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Sunday 23 December 2012 10 Safar 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5557 Price: QR2

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Omanis vote in local polls Qatar to launch Hotel invites Nanny Training Academy in April

DOHA: An institute to train controversial women in childcare is set to open in April next year. The Qatar Nanny Training Academy is an initiative of H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. Ukrainian DJs The academy will seek to con- tribute to human resources devel- opment in Qatar by providing educational and training services Duo Diamonds to perform on Dec 25 in the field of childcare that are in keeping with the country’s Qatari BY ISABEL OVALLE table by paying QR1,000 ($274) and Islamic identity. The academy upfront. will provide courses in fields rang- DOHA: A luxury hotel here Membership cards are issued for ing from hygiene and nutrition to has lined up a show on the the ‘lounge’ for QR100 to women entertaining children and first aid Christmas Day of a pair of and for QR200 to men and they are The academy’s founding com- young Ukrainian women disc valid for six months. To reserve a mittee held a press conference jockeys (DJs) who is known table in the said lounge one must yesterday, which was addressed for semi-nude photo shoots for pay QR1,000 any day of the year. by Rabia Kerzabi, the head of the some of erotic men’s magazines A web search suggests “Duo An Omani woman casts her vote at a polling station in the Al Khaburah district yesterday. Omanis went to the committee, Amal Abdullatif Al published from the West. Diamonds are one of the most polls for the sultanate’s first ever local elections but the 192 councillors to be elected will have only advisory Mannai and Abdul Rahman Al The twosome goes by the name popular and actively performing powers. See also page 13 Mulla, both members of the com- of ‘Duo Diamonds’ and a web girl DJs and have visited over 20 mittee, and Bushra Al Nehaily, search reveals that they play countries”. academic director of the academy. house music and perform with Originally from Kiev, Duo Kerzabi said the academy will scanty clothing. They have per- Diamonds have been on the cover work to attract female students to formed in the UAE and Jordan of a Russian adult magazine ‘XXL’ its 10-month training programme and Qatar is the third Arab and and took part in anniversary cel- Bag disrupts designed to produce qualified nan- Islamic country to be hosting ebrations of Moscow’s FHM mag- Qatar-Bahrain causeway nies for Qatari and Arab house- them. azine, a publication that targets bus services holds. The nannies will earn a The hotel that is organising male audiences. They have also certificate attesting to their abil- the event has promised a ‘vibrant taken part in photo shoots for DOHA: A security threat hoax faces delay, says minister ity to bring up children in keeping night’ with ‘unique and exclusive’ other magazines targeting men at the bus terminal off Grand with Qatari and Islamic traditions. BY JABER AL-HARAMI disc jockeys to its patrons in its such as ‘Guts’ from France and Hamad Street late last evening was actually a move to topple Al Mulla said the strategy under- announcement for Christmas cel- ‘Loaded’ from Ukraine. disrupted Mowasalat bus serv- its monarchy and replace it with taken by the academy is based on ebrations on December 25. It is not known if the Qatar ices for close to an hour-and-a- DOHA: The proposed multi- a republic, and accused neigh- partnerships with international The identity of the contro- Tourism Authority (QTA) is half, eye witnesses said. billion dollar Qatar-Bahrain boring Iran of being behind the experts in the field of childcare. He versial DJs has been kept a aware of the show but it has urged The police descended on the causeway project has run into conspiracy. said the academy will offer its serv- secret by the hotel as it prob- foreigners, including visitors and terminus after they were under- rough weather due to escalat- Tehran, he said, was under ices to students free of charge. ably wants those who turn up for expatriates, to ‘dress modestly’ in standably informed that a brief- ing costs and is now expected to pressure due to the Syrian crisis According to Al Mannai, the the Christmas celebrations to be public in line with the country’s case was seen kept for hours on be ready only a little before the and was trying to deflect atten- goal of the academy is to protect ‘pleasantly surprised’. customs and traditions. end below a bench meant for 2022 FIFA World Cup. tion. Sheikh Khalid also blamed children from the influence of However, a hotel official did The QTA last November joined waiting commuters. The cost of the project, accord- some international forces and other cultures, which is spreading confirm in remarks to this a campaign waged by a group of A police search party, according ing to Bahrain, soared in the organizations, as well as “individu- in the society through Asian nan- reporter that the ‘unique and Qatari writers on local social net- to eye witnesses, came there with aftermath of the world finan- als in Iraq”, and said they were nies, in particular. She said train- exclusive’ DJs set to perform on working sites calling on non-citizens sniffer dogs and cordoned off the cial turbulence so it has been trying to soil his country’s image ing Arab nannies in childcare that the ‘vibrant night’ of December to respect Qatar’s traditions and entire area for a while and even- referred for a review. “After the by spreading propaganda that the is in keeping with Qatari and 25 are none other than the ‘Duo values and follow the dress code as tually discovered that the brief- onset of the world financial crisis uprising was genuine and the gov- Islamic traditions was of immense Diamonds’. enshrined in the Qatari laws. case that raised the suspicion of we discovered that the cost of the ernment in Manama was acting in importance. THE PENINSULA The show that is sure to raise The drive was backed by Article security threat might have been project was very high, so we are a repressive manner. eyebrows in Qatar’s conservative 57 of the Qatari Constitution that left away by a commuter. reviewing the project and waiting Bahraini people have always Beijing transit society is set to be held in a par- prohibits wearing ‘indecent cloth- Buses coming in from different for its findings,” Bahrain’s foreign been demanding constitutional ticular ‘lounge’ of the hotel. There ing’ in public and explained what routes were made to wait outside minister has said. rights but never before have they visa for Qataris is no special fee for the event. exactly is considered inappropri- the terminus for as long as the The question now is what made a call for replacing the mon- Entry is free to the ‘lounge’ for ate, the QTA had said while join- search went on. Life turned to nor- the cost of the project would be, archy, he said. DOHA: China will grant visa- those who hold a membership ing the campaign. malcy after the search was over. and when the work would begin, Talking about the proposed free stay of up to 72 hours to card, while guests can reserve a THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al GCC Union, he said the priority Qatari citizens transiting via Khalifa said in an interview to Al of the member-countries at this Beijing Capital Airport, with Sharq. stage was to finalise mechanisms effect from January 1, 2013, an Speaking on the sidelines of for defence cooperation since a official source at the Consular Fiery volcano GCC foreign ministers’ meet- neighbouring country (a veiled Affairs Department of Qatar’s Egyptian VP quits ing in Manama, Sheikh Khalid reference to Iran) had a nuclear Foreign Ministry has said. said Qatar had already listed the programme. In order to get the transit visa, amid second round causeway project as part of mega “We don’t know its aim yet and Qatari citizens must present their 2022-linked development projects. we don’t know what type of tech- air tickets and register their state- of referendum “So the causeway will, of course, nology is being used. And even if ment at a security centre on the see the light of day.” we presume that the programme first day of their arrival in Beijing. CAIRO: Egyptians voted yes- But only a little before the 2022 is for peaceful purposes, a nuclear Their stay will be confined to the terday in the second round of a World Cup, he hinted. plant could lead to crises and we city of Beijing, which must also be referendum expected to approve The foreign minister said that could be the victims,” said Sheikh their port of departure, the source an Islamist-drafted constitution the uprising Bahrain witnessed Khalid. Continued on page 8 told Qatar News Agency. that lays foundations for a transi- QNA tion to democracy but is criticised as divisive by the opposition. Queues formed at some polling stations around the country and voting was extended by four hours to 11pm (2100 GMT). Last week’s Scribe criticises Aljazeera Mubashar first round of voting gave a 57 per- cent vote in favour of the constitu- tion, according to unofficial figures. DOHA: A former Egyptian Aljazeera Mubashar resumed three of his interview series aired Just hours before polls closed, information minister says he had its operations after Mursi rode last Thursday. “I am not against Vice President Mahmoud Mekky ordered the closure of Aljazeera’s to power and its studio that looks media freedom, but you cannot announced his resignation, say- Egyptian channel in September down right at Tahrir Square expect a foreign media organiza- ing he wanted to quit last month 2011 during the transitional gov- was attacked and ransacked on tion having a foothold in Egypt to but stayed on to help President ernment after Honsi Mubarak’s November 22 this year by anti- serve Egypt’s interests.” Mohammed Mursi tackle a crisis fall since it had no licence to Mursi protesters. Although no He said Saudi Arabia had three that blew up when the Islamist operate and had become a voice one was injured in the attack, radio stations in Egypt and that leader assumed wide powers. of Muslim Brotherhood. three people had been charged for his view on the issue was the same In his resignation letter, Mekky “Aljazeera Mubashar (Live) the crime. While two of them have as it was on Aljazeera Mubashar. said that although he had held on in Egypt was canvassing for been booked, one is still at large. Haikal who appeared on a the post he had “realised for some Mohammed Mursi (who is from Meanwhile, in a series of inter- weekly Aljazeera show, said he time that the nature of political the Brotherhood). It was gar- views to Egyptian TV station CBC raised the issue with Sheikh work did not suit my professional nering public support for him,” (Capital Broadcasting Centre) Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, background as a judge”. However, said Osama Haikal, who was one of Egypt’s most respected chairman of the board of direc- the timing of Mekky’s resignation information minister in Egypt’s journalists, Mohamed Hasnain tors of Aljazeera Network. appeared linked to the fact there is A view of the Copahue volcano spewing ash behind the lagoon of transitional government after Haikal, said he was not in favor The interviewer told Haikal no vice-presidential post under the Caviahue, Neuquen province, Argentina, some 1,500km southwest of Mubarak’s ouster. of foreign TV stations setting no wonder Aljazeera Mubashar draft constitution. Also, an official Buenos Aires, yesterday. The authorities of Chile and Argentina issued “I simply applied the law. up channels devoted entirely to was so influential that it accessed denied a report that the central The Channel had no license to Egypt. breaking news in Egypt even yellow alerts due to the eruption of the Copahue volcano, placed in bank governor, Farouk El Okdah, operate in Egypt,” Haikal told “I will never accept Aljazeera before the state news agency had the border between both countries. had resigned. REUTERS Egypt’s Al Tahrir TV channel Mubashar operating in our an inkling of what’s going on. See also page 13 in an interview. midst,” Haikal told CBC in part THE PENINSULA

SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 03 Kahramaa campaign to promote conservation

DOHA: Qatar General 2030. Kahramaa, represented customers to raise their aware- Electricity and Water by Conservation and Energy ness of water and energy effi- Corporation (Kahramaa) has Efficiency Department, aims to ciency. It will also educate people launched an awareness cam- educate customers on violations of Conservation Law No. 26, paign under the theme of “your that bring fines as per the law. warn against violations and fines, commitment makes a dif- It is also meant to establish the and procedures taken in case of ference” to make customers principles provided for in the law. violations. aware of Conservation law No. The aim of the campaign is The most noticeable fre- 26. to raise awareness about the quent violations are using pota- Kahramaa said in a press value of reducing consumption ble water for washing cars or statement that the move is to and achieving the optimal use of cleaning building yards by a promote the culture of conser- resources. It also highlights the hose or any other flushing tools, vation and optimal use of elec- negative impacts of unreasonable not repairing damaged, broken tricity and water to achieve consumption. or leaking parts of an internal sustainable environmental devel- The campaign stresses water network (taps, pipes etc) opment, which is one of the four Kahramaa’s commitment to and leaving outdoor lights on pillars of Qatar National Vision provide technical advice for from 7am to 4.30pm. QNA SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME More visitors at Medical Commission Commission reports steady decline in illnesses after health check-ups were introduced in home countries

DOHA: The number of visitors “We are still witnessing a huge we have seen a decline in serious at the Medical Commission influx of newly recruited foreign illnesses detected among newly has increased by 70 to 80 per- workers,” said Al Shaar, adding recruited workers, as a result cent daily after it introduced that the facility was able to man- of the check ups in home coun- evening shifts in November age the rush, with the extended tries,” said Al Shaar. last year, a senior official said working hours and an increase He, however, added that home yesterday. in the number of staff. country checks up is still not fully The facility that conducts the He said the Commission has implemented in all the countries mandatory medical check up for seen a steady decline in illnesses included in the scheme. newly recruited foreign work- detected during the examina- The rule applies to job seekers ers and other newcomers cur- tions, after health check up in from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, rently works from 7am to 8pm home countries for job seekers Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, continuously. from several Asian and African Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, “Earlier we used to get about countries was made mandatory Ethiopia, Syria and Eritrea. 1,700 visitors daily. After we early this year. The system that was in vogue started the evening shifts, we Newly recruited workers from several years ago was reintro- have been getting from 2,500 11 Asian and African countries duced as a precaution against to 3,000 visitors every day,” Dr are required to undergo the the spread of contagious dis- Ibrahim Al Shaar, Director of check up in home countries eases in the country, with a rapid the Medical Commission told before their departure to Qatar. increase in the number of for- The Peninsula yesterday. The rule was introduced in eigners being recruited to work The Medical Commission until February this year. The Medical here. now this year has screened about Commission conducts a second The tests focus mainly on HIV/ 600,000 foreigners, including check up after the workers Aids, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B newly recruited workers, families arrive in Qatar. and Hepatitis C. The Medical Commission in Abu Hamour. and visitors, he added. “Over the past few months, THE PENINSULA

Dr Al Hendawi receives fellowship from SFS-Q DOHA: The Centre for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) has awarded Dr Maha Al Hendawi (pictured), Assistant professor of Special Education in the College of Education at Qatar University (QU) a CIRS Fellowship. This follows the recent launch by CIRS of an annual fellowship to be awarded to a member of QU faculty, in order to enhance local research productivity and build on its established collegial relationship with QU. Mehran Kamrava, Director at CIRS said, “This fellowship adds a new dimension to our partnership with QU and ena- bles both of our institutions to benefit from the dynamic research environment that is being created.” The fellowship awarded by CIRS will support QU fac- ulty members in pursuing original research projects, with the aim being to publish research outcomes in leading journals or with university presses. Dr Al Hendawi said: “I am most grateful for this invalu- able opportunity to engage this year in scholarly endeav- ours with CIRS at SFS-Q. I believe this collaboration will not only benefit the two universities but will also strengthen the research environment to support Qatar’s vision.” THE PENINSULA

QIIB launches advanced customer care service

DOHA: The Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) has launched an advanced customer care service cen- tre. The call centre number is 4484 0000. The bank, in a statement issued yesterday, said the new facility would work round the clock on seven days a week. If the line is busy, the call centre will get back to the caller within 15 minutes. The new facility offers QIIB customers a range of services including transfer of funds, paying Qtel and Kahramaa bills. The customers need to register their details to avail the new facility. THE PENINSULA

Academic education should start early: Poll

DOHA: Respondents to a poll conducted by the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) have said that academic education should start early in childhood. More than 3,000 people, mostly educationalists, gave their opinion on five key educational topics in the 2012 WISE polls. Forty-nine percent of the respond- ents agreed that academic education should start in early childhood, while 47 percent of them rejected the idea in the online poll. The poll also sought the respondents’ views on investment in education, building educators’ capac- ity, job markets and access to primary education. The poll was conducted to coincide with the fourth WISE summit held in November in Doha, under the theme Collaborating for Change, with the participation of more than 1,000 prominent educations and corporate, political and social leaders from over 100 countries. Achieving universal access to primary education is the single most important priority in education, according to 45 percent of the respondents to the poll. The poll results also revealed that 51 percent of the respondents said the single most effective investment in education was to strengthen continuing profes- sional development. Among the 3,000 respondents, an average of 76 percent said that building educators’ capacity to inno- vate was a key priority for innovation in education. Preparing learners for job markets is a major goal of education, according to 46 percent of the respond- ents, while 38 percent of them rejected the opinion. THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 05

Feroz Moideen, General Manager of Hyatt Plaza (standing third left) with staff and participants at the launch of the 1-Million-Tree Campaign on the occasion of Qatar National Day. Hyatt Plaza Launches 1-Million-Tree Campaign

mbracing Qatar’s them fresh life. Children helped vision for a healthy, parents as the whole campaign safe, friendly and took on a festival atmosphere. beautiful environ- Mr. Moideen highlighted the ment, the manage- fact that achievement of three mentE and staff of Hyatt Plaza core objectives will transform this Mall celebrated the Qatar campaign into a national vision: National Day by contributing pos- itively to the achievement of that ❑ Inculcate the spirit of tree vision. Launching the 1-Million- plantation in every home Tree Campaign on their premises, the General Manager of Hyatt ❑ Provide a ‘green touch’ to Plaza, Feroz Moideen, said: “We the massive concrete and salute the wise leadership and glass towers dotting the government of Qatar for hosting skyscape of Qatar the UN Climate change confer- ence in Doha as it opened our ❑ Encourage corporations and eyes towards our individual and organizations to sponsor corporate responsibility and pro- tree plantation campaign vided us the inspiration to con- value, hygienic kitchen areas, and everywhere tribute towards an environmental eating comfort. No wonder then friendly shopping experience and that the 1-Million-Tree plantation “We should all ask ourselves: ambience to our customers and took off from Hyatt Plaza Mall, a ‘As business owners what can we mall visitors.” name that has become synony- give to Qatar?’ The answer should Over the years the name Hyatt mous with being an ‘ideal family automatically be: ‘Anything that Plaza has become popular with destination’. makes Qatar the most beautiful those who value quality, safety, The drive is a major initiative of country in the world’. Going green and freedom of choice for them- the group of Sheikh Mohammad and planting one tree per person selves and their families. The Bin Talal Al Thani, and Hyatt or family is a great way to start. Jungle Zone theme children’s play Plaza management supported the We owe it to the leadership and area alone attracts over a quarter initiative by inviting staff and vol- people of Qatar to play our part in million little kids each year. The unteers to plant trees all along the beautification of the country. parents shop in complete con- tracks surrounding their large Hyatt Plaza management believes fidence of a secure and friendly parking area. The Qatar National in contributing to the society that environment around them offer- flag fluttered in the gentle breeze has made us successful. Now we ing the best of branded quality. as hundreds of different kinds of want all other malls in the coun- The food outlets conform to the trees and plants were placed into try to join us in this noble cause.” highest standards of nutritional the soil and water poured to give At the beginning of an exciting

day, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Talal onlookers. He expressed his total the country recognized its value Al Thani, put the shovel to the confidence in the initiative becom- to the entire society. ground and planted a sapling to ing an on-going passion if every At the conclusion of an exciting the great delight of hundreds of organization and corporation in day, special flowers were planted by all present. Teams and families planted their own “family tree” in specially designated areas. Placards prominently displayed their family names, type of tree or plant, and the date of plantation. They were told to take “owner- ship” of its continuous health and growth. Hyatt Plaza management deserves credit for creating “Family tree concept” where shoppers at the mall can plant a tree and give it their name. This will ensure both pride and responsibility as families can watch their “little child” grow into a “tall handsome tree” over the years. SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 06 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME

Pakistani hockey team in Doha

Dr Azmi Bishara addressing a seminar on the sidelines of the 23rd Doha International Book Fair on Thursday. Arab Spring

The Pakistani National Hockey team and officials with the Pakistani Ambassador Muhammad Sarfraz A Khanzada (centre) and the Managing Director of Qatar Lubricants Company (Qalco), Fawad Rana (fourth left), at the Pakistani embassy after a dinner hosted by Qalco yesterday. ABDUL BASIT states must agree on governance ‘Egypt will overcome crisis’

DOHA: The Arab revolutions could face serious set- backs if people in the respective countries fail to reach a consensus on the system of governance, a prominent Arab political researcher has warned. Addressing a seminar on the sidelines of the 23rd Doha International Book Fair on Thursday, Dr Azmi Bishara, former member of the Israeli Knesset and Director of the Doha-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies also said that the current debate in Egypt over the con- stitution could be a healthy indicator for democracy if it does not lead to deeper divisions in the Egyptian society. “We have to differentiate between two concepts in the Arab Spring countries that are moving toward a democratic change. The priority should be how to govern rather than who governs. The problem is that the sec- ond question has become foremost. People should reach a consensus on the system of governance,” said Bishara. He said he was confident that Egypt and Tunisia would overcome the problems they are currently facing because they already have established institutions that would enable them to differentiate between the above issues and take the side of the people. “But we have to be careful not to change the diversity of the political parties and not to create a divide in the society as it happened in early 90s in Algeria. Such expe- riences can easily make totalitarian regimes as a viable alternative,” he added. He reminded that it was the young generation, not the political parties that made the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia possible. “Those young people are not divided among political parties. They are divided among supporters of dictators and supporters of democracy and political freedom,” said Bishara. “The current dialogue over the constitution in Egypt is a healthy indicator because it is a good lesson for the nation. But getting divided across the communities is a problem we have to avoid,” said Bishara. “Having a consensus among the parties and the polit- ical power and on the principle of democracy is very important. The issue of majority and minority comes only next,” he added. The seminar titled “political changes in the light of the Arab revolutions,” was moderated by Dr Ali Al Kubaisi, head of the Arabic Department at Qatar University. THE PENINSULA

OAPEC praises Qatar for successful COP18 meet

CAIRO: The Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) ministerial council has hailed the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18), which took place in Doha from November 26 to December 8. In the final statement of OAPEC’s 89th session, which took place in Cairo, the council congratulated Qatar on the successful hosting and presidency of COP18, express- ing support for the Doha Gateway declaration. The statement recommended that the general secre- tariat would push ahead with efforts to follow up on the climate change and sustainable development negotiations, and continue its role in coordinating between member states so as to keep their petroleum interests. The 89th meeting had discussed the activities of the general secretariat in 2012, the technical and economic studies it worked on, preparations for the 10th Arab Energy Conference, scheduled to take place in 2014 in Lebanon, in addition to following up on the environment and climate change issues in the light of the United Nations Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. The meeting also agreed to convene next in Doha in December 2013, and that Saudi Arabia would take over presidency of the next session of the ministerial council and the executive bureau starting 2013. Petroleum ministers from eight Arab countries -- Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, UAE, Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Libya, along with OAPEC’s Secretary General Abbas Ali Al Naqi took part in the meeting. QNA SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 HOME www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 07

Some of the rare classics from the collection of Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Qassim bin Faisal Al Thani displayed at Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum. The collection of more than 200 cars is from the 50s and 60s and all of the cars are still road-worthy. Vintage car owners seek exhibition space ‘Setting up a permanent place to display beauties of a bygone era can make it a great tourist attraction’

DOHA: Vintage car owners in Qatari youngsters to take it up as Doha have suggested setting up their hobby. The exhibition was a permanent place to keep their an opportunity to promote the collections and make it a tourist motoring heritage and provide an attraction. experience to all classic car collec- The suggestion has been made I have a collection tors and fans as many people have visited the of 10 vintage cars; I The show had one of oldest recent vintage car exhibition among the collection such as held in the Corniche to mark the bought the first such a Morris 1930 model, the first National Day, reported an Arabic car in 1982. Many motorised vehicle in Qatar brought daily yesterday. people show keen by P T Cox and E W Shaw dur- “I have a collection of 10 vintage ing a geological survey here from cars; I bought the first such car interest on these 1932 to 1933. Also on show were in 1982. Many people visited the beauties. It is good 50s models of Humber, Red Dodge exhibition. It is good if there is a Power Wagon, Austin A65, Bedford specific place to keep and showcase if there is a specific K and Bedford RL among others these cars,” said Hussain Al Hajiri, place to keep and which were exclusively used by the a vintage car collector. showcase these. Qatar Petroleum company both for Vintage car exhibitions are held employees and visitors. in the country at different occa- The exhibition also showcases sions, and National Day is one luxury vehicles used to transport such events. Katara, the Cultural cars over new ones. As part of the royals such as heads of state, min- Village too held such an exhibition National Day celebrations, 27 clas- isters and other high ranking offi- recently. sic vehicles were showcased at the cials during their official visits to “It will be a good opportunity Corniche. the country in the 50s. These cars to attract more people, if all vin- The vintage car collection include Oldsmobile 98, Desoto Fire tage cars are kept in one place,” reflects the passion of some Flite convertible, Cadillac Series said Mohamed Al Marri, another Qatari individuals who enjoy col- 62, and Ford Galaxy 500. vintage car owner, who prefers old lecting old cars and encourages THE PENINSULA Some of the vintage cars displayed at the Katara Cultural Village. SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 08 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME E-books no threat to printed version: Al Attiyah

DOHA: The Doha International increased purchasing power B o ok Fa i r h a s b e c ome a n a n nu a l noticed at the book fairs in Doha and “important” event in the every year indicates the existence Arab region, said the Chairman of a tendency to read and learn of the Administrative Control while it proves that the electronic and Transparency Authority book will not replace the printed H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al book. Attiyah, pointing to the sig- The Doha Book Fair, he said, is nificant role played by the fair witnessing major developments in educating the public both in in terms of turnout and the pur- and outside of Qatar. chasing power and even at the Speaking to reporters on the level of participating publish- last day of the 23rd edition of the ers from various countries from Doha International Book Fair around the world. yesterday, Al Attiyah said that The Doha International Book the exhibition offered a great Fair is growing every year, Al opportunity for citizens and res- Attiyah said, while comparing it idents to take advantage of the to numerous international book latest intellectual productions on fairs he had visited. display, expressing his admiration “I’ve learned that many of the about the large participation of international publishing houses Arab and foreign publishing were willing to participate this houses. year, but limited space available He added that the printed book prevented their participation.” is facing significant challenges, Japan was the “chief guest” of the most important of which is the exhibition this year, in cel- “electronic books” which makes ebration of 40 years of diplomatic it hard for the traditional book relations between Japan and The Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah at the Doha International Book Fair yesterday. to continue. He argued that the Qatar. QNA Short Stay Hospital operational by 2014

DOHA: The proposed Short Stay Hospital at the Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City is expected to open in early 2014. The facility will cater to patients needing short treat- ment and surgeries. The nine- storey facility will comprise 14 operating rooms, radiology unit, examination rooms, 12 rooms for ENT tests, outpatient unit, among other facilities, Al Sharq reported yesterday quoting a source. THE PENINSULA

Qtel, Diplomatic Club sign new partnership DOHA: Qtel and The Diplomatic Club, yesterday signed a partnership agreement to make Diplomatic Club Gift vouchers available at Qtel’s Self-Service Machines (SSMs), a statement said yesterday. This partnership is part of Qtel’s strategy to expand the range of services available from the SSMs. Customers will be able to use Diplomatic Club vouchers for themselves, or provide them as gift vouchers to treat family and friends. The Club, located at West Bay, provides amenities such as a gymnasium, sports club, pool, spa, beauty salon, library and gourmet restaurants including Le Grill and Al Sayyad, including a wide-range of other facilities from leisure and wellness to dining. The Diplomatic Club also offers a range of outdoor catering options in addition to in-house banqueting facili- ties for weddings, meetings and events, in addition to the renovated Royal Tent. The Terrace and Beachfront also offer an outdoor dining option, with the views of The Pearl-Qatar and Doha’s skyline. Vouchers will be accepted for use at all these facilities, and Qtel customers will be able to enjoy services throughout the year. Qtel continues to expand the range of partners whose vouchers are available via SSM, and to deliver more choice and greater value with the wide range of options available. THE PENINSULA

Qtel and Diplomatic Club officials after signing the new partnership agreement yesterday.

Too early to discuss details of GCC union: Bahraini FM Continued from page 1 Talking of the proposed GCC union, he suggested that it was too early to discuss details openly. There is an 18-member committee that has three members each from the six GCC countries which is working out details. The committee has sub-panels like one looking into economic integration, the other military cooperation. Sheikh Khalid said that within a year or two economic integration plans among the GCC states would take a concrete shape and that would be the basis of further cooperation among the member states. (Jaber Al Harami is Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq Arabic daily) THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 09

Yemen gunmen Palestinians protest kidnap three foreigners Austrian, Finnish couple abducted

SANA’A: Three foreigners have has a strong military presence been kidnapped in broad day- and is considered one of the safer light in one of the busiest and places in the city. most secure streets in Yemen’s Historically, tribal kidnappings capital, Sana’a. have been common practice in An Austrian man and a Finnish Yemen, where foreign or Yemeni couple became the latest victims hostages may be used as bargain- of kidnapping in the strife-torn ing chips to secure the release of country. Witnesses said the three prisoners or to demand cash from were taken by masked gunmen as the government. they made their way to a tailor’s In April, a French Red Cross shop in central Tahrir Square at aid worker was seized but later about 4pm on Friday, during the released unharmed, after a busy afternoon shopping period. month’s tribal mediation. A Mohammed Abdullah, who sells Swiss woman teacher who was nuts and dried fruits from a small captured in March from the cart on the street, said that four port city of Hodeida is still unac- armed men, their faces covered counted for. with scarves, jumped on the group The latest kidnappings will Palestinian men who covered their eyes with black ribbons demonstrate in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, some of whom are of foreigners as they walked along raise questions about a general observing a hunger strike, in Gaza City yesterday. the busy thoroughfare. decline in security in Sana’a, “A black Suzuki Vitara pulled which is facing a steep rise in up and four men leaped out of crime and general lawlessness. the vehicle, forcing the foreign- Security analysts say this year ers into an electronics shop,” said has seen an increase in kidnap- Tougher EU sanctions against Iran come into force Abdullah. “They seemed to be pings, murders, car-jackings and talking for some minutes in the the pursuit of tribal vendettas in a shop before the car came back. city that is normally immune from BRUSSELS: Rigorous new They reflect heightened con- the Middle East and North Africa in imposing blanket industry bans A crowd had formed quickly, but the tribal instability that blights sanctions against Iran’s bank- cern over Iran’s nuclear goals and Alistair Burt said. because it is anxious to avoid the men were making threats large swaths of the country. ing, shipping and industrial Israeli threats to attack Iranian “They should be in no doubt penalising ordinary Iranian citi- with their Kalashnikovs and the The more open display of auto- sectors took effect yesterday, atomic installations if diplomacy that the international commu- zens, while punishing the Tehran car sped off [with the foreigners] matic weapons by tribesmen in as part of the European Union’s and other measures fail to deliver nity will keep up the pressure government. towards the south of the city.” Sana’a coincides with a period of effort to force Tehran to scale a solution. until they are ready to negotiate Sanctions have increasingly Two of those kidnapped had transition in Yemen that will be back its nuclear programme. Diplomats say they hope talks in good faith and take the con- inflicted severe pain on the been studying Arabic at a lan- marked by the start of a “national The sanctions, agreed in with Iran can resume in January, crete steps needed to convince Iranian economy, although the guage school in Sana’a for several dialogue” in the new year. The October, entered EU law with but are waiting for an answer the international community that country has years of experience months. The third had arrived dialogue, which was brokered by their publication in the European from Tehran, which maintains its they are not building a nuclear of circumventing them by using in Yemen just the night before the Gulf Co-operation Council Union’s Official Journal yesterday. nuclear programme is for purely weapon.” front companies and tortuous to visit her husband. Witnesses countries, aims to steer Yemen The toughest EU measures peaceful purposes. The new sanctions mark a sig- shipping routes. said the group had seemed calm towards a peaceful transition yet, they include bans on finan- In a statement, Britain’s for- nificant change of policy for the The new European measures as they were driven away. after the Arab spring revolution cial transactions, sales to Iran of eign office said there was a clear 27-member bloc, which previously make clear natural gas shipments Tahrir Square, which is just and ousting of the former presi- shipping equipment and steel, and need “for an urgent solution”. sought mainly to target specific are prohibited in any form and seconds away from several gov- dent, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a long- imports of Iranian natural gas, “Iran’s leaders know that sanc- people and companies with eco- swapping, as opposed to simply ernment buildings — including time US ally. adding to earlier bans, including tions are having a significant nomic restrictions. buying, cargoes is also outlawed. the ministry of defence — usually THE GUARDIAN on the Opec producer’s oil. impact,” Britain’s Minister for It has lagged the United States REUTERS Saudis enlist Boeing in job push that may raise business costs

RIYADH: Yazid Al Shammari To shift the balance, the gov- SR6,000. That’s a problem in an has ambitions to land a job at ernment has imposed an annual industry which “unfortunately is Saudi Basic Industries Corp fee of 2,400 riyals per expat based on expatriates,” he said, cit- when he finishes a two-year employee on companies whose ing a typical worker with 15 years vocational training course. workforce is more than half for- of experience earning SR800 a Asked what he expects as a eign. That should encourage Saudi month. starting salary, he names a fig- companies to end the “culture of The institute offers English and ure that’s many times what for- importing cheap labor,” Deputy engineering classes and a course eign workers doing similar jobs Labor Minister Moufarrej al- on work ethics. It counters non- earn now. Haqbani said last month. attenders by making them pay “I want to earn 10,000 riy- Still, the gap between Saudi for make-up classes, and moni- als ($2,700) a month with my pay expectations and market tors the performance of gradu- diploma,” the 21-year-old said, as wages for foreigners is so large ates by visiting their employers he attended lessons with a crowd that many employers may prefer after six months. The drop-out of fellow students at the Higher to pay the fee rather than hire rate “is maybe 45 percent,” falling Institute for Plastics Fabrications locally. to 25 percent among those who in Riyadh. “The training will help “Most big companies will treat complete the first semester, Al me get a job where I want.” it like a tax,” said James Reeve, Ghefaili said. Al Shammari and his friends an economist at Riyadh-based Ali Al Ghafis, head of the represent a challenge for the Samba Financial Group. “They Technical and Vocational Training kingdom. The king unveiled a would just say, this is the price Corporation, says his program $130bn stimulus plan last year you pay for working in Saudi includes special colleges for to create jobs for Saudis, and Arabia. In that sense it isn’t really women, with 19 already open and tightened rules on the expatriate an incentive to hire.” a target of 40 in the next three workers most businesses depend Higher salaries available for years. He says popular programs on. The aim is to ensure that the government work and unem- at the women’s institutes include world’s biggest oil exporter, where ployment benefits of SR2,000 a beauty, fashion design, computer about a quarter of citizens aged month are also disincentives for skills and accounting. between 20 and 30 don’t have jobs, Saudis to “switch to private sector “We will reduce the number remains unscathed by the politi- employment,” he said. of expat workers and substitute cal unrest that has swept other Local businessmen have them with Saudis,” he said. “The Arab countries with high youth challenged the fees for foreign response from the industrial field unemployment. employees, saying it will drive up is very high.” Boeing and General Motors are costs. After its introduction, the Boeing plans to build a joining a government plan to train Saudi stock benchmark dropped 1,000-person aviation training young Saudis. The biggest obsta- to a 10-month low. It’s up about facility., “We project exponen- cle is that foreign workers are 7 percent this year, less than half tial growth in demand for airline cheaper and in abundant supply: the gain on the main Dubai index. pilots and maintenance techni- there are more than eight mil- Khaled Al Ghefaili, executive cians,” Ahmed Jazzar, president lion in the kingdom. The share director of the institute where of Boeing Saudi Arabia, said in of Saudi citizens in the private Al Shammari is studying, says response to e-mailed questions. workforce ranges between 2 and the government expects salaries GM is participating in a similar 10 percent, according to govern- for his graduates to be at least program with a capacity of 200. ment figures. SR4,000, sometimes rising to WP-BLOOMBERG

Tunisia Islamists besiege opposition meeting

MIDOUNE, Tunisia: first gathered outside the Hotel death in October during a dem- Hundreds of supporters of Midoune on Djerba island but onstration in the southern city Tunisia’s Islamist ruling party then broke through a police cor- of Tataouine. Earlier, some dem- attacked members of a secular don and stormed into the hotel. onstrators also threw rocks at opposition party and besieged They broke into the hall where officials of the opposition party, the hotel where they were meet- the meeting was being held, bring- and several hotel windows were ing yesterday, a correspondent ing it to an abrupt close. broken. said. The meeting was to mark the By mid-afternoon, the opposi- The demonstrators brandish- end of 40 days of mourning after tion activists and many journalists ing banners hostile to the Nidaa the death of Lotfi Naguedh, who were blockaded inside the hotel. Tounes (Call of Tunisia) party the party claims was beaten to AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 10 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

Editorial

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

CHAIRMAN: SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI Oman’s turn EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KHALID AL SAYED E-MAIL: [email protected] ACTING MANAGING EDITOR: HUSSAIN AHMAD The first municipal election in the E-MAIL: [email protected] country is a significant step towards EDITORIAL: TEL: 44557741 / 44557743 FAX: 44557746 / 44557758 P. O. BOX: 3488, DOHA, QATAR. public participation. E-MAIL: [email protected] MAN has responded modestly to Arab Spring. Omanis voted According to one report, there was a shortage of women candidates ADVERTISING: TEL: 44557837 / 780 FAX: 44557870 in droves yesterday in the sultanate’s first ever municipal elec- in the election. It’s not because many women were not willing to con- Otions though the 192 elected councillors will have only advisory test, but due to a feeling that the country is not yet ready for women CLASSIFIED: 44557857 E-MAIL: [email protected] powers. The official ONA news agency reported that by midday, the candidates. About half of the women who signed up to as candidates SUBSCRIPTION / HOME DELIVERY turnout among the 546,000 voters was “good”. There were 1,475 candi- withdrew, said the election commission officials. A total of 1,475 candi- dates, all of whom were standing as independents as political parties dates were contesting the 192 seats. Initially, 46 were women. TEL: 44557809 /839 FAX: 44557819 remain banned. The new elected council will have no executive powers, and it can only E-MAIL: [email protected] Oman was one of the few Gulf countries which witnessed demon- “present recommendations regarding improving municipal services”. strations when protests swept the Arab world. Jobs and democracy But it’s a modest beginning, a stepping stone, and Omanis in future SUBSCRIPTION RATES were two demands of the people then, and acting swiftly, His Majesty can demand more reforms and greater powers for the elected council. ANNUAL QR 675 Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said announced some reforms to pacify The Central Municipal Council (CMC) in Qatar can serve as a model 6 MONTHS QR 340 the public. He reshuffled his cabinet, promised to create thousands of for the new Omani council. new jobs, announced plans for municipal polls and granted the Shura The CMC has shown that, even without legislative powers, it can Council some legislative powers, with the right to approve or reject exert a positive influence on the government and bring to the govern- draft laws. The elections held yesterday were part of the fulfillment ment’s attention several crucial issues which demand urgent atten- of those promises. tion. The government has acted on several recommendations of the The election received wide coverage in the regional media and some CMC and its meetings have often witnessed heated debates about Omanis were enthusiastic about voting. They had a feeling of partici- several issues. PUBLICATION pating in a democratic exercise and some had high hopes about what Democracy cannot be ushered in a day. Municipal elections provide the candidates could do for them if elected. “I am here on the guarantee a test, a springboard. They can train people to take charge of their that the person I am voting for will work hard to find us jobs,” said Badr future and will help them to experiment with institutions and instru- Saif, a 24-year old school dropout from Barka. ments of democracy.

The corruption in our administration is small, The other side the major corruption that involves hundreds of millions Quote of of dollars is not ours... it has been imposed on us. Iraq’s failing political balance the day Hamid Karzai he stroke suffered by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is a cause Afghan President for serious concern. The Iraqi government of Nouri Al Maliki, Ta Shiite, has been sleepwalking back toward chaos and inter- communal strife. Since an arrest warrant was issued for deputy Vice President Tareq Al Hashimi, a Sunni who then fled abroad, Al Maliki has led national unity government in name only. As a result of what was seen as an attempt by Al Maliki, to con- solidate the Shiite hold on power, most leading Sunni politicians have been marginalised. The autonomous Kurdish region has meanwhile been going its own way, even to the extent of making exploration and production oil deals with foreign majors, without consulting the central government in Baghdad. A veteran politician, Talabani, as a Kurd, has been a powerful symbol of the aspiration for Iraqi unity. Indeed, some believe that had it not been for his influence, Iraq’s Kurdish region would have gone far further in its quest for greater, if not complete, independence. Had Iraq progressed any reasonable distance along the path of a pluralist democracy, within the constitution that voters backed over- whelmingly in 2005, Jalabani’s stroke would not be a problem. But now, if the president, who is 79, is incapacitated for a long period, as can often happen with strokes, or is even forced to relinquish office, then the prospects for Iraq are suddenly very uncertain. Some radical elements among Shiite politicians may see the aging president’s indisposition as a chance to expand their community’s power. If he has to be replaced, the new president will be chosen by a council made up of legislators. With Sunni politicians increasingly iso- lated from the political process and Kurdish legislators more interested in the future of their own region, it would seem almost inevitable that a new president would be a Shia. This would, of course, harden the view among Sunnis that, in truth, the country no longer has a government of all the people. Deepening division will spell more trouble because it will play into the hands of the men of violence, the murderous thugs from Al Qaeda. Yet ordinary Shiite’s should be just as concerned. A stable and prosperous Iraq can only come through unity, through an all-inclusive political process. It would be unwise to rejoice at Shiite domination, because this will actually imperil unity. Iraq has only taken a few hesitant steps away from the inter-communal bloodbath of the death squads. It will not need much provocation to plunge the country back into the savage chaos that followed the US-led invasion. ARAB NEWS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Berlusconi is emblematic of where Europe’s political culture stands

BY TIM PARKS opinion polls giving them a good British reader? Does it do any- hasn’t worked. The left has just a popular movement which its policies. Italian papers regu- lead, the election seems in the bag. thing other than confirm that reelected Pier Luigi Bersani, an attributes all the country’s ills to larly complain that the country IRED up perhaps by his What does Berlusconi do? He the Italian political scene is cha- agreeable but yawningly dull party its evil politicians, offering honesty is becoming a European colony. engagement to a woman 49 says that if Monti stands for otic and incomprehensible, even stalwart. From the moment the and integrity as its only policies. The overwhelming feeling is Fyears younger than himself, election, he will withdraw his for those of us who’ve lived in the left started bowing to economic Surveys give Grillo around 17% one of being trapped in a world the 76-year-old Silvio Berlusconi own candidacy and support him. country for 30 years? I think it necessity and backing pension of the vote. Nobody has any idea machine of inexorable momen- has announced his return to Bizarre? He then says that, if he does. cuts and tax increases, it lost all what his presence in an eventual tum; the only thing a leader can politics. He will head the centre- is elected himself, his first action First, Berlusconi is not a buf- ideological steam, and now excites government might mean. do is fight for a bit of candy at right Popolo della Libertà (PDL) will be to abolish a hated property foon. It’s true he’s on trial for no one at all. Monti himself hesitates to some summit, then try to share in spring elections. His successor tax that Monti slapped on first- inducing a minor to prostitution. On the right, the PDL was about stand. He is not a politician. He it out at home without having his – the unelected Mario Monti – home ownership. At once, the It’s true he has been endlessly in to hold primaries when Berlusconi has no vision for the future beyond fingers bitten off. The larger pic- is, he says, pushing the country threat of a split in the PDL fades. court on charges of bribery and intervened and had them called putting some order into Italy’s fis- ture is beyond his grasp. With no into recession with his austerity If Monti enters the fray, the rebels corruption. It’s true that he never off. There were no suitable candi- cal system and keeping European power there is no point in having programme, and the PDL will no will be able to support him from fails to produce comically inappro- dates, he claimed. As a result, he partners and international inves- vision. Put the other way round, longer support him. within the PDL. If he doesn’t, then priate innuendos at international was simply obliged to come back tors happy. His success to date is people who do have vision will not In response, Monti immedi- they have no leader to leave the summits. But in politics, context himself. This might appear to be as much one of image as achieve- waste their time in roles where ately announced his resignation. party for. is everything. Berlusconi owns megalomania, but there is a gen- ment: the fact he is not a politician they have no power. The under- European leaders threw up their So the spotlight is on Monti; large parts of the Italian press, eral perception he was right. None who is trying to please the people lying message is always that the arms in horror. The markets this affable, civilised man must and that makes other parts of of the motley group of yes men cheers up the bankers hugely. problems – world trade, global got nervous and interest rates decide if he’s ready for the mud- it wary of attacking him. He is who put themselves forward for This absence of political vision warming – are too big to tackle. on Italian government bonds slinging and misinformation of a vastly wealthy and proportion- the primaries had any chance of is no doubt related to the fact This sense of impotence is now shot up. Important elements real election campaign. Don’t do ately dangerous. inspiring the public. that, even if elected, a leader’s general throughout Europe. Amid of Berlusconi’s party rebelled it, scream senators on the left. But the deeper significance of Aside from the main leaders, powers are minimal. If no one has all this, a flamboyant Berlusconi, and threatened a split; if Monti Alarmingly, Berlusconi’s manoeu- Berlusconi’s return is its revela- there are comedian Beppe Grillo the stomach to abandon the euro, who uses his declining energies to stands as a candidate for a cen- vering has put their victory in tion of a crisis of leadership, some- and economist Mario Monti. then there is little one can do keep his business empire intact, trist coalition, they will join him, doubt. The more they tell Monti thing hardly limited to Italy. In Grillo, a heavily bearded, rudely but toe the austerity line. Since regardless of the collective good, they say. Meanwhile, the Partito not to stand, the more vulnerable an attempt to boost their party physical presence whose brutal Europe is guided from Berlin is actually wonderfully emblem- Democratico (PD), the leftwing they seem. leaders, Italians have taken to the charisma flowers mainly in the and Paris, there is no way Italy atic of where our culture stands. opposition, is gloating. With Does any of this matter to the US habit of holding primaries. It territory of insult, has formed can exercise much influence on THE GUARDIAN SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 VIEWS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 11 How China’s military is catching up with US ballistic missile has other uses as well. Leaders have The missiles are designed to zoom into space and then rain down on US bases embraced the idea or moving ships, such as aircraft carri- ers, as far as 900 miles from their launch sites — hence the nickname “carrier that successful killer” and the reason that the United States is sending many of its ballistic war fighting is missile defense ships to the Pacific. China has been building a fleet of the missiles that is thought to have become predicated on operational in 2009 or 2010. And it is fielding the DF-21D in conjunction with the ability to a host of advanced radars, surveillance drones, spy satellites and so-called tri- ple-digit surface-to-air missiles designed exert control over by Russia that are capable of shooting down most US aircraft. All of these sys- an adversary’s tems are part of China’s “area denial” strategy, aimed at keeping enemy ships information and and aircraft far from its shores. AEGIS DESTROYERS, SSBNS AND information AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT VEHICLES The Chinese navy has been invest- systems. ing in everything from a new fleet of hovercraft that will land troops ashore during amphibious assaults to the new BY JOHN REED Type 052D class guided-missile destroy- ers, equipped with Aegis-style phased- lthough the Pentagon has array radars designed to track missiles routinely dismissed some of and aircraft. (This is in addition to the China’s very publicly touted older Type 052C class equipped with military advances as being similar systems.) The Chinese navy is decades behind the United also fielding a new generation of nuclear AStates, they are still significant. Just missile-carrying submarines, the Type because someone gets a new piece of tech 094, designed to fire the JL-21 nuclear- later than you doesn’t mean that you will A satellite image provided by the DigitalGlobe Analysis Centre shows the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sailing in the Yellow Sea. tipped ballistic missile. Beijing’s navy is always be better at using it than they also beefing up its amphibious assault are. So, we thought we’d bring you a list capabilities with the ZDB05 fighting of the eight most noteworthy military F-35s play for the F-22s. Others point to Eugene Ely landed on the deck of the the United States and several other vehicle. The ZDB05 — think of it as a enhancements that China is making by the twin wheels on the J-31’s nose land- USS Pennsylvania, it’s worth noting that nations condemned the test, saying swimming armoured personnel carrier buying, stealing and innovating: ing gear as sign that it is being developed China plans to have at least three car- the debris created by the shot posed a with guns — is capable of hitting 16 knots as a carrier-based fighter. (Land-based riers by the middle of this decade. Still, serious risk to other nations’ satellites, in the water and then using its 30mm STEALTH JETS fighters usually have just one wheel on the learning curve is extremely steep for spacecraft, and space stations. The inci- cannon, 7.62mm machine gun, and anti- First up are China’s J-20 and J-31 their nose gear while naval fighters have carrier ops. As we’ve said before, it took dent also alarmed US defense officials, tank missiles to protect the five to seven stealthy-looking fighters. We call them two because of the increased strain of the US Navy decades to master the art who saw this development as evidence infantrymen it can deliver to the beach. “stealthy looking” because until more landing on ships.) of landing jets on ships. that Chinese military planners are pre- Could be useful if China wanted to stake information is made public, we won’t paring to knock out a major US advan- a claim on some islands in the South know how well the jets mask their heat AIRCRAFT CARRIERS SPACEPLANES tage in the event of war: its network of China Sea. signatures, noise and electronic emissions Speaking of aircraft carriers . . . after Next up is China’s very own space- spy, communications, and navigation — all critical elements of modern stealth decades of buying old British and Russian plane, the Shenlong or “Divine Dragon,” satellites. This worried some in the US CYBERWAR that go beyond radar-evading shapes and Cold War-era aircraft carriers and which first flew in January 2011 (roughly military so much that the Pentagon has No conversation about China’s rap- radar-absorbent coatings. Nevertheless, turning them into museums and theme the same time the J-20 took its maiden begun working on terrestrial and air- idly expanding military would be com- China has developed two jets that appear hotels, China converted the hull of the flight). While there’s been plenty of spec- borne backups to its space systems, and plete without mentioning the Chinese stealthy. incomplete 1980s vintage Soviet aircraft ulation about the mission of the US Air the Air Force has even begun practicing military’s focus on using an enemy’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s carrier Varyag into its first operational Force’s super secret X-37B robot space operations without relying on satellites own computer networks against it. large J-20 made its first flight in early carrier: the Liaoning. Chinese investors shuttle, the United States isn’t alone in under the theme “a day without space.” The US-China Economic and Security 2011 and is thought to be either a high- purchased the ex-Varyag from Ukraine having a reusable spaceplane. What inter- Review Commission has produced a speed interceptor, designed to fly out and in 1998, claiming they would turn it into ests some China watchers most about the UAVS report on the country’s use of cyber- shoot down incoming enemy bombers a casino. That obviously didn’t happen, Divine Dragon is the fact that China flew Next up is China’s growing fleet of space to gain military advantage. The (similar to the famous MiG-25 Foxbat), and China spent much of the last dec- such a craft less than a year after the UAVs, which for now strongly resemble House Permanent Select Committee or a stealthy bomber along the lines ade completely modernising the old hulk, United States did. (Granted, the United US drones. Simply look at Shenyang’s on Intelligence claims that Chinese tel- of the US F-111 Aardvark or the more installing new engines, electronic warfare States could have done so much earlier, Pterodactyl, a recently introduced armed ecommunications companies Huawei and recent F-15E Strike Eagle, meant to pen- gear, radars, defensive weapons, and mod- given its decades of experience with the drone that appears to be a blatant copy ZTE, both of which have a large pres- etrate enemy defences and bomb bases ernised interior spaces (right down to the Space Shuttle, which could easily have of General Atomics’s MQ-9 Reaper — the ence in the United States, may be doing and ships. One has to notice the similari- galleys). She took to sea for the first time been flown as a large, unmanned space- US Air Force’s premier armed drone. the work of China’s military and intel- ties between the cockpit and nose section in August 2011 and was commissioned plane.) Speculation surrounds both the According to Chinese press accounts, ligence agencies. China has numerous of the J-20 and the US Air Force’s F-22 into Chinese naval service in September US and Chinese spaceplane programmes, Beijing is testing up to 10 different UAVs, military units dedicated to corrupting Raptor. 2012. The first carrier landings and take- with observers suggesting the vehicles including high-altitude drones that may the data in enemy computer networks Less than two years after the J-20 offs by Chinese fighters occurred in late could be used for everything from spy- have a strategic reconnaissance mis- or taking those networks out entirely. appeared, Shenyang Aviation Corporation November. ing on and destroying enemy satellities sion similar to the United States’s RQ-4 As the Economic and Security Review unveiled China’s second stealthy fighter, Interestingly, China’s first carrier to simply repairing their own nation’s Global Hawk. Then there’s China’s fleet Commission report notes: “PLA leaders the J-31. This jet is smaller than the fighter, the J-15, is a knockoff of another satellites. of small, stealthy-shaped models and have embraced the idea that successful J-20, and its fuselage bears a striking Soviet/Russian design, the Sukhoi Su-33. miniature UAVs, which appear to be war fighting is predicated on the abil- resemblance to the US’s F-22 and F-35 China may have purchased a partially ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPONS the precursors to full-size jet-powered ity to exert control over an adversary’s Joint Strike Fighter. (It has been widely completed Su-33 from Ukraine in 2001, Of course, China doesn’t need fancy stealth drones. (Remember, models of information and information systems, reported that the computers of numerous after Russia refused to sell it the air- robot spaceplanes to destroy enemy the design that eventually became the often preemptively. This goal has effec- defence contractors working on the F-35 craft because China was reverse-engi- satellites. In 2007, China became only J-31 emerged years before we saw the tively created a new strategic and tac- programme were hacked and information neering the very similar Sukhoi Su-27s the second nation (after the United production aircraft.) tical high ground, occupying which has on the jet was stolen.) Some speculate that Russia was selling to China. (Got States) to shoot down a satellite when become just as important for controlling that the J-31 will be used as a comple- that?) While many are quick to point it destroyed one of its own weather sat- “CARRIER KILLERS” the battle space as its geographic equiva- ment to the J-20 — similar to the role out that China is conducting its first ellites using a modified version of the Remember the DF-21 China used lent in the physical domain.” that F-16 Vipers play for F-15 Eagles or carrier ops more than a century after DF-21 ballistic missile. Needless to say, to shoot down its satellite? Well, the WP-BLOOMBERG Putin’s repressive regime has frozen Russia’s heart

DAVID HEARST by USAID — which has itself been demonstrations in Bolotnaya harder to answer. Sobchak herself forced to close down in Russia — Ploschad and Prospekt Akadmika says that the way forward lies not ne year on from the and money from Germany. The Sakharova are a thing of the past, on the streets, but in the heart of mass demonstrations, foreign agents law now also applies and their leaders are in trou- the Kremlin itself. That is where, Russia is a changed to some of the most prominent ble — the leftist protest leader Sobchak argues, Putin’s achilles Oplace. Vladimir Putin human rights defenders in Russia, Sergei Udaltsov is facing prose- heel lies. It is to find politicians has chosen repression over reform including Ludmilla Alexeeva, at cution for accepting money from and oligarchs who are as turned and it shows in small ways and in 85 the oldest human rights activ- Georgian politicians to organise off by the recent corruption scan- remote parts of Russia as well as ist around, who leads the Moscow mass rallies; the anti-corruption dals as everyone else is, who real- in the big cities. Helsinki Group. whistleblower Alexei Navalny was ise their own business interests As part of her research into Combined with a new law on charged yesterday with fraud and will be affected by the stagnation palliative care in Russia, Anna treason, which expands the defini- money laundering. of the country. Russia’s next per- Sevortian, the director of Human tion to “providing financial, tech- Ksenia Sobchak, an activ- estroika, Sobchak argues, will have Rights Watch’s Russia office nical, advisory or other assistance ist and the daughter of Anatoly nothing to do with human rights recently travelled to a remote to a foreign state or international Sobchak, who was Putin’s boss as but with commercial self-interest. Siberian province, where she organisation ... directed at harm- mayor of St Petersburg, refuses While this is a compellingly spent some time at a health- ing Russia’s security” the threshold to be daunted. Through these cynical theory, one can wait an care institution. Two days into for prosecuting any human rights repressive measures, Vladimir awful long time for that to mate- the trip, the director introduced activist has now been lowered. The Putin has shown his true face and rialise. The opposition’s main Anna to her boss in the local prosecutions have not started, but there is not a person in Russia tactic, however, is just to stay healthcare ministry. The two of Russian President Vladimir Putin the threat is now there. who does not now recognise this, around. Putin’s main mission in them walked unknowingly into an The new officially inspired Ksenia argues. “What happened his mammoth end-of-year press ambush. “We walked into a room mood of xenophobia has frozen to Navalny, Udaltsov and me when conference yesterday was to deny full of officials. They confronted healthcare workers in the region the justice ministry and identify the entire food chain of Russian men with guns ran through my that the end of the world will come me with questions: “Who invited and cautioned them to stay away themselves publicly as “foreign bureaucracy right to the regional house, she says, “all these things about on Friday, but he showed no you here?”, “Who pays your travel from the Human Rights Watch agents” — a term equivalent to director of health of a remote part are examples of how the system signs of worrying about his own costs?”,”Where are your head- team, and to exercise caution with foreign spies. Refusal to register of Siberia. Get a foreign visitor works, and how it does every- demise. Nursing a back injury, he quarters?”, “Who funds your these uninvited “foreign agents”. can result in a criminal pros- who wants to research a good thing it can to protect itself and is every bit the pugilist — rattling organisation?”, “Who is the local The foreign agents law was one of ecution and a term of up to two news story about a Russian hos- in a way its a victory. There is no off economic statistics, denying he person arranging your meetings a host of measures put through years in prison for the head of the pice, and the safest thing to do is way that people in Russia will go has ever made a mistake — that he for you?”, “Where is your authori- the Duma printing machine that organisation. to chase her away. back to loving Putin. This train is always was. It was a vintage Putin sation (for the visit) from the were designed to crack down This stick was waved primarily One year on from the mass only going one way. Its a one-way performance. And that is exactly federal authorities?”, “Where is on civil society. All non-govern- at Golos, an election watchdog demonstrations in Moscow that ticket, or so our victory this year his problem. He only knows how to the proof that you work in Russia ment advocacy organisations that exposed the true scale of the shook the Kremlin to its core, is that many people understand be himself — but that person is no legitimately?” that accept foreign funding are election fraud in last year’s Duma is Russia now a darker place? the real situation.” longer the one that Russia needs. Then they contacted all the now required to register with elections. Golos was partly funded In one sense, yes. The mass What happens next? That is far THE GUARDIAN SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 12 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com MIDDLE EAST Civil war at stalemate, says Russia Assad will not go: Lavrov

BEIRUT: Syria’s civil war has government might be preparing reached stalemate and inter- to use poison gas to counter rebels national efforts to persuade who are encamped around his President Bashar Al Assad to capital and control rural Aleppo quit will fail, Russia’s Foreign and Idlib in the north. Minister Sergei Lavrov said In central Hama province, yesterday. where rebels say they have taken Mainly Sunni Muslim rebels most of the rural territory west seeking to overthrow Assad are of Hama city, fighters threatened fighting on the edge of the capi- to storm two mainly Christian tal Damascus and expanding towns which they said Assad’s southwards from their northern forces were using as bases to strongholds in Aleppo and Idlib attack them. into the central province of Hama. A video released by the rebels But Assad, from the Alawite showed seven armed fighters of minority linked to Shia Islam, the Ansar Brigade demanding has responded with artillery, air that residents of Mahrada and Al strikes and — according to the Suqeilabiya evict Assad’s forces. Nato military alliance which is In Aleppo, rebel leader Colonel stationing anti-missile defences Abdel-Jabbar Al Oqaidi said his in neighbouring Turkey — with fighters considered the skies Scud-type missiles. above Aleppo to be a no-fly zone The Kremlin’s Middle East and repeated a warning that they envoy was quoted as saying ear- would attack planes using the lier this month that the rebels city’s airport. could defeat Assad’s forces and Snipers fired at an airliner pre- that Moscow was preparing a paring to take off from Aleppo on possible evacuation of Russians, Thursday, forcing it to abandon the strongest signs yet that it is its departure. preparing for a post-Assad Syria. “The airport was being used That followed concerted calls as a military airport to trans- from Western powers and some port troops and (Iranian) A Free Syrian Army fighter poses near buildings, damaged by what activists said were missiles fired by Syrian Air Force fighter jets in Zamalka, near Arab countries for Assad to step Revolutionary Guards,” Oqaidi Damascus, yesterday. down before Syria’s 21-month-old told Reuters. “We forbid planes conflict, which has killed more from flying in Syrian air space. than 44,000 people according to We will set up a no-fly zone.” Islamists warn Christians as patriarch urges peace activists, wreaks more destruction. In Damascus, a car bomb killed But Lavrov said the Syrian five people and wounded dozens in president was not about to bow to the eastern district of Qaboun on DAMASCUS: Islamist rebels but that most of their residents The patriarch called on war- Elsewhere, warplanes carried pressure from opponents or more Saturday, the Syrian Observatory warned two Christian towns have already fled. ring parties to renounce violence out air strikes on several flash- sympathetic leaders in Moscow for Human Rights said. yesterday they will be attacked As the news circulated, Syria’s “in all its forms,” and to start a points, among them the eastern and Beijing. Video footage which activists if they do not evict regime new Greek Orthodox leader called process of dialogue, “for our ben- province of Deir Ezzor and Homs “Listen, no one is going to win said was filmed at the site of the forces, as the new Greek on Christians to remain in the efit, for the country, for the sake in the centre of the strife-torn this war,” he told reporters aboard explosion showed a white car in Orthodox patriarch said Syria’s country despite the conflict. of peace (in Syria) and peace in country, said the Observatory. a government plane en route to flames in the centre of a street often-fearful Christians will Patriarch of Antioch and All the region.” Despite Syria’s raging war, Moscow from the Russia-EU sum- filled with concrete rubble and stay put and urged a peaceful the East Yuhanna X Yazigi also On Monday, rebels launched an Russian Foreign Minister Sergei mit in Brussels. “Assad is not going furniture from at least one build- end to the conflict. appealed to warring parties to all-out assault on army positions Lavrov said in Moscow that he anywhere, no matter what anyone ing which had collapsed. In a video message to the Hama renounce violence and to start a across Hama. believed “no one has an appetite says, be it China or Russia.” The British-based Observatory, provincial towns of Mharda and process of dialogue. There are some 1.8 million for external intervention.” Lavrov said Russia had rejected which monitors violence across Sqilbiya, one of seven men armed In his first press conference Christians in Syria. Many have Reiterating Russia’s opposition to requests from countries in the Syria through a network of with Kalashnikovs warned resi- in Damascus since succeeding remained neutral in a conflict any intervention, he added: “I even region to pressure Assad to go or sources on the ground, also dents to expel gangs of (President Ignatius IV Hazim, who died that erupted in March 2011 and have the feeling that they are pray- offer him safe haven, and warned reported clashes between rebels Bashar Al) “Assad and shabiha on December 5, he said: “We has killed an estimated more than ing for Russia and China to continue that his exit might lead to an and forces loyal to Assad on the (pro-regime militia) from your Christians are here in the country 44,000 people. Others, fear a rise blocking permission for external upsurge in fighting. southern edge of the Yarmouk towns and convince them not to and we will stay here. of Islamism, have taken Assad’s intervention. Because if there is such He also said Syrian authori- Palestinian refugee camp, taken bomb our villages and families.” “We believe that Christ is side. a decision, they will have to act, and ties were gathering the country’s over by rebels this week. “If not, we will immediately always present in this region, Meanwhile, there was no let- no one is ready to act.” chemical weapons in one or two Three people were killed by attack the hideouts of Assad’s which is where Christianity was up of violence, as a car bomb in In Syria’s neighbour Lebanon, areas and that they were “under snipers and the army sent rein- gangs and shabiha,” added the born.” the northeast Damascus district German Development Minister control” for the time being. forcements to the perimeter of man, who identified himself as The patriarch sought to down- of Qaboon killed five people and Dirk Niebel pledged new funds “Currently the (Syrian) govern- Yarmouk, which is described as a Rashid Abul Fida, head of the Al play dangers faced by Christians. wounded dozens of others, the to boost aid efforts for Syrian ment is doing all it can to secure camp but in reality is a dense con- Ansar Brigade in Hama. “What is happening to us is Britain-based Observatory said. refugees streaming into the small (chemical weapons), according to centration of concrete buildings Syria Observatory for Human happening to others too. We are And Haidar Al Sumudi, a Mediterranean country. intelligence data we have and the housing descendants of Palestinians Rights director Rami Abdel in the same situation as every- cameraman for state television Niebel also called on Syria’s West has,” he said. who fled the 1948 fighting at the Rahman said Mharda and one else, Muslims and Christians, was gunned down outside his neighbours to keep their borders Western countries said creation of the state of Israel. Sqilbiya both had pre-war popu- shoulder to shoulder, facing the Damascus home, the broadcaster open for people fleeing the conflict. three weeks ago that Assad’s REUTERS lations in the tens of thousands difficulties,” he said. said. AFP Bahrain protesters demand departure Iraq without key mediator of prime minister DUBAI: Thousands of Shia as new crisis looms protesters in Bahrain yesterday demanded a transition govern- BAGHDAD: With President Jalal Talabani Maliki’s opponents ultimately lacked the par- ment and the removal of Prime being treated in Germany after a stroke, Iraq liamentary votes to remove him, but Essawi Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin is without a key mediator as a new political called on Thursday for no-confidence proceed- Salman Al Khalifa, who has crisis brews between the secular Sunni-backed ings to be reopened. been premier since 1974, wit- Iraqiya bloc and the Shia premier. The arrest of Essawi’s guards comes almost nesses said. Talabani’s stroke may in itself spark turmoil — exactly a year after Sunni Vice President Tareq They said the demonstrators his resignation or death could cause a protracted Al Hashemi’s guards were arrested and accused marched in the village of Diya dispute over his successor. of terrorism. near the capital Manama, chant- The 79-year-old has sought to bring together Hashemi himself — like Essawi, an Iraqiya ing “Resign, Khalifa!” and waving feuding politicians, Sunni and Shia Muslims, member — eventually took refuge in Turkey and Bahraini flags. Arabs and Kurds, during political crises that has since been given multiple death sentences The Shiite opposition in the have plagued Iraq in the past year. for charges including murder, as have some of tiny Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom After Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said his guards. is led by Al Wefaq, which wants on Friday that 10 of Finance Minister Rafa Al Talabani, a Kurd, was hospitalised on Monday a government of technocrats to Essawi’s guards were arrested the previous day after suffering a stroke, and was airlifted to rule in a transition leading to a for alleged terrorism offences, Talabani’s media- Germany on Thursday for specialist treatment. constitutional monarchy. tion skills will be sorely missed. “While on paper (Talabani’s) role is somewhat Essawi, a Sunni member of Iraqiya, told a news limited, his influence and mediation skills have Saudi factory fire conference a “militia force” raided the ministry gone a long way in smoothing over the country’s and his home “in an illegal act, without a judicial troubled political scene,” said John Drake, an kills six workers order,” and called on Maliki to quit “because he analyst with AKE Group. did not behave like a man of state.” “Some may describe his position as ‘ceremo- RIYADH: A fire broke out in a He spoke to journalists alongside parliament nial’ but he has made it a lot more active, sim- factory in eastern Saudi Arabia speaker Osama Al Nujaifi and Deputy Prime ply though dialogue and discussion, which play yesterday killing six workers, a Minister Saleh Al Mutlak, fellow members of a strong role in Iraqi politics.” spokesman for the Jubail indus- the main Sunni-backed parliamentary bloc. Should Talabani require replacing, choosing a trial zone said, updating an ear- Maliki expressed “astonishment” at “linking successor would probably be drawn out , conten- lier death toll of five. the issue of the detainees with political disputes” tious and messy. Civil defence teams eventually and “trying to pull the whole country toward “If Talabani were no longer president... we put out the blaze which began sectarian strife.” would likely see a lot of negotiation between dif- during routine maintenance work But a later statement from his office said some ferent political players, not just over the simple at an industrial waste process- security force members “did not act profession- act of replacing him, but over the terms and ing plant, Abdel Rahman Abdel ally” during arrests made on Thursday, in an conditions of selecting an approved candidate,” Kader told the official SPA news apparent admission of misconduct. said Drake. “If an ethnic Kurd is to be selected, agency. Iraqiya and other members of Maliki’s unstable political groups affiliated with other communities Jubail, on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf national unity government have accused him of in the country may only allow it if concessions coast is a major port and petro- concentrating power in his own hands and mov- are made elsewhere. The discussions could last chemical industry hub. ing towards a dictatorship, leading to calls for weeks, if not months.” AGENCIES him to be removed from office. AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 MIDDLE EAST www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 13

Russia urges South VP quits as Egyptians vote on charter Sudan to punish guilty in downing Mekky says uncomfortable in politics; rights groups allege irregularity in voting of UN helicopter

CAIRO: Egypt’s vice-president well as women. “I’m voting ‘no’ MOSCOW: Russia urged South resigned yesterday as Egyptians because Egypt can’t be ruled by Sudan yesterday to punish voted in a referendum that one faction,” said Karim Nahas, those responsible for shoot- is expected to approve a new 35, a stockbroker, heading to a ing down a UN peacekeeping constitution that lays the foun- polling station in Giza, a province helicopter and killing all four dations for the country’s transi- included in this round of voting Russian crew members aboard, tion to democracy but will strip which covers parts of greater in an attack condemned by the him of his role. Cairo. international community. Authorities extended voting by At another polling station, “We call on the government of four hours in the second and deci- some voters said they were more South Sudan to carry out the nec- sive round of the plebiscite on an interested in ending Egypt’s long essary investigation, punish the Islamist-drafted constitution that period of political instability than guilty and take every measure to the opposition has criticised as in the Islamist aspects of the guarantee that this never hap- divisive and likely to cause more charter. pens again,” the foreign ministry unrest. “We have to extend our hands said in a statement on its website Just hours before polls closed, to Mursi to help fix the coun- after Friday’s incident. Vice-President Mahmoud Mekky try,” said Hisham Kamal, an A South Sudan military spokes- announced his resignation, say- accountant. man said troops fired anti-aircraft ing he wanted to quit last month Queues formed at some polling guns at the Russian Mi-8 believing but stayed on to help President stations around the country and it was a rebel helicopter carrying Mohammed Mursi tackle a crisis voting was extended by four hours weapons to anti-government forces that blew up when the Islamist to 11pm (2100 GMT). in the world’s newest country. leader assumed wide powers. Unofficial tallies are likely to The United Nations said Mekky, a prominent judge emerge within hours of the close, the aircraft was hit while on a who said he was uncomfortable but the referendum committee “reconnaissance flight” over the in politics, disclosed earlier he may not declare an official result Likuangole district of the eastern had not been informed of Mursi’s for the two rounds until Monday, Jonglei state. “The tragic event in power grab. However, the tim- after hearing appeals. this African country raises with ing of Mekky’s move appeared As polling opened yesterday, new urgency the question of the linked to the fact there is no vice- a coalition of Egyptian rights security of UN peacekeeping mis- presidential post under the draft groups reported a number of sions,” the Russian ministry said, constitution. alleged irregularities. attributing the helicopter down- In a resignation letter, Mekky They said some polling stations Egyptian women register to vote in the second round of a referendum for the new constitution at a polling station ing to “blunders.” said that although he had held had opened late, that Islamists in Giza, yesterday. “The governments of countries on in the post he had “realised urging a “yes” vote had illegally that accept missions and carry the for some time that the nature of campaigned at some stations, new basic law are a limit of two the referendum should be re-run. an opposition coalition formed main responsibility for the security political work did not suit my pro- and complained of irregularities four-year presidential terms. It But the committee overseeing after Mursi expanded his powers of UN peacekeepers must approach fessional background as a judge”. in voter registration irregulari- says the principles of sharia law the two-stage vote said its inves- on November 22 and then pushed this problem with all seriousness Islamist supporters of Mursi ties, including the listing of one remain the main source of leg- tigations showed no major irreg- the constitution to a vote. and recognise all the possible con- say the charter is vital to move dead person. islation but adds an article to ularities in voting on December Protesters accused the presi- sequences of blunders,” it said. towards democracy, nearly two Last week’s first round of vot- explain this further. It also says 15, which covered about half of dent of acting like a pharaoh, It cited South Sudan officials as years after an Arab Spring ing gave a 57 percent vote in Islamic authorities will be con- Egypt’s 51 million voters. and he was forced to issue a sec- saying the helicopter was downed revolt overthrew authoritarian favour of the constitution, accord- sulted on Aharia — a source of Even if the charter is approved, ond decree two weeks ago that “despite the fact that the UN mis- ruler Hosni Mubarak. It will help ing to unofficial figures. concern to Christians and other the opposition say it is a recipe for amended a provision putting his sion informed the local command restore stability needed to fix a Analysts expect another “yes” non-Muslims. trouble since it has not received decisions above legal challenge. about the planned flight as usual.” struggling economy, they say. on Saturday because the vote cov- If the constitution is passed, sufficiently broad backing from Said cited “serious violations” “The mission was guaranteed com- But the opposition says the ers rural and other areas seen as a parliamentary election will be the population. They say the on the first day of voting, and plete safety,” the ministry said. document is divisive and has having more Islamist sympathis- held in about two months. If not, result may go in Mursi’s favour said anger against Mursi and Russian television named the accused Mursi of pushing through ers. Islamists may also be able to an assembly will have to be set but it will not be a fair vote. his Islamist allies was growing. men who died as commander a text that favours his Islamist count on many Egyptians who are up to draft a new one. “I see more unrest,” said Ahmed “People are not going to accept Sergei Ilyin, second pilot Alfir allies while ignoring the rights of simply exhausted by two years of After the first round of vot- Said, head of the liberal Free the way they are dealing with the Abrarov, flight engineer Sergei Christians, who make up about upheaval. ing, the opposition said alleged Egyptians Party and a member situation.” Yegorov and cabin attendant and 10 percent of the population, as Among the provisions of the abuses meant the first stage of of the National Salvation Front, REUTERS radio operator Nikolai Shpanov. UN leader Ban Ki-moon, as well as the UN Security Council and the United States had vehe- mently condemned the attack. He said Friday it was a “clearly marked” UN aircraft and Omanis hope first local vote will usher in change demanded that those responsible be brought to account. MUSCAT: Hoping for jobs Qaboos, sits opposite Iran on the Omani cities during the Arab in the Seeb district of Muscat. more jobs, action against graft The European Union’s foreign and democratic change, voters Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for uprisings last year, along with At the polling station in Seeb, and some democratic changes. policy chief Catherine Ashton also in Oman cast ballots in their nearly a fifth of globally traded jobs and an end to corruption. set up in a schoolhouse, about 50 But Sultan Qaboos remains a said in a statement yesterday that first municipal election yester- petroleum. “We feel the change is coming people queued to cast their ballots popular figure in a country that she “deplores” the attack and “calls day, a sign of modest reform in Its only other elections are for with this new election that will while others stood in the shade was mostly undeveloped and faced on the government of South Sudan response to protests inspired by the Shura Council, a body that give us the opportunity to ask and discussed which way to vote. war in its Dhofar region when he to give full cooperation in the investi- the Arab Spring. has some limited legislative pow- officials to openly explain their Voting in the capital and nearby seized power from his father. gation of this very serious incident”. The small Gulf oil producer, ers. Increased democracy was a actions and admit their mis- coastal town of Barka appeared REUTERS AFP ruled since 1970 by HM Sultan main demand of protesters in takes,” said voter Harib Khalfan quieter than during last year’s election for the Shura Council. Activists from last year’s protest movement welcomed the election but cautioned that it was too early to tell whether it would lead to meaningful change. “It’s good. This is what we’ve been protesting for, but it’s too early to cele- brate. Let’s wait and see,” said activist Ismail Al Rasbi. Some 1,475 candidates are seeking places on 192 local councils in the coun- try of 2.8 million people. There were no reports of protests or other incidents across the country on Saturday afternoon. Each polling station Reuters visited had a police car parked outside to prevent trouble. Protests erupted in sev- eral Omani towns early last year inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings, as dem- onstrators blocked major An Omani man is aided as he casts his vote at a polling station in the Sohar district, yesterday. roads and went on strike demanding better pay,

Tunisia kicks off Ben Ali treasures auction

GAMMARTH, Tunisia: Tunisian Prime Cadillac and a Maybach 62. euros from the sale. Besbes said the items Minister Hamadi Jebali kicked off viewing Suits belonging to the toppled despot are belonged to Ben Ali and 114 of his relatives. yesterday for an auction of thousands of expected to go for ¤3,000 each, while coats The public can view the sale items from luxury items once owned by ousted dicta- belonging to his wife Leila Trabelsi, who today for an entry charge of 30 dinars, a stiff tor Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family. was notorious for her expensive tastes, could amount in a country where the minimum Jebali inspected 40 luxury cars, thousands fetch as much as ¤4,000. wage is just 320 dinars a month. of clothing, jewellery items and art works on Her handbags are expected fetch ¤3,000, Ben Ali, who fled in the face of the first the eve of the public auction which is being while the couple’s footwear is expected to of last year’s Arab Spring uprisings, lives in held in the Tunis suburb of Gammarth in command prices ranging from ¤100 to ¤300. exile in Saudi Arabia with his wife. a bid to raise millions of euros for govern- Acting finance minister Slim Besbes told His overthrow has done little, however, ment coffers. reporters earlier this week that items valued to address the economic grievances that Highlight of the month-long sale is at less than 10,000 dinars (¤5,000) would be fuelled the revolt, with protests against expected to be the cars, which include a sold at fixed price, but that anything priced the new government multiplying in recent Lamborghini Gallardo LP 460, a Bentley above that would be put to auction. weeks. Continental sports car, an armoured The government hopes to raise at least ¤10m AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INTERNATIONAL Italy dissolves Snowfall in Ukraine House; Monti mulls future Election called on February 24, 25

ROME: Italy’s head of state at all the possibilities and think- dissolved parliament yester- ing,” the source said. “The thing day and opened the way to a is that without him, the centrist February election, with doubts project doesn’t make any sense.” growing over whether outgoing Several centrist politicians Prime Minister Mario Monti who had been hoping for Monti’s will participate in what prom- endorsement appeared almost ises to be a bitter campaign. resigned to going on alone. Monti resigned on Friday a cou- “Monti would have given more ple of months ahead of the end of significance to the initiative his term of office, after his techno- but it doesn’t change things,” crat government lost the support Ferdinando Adornato, a member of Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right of the centrist UDC party told People of Freedom (PDL) party. TGCom 24 news television. “What For weeks, speculation has swirled Bersani and Berlusconi are offer- over what role Monti will play in ing is not enough to change the the election, which cabinet con- situation from what it was before firmed would be held over two days Monti arrived.” A driver cleans his car after a snowfall in Kiev, Ukraine, yesterday. Snow and frost of minus 15 degrees Celsius are forecast in Ukraine by weather on February 24-25. European leaders includ- officials for two more days. The former European com- ing German Chancellor Angela missioner, appointed to lead an Merkel and European Commission unelected government to save President Jose Manuel Barroso Italy from financial crisis a year have called for Monti’s economic ago, has faced growing pressure reform agenda to continue but to seek a second term and ear- Italy’s two main parties insist he Pope pardons butler, expels him from Vatican lier this week Italian media widely should stay out of the race. reported he would do so. “We underlined the fact that VATICAN CITY: Pope a half months in detention. “It because of the risk he would be papers the pontiff himself had That now seems far less cer- as we’re going into elections Benedict XVI yesterday par- is great news, the end of a sad free to reveal further secrets — marked “To Be Destroyed”. tain, as Monti has had to digest with a non-elected, technocrat doned his former butler Paolo affair,” Lombardi said. including clues as to whether the Gabriele had said he wanted to opinion polls that suggest a cen- government, that government, Gabriele who was sentenced to He compared the meet- leaks were orchestrated by higher “help” the pope who, he claimed, trist group headed by him would in the person of the prime min- 18 months in prison for steal- ing between the pontiff and his powers. had been kept in ignorance of probably come a distant third ister, should remain outside ing secret papal memos, but betrayer to a prison encounter in The butler had told Italian scandals inside the Vatican. or even fourth in the election, the contest,” Fabrizio Cicchitto, banished the once loyal servant 1983 between pope John Paul II investigative journalist Gianluigi He expressed frustration with a expected to be won by the centre- PDL leader in the lower house from the Vatican forever. and the Turk Mehmet Ali Agca Nuzzi, who published the leaks, culture of secrecy in the Vatican left Democratic party (PD), led by of parliament said after meeting “This morning the Holy Father who had attempted to assassinate that there were “around 20” like- — from the mysterious disappear- Pier Luigi Bersani. President Giorgio Napolitano. Benedict XVI visited Paolo Gabriele him two years earlier. The tone, minded people in the Vatican ance of the daughter of a Vatican “The outcome of the election Italians are weary of repeated tax in prison in order to confirm his he said, had been intimate. — sparking rumours that dis- employee in 1983 to a quickly may well not be all that favour- hikes and spending cuts and opin- forgiveness and to inform him A former trusted aide who had gruntled cardinals may have been hushed-up double murder and able and the question is where ion polls offer little evidence they are personally of his acceptance of Mr passed hours of every day in the behind the leaks. There was much suicide by a Swiss guard in 1998. that would leave his own credibil- ready to give Monti a second term. A Gabriele’s request for pardon,” the pontiff’s company, the 46-year-old talk of a power struggle between While the disgraced butler was ity and also his reform agenda,” a survey this week showed 61 percent Vatican said in a statement. Gabriele — one of the 594 citizens the Vatican’s powerful number initially given a three-year jail person close to Monti said. saying he should not stand. The pardon for Gabriele, who of the world’s smallest state — will two, Tarcisio Bertone, and his term, the presiding judge reduced Italy’s main newspapers Berlusconi, who was forced to was convicted and sentenced in now have to move out of his home challengers — though Gabriele the sentence on the grounds of reported that he was inclined not make way for Monti in November October by a Vatican court for within the Vatican’s walls. told the court he worked alone. his past service to the Catholic to run, partly because of disap- last year as Italian borrowing leaking secret papal documents “The Holy See, trusting in his The documents, secretly cop- Church and his apology to the pointing opinion polls and partly costs surged, has stepped up to the press, was a “paternal ges- sincere repentance, wishes to ied and leaked in a case that has pope for betraying him. because of doubts about the qual- attacks on his successor in recent ture” for a man “with whom the offer him the possibility of return- been dubbed “Vatileaks”, included The butler’s accomplice, a ity of the centrist parties that days and welcomed his resigna- pope shared a relationship of daily ing to a serene family life,” the allegations by a former governor computer programmer who would be using his name. tion on Friday. familiarity for many years”. Vatican said. Gabriele, one of the of the city state of massive fraud was convicted in November of Another source familiar with “Today the experience of the However, the ex-butler “can- few lay members of the “pontifi- within its walls. helping Gabriele engineer the the discussions that have been technical government is finished not resume his previous occupa- cal family”, leaked the sensitive During the trial, Vatican police leaks, is also to be pardoned, going on between Monti and and we must hope there will never tion or continue to live in Vatican memos to the press as part of a said they had found more than Lombardi said. these centrist groups said he again be a similar suspension of City,” it added. After a 15-minute whistle-blowing campaign against 1,000 secret documents, some Claudio Sciarpelletti was given was no longer in direct contact democracy,” he told reporters. meeting with Benedict, Gabriele what he said was “evil and cor- photocopies but others originals, a two-month suspended sen- with his potential allies and was Monti, who has kept his cards returned home to his wife and ruption” in the Vatican. in Gabriele’s home, that had been tence and a five-year probation now thinking things through on close to his chest, is expected to three children, Vatican spokes- Many religious observers had stolen from the papal palace. in November, and has already his own. outline his plans at a news confer- man Federico Lombardi said. He thought it unlikely that the These included letters from resumed working at the Vatican. “It’s very open, Monti’s looking ence today. REUTERS had spent a total of three and Vatican would expel Gabriele cardinals and politicians and AFP

Spain lottery draw Nelson Mandela Merkel rival slams govt’s ‘responding’ soaring arms exports to treatment BERLIN: Peer Steinbrueck, set more than Merkel’s conservatives JOHANNESBURG: Former to challenge Angela Merkel as but not enough to form a majority South African president and German leader next year, criti- coalition. anti-apartheid hero Nelson cised her centre-right govern- Merkel’s conservatives would Mandela, who is 94, continues to ment yesterday for letting arms win 40 percent. Her Free respond to treatment two weeks exports surge and vowed to end Democrat (FDP) allies would win after being taken to hospital, the that if his centre-left opposition 4 percent, failing to clear the 5 government said yesterday. wins power. percent hurdle needed for seats. The Nobel Peace laureate, The former finance minis- The Left party would win 7 per- who has been treated for a lung ter, nominated to lead the Social cent, according to the poll. If so, infection and gallstones after Democrats (SPD) into September’s the SPD-Greens bloc would need being hospitalised on December election against Merkel, said it 48 percent of votes to secure a 8, was visited by South African was a scandal that Germany has parliamentary majority. President Jacob Zuma, presidency become the world’s third largest As a result, many analysts see spokesman Mac Maharaj said. arms exporter on her watch. a repeat of the 2005-2009 grand “Madiba has been in hospital Arms exports are a sensitive coalition of Merkel’s conservatives since the 8th of December and issue in Germany due to its Nazi and the SPD as a likely election continues to respond to treat- past and the role arms makers outcome. In 2001 Germany was Schoolchildren Ismael (right) and Sherley call out the winning number, 76058, during the draw for Spain’s ment,” Maharaj said, referring to such as Krupp played in stoking the world’s sixth largest arms Christmas Lottery “El Gordo” in Madrid yesterday. The total prize money of €2.5bn ($3.32bn) is split into thou- Mandela by his clan name. 19th and 20th century wars with exporter with $925m sold abroad, sands of cash prizes among hundreds of winning numbers. “President Zuma assured him exports to both sides. behind the United States, Russia, of the love and support of all After World War Two, suc- Britain, France and Italy. South Africans, young and old, cessive West German and later Germany now trails only the and the whole world.” united German governments United States and Russia after The country’s first black presi- placed tight restrictions on arms exporting $2.476bn in 2010, Bombers attack telecom firms in Nigeria dent was admitted to hospital in exports, especially to regions according to latest available data Pretoria earlier this month after where there were armed con- from the Stockholm International KANO, NIGERIA: Two sus- no reports of any civilian deaths. his leg was injured in the blast. being flown from his home village flicts or where human rights were Peace Research Institute. Germany pected suicide car bombers blew The Islamist sect Boko Haram — Officials from Airtel, one of the of Qunu in a remote part of the poorly respected. ranks ninth in the world on its own themselves up in coordinated notorious for shootings and bomb three biggest mobile phone serv- Eastern Cape province. “It’s a scandal and extremely defence spending. attacks yesterday on two major attacks across north and central ice providers in Nigeria, were It seems likely that Mandela, dangerous that Germany has Steinbrueck’s pre-Christmas telecoms companies in the vola- Nigeria — has in the past targeted unavailable for comment. admired at home and abroad as a become the world’s third larg- attack on Merkel for the increased tile northern Nigerian city of phone companies, accusing them In the second incident, a sus- global icon against injustice for his est exporter of weapons,” arms exports is not likely to figure Kano, officials said, but no other of cooperating with the security pected bomber was blown up when lifetime of struggle against minor- Steinbrueck, who hopes to form as a major election issue in 2013. deaths were reported. services. his car exploded outside the gate of ity white rule, will end up spend- a coalition with the Greens party, But it reflects his fighting spirit One of the attackers blew him- The National Emergency an MTN office which coordinates ing Christmas in the hospital. told the Passauer Neue Presse on an issue that is important for self up when he rammed his car Management Agency said in a the company’s mobile telephone On Thursday, following his newspaper yesterday. some leftist voters. into the gate of an Airtel mobile statement that there were “coor- services in about a dozen states re-election as leader of the rul- “An SPD-Greens government It also aims to deflect criticism phone company building, setting dinated attacks by suicide bombers in the north, army spokesman ing African National Congress led by me would change that,” from Foreign Minister Guido it ablaze. The second died when at facilities of two telecom opera- Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi said (ANC), Zuma reported Mandela said Steinbrueck, 65. “We’re even Westerwelle, an FDP leader his car exploded outside the office tors in separate locations in Kano No other casualties were had “steadily improved”. exporting weapons to regions who last week blamed the SPD- of MTN, Nigeria’s largest mobile municipality”. A Kano policeman recorded in the attack, he added. Zuma said then the former in conflict and to areas where Greens’ government from 1998 phone operator, police and the who requested anonymity con- Kano was the scene of Boko president was receiving “the human rights aren’t respected.” to 2005 for the increase in arms army said. firmed the Airtel attack. Haram’s deadliest attack yet in best care possible” but recalled The SPD and Greens would win exports. He said many recent There was no immediate claim “The bomber rammed his car January, when at least 185 people that Mandela was “at an age a combined 43 percent of the vote, weapons deliveries to the Middle of responsibility for the attacks in into the gate and blew himself up. were killed in coordinated bomb- where medical challenges require according to an ARD TV opinion East were set up under the SPD- Kano, the largest city in mainly The building is on fire,” he said. ings and shootings. extraordinary care”. poll by the Infratest dimap insti- Greens government. Muslim northern Nigeria, and Airtel worker Bayo Osho said AFP REUTERS tute published on Friday. That is REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 15 US gun lobby urges armed police in every school National Rifle Association ready to help train teams and work with teachers, parents to improve security measures

WASHINGTON: The US most following the Newtown school of demonizing gun owners. Last vast majority of weapons used possible... that 26 innocent lives “NRA kills our kids” the other powerful pro-gun lobbying massacre. Friday, a troubled 20-year-old have been semi-automatic weap- might have been spared that “NRA has blood on its hands.” group is suggesting that armed But the pro-gun lobbyists ceded man burst into the Sandy Hook ons obtained legally by the killers. day? Is it so abhorrent to you They were led away by security. police be deployed to every no ground to those calling for school and gunned down 20 six- There were an estimated 310 that you’d rather continue to Hollywood stars including school in the country follow- tougher gun laws. “The only thing and seven-year-old children million non-military firearms in risk the alternative?” The state- Julianne Moore, Jamie Foxx and ing a mass shooting that left 20 that stops a bad guy with a gun is and six staff members trying to the United States in 2009, roughly ment immediately drew criticism Jon Hamm meanwhile recorded young children dead. a good guy with a gun,” declared protect them, before taking his one per citizen, and people in from supporters of tougher gun a video backing a campaign call- The National Rifle Association, NRA vice-president Wayne own life. He also fatally shot his America are 20 times more likely control, who are pushing to ban ing notably for a ban on assault which supports a broad interpreta- LaPierre on Friday, in his first mother. to be killed by a gun than someone semi-automatic assault weapons weapons, as well as criminal back- tion of US citizens’ constitutional public comments since the shoot- As LaPierre and his allies were in another developed country. like the .223 Bushmaster rifle that ground checks for every gun sold. right to bear arms, had been ing at the Sandy Hook Elementary on stage in Washington, police in But LaPierre insisted gun Lanza used in Friday’s shooting. “Columbine. Virginia Tech. under pressure to respond in the School in Newtown, Connecticut. Pennsylvania shot dead a man ownership is not the problem. “The NRA leadership’s drive Tucson. Aurora. Fort Hood. Oak wake of last week’s massacre in a “I call on Congress today to act who had killed three people and “You know, five years ago after to fill our schools with more Creek. Newtown. Newtown. Connecticut elementary school. immediately to appropriate what- wounded “several” others, state the Virginia Tech tragedy when deadly guns and ammo is wildly Newtown,” they intone in the black- Even as the NRA leaders made ever is necessary to put armed troopers. These deaths were the I said we should put armed secu- out of touch with responsible gun and-white video, taking turns to their combative and determined police officers in every single latest in a series of mass shootings rity in every school, the media owners and the American pub- list the names of America’s worst appearance, another four people school in this nation,” he said, in in the United States this year, called me crazy,” he said, referring lic,” New Jersey Senator Frank gun massacres of recent years. died in Pennsylvania in America’s a lengthy statement. He took no and prompted President Barack to a 2007 campus shooting that Lautenberg said. The New York “How many more? How many latest shooting spree, including questions from reporters. Obama to throw his weight left 32 people dead. “But what if, Times, in an editorial, did not more colleges? How many more the alleged shooter. LaPierre said the NRA was behind plans to revive a ban on what if when Adam Lanza started mince words, calling LaPierre’s classes? How many more movie And a string of celebri- ready to help train security assault weapons. shooting his way into Sandy Hook remarks a “mendacious, delu- theaters? How many more houses ties including Jeremy Renner, teams for schools and work with America has suffered an epi- Elementary School last Friday, sional, almost deranged rant.” of faith? How many more shop- Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce teachers and parents to improve demic of gun violence over the last he’d been confronted by qualified One of the protesters, who ping malls?” they add in the video launched a video to back a cam- security measures, and accused three decades including 62 mass armed security?” he demanded. attempted to drown out LaPierre’s on the “Demand a Plan” cam- paign to clamp down on gun sales the media and the political class shooting incidents since 1982. The “Will you at least admit it’s statement, bore a banner reading paign website. AFP

Heavy rain across Britain Thatcher recovering after bladder surgery

LONDON: Britain’s former few more days to recuperate and prime minister Margaret then she’ll go home. “All opera- Thatcher was in hospital yes- tions are difficult, doesn’t really terday recovering from a matter what age you are. But minor operation to remove a she’s very tough and the doc- growth in her bladder and may tors are perfectly happy, The remain there over Christmas, surgeons are happy and they say friends said. the operation’s been completely The 87-year-old “Iron Lady”, satisfactory.” Britain’s first and only female Thatcher’s daughter has been premier, was doing “absolutely at her side in hospital. Her son fine” having been admitted to hos- Mark is believed to be outside pital on Thursday feeling unwell, Britain on holiday. her spokesman said. Asked how long she might But the operation has raised remain in hospital, Bell said: “A fresh fears for the health of few days is the phrase being used. Britain’s conservative prime min- “It’s perfectly possible she’ll be ister from 1979 to 1990, who has there across Christmas.” been a subdued figure in recent Two years ago Thatcher years and a far cry from the fiery missed an 85th birthday party at figure of her heyday. Downing Street laid on for her Current Prime Minister David by Cameron. Cars drive northbound on the M6 motorway near Knutsford yesterday during heavy rainfall. Heavy rain across Britain has led to travel disruption Cameron, who like Thatcher leads In July, she was not well enough and flooding, with the Enviroment Agency raising upwards of 120 flood warnings, three of which were severe. the Conservative Party, wished his to attend a Downing Street lunch predecessor “a speedy recovery”, thrown by Cameron for Queen his 10 Downing Street office said. Elizabeth II to celebrate the mon- Thatcher — the 20th century’s arch’s diamond jubilee. longest continuous occupant of The other surviving former Kate and William Downing Street — has suffered prime ministers — Gordon Brown, a series of minor strokes and in Tony Blair and John Major — Two Australian DJs could face to spend Christmas 2002 was told by doctors to quit all attended. But in October, public speaking. Thatcher was sufficiently well Day at her house With dementia taking hold, she to mark her 87th birthday with prosecution for royal hoax has appeared increasingly rarely lunch at a restaurant in London LONDON: Prince William and in public. Her daughter Carol with her son and his wife. his pregnant wife Catherine once revealed that she had to Thatcher’s health was thrust LONDON: British prosecutors Saldanha, officers have liaised criminal cases, while police are will spend Christmas Day at her be repeatedly reminded that her into the global spotlight this will decide whether to charge with the Crown Prosecution responsible for investigating and parents’ family house, instead of husband Denis had died in 2003. year when US actress Meryl two Australian DJs after a nurse Service as to whether any crimi- collecting evidence. with Queen Elizabeth II, British Public relations executive Lord Streep starred in a controversial who took a hoax call to a hos- nal offences had been committed At the nurse’s funeral in India royal officials said yesterday. Tim Bell, Thatcher’s adviser for Hollywood film about her. “The pital treating Prince William’s in relation to the hoax call made on Monday, her widower Benedict The second-in-line to the her three general election vic- Iron Lady” drew criticism from pregnant wife Catherine appar- to King Edward VII Hospital Barboza and the couple’s two throne and the former Kate tories, said she had undergone Cameron and others for concen- ently killed herself, police said in the early hours of Tuesday 4 children said British police were Middleton will be at the Middleton “minimally invasive” surgery. trating on ex-premier’s dementia. yesterday. December,” Scotland Yard said. investigating the tragedy “and residence in Bucklebury, a village “She felt unwell earlier in the Streep won an Oscar for the role. Scotland Yard said officers It said officers submitted a file they have assured us of a full and west of London, a spokesman for week. She went to the doctor. The Reaction on social media in had this week sent a file to the to the CPS on Wednesday for it fair investigation”. St James’s Palace said. doctor sent her to the hospital,” Britain to news of Thatcher’s Crown Prosecution Service over to consider whether any potential A London inquest heard last “The Duke and Duchess of he told BBC television. operation was deeply split, reflect- the prank earlier this month by offences may have been commit- week that Saldanha had been Cambridge will spend Christmas “The hospital examined her, ing the divisive legacy of her eco- presenters Mel Greig and Michael ted by making the hoax call. found hanged with a scarf from Day privately with the Middleton discovered a small growth in nomic reforms and battle with the Christian, from Sydney’s 2Day British media said no her wardrobe in staff accommo- family,” the spokesman said, using her bladder and they decided country’s trade unions in the 1980s. FM radio station. announcement had been made dation and there were no sus- the official titles given to the couple to remove it using what they On the world stage, she built Indian-born nurse Jacintha until Saturday because police picious circumstances over her after they married in April 2011. describe as minimally invasive an extremely close “special rela- Saldanha, 46, was found hanged in wanted to be sure they had con- death. She also had marks on her They plan to visit the queen’s surgery, so no heavy anaesthetics tionship” with US president her lodgings at King Edward VII’s tacted all the relevant family wrist. Saldanha left three notes, Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and so on. Ronald Reagan which helped hospital in central London, where members of Saldanha. one of which reportedly criticised eastern England, later in the fes- “The operation was a complete bring the curtain down on Soviet Kate was being treated for acute In England and Wales, the colleagues over her treatment at tive season, the palace said. The success, her condition is satisfac- Communism. morning sickness, on December 7. CPS is responsible for deciding the hospital. monarch and her husband Prince tory. She’ll stay in hospital for a AFP “Following the death of Jacintha whether charges will proceed in AFP Philip were understood to have approved the couple’s decision. The Cambridges spent Christmas at Sandringham last Protest in Belfast year, at a time when Philip was in hospital after undergoing a Shock and sadness as Irish heart procedure. It will be the first Christmas since William and Catherine, both 30, announced minister found dead that they are expecting their first DUBLIN: The Irish politi- enthusiasm to his role,” Kenny said child together. cal world was in shock yester- in a statement. Catherine spent several days day after a member of Prime “On a personal level, Shane in hospital in London earlier Minister Enda Kenny’s govern- McEntee was a loyal friend and this month with severe morn- ment was found dead in circum- colleague and my thoughts and ing sickness. Her father Michael stances that police said were prayers go out to Kathleen and and mother Carole, who run a not suspicious. their family at this very sad time,” party supplies business, and her Shane McEntee, 56 — a junior Kenny added. sister Pippa and brother James minister at the Department of McEntee was first elected to are all expected to be spending Agriculture, Food and the Marine the Irish parliament in a 2005 Christmas with Catherine and — died on Friday near his home by-election after former prime William. in Meath, northeast Ireland. The minister John Bruton stood down Pippa — who became famous Irish Times newspaper said he to become the European Union’s for the figure-hugging dress she took his own life. ambassador to the United States. wore at the royal wedding — said McEntee was married to wife “It’s absolutely awful for the recently that her father Michael Kathleen and had three children. family and indeed everyone who often donned fancy dress for As well as his political role, he loved Shane. He was a really com- Christmas. was also a well-known farmer passionate man,” Bruton said. “Home is, happily, where I’ll and publican. Kenny said he was “The by-election that he won in be this year,” Pippa wrote in The “devastated” by the death, which 2005 was in a way a beginning of Spectator, a political weekly. “The Police in riot gear look on as protesters wave Union Flags in front of the City Hall provoked by a decision to Irish police confirmed they were the revival of the Fine Gael party Middletons’ Christmas should be remove the British flag from Belfast’s City Hall yesterday. not treating as suspicious. which helped the party to find its blissfully calm. We’re good at “As minister of state, he brought way into government in 2011.” keeping each other’s spirits up.” great energy, diligence and AFP AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 16 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com ASIA / PHILIPPINES Typhoon Bopha victims get more foreign aid Manila receives millions of dollars in relief and recovery aid from Brunei, China and New Zealand

MANILA: As more relief aid would be made available for Social Welfare Secretary them of continued assistance members of the Social Security surveillance in typhoon-devas- from Brunei, China and New relief and recovery efforts, on Corazon Soliman said the funding until they get their jobs back. System (SSS)’s “declared and tated provinces of Davao Oriental Zealand came in, Cabinet sec- top of $500,000 (P16.9m) previ- will be used for the construction DOLE released livelihood may be declared” calamity areas and Compostela Valley to speed retaries prepared to distrib- ously donated by Wellington to of core shelter units in Cagayan grants of P250,000 each to three can now avail themselves of the up assessment for search and ute 173,000 Christmas Eve the International Federation of de Oro City, the area severely workers’ organisations whose calamity package to help them relief efforts. food packs in areas affected by the Red Cross. The contribution affected by tropical storm members were affected by the and their families recover from The US military special typhoon Bopha. includes NZ$1m to support the “Sendong” in 2011. typhoon. the devastation caused by the units under the Joint Special Each pack, wrapped in native United Nations Children’s Fund Chinese Ambassador Ma Baldoz said that DOLE has typhoon. Operations Task Force- fabric called malong, contains in providing access to safe water Keqing on Friday handed over allocated all its remaining The areas currently include Philippines (JSOTF-P) surveyed one and a half kilos of rice noo- and sanitation facilities. a cheque for $200,000 to the resources for 2012 for the emer- Palawan, Siquijor, Cebu, Lanao 37,980 square kilometres and dles, two cans of corned beef, two “The New Zealand government Department of Foreign Affairs as gency employment and livelihood del Norte, Misamis Oriental, provided 600 images for the mili- packs of fudge bars, a can of fruit extends its deep sympathies to the the Chinese government’s assist- programmes for typhoon-affected Compostela Valley, Davao tary advisers on the ground who cocktail, a can of condensed milk, Filipino people for the loss of lives ance to victims of typhoon Bopha. workers in Mindanao. Oriental, Davao del Norte, would assess the damage and a box of cheese, sandwich spread and extensive damage brought by The Red Cross Society of China The three workers’ organi- Surigao del Sur and Agusan del facilitate the delivery of relief aid and a pack of chocolate candies. typhoon Bopha. We hope that our had earlier donated $30,000 to the sations — Nagkahiusang Sur. and supplies where these are most As of yesterday, a total of contribution will aid in the rapid Philippine Red Cross. Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm; SSS president and chief execu- needed. 452,798 family food packs recovery and rehabilitation of The Department of Labour Freshmax Workers’ Union; and tive officer Emilio de Quiros Jr In a statement, the US embassy amounting to P566m had been Filipino communities,” said New and Employment (DOLE), on Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa San said the three-part relief pack- said the US military utilised a distributed to the affected fami- Zealand Ambassador Reuben the other hand, has distributed Jose — have been accredited by age offers renewal of salary loans, P3-Orion spy plane in search- lies, the Department of Social Levermore. P750,000 in financial assistance the DOLE regional office as co- advance release of three months’ ing for survivors in coastal areas Welfare and Development The DSWD also received a for displaced banana plantation partners in the implementation of worth of pensions, and a two per- in Sarangani, where around 300 (DSWD) reported. P6.4m donation from the gov- workers. the DOLE Integrated Livelihood cent cut in interest rates on the fishermen were reported miss- Meanwhile, New Zealand ernment of Brunei Darussalam Labour Secretary Rosalinda Programme towards Community SSS Direct House Repair and ing in the aftermath of typhoon Foreign Affairs Minister Murray for the construction of additional Baldoz met with the banana Enterprise Development Improvement Loan. Bopha. The search covered 7,200 McCully announced that an addi- core shelters for typhoon victims plantation workers in Tagum, (DILP-CED). As this developed, US mili- nautical square miles. tional NZ$1.5m (about P50.8m) in Mindanao. Davao del Norte and assured In the meantime, about 3.6m tary forces conducted aerial THE PHILIPPINE STAR

Japan’s incoming PM vows to mend China ties Philippines criminalises TOKYO: Japan’s incoming pre- responsibility (for Japan’s forced disappearances mier yesterday pledged to seek future),” Abe, who will officially a thaw in ties with China after be appointed as prime minister a report said he will send a spe- on Wednesday, told supporters in MANILA: The Philippines has detention and confinement”. cial envoy on a fence-mending his constituency in western Japan passed a landmark law that Valte said both government mission to Beijing. earlier Saturday. criminalises “enforced dis- employees and ordinary people Ties between Japan and China “My mission is to bring a break- appearances”, a presidential were now required to report cases have become increasingly strained through in the serious situations spokeswoman said yesterday, in of enforced disappearances. over a disputed island chain -- we face in economy, diplomacy, a move hailed by human rights “The important thing is that the Tokyo-controlled Senkakus, and education.” groups. we now have a duty to report if which Beijing calls the Diaoyus -- Abe said on Friday he will dis- Under the new law, enforced we know of any case of enforced with neither side willing to budge patch former finance minister disappearances — or abductions disappearances. It also provides after months of bitter wrangling. Fukushiro Nukaga to deliver a carried out by government forces for the creation of an updated list “I want to make efforts to letter to South Korea’s president- — will be treated as a separate of all the people held in our deten- return to the starting point of elect Park Geun-Hye, who also category to ordinary kidnapping tion facilities,” she said. developing the mutually benefi- triumphed in national elections and could invite up to life impris- Human Rights Watch wel- cial relationship based on com- just days ago. onment as punishment. comed the new law, saying it was mon strategic interests,” Shinzo Tokyo is embroiled in a sepa- It means the military can also “the first of its kind in Asia and Abe told reporters. rate row with Seoul over a dif- no longer cite the so-called “order a major milestone in ending this “The Japan-China relationship ferent set of islets, with tensions of battle”, a list of supposed com- horrific human rights violation”, is one of extremely important flaring up earlier this year after munist insurgents that until and the group urged the govern- bilateral ties,” he said. outgoing South Korean president now was used to justify holding ment to act quickly to enforce it. The comments came after the Lee Myung-Bak paid a sudden a person. “This law is a testament to business daily Nikkei reported visit to the disputed territory. President Benigno Aquino the thousands of ‘disappearance’ Abe will send Masahiko Komura, “Abe intends to improve frayed approved the legislation late on victims since the Marcos dic- the vice president of his Liberal ties with South Korea and with Friday, spokeswoman Abigail tatorship, whose long-suffering Democratic Party, to deliver a let- China by sending special envoys,” Valte said amid a growing outcry families are still searching for ter to Chinese authorities next the Nikkei said, without citing over alleged abductions of activ- justice,” HRW said. month. sources. ists and government critics by Congressman Edcel Lagman, They also came a day after Abe’s parliamentary victory on security forces. who authored the bill, said the China sent ships into territo- Sunday was greeted with caution Japan’s incoming prime minister and the leader of Liberal Democratic The law also prohibits secret new law would force govern- rial waters around the disputed in Beijing and Seoul, with China Party, Shinzo Abe, and his wife Akie pay respects at the grave of his father detention facilities and author- ment officials who are accused islands, in the first incursion since saying it was “highly concerned” and former foreign minister Shintaro Abe in Nagato, in this photo taken by ises the government to con- of enforced disappearances, to Japan elected a new government. over Japan’s future direction. Kyodo yesterday. duct “regular, unannounced... report if they are holding anyone. “I will shoulder grave AFP inspections of all places of AFP

Israeli clown helps Beijing bans alcohol in military Sri Lanka arrests 100 Chinese for currency fraud heal Nepal patients banquets to curb graft: Media COLOMBO: Police in Sri Lanka produced in court late yesterday. and interest in the region. DHULIKHEL: He may not be have arrested 100 Chinese Thousands of Chinese work China is also building a second much of a doctor but the chil- BEIJING: China has banned inspection tours, overseas visits, nationals for an online currency in Chinese-funded development port in Colombo and Chinese dren’s faces light up when Dush senior military officers from meetings and reports, according fraud scam in a string of night- projects across the island. Many firms have pledged investments The Clown shuffles into their holding alcohol-fuelled banquets to the new rules. time raids in and around the more arrive on tourist visas and totalling $50bn spread over the ward in his floppy shoes and or from staying in luxury hotels Speakers at meetings should capital Colombo, officials said work in the hospitality industry. next 10 to 15 years, according to red nose to prescribe his unique when on work trips in the lat- avoid “empty talk”, while the use yesterday. “The fraud-affected people Sri Lanka’s trade ministry. brand of medical care. est move by Communist Party of vehicles equipped with sirens “They have defrauded their (live) in China,” Jayakodi said. The number of Chinese has Dush — alias 36-year-old Israeli chief Xi Jinping to fight cor- will be “rigorously controlled dur- countrymen by making them... “The fraud was carried out in Sri mushroomed in the island since David Barashi — is in Nepal to ruption, state media reported ing official visits in order to pre- transfer money to accounts main- Lanka through the Internet.” the middle of the last decade with teach doctors and nurses that yesterday. vent public disturbances”. tained in Sri Lanka in the names The arrests come as China has Chinese restaurants and Chinese laughter really can be the best Receptions will also no longer “Additionally, commission offi- of those arrested,” Prishantha been investing heavily in the trop- medical centres other visible signs medicine, with the latest evidence feature welcome banners, red cials are required to discipline Jayakodi, a senior superintend- ical island nation as it enlarges its of their presence. suggesting clowning around in carpets, flowers, honour guards, their spouses, children and sub- ent, told the reporters. presence in South Asia. Regional power India views Sri hospitals can boost patient care. performances or souvenirs, ordinates and make sure they do Police said that the 74 men In June, the tropical island Lanka as being firmly within its “Everyone can take something the powerful Central Military not take bribes.” and 26 women were arrested nation opened Sri Lanka’s first sphere of influence and has been from the clown,” said Barashi, Commission, which Xi oversees, The rules echo similar demands on Friday night at their resi- Chinese-built port, for which concerned about China getting a who has worked as a qualified has decreed, newspapers reported. made of party officials by Xi ear- dences in the capital or in the China loaned money. foothold there and in other sur- medical clown for ten years. Officers will have to cut back lier this month. surrounding areas following a The port was seen as a strong rounding countries. “When you are in a hospital, on both the number and length of REUTERS court order. They are due to be symbol of Beijing’s investment AFP you shouldn’t just see the sick and the painful side of the patient, you should see the healthy side, the Anti-violence rally side that wants to be a kid. “We all have a child inside of us and clowning in hospital is about N Korea leader urges development empowering childhood.” Studies have shown that clown- of more satellites, bigger rockets ing programmes can reduce pain and anxiety in children and SEOUL: North Korean leader declaration that demonstrated adults, increase the success rate of Kim Jong-Un has ordered the the DPRK’s (North Korea’s) inde- in-vitro fertilisation, lower blood development of bigger rock- pendent and legitimate right to pressure and improve the care of ets, state media said yesterday, use space for peaceful purposes elderly suffering from dementia. after Pyongyang sparked inter- before the world,” he said. Barashi, who holds a degree national condemnation with a He added that the rocket, the in medical clowning from the long-range rocket launch. satellite and monitoring devices University of Haifa, shows doc- He gave the order to scientists, were “indigenously produced, 100 tors, nurses and lecturers how technicians and others involved percent”. he is able to use clowning with in this month’s launch at a ban- Kim had already stressed children to make them feel better quet on Friday, the official Korean the need to put more satellites ahead of surgery. Central News Agency (KCNA) into space two days after the He worked with orphans in reported. December 12 launch, KCNA Ethiopia, tsunami survivors in “You should develop and launch reported at the time. Asia and children in quake-hit a variety of more working satel- North Korea says the launch Haiti before he was invited by the lites, including communications put a satellite in orbit for peace- Israeli embassy in Nepal to visit satellite, and carrier rockets of ful research, but critics say it Thai soldiers watch as Muslim villagers hold national flags and banners during an anti-violence rally in south- Dhulikhel Hospital, 30 kilometres bigger capacity,” Kim was quoted amounted to a banned ballistic southeast of Kathmandu. ern Thailand’s Narathiwat province yesterday. More than 5,300 people, both Buddhists and Muslims, have as saying by KCNA. missile test. AFP been killed since the unrest reignited in 2004, according to Deep South Watch, which monitors the unrest. “The launch... was a grand AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 PAKISTAN AFGHANISTAN www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 17 Karzai blames Afghan wrestling foreigners for corruption ‘Nato withdrawal will help end graft’

KABUL: President Hamid previously pointed the finger at Karzai yesterday blamed for- the contract systems of the inter- eigners for most of the corrup- national community for spread- tion in Afghanistan and said the ing corruption, although it admits withdrawal of Nato troops in graft is rife within its own ranks. 2014 would help rid the country Karzai said that in 2014 of graft. when “foreign forces have left More than 11 years after a Afghanistan... their contracts, US-led invasion led to billions their administration will gradu- of dollars in aid flowing into ally disappear”. one of the world’s poorest coun- “This will help Afghanistan get tries, Afghanistan ranks among rid of corruption, and it will be the most corrupt nations in the good for Afghanistan,” he added. world. Nato has around 100,000 troops The issue has been brought into in the country fighting an insur- focus by the Kabul Bank scandal, gency by Taliban Islamists, but Spectators watch as Afghan wrestlers compete at an outdoor arena in a field outside Herat. Wrestling is a popular sport in the warn-torn nation. which saw the nation’s once-big- they are due to withdraw by the gest lender pushed to the point of end of 2014. There are widespread collapse by a fraud running into fears that civil war could follow hundreds of millions of dollars. their departure. Gunmen kill 11 on Pakistan-Iran border Pakistan court In a speech to mark Donors have pledged bil- International Anti-Corruption lions of dollars in aid after Nato QUETTA: Unknown gunmen to be Pakistanis and Afghans unknown,” he said. slams PIA over Day, Karzai said: “The corruption combat troops withdraw from killed 11 people as they pre- who were attempting to leave the A local administration offi- in our administration is small, the Afghanistan, but have conditioned pared to illegally leave Pakistan country. cial said the victims could not be mismanagement major corruption that involves payment on corruption being in the southwestern province “Six gunmen riding three identified. hundreds of millions of dollars is brought under control. of Baluchistan, officials said motorcycles attacked the illegal “We could not identify the vic- ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s not ours... it has been imposed on In the Kabul Bank scandal, yesterday. immigrants’ convoy in Suntsar tims. But their physical appear- Supreme Court has voiced dis- us”. Afghanistan’s biggest for years, a The gunmen, riding motorcy- Dasht area in Gwadar district. ances suggest that seven of them may at the ‘mismanagement’ of “The big corruption is in trans- foreign-funded inquiry reported cles, attacked a convoy on Friday We have received 11 dead bodies were Pakistani while four others Pakistan International Airlines, actions and contracts involving recently that a staggering $900m night in Pakistan’s Gwadar dis- of the immigrants,” provincial were Afghans,” Sohail Rehman, which it said lost $230m in 2012, outsiders in Afghanistan... these fraud had ruined the bank and trict near the border with Iran, home secretary Akbar Durrani the administration chief in and ordered bosses to come up contracts are given to senior gov- top politicians had dictated who some 1,600 kilometres (1,000 said. Gawadar said. with a rescue plan. ernment officials or their rela- should be prosecuted over the miles) southwest of Quetta. “The immigrants were travel- No group immediately claimed The beleaguered national tives,” he said. theft. Officials described the dead as ling in a convoy of three vehicles, responsibility for the attack. flag-carrier is notorious among The Afghan government has AFP “illegal immigrants” -- believed however, their exact number is AFP Pakistanis for delays and cancel- lations and its planes have suf- fered a number of embarrassing technical problems this year. In an order published on Friday, the country’s top court gave the chairman of PIA and Mob burns alive man accused of desecrating Quran the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority two weeks to HYDERABAD: A mob broke during the night,” Memon said. At least 53 people have been People have been arrested for The case was dismissed last report back with a “comprehen- into a Pakistani police station “There was no one else there to killed in Pakistan since 1990 just discussing or writing about month after a neighbour came sive plan” to improve the airline and burnt alive a man accused do this terrible thing.” after being accused of blasphemy, Islam, making mistakes in home- forward to say she was framed, and Pakistan’s airports. of desecrating the Holy Quran, Villagers beat the man then according to the Center for work or not joining protests possibly to chase Christians out The three-judge panel headed police said yesterday, in the lat- handed him over to police. A few Research and Security Studies, against a film insulting Islam. In of her neighbourhood. by the Chief Justice Iftikhar est violence focusing attention hours later, a crowd of around and accusations are becoming some cases, the accusers have had In the past two years, two sen- Muhammad Chaudhry said finan- on the country’s blasphemy laws. 200 stormed the police station, more frequent. financial disputes with those who ior Pakistani officials who sug- cial statements showed PIA lost The man was a traveller and dragged the man out and set him Blasphemy in Pakistan is pun- are accused. gested reforming the laws have 22.43bn rupees ($230m) in 2012 had spent Thursday night at the on fire, said Usman Ghani, the ishable by death but it is not spe- Most recently, international been shot dead, one by his own and Rs.19.29bn in 2011. mosque, said Maulvi Memon, the senior superintendent of police cifically defined by law. attention focused on the case bodyguard. The airline employs 18,000 imam in the southern village of in Dadu district. During court cases, lawyers of Rimsha Masih, a Christian Lawyers threw rose petals at workers including both perma- Seeta in Sindh province. The Ghani said around 30 people often do not wish to repeat teenager accused of having some the killer and the judge who con- nent and contract staff but has charred remains of the Quran had been arrested for the mur- evidence against the accused burnt pages of a child’s exercise victed him was forced to flee the only 38 aircraft, the court said, 10 were found the next morning. der and seven police detained for for fear of being blasphemous book quoting the Holy book in a country. of which — more than a quarter “He was alone in the mosque negligence. themselves. bag of rubbish she was carrying. REUTERS of the fleet — are currently out of action for repairs. PIA is planning to buy or lease Victims of neglect eight more aircraft but the court said it was surprised the carrier had not done so sooner, given that Delay in Pakistan election much of the fleet is more than 25 years old. “We are of the view, prima may trigger civil war: Report facie, that on account of such mismanagement a profit-earning LAHORE: Adding to the wor- denied that any such report was organisation, being the only offi- ries of the Pakistan Muslim ever taken up. cial airline, is making loss year to League-Nawaz, police intel- The party is already apprehen- year,” the court order said. ligence has reported that the sive of the atmosphere being cre- The order also voiced frustra- general election due early next ated by certain judgments of the tion at the performance of seven year will not be held on time superior judiciary. It fears that senior PIA officials who had flown and that the delay may span the Supreme Court’s verdicts from Karachi to Islamabad spe- months or years, not weeks. on Asghar Khan’s petition, the cifically for the court hearing. The report was presented to Balochistan government and the “No one amongst them was Nawaz Sharif by Chief Minister Karachi law and order situation fully aware of the affairs of the Shahbaz Sharif when the former may go against the democratic Corporation and whenever ques- returned from a three-day Dubai set-up, says a party official. tions were put to them, they visit. The report has been prepared Slogans like ‘save state, not poli- stated that they had to get figures by the Special Branch of Punjab tics’ by leaders like Tahirul Qadri and they would inform the court... police. are also a matter of concern for the on the next date of hearing,” the The warning issued by Shahbaz PML-N, which apprehends that court said. yesterday about a civil war if elec- powers that be are behind all these “It clearly indicates misman- tions are delayed gives credence shows and are planning to deprive agement in the organisation oth- to the news that such a report the party of its ‘term in power’. erwise efficient staff members has been submitted to the party “The elections are vital to the having been posted against lucra- leadership. existence and development of the tive packages should have ensured PML-N media coordinator country and any delay in the gen- that an organisation which is Tariq Azim admits that the meet- eral election will be disastrous for making losses should be turned ing had discussed local political the country and the nation,” he Tents belonging to internally displaced Afghan refugees are pictured on the outskirts of Jalalabad. Over a into profit-earning organisation.” situation besides other issues, but said. INTERNEWS third of Afghans are living in abject poverty, as those in power are more concerned about addressing their AFP vested interests rather than the basic needs of the population, a UN report has said. More than 3.5 million Pakistani children miss polio vaccine

ISLAMABAD: More than Nine people working on the campaign,” Dr. Elias Durry, the the campaign was called off fol- said some major cities started denied responsibility for the lat- 3.5 million Pakistani children UN-backed programme were shot World Health Organisation’s sen- lowing the killing of four female the campaign a day late and data est attacks though they have missed out on polio vaccination dead in Karachi and the north- ior coordinator for polio eradica- polio team members in Karachi, were still awaited. It was expected threatened polio workers in the this week in a campaign over- west this week, murdered for tion in Pakistan, said. the country’s commercial capital. the number of missed children past and in June they banned shadowed by the deaths of nine trying to protect children from a “WHO and all the partners in In the insurgency-hit north- would significantly fall. vaccinations in the northwest- immunisation workers, a UN cruel disease that can leave limbs polio eradication salute the brav- western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa More than 200,000 children in ern tribal area of Waziristan, official has said. flaccid and useless in a matter of ery of thousands of polio team province around 700,000 children different areas remained unvac- condemning the drive as a cover The Muslim-majority nation of hours. members in the country who per- were missed as a result of the cinated for reasons unrelated to for espionage. 180 million people is one of only “Out of a total target of 18.5 formed their duties in the line of early suspension of the campaign the attacks. Resistance also comes from three in the world where the million for the last polio round, fire to reach the 14.9 million chil- after the deaths of polio team Efforts to tackle polio in parents, often poorly educated highly infectious, crippling disease 14.9 million children were vac- dren,” he said. members. Pakistan have been hampered and impressionable, who believe remains endemic and infections cinated throughout the coun- Durry said figures showed 1.75 In central Punjab province, over the years by local suspicion wild conspiracy theories about the shot up from a low of 28 in 2005 try, resulting in over 3.5 million million children were missed in more than 800,000 remained about vaccination. vaccine. to almost 200 last year. children missed during the southern Sindh province after unvaccinated but WHO officials The Pakistani Taliban have AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 18 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com INDIA

Demonstrators are hit by a police water cannon as they shout slogans near the presidential palace during a protest rally in New Delhi yesterday. RIGHT: Police arrest a demonstrator calling for better safety for women. Delhi rape: Raisina Hill turns battle zone Police use water cannon, tear gas as protests intensify; victim’s condition better Govt to enhance NEW DELHI: The government yes- them to take appropriate and imme- house in an unprecedented protest unknown soldiers. terday faced the full blast of youth diate action to protect women in the rarely seen earlier. The mass outpour- “They can try their best to stop rape punishment, power as young men and women laid city that is often described as the “rape ing for the young woman even over- us but lets’ see who gives up first,” siege around Raisina Hill, the seat capital”. The Indian capital has regis- whelmed the security-men, who found said a fuming Shikha Verma, a Delhi of power, demanding justice for a tered over 600 incidents of rape this themselves outnumbered. Matters University student. 23-year-old gang rape victim, forc- year, police records say. came to a head when the protest- But Minister of State in the Prime says minister ing police to use canes, tear gas and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader ers tried a repeat of Friday when a Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy water cannons on the undeterred L K Advani said that the anger of peo- large number of people tried to enter said “agitation is not the solution” and NEW DELHI: A commission will be set up to crowd of thousands. ple was “justified” and the government Rashtrapati Bhavan. “when they defy law and order, govern- probe the gang-rape and torture of a 23-year- The aggression of the youngsters and needs to “appreciate their concern”. But despite the police barricades, ment has to use force”. old woman in Delhi while laws will be amended the mass outpouring since early morn- His party leader Sushma Swaraj the surging crowd kept pushing Minister of State for Home R P N to enhance punishment for rape, Home ing, led Prime Minister Manmohan also asked the prime minister to call a ahead. The police then resorted to Singh said “Government is hearing Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said yesterday. Singh to ask Home Minister special session of parliament to frame caning, threw tear gas shells and them (the protesters) loud and clear.” He also appealed the thousands of protesters Sushilkumar Shinde to ensure that a law providing for exemplary punish- sprayed the crowd with water in the He added that there were attempts on the capital’s streets, demanding justice for the people feel safe in Delhi and incidents ment for crimes against women. But winter chill. Police resorted to can- to break barricades in the sensitive victim, to withdraw. like the brutal gang rape of the physi- the day belonged to the youth, espe- ning at least three times. area close to the president’s house and “A probe will be conducted to look into the inci- otherapist are not repeated. cially women. The sight of police chasing young- other key government offices. dent and suggest measures to check such crimes Shinde met Manmohan Singh and The country’s highest seat of power sters and beating them with canes, The BJP and the Left supported in Delhi...the Criminal Procedure Code will be briefed him about the measures taken was turned into a virtual battlefield aired live by television channels, led to the agitators and said the government amended to enhance punishment in such rarest by his ministry to ensure safety of as thousands of furious and deter- widespread condemnation. should take action. of rare cases,” Shinde told reporters at a press women in the national capital. mined youngsters marched towards It, however, failed to dampen the “If the prime minister can address conference. The young woman recorded her Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s spirit of the young, some of whom the nation on the issue of FDI retail, The current maximum penalty for rape is life statement to the magistrate about house, raising slogans and demanding resorted to violence and pelted stones why can’t he find time to do so when imprisonment and “it (the death penalty) will last Sunday night when she was tor- justice for the gangrape victim and and damaged public and police buses. such horrendous crimes against women have to be discussed in detail,” Shinde told a news tured and brutally raped by six men tougher laws against rapists. While The women hit back at the police, hurl- are taking place,” Communist Party of conference late on Saturday. and then stripped, robbed and thrown the entire stretch of about 2.5km from ing their bangles, water bottles, coins India leader D Raja said. The home minister also said that the policemen off a moving bus alongwith her boy- India Gate to Raisina Hill was packed and slippers. Advani, who called up Shinde, told who have been found responsible for dereliction of friend on the roadside. with protesters, the fury towards Armed with banners, posters, plac- him that there was need to appreciate duty in the gang-rape incident will be suspended. Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital, authorities was palpable miles away. ards, the crowd, which stayed put at the the concern of the protesters and their He also announced a slew of steps to ensure where the woman is being treated, said Raisina Hill is home to the entire stretch from morning till late anger was justified. He also raised the women were better protected in the city. that she has shown some “improve- Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential pal- evening, raised slogans like “We want issue of police taking “severe action” “More public transport will be available at night ment” and that she is “psychologically ace that is flanked by the South Block justice”. Many of them climbed atop against the protestors. In many neigh- and GPS system will be fitted on buses to track stable, optimistic and hopes to having and North Block with the the prime police buses and waved the tri-colour. bourhoods in the capital, people took them easily...all personnel of the buses will have to a good future”. minister’s office and the home finance, In a unique way of protest, many out protest rallies. Protests were also carry identity cards...and there will be enhanced A concerned Congress chief Sonia defence and external affairs ministries. young girls and boys climbed the flag- witnessed in Kanpur, Jhansi, Lucknow, patrolling by police on city roads leading to enter- Gandhi also spoke to the prime min- The numbers kept on swelling as all poles that dot Rajpath, which leads Meerut and Kolkata. tainment hubs,” Shinde said. ister and home minister and asked roads literally led to the president’s to India Gate, the memorial of the IANS IANS Wild elephants Leh freezes at minus 17 SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s Leh town yesterday literally froze with minimum temperature dipping to minus 17 degrees Celsius. The Met Office has forecast a further dip in the night tempera- tures across the Ladakh region and Kashmir Valley. “The minimum tempera- ture dipped to minus 17 degrees Celsius today (Saturday) in Leh. It was minus 14.4 degrees Celsius in Kargil town, minus 8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam and minus 3.4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar,” Villagers run as a herd of wild elephants run toward them at Kurkuria village near Digaru, about 45km an official of the meteorological from Guwahati, yesterday. At least 20 wild elephants from the nearby Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary were department said. sighted foraging for food in farms near the village. “As the weather is likely to remain dry across the valley for the next few days, we are expect- ing a further fall in the night tem- peratures,” said the official. Jayalalithaa repeats demand to notify Kashmir has been reeling under cold waves since Chillai Kalan, the coldest 40-day period, commenced Cauvery tribunal’s final order here Friday. Although weather has remained CHENNAI: Noting the poor prevails in the Cauvery-fed water released to Tamil Nadu dry in the last two days, morning storage position in the Mettur districts of Tamil Nadu. As on by Karnataka can be ensured frost has started affecting normal Dam was affecting the paddy 21st December, 2012, the stor- and the withering crops could life in the valley. crop in Tamil Nadu, Chief age in Mettur Reservoir is just be saved at least to some extent IANS Minister J Jayalalithaa yes- 8.8 TMC ft (thousand million during this distress year. terday again requested Prime cubic feet).” Citing the notification of the Virbhadra Singh to Minister Manmohan Singh According to her, the state Tribunal’s interim order in to expedite the notification was made to run from pillar to December 1991 despite pend- be Himachal CM of Cauvery Water Disputes post to get its due share of water ing cases in the Supreme Court Tribunal’s final order. from Karnataka. “..in spite of all against the interim order, SHIMLA: Virbhadra Singh She also demanded constitu- our efforts, Karnataka contin- Jayalalithaa said the Tribunal’s will be the next chief minister tion of the Cauvery Management ues to utilise all the waters of final order should also be noti- of Himachal Pradesh, a senior Board and Cauvery Water the river Cauvery brazenly, as if fied immediately. Congress leader announced Regulation Committee. it owns the river Cauvery, with The Tamil Nadu chief min- here. The Congress leadership In a letter to the prime min- scant regard to the plight of the ister had on Thursday also yesterday evening cleared the ister, the text of which was lower riparian state,” she said. written to the prime minister, name of the five-time chief released to the media here, She urged Manmohan asking him to expedite the noti- minister to head the govern- Jayalalithaa said: “The storage Singh to notify the final order fication of the Cauvery Water ment in the state, party gen- position in Mettur Reservoir of Cauvery Water Disputes Disputes Tribunal’s final order eral secretary Janardhan has reached a precarious posi- Tribunal given in 2007 without before the end of this month. Dwivedi said here. IANS tion and a calamitous situation any further loss of time so that IANS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 INDIA www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 19 Defence deals to be signed with Russia Putin arrives in New Delhi tomorrow

MOSCOW: Russian President very broad, but it is not develop- Vladimir Putin travels to India ing very well,” he said. India is tomorrow on an official visit still Russia’s number one arms expected to focus on gaining con- importer, and Russian-made mili- tracts for Russia’s arms manu- tary equipment accounts for 70 facturers and boosting ties with percent of Indian arms supplies. one of Moscow’s oldest allies. But while Moscow once had Putin will hold one-on-one talks a virtual monopoly over India’s with Prime Minister Manmohan arms market, the situation is Singh and broader delegation now changing because New Delhi talks, followed by a signing of has started shopping around, documents, the Russian embassy Lukyanov said. Moscow has been in New Delhi said. worried recently by New Delhi’s He will also meet the rul- increasing preference for Western ing Congress party chief Sonia suppliers, especially after Boeing Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj, the was chosen last month over Italian marines Salvatore Girone (left) and Massimiliano Latorre (centre) arrive with Italian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Luigi Pinelli Mantelli at Ciampino leader of BJP opposition party. Russia’s MiL plant for a major airport in Rome yesterday. The Kremlin said this week helicopter contract. that Putin will discuss “concrete India has also been unhappy steps to further develop strategic with delays of deliveries of Italian marines: Flown out, never to return? partnership” in trade, investment, some naval equipment, notably military and energy policy. of the aircraft carrier Admiral The trip will be Putin’s first Gorshkov, which is being refur- THIRUVANANTHA- will return. The Italian consul gen- back in Italy. “Finally we’re insists the marines should be to South Asia since his return bished for the Indian Navy at PURAM: In the wee hours yet- eral, however, has asserted that the breathing the air of home. I’m prosecuted in their home coun- to the Kremlin in May. Dmitry Russia’s Sevmash naval yard. serday, the two Italian marines men will return. An assurance to finding it difficult to believe it’s try because the shootings involved Medvedev met with Prime Russia was originally to deliver charged with shooting dead this effect was sought by the court true,” Massimiliano Latorre said an Italian-flagged vessel in inter- Minister Singh in New Delhi in the upgraded vessel in August two Indian fishermen flew out from the Italian government before after the pair landed at Rome’s national waters, but India says late March, shortly before step- 2008, but the date has now been of Kochi airport in a chartered allowing the men the trip home for Ciampino military airport. the incident took place in waters ping down from his presidency. pushed back to the end of 2013, flight from Italy. The question Christmas. Latore and Salvatore Girone were under its jurisdiction. Putin last travelled to India in while the price has more than most often asked here now is: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy welcomed back by their families, Meanwhile, the CPI-M is all 2010, when he was prime minister. doubled from $978m to $2.3bn. Will they return, as promised, told reporters that his government who were visibly emotional as they set to close in on an opportunity India is one of Russia’s key part- That contract is likely to come by Jan 10, 2013? had opposed relaxation in the bail rushed on to the plane to great them. to go hammer and tongs at the ners, which Putin often praises up in the course of Putin’s visit, The two Italians were charged conditions of the two accused. He “Our hearts are full of joy. We send state government, in case the two for sharing Moscow’s geopolitical said Igor Korotchenko, direc- with killing fishermen Ajesh Binki told reporters that it was now up our utmost thanks to the Italian accused fail to return. There are vision of a multipolar world. tor of the Centre for Analysis of and Gelastine on February 15, to the central government to see and India government for giving already murmurings that none Putin will be eager to show World Arms Trade. allegedly taking them for pirates. that the two return. us the chance to spend Christmas other than Congress president Russia’s ally, now the world’s Many potential deals involve The marines were out on bail, “There need be no doubt on the together,” Girone’s father said. Sonia Gandhi had intervened, in largest arms importer, that it is Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft manu- staying in a Kochi hotel. state government’s stance. When Italian Prime Minister Mario favour of the two marines from a key and desirable partner, said facturer, including a $3.77bn On Thursday, the Kerala High the request for a Christmas holi- Monti telephoned the marines the country of her origin. Fyodor Lukyanov, who chairs the deal for 42 Su-30MKI fighters, Court ruled that subject to some day for the two first came, we on their arrival, “wished them a Trivandrum Latin Church Russian council on foreign and a $1bn refurbishment deal for conditions, the two marines could strongly opposed it. Now it’s happy Christmas and repeated Archbishop M Susaipakiam said defence policy, an independent older Su-30MKIs already used be allowed to return home for the responsibility of the central the government’s commitment that allowing the two Italian organisation. by India’s airforce, and a deal Christmas. The families of the slain government to see that the two to resolve the case,” his office said. marines to return was a good ges- “The point of the visit is to to produce the fifth generation fishermen doubt the Italians will return. The Italian government Rome has repeatedly called the ture. “This gesture is certain to sustain the exclusive status of Sukhoi fighter, a joint Russia- now return to stand trial in India. has offered such an assurance,” case against the two men ille- increase warmth in the relations these relations,” said Lukyanov. India project, he added. The Left opposition in the state the chief minister said. gal and has appealed to India’s between the two countries,” the “The relationship with India is AFP too has expressed doubt the two Later, the marines arrived Supreme Court to quash it. Italy archbishop said. IANS/AFP SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 20 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BREAK

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Judge clears BP’s $7.8bn settlement GECF plans in US oil spill WASHINGTON: British oil giant BP won approval from a US federal judge of a $7.8bn set- financial tlement with people and busi- nesses who lost money and property due to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the deal addresses the bulk of private claims over institution the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the oil spill that resulted from its explosion, it does not Forum celebrates 4th anniversary affect an anticipated tens of bil- lions of dollars in fines and claims DOHA: The ensu- including suppli- from the US government and ing second summit ers and consumers, impacted coastal states and local of Gas Exporting Bokhanovskiy hoped. governments. Countries Forum GECF seeks to Nor does it resolve suits filed (GECF) in Russia build a platform for by shareholders or others seeking will discuss the dialogue between gas compensation because of a drill- launch of a finan- producers and gas ing moratorium imposed after cial institution to consumers for sta- the worst environmental disaster exclusively fund bility and security of in US history. The incident also the infrastructure supply in global nat- killed 11 workers. development of the ural gas market. It US District Judge Carl Barbier gas resources of its is clear that without gave his final approval to the set- member countries. The Russian well thought-out investments and tlement in a 125-page ruling. He conference will also discuss the infrastructure development in the had preliminarily approved the possibilities of establishing a Gas gas industry, it will not be possible accord in May. Research Institute to strengthen to talk about sustainable growth. “None of the objections, the Forum’s research capability GECF considers necessary to US President Barack Obama speaks about the ‘fiscal cliff’ in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. whether filed on the objections in key areas, GECF’s Secretary- establish a more predictable and docket or elsewhere, have shown General Leonid Bokhanovskiy reliable global gas industry. the settlement to be anything (pictured) has said. At the heart of the Forum’s other than fair, reasonable and On the occasion of the forum cel- mission is the intent to foster Obama calls for scaled-back adequate,” Barbier wrote. ebrating its fourth anniversary in constructive debates about sta- He said the settlement agree- Doha today, Bokhanovskiy said in a ble and transparent energy mar- ment “provides compensation to note sent to The Peninsula: “As the ket. Since the first Gas Summit class members that appears suf- Forum moves towards the second in 2011, the Forum has set the ‘fiscal cliff’ package ficient” to cover their losses from Gas Summit in Moscow, a number frame-work for the delivery of the spill. of initiatives are being proposed to its objectives; Members countries WASHINGTON: Democrat Americans from a tax hike. At the said. “Call me a hopeless optimist, Both BP and the plaintiff’s facilitate development in the natural have acknowledged the need to and Republican lawmakers very least, let’s agree right now on but I actually still think that we attorneys welcomed the approval gas sector of member countries...” reach a fair price for natural gas. mulled their next move yester- what we already agree on. Let’s can get it done,” said Obama, of a deal that would settle nearly The idea behind the launch of The Forum general secretary day after leaving Washington get that done.” who will spend Christmas in his 100,000 claims from fishermen and financial institute is to provide noted the coordination in pric- for the Christmas holidays Obama said he met Democratic native Hawaii, but told reporters others affected by the disaster. access to funds for the develop- ing policies and harmonisation of without an agreement on avert- Senate leader Harry Reid and he would be back in Washington BP hailed the decision, say- ment of infrastructure of the marketing strategies will contrib- ing a year-end fiscal crisis that spoke to Republican House next week. ing it resolved “the substantial gas resources of member coun- ute to market transparency and could lead to stiff tax hikes and Speaker John Boehner on the Obama’s suggestion would majority of legitimate economic tries. The Gas Research Institute will assist in lowering the price drastic budget cuts. phone to discuss a fall-back plan, extend tax breaks to 98 percent of loss and property damage claims will help strengthen the forum’s volatility. More gas reserves will On Friday, US President while stressing he still believed a Americans—those earning below stemming from the Deepwater research capability in key areas give an upper hand to the GECF Barack Obama urged lawmakers big compromise was possible. $250,000 a year. In talks with Horizon accident.” relevant to development of the in the international markets to to pass a scaled-down tax package He asked Congress to next Boehner on a larger compromise, global energy market as well as exert and implement the agreed to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. week produce a package that at the president had offered to raise Sloane Robinson studies in topical areas that con- policies by a higher confidence. Obama said he still wanted a a minimum prevents a tax hike that threshold to $400,000. tinue to contribute to debates in Once the majority of gas export- comprehensive and large deficit- on the middle class, would extend Obama seemed frustrated that hit by emerging the global energy landscape. ers agree and commit on uniform cutting bill to put the US econ- unemployment insurance and lays Republicans were not willing to With the world’s major Gas behaviors in the market, we could omy on the path to long-term the groundwork for further deficit offer him a compromise after, in market slowdown & Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) be expecting desirable decisions to prosperity, but that effort stalled reduction next year. his eyes, he made major conces- exporters becoming the members be made in line with the objectives when talks broke down between The move would still satisfy his sions to his opponents. LONDON: The slowdown in of Gas Exporting Countries Forum of the Forum. Internationally, he the White House and House demand to raise taxes on the rich- “Nobody gets 100 percent of emerging markets is hitting (GECF), the forum is set to play said, GECF is gaining recognition Republicans this week. est Americans, as all Bush-era what they want,” he said. hedge fund Sloane Robinson an increasingly important role in as a ‘Trusted Authority in Gas”. To prevent automatic and taxes will go up on January 1, and On Thursday, Republicans hard, highlighting how, even as future. With increasing number The Forum’s annual celebra- massive spending cuts and tax Obama only envisions extending rejected a bid by Boehner to pass the industry attracts investors, of members, the forum will be tions, to be held at the Diplomatic increases due to kick in for all the lower rates for middle class a backup bill to solve the crisis, managers can quickly fall from in a stronger position to stabilise Club, will be attended by Ministers, Americans on January 1, Obama earners. leaving Washington in turmoil, grace if they fail to perform. the global natural gas markets. members of the Diplomatic corps, called for a stop-gap bill to pro- “Everybody can cool off, eve- markets spooked and renewing The London-based stock- It will also facilitate a more effi- Executive Board Members of the tect middle-class taxpayers. rybody can drink some egg nog, fears that America’s political picker — one of the capital’s old- cient supply and demand manage- GECF and dignitaries. “There is absolutely no rea- have some Christmas cookies, sing gridlock could spark a recession. est managers and once among its ment in favor of all stakeholders THE PENINSULA son, none, not to protect these some Christmas carols,” Obama REUTERS 10 biggest — has seen assets under management slide to around $2.5bn, down more than four- fifths from a 2008 high of $15.1bn. Assets in the firm’s flagship emerging markets fund — run by EC to give Spain, France more time to cut deficit: Report chief investment officer Richard Chenevix-Trenc — have fallen to around $700m, down from $1.8bn MADRID: The European European Commission was not been made. Such decisions need a EU demands the country must percent in 2013. That compares at the end of 2011, and investors Commission (EC) will propose immediately available for comment. formal discussion between the 27 meet in order to tap international to current targets of 6.3 percent are bracing for a second consecu- giving Spain, France and sev- The commissioner in charge of European commissioners as well as aid to bring down its debt costs for 2012 and 4.5 percent for 2013. tive year of losses. eral other eurozone states more Economic and Monetary Affairs, a political green light from the euro and fix its stricken economy. Senior Spanish officials told “...Emerging market invest- time to cut their public deficits Olli Rehn, said last month he zone’s 17 finance ministers. Spain sought support from its Reuters this month the Spanish ment, as in so much of the world, below the target limit of 3 per- would assess Spain’s fiscal tar- A European official also said European partners this year for deficit would likely come at has become about a search for cent of GDP, newspaper El Pais gets in February, adding that no the Commission was working on its ailing banks, hit by a burst around 7 percent of economic niches of growth, where busi- said yesterday. additional austerity efforts would a list of reforms it wanted Spain property bubble. Recession is also output at the end of the year. nesses can find room to develop Citing senior sources at the be required this year and next, to undertake soon, such as new undermining government efforts Spain’s 17 highly-devolved autono- irrespective of the slowing econo- European Commission and in the while new structural reforms changes to state pensions and an to keep the public debt burden mous communities are on track to mies and still meet or exceed the Spanish government, the leading were needed for 2014 and beyond. overhaul of the tax system. in check, and financial markets meet — or to miss by a tiny margin expectations currently baked into Spanish daily said France would European and Spanish sources As revealed by Reuters on expect Madrid to seek sovereign — their deficit target of 1.5 percent of prices,” he wrote in a client letter. likely get an extra year until 2014 said in December that Spain’s fis- December 12, Spain will soon aid sometime next year. GDP, while the central government The fund is down 1.7 percent rather than 2013 to rein in its fis- cal path would likely be softened in present a law to restrict index- According to El Pais, the is on track to register a deficit of to November 30, the letter shows. cal gap. order to mitigate the impact of the linking of pension payouts and Commission has agreed for Spain around 5.5 percent of GDP, including Last year it lost 17.2 percent. In Spain would likely be given until country’s second recession in three to speed up the phasing-in of a on a new deficit path of 7 percent social security spending. 2010 made just 2.7 percent. 2015 or 2016 rather than 2014. The years, but that no decision had yet higher retirement age. Both are of economic output in 2012 and 6 REUTERS AGENCIES SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 22 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS EU progress on banking, fiscal union slow Single Supervisory Mechanism to centralise management of crisis solution: QNB Group report

DOHA: A meeting of European less than €30bn, or 20 percent of from the European Parliament of the debt of the national gov- has stated, systemic risks can sovereign debt issues. Although finance ministers on December national GDP. This leaves most and from some individual member ernments. This has led to “cosy originate in smaller banks and these reforms have been pushed 13 yielded agreement on an ini- of Germany’s retail banking sec- states, notably Germany, which relationships” between national a two-tier system is inherently back, financial markets have gen- tial step towards a centralised tor and its politically powerful has been reluctant to give up authorities and their banks unstable as it encourages deposi- erally responded positively with banking union and approved savings and cooperative banks national oversight. with supervisory controls that tors and banks to move to the the euro rising to three-month a €37bn bailout tranche for under the oversight of national The SSM also allows the are perhaps more lax than they segment that is perceived as safer, highs against the dollar, per- Greece. However, a two-day authorities, a key requirement for Eurozone to move to the next should have been. Additionally, creating volatility. The implemen- haps relieved that some material meeting between European Germany’s consent to the plan. phase of establishing a banking the single currency made tation of the SSM has also been progress has been made with the leaders on December 14 and 15 However, the ECB still retains the union. This will be to create a res- European banks more interde- pushed back from the beginning banking union. This may have delayed decisions on fiscal union power to intervene in any bank, if olution mechanism to deal with pendent on and exposed to each of 2013 to an undefined date in helped the euro recover in mid- until June 2013. required, and to deliver instruc- winding up failing banks. This other, increasing the risk of 2014. December. Also supporting the On December 13, EU finance tions to national supervisors, a would centralise the management cross-border financial contagion. According to QNB Group, euro was the successful buyback ministers formally appointed the QNB Group report said yesterday. of crisis resolution to ensure that The banking union aims to bol- reform of the European bank- of a portion of Greece’s sovereign European Central Bank (ECB) The SSM is intended to provide it is swift and effective, avoiding ster confidence in Europe’s banks ing system needs to go hand in debt, which enabled the release of to oversee the “single super- transparency, rigorous oversight the slow decision-making of mul- by standardising supervision, hand with fiscal reform to support a €37bn tranche of bailout funds visory mechanism” (SSM), an and standardised requirements tiple national governments that regulations and capital controls financial stability. To ensure more on 13th December. initial step towards the banking and capital ratios across the has drawn out the European sov- and improving capacity for crisis sustainable sovereign debt levels, Although the banking union union. The agreement will give region’s largest banks. Once the ereign debt crisis. A Eurozone management. This should help the EU has plans for greater fis- should enhance the stability of the ECB powers to take over SSM is enacted it will clear the deposit insurance framework is lower borrowing costs for banks, cal union with a joint eurozone the European financial system, it the direct supervision of banks way for Europe’s €500bn rescue also being advanced but no formal particularly in crisis-ridden coun- budget and for binding contracts could also lead to stricter regula- from national authorities. It is fund to be used to directly recap- agreement has been announced, tries in Europe’s periphery, and to enforce economic reform and tion. The ECB may enforce more expected to come into force in italise struggling banks without said yesterday. should also support cross-bor- budget targets. However, at a stringent capital requirements 2014, although no deadline has unanimous national approval. The driving force behind the der lending, easing any liquidity European Council meeting on than those currently enforced by been given. According to QNB Group, this is banking union is to increase the issues. 14th December, all decisions on national authorities. This could The agreement only covers preferable to providing the funds stability of Europe’s financial However, the SSM is not as these possible measures were lead to further retrenchment 200 of the 6,000 financial institu- through national governments, system. Europe has faced an extensive as originally intended postponed until June. and de-leveraging by European tions in the Eurozone that were which would increase sovereign intrinsic conflict of interest with as it excludes a number of smaller Greater fiscal and banking banks, continuing a trend that is initially expected to be included. debt levels. However, the SSM will national authorities overseeing banks. This is a serious shortcom- union are fundamental for a currently ongoing. It excludes banks with assets of require parliamentary approval banks that hold large amounts ing. As the European Commission permanent solution to Europe’s THE PENINSULA

Mannai, Microsoft and Qtel offer Cloud service for SMEs DOHA: Mannai Corporation’s servers and a host of applications ICT group presented a set of that can be rapidly deployed and its new IT and communica- achieve a higher ROI”, said Dr tion Cloud-based solutions and Sanjay Modak, Group General services for Qatar’s Small and Manager of Mannai ICT Group. Medium Enterprises (SMEs) This event was held during together with its partners Qtel its ‘First End to End Cloud IT and Microsoft, a statement said Solutions for the Private Sector’ yesterday. at the Holiday Villa Hotels and SMEs can now obtain all their Residence here recently. Qtel business products and serv- “Today, Mannai takes an ices requirements from Mannai, innovative approach in offering which acts as a one-stop shop and end-to-end ICT products and brings a greater range of offers services with its partners. This and value to the customer from wide range of IT solutions, rang- both companies. ing from economical ERP pack- “With the Cloud, smaller budg- ages to Microsoft’s Office 365 ets are no longer a hindrance cloud based offerings to website Main speakers at the event from left: Sanjay Modak (Mannai), Adel Ali Al Malki (QNB), Moni George (Mannai), Mohammad Afaneh (Microsoft) and Kamran to SMEs ability to compete in construction and e-commerce Dhami (Qtel). the market with their peers enablement, is provided on a flex- and larger enterprises. SMEs ible OPEX model, which reduces scalable, elastic and affordable same levels of IT enablement as of the cost”, said Moni George, and Markets, Mannai ICT Group. can operate cloud based virtual SME costs while providing highly scenarios for SMEs to enjoy the large enterprises but at a fraction General Manager, New Business THE PENINSULA

DISH seeks more Pearl GTL wins innovative time to fight gas project award Sprint’s Softbank, Clearwire deals DOHA: The Pearl GTL plant the Pearl GTL plant received this has won the Most Innovative prestigious award. It’s recognition NEW YORK: Dish Network Gas Project of the year 2012. of the commitment and dedication (DISH) has asked the US tel- The second Oil and Gas Middle of all the teams and individuals who ecom regulator for more time East Awards, held in Dubai last have contributed to the successful to file an objection to wireless week, presented the prestigious delivery and reliable operation of service provider Sprint Nextel’s Award to Pearl GTL in recogni- one of the most innovative energy proposed sale of a controlling tion of outstanding innovation plants in the industry. This engi- stake to Japan’s SoftBank Corp in the field of GTL technology, neering marvel is the outcome of our due to Sprint’s announcement which has been harnessed and long-term partnership with Qatar this week of a plan to buy out fine-tuned by Shell over four Petroleum, which offered unstinting Clearwire Corp. decades. support throughout the delivery of The request may indicate that Pearl GTL is a joint develop- the project.” satellite television provider DISH, ment between Qatar Petroleum “Pearl GTL is one of a kind controlled by billionaire founder and Shell. It is the largest energy asset and provides long-term Charlie Ergen, is gearing up for a project in the state of Qatar and opportunities for the industry by fight with Sprint over its plan to at $18–$19bn is Shell’s largest sin- offering exciting alternatives to sell a 70 percent stake to SoftBank gle investment in a single project. monetizing gas resources. I am for $20bn. DISH declined further The Oil and Gas Middle East proud that in collaboration with comment on the matter. Awards recognise the best organi- QP we have been able to build a DISH, which recently gained sations, projects, and people who lasting legacy that will generate regulatory approval to build contributed to the delivery of long term value and revenues for its own wireless service, told world class projects in the indus- the state of Qatar and Shell.” , he the Federal Communications try. The award ceremony was added. Commission in a document attended by distinguished repre- Deputy country chair Rob dated December 20 that it wants sentatives from the Middle East’s Sherwin and Deputy Vice- a three-week extension to the oil and gas community. President Production Nabeel FCC’s January 4 filing deadline Wael Sawan Chairman and Al Saadi received the award on for petitions against the Softbank Managing Director of Qatar Shell behalf of Qatar Shell. deal, which was announced in Officials with the award during the presentation ceremony in Dubai. Companies said “I am honoured that THE PENINSULA October. Earlier this week, Sprint, which owns 50.45 percent of Clearwire, said it agreed to buy the rest of San Bernardino wins first round in bankruptcy battle Clearwire for $2.2bn, in a deal that would be conditional on the RIVERSIDE, California: A US east of Los Angeles, filed for bank- San Bernardino’s financial figures success of the SoftBank purchase. • Bullion - Mumbai bankruptcy judge derailed efforts ruptcy protection in August after were described as unreliable by Sprint, the No. 3 US mobile Gold (10 gm) Standard Rs. 30595 by California’s giant pension fund learning it faced a $46m deficit. CalPERS lawyer Michael E Lubic. provider, declined to comment on Silver (1 kg) Rs. 59595 to get paid before other creditors The cash-strapped city halted The city responded with docu- the Dish filing on Friday. in the city of San Bernardino’s payments to its biggest creditor, ments saying there was enough It sent the FCC an amendment • Indian Rupees QR1 = 14.97 bankruptcy on Friday, as credi- CalPERS, last summer. The city relevant information. The to its application for approval of • Sensex tors lined up to oppose the debt- said it could only provide essential city criticized CalPERS for “a the SoftBank deal on Thursday BSE 19242.00 ridden city’s eligibility for Chapter services and there wasn’t enough harangue replete with misstate- including notice of its agreement NSE 5487.70 9 bankruptcy protection. money to send CalPERS its required ments respecting the city’s pro- with Clearwire, which would gives • LIC (International) launches New Gold Investment Plan ‘GOLD PLUS’ – A California Public Employees’ employee pension contributions. duction of documents.” Sprint control of the smaller which provides an opportunity to invest in GOLD ETF & GOLD SPOT, PAN Retirement System spokesman The city anticipates deferring Besides halting CalPERS pay- company’s substantial spectrum Card/Demat Account not required. told the Wall Street Journal that the payments until the end of fis- ments, the city approved a court- holdings. • Short-term investment plan from LIC International upto 6.4 percent return Judge Meredith Jury in Riverside cal year 2013. CalPERS calculates mandated austerity plan last month DISH said in its filing that ruled that the millions of dollars San Bernardino will then owe the that slashes more than $26 million in Sprint’s plan “raises a number of p.a. (in dollar) in contributions the city owes may pension plan up to $19 million. spending and freezes debt payments. issues deserving of careful consid- • Housing loan from HDFC LTD have to be paid back as part of the CalPERS said in October that the The City Council also voted to freeze eration” and that interested par- • Mutual Fund: Buy & Sell: SBI MF, HDFC MF, UTI MF, Birla Sun Life MF, city’s final reorganization plan. city hasn’t provided enough infor- vacancies in the Police Department ties need an appropriate amount Tata MF, Reliance MF etc. A spokesman for the city could mation to prove that it is insolvent. and cut the Fire Department over- of time to consider and address Contact: Investec, Tel: 44325060/44365060 email: [email protected] not immediately be reached. CalPERS insists the city can come time budget by 35 percent. these issues. San Bernardino, located 60 miles up with a plan to adjust its debts. AP REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 BUSINESS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 23 NYSE takeover by ICE to create derivatives giant Deal to boost ICE presence in Europe

LONDON/NEW YORK: and at the end we are told, ‘we Intercontinental Exchange are not going to allow you to do Inc (ICE) agreed as part of this because of the overlap of your its $8.2bn takeover of NYSE businesses,’ we would look beyond Euronext (NYX) to pay the foolish,” he said in an interview on New York Stock Exchange Thursday. operator a termination fee of The deal, announced Thursday, $750m if it fails to gain anti- would give 12-year old commodi- trust clearances, suggesting a ties and energy bourse ICE a high level of confidence the deal powerful presence in Europe’s will go through. lucrative financial derivatives Big Board parent NYSE could market through control of NYSE get out of the arrangement for Liffe, Europe’s second-largest a fee of $300m if a sweeter deal futures exchange, and a major were to come along, according to advantage over US-based rivals a regulatory filing on Friday. CME and Nasdaq. ICE failed last year to buy All three want to challenge NYSE in a joint bid with Nasdaq Deutsche Boerse’s European dom- OMX Group (NDAQ). At the inance. A shake-up in banking time, NYSE was involved in regulation is expected to increase year-long pursuit to sell itself demand sharply for clearing to Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bourse. financial derivatives through such In the end, regulators killed exchanges. both deals, saying they would be “The deal would place a bigger anti-competitive. and more aggressive competitor On its own, Atlanta-based ICE on Deutsche Boerse’s doorstep,” lacks the massive equities opera- said Richard Perrott, an analyst Attendants inside a high-speed train during an organised experience trip from Beijing to Zhengzhou, as part of a new rail line, yesterday. tions of Nasdaq or Deutsche at Berenberg Bank. Bourse, so there is less overlap Regulatory changes in the wake between the two exchanges, anti- of the financial crisis are forcing China shows off world’s longest high-speed rail trust lawyers said, making regula- banks to channel derivatives busi- tory approval far more likely. ness through clearing houses and Some in the industry have sug- regulated exchanges to ensure their BEIJING: China yesterday past frozen lakes and rivers as of the most technically advanced safety in its rush to expand. gested that CME Group (CME) risk positions can be better moni- showed off the final link of well as snow-covered farmland tracks in China and the world.” Authorities say that they could table a competing offer for tored than they were when bank the world’s longest high-speed on the journey of approximately The line will have 35 stops. have taken steps ahead of the NYSE, but they said that would dealers were trading complex con- rail route set to begin whisk- two-and-a-half hours each way. Besides Zhengzhou, they will new line’s opening to improve not be likely for several reasons, tracts directly among themselves. ing passengers from Beijing to Though moving much faster include other major cities such as maintenance and inspection of including the break-up fee. The reforms are expected to Guangzhou next week in a third than the country’s conventional Wuhan and Changsha. Sections infrastructure, including track, People familiar with the deal be fully operational in Europe in of the time currently required. rolling stock, the ride on the aero- linking Zhengzhou and Wuhan rolling stock and emergency said other issues include potential 2014. The much anticipated opening dynamic bullet train was smooth and Wuhan and Guangzhou are response measures. antitrust concerns and the fact ICE’s takeover of NYSE Liffe of high-speed passenger service and made little noise other than already in service. “The emergency rescue system that under the latest agreement, will give it an advantage of existing from Beijing to Guangzhou, a a low-level hum during most of China’s high-speed rail net- and all kinds of emergency pre- NYSE’s Liffe business will do all presence in Europe over Chicago- distance of 2,298km is sched- the trip. work was only established in plans are established to improve its clearing through ICE regard- based CME, owner of the world’s uled to begin Wednesday, offi- The reclining seats are laid out 2007, but has quickly become the emergency response ability,” less of whether the deal goes largest futures market, and New cials said. in rows of three and two sepa- world’s largest, with a total of according to a ministry booklet through. “The clearing deal they York’s Nasdaq, both of which plan Travelling at an average speed rated by an aisle, are upholstered 8,358 kilometres of track at the handed out to journalists. signed is like a second break-up to open their own London-based of 300 kilometres per hour, the in cloth and can be turned around end of 2010. The train will be in service for fee,” one of the people said. exchanges next year. new line will slash the time it so rows faced each other. That is expected to almost dou- China’s Lunar New Year holiday Also, CME has not been known While the New York Stock takes to travel by rail from the Toilets on the train are of ble to 16,000 kilometres by 2020. period, which falls in mid-Febru- for making large deals. “It does Exchange, an enduring symbol of capital to the southern com- stainless steel squat variety, with But the network has been ary, when hundreds of millions of not seem to be in its DNA,” American capitalism, is NYSE mercial hub from the current 22 slightly more bathroom space plagued by graft and safety scan- people will travel across the coun- said Adam Sussman, director of Euronext’s prestige business, hours to just eight. than would usually be found on an dals following the rapid expansion. try in the world’s largest annual research at Tabb Group. London’s Liffe is the real jewel Authorities took journalists airliner, while uniformed women A deadly bullet train collision in migration. NYSE CEO Duncan Niederauer in the crown. With profits from for a ride yesterday on the sec- were on hand to serve drinks and July 2011 killed 40 people and State media earlier reported acknowledged a higher bid could stock trading significantly eroded tion of the route linking Beijing’s snacks during the trip. sparked a public outcry. that December 26 had been cho- come along, but that NYSE would by new technology and the rise of West Station with the city of “This is the world’s longest The accident—China’s worst sen for the start of the passenger not chase after a deal unless it other places for investors to trade, Zhengzhou 693km to the south, bullet train track,” Zhou Li, a rail disaster since 2008 -- trig- service on the Beijing-Guangzhou was almost certain it would pass the stock market businesses like the route’s last link. Ministry of Railways official, gered a flood of criticism of the line to commemorate the birth of regulatory muster. NYSE are less valuable to ICE. Hitting speeds of over 300kmh, told AFP, describing the Beijing- government and accusations that Chinese leader Mao Zedong. “If we did that for another year REUTERS the gleaming, tubular train sped Guangzhou route. “It’s also one authorities had compromised AFP

Cashing in on the season Iraq to withhold payments for Kurdish oil BAGHDAD: Iraq will not pay oil companies operating in Kurdistan because the autono- mous region has failed to export the volume of crude it pledged, a spokesman for Hussain Al Shahristani, Iraq’s deputy prime minister for energy, said on Friday. The comments ramp up a standoff between Baghdad and the region, which have been locked in a long-running spat over land and petroleum rights. Tension appeared to ease in September, when Kurdistan and Baghdad struck a deal under which the autonomous region agreed to continue pumping its share of national oil exports in return for payment from the cen- tral government. An export target of 200,000b/d has been set. A vendor dressed in a Santa outfit tries to encourage customers to enter his shop in Dalston, east Following that agreement, London yesterday. Baghdad transferred an initial sum of 650bn Iraqi dinars ($560m) to the Kurdistan regional govern- ment (KRG), but a subsequent payment is now overdue and Walgreen profit sinks nearly 26pc Kurdish crude exports this week dropped to around 5,000 barrels per day. NEW YORK: Walgreen’s fiscal first-quarter in the United Kingdom. It also spent $438m on a “The Iraqi side gave them the earnings sank nearly 26 percent as costs tied drugstore chain focused on the mid-South under (initial) sum, but they haven’t to a couple big deals and Superstorm Sandy the USA Drug, Super D Drug and Med-X names. supplied the 200,000b/d,” Faisal helped put a bigger-than-expected dent in the Costs tied to those deals totalled $23m in Abdullah said via telephone. drugstore chain’s performance. the quarter, and Walgreen said it only counted “The government fulfilled CEO Greg Wasson told analysts he saw the a small portion of the gains it received from its obligations according to the quarter as a “turning point” for the Deerfield, Alliance Boots. It is reporting those gains a agreement but Kurdistan shirked Illinois, company, which has been working to quarter after they occur to address audit and theirs,” he said. recapture customers it lost during a contract regulatory requirements. In recent weeks, oil exports from dispute with Express Scripts Holding Co. But The storm system that swept up the East Kurdistan have slumped from a peak investors didn’t buy that message at least ini- Coast in late October also cost $24m in the quar- of around 200,000 bpd. The reason tially, as the stock fell deeper than broader mar- ter, as it forced Walgreen to temporarily close for the reduction is not clear, but the ket declines in Friday trading. hundreds of stores. Overall, Walgreen earned region has previously halted exports Walgreen Co spent $4bn in cash earlier this $413m, or 43 cents per share, in the three months in protest at Baghdad’s withholding year to buy a stake in Alliance Boots, a Swiss that ended November 30. of payments. company that runs the largest drugstore chain AP REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 24 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS VIEWS

Apple’s swoon exposes risk Central bankers rethink their lurking in mutual funds BY DAVID K RANDALL devotion to slaying inflation BY JONATHAN SPICER he nearly 28 percent decline in shares of Apple Inc since is now chief economist at US asset manager and gave a clear signal that it would tolerate mid-September isn’t just painful to individual sharehold- Northern Trust. inflation above its 2 percent target if that ers. It’s also being felt by investors who chased hot mutual subtle shift in monetary poli- No central banker is going to tolerate an was the cost of getting more Americans Tfunds that loaded up on Apple as the stock raced to a cymaking is afoot with a new inflation spike in order to boost employment back to work. record $705 per share. generation of central bank- or foster more growth. Eric Green of TD Securities, a former Apple makes up 10 percent or more of assets in 117 out of the ers, striving to secure global Policymakers have also largely dismissed New York Fed economist, wrote that 1,119 funds that own its shares, according to data from Lipper, a economic recovery, prepared some of the more radical alternatives to “Bernanke has relaxed the inflation con- Thomson Reuters company. Those big stakes have contributed Ato challenge the old doctrine of inflation- achieving their goals, most notably target- straint”, effectively raising the Fed’s core positively to each fund’s annual performance to date, with Apple fighting at all costs. ing levels of nominal gross domestic product inflation target over time from 1.75 percent still up about 32 percent for the year. It was trading at $527.73 Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank (real GDP plus inflation). to 2.5 percent. soon after the opening on Friday. of Canada and soon-to-be head of the Bank Yet with the financial crisis having starkly North of the border, the Bank of Canada But that year-to-date outcome may not accurately reflect the of England, may or may not have intended exposed central banks’ failure to stave off has long had an inflation target of 2 percent performance of the funds for individual investors. All told, approx- to spark a high-level debate last week over danger, and policymakers having responded within a range of 1 to 3 percent. imately $4.5bn has been added to funds with overweight stakes how diligently central banks should fend by flooding world markets with trillions of But unlike past BoC governors, Carney, 47, in Apple this year, according to Morningstar data. The majority off inflation. dollars in cheap funding, a small run-up in has emphasised the idea of “flexible target- of these dollars were invested after March and after Apple first But he did just that with his speech in inflation may no longer be the anathema it ing” in which inflation could be allowed to exceeded $600 per share - meaning many investors have been Toronto on the BoC’s flexible approach once was. stray from the target for longer than would riding down with the decline. to prices, and his musings on alternative In the world’s largest economy, Fed normally be tolerated in order to stabilise The $302m Matthew 25 fund, for instance, holds 17.4 percent approaches to policy that the Canadian Chairman Ben Bernanke has unleashed financial markets or the economy. of its assets in Apple, according to Lipper. The fund’s 31.9 percent central bank had considered but dismissed. some $2.5trn in asset purchases in the last Carney said earlier this month that gain through Thursday makes it one of the top performing funds Within two days, Britain’s finance minis- few years to boost hiring and economic the BoC explored the idea of changing its for the year. ter, two BoE policymakers, and numerous growth, squarely focusing on the employ- inflation targeting mandate altogether but Most of its Apple shares were bought years ago at a bargain economists had weighed in on what Carney’s ment side of the US central bank’s dual decided that was too risky. basement price of about $125 per share. But $158.9m of the comments meant for the country and for mandate. He stressed he was not dropping hints fund’s assets - or 53 percent - were invested after the end of the future of central banking. His approach differs to that of his veteran about his plans for Britain yet BoE poli- March, when Apple was trading near $615 per share, according The sharp reaction reflects unease with predecessor Alan Greenspan. The same goes cymakers were quick to push back on to Morningstar data. a change in the way the world’s major cen- for Mario Draghi who took over from Jean- any notion the country should change its For those investors that bought after March, all that concen- tral banks approach policy in an era of slow Claude Trichet at the ECB and it looks like approach to policy. tration in Apple hasn’t led to a stellar gain but rather a drag on recovery from world economic crisis. Carney, replacing Britain’s Mervyn King, Paul Fisher, the BoE’s executive director the portfolio. Someone who invested in Matthew 25 in early April Policymakers from the US Federal fits the same pattern. for markets, said Britain should be wary has seen the value of the fund’s Apple stake fall about 19 percent, Reserve to the Bank of Japan have recon- The Fed last week tied low interest rates of changing the central bank’s 2-percent while someone who invested at the beginning of September has sidered or relaxed their inflation targets to a drop in the jobless rate to 6.5 percent inflation target and had no need to adopt watched that outsized Apple stake drop 27.2 percent. -- long the raison d’etre of monetary policy -- it stood at 7.7 percent last month -- as the longer-term commitments its North In turn, the majority of the fund’s investors have reaped a much -- and have given more emphasis to eco- long as inflation did not threaten to top 2.5 American counterparts have made on inter- more modest performance than its year-end numbers suggest. nomic growth, even if that is not an official percent. est rates. Since the end of March, the fund has gained 6.7 percent, accord- mandate. The unprecedented move may represent BoE Chief Economist Spencer Dale ing to Morningstar data, far less than its 31 percent year-to-date “They have reduced their slavish devotion the culmination of its departure from the warned “there is no free lunch” when it gain and about two percentage points more than the benchmark to the sole goal of inflation targeting,” said inflation-centric model pursued by former comes to changing the central bank’s target. Standard & Poor’s 500 index. Carl Tannenbaum, a former Fed official who Fed chairmen Greenspan and Paul Volcker REUTERS Since, September the fund is down nearly 3 percent through Thursday’s close, compared with a 1.1 percent decline in the S&P 500 in that period. The impact of Apple’s falling stock price shows some of the drawbacks of portfolio concentration, experts say. These stakes can leave the funds overexposed to the ups and downs of one company - counter to what most mutual funds are supposed to do for investors. “Any time you get over 10 percent of the portfolio in one company it’s a red flag,” said Michel Herbst, director of active fund research at Morningstar. Many fund managers do have risk management rules that prevent them from devoting more than 5 percent to 6 percent of their portfolio to any one stock, he said. Then again, some funds purposely invest in just a few stocks. Mark Mulholland, the portfolio manager of the Matthew 25 fund, said that taking concentrated positions in companies is the only way to beat an index over longer periods of time. Along with concerns about iPhone sales in China and tax-moti- vated selling among people who want to avoid potentially higher capital gains taxes in 2013, the wide fund ownership of Apple may be a factor in the size of the stock’s recent declines, fund managers said. In addition, with so many funds already heavily invested in the high-priced stock, there may be fewer marginal buyers available to push prices up again when shares begin to dip. “The stock didn’t go from $700 to $520 because people didn’t like the new iPad. It’s become a favourite short of hedge funds because they know they can get in on this,” said Mark Spellman, a portfolio manager of the $300m Value Line Income and Growth fund with a small position in Apple. Short interest in the stock rose to 20.6m shares at the end of November from 15.1m shares at the end of September, according to Nasdaq. “Some of my competitors have 12 percent of their assets in Apple, which I think is ludicrous”, said Spellman, who said the company is no longer trading on its fundamentals. Sandy Villere, who has a 2.5 percent weighting of Apple in his $276m Villere Balanced fund, said that some mutual fund manag- ers are selling shares because of the over-weighting. “Right now many people who did take huge overweight positions are right-sizing their portfolios to get it in line with their regular weightings,” he said. Still, some bullish investors see the stock’s recent declines as a buying opportunity. REUTERS Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate Traders hedge bets as budget talks turn to bluster BY STEVEN C JOHNSON, at US Global Investors Inc, which PLAYING IT SAFE It’s a strategy that Michael TAIL RISK NARROWS He said some investors might DORIS FRANKEL AND manages about $3bn. “We want Some investors have started Fredericks, who manages the Overall, volatility remains low be reluctant to hedge their bets RYAN VLASTELICA to limit our positions because we to limit exposure to stocks that BlackRock Multi-Asset Income as stock trading winds down for now, after having been over-cau- don’t know what will be impacted have had a strong runup. A pop- Fund, has employed with high the year. The CBOE Volatility tious in the past and missing out S markets in the last few and by how much.” ular strategy is stock replace- dividend-yielding US stocks, Index .VIX, Wall Street’s “fear on the rally. weeks have conveyed a Republican Speaker of the ment, which involves selling which could suffer if no deal is gauge,” rose to 17.4 on Wednesday, Unlike in early 2012, investors strong sense of opti- House John Boehner, in a brief shares outright and, instead, reached and dividend taxes spike spiking after Boehner’s comments are no longer singularly focused Umism over Washington’s press conference on Wednesday, buying a call option — a bet the from 15 percent to as high as 40 but still well below its long-term on protecting against massive budget battle — perhaps a bit too dared President Barack Obama stock will keep rising — on those percent for some earners. mean of 20.5. risks such as the 2008 market much. to oppose Republican plans securities. “When you add the value of The market slipped following meltdown or the possible demise The benchmark S&P 500 index to cut taxes for all but those This allows investors to take selling an options contract to the Boehner’s words, with the S&P of the euro. .SPX recently capped off its best making $1m or more in annual profits and also reduce risk, par- dividend payment some compa- ending down 0.76 percent, but the “Through much of this year, two-day run in a month and the income. ticularly if budget talks break nies distribute, you end up with overall low volatility suggested these....outcomes were central euro reached an 8-1/2-month After Boehner’s remarks, both down and the market sells off. a really attractive value proposi- investors believe the outlook scenarios that investors pursued, peak against the dollar, largely on the S&P 500 .SPX and the Dow But they retain the option to get tion,” Fredericks said. remains positive. and that in some cases weak- expectations that an agreement Jones industrials .DJI hit the day’s in on the gains if things go well The benchmark S&P 500 is up “I definitely think there is ened the returns that they got,” to avoid the “fiscal cliff” — $600bn lows. by exercising their call, or “buy” nearly 15 percent this year, with some risk, though,” said Douglas Englander said. in automatic spending cuts and Boehner’s gambit, which fol- options. three sectors - industrials, finan- DePietro, head of trading at But Michael Khouw, head of the tax hikes set for early next year lowed another press confer- “We have seen this strategy cials and consumer discretionary Evercore Partners in New York, equity derivatives at CRT Capital — is nearly at hand. ence where Obama suggested in eBay, Dell, Juniper Networks, shares hitting 2012 highs. That adding that some investors were Group in Stamford, Connecticut, But at the risk of sounding Republicans need to get over Coca-Cola and Starbucks, among has increased the desire to hedge. protecting themselves by buying said thin pre-holiday trade may be like Ebenezer Scrooge, some reflexive opposition of him, shows others,” said Phillip Saunders, an On Wednesday, put options - bets funds that bet on declines in the suppressing volatility somewhat. investors fear a sudden run of the two sides still have work to do equity derivatives strategist at on a market decline - on the S&P S&P 500. “I don’t think that the options bad news could snuff out the to bridge their divide. Topeka Capital Markets. were trading more than three Currency investors who fear markets are overly complacent,” pre-holiday cheer and send “It is very difficult to say if Another approach: covered times the average volume of the a plunge over the “fiscal cliff”, Khouw said. stocks down. As a result, they the optimism out there is war- calls, in which investors hang past five trading days. should consider selling currencies “I would have expected option are wading into the options ranted,” said Alec Young, global onto a position while simultane- “What this suggests is that with strong US links such as the volume to drop off this year and it market to hedge their bets and equity strategist at S&P Equity ously selling a call option on it people are buying options in the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso has not, and this is a reflection of protect their profits. Research in New York. “We don’t to increase their income. In this S&P 500 index in order to pro- against the Japanese yen, which the fact that market participants “With all the uncertainty, we know what’s going on behind the case, if the asset falls in value, tect themselves in case of a selloff usually rises when risk aversion could expect a sharp move, up or want exposure to sectors but we scenes, and that makes it very dif- some of the losses are offset by into year-end,” said JJ Kinahan, spikes, said Steven Englander, who down, in equities,” the head of the don’t want to risk as much,” said ficult to account for all the uncer- the premiums collected on the chief derivatives strategist at TD heads Citigroup’s global G10 FX equity derivatives added. Michael Matousek, senior trader tainty out there.” unexercised call option. Ameritrade. strategy. REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 GECM & TENDERS www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 25

GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS MAP (GECM) Every Sunday China’s stocks drop from four- UK third quarter growth revised Investors worried over potential French meltdown month high, trimming gain Setback in US fiscal talks down to 0.9pc PARIS: Investor are more worried BEIJING: China’s stocks fell from a four- rattles shares, euro LONDON: Britain’s economy grew by month high, led by financial companies, a worse-than-expected 0.9 percent in about an economic meltdown in Japan downbeat on economy, NEW YORK: Global stock markets France than any other eurozone on concern a rally that has lifted shares the third quarter, downwardly-revised but says not getting worse skidded yesterday, and the euro nation, according to the latest from an almost four-year low is excessive. data showed yesterday, sparking TOKYO: Japan’s government and oil futures also slipped as a Bank of America Merrill Lynch China Minsheng Banking Corp. led fresh speculation over a possible kept its view of the economy new setback in talks to avert a US Fund Manager survey. The declines for lenders after the shares “triple dip” recession, analysts said. unchanged in December, fiscal crisis and weak data out of bank’s analysis of the views of jumped to a two-year high this month. “UK gross domestic product (GDP) ... snapping a four-month-long Europe put investors on edge. 255 managers overseeing $664 Poly Real Estate (600048) Group Co., increased by 0.9 percent between run of downgrades that was the A proposal from US Speaker of the billion (£409bn) of assets found the second-biggest property developer, the second and third quarter of 2012, longest such sequence since House of Representatives John that their anxieties about issues dropped 1.5 percent after the China revised from the previously estimated such as the so-called fiscal cliff the 2008-09 financial crisis, but Boehner to avoid the “fiscal cliff” Securities Journal said the government increase of 1.0 percent,” the Office in the United Sates and the debt warned the overall economic failed to get support from fellow may introduce new housing curbs. for National Statistics said in a problems of the European Union environment remained sluggish. Republicans on Thursday, casting statement. have eased. fresh doubt over negotiations to halt automatic tax hikes and spending cuts in January that could push the US economy back into recession. India rupee hits 3-wk low; US ‘fiscal Eurozone fallout robs SA cliff’ development eyed business of $15bn in revenue MUMBAI: The Indian rupee hit a three-week Australian debt still AAA despite JOHANNESBURG: South African low on Friday, extending its fall for a third companies estimate they have straight week, as uncertainty over the US surplus miss so far lost $15bn in revenue as a “fiscal cliff” resolution dented demand for SYDNEY: Australia’s AAA credit rating Argentina’s economy grew 0.7pc result of the eurozone crisis, which risk assets including domestic equities. will remain unaffected in the short-term in third quarter from a year ago has wiped $2-trillion off revenue Traders said month- and year-end dollar by the Government’s abandonment of BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s economy globally, Grant Thornton says in its demand from oil and gold importers also its surplus commitment. All three major ratings agencies have reaffirmed the grew 0.7 percent in the third quarter latest international business report, added to the downward pressure on the Commonwealth Government’s top AAA from a year earlier, less than forecast released on Tuesday. local currency. rating, despite the Treasurer Wayne Swan by analysts and after stalling in the saying yesterday that it is unlikely the previous three months. The median goal of a budget surplus this financial year estimate of 11 economists surveyed will be met. Ratings agencies Moody’s, by Bloomberg was for growth of 1.4 Standard & Poor’s and Fitch have all percent. South America’s second- reaffirmed Australia’s sovereign debt rating biggest economy expanded 0.6 at the highest level since Mr Swan spoke percent from the second quarter, the yesterday afternoon. national statistics agency reported today in Buenos Aires.

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NBA: Britain’s London inspires the world Deng dazzles as Bulls edge The British capital puts on an impressive show in hosting the Games NY Knicks LONDON: Britain spent nearly drama and raw emotion played £9bn ($14.42bn) to create a out against backdrops from NEW YORK: Britain’s magical and ambitious won- Buckingham Palace to a grand Luol Deng scored 29 points derland of venues for the 2012 new stadium where factory hulks and grabbed a game-high 13 Olympic Games, where fans once blighted the blitz-scarred rebounds while Italy’s Marco were thrilled across a capi- East End. Belinelli added 22 points to tal whose grime and grandeur These were the Games that spark the Chicago Bulls to a alike got a makeover of global Olympic chief Jacques Rogge 110-106 NBA victory yesterday glamour. called “happy and glorious”, ech- over New York. The Games proved a timely oing Britain’s national anthem France’s Joakim Noah had 15 shot in the arm, spiritually if not “God Save the Queen” as Elizabeth points and 12 rebounds for the financially, for a bruised nation celebrated 60 years on the throne. Bulls while Kirk Hinrich added struggling with economic reces- They opened with seven young, 16 points, nine rebounds and eight sion. The government, citing unknown athletes lighting the assists as Chicago improved to figures that were all but unmeas- cauldron and had as their motto 15-10 to remain one game ahead urable, said they would even “Inspire a Generation”. of Milwaukee and Indiana in the deliver monetary benefits, to the As he closed the Games, Central division. tune of some $20bn, though oth- Rogge said: “The human legacy Carmelo Anthony scored 29 ers were sceptical. will reach every region of the points, JR Smith added 26 and As for sport, the cash deliv- world. Many young people will be Raymond Felton contributed 21 ered a gold rush of medals for inspired to take up a sport or to for Atlantic division-leading New the somewhat startled hosts - pursue their dreams.” York, who fell to 19-7 but still have placing them third, their best The 2012 Olympics proved the the best record in the Eastern result since 1920, if well behind perfect stage for the world’s fast- Conference. the table-topping United States est man Usain Bolt, who became Anthony, Noah and New York’s and China, which returned to the the first man to defend the 100 Tyson Chandler were thrown out number two spot after dominat- and 200 metres double on the after a fourth-quarter incident. ing its home Games in Beijing running track. That came after Knicks coach four years earlier. As he accelerated to the 200 Mike Woodson had been ejected. More importantly, though, title, Bolt put his finger to his lips It was only the second home the July and August Games gave - silencing the doubters. With his A file picture taken on July 2012, shows a general view of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic loss in 13 starts for the Knicks, Britain - and Britishness - a Jamaican team mates, he went on Games at the Olympic Stadium. BOTTOM: In a file picture taken in August 2012, Britain’s Andy Murray celebrates who had won five of their six prior reputational boost, at home and to a “double treble”, breaking the after defeating Switzerland’s Roger Federer in the men’s singles tennis gold medal match at the All England games. abroad, at a time when few who world record to retain the 4x100 Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Bulls, who won for the sev- are younger than the 86-year-old metres relay title. enth time in nine games overall, Queen Elizabeth can recall its “I came here to become a leg- improved to 7-4 on the road this days of imperial glory. end and I am now,” Bolt said season. They also defeated the Instead, 2012 showcased a new, before an early-hours turn as a Top Ten Medal Table Knicks on December 8 in Chicago modern London as a tolerant, nightclub DJ. “I’ve got nothing left and have now beaten the Knicks welcoming and multicultural city. to prove. I’ve shown the world I’m G S B Total in six of their past seven meetings. Britain delivered, or, as the oth- the best,” he said. United States 46 29 29 104 Deng, who was briefly out of erwise rather beleaguered Prime In the pool the supremacy issue the game with a sore left shoul- China 38 27 23 88 Minister David Cameron put it was resolved emphatically when der, made 11 of 24 shots from the after the Games: “We showed Michael Phelps swam to a status Great Britain 29 17 19 65 field and four of five free throws the world what we’re made of; as the most decorated Olympian Russia 24 26 32 82 while Noah went four of 12 from we reminded ourselves of what with 22 medals, 18 of them gold. the field but seven of eight from we could do.” His victory set off a debate about South Korea 13 8 7 28 the free-throw line and also added Many overseas agreed. whether that meant he was the Germany 11 19 14 44 six assists. AFP Recalling prophecies of doom, world’s greatest. about terror and traffic and Phelps, too, had nothing left France 11 11 12 34 Londoners’ deep reserves of cyn- to prove and promptly quit the Italy 8 9 11 28 NBA Results icism and, well, reserve, Italy’s sport. “It’s kind of weird, it’s Hungary 8 4 6 18 Corriere della Sera declared: very strange, the first day of not Toronto 93 Orlando 90 “Thank you, London - A les- having to swim and never hav- Australia 7 16 12 35 Philadelphia 99 Atlanta 80 son to the pessimists ... When ing it again,” the American told Total (of all nations) 302 304 356 962 Milwaukee 99 Boston 94 it comes to parties, festivals and Reuters. “I’m not sure right now ceremonies, no-one can match the how I feel. It’s really confusing.” Chicago 110 NY Knicks 106 British.” There was no confusion on the party for the world, marshalled actor Daniel Craig, captivated gave the performance of her life Detroit 100 Washington 68 “The neo-British...are emo- subject of sporting domination, by Britain’s soldiers, sailors and the world and set the stage for a to win women’s boxing’s first tional,” marvelled the Italians, though, with the US finishing the airmen, after a private secu- spectacular Games. Olympic final. London was also Indiana 99 Cleveland 89 traditional champions in the Games on top of the medals table rity contractor caused a scandal Britain’s Olympians took up the the first Games to feature women Memphis 92 Dallas 82 heart-on-sleeve stakes. “They feel in London. two weeks before the start by baton to finish third, ahead of tra- from every nation, as the remain- the tension beforehand; they weep Having trailed China in Beijing, announcing it would not be able ditionally mighty Russia, with 29 ing Arab states who had resisted San Antonio 99 New Orleans 94 on the podium and watching the the Americans beat the Chinese to provide enough guards. golds across the field. abandoning their all-male team LA Clippers 97 Sacramento 85 television; they put down their into second place with a haul of Oscar winner Danny Boyle’s Fresh from Britain’s first win rosters relented under pressure. Golden State 115 Charlotte 100 beer and hug their neighbour.” 46 golds among their 104 medals. quirky opening ceremony, fea- in the Tour de France, Bradley Women’s football got a major What the investment left China won 38 golds and an overall turing a playful - and first - cin- Wiggins, a fashion throwback to boost and a crowd of more than behind was an unforgetta- tally of 87. ematic performance by the Queen the 1960s Mod era, won the men’s 80,000 attended a memorable, ble sporting tapestry of tears, The London Olympics were a herself, alongside James Bond cycling time trial early on. His magical final where the US beat NHL: Players’ gold gave him seven career med- Japan 2-1 for the gold. als, more than any other British Andy Murray put Wimbledon vote gives London Games: Strange Facts Olympian. heartbreak behind him to win British success snowballed. tennis gold with a breathtak- union option of ■ Of all medalists, women cried more than men - 25 percent as Jessica Ennis dominated the hep- ing thrashing of Roger Federer, opposed to eight percent. Sixteen percent either bit or kissed their tathlon and became a national a victory that prefaced his first medal on the podium. Just 44 percent sang along with their national heroine overnight, along with Grand Slam title at the US Open dissolving anthem. Somali-born 5,000 and 10,000 five weeks later. ■ The athlete with the longest non-hyphenated surname was Saeid metres double winner Mo Farah. Britain ruled the velodrome TORONTO: Locked-out Mohammadpourkarkaragh (26 letters). His hands-on-pate “Mobot”, an and Chris Hoy wept tears of joy National Hockey League play- ■ If US swimmer Michael Phelps were a country, he would rank 37th M-for-Mo victory salute, rivalled as the hosts ended their Olympic ers voted to give their union in the all-time gold medal table. His total of 18 gold medals equals Bolt’s arrow gesture for most track cycling campaign with the power to file a disclaimer Austria and Ethiopia. emulated pose in souvenir snaps. seven titles. of interest, putting them one ■ At 71, the Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu was the oldest Kenya’s David Rudisha smashed Other tears were shed in bit- step closer to filing class-action athlete at the Games. the 800 metres world record to terness. South Korea’s Shin anti-trust lawsuits against the ■ The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate) is the luckiest royal Olympic win gold in one minute 40.91 - a A-Lam wept for an hour on the league. supporter: Team GB won five gold medals while she looked on. She run that Games chief Sebastian fencing piste after a timing quirk The vote passed overwhelm- also witnessed two silver medals and three bronze. Princes William Coe, himself a former Olympic denied her the place in the final ingly, a source familiar with the and Harry saw only seven British medals between them. middle-distance champion, called she thought she had secured. situation said yesterday, and gives ■ The tallest athlete at the Games was 7ft 3in Chinese basketball the “stand-out performance” of Top-seeded Chinese badmin- the executive board of the NHL player Zhaoxu Zhang. London 2012. ton player Yu Yang quit the sport Players’ Association the option of ■ It took Usain Bolt 41 strides to break the Olympic 100m record in Not since topping the table - altogether in despair after being dissolving the union. The board 9.63 seconds. Silver medallist Yohan Blake took 46 paces. in London - in 1908 had Britain sent home following a tactical has until January 2 to make a ■ It took ten hours to make each medal, using an enormous press won so many golds. One went “play-to-lose” scandal: “You have decision. London Olympic 2012 chief called Colossus. The medals were designed by David Watkins. There to Nicola Adams; with a daz- heartlessly shattered our dreams. The players’ union declined Sebastian Coe talks during a press were six grams of gold in each gold medal. zling smile and down-to-earth It’s that simple,” she said. “This is comment. interview. Yorkshire grace, the 29-year-old unforgivable.” REUTERS Dissolving the union would free players, who are locked in a bitter labor dispute with NHL owners over how to share $3.3bn in rev- enue, to file anti-trust lawsuits against the NHL in the courts and have the lockout deemed illegal. In a pre-emptive strike, the NHL filed a class-action com- plaint and unfair labour practice charge against the players’ union last week. The moves come with negotia- tions between the two sides at a standstill and time running out before the league is forced to can- cel the entire season. “I’m not an expert on collective bargaining but there is not going to be a deal done until we’re sit- ting across the table from each other,” Toronto Maple Leafs for- ward Joffrey Lupul said this week. Michael Phelps of the USA poses with his gold medal and a USA flag after the award ceremony for the men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final during the swimming competition held at the The players have been locked Aquatics Centre during the London 2012 Olympic Games in London, England in this July 2012 file picture. RIGHT: Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (right) celebrates after crossing the finish line on since mid-September as negotia- the anchor leg to set a world record in the men’s 4x100m relay final ahead of Ryan Bailey of the USA during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in this August 2012 tions between the two sides have file picture. failed to produce a new collective agreement. REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 29 Formula One racing keeps fans guessing in year of surprises Year-end review of 2012: An unprecedented seven winners in the first seven races

LONDON: Formula One fans bleak year was illuminated only have learned to expect the by their first win as a works team unexpected and 2012, despite since 1955. Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull That bombshell was compa- ending up as world champions rable to the shock in MotoGP for the third year in a row, was when Australian Casey Stoner predictably unpredictable. announced in May that he was While Sebastien Loeb racked calling it a day at the age of 26 up a ninth successive champion- because he had fallen out of love ship with Citroen in rallying - an with the sport. outcome that surprised absolutely Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo won that nobody - and Audi won Le Mans title with Yamaha, the second of for the 11th time in 13 years, fol- his career. lowers of Grand Prix racing had Hamilton leaving McLaren for a nailbiting ride right to the end. a far less successful team would This was the year of eight dif- have been dismissed by many at ferent winners, an unprecedented the end of 2011, and they might seven of them in the first seven have scoffed also at the idea of races, from six separate teams Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado who spent months getting to grips winning the Spanish Grand Prix with the Pirelli tyres. for Williams - whose chairman Vettel becoming, at 25, the Adam Parr had resigned only sport’s youngest triple champion weeks after being lined up as was an easy prediction to make at founder Frank Williams’ heir the end of 2011 when the German apparent. ran away with his second title and How many would have expected Red Bull were dominant. Mercedes to dominate the Chinese It looked less likely as the sport Grand Prix or for Jenson Button, headed off for its summer break winning the first and last races of and, after 13 rounds of a record the year, to end up scoring more 20-race season, Vettel still had points than Hamilton over their only one victory to his credit and three year McLaren partnership? was 42 points off the lead. But he did. “People were not even men- There would have been few bets tioning us when they were talk- on Ferrari academy youngster ing about the championship, but Sergio Perez ending the season, I think the most important thing after the Mexican had celebrated was that we always kept believ- three podium finishes for mid- ing,” the German said after being table Sauber, with a McLaren taken down to the wire in Brazil contract in his pocket. in a duel with Ferrari’s Fernando The United States returned to Alonso. the calendar in Austin, the Texan Alonso, driving the wheels off capital that prides itself on being an ugly car that had been pain- weird and showed it by taking fully slow out of the box, was foreign Formula One to its heart - against all expectation - com- in a country more enamoured of fortably clear of the rest as the NASCAR and oval racing. championship entered its second Some locals were doubtless half. more interested in NASCAR’s Even if Formula One supremo final weekend at Homestead, Bernie Ecclestone held up Vettel which clashed with the Austin German Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel celebrating his Formula One World Championship victory in Sao Paulo in this file picture of November 25, 2012 as a new benchmark for the sport, race, that saw Brad Keselowski team principals voted Alonso winning his first Sprint Cup title their driver of the season and with Dodge and denying Jimmie Lotus team over the radio as they the Spaniard had no doubt about Johnson a sixth championship. offered advice he felt he could do what he had done in a car he American motorsports fans without. knew was not the fastest. also had an emotional triple win- The sport welcomed its first “It was by far the best season ner to acclaim when Scotland’s woman team principal when of my career and I will remember Dario Franchitti triumphed in Monisha Kaltenborn took over this 2012 like some dream season,” the Indy 500, a year on from his the reins from Peter Sauber and said the man who won two titles late friend Dan Wheldon. shuddered at the freak testing with Renault in 2005 and 2006. Bahrain defied international accident that cost Marussia’s The Spaniard’s win in rain- condemnation and put on a race female Spanish tester Maria De hit Malaysia, the second race of that many had expected to be Villota the use of an eye as well as the season, was a stunning result cancelled due to civil unrest and inflicting horrific injuries. considering how far off the pace violent anti-government protests. If at the start of the season, the Ferrari had been in testing and in That race, that saw the sport’s smart money would have been on the Australian opener. ethics and values questioned on Vettel and Hamilton fighting for Alonso, lucky to escape front pages around the world, the title with Red Bull’s design unhurt after Romain Grosjean’s ultimately troubled Ecclestone far genius Adrian Newey likely to Lotus skimmed past his head in less than a court case in Germany, come out on top, next year prom- Belgium in an incident that got increasing legal actions elsewhere ises to be different. the Frenchman banned for a race, and the shelving of advanced plans Even if Vettel again looks the and Vettel were the main men in to float the sport in Singapore. man to beat in a season where the a field of six champions - five of At 82, the British billionaire cars will be very similar - if more them race winners in 2012. still had a spring in his step after attractive due to ‘modesty panels’ There were few gasps of sur- marrying Brazilian Fabiana Flosi, allowed to cover up the broken, prise when seven times world his 35-year-old third wife. stepped noses - Hamilton may champion Michael Schumacher, Barcelona, the most predictable have to wait until 2014 before he three years into an unimpressive race on the calendar, produced a gets a truly competitive car again. comeback with Mercedes and six 500-1 winner in Maldonado while That will give Button a real years on from his last win with Valencia and Abu Dhabi, both chance as McLaren’s most expe- Ferrari, decided to call it a day for yawn-fests in the past, turned rienced driver, while Alonso can the second time at the age of 43. out to be thrillers. The latter race be counted on to fight all the There were rather more when even delivered one of the quotes way and Raikkonen will be doing 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton of the championship from winner what he knows how to do after cut the umbilical cord with super- Kimi Raikkonen. an impressive comeback season. successful McLaren and signed “Leave me alone. I know what Unless, of course, the unex- Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Scuderia Ferrari during the third training session at the Circuit for Mercedes, whose otherwise I’m doing,” the Finn told his pected happens. REUTERS of the Americas, in Austin, Texas, USA, in this file picture of November 19, 2012. Hockey India President hails Indo-Pak series decision

DOHA: Hockey India Test series has started. I met Koshy added. The Indian PHF are expected to sign an The two countries will resume President Mariamma Koshy Pakistan ambassador in Qatar hockey team is expected to tour agreement on the resumption their rival in Qatar during the (pictured) has hailed the deci- and he too expressed the wish Pakistan a month later in May of bilateral series during their ongoing Asian Champions sion to revive the hockey Test that the two nations should play for another five-Test series. meeting in Lahore on December Trophy when the two clash in series with Pakistan. hockey matches on a regular “On the invitation of PHF I 29. a round-robin match of the six- Pakistan are scheduled to basis,” Koshy said. am going to Pakistan for a two- The last Indo-Pak hockey Test team tournament tomorrow. tour India for a five-Test series The modalities of both the day trip on December 29. During series, with three matches in At the end of two rounds in March next year. series would be sorted out the meeting we will discuss the each country, was held in early India, Pakistan and Malaysia Koshy, who is in here for the in a joint meeting between modalities of the resumption of 2006. Pakistan had won three are the only unbeaten teams Asian Champions Trophy, said Hockey India secretary-general bilateral hockey ties between the matches, India had clinched in the tournament which with bilateral ties with Pakistan Narinder Batra and Pakistan two nations,” Batra said. one while two other games were culminates with the final on having opened up the hockey Hockey Federation (PHF) “If everything goes as per drawn. December 27. matches between the two coun- chief Asif Bajwa in Lahore on plan Pakistan will tour India at India and Pakistan recently Japan, China and Oman are tries was always on the cards. December 29. the end of March next year for clashed in the Champions the other teams taking part in “The Indian government has “I will also meet the PHF five Test matches. Then India Trophy in Australia where the the tournament which is hosted very supportive to Hockey India officials who are in here for will visit Pakistan in May for four-time world Cup winners by Qatar Hockey Federation for and we are happy that the proc- the Asian Champions Trophy another five Tests,” he added. defeated India to win the bronze the first time. ess of hosting the India-Pakistan to exchange views and ideas,” Officials of Hockey India and medal. THE PENINSULA SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 30 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com SPORT

Squash: Malaysia’s

The riders who have David in registered to take part in the 2012-13 seventh Qatar International Road Racing Championship heaven (QIRRC) pose for a GRAND CAYMAN, group photograph CAYMAN ISLANDS: along with Nasser Nicol bin Khalifa Al David extended her record of World Open titles to seven from Attiyah, president eight finals yesterday with a bal- of Qatar Motor anced performance and great and Motorcycle patience to beat English third Federation (QMMF) seed Laura Massaro. at Losail International The Malaysian heroine’s 11-6 Circuit yesterday. 11-8 11-6 victory silenced crit- ics who had suggested younger rivals were closing the gap on the 29-year-old champion. Massaro forced many long ral- lies and even led 7-5 in the second game, but David responded well to the important moments which followed. She mixed containment with well-timed drops and lightning- quick changes of direction that prevented her opponent from getting a crucial foothold in the Cudlin collects 50 points match. The outcome was that David only dropped one game through- out the entire tournament, but Round one of QIRRC: Nina Prinz and Mashel Al Naimi show good form she had to focus harder and for longer in the final than in any of her four other encounters. DOHA: Pole winner Alex successive podium finish with a Her relief and joy at surviving Cudlin of Australia yester- flourish. the perpetual pressure of expec- day produced two convincing Cudlin now leads the champi- tations yet again was smilingly wins in round one of the 2012- onship with a handsome tally of obvious. 13 Qatar International Road 50 points followed by Prinz with She held her head in both Racing Championship (QIRRC) 40 points. hands, then placed her hands high at Losail Circuit. Qatar’s Al Naimi has a tally of on the court, and finally caressed Cudlin, who started from pole 32 points. the ball affectionately against a position for yesterday’s round one, The second round of QIRRC wall before allowing herself to finished on top in both the races will be held on January 11 and 12. accept that no more was required held around the 5.7km circuit. 2013. of her racket. The Australian rider finished The first round of Qatar Then her words reflected the both races ahead of Germany’s National Road Racing frequent struggle between doubt Nina Prinz and Qatar’s Mashel (QNRRCH) and Losail Asia Road and self-confidence. Al Naimi. Racing Series (LARRS) will also “I can’t believe it,” she said. “I Prinz, the only female rider, fin- be held during the same week. just can’t believe it. ished both races in second spot A delighted Cudlin was quick “I am just so pleased with my while Al Naimi, the man with to thank his supporters during a match. Laura pushed me every Moto2 experience, claimed third press conference yesterday. point. places in the two races. “I want to thank Mr Nasser “There was no point where I Cudlin finished the 15-lap and all the QMMF team for giv- could let up because she was just race one with a time of 31mins ing me this opportunity to ride on it every point. She played a 10:113secs. Prinz, riding a Suzuki, again,” Cudlin said. very good match.” was 9.576secs adrift of Cudlin. Al “This is my fourth year of rac- David knew the danger well as Naimi finished race one 16.747secs ing here and I feel like a family Massaro is one of the few players behind Cudlin. here in Qatar,” the Australian to have beaten her twice. The Australian rider made added. However, she did so last year it two-out-of-two when he won “In both races, Nasser Al Malki ABOVE: Alex Cudlin and, although the challenger has race two with a time of 31mins had a good start and as I didn’t of Australia takes improved further since then, the 13:575secs. race since September, it took me a bend during one champion at her best has too, per- Prinz finished 9.301secs adrift some time to get the rhythm but of the two races in haps just as much. of Cudlin while Al Naimi sealed as the race progressed, I became Two of the most crucial round one of the his second podium finish with a more confident. moments came when David got Qatar International time of 31.40:750. “I have experience in the back to 7-7 in the pivotal middle In race one, the Australian endurance races so I am able to Road Racing game and then nosed ahead to 8-7 rider had a tight battle with keep the lap time stable and that Championship with a disputed point. Qatar’s Nasser Al Malki for most helped me to create a gap between (QIRRC) at Losail The levelling rally saw bril- part of the race, but a mechanical me and the others,” Cudlin said International Circuit. liantly nimble retrieves from problem for the home rider forced yesterday. LEFT: Nina Prinz (left) David, plus some patient back- him to retire in the 13th lap. Prinz was jubilant with her first of Germany, Alex hand wall straight driving with Prinz, who started from the outing in the new season. Cudlin (second left) of a tight little backhand drop to second place on the grid, finished “I would like to thank to Australia, Mashel Al finish it. with a gap of 9.576 against Cudlin. QMMF for giving me the oppor- Naimi (second right) That was followed in the next Al Naimi started from the back tunity to race in this champion- of Qatar and Fahad rally by a marginally mistimed of the grid and yet managed to ship,” Prinz said. Al Sowaidi, also of backhand drive by Massaro, finish on the podium in race one. “In the first race I made a per- Qatar, are seen with which caused the ball to come In the 600cc category, Fahad Al fect start but I lost in the first Sultan Al Murraikhi, away from the wall and resulted Sowaidi of Qatar was the fastest part of the race that made me go QMMF Board in her slightly impeding David. rider. slower. Member. A penalty stroke was awarded, The trophies were given by “In the second race, my first Massaro’s video review appeal Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, laps were very good but then I failing to get the decision President of Qatar Motor and nearly had a crash with a rider. expect to be on the podium today in this category but last month also attended a photo-call with overturned. Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), I was able to keep my calm and starting from the last position,” I joined the Asia Road Racing volunteers and marshals. David pushed hard to capital- and Sultan Al Murraikhi, QMMF I think the second position was Al Naimi said. Championship and I improved my “The volunteers and marshals ise, offered a rare fist pump when Board Member. okay for me,” the affable German “After each lap I became more riding. My target is to improve are a very important part of all she broke through to a two-game Al Malki, who had mechanical added. confident and I am very happy to my lap times in each round.” our events. They are the people lead, and was quickly five points issues in race one, found the going Qatar’s Al Naimi, a vastly be in the podium in both races. Earlier in the day, QMMF who manage very important work up in the third and motoring tough in the second race also and experienced rider, said he didn’t I want to get as many points as President Al Attiyah and the rid- at all QMMF events and activi- away. retired in the 9th lap. expect a podium finish. possible,” the Qatari added. ers posed for a group photograph ties. I can’t thank them enough “I am a little bit disappointed However, there were no issues “After the mechanical prob- Al Sowaidi, who topped the list at the starting line of the $75m for their support and team-work,” with that,” said Massaro, who for Cudlin, Prinz and Al Naimi lem that I had yesterday before of riders in the 600cc category, Losail International Circuit. Al Attiyah said. had saved a match point in a as the trio secured their second the qualifying practice, I didn’t said: “I started late competing Later, the QMMF president THE PENINSULA long and hard semi-final with Raneem El Weleily, the second- Race One seeded Egyptian, and may have paid a price in the third game of Alexander Cudlin (AUS) 31:10.113 the final. Nina Prinz (GER) 31:19.689 “It was just a few points here Mashel Al Naimi (QAT) 31:36.436 and there and that’s all the dif- Saeed Al Sulaiti (QAT) 31:46.109 ference,” she said. Abdulrahman Al Mannai (QAT) 32:44.437 “The middle of the games were Sultan Al Kuwari (QAT) 32:44.781 so crucial and that’s what I have Rayad Al Emadi (QAT) 32:46.087 to work on,” she told media people at the end of the match. Fahid Al Sowaidi (QAT) 33:02.160 “It’s still pretty rare that she Ahmed Al Muyini (KSA) 33:09.307 is beaten. Mark Schulz (GBR) 31:39.187 “We are still training hard and improving and she’s rising to the Race Two challenge.” To do that well as she moves Alexander Cudlin (AUS) 31:13.575 through her 30th year, David may Nina Prinz (GER) 31:22.876 need to select peaks more care- Mashel Al Naimi (QAT) 31:40.750 fully for the tournaments she Saeed Al Sulaiti (QAT) 31:52.003 really wants to win. Rayad Al Emadi (QAT) 32:43.734 But at her best, she is still too Sultan Al Kuwari (QAT) 32:56.731 fine an athlete and too steady a Abdulrahman Al Mannai (QAT) 33:01.127 rallyer for everyone, even during Ahmed Al Muyini (KSA) 33:07.461 her moments of doubt. Her high profile among the all- Qatar’s Mashel Al Naimi in action during one of the two races in round one of the Qatar Fahid Al Sowaidi (QAT) 33:08.302 The top three riders in both races are seen with Fahid Al time greats is likely to rise yet International Road Racing Championship (QIRRC) at Losail International Circuit. Surya Raja (IND) 33:20.605 Sowaidi (600cc) at Losail International Circuit. further. REUTERS SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2012 SPORT www.thepeninsulaqatar.com 31

Ibrahimovic Al Rayyan come from inspires PSG to easy win

PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic behind to crush Qatar SC scored his 18th goal of the sea- son to inspire Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain to a compre- Al Gharafa earn third straight win; Eljaish edge Umm Salal hensive 3-0 victory at 10-man Stade Brest which lifted them three points clear at the top late DOHA: Al Rayyan came from After losing 1-0 against Eljaish on Friday. behind to win 3-1 against Qatar last week, the defending Heir Goalkeeper Alexis Thebaux SC in round 12 of Qatar Stars Apparent Cup champions found produced a sterling performance League (QSL) yesterday to themselves down when Fadlh Barca coach for the home team but could not remain third in the standings. Omar gave the home side. stop Swede Ibrahimovic scoring In other QSL action yesterday, The Al Rayyan defenders could from Christophe Jallet’s cross in Al Gharafa grabbed their third not clear a high ball, and Omar Vilanova out the 55th minute. straight win after beating Al reacted the quickest to head the Substitute Kevin Gameiro Wakra 3-1. ball past Al Rayyan goalkeeper make it 2-0 on 73 minutes and The result puts Al Gharafa Omar Barry in the 37th minute. of hospital left back Bernard Mendy’s stop- in fifth position with 18 points, It was a wake-up call that Al page-time own goal sealed PSG’s whereas, Al Wakra, who have Rayyan needed and they raised MADRID: Barcelona coach comfortable win. lost their last four matches, are their tempo. Tito Vilanova (pictured) was PSG have 38 points, three in eighth spot with 12 points. The visitors were soon level released from hospital yester- ahead of Olympique Lyon and Also in action yesterday, Eljaish when Rodrigo Tabata headed day, two days after undergoing Olympique Marseille, who take edged Umm Salal, courtesy of a in Ismail Hamid’s cross shortly surgery on his saliva glands, the on St Etienne today. penalty by Adriano Martins in the before half-time. La Liga club said. “It’s an ideal night. But last 40th minute. It was the fifth goal for the “Given his post-operation year we were ahead (before the Eljaish, managed by Razvan Brazilian midfielder, who was development, Tito Vilanova has winter break) and we finished Lucescu, now occupy fourth spot named Player of the Year last been released from hospital this second. Hopefully we’ll make with 22 points. season. Saturday afternoon,” Barca said things turn round this time,” Umm Salal are in sixth spot In the second half, Jarrallah Al in a brief statement on their web- Gameiro told beIN Sport televi- with 17 points. Marri gave Al Rayyan the lead. site (www.fcbarcelona.com). sion after scoring his fifth goal in Qatar SC tried to get back into “The Barca coach had surgery 11 appearances. the game but soon found them- on Thursdway according to plan,” Brest, who had midfielder QSL Results and selves needing to score two goals Umm Salal goalkeeper Mohammed Aneas holds onto the ball as his the statement added. Abdoulwhaid Sissoko sent off for to secure at least a point, after team-mates Medhat Mohilidin (2), Adan Ali Adan (18) look on during Barca announced on a dangerous tackle on Ezequiel Standings Al Marri scored his second of the his side’s Qatar Stars League (QSL) match against Eljaish at Al Arabi Wednesday that Villanova needed Lavezzi in the 33rd minute, are match with a header. Stadium, yesterday. Eljaish’s Wagner Ribeiro (20) and Anderson Martinez a second round of surgery fol- 13th on 21 points. Yesterday’s Results Soon afterwards, Al Rayyan’s lowing an operation to remove a PSG overpowered their hosts Al Gharafa 3 Al Wakra 1 (4) are also seen. BOTTOM: Abdullah Alawi Ali Omar (left) of Al Rayyan captain Fabio Cesar was substi- tries to get the ball during his side’s match against Qatar SC at Qatar tumour from his saliva glands in but came across an inspired Umm Salal 0 Eljaish 1 tuted by coach Diego Aguirre. November 2011. Thebaux, who made his first SC Stadium, yesterday. PICTURES BY: ABDUL BASIT/SALIM MATRAMKOT Qatar SC 1 Al Rayyan 3 There was more drama at the The latest procedure would spectacular save after 22 min- Played on Friday end of the match when Qatar SC be followed by chemotherapy utes when he parried away Thiago Al Sailiyah 1 Lekhwiya 2 were reduced to 10 men when and radiotherapy over the next Silva’s header and the following Khalid Saleh received a red card. six weeks and assistant coach Ibrahimovic shot. Al Arabi 4 Al Sadd 2 Meanwhile, Brazilian Raphael Jordi Roura would step in until Brest, who started with five Al Kharaitiyat 0 Al Khor 0 Alex gave Al Gharafa an early Vilanova was well enough to defenders and a counter-attack- P W L D G/f G/a Pts lead in the 15th minute. return, the club said. ing strategy, had their plans Al Sadd 12 10 1 1 30 12 31 But the visitors levelled in the The 44-year-old was sidelined ruined when Sissoko was shown Lekhwiya 12 8 1 3 19 13 25 45th minute through Ali Hussein. for around three weeks after the a straight red card. But they did Al Rayyan 12 7 2 3 25 15 23 Alex scored his second of the surgery last year before return- protect their goal as Thebaux par- match in the 60th minute to give ing to his job as assistant to Pep ried away efforts by Javier Pastore Eljaish 12 7 1 4 14 12 22 Al Gharafa, who appointed Alain Guardiola and then taking over and Ibrahimovic just before the Al Gharafa 12 5 3 4 14 13 18 Perrin as coach earlier this week, from his close friend at the end break. Umm Salal 12 5 2 5 18 22 17 the lead. of last season. The goalkeeper made another Qatar SC 12 4 2 6 16 20 14 The home side sealed the win Under his leadership, Barca great save two minutes into the Al Wakra 12 3 3 6 15 17 12 when Diego Tardelli scored in the have made a record-breaking second half before Ibrahimovic Al Kharaitiyat 12 2 5 5 9 11 11 84th minute. start to their La Liga campaign broke the deadlock. Al Khor 12 2 5 5 12 15 11 The QSL players will now take and top the standings with a six- Gameiro took advantage of a four-week rest, with action to point lead over second-placed slack defending to double PSG’s Al Arabi 12 2 5 5 14 21 11 resume on January 21 and 22, Atletico Madrid, who won on lead and Mendy’s own-goal com- Al Sailiyah 12 1 2 9 14 29 5 next year. THE PENINSULA Friday. REUTERS pleted the rout. REUTERS Oram cuts Siddle backs bowling unit to No final decision made ties with New Zealand come good against Sri Lanka to tour Pakistan, says MELBOURNE: Paceman pacemen Pat Cummins and James cricket Peter Siddle (pictured) has Pattinson for the home series, Bangladesh official backed Australia’s attack to and selectors have stoked con- AUCKLAND: All-rounder shrug off a glut of injuries that troversy by adopting a rotation DHAKA: Bangladesh have the ICC to complete their security Jacob Oram has opted out of his have hit the team’s fast bowling policy to preserve the fitness of not made a definitive decision assessment for match officials and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) stocks ahead of the second Test the remaining bowlers. to tour Pakistan next month, the moment they finalise their central contract to focus on his against Sri Lanka starting on Both Hilfenhaus and Siddle Bangladesh Cricket Board stance, we can give our confir- professional Twenty20 career. Wednesday. were rested for Australia’s loss (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan mation,” Nazmul told the BBC’s The 34-year-old Oram, who Australia, who have won just against South Africa in the third said yesterday, contradicting Bengali service. played 33 Tests and 160 one-day one of their past four Tests, have test in Perth, which cost them statements by his counterpart Nazmul hopes the International internationals, secured an early enjoyed precious little continu- the series 1-0, while local media Zaka Ashraf. Cricket Council (ICC) will give its release from his contract, NZC ity in their pace attack due to have speculated 22-year-old Pakistan Cricket Board chair- go-ahead. said in a statement yesterday. injuries and fatigue, and are set Starc could be dropped for the man Ashraf said on Friday that “We have made a commitment “This was a very difficult decision for another reshuffle with Ben Melbourne test despite taking the BCB had confirmed a visit to travel to Pakistan. It is my but in recent weeks I have come Hilfenhaus ruled out of the Boxing a five-wicket haul in the second in January, which would make understanding that it is even in to the conclusion that I can no Day Test in Melbourne. innings in Hobart. Bangladesh the first international the minutes of an ICC meeting longer make a full-time commit- Left-armers Mitchell Starc Siddle backed the rotation side to set foot in Pakistan since that we will go,” Nazmul added. ment to NZC,” Oram said in the and Mitchell Johnston, and the policy, however, and said would- armed militants attacked the Sri “Since we have made the com- statement. uncapped Jackson Bird are vying “Whoever’s come into the be debutant Bird would be well Lanka team bus in Lahore in mitment and if we think the secu- “Various factors have led me to to join Siddle in a three-man pace squad they’ve known what they suited to the MCG, where has 2009. rity arrangement is satisfactory, I make this decision including my attack at the Melbourne Cricket had to do. taken 14 wickets at an average “They have given us a date, think we should go,” he said yes- age, the stage of my career and Ground, with selectors likely to “The guys that have come in of 12.07 in two Sheffield Shield which is January 12. We will ask terday. REUTERS the impending birth of my second retain spinner Nathan Lyon. have shown that they can execute games. child. Siddle, Man-of-the-Match their skills and work with the “It’s a very patient ground,” Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar in Mumbai “I really enjoy the Twenty20 with nine wickets in Australia’s rest of the players in the squad 28-year-old Siddle said. format and see it as a way to stay last-gasp defeat of Sri Lanka in to maintain that pressure. “I guess I’ve had my success a involved in cricket for a while Hobart on Monday, said the hosts’ “That’s what the success that similar way to (Bird) - you bowl Kapil Dev and Sunil longer.” reserves were strong enough to we’ve had in that time has come nagging lengths and be patient, Gavaskar (right) share a Oram, who quit Test cricket step up to the challenge. down to. you bowl tight lines - that’s sort joke ahead of the India in 2009 in a bid to prolong his “That’s probably been the big “The squad has changed a lot of been the go-to here for us. vs England T20 match in career, has struggled with injuries thing that we’ve done well in espe- with the bowlers, but we’ve stuck “He’s a very similar type to Mumbai, yesterday. Dev in recent years and managed only cially the past 18 months,” Siddle together, we’ve worked well as a those sort of styles.” captained India which one ODI and a T20 match against told reporters in Melbourne team.” The third and final Test starts won the 1983 World Cup. Sri Lanka on tour in October and yesterday. Australia have lost young on January 3. REUTERS He was also named by November. Wisden He was left out of the team’s as the Indian T20 tour squad for South Africa Herath hopes spin can trouble Aussies Cricketer of the Year in and would be unlikely to feature 2002. He is the only player in New Zealand’s three one-day in the history of cricket to matches against the Proteas from MELBOURNE: Sri Lankan slow bowling spear- fast bowlers,” Herath told reporters in Melbourne have taken more than 400 January 19-25, a NZC spokesman head Rangana Herath believes that Australia’s yesterday. wickets and scored more said. limited opportunities to face quality spinners in “So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowl- than 5,000 runs in Tests. Oram would continue to play domestic cricket will enhance his side’s chances ing spin.” In 2010, Dev was inducted T20 cricket for domestic side of success in next week’s second Test. Sri Lanka are still chasing their first Test victory into the ICC Hall of Fame. Central Districts and play in com- Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 Down Under. Gavaskar, captained petitions overseas, he said. with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the The visitors will take heart from the fact that they India in Tests and ODIs. However, the door would still burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the won a test in South Africa last year while trailing He also held the record be open for his return to inter- retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan. 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets of 34 Test centuries for national cricket again, NZC said. The left-armer grabbed a second innings five- in a Man-of-the-Match performance. almost two decades A powerful striker of the ball, wicket haul in the first Test in Hobart, which Sri “In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario. We before it was broken the 1.98 metre (6-ft-6in) left- Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful lost... in the first Test and we came back strongly by Sachin Tendulkar in hander compiled over 1,780 test in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. and we did well and we won against South Africa in December 2005. runs at an average of over 36 and “I know that the Australians, even in domestic that Boxing Day Test match,” he said to reporters 2,434 runs in ODIs. REUTERS cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against yesterday. REUTERS Sunday 23 December 2012 10 Safar 1434 Volume 17 Number 5557 Sport Price: QR2

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www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 44557741 | Advertising: 44557837 / 44557780 Second-half blitz carries City close gap on United Celtic five Arsenal back on track as Arteta sinks Wigan; Liverpool crush Fulham points clear LONDON: Manchester City against QPR at St James’ Park. closed the gap on Premier English Premier Ameobi came off the bench to GLASGOW: Celtic scored League leaders Manchester hit the winner with a fine fin- four second-half goals as they United in dramatic fashion as League ish in the 81st minute, handing increased their lead at the top Gareth Barry’s stoppage-time LONDON: English Premier League results QPR boss Harry Redknapp his of the Scottish Premier League winner clinched a crucial 1-0 yesterday: first defeat since officially taking to five points with a 4-0 rout of victory over Reading yesterday. Manchester City 1 Reading 0 charge last month. Ross County yesterday. With United not in action Newcastle 1 QPR 0 West Bromwich Albion also After a goalless opening 45 until Sunday’s trip to Swansea, Southampton 0 Sunderland 1 remain in the hunt for a top-four minutes Celtic captain Scott Roberto Mancini’s team desper- Tottenham 0 Stoke 0 finish after a 2-1 win against Brown fired his side into the lead ately needed to put pressure on West Bromwich 2 Norwich City 1 Norwich at The Hawthorns left within a minute of the interval. their bitter rivals and they finally them sixth and level on points Gary Hooper headed home his West Ham 1 Everton 2 seized the opportunity in the clos- with Arsenal, Everton and 50th goal for Celtic in the 53rd Wigan 0 Arsenal 1 ing minutes at Eastlands. Tottenham. minute before grabbing a double After labouring to break down Liverpool 4 Fulham 0 Robert Snodgrass put the visi- as he nodded past Brown from struggling Reading for long peri- Playing today: tors ahead with a 23rd minute close range 11 minutes later. ods, the champions broke the Swansea vs Manchester Utd (1330 GMT) free-kick that was helped into James Forrest, who replaced deadlock when England mid- Chelsea vs Aston Villa (1600 GMT) the roof of the net by Albion Beram Kayal in the 58th minute fielder Barry headed home from Ham at Upton Park. The goalkeeper Ben Foster’s weak for his first appearance since a David Silva cross. Hammers took a 14th minute attempted save. October due to injury, wrapped That was enough to move City lead through Carlton Cole, but But Albion took advantage of up the scoring in the 70th minute within three points of United and Victor Anichebe levelled with a more poor goalkeeping to equal- with a fine individual goal. keep their title challenge alive 64th minute header. ise through Zoltan Gera’s 43rd However, things could have heading into the busy Christmas Cole was sent off midway minute tap-in after Norwich’s been different at Celtic Park if programme, while Reading stay through the second half for a Mark Bunn made a hash of deal- Ross County’s Rocco Quinn and bottom after their 11th defeat of clash with Leighton Baines and ing with a Jonas Olsson effort. Alex Cooper had converted two the season. Everton took advantage of their And on-loan Chelsea forward good chances for the visitors just Arsenal climbed to third place numerical superiority to grab the Romelu Lukaku headed the win- before the break. as Mikel Arteta’s second half pen- winner through Steven Pienaar’s ner with eight minutes remaining. The win, Celtic’s fifth in a row, alty sealed a 1-0 win over Wigan deflected effort in the 73rd Sunderland boosted their sur- increases their lead at the top of at the DW Stadium. minute. vival hopes with a 1-0 win at fel- the table to five over Inverness The only goal of a scrappy Everton had midfielder Darron low strugglers Southampton. Caledonian Thistle who leap- encounter arrived in the 60th Gibson sent off for a high chal- Martin O’Neill’s men moved frogged Motherwell following a minute when Spanish midfielder lenge in the closing stages, but four points clear of the bottom 4-1 win over bottom of the table Arteta fired home from the spot David Moyes’ side held on. three after Scotland striker Dundee. after referee Jonathan Moss gave That win for Everton meant Steven Fletcher lashed in from At Celtic Park, the hosts came a penalty for Jean Beausejour’s Tottenham slipped down to fifth close-range for his eighth goal of out of the break fired up and took clip on Theo Walcott. place after being held to a frus- the season in the 42nd minute. the lead within a minute of the The Gunners have now won trating 0-0 draw by Stoke at In a late match, Liverpool restart. Hooper played a clever their last three league matches White Hart Lane. winger Stewart Downing finally Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero (right) vies with Reading midfielder through ball into the path of and are back in the race to secure Newcastle ended a miserable ended his Premier League goal Mikele Leigertwood during their English Premier League match at the Etihad Brown and the captain rifled an a Champions League place. run of six defeats from their drought as the Reds beat Fulham Stadium in Manchester, north-west England, yesterday. Manchester City angled shot past the keeper. Everton surged into fourth last seven league games as Shola 4-0 at Anfield to record their big- won the game 1-0. Ross County had little time to place with a 2-1 win over West Ameobi clinched a 1-0 victory gest win of the season. AFP recover from this setback before Celtic added a second through Hooper in the 53rd minute when Scottish Premier he got on the end of Lassad’s Messi scores as Barca beat Valladolid cross to send a downward header League squirming under the arms of GLASGOW: Scottish Premier League results MADRID: Xavi Hernandez, points. They were quick out of edge of the area, but it looked as driving run before hitting a crisp Brown.Hooper made it 3-0 in yesterday: Lionel Messi and Cristian the blocks yesterday. if the home side would survive to left-footed shot into the corner the 64th minute after Victor Tello steered La Liga lead- Alexis Sanchez should have the interval fairly comfortably. to finish 2012 on a staggering 91 Wanyama managed to knock on Aberdeen 2 St Johnstone 0 ers Barcelona to a 3-1 win at opened the scoring as early as That wish was shattered with goals. Charlie Mulgrew’s corner into his Celtic 4 Ross County 0 Valladolid yesterday. the fifth minute, but after run- three minutes of the half remain- The capacity 26,500 crowd path and he headed it in from four Jordi Roura took charge of ning onto a Dani Alves pass, he ing when a quick attack saw sportingly applauded Andres yards out. Inverness CT 4 Dundee 1 Barca in the absence of the somehow shot wide with the goal Messi find full-back Jordi Alba in Iniesta onto the pitch as a late Forrest climbed off the bench Playing today: 44-year-old Tito Vilanova who at his mercy. an advanced position on the left substitute before Javi Guerra gave to make his long awaited come- Kilmarnock vs Hibernian (1245 GMT) will be out of the game for a Valladolid goalkeeper Dani and his cross left Xavi with the the home side a late consolation back from injury and he marked number of months to undergo Hernandez was called into action easiest of finishes. from close range. his return with his first goal of Hearts vs Dundee Utd (1630 GMT) radiotherapy and chemotherapy. on 11 minutes to stop a shot from Pedro Rodriguez went close But substitute Tello made it the season in the 70th minute as The win allowed Barcelona Messi and Xavi went close with a for Barca with a header from a three for Barca with his only he collected a pass and cut into La Liga to finish 2012 with a nine-point curling free-kick after 26 minutes Dani Alves cross just after the touch of the game in injury time. the box and arrowed a shot past MADRID: Results in Spain’s La Liga advantage over second-placed that zipped just past his post. break before Messi doubled the Earlier, Mallorca surprised Brown via a slight deflection. yesterday: Atletico Madrid with 16 wins in Messi hit a free-kick against lead with a stunning goal on the an in-form Real Betis with a 2-1 Hooper came close to a hat- 17 games, the 2-2 home draw with the post on 35 minutes after hour mark. away win that denied the side trick late on when he cannoned Real Betis 1 Real Mallorca 2 Real Madrid being the only game centre-half Henrique Sereno had The Argentine put the ball from Seville a chance to move into an effort off the bar after good Valladolid 1 Barcelona 3 in which Barca have dropped blocked Thiago Alcantara on the through a defender’s legs during a fourth position. AFP work from Forrest. AFP Morgan’s last-ball six wins thriller for England MUMBAI: A captain’s innings superb show after opting to field quick wickets, England got its wrap up the match in style for of unbeaten 49 off 26 balls by first. innings back on track -- thanks England. Scoreboard Eoin Morgan helped England They were excellent on the field to a crucial 26-run stand between Earlier put in, riding on cru- INDIA L Wright lbw Y Singh ...... 5 beat India by six wickets in but couldn’t prevent India from Morgan and Samit Patel (9). cial innings from Virat Kohli (38), G Gambhir c Bresnan b Wright ...... 17 E Morgan (not out) ...... 49 a last-ball finish in the sec- posting a challenging total of 177 Patel perished in his attempt Dhoni (38) and Suresh Raina (35) ond Twenty20 international at for eight in 20 overs. to hit out Ahsok Dinda (1/44). helped India get a challenging tar- A Rahane c Root b Dernbach ...... 3 S Patel c Gambhir b Dinda ...... 9 the Wankhede Stadium here Chasing a target of 178, An indomitable Morgan then get on board despite a poor start. V Kohli lbw Meaker ...... 38 J Buttler (not out) ...... 12 yesterday. England got off great start with joined forces with Jos Butler (15 Opener Ajinkya Rahane (3) Y Singh c Root b Wright ...... 4 Extras (B-1, LB-8, W-2) ...... 10 Morgan finished off the match Michael Lumb (50) and Alex not out) to take England home fell early while Gautam Gambhir R Sharma b Tredwell ...... 24 Total (for 4 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 181 in style with a six off the last Hales (42) adding 80 runs. Lumb with their 32-run stand for the struggled for his 17 off 27 balls. S Raina (not out) ...... 3 Fall of wickets: 1-80, 2-94, 3-123, 4-149. ball as England squared the two- smashed two sixes and six fours fifth wicket. Kohli got his act right and M S Dhoni c Patel b Bresnan ...... 38 Bowling: Ashok Dinda 4-0-44-1; Parvinder match series 1-1 and will head in his 34-ball knock while Hales But nonetheless it was a scored briskly for his 38 off 20 R Ashwin c Lumb b Dernbach ...... 1 Awana 4-0-42-0; Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0- back home for the Christmas hit a six and four four during his thrilling finish. England needed balls before being trapped leg- P Chawla (run out-Root/Buttler) ...... 0 38-0; Piyush Chawla 4-0-31-0; Yuvraj Singh break. 33-ball stay. 23 runs off the last 12 balls. before by Stuart Meaker. Yuvraj Extras (B-2, LB-4, W-9, NB-2) ...... 17 4-0-17-3. Having won the Test series, Lumb and Hales scored at will Butler smashed a six and four off Singh (4) was Luke Wright’s Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) ...... 177 Player-of-the-Match: EJG Morgan (England) England were desperate to leave and the butter-fingered Indian Parwinder Awana as 14 runs came (2/38) second victim while Rohit the Indian shores for Christmas fielders also added to England’s off the penultimate over. Sharma was castled by James Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-64, 3-71, 4-88, 5-108, India vs England on a high note. cause. India skipper Mahendra Singh Tredwel despite having scored 6-168, 7-171, 8-177. ODI schedule Bowling: Tim Bresnan 4-0-27-1; Jade Dern- They certainly did and would When it looked that England Dhoni turned to Dinda for the 24 off 19 balls. Jan 11: 1st ODI - at Rajkot be rejuvenated when they return would sail easily, left-arm spinner most crucial over of the match. Suddely India were left strug- bach 4-0-37-2; Stuart Meaker 4-0-42-1; Luke Jan 15: 2nd ODI - at Kochi back in the first week of the New Yuvraj Singh (3/17) churned out Dinda bowled tightly leaving gling at five for 108. It was then Wright 4-0-38-2; James Tredwell 4-0-27-1. Jan 19: 3rd ODI - at Ranchi Year for the five-match ODI his best performance to reduce England needing three runs to left to a valuable 60-run stand ENGLAND Jan 23: 4th ODI - at Mohali, Chandigarh starting Jan 11. the visitors from 80 for no loss to win off the last ball. between Dhoni and Raina took M Lumb st Dhoni b Y Singh ...... 50 Jan 27: 5th ODI - at Dharamsala At the packed Wankhede, 123 for three. Morgan smashed the last ball India to a competitive total. A Hales c Dinda b Y Singh ...... 42 England put on an all-round Stunned with the loss of three straight over Dinda’s head to IANS