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29 December 2012 16 Safar 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5563 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY

Qaradawi makes fervent plea for unity in Egypt DOHA: Prominent Islamic cleric Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi has urged Egyptian Christians to remain united and help build a new Egypt. Delivering the Friday sermon at Al Azhar University Mosque in Cairo yesterday, he called on all Egyptians, Muslims and non- Muslims, rival political factions, the ruling elite as well as the opposition, to unite in the interest of their nation and to realise the goals of the January 25 revolution. Al Qaradawi, who heads the International Islamic Scholars’ Association, said: “Our religion orders us to remain united and discourage disunity.” His call for unity comes in the wake of President Mohammed Mursi facing chal- lenges over the constitutional referendum. The cleric said opinions can differ and this would enrich the nation, but to break national unity was not acceptable. “The January 25 revolution has taught us to sacrifice for each other and we are all Egyptian and we are not angels.” “All of us, including the government and Muslim Brotherhood and the opposition, can commit mistakes, but we should not continue making mistakes,” said the cleric. “I have met many liberals and secularists and they are not infidels. They all believe in God. We need to cooperate with them,” STRANGLEHOLD said Qaradawi. Qatar Airways awarded Saudi aviation licence RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has awarded carrier licences to Qatar Airways and Gulf Air, the Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported yesterday, the first foreign airlines to win such a OF MONOPOLY licence in the kingdom. The licence, which 14 companies had applied for, is to operate both local and THE ISSUE international flights. Until now only the national carrier Saudi Airlines and budget airline National Air Services have serviced a domestic market Mohammed Sahir of around 27 million people. atar enforced a law in 2006 to curb The law has several articles that specify individuals and corporate entities against With Saudi Arabia’s price cap on domes- monopolistic business practices and that businesses must be run in a way that monopolistic trade practices and prevention Design: tic flights, private airlines have struggled encourage fair competition in line encourages competition, and prevent com- of fair competition. with their profit margins. Qwith its goal of becoming a free mercial deals that can pose hurdles to intro- The panel said it had received at least 10 market where the flow of goods and services duction of competition. complaints till then, but didn’t elaborate on that are either locally produced or imported It makes hoarding and manipulation that the nature of the complaints. The law author- 1991 Gulf War hero Norman is unrestricted, and monopolies do not exist. could lead to price fluctuations illegal, and izes it to conduct checks when tipped about But monopolistic practices still exist and also paves the way for setting up of a com- any violation or suspicions, but no one knows Schwarzkopf dies one example is the car dealerships which have mittee that would act as a watchdog against what action it has taken on the complaints. WASHINGTON: Norman Schwarzkopf, refused to fall in line and reduce their rates monopolistic trade practices. One of the main tasks of the committee the US general who drove Saddam despite repeated warnings by the state to The law specifies deterrent penalties for is to issue guidelines and to make the pub- Hussein’s forces from Kuwait in 1991 as mend their ways. violating its provisions, and the fines range lic aware of its role, rights and duties, and commander of the lightning campaign Lawyers say the content of the law from QR100,000 to a huge QR5m, depending explain to people and businesses how they known as Operation Desert Storm, has (Number 19 of 2006) is general, hinting at on the nature of the violation. can lodge complaints. died at the age of 78. the need to amend the legislation and make In 2008, an apex committee was set up with The panel is legally bound to submit annual Schwarzkopf died on Thursday in Tampa, it more specific by including provisions that members from various ministries, and it was reports to the Ministry of Business and Florida, where he retired after his last post- define monopolistic businesses of all types, headed by the chairman of Qatar Chamber, Trade, but it is not known if this committee ing as head of US Central Command, which small and big. “The provisions of this law the representative body of the private sector, has ever submitted a report and if it has, their controls operations in the Middle East and (No 19 of 2006) are general,” said Dr Saud Al Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassem Al Thani. contents have never been made public. South Asia. Azba, a prominent lawyer. The 10-member committee had two Critics say it is not even known if the The New York Times quoted Schwarzkopf’s He said car agencies do exist but they do experts, and a representative each from the committee is still operational or has become sister as saying he died from complications not prevent anyone from importing cars of Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry defunct. “If monopolistic trade practices are related to a recent bout with pneumonia. any brand. The rule applies to all products of Justice, Ministry of Energy and Industry, to stop and fair competition is to be intro- Saddam Hussein’s million-man army and services, said Al Azba. Qatar Central Bank and the customs and duced, the committee must play its role invaded Kuwait in 1990. Then President The role of the Consumer Protection ports authority. The Ministry of Business and effectively. This is the first key step towards George HW Bush assembled a coalition Department (CPD) of the Ministry of Trade had two members on this key panel. implementing the anti-monopolies law of of 32 nations and Schwarzkopf was given PAGEBusiness and Trade,6 according to him, A year later, the committee announced 2006,” a critic said. THE PENINSULA command of 425,000 US and 118,000 allied is restricted to monitoring food prices. that it had begun receiving complaints from See also Page 2 soldiers, a force which decimated Saddam’s military machine and drove it from Kuwait with minimal allied casualties. THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Putting people before profits

Qatar has enacted Toyota car from Abdullah Abdul Ghani at a price of QR302,000. many laws to After driving about 800 kilome- tres, I discovered that the car promote private had manufacturing defects in its brakes, electric connection businesses and as well as in the body. When I contacted the dealer, I was given diversify its a date to go to Sanaiya to check the car. Then the given date was predominantly extended by a few days. When the company confirmed the defects, I energy-based was told that they were normal defects. Subsequently, instead of economy. But when replacing the car with a new one, I was given two options by the car it comes to curbing dealer: either to get the problems fixed on company expense or re- monopolistic trade estimate the value of the faulty car and sell it back to the dealer. practices, it has miles Obviously, neither of the options suited me as I wanted the faulty to go. To achieve the car replaced or my money back.” Hamid said that despite reg- ambitious goal of istering complaints with the mother company in Japan, and transforming Qatar the Ministry of Business and Trade in Qatar, he did not get into a knowledge- his due. The presenter of the pro- based economy, the gramme, Abeer, said a similar case had been brought to light by country will have to an expatriate sometime ago, and as in Hamid’s case, his problem enact competition was not addressed satisfactorily by the company. laws to ensure She added that this was due to the monopoly enjoyed by the com- equitable business pany, which is the sole supplier of Toyota and Lexus cars in Qatar. opportunities for all. She said since there was no other company selling these brands of BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB cars here, buyers were left with no option but to buy from them. n Qatar there are many The presenter also sug- by monopolists and in duopolies, goods and services that gested that since the Ministry most economies of the world, have a single supplier. of Business and Trade had not Monopolies may including many emerging econo- Either they have no com- responded to Hamid’s complaint, mies, have enacted antitrust or petitors or have weak busi- he and other consumers should be tempted to competition laws and set up insti- Iness rivals with limited market contact the Consumer Protection tutions to protect the interests of share, qualifying them to be called Department (CPD), perhaps una- provide low- consumers as well as producers. monopolies or duopoly businesses. ware that the CPD comes under These antitrust bodies are tasked Car dealerships, telecommunica- the same ministry. quality goods with ensuring healthy competi- tions, public transport and many Abeer’s co-presenter said: tion in markets and protecting Fast-moving Consumer Goods “Monopolies create conditions or sub-standard the interests of consumers as well items fall in this category. for consumer exploitation, and as small and medium businesses. Worldwide, countries have com- they don’t care about consumers’ services without Competition commissions/ petition laws or antitrust bodies interests”. bureaus and antitrust bodies also in place to curb monopolies and Another victim of market dom- fear of losing act as nodal agencies for busi- ensure free market conditions. inance by one firm was a customer business. At ness alliances such as mergers But none of the GCC countries, of Qatar’s leading telecoms serv- and acquisitions involving large including Qatar, have taken any ice provider. She said: “During my times, this can companies, and are equipped with initiative to ensure healthy com- stay in Sweden, I didn’t use my executive powers to impose penal- petition to attract domestic and mobile phone at all. But when I put the health ties on market abusers. Their aim foreign investment. returned to Qatar after a month, is to ensure an equitable opportu- In the absence of relevant laws the bill was QR3,000. I contacted and lives of nity for small and medium busi- and antitrust bodies, abuse of more than three officials at three nesses to participate fairly in the their position by monopolies goes different outlets, but it was no consumers at market, and to make the economy unpunished, encouraging them to use. attractive to investors. further exploit a captive market. “This is a sheer case of con- risk. Recently, the European Consumer protection bodies are sumer exploitation as there Commission imposed its biggest often not strong enough to bring are not many providers of such takers’, virtually eliminating free ever antitrust fine, of €1.47bn heavyweight market violators to services.” trade. ($1.94bn, QR7.07bn), on seven book. Historically, monopolies have In addition, monopolies may be electronics firms for fixing the Recently some cases of monop- been discouraged by market tempted to provide low-quality market for television and com- olistic abuses have come to light regulators and governments as goods or sub-standard services puter monitor tubes. where the victims approached they can harm consumers’ inter- without fear of losing business. At The Commission ruled that for public forums and the authori- ests. Monopolists influence prices times, this can put the health and a decade ending in 2006, the com- ties concerned to register their in two ways: they keep them so lives of consumers at risk. panies — including Philips, LG protest against the offenders. low that it drives other, smaller On the contrary, a free market Electronics and Panasonic — arti- On December 26, Hamid, a players out of business; or they with perfect competition (also ficially set prices, shared markets Qatari national, aired his griev- push prices so high that products called pure competition) has a and restricted their output at the ances against the exclusive Toyota and services go beyond the reach large number of buyers and sell- expense of millions of consumers. dealer in Qatar on Qatar Radio’s of most consumers. Obviously, ers where every seller is a ‘price Another example is that of New popular programme, “Watani Al neither situation is good for taker’ as no single seller is big York-based pharmaceutical giant third-party companies, but not sharing; limit or control of pro- Habeeb Sabah Al Khair” (Good consumers. enough to influence the market Pfizer, the creator of the Viagra preventing it from tying other duction, marketing outlets or morning, my beloved country). It is also not good for the econ- price. pill. Because there was no other software with Windows. market access; and bid rigging Hamid, who gave only his first omy, given that in the absence of Keeping in view empirical evi- pill like Viagra available, Pfizer Competition bureaus of many are deemed anti-competitive. name, told the Qatar Radio pre- competition, monopolists become dence about market abuse, col- became a monopoly for a prod- economies have recently cracked Restrictive vertical agreements senter: “I bought a brand new ‘price makers’ instead of ‘price lusion and unethical practices uct that was in high demand. The the whip on airline companies include tie-in arrangements and company was able to dictate the with big market shares, who were exclusive deals aimed at putting price of the product and buyers ordered to split into smaller com- up barriers against new entrants had no choice but to pay it. This panies to ensure fair competition. in an industry. was what is called an inciden- Pioneering free-market econo- Globally, most public utili- tal monopoly. Eventually, simi- mies such as the United States ties, which supply electricity and lar pills from other companies and Britain have had competi- water, are allowed to have monop- became available, ending Pfizer’s tion laws in some form for cen- olies because of the difficulty monopoly. turies. In medieval Britain, with and necessity of supplying these Another well-known anti- concern for fair prices, an act services to all customers. Such trust case of the past decades is was passed in 1266 to fix bread monopolies are called natural the US Department of Justice’s and ale prices in correspondence monopolies and are characterized (DoJ) case against AT&T, which with corn prices laid down by by a small market size, meaning resulted in the old American the assizes. Penalties for breach the market cannot support more Telephone & Telegraph being bro- included fines and pillory (being than one firm of an optimum size ken up into seven regional com- exposed to public abuse with one’s due to the high capital cost. panies and a much smaller AT&T. head and hands fixed in a wooden Generally, monopolies are One of the best known anti- framework). known to have a negative impact trust cases is that brought by Formal laws followed much on the economy by way of high the DoJ and 20 US states against later. The US enacted the prices and inefficiency. However, Microsoft Corporation in 1998. Sherman Antitrust Act in 1890, a well-regulated monopoly such as The central issue was whether making monopolies illegal. In a public utility can have a impact Microsoft could bundle its Britain, formal legislation arrived on the economy. A monopoly can Internet Explorer web browser in the form of the Competition create jobs with relatively high software with its Windows oper- Act 1998 and Enterprise Act 2002. salaries, can afford a big budget ating system. Bundling the two Competition laws prohibit for research and development, together is alleged to have given anti-competitive practices such and achieve full economies of Microsoft victory in the browser as horizontal and vertical agree- scale due to the large scale of wars and restricted the market ments between enterprises that production or market share. But for competing web browsers. significantly prevent, restrict or the question is can monopolies be The DoJ and Microsoft settled distort competition for goods or efficient? Can government agen- the case in 2001, requiring the services. cies be less bureaucratic and more company to share its application Horizontal agreements businesslike? programming interfaces with including price-fixing; market THE PENINSULA DECEMBER 29, 2012 Home www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 ON SATURDAY Industrial Area Playing in water to get QR193m labour camp New compound for 3,200 expats

BY ISABEL OVALLE forefront compared to similar ones which are 10 or 15 years DOHA: A new compound for old.” over 3,200 expatriate work- “This will be the equivalent ers will be built shortly in the of a hotel; it will be much more Industrial Area. Spanish com- modern and appropriate for the pany Ecisa will start construc- needs of workers, constructed tion of this project in January. based on prefabricated concrete The compound will be located structures, and adapted to the in a parcel that has a total of new law that requires rooms to 128,500 sq m and the project will have a maximum of five people cost over QR193m. and no bunks,” he added. A total of 15 buildings which Harinsa Qatar, subsidiary of will have 816 bedrooms, 24 kitch- Ecisa and in charge of the con- ens, leisure areas and all neces- struction, will employ a staff of sary services for a total of 3,264 20 highly trained technicians and workers will comprise in this a large number of workers for complex. this project, which in its busi- It will also include a mosque, a est phase could occupy up to 700 car washing facility, a reception workers. and administration area, and a Currently, the staff of Ecisa in workshop. Qatar includes 40 Spanish work- Built on the same grounds, ers, about 100 Arab technicians and with different use, the and approximately 700 workers. Children riding their tricycle in a waterlogged street at Old Airport area yesterday. Heavy rains early yesterday morning left many areas waterlogged. project includes the implemen- This is the eighth project for ABDUL BASIT tation, by a metal structure, of 12 Ecisa in Qatar, which has also warehouses that will house 120 built a data centre with high workshops and garages, with an security systems located in approximate area of 50,000 sq m. Doha’s technology park, with However, the total floor area a budget of QR96m, and Bin will reach 82,000 sq m, after a Samikh Tower, a 44-storey Two children regain hearing construction period of 20 months. building that will house a five- This project is for Sheikh Nasir star hotel in the centre of Doha DOHA: Thanks to the gen- patients that travelled to Doha doctors suggested an operation to Al Hajeri performed a successful bin Abdullah Al Thani, who also costing QR192m. erosity of two Qatari citizens with their families to be treated plant a shell into her ear in order operation in Doha. owns the grounds where the The company is also respon- two children from Egypt and by Dr Mazen Al Hajeri. to improve her hearing. However, The Pakistani child was also compound will be located. sible for a luxury residential Pakistan have regained their The girl’s treatment, accommo- the operation was too expensive born deaf. His surgery and other Enrique Peláez, Director of building in Doha and Qatar’s hearing. The beneficiaries are a dation and travel expenses was for the family to afford. expenses were also covered by a International Development new military academy, projects 17-year-old Egyptian girl and a QR200,000. Her name is Rania Eid Charity decided to take care private donor who contributed of Ecisa, said that the project totalling QR220m which were three-year-old Pakistani boy. and her parents discovered she of the girl’s surgery and associated the QR80,000. The boy’s family “meets all legal requirements, delivered in 2010. Eid Charity Association organ- had hearing problems shortly costs thanks to a private dona- met the Qatari doctor through and will be much more at the THE PENINSULA ised the sponsoring of these two after she was born. At that point, tion from a Qatari contributor. Dr relatives. THE PENINSULA

Task force to prevent spread of infectious diseases DOHA: The Supreme Council shops and food outlets. held in all municipalities. of Health (SCH) and the A series of training sessions Lack of hygiene in eateries Ministry of Municipality and have been planned in this con- can cause a spread of contagious Urban Planning are planning text, to raise health awareness diseases, while barber shops to set up a joint task force among people working with such and beauty salons pose a bigger to monitor and prevent the facilities, a local Arabic daily threat of infection through con- spread of infectious diseases reported on Thursday. The four- tact with blood. through beauty salons, barber month training sessions will be THE PENINSULA Thousands take part in City Center’s first Starlight Shopping extravaganza

DOHA: Thousands of cus- characters dressed in colourful celebrate with us the new and tomers of City Center Doha costumes. exciting changes that are hap- (CCD) yesterday stayed at the The Starlight Shopping event pening now.” shopping mall till 4am for the was organised by the mall man- Olaf thanked all of the cus- “First Starlight Shopping” agement to give costumers an tomers that have stayed loyal to which featured a colourful opportunity to extend their CCD during the reconstruction parade extravaganza. shopping experience for 2012 of the new car park and new Both the young and old par- with shops open till 4am. shops. ticipated in the parade extrav- Olaf Kindt, Director of CCD, He said he is looking forward aganza and other events held said: “I wanted to close out the to 2013 and promised a lot of throughout the Mall. year on a high note. With all the events and activities for all the Children and parents alike challenges of the past year it was CCD’s loyal customers in the enjoyed interacting with fun important that our customers coming year. THE PENINSULA

A section of the parade with the Director of City Center Doha, Olaf Kindt. DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Key Indian welfare group helps distressed workers Indian embassy holds final Open House of this year

DOHA: Not many Indian runaway workers approach a key community welfare cor- pus which is affiliated to the Indian embassy here for help in repatriation, an official said yesterday. The corpus, Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF), provided air tickets to six runaway workers this month www.swiss-belhotel.com so they could travel home, and Tel among them were two house- Fax maids who had escaped their sponsors. “This is normally the average number of runaway workers who Tel contact us for assistance every month, and we refer them to Fax the embassy,” said Baby Kurien, Vice President of ICBF, which has a help desk at the embassy. The embassy, in turn, refers From left, P S Sasikumar, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of India; Baby Kurien, Vice President of the Tel them to the authorities con- Indian Community Benevolent Forum, and Sanjiv Arora, Ambassador of India, at the media briefing yesterday. cerned and ask the ICBF to SALIM MATRAMKOT Fax provide air tickets to genuine cases, Kurien added. He was speaking at a press briefing held at the embassy Runaway worker reveals woes Tollfree after the monthly open house Fax yesterday which was presided DOHA: Not all runaway “I didn’t want to stay at the over by the Indian Ambassador, workers escape their sponsors sponsor’s home anymore fear- Sanjiv Arora. Present was P S in search of better prospects ing that I would be beaten like Sasi Kumar, deputy head of as is evident from the case of this every time his children Tel mission. Indian worker, Jaiprakash. made a mistake, so I ran away,” Fax Asked what the embassy From a place called said Jaiprakash. is doing to help distressed or Thiruvannamala in the south He said he didn’t have any abandoned low-income Indian Indian state of Tamil Nadu, money on him so he borrowed Tel workers who need to return Jaiprakash came here to work QR50 from a friend and came Fax home urgently but are normally with a Qatari household as a to the Indian embassy for help sent back by the deportation driver. to be sent back home. centre and asked to come back One fine day while driving The embassy handed him a after sometime, Arora said their the sponsor’s children, the letter on December 6 and he Tel fellow workers generally come kids suddenly protruded their said he went to the Deportation Fax to their rescue. heads out of the car’s window Centre the same day, but the Asked if the embassy had dangerously, and according to centre asked him to report www.doha.hilton.com taken up the issue of deporta- Jaiprakash, they didn’t listen back after a month. Jaiprakash talking to the media tion centres understandably not to him when he tried to stop With nowhere to go, at the Indian embassy yesterday. Tel having adequate space, with the them. Jaiprakash said he somehow SALIM MATRAMKOT +974 44233333 Qatari authorities, Arora briefly Jaiprakash claimed in managed to stay with a watch- Fax +974 44233000 stated: “A policy view needs to remarks to media persons at man at a construction site. A be taken by the government of the Indian embassy here yes- community welfare corpus the ICBF (Indian Community Qatar”. terday that when his sponsor affiliated to the Indian embassy Benevolent Forum) has given Arora said this was the fifth came to know of the incident, gave him QR100 and some food me,” said Jaiprakash. open house since he arrived he began beating him in fury items. He was at the embassy to here and the last of 2012. Some instead of asking his children “It is really hard to manage attend a monthly open house 11 Indians had turned up with to behave properly while in the with such a meagre amount and held last evening and reported varying grievances, among them car. the subsistence food supplies his woes. THE PENINSULA being pending salary arrears, court cases and problems with complainants as well. Tel employers. The number of deaths in the “There were a couple of com- Indian community registered Free medical camp on Jan 4 Fax plaints about maltreatment as with the embassy until yester- DOHA: The Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) well,” he said, adding that the day was 236 — as against 239 will hold a medical camp for low-income workers on January embassy would take up these for last year, the ambassador 4 at the Premium Care Polyclinic near the central fruits and woes for redress through appro- said, adding in reply to a ques- vegetables market. “We are targeting 400 workers from dif- Tel priate channels. tion that details such as natu- ferent nationalities,” said Baby Kurien, Vice President of ICBF. Fax “We also interact with ral deaths and those caused by He said the camp will begin at 7am and is expected to end by employers,” said the envoy heart attacks or road accidents 12 noon. Some 20 doctors from different specialisations will be when asked if the embassy got were not available offhand. taking part in the free medical camp. THE PENINSULA back to the employers of the THE PENINSULA Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax

Tel Fax PICTURES BY ABDUL BASIT Enjoying the cool climes at Katara

DOHA: As weather in Doha Village witnessed thousands destinations in the city cen- outdoor seating which provides turns pleasant, people prefer of visitors from morning till tre such as Souq Waqif which an array of international cui- to stay outdoors thronging nighttime enjoying a sip of tea becomes overcrowded during sines. In addition Katara also Tel some of the frequently visited and coffee to warm themselves weekends, people are slowly have some food stalls located Fax spots in the city including amid the mild weather. turning to other options like beside the beachfront offering Katara. With many people com- Katara, which also offers a coffee, tea and chapati among Yesterday, the Cultural ing to more popular tourist number of restaurants with others. THE PENINSULA Tel Fax www.renaissancedoha.com Blood donation drive on Jan 4 DOHA: Aster Medical Centre in public. Donating blood takes only a Tel +974 44195000 collaboration with Hamad Medical few minutes of our time but makes an Corporation, will hold a blood dona- immeasurable difference to those in Fax +974 44195100 tion drive on January 4 from 2pm. need of it,” said Dr Sameer Moopan, The Blood donation drive will be held CEO, DM Healthcare - Qatar. at Aster Medical Centre (Wellcare Poly Blood donors must have a valid Qatar clinic) near Shafi Masjid, Al Rayyan. ID and fall within the age bracket of 18 “There is an increasing demand for to 60 years. The participants must have donated blood, especially of the rare a proper sleep of minimum 6 hours in types. However, this demand would not the night prior to donating blood. be met without the help of the general THE PENINSULA DECEMBER 29, 2012 Home www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05 ON SATURDAY

Salim Matramkot

THE JOY OF WINNING

akistani players are seen Pcelebrating winning the Asian Champions Trophy after beating arch-rivals India at Al Rayyan Stadium on Thursday. Pakistan, four-time World Cup winners, beat the defending champions India 5-4 after a pulsating bat- tle at the packed Al Rayyan Stadium. The seven-day tourna- ment - the first one of its kind - drew large crowds to the venue which wore a festive look with Pakistani and Indian fans sporting tra- ditional dresses and flags. The event was organised by the Qatar Hockey Federation (QHF). The QHF also organ- ises league every season drawing many Doha-based teams to their events. DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Views

Editorial

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CHAIRMAN: SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KHALID AL SAYED Delhi as Tahrir Square E-MAIL: [email protected] ACTING MANAGING EDITOR: HUSSAIN AHMAD E-MAIL: [email protected] The gang rape of a girl has shocked EDITORIAL: TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR. India and the government is in the dock. E-MAIL: [email protected]

ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 S DELHI India’s Tahrir Square? It is, tweeted Shekhar Kapur, have been reported and most of the culprits are still out on the streets. a famous Indian film director. Both the comparison with Tahrir The youth had taken to the streets to wake up the authorities from their CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] ISquare and its symbolism might be lost on many in Egypt and the slumber, and such has been the fury and ferocity of the protests that SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY rest of the Arab world because India is touted as a model democracy. both the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President But if they have been watching the developments in India in the past Sonia Gandhi were forced to give repeated assurances that the guilty TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 several days, they would concur with Kapur’s view. would be punished, though the public has been skeptical about the E-MAIL: [email protected] Kapur made the tweet when tens of thousands of protesters poured sincerity of the government. into the streets in Delhi and laid siege to Rashtrapati Bhavan It’s in this context that the comparison with Tahrir Square assumes SUBSCRIPTION RATES (President’s Office) demanding action against perpetrators of rapes. relevance. The symbolism was reinforced by another tweet made by ANNUAL QR 675 The trigger for the protests was the gang rape of a 23-year-old physi- Taslima Nasreen, a controversial Bangladeshi writer staying in India. 6 MONTHS QR 340 otherapy student in a moving bus in New Delhi by six men, who threw “Women get raped in India every 20 minutes. But the authority doesn’t her out after assaulting her fatally. want women to protest against rape. Not even for 20 minutes,” she said, The girl is now desperately battling for life in a Singapore hospital, referring to the police crackdown on protesters in Delhi. where she was taken for specialist treatment by the Delhi government The most significant feature of the current protests, which is being in an air ambulance due to worries that any danger to her life would hotly discussed and has caused consternation and ire among political seriously endanger the life of the government. The case has received circles, is that it has been organised through social media networks blanket coverage on cable television news channels and in the inter- and is leaderless, like the Arab uprisings. Enraged politicians aligned national media. with the government are calling it the onset of anarchy, though they PUBLICATION Delhi is being called the rape capital of India, much to the discom- themselves have caused this ‘anarchy’ by keeping themselves out of fiture and embarrassment of its chief minister Sheila Dikshit. But it’s touch with the people and by failing to stop the rape wave. a sobriquet that it has earned, not hurled at it, because the capital is Indian politicians are likely to learn their lessons from the latest the most unsafe city for women in the country where thousands of rapes events, and if they don’t, they will witness more of Tahrir Square.

If there is no progress The other side even after the Israeli election I will take Iraq needs inclusive governance Quote of the phone and call Netanyahu. he sectarian drift of the Iraqi the day Mahmoud Abbas government, headed by Prime Palestinian President TMinister Nouri Al Maliki, needs to be reversed. Al Maliki is a leading Shia politician, but in his position as the head Supposed of a government, he needs to serve the entire Iraqi population and his govern- case against ment must work to be inclusive of all Al Issawi Iraqis — be they Shia or Sunni; Kurdish follows another or Turk; Christian or Muslim. Last week, noisy demonstrations took politically thousands of Sunni protestors on to the motivated streets of Al Anbar province three times, charge against as they marked their concern with the pro- Shiite preference of the government. Al Hashemi. These protests could easily trigger sectarian violence and Iraq’s history of violence during the civil war leaves a sense of deep unease when sectarian concerns come to the fore, since everyone remembers that Al Anbar was at the heart of the deadly Sunni insurgency that emerged after the 2003 US-led invasion. The demonstrations last week followed various accusations by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki against Finance Minister Rafia Al Issawi, who comes from Al Anbar and is one of the central government’s most senior Sunni officials. Earlier, the prime minister ordered the arrest of 10 Al Issawi’s bodyguards and in one of the marches last week, Al Issawi was carried on the shoulders of the protesters. This case follows another attack last year by the prime minister on Vice-President Tariq Al Hashemi — another leading Sunni politician — who fled and is now living in exile in Turkey after being sentenced to multiple death sentences for allegedly running death squads — a charge that Al Hashemi dismisses as politically motivated. Al Maliki needs to prove to the Iraqi people that his government will work for the entire population, regardless of sect or ethnic origin, and will stamp out any injustice and discrimination and ensure that there are no double standards. He should make clear to all his officials that the government of Iraq is a government for all Iraqis and not just a faction that has won power for itself. GULF NEWS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Guantánamo Bay: 110 years of a legal black hole

BY LIZ SEVCENKO have been inextricable, if often released the individuals, it upheld Kosovar refugees to Gitmo, where inform what Guantánamo is – invites ongoing debate on these invisible, parts of America’s deep- the policy, allowing Gitmo to be he could offer a “safe haven” with- and what it means to close it. and other questions through S THE fourth anniversary est conflicts: over immigration, used for indefinite detention. out offering asylum. This time, Last month, a national dia- events around the country, blog- of Obama’s pledge to close public health, human rights, and Just a year later, President enough people remembered. logue began on what to remem- ging, and digital voting. AGuantánamo approaches, national security. Clinton opened Guantánamo Activists reminded a forget- ber about Guantánamo and why. “Remembering” means sus- the pressure is on: it’s been far In 1991, thousands fled Haiti on again, when a flotilla of over ful public what the “safe haven” The Guantánamo Public Memory taining public engagement in too long, and the moment is now. makeshift boats, seeking politi- 30,000 Cuban rafters set to sea for looked like for Haitians and Project involves historians, archi- Guantánamo. And sustaining But why is Guantánamo so hard cal asylum in the US. Determined Florida. Existing policy granted Cubans. After press conferences vists, activists, military person- exchange across political divides to close? to rescue refugees from certain Cubans asylum; but the politi- and protests, the refugees were nel, and over a dozen universities on issues Gitmo has shaped in our Because it’s been an integral death at sea, but unwilling to cal threat the numbers posed brought to the US. in raising public awareness of own communities, like immigra- part of American politics and accept so many, Bush I ordered prompted Clinton to order the Gitmo again fell off the public Gitmo’s long history and foster tion, national security, or Aids. policy for over a century. To the US coast guard to take over coast guard to park the Cubans radar. Three years later, Camp dialogue on the future of this “Closing Guantánamo” isn’t understand what it takes to close 20,000 to Gitmo. Most were at Gitmo while he renegotiated X-Ray, a detention facility built in place, its people, and its policies. what it sounds like – even if Guantánamo, we should look to returned to Haiti. But about the law: 30,000 Cubans languished 1994 for refugees, was repurposed This fall, students from Pensacola Obama were to be successful, how we’ve failed – and succeeded 200 got caught in the middle: in tent cities behind barbed wire for the first “enemy combatants”. to Phoenix collected stories of Gitmo will be with us for years – in closing it before. approved for asylum, but barred for up to two years. In January of people who worked, grew up, to come. The lease with Cuba Gitmo’s “legal black hole” from the US for being HIV- 1996, the last Cuban refugee left But Guantánamo is much more served, were held, or advocated is perpetual. Today, even as 166 opened in 1903 with a peculiar positive. These refugees staged Gitmo. than a prison: it’s made up of the at Guantánamo to develop a dig- men remain detained, the base is lease that affirmed Cuba’s total protests and harnessed interna- “We must remember that thousands of people who worked ital timeline, interactive map, and readying itself for its next open- sovereignty over Guantánamo tional media attention. Concerned the camps of Guantánamo are there, grew up there, and served physical exhibit, just opened in ing. Facilities to house 25,000 Bay, but gave the US “complete citizens lined US streets calling to closing,” noted refugee journal- there, whose stories reveal the New York and traveling around potential refugees were recently jurisdiction and control”. This close Guantánamo; Harold Koh ist Mario Pedro Graverán, “but many things Gitmo is and can the country. completed. inadvertently created a space (then at Yale Law) organized a … Guantánamo Bay is a painful be. Refugees remember Gitmo as Each exhibit panel poses a Our responsibility is to remem- where neither nation’s laws legal battle. story that’s not over yet.” both a site of confinement and a question students struggled with, ber Guantánamo: to learn from its clearly applied: a purgatory that’s In June 1993, a US district In 1999, the doors opened again. step to freedom; Cuban workers such as: should the US judge the past, listen to the stories of all of been used to park people whose court judge ordered the camps Committed to helping victims of and American ex-pats remember quality of the refugees it admits, its people, and always keep it in legal rights posed political threats. closed. Public attention faded, the Balkan conflict, President it as both a place of exile and a and on what basis? Should Gitmo our sights Gitmo’s generations of detainees overlooking that while the ruling Clinton proposed shipping 20,000 treasured home. These stories be returned to Cuba? The exhibit THE GUARDIAN DECEMBER 29, 2012 Views www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07 ON SATURDAY Anatomy of an air attack gone wrong

Sabool and Radda. A Yemeni newspaper US revealed only reported that Dahab was killed in a US drone strike in Radda six days later, but the barest details of some residents of the Radda area say he is still alive. Media reports, quoting unnamed its 400 estimated Yemeni officials, attributed the Sept 2 attack to US drones; others to manned strikes on alleged warplanes. Two witnesses told me they saw warplanes fire munitions that they thought were bombs and missiles. Two militant targets in witnesses also told me they saw a black tail fin near the burning SUV. (A black Pakistan, Yemen, tail fin is typical of a Hellfire, a US mis- sile that can be fired by either drones or jet fighters.) The shrapnel that witnesses and Somalia over brought us from the site, however, is more consistent with the type of damage the past decade. caused by a bomb — which would point to an attack by manned jets. But even these BY LETTA TAYLER scraps of information are inconclusive: Yemen’s air force has fighter jets, while he villagers who rushed to the the United States reportedly flies F-15E road, cutting through rocky Strike Eagles (as well as armed and sur- fields in central Yemen, found veillance drones) over Yemen from a mili- the dead strewn around a tary base in Djibouti. burning sport utility vehicle. On one of the videos I reviewed, two TThe bodies were dusted with white pow- men are heard saying that a warplane der — flour and sugar, the witnesses said with “two exhausts in the back” — pre- — that the victims were bringing home sumably twin engines — fired munitions from market when the aircraft attacked. at the vehicle while other aircraft were A torched woman clutched her daughter circling. The men’s agitated exchanges in a lifeless embrace. Four severed heads Shia protesters shouting slogans against America in Yemen. underscore the confusion in Yemen over littered the pavement. who is conducting such attacks. “The bodies were charred like coal. “It’s our government; it’s our govern- I could not recognise the faces,” said out by the CIA and the Pentagon with presence of what they said were drones, Cruiser overturned and in flames, near ment,” one man says. Ahmed al-Sabooli, 22, a farmer whose unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), during the attack. Only the United States two craters created by the strike — one “It’s America; it’s America,” the other parents and 10-year-old sister were manned warplanes, and cruise missiles, is known to operate drones in Yemen, immediately behind the vehicle and the responds. among the dead. “Then I recognised my have reportedly killed at least 2,800 home to what Washington calls al Qaida’s other nearby. Bodies lay on the ground Media reports quoting Yemeni officials mother because she was still holding my people, according to sources such as most active affiliate. in contorted heaps. as saying Yemeni warplanes carried out sister in her lap. That is when I cried.” the Bureau of Investigative Journalism The attack took place near Radda, a “Push! Push!” “Open the door!” local the attack also provide no clear answers. Quoting unnamed Yemeni officials, (TBIJ) in London. Yet in most cases, hilltop city roughly 100 miles southeast of residents are heard crying. Seeking to A classified US cable from January 2010, local and international media initially Washington refuses to even confirm or Sanaa. For more than a year, drones had extinguish the flames, they urged, “Bring released by WikiLeaks, revealed that described the victims of the Sept 2 air- deny any role in the strikes, much less been circling day and night over Radda sand!” Yemen has previously covered up for US strike in al-Bayda governorate as al Qaida acknowledge whether any civilians were and surrounding areas, and one or two One video shows a man pulling a targeted killings gone awry. As the cable militants. After relatives of the victims killed. With the United States leading the had been flying overhead on the morn- Kalashnikov assault rifle from the wreck- relates, Saleh, president at the time, was threatened to bring the charred bodies way on obfuscation, allies such as Yemen ing of Sept 2, the witnesses said. Shortly age and throwing it aside. (This may talking to Gen. David Petraeus, who was to the president, Yemen’s official news have no qualms about following suit, leav- before 4 pm, three of the witnesses said, seem like a smoking gun, but it’s common then the head of US Central Command. agency issued a brief statement admit- ing no one accountable when attacks kill two warplanes also swooped into the area. for men to be armed with assault rifles in The two officials were discussing a ting the awful truth: The strike was an the wrong people. “I heard a very loud noise, like thun- tribal areas of Yemen such as al-Bayda botched airstrike in late 2009 that killed “accident” that killed 12 civilians. Three US President Barack Obama’s admin- der,” said Sami al-Ezzi, a farmer who was that are outside government control.) 41 civilians in southern Abyan governo- were children. istration is reportedly drafting new rules working in his fields in Sabool, a farming The Sept 2 strike was the seventh rate. “We’ll continue saying the bombs Nearly four months later, that terse on targeted killings, the majority of which village six miles from Radda. “I looked up in al-Bayda that local or international are ours, not yours,” said Saleh. admission remains the only official word have been conducted on his watch. But and saw two warplanes. One was firing media had attributed to US or Yemeni Yemen has a long, painful history on the botched attack. A Washington Post though these new rules might include missiles.” forces since January 2012. That month, in the US war on terror that includes article, published on Dec 24, reports that more oversight, it’s likely that the pro- Arriving at the scene, about 1.5 miles a band of militants from al Qaida in the being the site of the first known US “US officials in Washington, who spoke gramme will remain shrouded in secrecy. from Sabool, local residents found a hor- Arabian Peninsula took control of Radda drone strike against a terrorist target. on the condition of anonymity because of For the people of al-Bayda, just a pinprick rific sight: The battered Toyota Land for 10 days — some accounts say with help The attack, 10 years ago, killed reputed the sensitivity of the matter, said it was on the map of innocents lost to the “war Cruiser that had served as the daily from loyalists of the former president, Ali al Qaida leader Qaed Salim Sinan al- a Defence Department aircraft, either on terror,” policy changes without more shuttle between Sabool and Radda lay Abdullah Saleh, who were trying to spoil Harethi, along with five other alleged a drone or a fixed-wing airplane, that transparency mean nothing. on its side in flames. All the dead and Yemen’s political transition. After being militants. The United States carried fired” on the vehicle. But the people of al- During a trip to Yemen for Human injured were Sabool residents returning forced out by local tribal leaders, many out its next targeted killing in Yemen Bayda still have received no official word Rights Watch in October, I spoke with from Radda. militants reportedly disappeared into the in 2009 and to date has carried out at as to who was responsible for the deaths four people, including Sabooli, who wit- “About four people were without heads. surrounding villages. least 52 drone strikes and other air — the United States, which in the past nessed the al-Bayda attack. The wit- Many lost their hands and legs,” said The attack’s reported target was attacks there, killing hundreds, accord- year has accelerated its covert targeted- nesses drove 10 hours round-trip to see Nawaf Massoud Awadh, a sheikh from Abdulraouf al-Dahab, an alleged al Qaida ing to TBIJ. But lack of access to the killing programme against Yemeni-based me in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, after Sabool who saw the attack. “These were militant whose brother led the January attack areas, nearly all of which are too al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula; or the Human Rights Watch decided it was too our relatives and friends.” takeover of Radda. Dahab is from dangerous for international media and Yemeni government, whose new presi- dangerous for me to travel to al-Bayda, Sabooli’s mother was in the vehicle Manasseh, a village about 14 kilometres investigators to visit, makes it impos- dent, Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi, was an area outside the government’s control because her husband had taken her to from Radda. The attack took place as sible to verify the figures. The same installed with Washington’s help. with a known al Qaida presence and a Radda to see a doctor. Other passengers the shuttle approached an intersection difficulty exists for verifying casualties The information blackout on terror- reputation for kidnappings. were farmers who had gone to Radda to where one road led to Sabool and the from US targeted killings in Pakistan ism-related killings is not limited to al- Without visiting the scene of the sell their crop of khat, a legal and widely other to Manasseh. But witnesses, as and Somalia. Bayda. The United States has revealed attack, we were unable to determine used stimulant in Yemen. Only two pas- well as unnamed government officials The office of Obama’s counterterror- only the barest details of its 400 esti- what kind of aircraft carried out the sengers, both men, survived. Both lost quoted by media, said Dahab was not ism adviser, John Brennan, declined to mated strikes on alleged militant targets strike and whether it dropped a bomb their ability to walk, the witnesses said. inside the Land Cruiser. Nor was the comment for this article, saying it does in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia over or fired missiles. But the witnesses pro- The witnesses who met me in Sanaa SUV even traveling to Manasseh; it was not speak about specific operations. the past decade. The attacks, carried vided some important clues, including the brought along videos showing the Land completing its daily round trip between WP-BLOOMBERG China stands out in 2012’s leadership transitions BY NOAH FELDMAN for replacing the leadership of years before they assumed office. process still playing out in Egypt. the Communist Party based on At the same time, the selec- Some observers in 2012 thought he year 2012 will go into generational turnover. Five-year tion of officials throughout the that the Communist Party appa- the history books as one plans were nothing new — the Communist Party apparatus ratus was so focused on the tran- of contrasting transi- Chinese had inherited them increasingly takes account of sition — on figuring out who was Ttions. China’s five-year from the Soviets — but top lead- performance, not only loyalty to in and who was out — that its cycle for Communist Party con- ership change didn’t follow that party discipline. Although recent leaders neglected pressing eco- gresses and leadership turno- regular clock. Neither the oscil- studies suggest — unsurprisingly nomic concerns. That might be ver overlapped with the United lations of power that accompa- — that the meritocracy is far from true. Yet it isn’t so different from States’s four-year electoral cal- nied the Cultural Revolution nor perfect, it is broadly understood the situation in the US, where the endar. And if that once-in-20- the Tiananmen upheavals (both that the party members who spe- direction of the economy and the years coincidence wasn’t enough, before and after the events of cialise in the selection process try precarious fiscal situation took Egypt’s rocky shift from dicta- June 4, 1989) followed a predict- to advance cadres’ careers based a back seat for most of the long torship to democracy continues able calendar. on a mix of their talents, accom- presidential campaign. Stable to remind us of what transition Although the generation of plishments, networks and com- transitions tend to be elaborate, looks like in the absence of a pre- Deng Xiaoping officially “retired” mitment to the party. and elaborate transitions take dictable institutional framework. in 1992, no one thought this Indeed, it is reasonable to infer time, effort and money. At least The confluence of Chinese and meant its members would actu- that China’s most senior leader- the Chinese didn’t waste upward American transitions marks an ally relinquish political authority. ship engaged in a remarkable of $2bn on campaign advertising. extraordinary historic develop- In short, China was still ruled as a experiment. Through the system The new reality of transitional ment. The last time this hap- quasi-dictatorship. As a result, it of internal selection and genera- stability in China tells us some- pened, we might not have been was plagued by dictatorship-style tional turnover, the party is trying thing crucial about how the new able to predict the impeachment uncertainty about who would to solve the problem of transitions leadership will govern. Hard- of Bill Clinton or the Supreme come to power next, when, and without relying either on demo- won stability is an asset that Court deciding the 2000 presiden- how. cratic elections or pure hereditary the leadership has inherited and tial election in Bush v Gore. But Over the past two decades, power. There are many sons and will not want to squander. Rapid Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping at the Great Hall any reasonable observer would the situation has changed fun- daughters of senior party mem- change of any kind will therefore of the People in Beijing. have expected that presidential damentally. Gradually, after bers whose family connections be anathema. Conservatism, not elections would continue in their Deng’s death, it has become nor- have aided their rise, but to be a rapid reform, will be the order of ordinary course, and that the mal for China’s leaders to stand princeling isn’t enough: You also the day. — including the tremendous asset military — unlike the last presi- crises associated with impeach- aside when their decade in office have to be good. Deng’s generation faced a major of predictable transitions. dent, who waited two years. Xi ment and an uncertain electoral is done. As a result, observers The upshot of these changes is legitimacy challenge as the Soviet Of course, even conservative probably won’t rapidly militarise outcome would be resolved in a in China and outside can now that while China is still authori- Union collapsed and traditional leaders have to keep their base the conflict with Japan around the regular fashion, not by palace speculate with some confidence tarian, it is no longer a dictator- communist ideology was shown satisfied. Xi has closer ties to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands — that coups or purges. about who will come to power ship. Dictators don’t cede power to be bankrupt. A serious crisis People’s Liberation Army than did would be insufficiently conserva- By contrast, in 1992 it would and when. Everyone knew that voluntarily, as the Arab Spring demanded bold measures, and his predecessors, and so is likely tive — but with the army in his have been essentially impossible Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang would reminds us. And if a new dictator the changes were far-reach- to be more hawkish. This close- camp, he also isn’t going to back to predict that China would soon form the center of the new doesn’t emerge, the system can ing and rapid. Now, the party’s ness is reflected in his immedi- down. embark on a regularised process administration more than two be thrown into near- chaos — a leaders have much more to lose ate assumption of the reins of the WP-BLOOMBERG DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 08 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Middle East Russia urges Sand skiing Assad to talk to opposition Oppn leader rejects Moscow invitation

MOSCOW/DAMASCUSS: from which Assad’s forces had to the only world power with close withdraw the night before. ties to the Syrian regime, urged “The air force for the first time President Bashar Al Assad yes- attacked the Assal Al Ward area terday to talk to the opposition in the Kalamun region, killing as Moscow itself put out feelers one civilian, wounding dozens and to the rebels. destroying several homes,” the The new pressure on Assad Britain-based Syrian Observatory came as Moscow revved up its bid for Human Rights watchdog said. to save a tattered peace process Russia’s Foreign Minister by first hosting a top Damascus Sergei Lavrov said Moscow still envoy and then planning for a refused to back international meeting today with Syria peace calls on Assad to step down and Saudi men taking part in sand skis in the desert near Tabuk, 1,500 km from capital Riyadh, yesterday. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi. expected the Syrian people to Russia also invited the head of decide their own country’s fate. the opposition National Coalition But he made explicit that for talks in either Moscow or a Russia wanted Assad to put regional capital - the Kremlin’s all options on the table after first contact with a group formed 21 months of violence that has Talks only after Abbas goes: Lieberman in November and recognised by claimed more than 45,000 lives. the West as the legitimate rep- “We actively encouraged... the JERUSALEM: The head of Israel’s ultra- not have a ministerial role and his party’s elec- Following last month’s historic United resentative of all Syrians. Syrian leadership to maximally nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, ex-for- toral alliance with Prime Minister Benjamin Nations vote giving the Palestinians upgraded But the opposition leader has put into action its declared readi- eign minister Avigdor Lieberman, lashed Netanyahu’s Likud is slipping in the polls, status in the world body, Israel announced a rejected an invitation for peace ness for dialogue with the opposi- out yesterday against Palestinian president despite Netanyahu still seen as commanding new spate of settlement building in the West talks, dealing another blow to tion,” Lavrov told reporters. Mahmoud Abbas, saying new peace talks an overall majority in the next parliament. Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. international hopes that diplo- He noted that Russia hoped to would be possible only if he leaves office. In Thursday’s Haaretz interview, Abbas macy can be resurrected to end a see Assad’s government “under- “Only after his disappearance from the said that he expected Netanyahu to lead his ISRAELI TROOPS GRAB PALESTINIAN COP 21-month civil war. Ahmed Moaz score that they are open to dis- leadership of the Palestinian Authority will it next coalition into talks with the Palestinians Israeli troops yesterday arrested a Al Khatib told Al Jazeera television cussing the widest range of items be possible to renew the diplomatic process,” and freeze settlement construction while they Palestinian policeman as he tried to pass that he would meet the Russians in line with the agreements Haaretz daily’s website quoted him as saying were in progress. “If there is no progress even through an Israeli military checkpoint in the outside Moscow only under the reached in Geneva on June 30.” in a statement. after the election I will take the phone and call occupied West Bank, a Palestinian security condition that they issued “a clear Two Syrian air force generals Lieberman’s comments came a day after Netanyahu,” he said. source said. He said that soldiers detained condemnation of the crimes com- have defected from the regime Abbas told the paper he would disband his “I’ll tell him... Sit in the chair here instead of Firas Abu Aziz, 27, as he was on his way home mitted by the Syrian regime.” of President Bashar Al Assad West Bank administration if there was no me, take the keys, and you will be responsible to the village of Yata, near the southern city But Moscow still views Assad and joined opposition forces in Israeli movement towards renewing peace for the Palestinian Authority.” of Hebron. The Israeli army could not confirm as the legitimate leader, and its Turkey, a diplomat said yester- talks after the general election on January 22. “Once the new government in Israel is in or deny the report. outreach to the regime’s oppo- day. The generals, commanders Lieberman resigned on December 13 after place, Netanyahu will have to decide - yes or Israeli troops had been looking for Abu Aziz nents found a cool response from of the Regional Air Force, have Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein said he no,” Abbas said. and a previous attempt to arrest him earlier the National Coalition chief. crossed the border and arrived in was charging him with fraud and breach of Talks between the two sides have been this month was aborted when Palestinians The fast-paced but tricky the town of Reylanli in southern trust. A revised charge sheet citing new wit- on hold since September 2010, with the hurled stones at the Israeli force, which with- diplomacy came against the back- Turkey, the Turkish diplomat said nesses and fresh evidence is set to be filed Palestinians insisting on a settlement freeze drew in what the army later said was to avoid drop of air raids by Syrian war- on condition of anonymity. tomorrow. It is unclear when the case is likely before returning to the negotiating table and civilian casualties, sparking a tirade of criti- planes on a Damascus province AGENCIES to go to trial, but until then Lieberman will the Israelis insisting on no preconditions. cism in Israeli media. AFP

Police shoot dead Shia protester Mubarak has cracked ribs, in eastern Saudi province fluid in lungs

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian police patrol was attempting to inter- same job opportunities as Sunnis, CAIRO: Ousted president shot dead a Shia protester in cept rioters who had blocked a that their neighbourhoods receive Hosni Mubarak has a build- the country’s oil-producing east road with burning tyres when inadequate state investment and up of fluid in his lungs and late on Thursday, local activ- it came under fire from several that the authorities stop them cracked ribs, Egypt’s official ists said yesterday, bringing the sources, including the man they building places of worship. news agency Mena reported death toll from clashes in the shot dead. Police said he had a Some Qatif activists accuse after he was transferred from restive area to 12 this year. handgun. the government of crushing the prison to military hospital for They said police had opened Activists said security forces protests by shooting at demon- treatment. fire on protesters demonstrat- in two sports-utility vehicles had strators, intimidating locals with The state prosecutor ordered ing about the detention of people shot “indiscriminately” at the constant armed patrols, and Mubarak’s transfer on Thursday from the Qatif district, killing demonstrators in central Qatif detaining people without laying after his health deteriorated, a 18-year-old Ali Al Marar and and fired at people on rooftops. charges or bringing them to trial. prosecution source had said, more injuring six others. Qatif, one of two large Shi’ite Saudi authorities say they do than a week after he was briefly The authorities confirmed in a population centres in the king- not discriminate against Shias, hospitalised after slipping in a statement that a man had died dom, has suffered unrest since pointing to the Custodian of the prison bathroom and hurting his but contradicted the activists’ early 2011, with protesters com- Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah head. Mena reported that x-rays account, saying a security patrol plaining of persistent discrimi- bin Abdulaziz’s efforts to include showed that Mubarak fractured had come under fire and shot nation in the Sunni-dominated them in the advisory Shoura several ribs in the fall and also Qatar-based Islamic scholar Sheikh Yousuf Al Qaradawi delivering Friday back in self defence. state, and at the arrest of local Council and to his foundation this had a build-up of fluid in the sermon before a rally in solidarity with the Syrian people, at Al Azhar mosque The spokesman for the Eastern people. year of a centre to study different membranes lining his lungs. in Cairo, yesterday. Province police said the routine Saudi Shias say they lack the Islamic sects. REUTERS AFP Iraqi Sunnis stage big anti-government rallies

RAMADI, IRAQ: Thousands including the toppling of the chanted “the people want to of protesters from Iraq’s Sunni Maliki government,” said 31-year- bring down the regime”, echoing Muslim minority poured onto old Omar Al Dahal at a protest in the slogan used in popular revolts the streets after Friday prayers Ramadi, where more than 100,000 that ousted leaders in Tunisia, in a show of force against protesters blocked the same high- Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Shia Prime Minister Nouri Al way as it leads to neighbouring The protests are likely to add Maliki, keeping up a week-long Syria and Jordan. to concerns the civil war in neigh- blockade of a major highway. Activists’ demands include bouring Syria, where majority Around 60,000 people blocked an end to the marginalisation Sunnis are fighting to topple a the main road through Falluja, of Sunnis, the abolition of anti- ruler backed by Shia Iran, will 50km west of the capital, setting terrorism laws they say are used drive Iraq back to the sectarian fire to the flag of Shia Iran and to target them, and the release slaughter of 2005-7. Militants shouting “out, out Iran! Baghdad of detainees. Protests flared last linked to al Qaeda appear to be stays free” and “Maliki you coward, week in Anbar province, the Sunni joining the ranks of Syrian rebels don’t take your advice from Iran”. stronghold in western Iraq where across the border and regroup- Many Sunnis, whose commu- demonstrators have mounted the ing in Anbar, which was almost nity dominated Iraq until the blockades, after troops loyal to entirely controlled by militants fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Maliki, who is from the Shi’ite at the height of Iraq’s insurgency. accuse Maliki of refusing to share majority, detained bodyguards of Security forces did not move to power and of being under the his finance minister, a Sunni. break up the protests, but pre- sway of its non-Arab neighbour. Demonstrations were also held vented people from other prov- “We will not leave this place in the northern city of Mosul and inces from heading to Anbar to Iraqi protesters pray during a demonstration in Ramadi, Anbar’s provincial capital, yesterday, calling for the release until all our demands are fulfilled, in Samarra, where protesters join the rallies there. REUTERS of prisoners they allege were arrested on sectarian grounds by Shia-led authorities. DECEMBER 29, 2012 International www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09 ON SATURDAY Putin signs law banning US adoptions Law will take effect on January 1 throwing pending adoptions into confusion; US regrets

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin The highly contentious law is seen as intended to sign it, ending days of the other banning Russian NGOs that charges over the Magnitsky case. yesterday signed into law a ban on the toughest piece of anti-US legisla- speculation. have members with US citizenship or Putin on Thursday had mounted a firm the adoption of Russian children tion during Putin’s 13-year rule and has Rights activists and the Russian oppo- who had US financing. defence of the ban on US adoptions while by American families that activists prompted objections not just from activ- sition slammed the law, accusing Putin Its passage revealed cracks in the accusing the United States of “acting bra- slammed for making orphans pawns in ists but even some cabinet ministers. of making children hostage to a political Russian leadership between ministers zenly and arrogantly” towards Russia. a diplomatic row between Moscow and Of particular concern are dozens of disagreement. wanting to get tough with the United He said those who believed that the Washington. Russian children who are now in an “Our poor children, orphans, will suf- States and those who favour more cau- law limited the opportunities of orphans The law - retaliation for a US law pun- agonising limbo. Having been prepared fer because they are used as tokens in a tion. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and failed to see the threats to Russian soci- ishing Russian officials implicated in the for US adoption they are now effectively political game between two countries,” the cabinet’s social affairs chief, Deputy ety posed by a steady outflow of children. 2009 prison death of the whistle-blowing banned from leaving for their new lives. veteran rights campaigner Lyudmila Prime Minister Olga Golodets, both spoke “There are lots of places in the world attorney Sergei Magnitsky - will take The Kremlin children’s rights envoy Alexeyeva told RIA-Novosti. out against it. Reports have said that the where living standards are higher than effect on January 1, the Kremlin said in Pavel Astakhov said 52 such children “That is immoral, it’s cannibalism.” law was authored by Vyacheslav Volodin, they are here,” said Putin. a statement. should now go to Russian parents spe- Pro-Kremlin lawmakers crafted the the hawkish first deputy chief of Putin’s “And what - are we going to send all The United States reacted with cially selected by regional governors. bill in a matter of days in response to a Kremlin staff who headed his presiden- our children there? Perhaps we should disappointment. “I believe they should be adopted in new US law sanctioning Russian officials tial campaign. move there ourselves?” “We deeply regret Russia’s passage of Russia,” Astakhov, a key backer of the implicated in Magnitsky’s death. By apparent coincidence, a Moscow He also raised the spectre of Russia a law ending inter-country adoptions legislation, told Interfax. At first it was directed against court on Friday also acquitted the going to “ruin” if it continued to allow between the United States and Russia,” The law was passed by the State Duma, Americans deemed guilty of violating the former deputy chief of a Moscow prison foreigners to take care of its young, and State Department spokesman Patrick the lower house of parliament, and then rights of Russians. where Magnitsky was held over causing slammed US authorities for denying Ventrell said in a statement, decrying the by the Federation Council or upper house. But the Duma later added two tough his death by negligence. Dmitry Kratov Russian oversight to families that abuse move as “politically motivated”. Putin said on Thursday that he amendments, one banning US adoptions, was the only Russian official still facing Russian children. AFP

New Year preparation Second man US shuts embassy pushed to death as Central African under New York City subway NEW YORK: Police in New rebels advance York City yesterday were hunt- ing for a woman in her 20s sus- BANGUI: Fears that rebels the rebels’ intentions, as both pected of pushing a man to his will seize control of the Central sides accused each other of break- death under an oncoming sub- African Republic’s capital were ing the terms of former agree- way train, the second such inci- intensifying, as the US closed ments. Despite an earlier promise dent in less than a month. its embassy in the country, cit- not to attack Bangui, the group The incident happened on ing concerns about the security has advanced ever closer to the Thursday evening at about 8 pm of their personnel. capital in recent days, while also (0100 GMT Friday) at a sta- The US ambassador and stating its willingness to engage tion on the number 7 line in the around 40 American diplomats in talks. Queens borough, police said. were evacuated from Bangui early There were reports that the The suspect - who was speak- yesterday. foreign affairs minister, Antoine ing to herself as she paced along The United Nations security Gambi, arrived in Gabonon yes- the platform, according to wit- council expressed concern about terday, prompting speculation nesses - pushed the man as the the situation, which has seen that further negotiations might train was pulling into the station. around a dozen towns fall into be imminent. He apparently had his back to the the hands of the Seleka coali- “The United States encourages Workers install the main stage for the New Year’s Party at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, yesterday. woman and did not see her. tion of rebels within the last all parties in the Central African Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend this event. Police released surveillance two weeks, in one of sub-Saha- Republic to participate in the dia- camera video footage via Twitter ran Africa’s most coup-prone logue,” said the state department, showing a woman running from republics. in a statement. the scene. The victim was not “The members of the security Bozize and other members of immediately identified. His council reiterate their demand the Central African Republic gov- Berlusconi to pay €36m a death was eerily similar to that that the armed groups immedi- ernment have issued increasingly of a 58-year-old man killed on ately cease hostilities, withdraw desperate pleas for help, calling December 3 when he was pushed from captured cities and cease on France to deploy troops to onto the tracks during a fight with any further advance towards the oust the rebels. France, the colo- year divorce settlement a deranged man in a Manhattan city of Bangui,” the statement nial power in CAR until 1960, subway station. The assailant has said. has 250 troops in the country, been charged with murder. The rebels - dissident fighters but said it would not intervene ROME: Former Italian Prime campaign ahead of an election in 18th birthday party of aspiring A New York Post front page pic- from former opposition groups in the conflict. Minister Silvio Berlusconi has February. Lario, a former actor model Noemi Letizia. ture of the man on the tracks a in the chronically unstable but President Francois Hollande agreed to pay his estranged who was married to Berlusconi Since then he has been accom- split-second before he was killed mineral-rich country - said they prompted anger earlier this wife Veronica Lario ¤100,000 for more than 22 years, asked for panied by a repeated allegations by the oncoming train provoked would topple the government week, stating that the role of ($132,200) a day as part of a divorce from the 76-year-old bil- of sexual scandal, culminating public fury as to why no one unless it honoured the terms of French troops would be confined a divorce settlement, the lionaire in 2009, accusing him of in accounts last year of “bunga helped him - and why the tabloid an earlier peace agreement. to protecting the French embassy, daily Corriere della Sera said having an affair with a 17-year- bunga” sex parties in his Milan newspaper published the photo. The group, whose name means which was attacked by protestors yesterday. old girl. home and charges of paying for Several million people use the coalition, has claimed that its earlier this week. The newspaper said the She had already delivered a sex with a juvenile prostitute, New York City subway system actions are justified in light of the There are also reports that ¤36m-a-year settlement, reached public rebuke to her husband over which he denies. Lario had origi- every day, but incidents of this “thirst for justice, for peace, for French foreign minister, Laurent after three years of negotiations, his relations with other women, nally asked for a monthly alimony kind are extremely rare. Before security and for economic devel- Fabius, spoke on the phone with was filed with a court in Milan sending an open letter to the daily of ¤3.5m, while Berlusconi had the December 3 death, the last opment of the people of Central Bozize, asking the president to around Christmas. No comment La Repubblica in 2007 in which responded with an offer of no time someone was pushed onto African Republic”. take responsibility for the safety was immediately available from she said he owed her a public more than ¤300,000 a month. the rails and hit by a train was in It also opposes plans by presi- of French nationals and diplo- the court or from lawyers for apology after injuring her dignity The Corriere della Sera said 2010. The woman survived. dent Francois Bozize - who ini- matic missions in CAR. either Berlusconi or Lario fol- as a woman. the settlement, which would tially seized power following a French nuclear giant Areva has lowing emailed and telephoned She sought a divorce two years assign no blame to either party in brief war but has since won two a uranium mine in the country, requests for confirmation. later, saying she could “no longer the divorce, would not give Lario a Madrid doctors lift elections - to seek a third term which is also a major exporter of The report comes shortly after stay with a man who frequents 78-million-euro villa near Brianza in office. diamonds and timber. Berlusconi’s return to frontline minors” after reports emerged in northern Italy where she raised indefinite strike But there was confusion about GUARDIAN NEWS politics to lead the centre-right that Berlusconi had attended the their three children. REUTERS MADRID: Specialist doctors in Madrid lifted an indefinite strike yesterday after failing to prevent a plan to privatise the manage- ment of hospitals and health care centres in the region. The Aboriginal leader’s hunger strike puts pressure on Harper strike was launched November 26 against the Madrid regional government plan to privatise OTTAWA: A Canadian aborig- protections for lakes and rivers breath but resolute yesterday, Day management of 27 medical cen- inal chief in the third week of and makes it easier to sell reserve 17 of her hunger strike, staying tres and six hospitals. “We have a hunger strike is urging Prime lands. Aided by Facebook and warm by a wood stove as a snow called off the strike because for us Minister Stephen Harper to Twitter, their protest proliferated storm raged outside. it was not an end but a means, “open his heart” and meet with faster than anyone had imagined To critics who question her it was the only means of applying native leaders angered by his and is now drawing compari- strategy and say her demands are pressure,” said Fatima Branas, policies as small impromptu sons to the “Occupy Wall Street” too vague, Spence replies that she spokeswoman for the association pr o t e s t s s pr e a d b e y on d C a n a d a’s movement. has run out of patience. of medical specialists in Madrid. borders. “Flash mob” protests with tra- “I know it’s hard for people to Chief Theresa Spence from the ditional dancing and drumming understand what I’m doing but remote northern Ontario com- have erupted in dozens of shop- it’s for this pain that’s been going Zuma calls for munity of Attawapiskat has been ping malls across North America. on too long with our people,” she fasting since December 11 and has There have been rallies, marches said, sitting on her makeshift bed ‘cleansing ceremony’ vowed to continue until Harper and highway blockades by abo- and flanked by supporters. JOHANNESBURG: President personally commits to the talks riginal groups across Canada and Blankets hung from the Jacob Zuma has called for a on a litany of complaints, includ- supporters have emerged from as inside walls of the teepee and a “national cleansing ceremony” ing new legislation that she says far away as New Zealand and the faint aroma of cedar rose from led by archbishop emeritus will harm native lands. Middle East. The campaign aims branches spread on the ground. Desmond Tutu to help reset “He’s a person with a heart but to draw attention to the dismal Spence is consuming only water, South Africa’s moral compass, he needs to open his heart. I’m Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence speaking with journalists about her living conditions faced by many of fish broth and a medicinal tea. local media reported yesterday. sure he has faith in the Creator hunger strike in a teepee on Victoria Island in Ottawa, yesterday. the country’s 1.2 million natives, “It has to stop and I’m willing to Zuma said the ceremony was himself and for him to delay this, including poverty, unsafe drinking suffer until the meeting goes on. necessary in the light of inci- it’s very disrespectful, I feel, to not water, inadequate housing, addic- Even if I don’t make it, people will dents such as Marikana - when even meet with us,” she said in an “Idle No More” that began with passed earlier this month. tion and high suicide rates. continue my journey. Like I keep 34 miners were killed by police interview in Ottawa. four women in the province of The bill, which has also been Camped out in a traditional saying, I’m willing to die for the - and crimes such as the rape Spence is at the center of an Saskatchewan raising awareness heavily criticised by opposition teepee within sight of Ottawa’s people of First Nations because of elderly women, according to unprecedented Canadian abo- about the Conservative govern- politicians for its broad reach, Parliament buildings, Spence the suffering is too much,” Spence state broadcaster SABC. riginal protest movement called ment’s budget bill, which was scales back environmental appeared weak and short of said. REUTERS AGENCIES DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 10 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Philippines Manila objects to Hercules handover China’s gunboat ‘Beijing violated agreement to pull out its vessels’

MANILA: The Philippines yes- It called on China to respect major shipping route that is also terday said it “strongly objects” the country’s “territorial sov- believed to hold vast mineral to China’s deployment of a new ereignty and EEZ”, referring to resources. patrol vessel in the South China the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile Tensions between China and Sea, where the two countries exclusive economic zone. the Philippines have risen in the have a seething maritime ter- China’s official Xinhua news area since April after ships from ritorial dispute. agency said on Thursday an ocean- both countries had a standoff over Such patrols will not boost going patrol vessel equipped with a rock outcropping known as the China’s claim to the disputed ter- a helipad would be deployed to the Scarborough Shoal. ritory where the two countries South China Sea, the first of its While the Philippines has with- have had a standoff since April, kind in the area. drawn its ships, it says China Department of Foreign Affairs In late November, China said reneged on an agreement to pull spokesman Raul Hernandez said it had granted its border patrol out its own vessels. in a statement. police the right to board and turn China claims the shoal as well “The Philippines strongly away foreign ships entering the as nearly all of the South China objects to the Chinese patrol of disputed waters, raising fears of Sea, even waters close to the Philippine maritime domain in a confrontation. coasts of neighbouring countries. the West Philippine Sea,” the Both the Philippines and China The Philippines says the shoal is statement said, using the local have overlapping claims over well within its EEZ. name for the South China Sea. parts of the South China Sea, a AFP A chaplain (left) blesses a refurbished C-130B plane during a handover of the first ever locally maintained air and ground assets as part of a $14m maintenance project at the Villamor Air Base Grandstand in Manila yesterday. Govt plans regulatory body Philippines port Military checking if person in operator pulls out for theme, amusement parks of war-torn Syria MANILA: A bill seeking to need to protect the general pub- Net video is kidnap victim MANILA: Philippine port create a regulatory body for lic, especially the youth, who pat- operator International amusement and theme parks ronise these amusement parks MANILA: The military is vali- that could help authorities rescue he was taken hostage by the Abu Container Terminal Services is set to be approved on second despite the risks involved, legisla- dating whether the Caucasian the victim. “The AFP, PNP, con- Sayyaf. Rodwell said the date is Inc said yesterday it is pulling reading at the Senate. tion of the kind that we are intro- on an Internet video posted cerned government agencies and December 16, 2012 and held up out of Syria owing to instability Senate Bill 3373 that Senator ducing here to prevent accidents, last Christmas was Warren the civilian populace must always a newspaper from the previous caused by the civil war. Aquilino Pimentel III, commit- at least, by the early identifica- Rodwell, the Australian work together, mutually supporting day. He said he was kidnapped 54 International Container tee on games and amusement tion of unsafe amusement rides national kidnapped by the Abu each other in keeping the peace, weeks ago. “I’m being held pris- Terminal Services Inc, which chairman, has sponsored seeks is deemed essential to the well- Sayyaf last year. maintaining order and enforcing oner, kidnapped by (the) Abu signed a 10-year agreement to the creation of an Amusement being of the Filipino people.” “The AFP (Armed Forces the law for the safety and security Sayyaf Muslim terrorist group operate the Tartous container Industry Safety Board (AISB) to The bill that Senators Miriam of the Philippines) is currently of everyone,” Garcia said. for over one year – actually 53, terminal in 2006, cited “the strengthen the amusement parks Defensor Santiago and Antonio verifying and taking initial steps Foreign Minister Bob Carr 54 weeks today,” Rodwell said in civil war in that country, and and rides industry. Trillanes IV have authored to confirm if the video posted on welcomed news that Rodwell the two-minute video. the resulting untenable, hostile Pimentel said no single govern- seeks to have the AISB as the YouTube is really that of a cer- was alive after being held hos- “This video clip today is to say and dangerous business envi- ment agency oversees and regu- sole national regulating body on tain personality as claimed,” AFP tage for more than a year in the that I am alive, I am waiting to ronment”. “The Syrian civil war lates the operation of amusement all matters pertaining to amuse- deputy public affairs chief Major Philippines. He said, however, the be released. I have no idea what’s is escalating, exposing everyone, parks, and no standards ensure the ment rides and devices. Emmanuel Garcia said. prolonged captivity of Rodwell going on outside, I’m just held both combatants and civilians, to safe operation and maintenance of The AISB would ensure the safe “Rest assured that the AFP will was a “major concern.” prisoner in isolation.” increasing threats of death and rides. “Although the local govern- operation and maintenance of rides take measures in support of the Rodwell, a 54-year-old former Carr said the “confirmation of destruction every day,” the com- ment units have the authority to and devices, the safety of riders PNP (Philippine National Police) soldier from Sydney, was seized Rodwell’s welfare is welcome” but pany said in a statement. issue permits for amusement parks against direct and indirect hazards in its law enforcement functions by suspected Muslim extremists described his prolonged captivity Writing off the Tartous con- to operate, LGUs more often than in amusement parks and the pro- to fully ascertain the identity and, from his home in the town of Ipil, as a “major concern.” Rodwell’s tract and remaining assets not do not regulate these estab- tection not only of the patrons of if possible, the whereabouts of the Zamboanga Sibugay on December captors have demanded $2m for in the area would cost $1.2m, lishments to ensure that the rides those amusement parks but also of individual if he is a kidnap vic- 5, 2011. In a video the SITE moni- his release but authorities refused International Container Terminal comply with the highest safety the general welfare of the amuse- tim,” he added. toring group said had been posted to give in, saying they adhere to a Services Inc said, adding that it standards,” he said. ment industry at large. The military also urged the on YouTube channel linked to no-ransom policy. would save $4m annually in port “In recognition of the urgent THE PHILIPPINE STAR public to provide information Abu Sayyaf, Rodwell confirmed THE PHILIPPINE STAR fees and operating expenses. International Container Terminal Services Inc said it had already withdrawn all its Filipino employees from the war-torn country before announcing the Beauty queen dances Gangnam Style for anti-firecracker drive pull-out. In November 2006, the com- pany entered into a 10-year MANILA: Miss Universe 1st Health Secretary Enrique Ona, last five years, it’s still the same,” maimed and even claimed the his left hand were severed when Investment Agreement with the runner-up Janine Tugonon Undersecretary Ted Herbosa and he said. “So I think what we are lives of many people. Let’s safely he grabbed a firecracker that his Tartous Port General Company danced with Health Assistant Tayag; Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim doing may really be not enough. welcome the New Year without friend had ignited while they were to operate the Tartous container Secretary Eric Tayag to the and EcoWaste Coalition’s Aileen We have to do more, maybe more firecracker-related injuries, fires, on a drinking spree. terminal in Syria with an option tune of “Gangnam Style” at Lucero. Marchers played the uke- drastic in terms of change of cul- waste and toxic fumes.” The registry showed that fire- to extend it for five additional Liwasang Balagtas in Pandacan, lele and tooted horns from the Sto ture, or the way we celebrate our The Injury Registry for the works caused 107 of the 108 cases, years. International Container Manila on Thursday to drum Niño de Pandacan Parish Church holidays.” Department of Health’s “Iwas with one case due to stray bullet. Terminal Services Inc operates up the government’s anti-fire- to Liwasang Balagtas. Ona said he was alarmed over Paputok (Avoid Firecrackers)” Ninety-three of the cases were numerous ports in the Philippines cracker campaign. Pandacan was chosen for the the rising number of children get- campaign showed the number of males with ages ranging from and around the world including Health and environmental campaign as firecrackers are reg- ting injured from firecrackers, injuries from fireworks and stray nine months to 58 years. the United States, Japan, India, campaigners from the govern- ulated in the district, where the four days before New Year’s Eve. bullets rose to 108 as of 6am of Piccolo accounted for half of Brazil, Indonesia, Argentina, ment and civil society groups also oil depots are located. “The protection of our chil- December 27. This is 16 cases or the cases, followed by kwitis with Mexico and Poland. marched in a parade in Pandacan Ona said the parade was dren and people against injury 13 percent lower than the previ- 11 cases, five-star with 10 cases. Manila has been evacuating against the use of firecrackers to intended to create awareness that and harm caused by firecrackers ous average in 2007 to 2011 and 39 Metro Manila accounted for its nationals who are working in revel the New Year. other noise-making devices can is a shared responsibility,” he said. cases or 26 percent lower than the 40 cases followed by Western Syria, which has been gripped by Leading the “Ligtas be used to usher in the new year. “We all need to act to reverse same period last year. Visayas with 13, Calabarzon and fighting since early 2011 and has Salubong 2013 sa Komunidad “There has been a decrease in this unacceptable practice of One of the new cases is a Zamboanga Peninsula with seven already flown more than 3,200 out (Safely Welcoming 2013 in the cases compared to last year, but exploding firecrackers to usher 50-year-old man from Pasay City each. of the country. Community)” parade were if we look at the records over the in the New Year which has whose middle and ring fingers in THE PHILIPPINE STAR AFP Year of the snake Fire dept wants to ban sky lanterns Lawmaker seeks creation of MANILA: The Bureau of Fire Protection eyeing proposals to ban the use of sky lanterns, overseas workers department which its official branded as “very dangerous.” MANILA: Las Piñas been the consistent top dollar confused as to which agency they “The Bureau of Fire Protection Representative Mark Villar is earner for the country,” he said. In should go to for certain services. is discouraging the use of sky lan- seeking the creation of a depart- 2009 alone, he said overseas work- The proposed DOFW would terns because it is very danger- ment that would integrate all ers brought in at least $17.3bn to be headed by a secretary to be ous,” said Chief Superintendent agencies dealing with overseas the local economy, equivalent to appointed by the President and Santiago Laguna, head of the BFP Filipino workers (OFWs). 11-12 percent of the country’s confirmed by the Commission - National Capital Region, said. In Bill 6637, a Department gross domestic product. of Appointments. It would have Laguna said that there are no of Overseas Filipino Workers “Their remittances have helped three undersecretaries to be existing ordinances or laws that (DOFW) separate from the in stabilising the economic situa- appointed also by the President. regulate the manufacturing and Department of Labour and tion of the country despite global Villar’s bill provides for the distribution of sky lanterns in Employment (DOLE) would be recessions and economic down- transfer to the proposed DOFW the country. “The Bureau of Fire created to attend to the needs of turn,” he said. Villar pointed of the Office of Migrant Workers Protection is proposing its prohi- millions of OFWs. out that at present, there are Affairs, Commission on Filipino bition,” Laguna added. “The government must not only a number of agencies attached Overseas and all Philippine There were initial reports that pay lip service to OFWs because to different offices dealing with overseas labour offices, and the a sky lantern caused the fire that of the significant value they bring OFWs. Thus, the need to inte- Philippine Overseas Employment killed seven people in Quezon City to the economy. The Philippines is grate and streamline these agen- Administration and the Overseas on Christmas Day, which Laguna one of the nations whose invest- cies’ functions and services under Workers Welfare Administration belied. A man is seen wrapped with pythons as part of a show celebrating the ment in the global market is one department, he said. He noted (also from the DOLE). THE PHILIPPINE STAR coming Year of the Snake in the Chinese calendar in Manila yesterday. labour force. Our OFWs have that many workers are even THE PHILIPPINE STAR DECEMBER 29, 2012 Asia www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 ON SATURDAY

Taiwan plans oil, Huge support gas exploration in South China Sea TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to start exploring for oil and gas in the for new Japan South China Sea from next year, an official and local media said yesterday, in a development that could increase tensions in the contested waters. The Bureau of Mines and PM, cabinet state-run oil supplier CPC Corp are expected to kick off explora- tion in 2013 in the sea around Stagnant economy a major concern Taiping, the biggest islet in the Spratly archipelago, the United TOKYO: More than half of Abe wants to revise Japan’s Daily News website and other Japanese voters support new post-World War II constitution media reported. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s limits on military so Tokyo can Jerry Ou, head of the Bureau cabinet, media surveys pub- play bigger global security role, of Energy, announced the plan lished yesterday showed, with but only 32 percent of voters in Thursday in parliament, the the country’s stagnant economy Asahi poll backed the move com- paper said, adding that a budget topping the list of problems pared to 53 percent who opposed. of Tw$17m ($585,000) had been voters want the hawkish new Voters were split over the set aside for the project. leader to tackle. LDP’s post-Fukushima nuclear “At the moment, it’s something Abe took office on Wednesday, disaster energy policy, with 46 that’s being planned by the gov- after his conservative Liberal percent in favour of its plan to ernment, and we haven’t received Democratic Party’s (LDP) land- restart off-line nuclear reactors any details yet,” an official with slide election victory this month, that are confirmed safe and 45 CPC Corp told the reporters, promising to revive the world’s percent opposed, the Yomiuri said. A piece of the wreckage of North Korea’s Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket is seen being pulled up by the South Korean declining to be named. third-biggest economy with bold Abe, who quit abruptly in 2007 navy, in this undated image released by South Korea’s Defence Ministry in Seoul yesterday. The Bureau of Energy declined monetary easing and big spending after a troubled year in office dur- comment, while the Bureau of by the debt-laden government. ing which his early high support Mining was not immediately Support for Abe’s cabinet, rates crumbled, is all too aware of available for a comment. which is packed with allies who the need to show results quickly S Korea retrieves N Korean rocket debris Taiwan, which does not have share his conservative views but ahead of a July election for parlia- any oil resources of its own and leavened with some party rivals, ment’s powerful upper house. SEOUL: South Korea has -- to international condemnation first-stage propellant. is dependent on imports mainly ranged from 52 percent in a sur- The LDP and its smaller coali- recovered what it believes to -- on December 12. After studying the oxidiser from the Middle East and Africa, vey by the Mainichi newspaper to tion partner won the two-thirds be debris from the engine of Pyongyang said the launch was tank, military experts said the would seem to have solid eco- 65 percent in a poll by the Yomiuri majority in the lower house that the long-range rocket launched a purely scientific mission aimed rocket launch amounted to the nomic reasons for looking for new newspaper. allows them to enact bills rejected by North Korea earlier this at placing a polar-orbiting earth test of a ballistic missile capable energy reserves. Fixing the economy, now in its by the upper chamber, where they month, the defence ministry observation satellite in space. of carrying a half-tonne payload However, carrying out oil and fourth recession since 2000, was lack a majority, but that process said yesterday. Most of the world saw it as a up to 10,000 kilometres (6,200 gas exploration in the Spratlys voters’ top priority. Forty-eight is cumbersome. “If it is confirmed to be engine disguised ballistic missile test that miles). could ratchet up tensions, as the percent of voters in a survey by “We are getting firm support debris, it will be very useful for violated UN resolutions imposed The success of the launch was islands are claimed entirely or in the Asahi newspaper put the for our practical response,” the analysing North Korea’s missile after the North’s nuclear tests in seen as a major strategic step part by Taiwan, Brunei, China, economy as their first priority, Yomiuri quoted Shigeru Ishiba, technology,” a ministry spokes- 2006 and 2009. forward for the isolated North, Malaysia, the Philippines and compared with 11 percent who the LDP’s No 2 leader, as saying. man said. Two days after the launch, although missile experts differed Vietnam. All claimants except stressed security issues, which “We must achieve results so that He said navy ships had the South recovered an oxidiser on the level of ballistic capability Brunei have troops based on the are also a key element of Abe’s we can maintain this support.” retrieved six chunks of debris container, which had stored red demonstrated by the rocket. group of more than 100 islets. platform. REUTERS from the rocket that was launched fuming nitric acid to fuel the AFP AFP

China tightens Internet controls, legalises deletion Four Thais jailed over 54 BEIJING: China unveiled names when signing up with net- lower-level officials exposed by measures, especially over politi- tighter Internet controls yes- work providers, though, in reality, Internet users, something the cally sensitive topics like human terday, legalising the deletion this already happens. government has said it is trying rights and elite politics, and popu- Myanmar migrant deaths of posts or pages which are Chinese authorities and to encourage. lar foreign sites Facebook, Twitter deemed to contain “illegal” Internet companies such as Sina Li Fei, deputy head of parlia- and Google-owned YouTube are BANGKOK: Four people after confessing, the official said. information and requiring serv- Corp have long since closely moni- ment’s legislative affairs com- blocked. smugglers were sentenced to up “Three of them were granted ice providers to hand over such tored and censored what people mittee, said the new rules did Earlier this year, the govern- to 10 years in prison by a Thai bail of between $13,000 and $6,500 information to the authorities say online, but the government not mean people needed to worry ment began forcing users of Sina’s court after 54 illegal work- while they file appeals,” the offi- for punishment. has now put measures such as about being unable to report cor- wildly successful Weibo microb- ers from Myanmar suffocated cial said, adding that one defend- The rules signal that the new deleting posts into law. ruption online. But he added a logging platform to register their to death inside a seafood con- ant had been held in custody after leadership headed by Communist “Service providers are required warning too. real names. tainer, an official said yesterday. failing to meet bail terms. Party chief Xi Jinping will con- to instantly stop the transmis- “When people exercise their The new rules were quickly The 2008 incident was the The truck driver, who fled the tinue muzzling the often scath- sion of illegal information once rights, including the right to use condemned by some Weibo users. deadliest in a wave of tragedies scene after discovering the trag- ing, raucous online chatter in a it is spotted and take relevant the Internet, they must do so in “So now they are getting Weibo afflicting migrants making peril- edy, was jailed for six years in country where the Internet offers measures, including removing the accordance with the law and con- to help in keeping records and ous journeys from impoverished August 2008 having admitted to a rare opportunity for debate. information and saving records, stitution, and not harm the legal reporting it to authorities. Is this Myanmar in search of work in his role in the crime, the official The new regulations, before reporting to supervisory rights of the state, society ... or the freedom of expression we are neighbouring Thailand, where added. announced by the official Xinhua authorities,” the rules state. other citizens,” he said. promised in the constitution?” they often end up exploited and Survivors have recounted des- news agency, also require Internet The restrictions follow a series Chinese Internet users already complained one user. abused. perately trying to raise the alarm users to register with their real of corruption scandals amongst cope with extensive censorship REUTERS The victims were among 121 as they fought for breath in the people crammed into the six storage box. metres (20 feet) by 2.2 metres “No matter how many times we container with a broken ventila- hit the container the driver did tion system for the journey to the not pay any attention,” one female Vietnam upholds resort island of Phuket to work as migrant who was on board said. China to enact strict food safety laws day labourers. More than two million migrant Four Thais were convicted on workers are registered to work bloggers jail terms SHANGHAI: Beijing will firms caught producing or sell- China’s food safety problems Thursday of gross negligence in Thailand, most of them from HANOI: Two prominent introduce tough new laws to ing unsafe foods will be banned have proven difficult to eradicate resulting in death and of breaking Myanmar, labour ministry fig- Vietnamese dissident bloggers punish firms that flout food from operating in Beijing for even after repeated government immigration laws, an official from ures show, but as many as one yesterday lost their appeals safety laws, the official Xinhua life, according to a municipal campaigns to enforce standing a court in the country’s southern million undocumented workers against long prison sentences news agency reported, a signifi- food safety regulation passed on laws and change attitudes at Ranong province said. are believed to be in the kingdom. for “anti-state propaganda”, a cant move in China’s struggle Thursday, the official Xinhua Chinese companies. The owner of the container Thailand this week extended lawyer said, despite interna- to get its abysmal food safety news agency report said. Frequent media reports refer truck was sentenced to 10 years a deadline by three months for tional calls for their release. record under control. Employees found responsible to cooking oil being recycled from in prison, a second defendant unregistered migrants to gain a A court in southern Ho Chi The announcement follows a for food safety problems and the drains, carcinogens in milk, and received nine years and a third work permit or face deportation. Minh City upheld the convictions similar declaration by the city of executives of companies that com- fake eggs. -- who owned a jetty in southern Huge numbers of people from of Nguyen Van Hai, alias Dieu Shanghai on Wednesday saying mit food safety problems will not In 2008, milk laced with the Thailand where the migrants Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar Cay, and former policewoman it would blacklist firms that flout be allowed to work in the indus- industrial chemical melamine arrived by boat -- was jailed for work illegally in low-paid jobs, Ta Phong Tan, confirming their food safety laws. try for five years after their firms’ killed at least six children and six years. where a lack of legal status leaves respective jail terms of 12 and 10 Under the new Beijing regu- licences are revoked, the report sickened nearly 300,000. A woman defendant had her them vulnerable to exploitation. years. lations, to take effect in April, said. REUTERS sentence halved to three years AFP “They did not listen to us or the defendants,” Hai’s lawyer Ha Huy Son told a reporter. Malaysia flood A third blogger Phan Thanh Hai, who had pleaded guilty to the charges at their trial in E Timor faces rampant poverty as UN leaves September, saw his four-year prison term reduced by one year DILI: The UN winds up its Indonesia for 24 years, with some predominantly Catholic nation on appeal, Son said. peacekeeping mission on Monday 183,000 people dying from fight- has a small population, the fer- The convictions relate to politi- after 13 years in Asia’s young- ing, disease and starvation before tility rate of 6.5 per woman is the cal articles the bloggers posted on est nation East Timor, with the the half-island state voted for world’s fourth-highest, UN data the banned Vietnamese website country hoping to overcome its independence in 1999 in a bloody shows. “Free Journalists Club” as well as bloody past and rampant poverty referendum, prompting the first Despite $1.5bn of aid pouring their own blogs, which criticised to stand on its own feet. UN mission. into the nation of 1.1m people over corruption, injustice and Hanoi’s East Timor this year conducted There is little concern about the last decade and abundant off- foreign policy. largely peaceful elections, voting renewed violence in the immedi- shore oil and gas reserves, some Rights campaigners say the in a new president and parlia- ate future, yet few employment 41 percent of the population live bloggers are victims of the com- ment, as the country marked a opportunities, crushing poverty on less than the local poverty line munist government’s efforts to decade of formal independence and a rapidly expanding popula- of 88 cents a day. muzzle dissent. and paved the way for the foreign tion could still threaten peace in In and around Dili, barefoot Hai’s case has even been raised forces to leave. the long term, analysts say. children can be seen eating scraps by US President Barack Obama, But as the last remaining UN “There’s always in this situation from the ground in slums, and the who said in May this year “we police and troops trickle home, the potential for something seri- pace of life remains slow, with must not forget (journalists) like the fragile democracy is still ous to go wrong,” George Quinn vendors making a pittance at fruit blogger Dieu Cay, whose 2008 struggling with widespread mal- from the Australian National and vegetable markets. arrest coincided with a mass A man pedals his bicycle in a pool of water in Kemaman, Terengganu, nutrition, high unemployment University said. World Bank data from 2010 crackdown on citizen journalism some 400km from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Around 23,000 people were and maternal mortality rates that More than 40 percent of young showed 45.3 percent of children in Vietnam”. evacuated from their homes in Malaysia’s three east coast states of are among the worst in the world. Timorese are jobless, according under five were malnourished. AFP Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan. East Timor was occupied by to AusAID, and although the AFP DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Pakistan / Afghanistan Pakistan Taliban will negotiate, but not disarm Militant leader says country’s constitution should follow Islamic law and break alliance with the US

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The In the video, Mehsud sits cra- “We are against the democratic border and the site of most of the head of Pakistan’s Taliban said dling a rifle next to his deputy, system because it is un-Islamic,” hundreds of drone strikes by the his militia is willing to negoti- Wali ur-Rehman. Military offi- Mehsud said. “Our war isn’t United States. ate with the government but cials say there has been a split against any party. It is against the Mehsud said in his interview not disarm, a message deliv- between the two men but Mehsud non-Islamic system and anyone that although he was open to ered in a video given to Reuters said that was propaganda. who supports it.” dialogue, the Pakistani govern- yesterday. “Wali ur-Rehman is sitting with Pakistan is due to hold elec- ment was to blame for the vio- The release of the 40-minute me here and we will be together tions next spring. The current lence because it broke previous, video follows three high-profile until death,” said Mehsud, point- government, which came to unspecified deals. Taliban attacks in the northern ing at his companion. power five years ago, struck an “In the past, it is the Pakistani city of Peshawar this month: an Pakistani officials did not uneasy deal with the Taliban in government that broke peace attack by multiple suicide bomb- immediately respond to calls 2009 that allowed the militia to agreements,” he said. “A slave of ers on the airport, the killing of seeking comment. control Swat valley, less than 100 the US can’t make independent a senior politician and eight oth- The Taliban said in a letter km (60 miles) from the capital, agreements; it breaks agreements ers in a bombing and the kid- released Thursday that they Islamabad. according to US dictat.” nap of 22 paramilitary forces on wanted Pakistan to rewite its laws A few months later, the mili- Mehsud said that the Pakistan Thursday. and constitution to conform with tary launched an operation that Taliban would follow the lead The attacks underline the Islamic law, break its alliance with pushed the militants back. The of the Afghan Taliban when it Taliban’s ability to strike high- the United States and stop inter- US military also intensified its use came to forming policy after profile, well-protected targets fering in the war in Afghanistan of drone strikes. most Nato troops withdraw from even as the amount of territory it and focus on India instead. Now the Taliban control far Afghanistan in 2014. controls has shrunk and its lead- Mehsud referred to the killing of less territory and the frequency “We are Afghan Taliban and ers are picked off by US drones. the senior politician in his speech and deadliness of their bombings Afghan Taliban are us,” he said. A video grab made available to media yesterday shows Hakimullah Mehsud “We believe in dialogue but and said the political party, the has declined dramatically. “We are with them and al Qaeda. (right) chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistani Taliban movement) it should not be frivolous,” largely Pashtun Awami National The Taliban’s key stronghold We are even willing to get our with Waliur Rehman, TTP deputy chief, during a video recording at an Hakimullah Mehsud said. “Asking Party, would continue to be a tar- is in North Waziristan, one of heads cut off for al Qaeda.” undisclosed location near the Pak-Afghan border. us to lay down arms is a joke.” get along with other politicians. the tribal areas along the Afghan REUTERS

Winning dog Victims of Afghan air raid British girl missing for three years in file suit against Germany Lahore going home BERLIN: Families of vic- court in the western city of LONDON: A six-year-old girl tims of a deadly air strike in Bonn said that it had received is on her way home to Britain Afghanistan that killed more 10 complaints claiming damages more than three years after she than 90 people in 2009 have from the German government was abducted by her father and filed a multimillion-dollar class- but declined to provide further taken to Pakistan, police said action lawsuit against Germany, details. yesterday. a lawyer said yesterday. Popal had already filed class- Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson disap- Karim Popal, an attorney rep- action lawsuits in 2011 demand- peared in November 2009 after resenting the plaintiffs, said the ing $33,000 per victim and said going to stay with her father, 10 lawsuits were claiming 3.3m the plaintiffs were still awaiting Razwan Ali Anjum. euros ($4.4m) in damages from a ruling from the same court in The former insurance salesman the German government. Bonn. told the girl’s mother, Gemma “Many orphans and widows lost In response to a sharp rise Wilkinson, that he was taking their providers due to this bar- in attacks on foreign forces, Atiya to Southport in northwest baric war crime, and many moth- a German commander on England but instead took her to ers their young children,” Popal September 4, 2009 called in a raid the Pakistani city of Lahore. said in a statement. near the northern Afghan city of He told his former partner that “Nearly all the survivors are Kunduz. she was “never going to see Atiya traumatised and are not receiv- The strike claimed 91 victims again”. ing psychological treatment.” according to the German govern- Anjum is currently serving a Around 80 people are repre- ment and up to 142 people includ- prison sentence in Britain for sented, according to local news ing dozens of civilians according refusing to reveal his daugh- agency DPA. to Afghan officials. ter’s whereabouts despite a A spokesman for the regional AFP court order. Just last month her 32-year-old mother launched Men carry their dog after winning a traditional dog fighting competition in Kabul, yesterday. a fresh appeal for information about her daughter. But sources told Britain’s Press Association agency that Atiya had Bhutto-Zardari dynasty, dominant force in Pakistan politics been found in Pakistan after new information had come to light. Police said Atiya was due to GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH: in 1979 he was controversially The polo-playing playboy from arrive at Manchester Airport late Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hanged over the murder of a a landowning family was lit- yesterday. launched his political career political opponent. tle known in political circles at Anjum, who is in his late 20s, Thursday, becoming the third the time of his arranged mar- was given a fourth consecutive generation of his family to enter BENAZIR BHUTTO riage into the Bhutto family, but jail term by a High Court judge politics. The eldest child of Zulfikar, managed to carve out a powerful in April after he refused to reveal The Bhutto-Zardari dynasty born on June 21 1953, Benazir position for himself, serving as a where his daughter was. has had a dominant role in studied at Harvard and Oxford government minister in his wife’s He indicated that Atiya was in Pakistani politics since the coun- and married Asif Ali Zardari in two administrations. Pakistan or Iran but said he did try’s creation in 1947. 1987. He became the co-chairman of not know her exact whereabouts, In 1988, she won a general elec- the PPP after her death and rode a claim which the judge in the ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTO tion after Zia was killed in a mys- a wave of public sympathy to win case said was “absurd”. Born in 1928 and educated terious plane crash, becoming the the 2008 election. Another judge has previously at Oxford, Zulfikar founded the Islamic world’s first female head But now he has lost popularity said the case was “as bad a case Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in of government. and corruption allegations span- of child abduction as I have December 1967 after holding vari- In 1991 her government was ning over two decades have earned encountered”. ous ministerial posts and repre- sacked over corruption allega- him the moniker “Mr 10 Percent”. It is thought Atiya was found senting Pakistan at the UN. tions. She was re-elected in 1993 after police issued a computer- After the 1970 election and but could not complete her second BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI generated image of what Atiya subsequent civil war that led term as again her government The only son of Benazir and would look like now -- a day before to the creation of Bangladesh, was dismissed over corruption Zardari was born on September her sixth birthday in November. Zulfikar became Pakistan’s leader charges. 21, 1988, and studied politics and Speaking then, her mother said: and reformed the constitution to She left in 1998 amid corrup- history at Oxford. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (left) sits next to his father, Pakistan’s President Asif “It’s been an absolute nightmare. make the presidency a largely tion cases, returning to Pakistan He spent most of his upbring- Ali Zardari, during the fifth anniversary of his mother’s death, at the Bhutto As to her whereabouts we know ceremonial role. in October 2007 to contest the ing in exile with his mother, and nothing. We’ve had no contact. family mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. He was ousted in a military general election. Three months since becoming PPP chairman “I’m worrying every day, every coup by General Zia-ul Haq in later she was killed in a gun and on her death, his Urdu language single day. Everything is affected 1977 following opposition agita- suicide attack in Rawalpindi. skills have frequently been ques- to stand for parliament until election if it is held as expected by it. When I close my eyes I see tion over allegations of rigging in tioned in the press. September next year and so will in the spring. her.” that year’s general election, and ASIF ALI ZARDARI He will not be old enough not be a candidate in the general AFP AFP France to take in Afghans in danger for working with troops

PARIS: France will take in had soldiers in Afghanistan for 11 choosing them would be two-fold: translators and their families. Mohammad Rafi Hottak, who interpreters who worked during Afghans whose security is at years, would accept “a few dozen” whether they faced a security A total of 534 other Afghans worked as an interpreter for the the Iraq conflict. risk after having worked with Afghans who had served as trans- threat after the pullout of Nato- -- all former employees of the British military in Afghanistan Britain has let in some 360 Iraqi its troops in the war-ravaged lators with their forces. led foreign troops; and their abil- US forces -- were also welcomed for five years, was granted asylum translators and their families. country, joining other Western The same day, French daily Le ity to integrate into mainstream under a special visa scheme. -- but only after a campaign by Germany has said it will take nations facing a similar Monde had reported that up to French society. Canada, which had nearly 3,000 The Times. Hottak had received decisions on a case-by-case basis, quandary. 170 Afghans would be “allowed In the past, French military soldiers in Afghanistan, opened its death threats before fleeing to stressing that only people “fac- France flew its last com- to enter French territory from officials took the line that rather doors to 800 people who worked Britain in July 2011, leaving ing real danger” back home would bat troops out of Afghanistan January to start a new life.” than emigrating to the West, with its troops and diplomats. behind his wife who was pregnant be accepted, a foreign ministry on December 15, two years President Francois Hollande Afghans should remain at home Britain’s Foreign Office said it with their third child. spokesman said. before allied nations in the had personally taken the deci- to help with the post-conflict only relocated Afghans to Britain And it emerged this month For some experts, the spate of 100,000-strong Nato mission led sion, doubling the number initially reconstruction. in “exceptional cases”, though it that three other Afghan men asylum bids is further evidence by the United States are due to envisaged, it reported. A decision The United States, which said it would not abandon those had written to Britain’s Foreign that the Western intervention in recall their fighting forces. had been on the back burner for currently has 60,000 troops on who had put their lives on the line Office and its defence ministry Afghanistan has failed to defeat The defence ministry confirmed months. the ground in Afghanistan, has by serving with British forces. arguing they should be given the the Taliban, both in political and on Wednesday that France, which Le Monde said the criteria for since 2007 taken in 436 Afghan In a recent case, 25-year-old same rights to settle in Britain, as military terms. AFP DECEMBER 29, 2012 India www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13 ON SATURDAY Gang rape victim suffers brain injury PM and Sonia call for justice; no Happy New Year for Congress

SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI: fighting for her life,” he said about our government is committed Gandhi said in her first public Doctors in Singapore yesterday the young woman who was taken to bringing the guilty to justice statement on the incident that struggled to save the 23-year- in an air-ambulance from New as soon as possible,” the prime has led to searching questions on old Indian gang rape victim Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital to minister told reporters at the the status of women in India, the who they said was “fighting for Singapore. Congress headquarters in New crimes against women and the her life” and had suffered “sig- Left virtually for dead with Delhi on the occasion of the par- legal framework to address inci- nificant brain injury” besides her male friend on the road by ty’s foundation day. dents of sexual assault. an infection in the lungs and the six males who raped her in Wishing the woman speedy Gandhi said the party was not abdomen. a moving bus, she was so griev- recovery, Gandhi said no time celebrating New Year due to the As she battled the odds in ously injured that her intestines should be lost in punishing those sad event. Manmohan Singh said Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth had to be taken out. All six have responsible for the crime. a panel headed by a former chief Hospital, 12 days after being been arrested for the crime, and “Our wish is that she recovers justice of the Supreme Court had brutally tortured and raped in both Manmohan Singh and Sonia and comes back to us... and no been set up to suggest changes in the Indian capital on the night Gandhi promised quick justice. time is lost in bringing the per- the law to make punishment more of December 16, she continued to “You have my assurance that petrators of the crime to justice,” stringent, and another headed by occupy mindspace back home - a former Delhi high court judge for the people and the leadership. to look into the lapses behind the Congress president Sonia 65 all-women police stations in Bengal ghastly crime. Gandhi joined Prime Minister Though the prime minister Manmohan Singh in promising KOLKATA: The woman chief minister of India’s West Bengal said she was being given the best quick justice and saying there state unveiled plans yesterday for 65 all-female police stations, possible medical care, a section would be no Happy New Year as authorities tried to assuage growing anger over a gang rape of the medical community in the greetings for India’s ruling party. in New Delhi. “Sixty-five all-women police stations will be set up Indian capital said there was no The young physiotherapy across West Bengal to deal with crimes against women,” Mamata logic in moving her to Singapore intern needed the prayers and Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the Trinamool party, told a rally when she was in such a precarious wishes. in the north of the state. condition. “I can’t understand Besides a prior cardiac arrest, “Ten of these stations are already functioning,” she added. the logic behind it, or rather it she also had infection of her Banerjee, who was until recently a coalition ally of the main ruling is unusual to transfer the girl lungs and abdomen, “as well as Congress party, also announced that 158 new courts were being set from Delhi to Singapore when significant brain injury”, Kelvin up in the state to fast-track cases involving crimes against women. the patient has suffered a cardiac Loh, Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s Her comments came after the federal government launched arrest, as I have been informed chief executive officer, was quoted a drive to recruit more female officers as a confidence-building by the media,” Samiran Nundy, as saying by the Straits Times measure. That campaign will start in the capital Delhi, where a chairman, department of surgi- newspaper. 23-year-old student was brutally gang-raped on a bus on December cal gastroenterology and organ “The patient is currently 16, sparking nationwide protests. IANS transplantation, Sir Ganga Ram Police officials stand alert behind a barricade covered by a banner calling struggling against the odds, and Hospital, said. IANS for capital punishment for rapists, in New Delhi, yesterday. Sex offenders to be named and shamed NEW DELHI: The Indian govern- hospital in Singapore where her condi- attacks but at the moment it is the vic- around India. Images of riot police beat- back by hurling chilli powder at rapists. ment is to publish the names, photo- tion remains critical. “We are planning to tim who has to suffer the shame and ing back demonstrators carrying plac- Bollywood films typically feature an ini- graphs and addresses of thousands start the process of identification in Delhi. social ostracism,” said Ranjana Kumari, ards with slogans against violence who tially distant girl who finally gives in to of convicted sex offenders in a bid Photographs, names and addresses of the director of Delhi’s Centre for Social have attempted to reach parliament, her determined, and often physically to tackle a wave of sexual violence rapists will be uploaded on the Delhi police Research. “She can’t get married, for the president’s official residence and aggressive, suitor. against women, and head off grow- website also,” Singh told reporters. example. This will make sure the rapist the official homes of top officials in the “India is currently in a twilight zone, ing anger at what has been seen as There are fears that identifying is shamed. He won’t get a job, or some- centre of the capital, have reinforced the when the traditional social norms have an inadequate and tardy response by convicted rapists will lead to vigilante where to live and will be cut off from impression of an uncaring, out-of-touch lost their resonance while modern values older political leaders out of touch attacks. Others point out that, with a society. This is a powerful deterrent,” government. based on individual liberty have not yet with a rapidly changing society. national average conviction rate of 25 said Kumari, who is also a member of The incident has revealed deep fis- gained acceptance,” said the financial The controversial measure, announced percent for rape cases, and with many the national commission for empower- sures within Indian society. Described newspaper Mint, in an editorial. by the minister of state for home affairs, charges taking several years to reach ment of women. as “eve teasing”, sexual harassment is The six men responsible for the R P N Singh, is to start in Delhi, where court and enormous numbers of inci- Authorities, already under fire for endemic and rape systematically blamed incident in Delhi included a driver of angry protests continue over the gang rape dents going unreported, the measure their failure to prevent the original on irresponsible women behaving in “un- an unlicensed private bus, a vegetable of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student can only have a limited effect. Women’s attack, which took place on a Sunday Indian” ways. seller and a gym assistant. Most had 10 days ago. The victim of the hour-long rights campaigners have, however, evening in a bus travelling on busy Police routinely ignore complaints grown up in deeply conservative parts of attack, who suffered serious internal inju- backed the idea. public roads, are now under pressure of sexual violence; senior officers have rural India before moving to the capital. ries, has now been moved to a specialist “It is true that there is a risk of such over their mishandling of the protests even suggested women should fight GUARDIAN NEWS

Decision on Telangana in Shivering cold Assam legislator blames party a month: Home minister chief for violence NEW DELHI: A decision on the issue of carving out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh will be taken within a GUWAHATI: A Bodoland month, union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said yesterday. People’s Front (BPF) legis- “A decision will be taken within a month... we have heard the mem- lator yesterday blamed his bers of various parties... we have noted their views and will brief the own party chief Hagrama government about it,” Shinde told reporters after an all-party meet Mohilary for the communal here on the issue. Noting that the people of Andhra Pradesh were suf- violence in Assam that left fering, the home minister appealed to the youths for calm. more than 100 people dead Representatives of eight political parties attended the meeting, three months ago. which was also attended by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Hitesh Basumatary told the Kumar Reddy. “Some will be satisfied and some will not be,” Shinde media that Mohilary was respon- remarked to queries if the decision would satisfy people of all three sible for the violence that engulfed regions of the state. Terming this the last all-party meeting on the Kokrajhar and Chirang, which fall issue, he said he was satisfied with it. under the Bodoland Territorial “The meeting was cordial and every one expressed their views. We Areas Districts (BTAD). have noted (them) down and some of the representatives expressed BTAD is run by the Bodoland that the decision should be given as early as possible,” he added. Territorial Council, whose Shinde declined to reveal the views expressed by the parties, saying chief executive member is also it was an in-camera meeting. Asked if the decision will be in accord- Mohilary. Describing Mohilary ance with the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission report, as a “dictator”, he said the peo- Shinde said: “Everything will be considered.” ple of the state were “well aware IANS Vendors covered in blankets sit in the back of a supply truck after buying vegetables from a market on a cold who is responsible for the whole situation”. winter morning in Kolkata, yesterday. “Along with the people, I would like to (urge) Mohilary to cooper- ate with the government to seize all illegal arms in BTAD. I wish he Nearly 44pc Lakshadweep homes are headed by women will work for peace and prosperity in the Council area,” Basumatary said. NEW DELHI: The union ter- in a census of “Female Headed C Chandramouli, Registrar The proportion of male headed cooking gas/natural gas as a fuel Basumatary, who represents ritory of Lakshadweep, which Households” that was released General & Census Commissioner households has declined by 0.6 for cooking. Around 45 percent Chapaguri in the Assam assembly, has to its credit the young- yesterday here by Minister of of India, gave the main highlights percent in 2011 compared to 2001 of these homes have television, denied Mohilary’s allegation that est MP in the Lok Sabha, now State for Home Affairs R P N from Census 2011. Less than half while proportion of female headed in comparison to 47.5 percent in he (Basumatary) was involved in has another feather in its cap Singh. - 48 percent - of the number of households has increased by 0.5 male-headed homes. a kidnap-murder case. - it has the largest number of The data was released as part female-headed households have a percent in the same period. Only 3.2 percent of women- “How can he make such households headed by women in of findings/results of the first toilet within the premises, while More than 60 percent of headed homes have a four- remarks even before the inves- the country. phase of Census 2011 on “House just over half - 59 percent - of female headed households have wheeler - like a car, jeep or a van, tigation report is out? Being a The Lakshadweep group of Listing and Housing Census”. such homes have bathing facili- permanent houses while in case in comparison to 4.8 percent of leader of a political party, he has islands, off the western coast of Inaugurating the National Data ties within the premises. of the Scheduled Castes and the homes with vehicles among male- violated the norms of democracy.” India, has 43.7 percent of house- Dissemination Workshop organ- Other findings of the census Scheduled Tribes categories the headed homes. The communal violence which holds headed by women. Its MP, ised by the Registrar General and are: percentage of such homes is at Around 29 percent of women- enveloped Kokrajhar, Chirang and Hamdullah Sayeed, is the young- Census Commission India, the There are about 49 lakh sin- 55.8 percent and 33.4 percent headed homes do not possess any Dhubri districts also displaced est MP in the Lok Sabha at 30 minister said that such detailed gle-member female households in respectively. asset such as radio/TV/telephone/ closed to five lakh people. years.Kerala, where some com- data would help the Planning the country with three-fourths of Members in around 18 percent bicycle/scooter/car. In comparison, Basumatary called for the sei- munities follow a matriarchal sys- Commission and the government them living in rural areas. of female headed households have 16.5 percent homes among those zure of all illegal weapons in the tem, comes next with 23 percent to finalise their schemes. In seven states, namely to trudge more 500 metres in headed by men have no assets. Bodoland areas. homes headed by women. Singh also pointed out that Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, urban areas and one kilometre The detailed findings on “I’m not talking about Muslims In India, about 27 million “significant improvement” has Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, in rural areas to access drink- “Female Headed Households” or Bodos but one must find out households, constituting nearly 11 been achieved in quality of houses Maharashtra, Odisha and ing water. Around 45 percent can also be seen at the website from where all these illegal arms percent of the total households but access to drinking water, elec- Gujarat, the proportion of single women-headed families live in of Registrar General & Census have come from? All these should of the country, are headed by tricity and sanitation are areas member female headed household one-room premises, while around Commissioner, India at www.cen- be seized.” women. This finding was revealed where more needs to be done. is more than 20 percent. 42.5 percent of such houses use susindia.gov.in. IANS IANS DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Business

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314,202 8.33 346,432 24.89 59,460 155.00164,316 15.31 12,820 75.20 135,087 27.15 5,753 22.65 175,999 70.90 3,255 52.00 Stocks slip as US battles ‘cliff’ Brent crude holds below $111 a barrel; euro down 0.2 percent

NEW YORK: Global stocks edged lower along with the euro yesterday as the White House and US lawmakers planned to make a late effort to avoid the US “fiscal cliff.” Meanwhile, expectations that Japanese data shows Japan will inject new stimulus into its economy pushed the yen to a two-year low for a third straight day. more economic gloom President Barack Obama and Democratic and Republican law- TOKYO: Japanese factories Masamichi Adachi, senior makers were scheduled to meet slowed in November, spelling economist at JPMorgan Securities yesterday as the deadline looms out the daunting task that lies Japan, was cautiously optimistic, for reaching a budget deal to ahead for the new conserva- saying production would “prob- avert massive tax increases and tive government in reviving the ably” turn positive in the first spending cuts that could drag the world’s third-largest economy. quarter of 2013. economy — and others around the The 1.7 percent drop in out- And that “will probably lead world with it — into recession. put from a month earlier — to positive growth in the gross Participants in the 3pm ses- worse than a 0.5 percent decline domestic product as well,” Adachi sion (2000 GMT) will attempt expected by the market — came told Dow Jones Newswires. to smooth over sharp differences as a new conservative govern- Last week, the Bank of Japan over raising taxes on higher- ment took power this week on launched its third major round of income Americans and spend- a campaign that pledged to monetary easing since September ing cuts in politically sensitive inject new life into the coun- when its counterparts in the US social welfare programs such as try’s limp economy, after it won and Europe also made big policy Medicare and Medicaid. a landslide election earlier this moves. But critics, notably newly The MSCI all-world share month. installed Prime Minister Shinzo index was down 0.2 percent, and Japan’s economy has been hurt Abe, say Japan’s central bank has the pan-European FTSEurofirst Workers sweep the floor in front of the final stock price index after the ceremonial closing event of the 2012 stock by a strong yen, turmoil in the key not done enough to turn around 300 was down 0.4 percent. market during a photo opportunity for the media at the Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul yesterday. European market and the global the lumbering economy. US stocks were also lower. The economic slowdown, confounding The BoJ’s own quarterly Dow Jones industrial average was economic reports have been very down 0.2 percent on the day at stimulus to fight deflation. the nation’s recovery from the Tankan survey this month showed down 63.20 points, or 0.48 per- favourable,” said Richard Weiss, $1.3210, having slipped to a ses- The dollar was steady against 2011 quake-tsunami disaster and confidence among Japanese man- cent, at 13,033.11. The Standard a Mountain View, California- sion low of $1.3164 when traders the yen at 86.07 yen, edging away nuclear crisis. ufacturers hit a near three-year & Poor’s 500 Index was down 6.26 based senior money manager at said it broke below stop-loss sell from an earlier peak of 86.64 A territorial dispute with low in the final months of 2012. points, or 0.44 percent, at 1,411.84. American Century Investments. orders around $1.3170. yen, its strongest since August Beijing has also weighed on Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party The Nasdaq Composite Index was “We have to believe, once Congress An agreement on the US 2010, when it stopped just shy of Japanese exports due to a con- officially took power Wednesday down 7.42 points, or 0.25 percent, comes to any resolution-whether budget would be viewed as posi- reported options barriers at 86.75 sumer boycott in China stemming as the yen weakened further on at 2,978.49. it comes before the New Year or tive for riskier currencies such yen and 87.00 yen. from the spat. speculation that the 58-year-old’s Allowing $600bn of higher after-the market will resume its as the euro and Australian dol- Brent crude oil held below $111 The figures reversed a revised pressure campaign on the central taxes and spending cuts to start upward trend, as data indicates lar, while a deadlock or snags in per barrel, not far off its highest 1.6 percent uptick in October fac- bank would see it roll out more in January would prevent US it should.” the negotiations would be deemed this month. Brent crude was down tory production, with the econ- aggressive action. debt spilling beyond a $16.4 tril- Among Wall Street’s gains, positive for the safe-haven and 18 cents to $110.62, on course for a omy ministry warning Friday The Tokyo stock market has lion agreed limit. However, ana- Barnes & Noble Inc rose 8.2 per- highly liquid dollar. weekly gain of about 1.5 percent that output was “on a downward surged — hitting its highest level lysts fear the measures could wipe cent to $15.55 after the company The yen’s unabated slide and a full-year increase of about 3 trend”. since last year’s disasters on as much as four percent off the said Pearson had agreed to make since Shinzo Abe took the helm percent, which would be the small- A survey of manufacturers, Thursday—on the weaker cur- country’s growth rate. a strategic investment in its Nook as Japan’s prime minister on est in four years. however, offered a measure of rency and as investors cheered “The recent market movement Media subsidiary. However, it said Wednesday has taken the cur- US crude rose 17 cents to $91.04 positive news with producers a new government which has is all about the lack of resolu- the Nook business will not meet rency to two-year lows for three and was set for its first yearly loss expecting output to rise 6.7 per- pledged to fix the long-suffering tion and clarity on the cliff and the bookseller’s prior projection straight days. Abe has vowed to in four years. cent in December and 2.4 percent economy. comes despite the fact that most for fiscal year 2013. The euro was press for aggressive monetary REUTERS in January. AFP

French shipyard lands billion euro luxury liner deal South Korea nominates SAINT-NAZAIRE, France: International said it was order- to win the battle for the recovery no direct financial assistance. industrial base. Design work for Officials hailed some rare good ing a sister ship to its two top-of- of its industry and exports,” he He said the company hoped to the new ship will start in January trade minister news for France’s struggling the-line cruise liners, the Oasis of said in a statement, praising “the begin hiring technicians and engi- and construction is expected to economy yesterday after an ail- the Seas and Allure of the Seas, excellence of French know-how neers very quickly, though he did begin in September. ing shipyard landed a billion- to be delivered in mid-2016, with in naval construction”. not want to give precise numbers. The two existing Oasis-class for top WTO job euro contract to build a luxury an option on a second vessel in “This is a historic moment The company’s two other liners are the largest cruise ships liner for a US cruise company. mid-2018. because this is the largest liner Oasis-class liners, built in Turku, in the world, boasting 16 decks GENEVA: South Korea nomi- The deal comes as a lifeline Officials said the contract was in the world that will be built,” Finland, cost 900 million euros and capacity of 5,400 passengers. nated Taeho Bark, its trade to the STX France shipyard at worth in excess of one billion Ayrault told RTL radio, saying each according to the trade press. They have a range of facilities minister, to lead the World Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic euros ($1.3bn) and would repre- the project was “giving hope for They were delivered in 2009 and including a swimming pool with Trade Organisation yesterday, coast, which had struggled to sent more than 10 million hours French industry.” 2010. a wave machine, rock climbing making him the eighth candi- secure major new orders in recent in work over three years for the “We are very happy with this The STX France yard employs walls, a full-size basketball court date to be put forward for the years. shipyard and its sub-contractors. order,” STX France chief execu- 2,100 people, and provides work and an ice skating rink. Both top job. “It’s a nice Christmas present, Following a slew of recent tive Laurent Castaing said, not- for another 4,000 sub-contractors. ships are based in Florida. Bark’s candidacy was submit- that’s for sure, because it will announcements of job cuts, Prime ing that competition with STX’s Joel Cadoret, a representative STX France is two-thirds ted three days before nominations allow us to have work and save Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault branch in Finland for the con- of the CGT union at the shipyard, owned by STX Europe, which is close and as Pascal Lamy, the glo- jobs,” a worker in the plant’s said the contract was a sign that tract had been “fierce”. said the order was a “breath of a subsidiary of South Korea’s STX bal trade body’s current director painting department said after France’s industrial sector was He said state help had been fresh air and a relief” for the Shipbuilding. The other third is general, prepares to step down on the news was announced. recovering. vital in securing the contract but site, but added that more needed owned by the French state. August 31, 2013. Miami-based Royal Caribbean “France is showing its capacity that the government had provided to be done to reform France’s AFP Although Lamy has said his successor should be chosen on the basis of competence alone, some trade diplomats say it is the turn New chief takes charge at Tata of a developing country to hold the job. Portugal deficit narrows, Bark is the second candidate from a rich country and the third from the Asia-Pacific to apply. still above 2012 goal So far, all but one of the candidates are serving or former trade minis- ters and several, like Bark, have US LISBON: Portugal’s budget As unemployment soared to doctoral degrees in economics and deficit narrowed to 5.6 percent record highs of around 16 per- strong academic credentials. of GDP in the first nine months cent, social security contributions Apart from South Korea, coun- of 2012 from 6.7 percent a year slumped 6.8 percent, while income tries that have nominated candi- earlier, still above the year-end and property tax revenues fell 5.6 dates include Mexico, Indonesia, target set for the bailed out percent. Costa Rica, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya nation. Portugal’s EU, ECB and IMF and New Zealand. More could be Economists say extraordi- lenders agreed in September to put forward before the deadline of nary one-off measures are likely give the country more time to midnight on December 31. to allow Lisbon to meet its five meet the deficit targets under The candidates will present their percent target but the underly- their ¤78bn bailout after the aus- case for becoming the sixth head of ing budget shortfall is likely to terity affected tax revenues that the WTO at a meeting at its Geneva be greater — leaving it with more had been supposed to rise. headquarters on January 29, part of work to do next year. Despite the shortfall, they a three-month campaigning period In the official data yesterday, have praised Portugal’s austerity after which the field will be gradu- the National Statistics Institute efforts, including huge tax hikes ally whittled down. said the country’s worst recession and painful spending cuts, so far. The candidate with the least sup- since the 1970s drove revenues They eased this year’s goal from port among the WTO’s 157 members Tata Group’s new Chairman Cyrus Mistry (centre) walks into the company head office in Mumbai yesterday. down 3.4 percent in the January- 4.5 percent. The deficit goal for will be asked to withdraw until a The head of Tata Group, Ratan Tata, quietly handed over the reins of the business empire on his 75th birthday September period, offset by a 2013 was eased to 4.5 percent winner emerges, something expected yesterday, as he basked in the plaudits for turning the organisation into a global power. 5.6 percent reduction in public from 3 percent. to happen by the end of May. spending. REUTERS REUTERS DECEMBER 29, 2012 Business www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15 ON SATURDAY Spain sees ‘very tough’ economy PM hopes for improvement in second half of next year Aramco finalises Jan-June MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned term deal with one buyer yesterday of a “very tough” year ahead for the recession-struck SINGAPORE: The new trading A second trader said premiums economy but said he hoped for arm of state-run Saudi Aramco might be higher for Aramco’s term an improvement in the second has finalised a January to June as its Jubail port is able to receive half of 2013. 2013 term contract to sell jet fuel larger vessels such as Suezmax The Spanish economy has been with at least one buyer, traders tankers, which would allow trad- shrinking since mid-2011, driv- said yesterday. ers to optimise their cargoes. ing up the unemployment rate Saudi Aramco Products Trading “Shell owns Jubail as well, so to 25 percent, the highest since Co has agreed to sell undisclosed together with their equity barrels the return to democracy after volumes of the fuel at a premium of and Saudi term, they can move the death in 1975 of General about $2.70 a barrel above Middle Suezmax out of Jubail,” the trader Francisco Franco. East quotes for the cargoes, to be added. At the same time, the govern- loaded from Jubail, they added. The 305,000 barrels-per-day ment has slashed spending, raised That is nearly 30 percent higher Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery com- taxes, and pushed through dras- than its current term contracts. pany (SASREF) refinery in Jubail tic changes to the labour market Royal Dutch Shell is the likely is 50-50 owned by Saudi Aramco while also shaking up the bad buyer, the traders said, although and Shell Saudi Arabia Refining. loan-ridden banking sector. this could not immediately be Traders expect the Middle East “We still have a very tough year confirmed. market to be flooded with sup- ahead, especially in the first half, Aramco is still negotiating the ply of oil products when the new and we have to persevere in the sale of term cargoes to be loaded Saudi Aramco Total Refinery reforms we have embarked on,” from the Red Sea port of Rabigh, and Petrochemicals Company Rajoy told a news conference. and may finalise these by year-end, (SATORP) starts production at “The economy will continue in traders said. its 400,000 bpd plant at Jubail next recession for some time although The company was offering either year. we hope it will start to improve in A woman checks the contents of a bag of donated toys after receiving it during a distribution of toys for low 45,000-tonne or 65,000-tonne cargo But the refinery’s gasoil yield the second half of the year ahead.” income families at a church in Madrid yesterday. lots for loading from Jubail and will probably be more than jet fuel, The 57-year-old Spanish leader Rabigh, with a half-yearly term meaning supply of jet fuel is unlikely spoke to the media after the last asking the European Central it, this policy is already bear- and OECD, for example, say they instead of its usual yearly term. to increase too much, which could cabinet meeting of 2012, after a Bank to intervene to buy bonds ing fruit,” Rajoy said, claiming expect Spanish economic output Traders were surprised at the also be supporting term levels, said year in power marked by tough on the secondary market but results in the economy, improv- to tumble 1.4 percent next year. premium finalised for Saudi’s jet a Gulf-based trader. reforms that have sparked two that is a very useful instrument ing confidence and recogni- Spain has promised to slash its fuel term, which they said was Term premiums for Aramco’s general strikes and growing that is available to all countries tion by Spain’s eurozone allies annual public deficit to 3.0 percent too high at 15 to 20 percent more cargoes to be loaded from Rabigh protests. of the Union,” the premier said. and the international financial of gross domestic product by 2014 than those agreed by other Middle are typically negotiated higher than Rajoy’s right-leaning govern- “If Spain and its government markets. from a blowout shortfall equal to Eastern refiners. those from Jubail as freight charges ment has approved a 2013 budget believe that it is necessary to Spain’s gross domestic prod- 9.4 percent of output last year. “Wow, why would anyone pay are usually cheaper for cargoes to with a further ¤39bn ($51bn) in use it, let there not be the least uct, its total economic output, Rajoy said Spain would only so much to Aramco? Those levels be sent from the Red Sea to Europe, austerity measures as it battles to doubt that we will do so. But in fell by 0.3 percent in the third know if it can meet this year’s defi- are crazy,” said a middle distillates rather than the Gulf. slash the public deficit. principle today we are not think- quarter of the year, according to cit target — 6.3 percent of GDP— trader based in Singapore. For its 2012 term, Saudi Aramco The prime minister said he had ing of doing it. But we do not official data. The government is when the final figures are in. Spain Abu Dhabi National Oil Co settled term premiums for jet fuel no plan to apply for help from rule it out for the future.” tipping an economic slump of 1.5 had made an “enormous effort” to (ADNOC) finalised its 2013 jet loading from Jubail at $2.10 a bar- European bailout funds, which The prime minister defended percent this year. curb the deficit, he said. “Never has fuel term premium at $2.35 a bar- rel on a free-on-board (FOB) basis would unlock a European Central his economic policy despite It also forecasts a 0.5-percent so much been asked of a country in rel above Middle East quotes, while to Middle East quotes and for jet Bank bond-buying programme to acknowledging the pain it caused contraction in 2013, but this is recession and with the financing Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) and fuel loading from Rabigh at $2.80 curb Spain’s borrowing costs. to Spaniards. widely viewed as being optimis- problems we have,” he said. Bahrain Petroleum Co (Bapco) both a barrel. “Today we are not thinking of “Although we cannot all see tic. The European Commission AFP settled theirs at $2.25 a barrel. REUTERS

INSEE revises down Lonmin seeks new CEO to revive fortunes French Q3 growth LONDON: South African The absence of a permanent Chief Financial Officer Simon a wave of unrest at the group’s investors last month to raise to just 0.1 percent miner Lonmin opened the CEO has been a major concern Scott had ruled himself out of the Marikana mine that left 46 people $817m to avoid breaching lending search for a new chief executive cited by investors seeking a clear job on a permanent basis, Lonmin dead and paralysed operations. terms. Its biggest shareholder, PARIS: The French national to revive its fortunes after a strategy from the company after said, but he would continue to fill The strikes increased pressure miner Xstrata, which holds a statistics agency INSEE yester- torrid 2012 as Ian Farmer, who months of financial pressure, the role until a replacement was on a company that was already 25 percent stake, supported the day revised downward its figure is being treated for a serious weak platinum prices and a wave found. being squeezed by high costs and rights issue but it said it wanted for the country’s third quarter illness, officially stepped aside of deadly strikes at South African Farmer was admitted to hos- weak platinum prices. management changes. economic growth from 0.2 per- yesterday. mines. pital in August, coinciding with It was forced to turn to REUTERS cent to 0.1 percent, which will make the government’s full- year target harder to reach. QATARI MARKET Toiling for US market INSEE said the third-quarter Bond Coupon Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P figure was revised lower follow- Qatar Govt 5.15% 4/9/2014 USD 105.50 0.78% Aa2 AA ing new data that showed weaker Qatar Govt 3.125% 1/20/2017 USD 105.63 1.68% Aa2 AA activity in the transport services Qatar Govt 6.55% 4/9/2019 USD 125.88 2.12% Aa2 AA sector in the three months from Qatar Govt 5.25% 1/20/2020 USD 119.63 2.23% Aa2 AA July through September. Qatar Govt 4.5% 1/20/2022 USD 115.13 2.61% Aa2 AA Overall investment and con- Qatar Govt 9.75% 6/15/2030 USD 182.00 3.45% Aa2 AA sumption in the services sector Qatar Govt 6.4% 1/20/2040 USD 140.00 3.97% Aa2 AA declined somewhat in the period. INSEE said earlier this month Qatar Govt 5.75% 1/20/2042 USD 130.63 3.97% Aa2 AA that it expected France’s econ- Qatari Diar 3.5% 7/21/2015 USD 105.13 1.45% Aa2 AA omy, the second biggest in the Qatari Diar 5% 7/21/2020 USD 117.13 2.50% Aa2 AA eurozone, to contract by 0.2 per- Comqat 5% 11/18/2014 USD 106.00 1.73% A1 A- cent in the final quarter of 2012. Comqat 3.375% 4/11/2017 USD 104.50 2.26% A1 A- It shrank by 0.1 percent on QIB 3.856% 10/7/2015 USD 104.63 2.12% NR NR a quarterly basis in the three QNB 3.125% 11/16/2015 USD 103.25 1.95% Aa3 A+ months from April through June. QNB 3.375% 2/22/2017 USD 104.88 2.14% Aa3 A+ President Francois Hollande’s Doha Bank 3.5% 3/14/2017 USD 104.00 2.49% A2 A- Socialist government, which is strug- Qtel 3.375% 10/14/2016 USD 105.13 1.96% A2 A gling to reboot a stagnant economy Qtel 7.875% 6/10/2019 USD 130.88 2.63% A2 A and straighten out France’s public Qtel 4.75% 2/16/2021 USD 113.13 2.92% A2 A finances at the same time, has fore- Qtel 5% 10/19/2025 USD 113.50 3.67% A2 A cast overall economic growth of 0.3 Rasgas 5.5% 9/30/2014 USD 108.00 0.86% Aa3 A percent in 2012, but that now looks difficult to attain. Rasgas 5.832% 9/30/2016 USD 110.13 2.95% Aa3 A Finance Minister Pierre Rasgas 5.298% 9/30/2020 USD 112.88 3.39% Aa3 A Moscovici however ruled out any SOVEREIGNS immediate change to the official Bond PDA* Maturity Currency Mid-Price Yield Moody’s S&P outlook for growth of 0.8 percent Abu Dhabi Govt 5.5% 4/8/2014 USD 106.50 0.34% Aa2 AA in 2013. “Today, there is no reason Abu Dhabi Govt 6.75% 4/8/2019 USD 129.38 1.77% Aa2 AA to change the growth forecast,” Dubai Govt 6.7% 10/5/2015 USD 110.88 2.58% NR NR Moscovici told media at Orly air- Dubai Govt 4.9% 5/2/2017 USD 107.63 3.01% NR NR port south of Paris. AFP Dubai Govt 7.75% 10/5/2020 USD 126.50 3.78% NR NR Men work at the Hai Phong mechanical company, which produces engines and machines for US export, Dubai Govt 6.45% 5/2/2022 USD 116.63 4.27% NR NR in Hai Phong city, east of Hanoi, yesterday. Qatar Govt 4% 1/20/2015 USD 105.50 1.27% Aa2 AA Bahrain Govt 6.273% 11/22/2018 USD 114.38 3.54% NR BBB Bahrain Govt 5.5% 3/31/2020 USD 108.25 4.17% NR BBB Egypt Govt 5.75% 4/29/2020 USD 100.00 5.75% B2 B Indonesian court fines Asian Agri for tax evasion Morocco Govt 4.5% 10/5/2020 EUR 102.50 4.11% NR BBB-

*Periodic Distribution Amount IMPORTANT NOTE: JAKARTA: Indonesia’s pay back state losses of 1.26 tril- palm oil producers, exporting three of logging on protected carbon- Published by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, P O Box 57, Doha, Qatar which Supreme Court ordered a major lion rupiah ($130.5m) and was million tonnes of palm oil in 2011 rich peatland in Sumatra. is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services palm oil company to pay more fined an additional 2.52 trillion with more than 160,000 hectares The Asian Agri case began Commission. Information quoted is from publicly available sources or proprietary data than $390m to the state for tax rupiah to be paid within a year. of plantations on the island of in 2006 when a former finan- and subject to change. HSBC accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising out of evasion, a judge said yesterday, The case is seen as break- Sumatra, according to its website. cial controller at the company the use of all or part of this material. This information is general and does not take into in a case likely to set a prece- through in Southeast Asia’s It is a subsidiary of Royal accused of embezzling money account individual circumstances, objectives or needs. The price of bonds can and dent in the graft-ridden nation. largest economy, where sweeping Golden Eagle (RGE), a from the firm reported that the does fluctuate. The secondary market for bonds may not provide significant liquidity or may trade based on prevailing market conditions. Past performance is not a reliable The court found Asian Agri tax reforms introduced in recent Singapore-based conglomerate company had evaded tax. indicator of future performance. You should consider these matters and consult your and more than a dozen of its years have been met with hostile of palm oil, pulp and oil and gas The case was thrown back and financial advisor prior to making any investment decisions. subsidiaries guilty of “deliberately resistance from big business. firms owned by Sukanto Tanoto, forth between the Tax Office and not filling tax forms properly Sarwoko said that the ruling Indonesia’s seventh-richest the Attorney-General’s Office, between 2002 and 2005”, marking — made on December 18 but only tycoon, according to Forbes. raising criticisms that govern- the country’s first prosecution in publicised this week — would set Environmental groups have ment institutions and law enforc- a major corporate tax case. a precedent for at least nine major also long accused RGE’s pulp ers were reluctant to address Head judge Djoko Sarwoko said tax crime cases in the pipeline. and paper company Asia Pacific major tax crimes. said the company was ordered to Asian Agri is one of Asia’s biggest Resources International (APRIL) AFP DECEMBER 29, 2012 Classifieds www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 17 ON SATURDAY

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SERVICES FOR RENT SITUATIONS VACANT

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Clippers bully Celtics to Nadal pulls out of Doha extend winning streak in NBA

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Clippers left the Boston event, Australian Open Celtics battered and bruised in a physical 106-77 victory yester- day to extend their franchise- record winning streak to 15 This virus has delayed my plans of playing, says world No.4 games and remain on top of the NBA standings. Building on contributions from DOHA/MADRID: Rafael things well and this virus has their All-Stars, balanced bench Nadal pulled out of the Qatar delayed my plans of playing these and ferocious defense, the Clippers ExxonMobil Open, the season’s weeks. This picture taken (23-6) continued to prove they are first event and the Australian “I will have to wait until on June 28, 2012, legitimate title contenders with Open yesterday, claiming he was the Acapulco tournament (in shows Spain’s another impressive home win still suffering from the stom- February) to compete again Rafael Nadal over a highly regarded opponent. ach virus which caused him to although I could consider to play Reserves Matt Barnes (21 speaking during a cancel his return to action in before at any other ATP event. points) and Jamal Crawford press conference the Gulf this week after a six- “I always said that my return (17) led the way as all 11 Los month absence. to competition will be when I am after his second Angeles players who stepped on Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam in the right conditions to play and round men’s the Staples Center court put a title winner, will skip the Doha after all this time away from the singles defeat by number in the scoring column. trip, the Qatar Tennis Federation courts I would rather not acceler- Czech Republic’s “The special thing about our (QTF) confirmed in an official ate the comeback and prefer to do Lukas Rosol team is no one cares who gets statement yesterday. things well.” at Wimbledon, the credit,” Clippers point guard Nadal was due to play his first Nadal, the record-breaking southwest London. Chris Paul told reporters after official tournament in Doha since seven-time French Open cham- World number four finishing with eight points and losing in the second round at pion and who had been due to Nadal has pulled 11 assists. “Right now our entire Wimbledon in June. make his comeback in an exhi- out of the 2013 organisation has a winning men- The Spaniard, who has been bition tournament in Abu Dhabi Qatar Open and the tality and we expect nothing less sidelined with a crippling knee this week, will also face a drop Australian Open, than that.” injury, had already missed the in the rankings having been run- it was confirmed At the other end, the Celtics Olympics, the US Open and Davis ner-up to Novak Djokovic in the yesterday. were held to just 40 percent Cup final. Australian Open final in 2012. shooting and out-scored 24-10 in “My knee is much better and But doctors have told him that the final quarter to complete the the rehabilitation process has the gastroenteritis which left him formalities of a blowout victory. gone well as predicted by the doc- with a high fever for five days Kevin Garnett recorded 16 tors, but this virus didn’t allow requires a week’s break from five-set matches at the Australian ready for that. It is true we have hear that his rival’s return had points but Boston suffered their me to practice this past week and sport. Open. been quite unlucky with this but been delayed. fifth loss in seven games and therefore I am sorry to announce His medical team claim that “We consider it not appropriate there is nothing we can do. “I was eager to see him play. heaviest defeat of the season. that I will not play in Doha and would leave him with insufficient to play the Australian Open since “After all this time it is better He has been off the tour for the Considered one of the grittier the Australian Open, as we had time to prepare for the season’s we will not have enough prepara- to do things well and the most past six months and I am sure teams in the league, the Celtics initially scheduled,” the 26-year- first Grand Slam event which gets tion for a great competition like a professional thing to do is to start that all tennis fans and all sports (14-14) were no match for the old, world number four said in a underway on January 14. Grand Slam tournament,” he said. when we are ready.” fans want to see him back on the Clippers in a scrappy battle that press release. Toni Nadal, the player’s uncle “It is simply not conceivable World number one Djokovic, court, healthy and fit. I wish him, featured bodies flying around, a “As my team and doctors say, and coach, said his nephew would that his first event is a best of five who is playing in the Abu Dhabi as a colleague, a fast recovery,” flagrant foul and a bloodied lip the safest thing to do is to do be unable to stand the rigours of sets tournament, he wouldn’t be tournament, said he was sad to said the Serb. AGENCIES for Paul Pierce after a collision with Paul. Boston left the Staples Center clearly frustrated by the reality of being manhandled. Djokovic targets Grand Slam Point guard Rajon Rondo, the NBA’s leading assist man, finished with just six as he failed to reach double figures in that category for the second straight game. wins after 2012 heartbreaker He also tallied 10 points while Pierce added 12. PARIS: Novak Djokovic winner, will be the unknown Los Angeles took a 30-20 lead believes he can become only the quantity having been out of action after the first quarter and grad- third man in history to hold all World number since his shock second round ually increased their advantage four majors at the same time in one Serbia’s defeat at Wimbledon to world after each break. 2013 having come so agonisingly Novak Djokovic number 100 Lukas Rosol in June. close last season. serves the ball He will make his comeback once Matsui retires The world number one missed to Spain’s David the US hardcourt and European out on joining Don Budge (1938) Ferrer during claycourt seasons come around. and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) their Mubadala In 2012, Serena Williams was from baseball as just the third man to simul- World Tennis the player of the year on the WTA taneously possess the Australian Championship Tour, with the veteran American TOKYO: Hard-hitting Hideki Open, French Open, Wimbledon match in the overcoming her worst ever Grand Matsui, who set several mile- and US Open titles when he was Slam performance -- a first round stones for Japanese players in Emirati capital, beaten by Rafael Nadal at Roland defeat at the French Open -- to Major League Baseball, has Abu Dhabi, Garros. win Wimbledon, the Olympics, US announced his retirement from Having finished number one yesterday. Open and then the end-of-season the game. in the world for the second suc- Djokovic won WTA Championships title. The 38-year-old slugger played cessive season, the 25-year-old 6-0, 6-3. “I definitely think I can improve for 10 seasons in MLB, seven of Serb goes into the new campaign, some more,” said Williams, who them with the New York Yankees, which gets underway officially now has 15 Grand Slam singles producing the most home runs, next week, with his confidence titles. runs batted in and walks by a high. Nadal at the French while also Open next month -- a tourna- That’s just three off the 18 col- Japanese player in the league. “I won the last big tournament losing a five-set US Open final ment he has won four times -- lected by Martina Navratilova Matsui, the 2009 World Series of the year in London (the ATP to Andy Murray. He was a semi- not having played a warm-up and Chris Evert, with only Steffi MVP, told a news conference that World Tour Finals) and I am hop- final loser to Roger Federer at competition. Graf’s record of 22 looking poten- he was no longer able to perform ing that I can continue playing Wimbledon. World number three Murray tially out of reach. at the top level in either the well,” said Djokovic. In New York and London he became the first British man Williams, who will be 32 United States or Japan. Tennis world number one player “So my ambitions are always had been defending champion. since 1936 to win a major when in 2013, starts her season in “Today I’m bringing my 20-year Victoria Azarenka of Belarus high. I want to win every Grand Federer captured a 17th major he defeated Djokovic to clinch Brisbane as does world number baseball career to an end,” Matsui, presents a creation made from Slam that I play.” when he claimed a record-equal- the US Open, with his triumph two and French Open champion who had been a free agent since Thai silk by designer Prapakas The five-time major winner ling seventh Wimbledon, coming coming in the slipstream of his Maria Sharapova, and the world’s being released by the Tampa Bay during The Orchestra of Thai added: “Roland Garros is always from a set down to defeat a tear- Olympic Games gold medal. top player, Victoria Azarenka. Rays in August, told reporters in Silk fashion show in the beach at the top of my priority list and ful Murray. “In the last three, four or five Today, the Hopman Cup New York yesterday. resort city of Hua Hin yesterday. ambitions. It’s the only Slam I With his 32nd birthday com- years there has been significant gets underway in Perth, while “I’m both sad and relieved. I haven’t won. I played in the final, ing in August, the great Swiss has pressure in my mind and I feel Doha, Chennai and Brisbane all had the opportunity to play this Azarenka will play Li Na of which is a step further than ever already slashed his schedule for more relaxed and more relieved host ATP events at the start of season but my statistics were not China in a World Tennis Charity before.” the new year, intending to play after winning the US Open,” said next week and the WTA kicks good enough. That’s the biggest Invitation match in Hua Hin today. Djokovic won the Australian just 13 events. the 25-year-old. off in Brisbane, Auckland and reason.” Open in 2012, was runner-up to He will go into a 14th Australian Nadal, the 11-time major Shenzhen. REUTERS Tributes flooded in for Matsui, a two-time All-Star with the Yankees fondly dubbed “Godzilla” Caroline since his early career in Japan for Wozniacki his powerful swing. Wozniacki ring fuels “He is a great player who of Denmark hits a shot always brought Japanese people hope and joy,” Japan’s chief cabi- during her net secretary Yoshihide Suga told first training reporters in Tokyo yesterday. session in engagement rumours Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter Brisbane. said: “I’ve had a lot of team mates The top BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA: Tennis star Christmas, which they spent together, according to over the years with the Yankees, international Caroline Wozniacki fuelled speculation she was pictures they posted on Twitter. but I will always consider Hideki men’s and engaged to golf’s world number one Rory McIlroy “Is this the photo that proves tennis star Caroline one of my favorites. women’s yesterday when she appeared wearing a large ring Wozniacki and world No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy are Matsui was the first Japanese- players are on her left hand. engaged?” the Herald Sun asked. In November, born player to win World Series using the The blonde Dane, who has been an increasingly McIlroy skipped the $7m WGC-HSBC Champions MVP honours, going 8-for-13 with Brisbane cosy item with McIlroy in recent months, was to watch Wozniacki play tennis in Bulgaria. three homers and eight runs bat- International snapped wearing the jewellery on her left ring fin- However, Danish women often wear wedding rings ted in as the Yankees beat the as a build-up ger ahead of the Brisbane International. on their right hand, and Wozniacki is also known for Phillies in 2009. to the 2013 Australia’s Herald Sun tabloid, which carried her penchant for practical jokes. Earlier this month, “Hideki Matsui, in many ways, Australian separate pictures of Wozniacki wearing the ring she donned padding to mimic Serena Williams at an embodied what this organisation Open. at Brisbane airport, noted that the player had exhibition event, and at the 2011 Australian Open stands for,” Yankees general man- denied getting engaged last month. But the news- she made up a story about being attacked by a kan- aging partner Hal Steinbrenner paper pondered whether McIlroy had proposed over garoo. REUTERS said. AGENCIES DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Sport Dominant Egypt crush Qatar Paulo Autuori’s side slumps to 2-0 friendly defeat at Al Gharafa Stadium

DOHA: Egypt yesterday ham- mered hosts Qatar 2-0 in a friendly at Al Gharafa Stadium, giving headaches to coach Paulo Autuori ahead of next month’s Gulf Cup. Goals by Hamdy Al-Sayed (28) PSG coach and Mohammed Nagy (59) sealed the deal for Bob Bradley-coached Egyptian side that dominated play rules out from the start of the match. Many people attended the evening match at Al Gharafa move for Stadium, with people from both sides cheering on their team. Ronaldo Before the match, Qatar Football Assocation President ROME: Paris Saint Germain Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin coach Carlo Ancelotti (pic- Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani said tured) has ruled out making the money collected from yester- a bid to bring Real Madrid day’s match will be donated to the superstar Cristiano Ronaldo families of the fans killed in the to the French capital, Turin Port Said Stadium in Febraury daily La Stampa quoted him 2012. as saying yesterday. Al Sayed scored the first goal “This possibility is ruled out. from close range following a There is not sufficient cash defensive lapse from the home available and there also has to side. be a willing seller,” the Italian Qatar coach Autuori presented said. a disgruntled look as the ball went He was responding to a past home goalkeeper Qasim report in Spanish sports daily Burahan. Qatar’s Younes Ali (right) vies for the ball with Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan Mekki during their international friendly match in Doha yesterday. The money AS that the Portuguese striker Later in the second half, Nagy collected from the match will be donated to the families of the fans killed in the Port Said Stadium disaster in February 2012. RIGHT: Egypt players might come to Paris in a sce- hoodwinked his marker and celebrate after scoring the second goal against Qatar. BOTTOM RIGHT: Egypt’s Elsayed Hamdi celebrates after scoring. nario which would see Real slipped the ball past Burhan with coach Jose Mourinho replace a slick finish again from close Ancelotti at the Parc des range. Kuwait are the current holders Princes. Qatar played their chief striker of the competition having lifted Qatar’s Gulf Cup La Gazzetta dello Sport said Sebatsian Soria but the home th trophy 10 times since it was two months ago that PSG was team failed to spark in the match. introduced. Fixtures mulling a 100m euros bid for Qatar played the Egypt friendly Except beating Lebanon in two Ronaldo and reported that offi- as part of their build-up for next 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, January 5 2013 cials from the two clubs had month’s Gulf Cup to be held in Qatar has failed to get positive already held talks. Qatar vs United Arab Bahrain. results in all friendlies this year. The Gazzetta also claimed Emirates The 2013 Gulf Cup will be con- Qatar will now head for Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes tested by eight teams from the Bahrain where they will meet the January 8, 2013 had set up a meeting between region. UAE on January 5 followed by a top PSG officials, Real chair- Qatar vs Oman The Gulf Cup will be held from game against Oman on January 8. man Florentino Perez and January 5 to 18. Autuori’s side will play the January 11, 2013 Ronaldo himself to broker a It will be the 21st edition of the last match against Bahrain on possible deal. AFP Bahrain vs Qatar competition. January 11. THE PENINSULA

Bairstow to UAE rider Al Balooshi tops Qatar field miss India DOHA: UAE rider Mohammed Al Balooshi yesterday won both races in the third round of the ODI series Qatar International Enduro held near Sealine Beach Resort. LONDON: England bats- A total of 38 riders took part man Jonny Bairstow will miss in the third round of Qatar January’s five-match one-day International Enduro organized international series in India by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle because of family illness. Federation (QMMF). Bairstow, 23, played in the sec- In this round, riders from ond Test victory over India but Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Germany, returned home early, prior to France, South Africa, Lebanon, the two-match Twenty20 series Great Britain, Pakistan and Sri between the sides. Lanka took part in the races. Joe Root, named 2012 Al Balooshi, on a KTM bike, Young Cricketer of the Year was the overall winner with a in September, will replace his total time of 38:37.395 while com- Yorkshire team-mate in India. peting in the E2 category. Bairstow should return for the The second rider with the New Zealand tour later in the best time was Kuwaiti rider month. Mohammed Jaffar, who was also Having made his ODI debut in piloting a KTM bike but in E1 2011, Bairstow broke into the Test category. team in 2012 and has won five German rider Tycho Lieske, on The podium winners along with officials pose for a picture at the Qatar International Enduro near Sealine Beach Resort yesterday. Qatar Motor and caps, impressing against South a Yamana bike, crossed the line in Motorcycling Federation (QMMF) President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah (second left) is also seen. RIGHT: Mohammed Al Balooshi in action during the Africa at Lord’s in August, where third position. Qatar International Enduro. Al Balooshi won both races yesterday. The round attracted riders from Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Germany, France, South Africa, he scored 95 and 54 in an England Regarding results by categories, Lebanon, Great Britain, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. PICTURES BY: FEISAL AHMED defeat. in the E1, Mohammed Jaffar was He played in England’s second first in the podium and Lieske in Saeed Al Shenati in third place. spot went to Anwar Al Nuaimi. In the second race, the over- In this round there was a clas- Test victory in Mumbai as cover second place. In the E3 category, it was a UAE In the quad bike category, all riders in the first and second sification for the Arab Federation for Ian Bell, who had returned The third step of the podium podium all the way. Abdulla Nasser Al Ali finished in place were the same as in Race 1. Series in Race 1 and Race 2. home for the birth of his first was for Abdullah Al Shatti from Khalid Khamis, the leader of first place while Obaid Al Kitbe Al Balooshi took the checkered In this series, there were the child. Kuwait on a Honda bike. his category, was the winner with ended the race in second spot. flag in first position with a time of riders from Arabic countries only Root has yet to appear in an Al Balooshi was the winner a time of 44:36.500. Qatari rider Mohammed Abu 37:11.556 while Mohammed Jaffar and specially hosted by Qatar in ODI for England, the 21-year- in the E2 category with Ali Al Saif Al Kmaite came second Issa, on a KTM quad bike, was was a notch behind him, with a the Qatar International Enduro old having made his Test and Kubaisi in second position and in the race, while the third place third. time of 37:27.624. Round 3. Twenty20 debuts against India The third place secured by There was a special trophy this month. Kuwaiti rider Abdulla Al Shatti. given to German woman rider The ODI squad includes Kevin In the podium of E1 category, Lara Lynn as being the only Pietersen who was rested for the the top place was again clinched woman rider taking part in this T20 series against India. However by Jaffar while Al Shatti finished series. the batsman will not travel to in second place. Trophies were given by Nasser New Zealand for the ODI tour The third place was secured by Khalifa Al Attiya (QMMF after being excluded. Lieske from Germany. President), Sultan Al Morraikhi After the ODI series, England The participants of The E2 podium was secured by (QMMF Board Member), Isa will travel straight to New the third round of the Al Balooshi while French rider Al Awadhi (Bahrain Motorcycle Zealand for their one-day series, Qatar International Yannie Le Gourvenec was in sec- Club President), Ali Dagher in what will be a demanding year Enduro get ready ond place. (Lebanese Motorcycle Club for England, with back-to-back to start a race. Ali Al Kubaisi was in the third President) and Omar Zarzou Test series’ against Australia. A total of 38 riders place. (Royal Jordan Motorcycle Club The squad departs for India on In the E3 category there was a General Secretary). 2 January. took part in this repetition of the podium: Khalid As in previous rounds, Alfardan England squad: Alastair Cook round. Khamis, Saif Al Kmaiti and Motorcycles supported the Qatar (captain), Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Anwar Al Nuaimi. International Enduro by sponsor- Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade In the quad bike category, ing gifts such as helmets, riding Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Obaid Al Kitbe was the winner equipment, boots and shirts. Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin while Abdulla Nasser Al Ali was The fourth and last round of Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin second. The third place clinched Qatar International Enduro will Pietersen, Joe Root, James by Mohammed Abu Issa from be held from February 7 to 9, Tredwell, Chris Woakes. Qatar. 2013. THE PENINSULA AGENCIES DECEMBER 29, 2012 Sport www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 21 ON SATURDAY

English Premier League Fixtures United out to extend lead All times in GMT Today Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur (1245) Aston Villa vs Wigan Athletic (1500) on arch rivals Man City Fulham vs Swansea City (1500) Manchester United vs West Bromwich Albion (1500) League leaders host West Bromwich Albion; Man City face Norwich Norwich City vs Manchester City (1500) Reading vs West Ham United LONDON: Manchester United Newcastle) after playing his first (1500) will look to put even more day- game (at Swansea). He had a bit Stoke City vs Southampton light between themselves and of soreness in his knee, which is (1500) Manchester City when they only to be expected after being host West Bromwich Albion out for so long.” Arsenal vs Newcastle United today, as the Premier League’s Manchester City’s title defence (1730) busy festive season continues. was dealt a potentially decisive Tomorrow Speaking prior to the Christmas blow in a 1-0 loss at Sunderland Everton vs Chelsea (1330) period, United manager Sir Alex on Wednesday, and today’s oppo- Queens Park Rangers vs Ferguson had set his players the nents, Norwich, have been beaten Liverpool (1600) modest target of being top of the at home just twice all season. standings on New Year’s Day, but The champions’ odds of retain- his side are already disappearing ing their crown are lengthening towards the horizon. by the week, but manager Roberto Scottish Premier Wednesday’s thrilling 4-3 win Mancini says he is not fazed by his at home to Newcastle United side’s seven-point deficit. League Fixtures left the 19-time champions seven “It hasn’t changed. At this Today points clear, and with second- moment, United are better than Dundee vs Aberdeen (1500) place City facing a difficult trip us, they are at the top, but we to Norwich City, United could have time to recover,” said the Hibernian vs Celtic (1500) stretch their advantage by dis- Italian. Motherwell vs Kilmarnock posing of West Brom. “We need to resolve our prob- (1500) Javier Hernandez’s last-minute lems before and after, maybe we Ross County vs Hearts (1500) winner against Newcastle left can win. It’s no problem, seven St Johnstone vs Inverness Ferguson beaming, and he will points. Caledonian Thistle (1500) have more room to manoeuvre “That’s not important. We with his squad after injury and know United are a fantastic team Tomorrow illness robbed him of key players and probably they will win every Dundee United vs St Mirren against Newcastle. game, but the season is long and (1500) Wayne Rooney sat out the it is not important if it is six or game after sustaining knee liga- seven or four points.” Manchester United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson shakes hands with club mascot Fred the Red as he walks to his ment damage in training that City’s setback enabled Chelsea seat before their English Premier League match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern will keep him out for up to three to close to within four points of England on December 26. Yobo hits back weeks, but Ashley Young, Danny second place by winning 1-0 at Welbeck, Phil Jones and Nemanja Norwich and Rafael Benitez’s side at Odemwingie Vidic could all return. -- 8-0 victors over Aston Villa in battle for a top-four finish, and stretched, but midfielder Jack but we want to keep this momen- “Ashley Young also got injured their previous game -- also have Champions League qualification, Wilshere says his team-mates will tum going.” LAGOS: Nigeria captain on Tuesday and Phil Jones got a game in hand. after their Wednesday game with have to switch on quickly when Queens Park Rangers, who Joseph Yobo has lashed out at injured (in the 1-1 draw) against Tomorrow, last season’s West Ham United was cancelled they return to action at home to returned to the foot of the table Peter Odemwingie for being Swansea,” said Ferguson. Champions League winners visit due to a strike on the London Newcastle today. after losing at home to West disrespectful after the West “They should both be OK for fifth-place Everton -- one of three Underground transport network. “It’s a tough game against Brom, host Liverpool tomorrow, Bromwich Albion striker said Saturday (today), and I will also teams in the table on 33 points, The Gunners have therefore Newcastle,” he said. while second-bottom Reading the country does not have a have Tom Cleverley and Darren along with Tottenham Hotspur benefited from an unexpected “They need the points, they’re tackle West Ham today and team leader. Fletcher, who are fresh. and West Brom. period of rest at a time when not in a good run of form and Wigan Athletic clash with Aston Odemwingie said via Twitter “We couldn’t risk Vida (against Arsenal lost ground in the their rivals’ resources have been they’ll want to prove something, Villa. AFP that recent Eagles captains have only looked out only for them- selves and so the team lack a Brazil legends to Goals will come for leader. Platini renews Qatar Yobo has now hit back at his play in Myanmar national teammate, who was sen- Man City, says Platt sationally dropped from the squad winter World Cup call for next month’s Africa Cup of YANGON: World Cup win- Nations in South Africa DUBAI: UEFA president 2022, but there has been criti- ners Cafu, Bebeto and Roberto MANCHESTER, United the moment all of them seem to “Osaze has been reckless, disre- Michel Platini renewed his call cism of the cost and environ- Carlos will join an All-Star Kingdom: Assistant man- be having one at the same time. spectful to most people. He’s not yesterday for the 2022 World mental impact, as well as of the Brazil team in Myanmar next ager David Platt insists there It’s not just them. Compared to a kid, he should grow up because Cup in Qatar to be switched to outdoor temperatures facing month as the nation tries to should be no concerns about the number of goals we scored last we cannot continue to baby sit the winter to avoid the crush- travelling fans which Platini has boost its footballing prowess, a Manchester City’s lack of goals. season we are significantly down him. He is responsible for his ing heat of a Gulf summer warned could reach 55 degrees sporting official said yesterday. City, who trail United by seven but that is all around the pitch. problems,” Yobo told Lagos radio and shared with neighbouring Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit). The veteran trio are expected points, have scored 34 league “We have got to produce better Brila FM yesterday. countries. The UEFA chief has previ- to play in an exhibition match in goals, which is 12 fewer than the chances and we have to put them “This is not the first time he A winter tournament would ously called for the tournament Yangon against a local XI, consist- Premier League leaders. away. These are all players who has been disrespectful. He is be “good for everyone” -- organ- to be played between November ing of current and former national Their expensively-assembled have goalscoring records over a fighting all the coaches and at the isers, spectators and the media, and December 2022, to avoid team players, after talks between strike-force is badly out of form, period of years but invariably at World Cup he also disrespected the head of European football’s a clash with the January 2022 the Brazilian Embassy and with Sergio Aguero and Carlos the end of the season that quota me and he later apologised. governing body told the Dubai Winter Olympics, but that has Myanmar’s Football Federation. Tevez having managed just one will be back up to one in two, one “He is not the (Lionel) Messi International Sports Conference, raised issues with big European Cafu, a flying wingback who goal in their last eight matches. in one and a half.” or (Cristiano) Ronaldo of Nigeria. which was attended by big pro- clubs as it clashes with their won the World Cup with Brazil Italy striker Mario Balotelli City manager Roberto Mancini He should look himself in the file names in football, including domestic seasons. in 1994 and 2002, will arrive in has scored just once in his last 10 was forced to leave his recruit- mirror.” Argentina’s Diego Maradona, But that has raised issues with Yangon with striker Bebeto and games, while Bosnian Edin Dzeko ment until the end of the summer The Fenerbache star gave Real Madrid Jose Mourinho and big European clubs as it clashes former Real Madrid star Carlos. has managed one in 13. transfer window. credit to coach Stephen Keshi for former England manager Fabio with their domestic seasons. “As we will have the chance to But Platt is adamant ahead He has suggested that he the provisional squad he picked Capello. With Qatar hosting the 2022 see nearly all the players of the of today’s trip to Norwich that hopes to make several additions for the AFCON, while admitting “It would be a good thing” if World Cup, it means that it will 1994 Champion team here, both all four will have significantly in January. that he was surprised Obafemi the tournament were shared be the first time the prestigous the football industry and fans improved their potency by the But Platt maintains that there Martins, Osaze, Taye Taiwo and with neighbouring Gulf states, event will be held in the Middle will get an amazing experience, end of the campaign. will not necessarily be any new Kalu Uche were not considered Platini added, recalling that he East. I think,” said Soe Moe Kyaw of He said: “I think if you asked arrivals to bolster the squad in for the event. had nonetheless backed Qatar’s In the bidding process, Qatar the MFF. them they would be disappointed the new year. “I will give him credit for the bid to host it. beat United States, South Korea, “We are still adjusting the in the return over the games they Platt added: “I would just be squad. He will score 95 percent Qatar has undertaken to air- Japan and Australia in December player list of who will come here. have played but goalscorers go speculating. I think it is a very even though one or two should condition all of the stadiums for 2010. AFP We will finalise it next week,” he through barren spells. difficult market to go and work have been there,” said the former said. AFP “It is just unfortunate that at in.” AFP Everton defender. AFP Maradona, Mourinho, Capello and Platini in Dubai

Argentinian football icon and former player Diego Maradona (left) and Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho walk before attending a panel discussion during the first session of the International Sports Conference in Dubai, yesterday. CENTRE: Maradona (left) shakes hands with Russia football coach Fabio Capello. RIGHT: UEFA President Michel Platini smiles during a discussion at the International Sports Conference. DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Sport Sangakkara Ruthless Australia thrash set to miss remainder of Aussie Tour

Sri Lanka in second Test MELBOURNE: Sri Lanka’s gloom over their shatter- ing innings capitulation to The hosts win by an innings and 201 runs, clinch series in Melbourne Australia deepened with news yesterday that star batsman Kumar Sangakkara will miss MELBOURNE: Australia the rest of the tour with a frac- humiliated an ailing Sri Lanka tured finger. by an innings and 201 runs Sangakkara, who only joined to wrap up the series mid- the exclusive 10,000-run Test club way through the third day of with his 58 in the first innings of the second Test in Melbourne the second Melbourne Test, is yesterday. booked in for surgery on a frac- Trailing by 304 runs on the first tured left index finger after being innings, a battered Sri Lanka sur- struck on the glove by rampant rendered for 103 for seven off 24.2 Mitchell Johnson. overs with Kumar Sangakkara Sangakkara will be out for retiring hurt and out for the rest between six to eight weeks, mean- of the tour. ing he will miss Sri Lanka’s final Prasanna Jayawardene and Test in Sydney, along with five Chanaka Welegedara were also one-day internationals and two unable to bat because of injuries. Twenty20 games over the next Australia’s rampaging pace- month. man Mitchell Johnson dominated Sri Lanka will be struggling to the Test with six wickets and an field 11 fit players from their tour unbeaten 92. He was a standout squad with three other players Man-of-the-Match. injured from the first two Tests “The boys went pretty hard at of the Australia series. their batters with the short ball Wicketkeeper Prasanna and they didn’t like it,” Johnson Jayawardene has a hairline thumb said. fracture after also being struck by “The plan through this Test a Johnson delivery and pace bowl- match was to get up their bat- ers Chanaka Welegedara (ham- ters and unfortunately for them string) and Nuwan Kulasekara they got a few injuries out of it (ribs) are unlikely to be fit. -- I think that intimidation fac- Members of the Australian team celebrate after dismissing Sri Lanka’s batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan on the third day of the second cricket Test match “Kumar is definitely going to tor definitely worked out there at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) yesterday. RIGHT: Michael Clarke of Australia signs autographs. be out for the whole tour (Test today.” and one-dayers), we’ve just got It ranks as one of Sri Lanka’s news that he’s got a fracture so biggest Test drubbings, only infe- were very disappointed with the Johnson on to his stumps for 35. he might undergo an operation rior to their innings defeats to way we performed. We need to sit The tourists had a dreadful Scoreboard tonight or tomorrow,” skipper South Africa in Cape Town (2001) down and discuss about how we start with four wickets tumbling Sri Lanka (I innings) ...... 156 Sri Lanka (II innings) Mahela Jayawardene said. and Colombo (1993). go about things for the rest of the in the first six overs, including Australia (I innings) D Karunaratne (run out Warner) ...... 1 “He’ll be out for between six Their remote hopes of saving series,” skipper Jayawardene said. out-of-form Mahela Jayawardene E Cowan c M Jayawardene b Prasad ...... 36 T Dilshan c Cowan b Johnson ...... 0 to eight weeks depending on the the series in Melbourne went “The injuries are something we for a duck. D Warner c Prasad b Mathews ...... 62 K Sangakkara retired injured ...... 27 seriousness of the fracture.” out the door when key batsman can’t control, but we need to show Opener Dimuth Karunaratne P Hughes (run out-Dilshan) ...... 10 M Jayawardene b Bird ...... 0 Jayawardene has not given up Sangakkara retired on 27 after more character, we need to see hesitated going for a second run S Watson c Samaraweera b Prasad ...... 83 T Samaraweera lbw b Bird ...... 1 on the prospects of his namesake he was struck on the glove by a something more from the play- off the third ball of the innings M Clarke c M Jayawardene b Eranga ...... 106 A Mathews b Johnson ...... 35 playing in Sydney, given the early menacing lifter from Johnson. ers, we need to come up better and David Warner pounced, M Hussey c Herath b Dilshan ...... 34 D Prasad c Hughes b Lyon ...... 17 finish to the second Melbourne He was the second Sri Lankan and all of us have to take some with Johnson knocking down the M Wade c Eranga b Prasad ...... 1 R Herath (not out) ...... 11 Test. player to suffer a hand injury in responsibility.” stumps at the bowler’s end and M Johnson (not out) ...... 92 S Eranga c Cowan b Siddle ...... 0 “We want to give Prasanna the Boxing Day Test with wick- Sri Lanka effectively hoisted the Sri Lankan opener well short Jayawardene a few more days to P Siddle c M Jayawardene b Eranga ...... 13 P Jayawardene absent hurt ...... 0 etkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene the white flag with the loss of four of his ground. see how well he can go through N Lyon c Chandimal (sub) b Mathews ...... 1 C Welegedara absent hurt ...... 0 receiving a hairline thumb quick wickets. Experienced opener the pain,” he said. J Bird b Eranga ...... 0 Extras (LB-10, NB-1) ...... 11 fracture when also struck by Sangakkara, one of two 10,000- Tillakaratne Dilshan went next “It’s a small fracture on his Extras (B-9, LB-5, W-6, NB-2) ...... 22 Total (all out) ...... 103 a Johnson delivery in the first Test run-getters along with ball. Mahela Jayawardene, who thumb, so given the situation we Total (all out) ...... 460 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-3, 4-13, 5-74, innings. Mahela Jayawardene in the Sri has struggled for runs away from did not want him to bat today but Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-117, 3-117, 4-311, 6-102, 7-103. With paceman Welegedara Lankan lineup, was the last hope home in the last three years, we’ll assess over the next few days already ruled out of further along with vice-captain Angelo lasted just six balls before edging 5-313, 6-315, 7-376, 8-434, 9-451, 10-460. Bowling: Johnson 8-0-16-2; Bird 9-1-29-2 leading up to Sydney. involvement in the Melbourne Mathews at lunch. Jackson Bird on to his stumps in Bowling: Welegedara 14.4-6-38-0; Eranga (1nb); Siddle 5.2-0-32-1; Lyon 2-0-16-1. “If he’s not fit then Dinesh Test with a hamstring injury, But it all unravelled in the mid- the second over of the innings. 27-2-109-3 (2nb, 5w); Prasad 26-2-106-3 Result: Australia won by an innings and 201 Chandimal is our reserve wick- the Sri Lankan second innings dle session with Sangakkara’s Jayawardene, has now gone 26 (1w); Mathews 16-3-60-2; Herath 39-7-95-0; runs; Australia lead series 2-0. etkeeper and he’ll come into the ended at seven wickets down to unfortunate demise and Mathews innings in away Tests without Dilshan 12-1-38-1 Man-of-the-Match: Mitchell Johnson (AUS). team as a wicketkeeper-batsman.” complete a wretched Test. “We chopping the firebreathing making a half-century. AFP AFP Maxwell replaces Kiwis rest Bracewell for Yuvraj blitz helps India Watson for third Test Proteas ODIs MELBOURNE: All-rounder Selectors have the choice level Twenty20 series Glenn Maxwell was drafted in between Melbourne man-of-the- QUEENSLAND: New Zealand to replace the injured Shane match Mitchell Johnson, fellow have left Doug Bracewell out of AHMEDABAD: India squared Watson in a 13-man Australian left-armer Mitchell Starc, Hobart their 15-man squad for a one- the two-match Twenty20 squad named yesterday for next Test Man-of-the-Match Peter day international series in South International series 1-1, beat- week’s final Test against Sri Siddle and newcomer Jackson Africa to manage the seamer’s ing Pakistan by 11 runs in the Lanka in Sydney. Bird to share the new ball in workload, the country’s cricket second encounter at the Sardar Maxwell, 24, gets a chance to Sydney. board said yesterday. Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad make his Test debut after playing “Maxwell comes into the squad The selectors had retained 11 yesterday. four one-day internationals and as the all-rounder. So it’s a squad members from the Twenty20 A career-best 72 by Yuvraj India’s Yuvraj seven Twenty20 internationals for of 13 and we’ll wait and see what squad that lost the three-match Singh, who was also adjudged the Singh hits the his country. the conditions are like in Sydney,” series against South Africa 2-1, Man-of-the-Match, helped India ball during his Watson is unavailable for the said Clarke, one of five national New Zealand Cricket said. post a formidable 192 for five in side’s innings dead rubber after suffering a calf selectors. The Brendon McCullum-led 20 overs. in the T20 muscle injury while bowling in “I think the other all-rounder side will play a three-match ODI Pakistan managed 181 for match against Australia’s innings and 201-run is Mitchell Johnson as he showed series after two Tests. seven in 20 overs after skipper Pakistan in victory in the second Melbourne with the bat in this game. “We’re keen to show consist- Mohammed Hafeez top-scored Ahmedabad, Test, which handed them the “So we’ve got options. If we ency in selection for our short- with 55, his second consecutive yesterday. series. think the wicket’s going to spin form side and retain the nucleus half-century. Hafeez was declared Usman Khawaja remains on we have the option of Maxwell, of the squad who competed in the Man-of the-Series. standby in case skipper Michael if we think there will be enough T20 series along with four players Put in, the Indian middle-order Clarke is not fully fit from a ham- in there to play four fast bowlers from the last ODI series against put on a sterling show and atoned string strain he picked up in the and a spinner, we have Johnson.” Sri Lanka,” selection manager for their dismal performance in first Test win over Sri Lanka in Australia squad: Michael Kim Littlejohn said. the first Twenty20 in Bangalore. Hobart. Clarke (captain), David Warner, Bracewell was omitted with a Yuvraj smashed seven sixes Maxwell has scored 860 runs at Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Mike view to “managing his workload” and four fours during his 36-ball 40.95 with one century and taken Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Glenn said coach Mike Hesson. innings. Skipper Mahendra Singh 25 wickets at 33.72 with his right- Maxwell, Matthew Wade, “The decision to leave Doug Dhoni (33), Ajinkya Rahane (28) hand off breaks in 14 Sheffield Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Bracewell out of the ODI squad and Virat Kohli (27) also came Scoreboard Shield matches for Victoria since Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, is in line with our policy to sen- up with valuable knocks. Pakistan INDIA Ahmed Shehzad st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh ..... 31 his first-class debut last season. Jackson Bird. AFP sibly manage player workloads,” pacer Umar Gul picked up four Gautam Gambhir lbw Umar Gul ...... 21 Umar Akmal b Dinda ...... 24 Hesson said yesterday. for 37. Ajinkya Rahane c&b Umar Gul ...... 28 Mohammad Hafeez c Raina b Dinda ...... 55 “He has a big role to play in the India pacer Ashok Dinda (3/36) Australian Virat Kohli (run out-Saeed Ajmal) ...... 27 Shahid Afridi c Rohit b Kumar ...... 11 test series against South Africa bowled an excellent spell in the cricket team Yuvraj Singh c Shoaib Malik b Umar Gul .....72 Kamran Akmal c Kohli b Dinda ...... 5 and will benefit from the oppor- death overs to restrict Pakistan. member Mahendra Dhoni b Umar Gul ...... 33 Shoaib Malik (not out) ...... 3 tunity to freshen up ahead of the Dinda picked up two wickets in Suresh Raina (not out) ...... 1 Umar Gul c Yuvraj b Ishant ...... 5 Michael home series against England,” he the penultimate over giving away Hussey (left) Rohit Sharma (not out) ...... 4 Extras (LB-2, W-4) ...... 6 added. just eight runs when Pakistan Extras (LB-5, NB-1) ...... 6 Total (for 7 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 181 plays cricket Squad: Brendon McCullum needed 20 to win. with his son Total (for 5 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 192 Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-84, 3-146, 4-163, (captain), Corey Anderson, Pakistan got off to a good start Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-53, 3-88, 4-185, 5-187 5-168, 6-172, 7-181 William (centre) Trent Boult, James Franklin, with Nasir Jamshed (41) and Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 4-0-20-0; Sohail Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-46-1; Is- and daughter Martin Guptill, Roneel Hira, Ahmed Shehzad (31) adding 74 Tanvir 4-0-44-0; Umar Gul 4-0-37-4; Saeed hant Sharma 4-0-34-1; Ashok Dinda 4-0-36- Jasmin, at the Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan runs for the first wicket. Ajmal 4-0-42-0; Shahid Afridi 3-0-33-0; Mo- 3; Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-28-1; Suresh Melbourne McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam The Pakistani top-order got hammad Hafeez 1-0-11-0. Raina 2-0-12-0; Yuvraj Singh 2-0-23-1. Milne, Colin Munro, Jimmy good starts but none of the bats- Cricket PAKISTAN Result: India won by 11 runs. Neesham, Rob Nicol, BJ Watling, men could go on to score a big Ground. Nasir Jamshed c Kohli b Ashwin ...... 41 Man-of-the-Match: Yuvraj Singh. Kane Williamson. REUTERS innings. IANS DECEMBER 29, 2012 Break Time www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 ON SATURDAY CINEMA LISTINGS TV LISTINGS

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HYPER C RSO S W O RD

123456 789101112131415161718 3 Snoop, e.g. 58 Untruths 4 “… ___ quit!” 60 Garnierite, for nickel 19 20 21 22 5 Pepper and Friday: Abbr. 61 It’s good for “absolutely 23 24 25 26 6 One clapping at a circus? nothing” according to a 27 28 29 30 7 Comedy specialty 1970 hit 62 Sweaters’ place 31 32 33 34 35 36 8 Biting 65 Christmas hanging 37 38 39 40 41 42 9 Comfort ___ 10 Sponsorship: Var. 70 Sounds of hesitation 43 44 45 46 47 11 Not smooth-talk? 71 Field call 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 12 Company with a “beep- 72 Abbr. on some license plates 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 beep” in its ads 76 Wing: Prefix 64 65 66 67 68 13 Responses of contempt 14 Team whose logo features 77 Pro Football Hall-of-Famer 69 70 71 72 73 a bat in a hat Michael 74 75 76 77 15 No. after a no. 80 The Beatles’ “___ Mine” 81 It’s on top of piles 78 79 80 81 82 83 16 Assertion 17 Turn 90°, say 82 Columnist Bombeck 84 85 86 87 88 Yesterday’s answer 18 Have a goal 85 Dude ranch nickname 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 24 Bergman’s role in 88 When tripled, a “Seinfeld” catchphrase How to play Hyper Sudoku: 98 99 100 101 102 103 “Casablanca” 90 Satan, with “the” A Hyper Sudoku Puzzle is solved by filling the numbers from 1 to 9 into the blank cells. A Hyper 104 105 106 107 108 25 Is sick with 92 Ambulance letters Sudoku has unlike Sudoku 13 regions (four regions overlap with the nine standard regions). In all 30 Separating machine 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 93 Like Joan of Arc regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is solved like 32 ___’acte 117 118 119 120 95 More like a slug a normal Sudoku. 34 Snicker part 121 122 123 124 36 Reclined 96 U.S. tennis player Oudin 97 Gives, as homework 125 126 127 128 38 “Is ___ joke?” How to play Kakuro: 39 For one 98 Chest part The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any 40 “Our Town” family 99 How haunted houses creak size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells ACROSS 73 French suffix 41 Prefix in hematology 100 Blow one’s stack like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, 1 See above 74 Critical comments 45 What a penguin doesn’t 102 Bikini blasts some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some 7 Slicker, in a way 75 ___ culpa really wear 103 Copenhagen, e.g. cells will contain two numbers. 12 “… so long ___ both shall live?” 76 2005 “Survivor” setting 46 Deleterious precipitation 105 Country that’s just 8 square However, in a crossword the numbers reference 16 Youth grp. 77 Not superficial 49 Prestigious West Coast miles in area clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! 19 Bit of excitement 78 “___ would seem” school, for short 106 Leadership org. opposed to the G.O.P. They denote the total of the digits in the row or 20 Japanese comics style 79 Wordsmith 50 Race that takes a northern 111 Island instruments, for column referenced by the number. 21 Have ___ to grind 83 Results of some rushes, for short trail in even years and a southern trail in odd years short Within each 22 Cries of a toe-stubber 84 Ltr. accompaniers 52 Neither here nor there? 112 Classical attire collection of cells 23 JAIL OR FINE 86 Bro 54 Prepared, as some tuna 114 Party bowlfuls - called a run - any 26 Edge 87 Audacious 55 Warren : rabbits :: couch : 115 State of ill humor of the numbers 1 27 Grown-___ 89 Pool surface ___ 118 “Law & Order: ___” to 9 may be used 28 Staff connections 91 Some riding mowers 56 A parking garage may have 119 Ash holder but, like sudoku, 29 “Carrie” star 94 Noxious atmosphere special pricing for it 120 Shine, in ads each number may 30 Year Attila the Hun was born 98 Mercury and Saturn 57 Home of the U.S.’s last only be used once. 31 Figure on an electric bill 101 Birthday cake toppers active nickel mine 33 Chris ___, player of Mr. Big on “Sex 104 Endorse Yesterday’s and the City” 107 Jedi foes, in “Star Wars” 35 Excuse maker, maybe AGRA SKOAL BOONE VOL answer 108 Is indisposed FELON VANYA ARROW ETO 37 Perspectives 109 Goya’s field ROASTTURKEY SCARECROW 42 Sound city 110 Mr. ___ of advertising OLDISH APS REALM RIOT 43 Kitt who sang “Santa Baby” 113 Desiderata TILE ESO IRED FELLA HAYSTACK RECORDPLAYER 44 Tarzan’s simian sidekick 116 Printemps month Baby Blues By Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman TARRED GONDOLAS 47 ___ spell 117 2006 Nintendo debut ONT PTA I VAN ANAPESTS 48 Actress Christina 118 Couple-swapping FERRI SWHEEL I STS AI R 51 Lee who got a kick out of acting? 121 1976 album “Olé ___” TWEEN LECT ERN MT E TNA 53 “You are mistaken!” 122 Zig or zag LEST SPAT ETTU OLEG 56 Trail P I STOL SEASONS CLEON 123 It may be snowy ANA ETAT COTTONCANDY 59 Putting in a carton 124 Board as a group REPROVAL SODA T I A SSE 63 Bygone name in hair removal 125 Rembrandt van ___ IMALOSER LIOTTA 64 Salivation cause 126 Language from which “loot” comes RUBBERCEMENT MURAL I ST 66 Turkish money UN I ON APSE ERA BOHR 127 Smooths, in a way ERGS I MACS RCA TEEN I E 67 ___ spell 128 Stashes F I RETRUCK CRANBERR I ES 68 Exam for a Wharton applicant: Abbr. DOWN UP I ROCHE COMI C I TALS 69 Himalayan legend 1 Bedamn LEG I NKED CRETE SAND 70 Come out with 2 Mexico’s largest lake ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 71 PC insert DECEMBER 29, 2012 ON SATURDAY 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Morning Break

PRAYER TIME Jumbo soccer

Fajr (Dawn) 4:57 Shorook (Sunrise) 6:18 Zuhr (Noon) 11:36 Asr (Afternoon) 2:33 Maghrib (Sunset) 4:54 Isha (Night) 6:24

WEATHER

Today Sunday Monday Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Misty to foggy at first High: 23° High: 23° High: 23° over places Low: 19° Low: 18° Low: 17° becoming partly cloudy with chance of light rain at places.

DOHA - SUN & SEA SUN TIDE SEA SUNRISE | SUNSET HIGH | LOW WIND 06:19 16:53 16.45 22.45 08-18 KT

THE REGION TODAY TOMORROW

HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER

MUSCAT 21/15 Mostly sunny 22/15 Mostly sunny MAKKAH 31/20 Mostly sunny 30/20 Mostly sunny KUWAIT 18/12 Mostly sunny 19/14 Partly sunny Elephants play an exhibition soccer match during the final day of the Elephant Race event at Sauraha in Chitwan, about 170km south of Kathmandu BAHRAIN 22/18 Chance of rain 22/17 Mostly sunny yesterday. Elephants and mahouts from Chitwan participated in the Elephant Race event which involved elephants playing an exhibition soccer SANAA 22/05 Mostly sunny 23/05 Clear match and taking part in various other sporting activities. RIYADH 18/08 Clear 20/10 Mostly sunny DUBAI 24/16 Clear 24/17 Clear BAGHDAD 17/08 Mostly sunny 16/10 Clear THE WORLD TODAY TOMORROW Pique irks media with Shakira birth prank HI/LO WEATHER HI/LO WEATHER MADRID: Barcelona defender birth: “Our boy has already been letting fans know it was a joke excited” by Pique’s first message. ATHENS 14/12 Rain 13/11 Rain Gerard Pique irked much born! We are very happy! Thank in a second message: “He already “But don’t get carried away like WASHINGTON 04/-1 Snow 03/-2 Rain the world’s media yesterday you all for your messages!” has a name! He is called Innocent! we did,” the paper advised readers. SYDNEY 23/18 Mostly sunny 23/15 Chance of rain by announcing his girlfriend But the message came on the Happy Day of the Innocents to “It’s all thought to be a big prank.” LONDON 12/06 Rain 12/11 Mostly sunny Colombian pop star Shakira had “Day of the Innocents” when peo- all!” Spain’s leading newspaper El PARIS 13/07 Partly sunny 11/08 Mostly sunny given birth — but then revealing ple in Spain play practical jokes Britain’s Daily Mirror said in Pais was equally unimpressed, ISTANBUL 11/05 Chance of rain 09/04 Rain it was a prank. on each other, and strangely there its online gossip column: “We’re running the headline: “Shakira MANILA 31/24 Mostly sunny 32/24 Mostly sunny Pique, expected to become a was no confirmation of the happy not very happy with Gerard Pique and Pique are parents... of the DHAKA 24/13 Mostly sunny 24/13 Clear father within months, announced news from Shakira. today.” worst joke of the year.” DELHI 21/07 Clear 18/07 Clear on Twitter that Shakira had given Later Pique seemed to be The news site said it “got all AFP ISLAMABAD 15/06 Chance of rain 18/06 Clear Matt Damon tackles ‘fracking’ in Promised Land Madonna builds 10

LOS ANGELES: The hot- Damon has primarily been asso- button topic of “fracking” ciated with longtime friend and schools in Malawi has finally made its way to collaborator Ben Affleck, both Hollywood in the new movie of whom won Oscars for writing BLANTYRE, Malawi: David Banda under controversial “Promised Land,” out in US “Good Will Hunting.” Former Material Girl Madonna circumstances and two years later theatres yesterday, with actors Damon later become a col- has built 10 primary schools in adopted another child, Mercy James. Matt Damon (pictured) and league and friend to a number of Malawi this year, her charity Her charity, Raising Malawi, has John Krasinski teaming up key Hollywood players, including announced yesterday. poured millions of dollars in sup- to further the debate on the George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Two years after abandoning port of orphanages and a network energy drilling technique. with whom he co-starred in the a $15m girls academy, the pop of orphan care service providers. The film explores the social “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise. diva said projects this year would Malawi is ranked by the UN impact of hydraulic fracturing Krasinski, 33, is best known educate 4,871 children in the tiny Human Development Index as drilling technique, or “fracking,” for playing sardonic Jim Halpert southern African country. one of the world’s 20 least devel- which has sparked nation-wide on NBC’s long-running tel- The projects were carried out oped countries and 39 percent of environmental and political bat- evision series, “The Office,” and by her charity Raising Malawi its 13 million citizens live below tles over its impact on drinking has had occasional support- and the global non-profit buildOn. the poverty line, on less than a water, US energy use, seismic ing roles in films such as 2008’s “I am overjoyed that my com- dollar a day. activity and other areas. “Leatherheads.” mitment along with buildOn’s Unicef estimates that only 26 “Promised Land” will see Damon and Krasinski came to help educate the children of percent of boys and 16 percent Damon, 42, reunite with direc- together after meeting through Malawi has come to fruition,” of girls complete primary school tor Gus Van Sant for the third Krasinski’s wife, Emily Blunt, Madonna said in a statement because of poverty and the long time, following their success with who co-starred with Damon in issued by her charity. distances travelled to reach schools. 1997 film “Good Will Hunting and Damon also co-wrote and pro- wanted to make a movie about the 2011 film “The Adjustment “In a country where girls have Madonna controversially stopped 2002’s “Gerry.” duced, doesn’t take a noticeable the country today, where we came Bureau.” Damon said he and his little opportunity for education, the construction of the state-of-the- In their latest film, Damon stance on “fracking.” The actor from, where we are and where we wife started double-dating with it’s additionally inspiring to know art $15m Raising Malawi Academy plays a corporate salesman who would not publicly state his own are headed,” Damon said. Krasinski and Blunt, through that more than half the students for Girls-RMAG- in Chinkhota vil- goes to a rural US town to buy views, telling that he didn’t think “‘Fracking’ was perfect because which their collaboration on attending will be young girls. lage, 15km from Lilongwe, after it or lease land on behalf of a gas his opinion had “any bearing” on the stakes are so incredibly high “Promised Land” came about. “The fact that more than 4,800 was mired in allegations of financial company looking to drill for oil. the film. and people are so divided. It asks The duo’s busy work sched- children in Malawi will get to go mismanagement. He soon faces opposition from a “The point is that the movie all the questions about short- ules forced them to moonlight to school next year is a tremen- The academy, styled on the slick environmentalist, played by should start a conversation. It’s term thinking versus long-term on weekends to make “Promised dous step forward for their indi- lines of the one built by TV host Krasinski. certainly not a pro-fracking thinking.” Land.” “John showed up at my vidual growth and the growth of Oprah Winfrey in South Africa, In real life, Damon hasn’t shied movie, but we didn’t want to tell Hydraulic fracturing entails house every Saturday at break- Malawi,” Madonna added. had been meant to offer 500 away from getting involved in people what to think,” Damon pumping water laced with chem- fast and we would write all day The schools, which had been scholarships to girls from poor political and social issues, working said. The actor said he and icals and sand at high pres- until dinner,” Damon said. “Then scheduled to be built over 18 backgrounds. with charities and organisations Krasinski never set out to make sure into shale rock formations we’d do it again on Sunday. I have months, were completed six In abandoning the project, to eradicate Aids in developing a socially conscious film, and to break them up and unleash four kids so he would come to me.” months ahead of schedule. Madonna said the academy would countries, bringing attention “fracking” was added in later, as hydrocarbons. Critics worry that But Damon’s determination to The charity said six of the not be adequate as two-thirds of to atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur a backdrop to the story. “fracking” fluids or hydrocarbons make the film his feature direc- schools are already in use and all the girls were not educated beyond region, providing safe drinking “It wasn’t that we said we can still leak into water tables torial debut fell though when his 10 would be up and running in primary school. Instead, she said, water and stopping trees from wanted to make a movie about from wells, or above ground. acting schedule changed, making January 2013 for the first day of she wanted to reach “thousands being chopped and used for junk ‘fracking’ as much as we wanted At first glance, the pairing of it impossible to direct “Promised school in the New Year. and not hundreds of girls” by con- mail. to make a movie about American Damon with Krasinski may not Land,” so he turned to Van Sant. Madonna is no stranger to structing several schools. Yet “Promised Land,” which identity, about real people. We come across as the perfect fit, as REUTERS Malawi. In 2006 she adopted toddler AFP

Jumper knitted by Suu Kyi fetches $50,000 at auction

YANGON: A colourful woolly radio station Shwe FM late on Yangon, or while overseas before But a member of Suu Kyi’s secu- League for Democracy party. “We details of what it was. jumper knitted by Myanmar Thursday as part of a fundrais- she returned to Myanmar to rity team said she made it while will use the money to help troubled The Nobel Peace Prize winner democracy icon Aung San Suu ing event, organised by Suu Kyi’s embark on her freedom struggle. under house arrest at the hands Myanmar migrants in other coun- spent almost two decades under Kyi has fetched nearly $50,000 opposition party, for education “She made it more than 25 of Myanmar’s then ruling generals. tries, poor schools and those who house arrest in Yangon during her at a charity auction in Yangon, projects. years ago in England,” Ko Ni, a The money raised from the sale live in areas where it is difficult to democracy struggle, and has spo- aides of the Nobel laureate said Those close to Suu Kyi gave close aide of Suu Kyi, said. will fund a series of education access the education,” he said. ken of relying on meditation and on Friday. conflicting views on whether “I do not know exactly when. schemes, according to Phyo Min Another item handmade by the BBC World Service to help The red, green and blue she knitted the garment during Some of her belongings have Thein, an auction organiser as well Suu Kyi will be auctioned on cope with the years of isolation. V-neck was bought by private her long years of house arrest in arrived from England recently.” as lawmaker for Suu Kyi’s National Friday, he added, without giving AFP