0.4218 QR 0.4305 Straits Times/D 2989.31 24.69 0.83 3035.78 2657.77 Up 07 | Down 27 | Unchanged 06

QATAR EXCHANGE | DAILY TRADING REPORT | 26-12-2012

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS A List of Shares from the world

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

A C C-A/D 1411.85 1.05 9821 Cmc Ltd-B/D 1201.05 11 2873 Hind.Petrol-A/D 280.3 -0.05 31555 Lloyd Metal-B/D 15.5 0.2 2486 Rallis India-B/D 152.75 3.1 27024 Imperial Tobac/D 2386.3148 -17 441741 Aarti Drugs-T/D 211.55 4.75 3233 Colgate-A/D 1510.65 21.45 18057 Hindalco-A/D 129 0.1 756980 Lloyd Steel-B/D 11.71 -0.02 47749 Reliance Indus/D 441.1 2.6 66351 Kingfisher/D 283.0586 0.2 899308 Aban Offs-B/D 378.55 1.35 49638 Container Cor-/D 920.7 -1.15 307570 Hous Dev Fin-A/D 833.45 7.05 52067 Lloydsfin.-B/D 0.75 0.07 4526 Ruchi Soya-B/D 66.4 2.55 26267 Land Secs Grou/D 816.7818 3 211887 Aegis Logis-B/D 179.25 -0.05 31875 Dai-Bichi Kar-/D 46 0.5 2595 I F C I-A/D 34.1 0.25 1125554 Lok.Hous&Con-B/D 15.65 0.74 34711 S Bk Bikaner-B/D 439.75 6.9 22539 Legal & Genera/D 147.2015 1.1 2543531 Ahmed.Forg-B/D 157.9 21.15 176832 Dcm Financia-B/D 1.61 0.06 2735 Idbi-A/D 109.3 0.8 264829 Lupin-A/D 612.95 6.75 28700 Saur.Cem-B/D 29.55 1.65 24438 Lloyds Bnk Grp/D 48.185 -0.225 34097369 Alembic-B/D 16.25 -0.2 22334 Dcm Shram Ind-/D 43.75 -1.55 1845 Ifb Ind.Ltd.-B/D 105.3 -0.9 2995 Lyka Labs-B/D 11.2 0.31 6296 Savita Oil-B/D 517 -11.25 1158 Marks & Sp./D 390.6 -1.4 908403 Alok Indus-B/D 11.44 0.19 2276573 Dhampur Sugar-/D 53.95 0.2 8230 India Cement-B/D 87.45 1.05 143736 Mafatlal Ind-T/D 130.3 0.3 1103 Thirumalai-B/D 116.1 0.4 7845 Next/D 3735.5121 9 43807 Andhra Paper-B/D 284.15 0.25 7330 Dr. Reddy-A/D 1818.3 -1.3 7413 India Glycol-B/D 169.35 -3.5 21179 Mah.Seamless-B/D 280.8 -1 1573 Timexgroup-B/D 18.45 0.6 27418 Pearson/D 1203.0361 13 300590 Apollo Tyre-A/D 86.55 -0.1 188923 E I H-B/D 69.3 -0.4 13188 Indian Hotel-A/D 63.3 -0.35 65184 Maha Scooter-B/D 518.05 11.9 7741 Tinplate-B/D 52.25 -0.25 15172 Prudential/D 872.4571 3 770612 Asahi I Glass-/D 54.7 0.1 7281 E.I.D Parry-B/D 208.05 -1.85 6129 Indo-Tcount-T/D 13.51 0.01 1220 Mangalam Cem-B/D 181.05 2.5 34410 Ub Engineer-B/D 38.05 -0.05 7923 Rank Group/D 145 1 7827 Rentokil Ashok Leyland-/D 26.8 0.25 194756 Eicher Motor-A/D 2865.95 178.85 7640 Indusind-A/D 421.95 -3.5 3425107 Maral Overs-B/D 14.67 0.07 5648 Ub Engineer-B/D 38.05 -0.05 7923 Initi/D 96.3 0.45 189192 Bajaj Hold-A/D 970.9 -1.3 1967 Electrosteel-B/D 25.7 0.05 371244 J.B.Chemical-B/D 94.55 1.5 108477 Mastek-B/D 139.05 1.9 3513 Ucal Fuel-B/D 68.55 -0.2 2154 Rolls Royce Pl/D 884.5025 3 706196 Ballarpur In-B/D 22.4 0 43230 Emco-B/D 28.6 0 19043 Jbf Indu-B/D 124.45 -1.5 15566 Max India L-A/D 240.85 1.35 14399 Ucal Fuel-B/D 68.55 -0.2 2154 Rsa Insrance G/D 127.7 0.5 1987498 Banaras Bead-T/D 34.4 1.55 2419 Escorts Fin-B/D 4.36 0.11 1035 Jct Elect P -B/D 0.6 -0.02 36100 Mrpl-A/D 60.8 -0.35 31277 Ultramarine-B/D 51.9 0.3 17094 Sainsbury(J)/D 350.5174 -1.2 1065714 Bata India-A/D 859.85 -1.65 23309 Escorts-B/D 71.6 -0.3 568141 Jct Ltd-B/D 1.39 -0.01 60298 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 17.9 0.1 5202 Unitech P -A/D 34.05 1.2 3638509 Schroders/D 1707 4 24221 Severn Bayer Crop-A/D 1207.05 -31.85 14100 Essar Oil-A/D 69 0.15 242993 Jenson&Nich.-B/D 3.54 -0.04 12888 Nagreeka Ex-B/D 17.9 0.1 5202 Univcable-B/D 43.5 0.25 6737 Trent/D 1614 4 102255 Beml Ltd-B/D 280.35 0.45 46188 Eveready Indu-/D 22.1 0.05 35738 Jik Indust-B/D 2.69 -0.14 96364 Nahar Spg.-B/D 67.75 0.5 2723 Smith&Nephew/D 688.5 5.5 201669 Bh Electronic-/D 1206.35 19.7 3632 F D C-B/D 94.25 -3.55 335232 Jindal Drill-B/D 256 2.95 2329 Nath Seeds-B/D 6.99 -0.08 2654 Smiths Group/D 1192.0358 12 147970 Bhartiya Int-T/D 176.85 1.85 2494 Federal Bank-A/D 524.1 3.55 59230 Jktyre&Ind-B/D 120.35 0.3 14322 Nation Alum -A/D 49.65 -0.65 41124 LONDON Standrd Chart /D 1580 0.5 708219 Bhel-A/D 230.15 2.6 202930 Ferro Alloys-B/D 6.87 0.02 26480 Jmc Projects-B/D 119.9 -1.1 3784 Navneet Pub.-B/D 69.4 0.95 313237 Tate & Lyle/D 772.5 0.5 116207 Bom.Burmah-B/D 120.65 -0.3 17385 Finolex-B/D 62.7 -0.15 45607 Kabra Extr-B/D 33.7 0.75 3020 Nepc India-B/D 2.55 0.01 8586 3I Group/D 220.0311 1.2 239164 Tesco/D 339.2479 -1.3 6074154 Bombay Dyeing-/D 134.05 2 141522 Gail-A/D 353.4 2.25 47130 Kajaria Cer-B/D 238.4 3.6 5139 Neuland Lab-B/D 126.15 -5.85 9372 Assoc.Br.Foods/D 1569 7 93796 Tomkins/D 0 0 0 Canfin Homes-T/D 151.7 -1.3 8078 Gammon India-B/D 38.2 0.55 10841 Kalpat Power-B/D 89.6 1.05 8798 Nrb Bearings-B/D 35.05 -0.5 13086 B Sky B/D 774.6481 1 576516 Unilever/D 2418.6954 18 480180 Caprihans-B/D 49.6 -0.15 1160 Garden P -B/D 60.35 1.45 4235 Kalyani Stel-B/D 58.85 -0.45 64390 O N G C-A/D 257.2 1 177985 Barclays/D 262.5707 0.1 4771839 United Util Gr/D 684.149 0 1055721 Castrol Ind-A/D 300.2 1.55 27621 Goodricke-B/D 148.8 0.15 4936 Kanoria Chem-B/D 38.35 -0.6 7634 Ocl India-B/D 151.9 5.7 3051 Bg Group/D 1010.4877 6.5 1682575 Vodafone Group/D 155.994 0.7 25296856 Century Enka-B/D 129.3 1.45 9163 Goodyear I -B/D 349.3 3.6 6712 Kg Denim-T/D 14.3 0.5 6836 Oil Country-B/D 50.7 -1.05 1967 Bp/D 431.6441 -0.05 7460816 Whitbread/D 2473 0 37318 Century Text-A/D 420.7 9.35 110311 Hcl Infosys-B/D 38 -0.65 80575 Kilburnengg-B/D 20.45 -0.3 29038 Orchid Chem-B/D 102.1 1.3 244966 Brit Am Tobacc/D 3100.1024 -41 1012886 Chambal Fert-B/D 67.05 0.5 87778 Him.Fut.Comm-B/D 9.96 0.04 391559 Kin.Motor-B/D 9.79 -0.14 17666 Orient.Carb.-B/D 128 1.05 1703 British Airway/D 276.4574 0 0 Chola Invest-B/D 280.6 10.45 137277 Himat Seide-B/D 41.1 0.35 53848 Kinetic Eng-B/D 89.2 3 4401 Orient.Carb.-B/D 128 1.05 1703 Bt Group/D 237.4614 -2.6 9792707 Chowgule St-B/D 18.5 -0.5 13281 Hind Motors-B/D 9.82 0.01 95689 Klg Systel-T/D 18.9 -0.45 6151 Punjab Chem.-B/D 53.7 1.9 1552 Centrica/D 339.0907 2.5 1369939 Cipla-A/D 420.45 2.25 80105 Hind Org Chem-/D 18.9 0.05 20187 Kopran-B/D 21.7 0.15 16674 Radico Khait-B/D 146.75 1.9 10524 Gkn/D 229.2741 -0.6 780686 City Union Bk-/D 55.8 0.75 87149 Hind Unilever-/D 523.2 -7.45 110221 Lakshmi Mach-B/D 2252.9 39.45 1789 Rallis India-B/D 152.75 3.1 27024 Hsbc Holdings/D 654.0174 5.2 4324227 THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT 2012: Top sports images of events held in Qatar

Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France celebrates his title win at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2012 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in this 2012 file photo. The Frenchman has won nine career titles and in 2008, as an unseeded player, reached the Australian Open final defeating four seeded players along the way. RIGHT: Switzerland’s Roger Federer (left) and Spain’s Rafael Nadal pose before their informal match at the candle-lit Katara Amphitheatre in this 2012 file photo.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus kisses her trophy after winning the Qatar Total Open tennis competition at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in this Febraury 2012 file photo. During 2012, she won the Australian Open as well as the Mixed Doubles title at the London Olympic Games. She also claimed the world number one ranking.

Justin Gatlin (second left) of the US wins the Men’s 100m ahead of Jamaica’s Asafa Powell (second right) at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at Qatar Sports Club in Doha in this May 2012 file photo. Gatlin won the 100m in a time of 9.87 seconds, which at the time was the second fastest time of the year behind Usain Bolt’s 9.82 seconds. This was the first meeting of the IAAF Diamond League calendar which concluded in September in Brussels.

LEFT: Golf players practising at Doha Golf Club (DGC) in this January 2012 file photo. Forty-one professionals and 123 amateur players took part in the Pro-Am event. The $2.5m Commercialbank Qatar Masters golf tournament was won by Scotland’s Paul Lawrie. RIGHT: Allyson Felix of the US waves to the fans after winning the Women’s 100m at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at Qatar Sports Club in Doha in this May 2012 file photo. The American also won three gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics in 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400 relay.

Spanish MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaro of the Power Electronics Aspar team (right) and Italian MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi of the Ducati Team are seen in action during the qualifying session of the Qatar MotoGP at Losail International Circuit in this April 2012 file photo. Al Rayyan players pose for a picture after beating Al Arabi 3-1 to win the 2012 Emir Volleyball Cup in this June 2012 file photo. The match was held at Al Arabi Sports Club. THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25 2012: Top sports images of events held in Qatar

Players of Al Rayyan Handball team celebrate after winning the 15th Asian Handball Club Championship at Al Gharafa Stadium in this November 2012 file photo. RIGHT: Al Gharafa players celebrate with the Emir Cup trophy after receiving it from the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at Khalifa Stadium in this May 2012 file photo. Al Gharafa beat Al Sadd 4-3 on penalties after the score was tied 0-0 at the Khalifa Stadium. The match was watched by former Real Madrid striker Raul, who later signed a one-year deal with Al Sadd.

Italy’s Trentino Diatec players and officials are seen celebrating their fourth FIVB Club World Championship title in this Spain’s Atletico Madrid players celebrate after beating Germany’s THW Kiel to win the Super October 2012 file photo. Trentino Diatec beat Brazil’s Sada Cruzeiro 3-0. In the women’s event, Brazil’s Sollys Nestle won Globe 2012 Handball tournament at Al Gharafa Sports Hall in Doha in this September 2012 file their first crown beating defending champions Rabita Baku of Azerbajian 3-0. photo. The Spanish side beat THW Kiel 28-23 in front of 2,000 people.

Ramy Ashour kisses the winner’s trophy after beating Mohamed El Shorbagy to win the PSA World Championship title in this December 2012 file photo. The Egyptian won 2-11, 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8. CENTRE: Lekhwiya players celebrate after winning the Qatar Stars League championship in this April 2012 file photo. RIGHT: South Africa’s Chad Le Clos and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu pose for a picture at Hamad Aquatic Center ahead of the Fina/Arena Swimming World Cup. Hosszu won seven golds and one bronze at the Doha event.

LEFT: Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, President of Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF), hands over the Emir Cup trophy to the players of Al Sadd after the final at Al Gharafa Indoor Hall in this April 2012 file photo. Al Sadd beat Al Rayyan 81-56 to win the Emir Cup.

RIGHT: Marwan El Shorbagy of Egypt and Nour El Sherbini, winners of the Men’s and Women’s titles at the World Junior Squash Championships pose with their trophies at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in this July 2012 file photo. Shorbagy beat compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8. Nour beat compatriot Yathreb Adel 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 11-2. THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 26 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT Bopanna, James leads Heat past Ram to play in Chennai

CHENNAI: India’s Rohan Bopanna and his American partner Rajeev Ram will be one Thunder in finals rematch of the top draws in the men’s doubles of the Aircel Chennai Open tennis to be held here Lakers extend winning run to five games after victory over Knicks from December 31 to January 6. The formidable pair will add excitement to the event that has MIAMI: LeBron James scored Led by a 34-point performance an impressive line-up of 4 singles 29 points and flirted with a tri- from the NBA’s leading scorer players from the top 20. ple-double as the Miami Heat Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Bopanna’s former partner claimed a 103-97 win over the Lakers also extended their win- Mahesh Bhupathi would be team- Oklahoma City Thunder in a ning run to a season-high five ing up with World No.5 doubles rematch of last season’s NBA games getting their record back player Canada’s Daniel Nestor. finals yesterday. to .500 (14-14) with a 100-94 win Bhupathi and Bopanna decided The Thunder, the NBA’s top over the Knicks. to end their partnership after team and the Heat, the Eastern Playing in his record 15th the season-ending season-ending Conference leaders clashed in a Christmas Day game, Bryant London Masters. physical contest that was thick passed Oscar Robertson as the It was a good year for them with play-off intensity. NBA’s all-time Christmas Day during which they won two titles “We’re two teams that have scorer with 383 points. at Dubai and Paris and a runner- the same aspirations and that’s Steve Nash, playing his second up finish at the London Masters. to try and win a championship,” game after missing nearly two Boppana and Ram had ear- James told reporters after the months with a broken leg, was lier appeared as a team at the game. “Both teams are not going quickly back in stride hitting for Australian Open in 2008, where to short cut anything and just try 16 points while making 11 assists they made the pre-quarters. to get better each and every day. and grabbing six rebounds. Karti Chidambaram, chair- “It was good fight by both “I don’t know if (Nash) is all of man of the organising committee, teams.” it, but he’s maybe the last piece said: “We are thrilled to welcome James added nine assists and that makes it work,” said Lakers Rohan Bopanna and Rajeev Ram eight rebounds to go along with coach Mike D’Antonio, explaining as they begin their journey at the his 29 points while Dwyane Wade the Lakers turnaround. Aircel Chennai Open 2013. Both had 21 and Mario Chalmers con- “There are a lot of pieces that players are immensely talented tributed a season-high 20 as the you have to have.” and will definitely be a tough pair Heat stretched their winning Metta World Peace chipped to defeat. We wish them the best streak to five games. in with 20 points while Dwight in their new endeavour.” IANS The Thunder received a Howard had 14 points and Pau 33-point effort from Kevin Gasol 13 points, including a thun- Durant while Russell Westbrook dering dunk with 12 seconds to Sharapova to had 21 but both missed potential play that sealed the win. game-tying three pointers in the Carmelo Anthony, who is sec- miss exhibition dying seconds. ond in the league scoring behind match in Korea

Guard Thabo Sefolosha (left) of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends against LeBron James of the Miami Heat at PARIS: Maria Sharapova has AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida, yesterday. BOTTOM: A detailed view of the shoes of Blake Griffin of the suffered a pre-season injury Los Angeles Clippers, during the warm-up prior to his side’s match against the Denver Nuggets. scare with a neck injury forcing the world number two to with- Bryant, also had 34 points while draw from a planned exhibition JR Smith added 25 and Raymond match in South Korea against Felton with 10 were the only other Caroline Wozniacki. Knicks to hit double figures for The Russian star had been the Atlantic division leaders. due to face the Dane tomorrow The Boston Celtics had earlier in Seoul but she wrote on her kicked off the Christmas Day Facebook page that she has been festivities with a feisty 93-76 vic- ordered to rest before heading for tory over the Brooklyn Nets at Australia. the Barclays Center. REUTERS “For everyone in Korea, I’m sorry I had to withdraw from my exhibition match. I woke up NBA Results the other day with a neck pain LA Lakers 100 NY Knicks 94 and after doing a few tests, the doctor wants me to take the next Miami 103 Oklahoma City 97 few days without any playing,” Taj Gibson (22) of the Chicago Bulls grabs a loose ball in front of Houston Houston 120 Chicago 97 Rockets’ Jeremy Lin at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, yesterday. the French Open champion wrote LA Clippers 112 Denver 100 yesterday. AFP Qatar target Gulf Cup glory, UEFA appeals own Serbia ready for Egypt friendly racism fine DOHA: Qatar will be playing Al Gharafa Stadium with kick- to win the 2013 Gulf Cup title, off time fixed for 7:30pm. NYON, Switzerland: UEFA coach Paulo Autuori (pic- Al Muhannadi said: “This is are appealing their own deci- tured) said yesterday. an important match consider- sion to fine Serbia 80,000 euros Coach Autuori will lead the ing Qatar are preparing for the for the violence and racist abuse Qatar squad that will head for Gulf Cup. I am sure we will see in an Under-21 match against Bahrain after their friendly an explosive match with excite- England in October. against Egypt on December 28. ment. Both teams are very The initial punishment was Qatar are one of eight sides talented.” criticised for being too lenient by competing for the Gulf Cup He added: “We are playing the English FA, while Manchester title. Egypt after a long gap and I am United star Rio Ferdinand The Gulf Cup will be played sure we will see a quality game.” accused European football’s gov- in Bahrain from January 5 to The eight-side Gulf Cup is erning body of not taking racism 18. the region’s premier national seriously. “We will be playing to win. If team event. But a statement on their offi- we win, that will help improve It will be the the 21st edition cial website yesterday announced: the players’ confidence going of the competition. Kuwait are “UEFA...has decided to appeal all into the remaining (FIFA) the current holders. the sanctions....relating to inci- World Cup qualifiers in 2013,” Qatar have already dents which took place at the Autuori said during a press announced a batch of 35 play- 2013 UEFA European Under-21 conference. ers that will be trimmed closer Championship play-off second- “It is good that we are play- to the event in Bahrain. leg match between Serbia and ing such a high-level of tourna- Coach: Paulo Autuori England on 16 October 2012 at the ment,” the Brazilian added. Squad: Ahmed Sufian, Mladost Stadium in Krusevac.” “We have injury concerns but coach that ‘Qatar were favour- Khaled Abdul Rauf, Majed It added: “As per the UEFA at the same time, we have qual- ites for the Gulf Cup title’. Mohammed, Mohammed Abdul Disciplinary Regulations, the ity playersas back-up,” he said. When asked about the first Muttalib, Marcone, Jarallah UEFA disciplinary inspector “The confidence in the camp is match against the UAE in Al Marri, Hamid Ismail, has the right to open discipli- very good,” the coach added. Bahrain, Autuori said: “I know Abdul Karim Salim Ali, Fabio nary investigations and to lodge “I will try to find solutions the UAE side. They have young Cesar, Younis Ibrahim, Majid appeals against decisions taken and alternatives for players who and experienced players. They Mahdi, Mohammed Kasola, by the Control and Disciplinary are injured and we will not cry have a good coach. They play Yusuf Ahmed, Abdul Karim Body. or complain if things go wrong,” good football. It will be an inter- Hassan, Wisam Rizq, Talal “Having reviewed the moti- Autuori said. esting game.” Al Balushi, Khalfan Ibrahim, vated decisions for the sanctions The coach said that the team Meanwhile, the Egypt Massad Hamad, Hassan Al imposed in this specific case, is ready for the Egypt friendly. national football team landed Haydos, Bilal Mohammed, which have also been provided “It is an important match in Doha yesterday. Ibrahim Al Ghanim, Qassem to all parties, the UEFA discipli- for us as we are heading into The Qatar Football Burhan, Lawrence Quaye, nary inspector felt it necessary to a very important event (the Association (QFA) manage- Sebastian Soria, Ali Afifa, immediately confirm his intention Gulf Cup). This match (at Al ment headed by Saud Al Hussein Ali, Baba Mallick, to appeal on UEFA’s behalf.” Gharafa Stadium) will help us Muhannadi received the side Adel Lamy, Khalid Muftah In chaotic scenes at the game settle down on combinations at the airport. (Lekhwiya) Rajab Hamza, in Krusevac, England defender and tactics,” he said without Egypt are coached by Abdul Aziz Hatem, Khaled Danny Rose was sent off for kick- elaborating. Bob Bradley, the former US Saleh, Mohammed Razaq and ing the ball away in response to Autuori declined to comment manager. Musa Alalaq. what he said was monkey chant- on remarks made by Bahrain The match will be played at THE PENINSULA ing and physical provocation. AFP THURSDAY 27 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 27 Aussies on top despite Sangakkara’s milestone Hosts close play at 150 for 3; visitors all out for 156

MELBOURNE: Australia ground before all-rounder Angelo reached 150-3 at the close of the Mathews ended his innings at 62 opening day of the second Test, when he belted a pull shot straight punishing Sri Lanka after the to Dhammika Prasad in front of visitors had failed to build on the rope at deep mid-wicket. South African batsman Henry Davids plays a shot, in East London at Buffalo Kumar Sangakkara’s landmark That precipitated a minor col- Park during the second T20 match against New Zealand, yesterday. half century and were dismissed lapse, with number three batsman for just 156 yesterday. Phillip Hughes run out for 10 and Sri Lankan Openers Ed Cowan and David Cowan caught behind for 36 six batsman Kumar Warner charged to 95 without balls later. Sangakkara loss but Sri Lanka checked the Hughes fell in farcical circum- Davids, Phangiso (left) hosts with three quick wickets stances, failing to leave his crease acknowledges following the drinks break in the as Cowan charged through for a the applause post-tea session. single after poking the ball to after passing The mini-revival stalled, how- midwicket. lead South Africa ever, with two demoralising The misjudgement allowed 10,000 Test dropped catches late in the day the fielding Tillakaratne Dilshan runs as team- that allowed Australia captain enough time to fumble the ball mate Thilan Michael Clarke (20 not out) and before whipping it back to the Samaraweera to series victory Shane Watson (13 not out) to stumps where Kumar Sangakkara looks on the survive a watchful final hour to whipped off the bails. first day of the PORT ELIZABETH, South weren’t quite at our best but stumps. Cowan soon brought about his second cricket Africa: Henry Davids hit his throughout the series we’ve seen Swashbuckling opener David own downfall with an indiscrimi- Test against second successive half-century some improvements and we can Warner got Australia off to a nate swipe at a Prasad delivery Australia at and Aaron Phangiso took cru- take some heart out of the series.” flying start, blasting eight fours that flew into the welcoming the Melbourne cial wickets as South Africa beat The slightly-built Davids, who and a massive six over long on off hands of Sri Lanka captain Cricket Ground New Zealand by 33 runs in the made his debut in the first match the bowling of seamer Chanaka Mahela Jayawardene at second (MCG), in series-deciding third and final of the series, hit seven fours and Welegedera. slip. Melbourne, Twenty20 international. two sixes in a 51-ball innings. A Warner despatched Sri Lanka’s At the start of the day, Sri yesterday. Davids struck 68 at St George’s third wicket stand of 89 off 61 pace trio to all corners of the Lanka won the toss and elected Park in a South African total of balls with Justin Ontong (48) ena- to bat in brilliant sunshine at the 179 for six and Phangiso dismissed bled South Africa to overcome a Leading Test Run Melbourne Cricket Ground and New Zealand’s big guns, Martin poor start. would have been hoping to set the Guptill and captain Brendon Left-arm seamer Mitchell Scorers hosts a major target in their bid McCullum, in successive overs, McClenaghan was again the pick Sachin Tendulkar (India) 15,645 to square the three-match series. effectively ending the touring of the New Zealand bowlers, tak- Ricky Ponting (Australia) 13,378 However, barring Sangakkara’s team’s challenge. ing two for 24 off four overs. Rahul Dravid (Ind) 13,288 feat of scoring his 10,000th Test New Zealand finished with 146 McClenaghan, originally picked run within a solid 58, the visitors for nine. only for the Twenty20 series, will Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 12,980 endured an abysmal day in front Australia’s first-Test victory in team but his dismissal left Sri “South Africa played a very stay on to replace the injured Tim Brian Lara (West Indies) 11,953 of more than 67,000 spectators in Hobart, unleashed a mean spell of Lanka 147-8, snuffing out their good game,” said McCullum. Southee in a two-match Test Allan Border (Aus) 11,174 the Boxing Day crowd. short-pitched bowling and missed hopes of more competitive total. “There were some clutch series starting in Cape Town on Steve Waugh (Aus) 10,927 Australia’s seamers reduced the out on a hat-trick straight after While Johnson showed venom, moments and they stood up and January 2. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) 10,696 tourists to 79-3 by lunch and took the drinks break in the middle and enjoyed fine support from applied some pressure. Against Doug Bracewell also took two Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) 10,674 the last seven wickets for a paltry session. seamers Peter Siddle (2-30) and a good side, they expose you. We wickets . AFP Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) 10,122 77 runs. The mercurial left-armer was debutant Jackson Bird (2-32), Sri Mitchell Johnson, back in the the pick of Australia’s bowlers Lanka’s batsmen were culpable as Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 10,018 Scoreboard side after being overlooked for with figures of 4-63, capturing the they flashed carelessly on a wicket dangerous Sangakkara’s wicket that deserved more respect. SOUTH AFRICA M Guptill c Peterson b Phangiso ...... 24 Scoreboard and claiming his 200th victim in Sri Lanka’s woes were fur- H Davids c Anderson b McClenaghan ...... 68 B McCullum c Ontong b Phangiso ...... 25 tests. ther compounded by the news F du Plessis b Hira ...... 1 C Munro c De Kock b McLaren ...... 3 Sri Lanka (I innings) 5-32-2 (2nb); Siddle 8-1-30-2 (1nb); Watson The 31-year-old had Matthew that wicketkeeper Prasanna Q de Kock c Anderson b McClenaghan ...... 2 J Franklin c Ontong b Phangiso ...... 16 D Karunaratne c Wade b Bird ...... 5 3-2-3-0; Lyon 5.4-0-23-2 Wade to thank, the wicketkeeper Jayawardene had broken his J Ontong c Anderson b Franklin ...... 48 J Neesham c Morkel b Peterson ...... 12 T Dilshan b Johnson ...... 11 bolting 50 metres behind the thumb and needed to be replaced D Miller c Anderson b Franklin ...... 28 N McCullum c Peterson b McLaren ...... 17 K Sangakkara c Wade b Johnson ...... 58 Australia (I innings) wicket to take a brilliant lung- behind the stumps by Sangakkara. F Behardien c McClenaghan b Bracewell ....22 C Anderson (run out-McLaren) ...... 12 M Jayawardene c Wade b Siddle ...... 3 E Cowan c M Jayawardene b Prasad ...... 36 ing catch in front of the south- We’re definitely in a strong R Kleinveldt (not out) ...... 0 D Bracewell (not out) ...... 15 T Samaraweera c Warner b Bird ...... 10 D Warner c Prasad b Mathews ...... 62 ern stand after Sangakkara had position. I think the two open- Extras (LB-4, W-6) ...... 10 R Hira c Ontong b Kleinveldt ...... 12 A Mathews c Hussey b Siddle ...... 15 P Hughes run out (Dilshan) ...... 10 sent a top edge soaring into the ers started exceptionally well,” Total (for 6 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 179 M McClenaghan (not out) ...... 1 P Jayawardene c Hughes b Johnson ...... 24 S Watson (batting) ...... 13 heavens. seamer Johnson, who took his Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-26, 3-115, 4-135, Extras (LB-1, W-3) ...... 4 D Prasad c Wade b Johnson ...... 0 M Clarke (batting) ...... 20 Sangakkara had earlier become 200th Test wicket and led the 5-179, 6-179. Total (for 9 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 146 R Herath c Hussey b Lyon ...... 14 Extras (B-2, W-5, NB-2)...... 9 the 11th batsman in test history team’s bowling with 4-63, told Did not bat: R McLaren, R Peterson, M Morkel, Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-53, 3-56, 4-60, 5-84, S Eranga (not out) ...... 4 Total (for 3 wkts) ...... 150 to reach the 10,000-run milestone reporters. A Phangiso 6-87, 7-116, 8-116, 9-137. C Welegedara c Hussey b Lyon ...... 0 Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2- 117, 3-117 and did it in style with a glorious “We’re three down, we’re 150 Bowling: McClenaghan 4-0-24-2 (2w); Hira Bowling: McLaren 4-0-25-3 (1w); Peterson Extras (LB-5, NB-7) ...... 12 Bowling: Welegedara 11-4-36-0; Eranga 10- cover drive for four off the same and we’ve got a great wicket, but 4-0-24-1; N McCullum 3-0-27-0; Franklin 3-0- 3-0-24-1; Morkel 4-0-37-0 (1w); Kleinveldt Total (all out-) ...... 156 2-53-0 (2nb; 1w); Prasad 8-1-39-1; Mathews bowler in the final over before we’ve just got to move on from 30-1; Bracewell 3-0-35-2 (1w); Neesham 3-0- 4-0-25-1 (1w); Phangiso 4-0-25-3; Ontong Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-19, 3-37, 4-79, 5-99, 4-2-9-1; Herath 6-1-11-0 lunch. that and we have a big day ahead 35-0 (3w) 1-0-9-0. 6-134, 7-134, 8-147, 9-156, 10-156. To bat: M Hussey, M Wade, M Johnson, P Sid- The 35-year-old former captain of us to put on some runs,” he NEW ZEALAND Result: South Africa won by 33 runs. Bowling: Johnson 14-2-63-4 (4nb); Bird 13- dle, N Lyon, J Bird. bathed in a standing ovation and said after yesterday’s match at R Nicol lbw McLaren ...... 5 Man-of-the-match: Henry Davids (RSA). shook hands with the Australian the MCG. REUTERS

Pressure off as Murray India’s coach unveils Hockey Village calendar targets more majors

ABU DHABI: Andy Murray believes his landmark US Open triumph has lifted so much pressure off his shoulders that his path to more Grand Slam glory in 2013 is now free of India’s Hockey self-doubt. coach Michael World number three Murray Nobbs (fourth became the first British man left) along with since 1936 to win a major when officials pose he clinched the US Open in September, with his triumph for a picture coming in the slipstream of his after unveiling Olympic Games gold medal. the Wanderers Now the 25-year-old is deter- Qatar Club’s mined to build on his break- Hockey Village through year, starting by easing India calendar. into the new campaign with a BOTTOM: The three-day exhibition in Abu Dhabi Indian Hockey Novak Djokovic of Serbia (left) and Andy Murray of Britain pose on a yacht before heading to Australia for team and at the Yas Marina Circuit in Yas Island in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Abu Dhabi the season’s first Grand Slam officials pose for Tennis Championships, yesterday. tournament. a picture after “In the last three, four or five unveiling the years there has been significant calendar. pressure in my mind and I feel new feeling for me and I just have away and there can be a lot of more relaxed and more relieved to deal with it.” changes in terms of sport by then after winning the US Open,” Murray knows the spotlight and I haven’t started thinking Murray told the Gulf News will be trained firmly on him about it right now,” Murray said. yesterday. come June. “But you know every year when “So I think from my side I hope Fred Perry, in 1936, was the last it comes around that I’m desper- to take pressure off myself and British man to win Wimbledon ate to win and do well and do will be able to play a little bit although Murray came close in a bit better each year and keep more relaxed and hope to repeat 2012, reaching the final before improving on grass. It’s an incred- my Grand Slam win. slipping to a tearful defeat to ibly tough event and lot of pres- “I don’t know how I will feel Roger Federer. sure during that time of the year going into the first round of the “All the players would want to and I always look forward to try- Australian Open so it will be a win Wimbledon. It’s six months ing to win it.” AFP Thursday 27 December 2012 14 Safar 1434 Volume 17 Number 5561 Sport Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Pakistan to play India in final Malaysia stun India 5-3; Pakistan qualify for final on better goal difference

BY ARMSTRONG VAS goals, denying them a big victory required to make it to the final. Asian Champions DOHA: Arch-rivals India The Indians did not rest any of and Pakistan will clash in the their key players but were cau- Trophy Results final of the Asian Champions tious in their approach against China 7 Oman 1 Trophy final today at Al Rayyan the Malaysians. Stadium. The Indian defence which had Pakistan 5 Japan 2 Already through to the final, looked solid through the tourna- defending champions India suf- ment, having conceded just two Malaysia 5 India 3 fered a shock 5-3 defeat at the goals in four matches, caved in Today’s matches hands of Malaysia in their last thrice in the first half much to and inconsequential league match, the surprise of a few Pakistan Play-off for 5-6 positions while Pakistan registered a hard supporters. fought 5-2 win over Japan. Malaysia took the lead after Oman vs Japan, 2.30pm India’s loss to Malaysia was missing out two penalty cor- Play-off for 4-3 positions their first loss of the tournament, ners earlier. Following the abor- which had a booked a place in tive second penalty corner, the Malaysia vs China, 5.00pm the final after their fourth round Malaysians made use of a long match against Pakistan 2-1 on corner to go up (1-0). Final Monday. Within a minute, Abdullah India finished their league Shahrun Nabil increased the India vs Pakistan, 7.30pm engagements with 12 points from lead. Young forward Fitri stunned Venue: Al Rayyan Stadium five matches, with four wins and Indian goalie PR Sreejesh with a one loss. reverse hit to strengthen the lead Despite their win in their to three nil in the 27th minute. Standings fifth and last round match of Within three minutes after the round-robin tournament the change of sides, Faizal Saari Asian Champions Trophy standings at the Malaysians could not qualify for made it 4-0 for Malaysia when end of the round-robin matches the final. Pakistan made the grade he ran down from the right flank Team P W L D GF GA GD Pts with a better goal difference. to beat Raghunath before finding India 5 4 1 0 23 7 16 12 Both Malaysia and Pakistan the target. finished with ten points with The Indians however bounced Pakistan 5 3 1 1 22 12 10 10 three wins, one loss and one draw. back in the second half to score Malaysia 5 3 1 1 17 9 6 10 Going into yesterday’s matches, three goals which made thing dif- both Malaysia and Pakistan ficult for the Malaysians to qualify India’s striker SV Sunil tries to get past a Malaysian player during their Asian Champions Trophy league match at China 5 3 2 0 8 12 -4 9 needed wins and by clear margins for the final. India woke up late Al Rayyan Stadium yesterday. Malaysia won 5-3. In another match, Pakistan defeated Japan 5-2. India will clash Japan 5 1 4 0 13 17 -4 3 to qualify for the final. with Brendra Lakra striking first with Pakistan in the final today at 7.30pm. PICTURE BY: SALIM MATRAMKOT Malaysia had a slight advan- in the 47th minute. He latched Oman 5 0 5 0 6 37 -31 0 tage of playing the last match of onto a long corner and had all the the day. The mathematical equa- time in the world to whack the towel and kept fighting. Malaysia strengthen by the return of cap- pressed hard and managed to gain On resumption, Pakistan took tion for them was clear. They ball past Malaysian goalie (4-1). kept up the attack and got divi- tain Muhammed Imran in the a break through with a penalty the lead, for the second time in needed to win by a six-goal mar- Newcomer Pradhan Sommana set dends when Azammi Adabi scored defence, rallied to post a 5-2 win. corner, with Toshiro Tachibana the match, with Waqas scoring gin against India to stop Pakistan up SV Sunil to reduce the margin. through a laborious field effort The Champions Trophy bronze making no mistake with his try. his second goal of the match. from making it to the final. He sent a cross from the left flank (5-3). medal winners started on a rosy Thereafter, Japan fell back to Pakistan made the issue beyond The Paul Revington coached which Sunil connected to make it In the end Malaysia had to set- note with a field goal in the very defend the lead but managed to doubt by adding two more goals in side raised visions of an upset win 4-2 in the 62nd minute. tle for a 5-3 win. first minute through Waqas. keep the marauding Pakistan the 44th and 63rd minute. and too by a handsome margin Raghunath, who missed many In the second match yesterday, Pakistan could hold on to the players at bay for a few minutes. In the first match yesterday, in the first half by going into the penalty corners, provided much Pakistan aided by a brace from lead for just seven minutes as But not for long, experienced China hammered Oman 7-1. first half break leading 3-0. relief with a goal in the next Muhammad Waqas and Abdul Heita Yoshihara struck success campaigner Shakeel Abassi Today, Oman and Japan will They were cruising along with minute (4-3). However, the Haseem Khan overcame a spir- with his penalty conversion beat- sounded the board with a clean clash for positions 5-6, while a 4-0 lead in the 38th minute. Malaysians who drew three-all ited challenge from Japan. ing Pakistan goalkeeper Imran strike for a field goal, with a China and Malaysia will vie for But India doused the Malaysian with Pakistan but lost to China At one point, Japan were lead- Butt with a clean strike. minute left for the first half the bronze medal. fire late in the game with three 2-1 were not ready to throw in the ing 2-1, but Pakistan, who were Goaded by the success, Japan hooter. THE PENINSULA EPL: Hernandez sends Man United soaring clear

LONDON: A 90th-minute in from the edge doubly damaging Mancini’s men with a game in goal by Javier Hernandez gave of the area to English Premier by events at Old hand. Tottenham Hotspur broke Manchester United a thrilling claim his fourth Trafford. into the top four by winning 4-0 4-3 victory at home to Newcastle goal of the cam- League Results The cham- at Aston Villa, with the excellent United yesterday that put Alex paign, only for Everton 2 (Osman 52, Jagielka 77) Wigan pions threat- Gareth Bale running in his first Ferguson’s men seven points Cisse to restore 1 (Kone 82) ened first when Premier League hat-trick after clear in the Premier League. Newcastle’s Fulham 1 (Berbatov 8) Southampton 1 returning cap- Jermain Defoe had opened the The leaders had to come from advantage by (Lambert 85-pen) tain Vincent scoring in the 57th minute. behind three times to win, and slamming home Man Utd 4 (Evans 25, Evra 58, Van Persie Kompany hit Spurs’ win bumped Everton second-place Manchester City’s from 12 yards. 71, Hernandez 90) Newcastle 3 (Perch 4, the bar in the down to fifth on goals scored, 1-0 loss at Sunderland meant Robin van Van Evans 28-og, Cisse 68) eighth minute, despite David Moyes’ side beat- that the traditional Boxing Day Persie equal- but the home ing Wigan Athletic 2-1. Norwich 0 Chelsea 1 (Mata 38) fixtures left United with plenty ised in the 71st side claimed the Leon Osman broke the dead- of reasons to feel thankful. minute and after Reading 0 Swansea 0 game’s only goal lock with a deflected effort in the United were without Wayne Sammy Ameobi Sunderland 1 (Johnson 53) Man City 0 eight minutes 52nd minute before Phil Neville, Rooney, Ashley Young and Danny had hit the post QPR 1 (Cisse 68) West Brom 2 into the second on his 500th Premier League Welbeck due to injury and illness, for Newcastle, (Brunt 29, Green 49-og) half. appearance, teed up Phil Jagielka and they fell behind in the fourth Hernandez Adam Johnson for Everton’s second. Arouna Aston Villa 0 Tottenham 4 minute when James Perch tapped ghosted into the was the scorer, Kone claimed a consolation for in after David de Gea saved from visitors’ area (Defoe 57, Bale 61, 73, 84) embarrassing Wigan. Demba Ba. to sweep home his former City Queens Park Rangers sank Jonny Evans equalised in the Michael Carrick’s pass and secure team-mate Joe Hart with a low back to the foot of the table 25th minute, sliding in after Tim a potentially crucial victory. shot from wide on the right that after losing 2-1 at home to West Krul denied Javier Hernandez, “December is always a big squeezed inside the near post. Bromwich Albion, in a game held but the Northern Irishman undid month,” said Ferguson, whose side “It’s the same story for us at up by 11 minutes after the Baggies his good work four minutes later had been held 1-1 at Swansea City Sunderland every year,” said City got caught up in traffic en route when he inadvertently turned in on Sunday. manager Roberto Mancini, whose to the match. Danny Simpson’s cross for an own “We dropped two points at side lost 1-0 at the Stadium of The visitors eventually pre- goal. Swansea but me made up for it Light last season. vailed through a fine low strike The goal was given despite today. It was a real championship “We missed five or six chances from Chris Brunt in the 29th Papiss Cisse lingering in an offside performance.” in the first half, and we need to minute and a second-half own position behind Evans, and United Ferguson also revealed that score first in games sometimes. goal by home goalkeeper Rob manager Ferguson harangued ref- Rooney would be out for “two to We can’t recover all the time.” Green, with Djibril Cisse replying eree Mike Dean and his officials three weeks” with knee ligament Chelsea were also beneficiar- for Harry Redknapp’s side. as the teams returned for the damage. ies of City’s slip-up, prevailing QPR’s defeat allowed Reading second half. City’s loss at Sunderland was 1-0 at Norwich City through a to climb off the bottom after they Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez (right) challenges Newcastle Patrice Evra drew the hosts only their second defeat of the sea- 20-yard Juan Mata strike to close drew 0-0 at home to Swansea United’s Michael Williamson during their English Premier League match level just before the hour, driving son and the result was rendered to within four points of Roberto City. AFP at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, yesterday.